The Kingpin of Gotham

While in the cave one morning Bruce punches a heavy bag, with his hands taped. At that moment, Alfred comes down to the cave with a newspaper in hand.

"Sir, you might want to hear this." Alfred says.

Bruce stops his training, grabs a nearby towel to wipe his sweaty face, then turns to Alfred.

"What's going on, Alfred?" Bruce asks.

"Carmine Falcon has taken his own life while in prison." Alfred says.

Bruce is surprised when he hears this, but then starts to think for a moment.

"Somethings off. Carmine isn't the suicide type, he's too prideful. No, there's something else at play. For years people looked at Falcone as the one running Gothams underworld, but what if that's what someone wanted us to think. What if Carmine Falcone was just someone's pawn." Bruce says.

"I suppose that's possible. But if that is true, how are you going to find someone who has kept themselves hidden for so long?" Alfred asks.

"I have an idea. But first, I have to go see someone." Bruce says.

Later, Jim Gordon is eating dinner with his wife and daughter, when he goes outside to take out the trash.

"A storms coming." A voice says across from him.

Jim looks over and sees Batman. Gordon quickly closes the front door so his family doesn't see him.

"Yeah, I kinda guessed that." Jim replies.

"Falcone wasn't the one in charge all these years. When he wasn't useful anymore, he was disposed of."

Jim sighs.

"I did suspect foul play with Carmine's suicide, but I couldn't prove it. Any ideas on who this big player is?" Jim asks.

"No. But Oswald Cobblepot might."Bruce replies.

"The Penguin? He was Falcone's right hand man once upon a time, before going into business for himself. It'll take me awhile to get a warrant."

"I don't need a warrant." Batman says.

Jim looks at Batman for a moment

"Commissioner Loeb has set up a massive task force to catch you. He thinks you're dangerous."

"What do you think?" Batman asks.

Jim stays silent for a moment.

"I think you're trying to help."

When Jim turns to Batman, he sees that he is already gone.

"But I've been wrong before." Jim says to herself.

At the Iceberg Lounge, a night club in Gotham City, the bouncer hears a knock on the door. He opens up and sees Batman standing there.

"Do you know who I am?" Bruce asks.

The bouncer smirks.

"I have an idea."

"I want to see the Penguin."

"I don't know what you're talking about, pal." The bouncer replies.

At that moment, another one of Penguins goons joins the bouncer.

"What's the problem?" The goon asks.

"He says he wants to see the Penguin." The bouncer replies.

The goon chuckles.

"The Penguin? Ain't no Penguin here."

"That's what I tried to tell him."

"Get out of here, freak. Or else that suits gonna get covered in blood."

Bruce stares down the two goons.

"Mine or yours?" Bruce replies.

One of the men reaches towards him, but Batman punches him in the face and backhands the other, dropping them to the ground and walking into the club. As Bruce walks through a crowd of people who are stunned by the sight of him, one of the goons start yelling for backup. He then makes it to the actual club part when another goon approaches behind him. Before he can even touch Bruce, the vigilante knocks away his hand, hits him with a forearm strike, then slams him into another goon walking up the stairs and kicks them both down them. Another goon grabs him from behind and throws him into a punch by a second goon.

Bruce spins around, landing a jumping roundhouse kick to one of the goons face, knocking him out cold. He then catches a punch from the other, slams him face first into the railing and throws him over the balcony. Bruce lands a punch combination on another thug, then jumps over the balcony and onto the ground below, knocking out another goon. As he drops every thug that comes at him, he hears someone running at him with a metal bat. Hd easily dodges the bat, grabs it, then slams it into the goons stomach and face. He quickly hits another goon in the head with the bat, knocking him out.

Bruce then hears a loaded gun behind him, dodges the gun shot and throws the bat at the shooters head, knocking him out. At that moment, hears someone coming up from behind and quickly turns around, ready to fight, but he sees the man he wanted to see.

"Woah, take it easy sweetheart. You looking for me?" Oswald Cobblepot asks.

Bruce drops his guard as the situation slowly settles down.

"Boy, you're everything they say, ain't ya? I guess we both are."

Cobblepot then extends his hand towards Batman.

"How you doin? I'm Oz."

Later, the two talk in Cobblepot's office as a bartender pours them both a drink. She then pauses and stares at Batman, while Bruce listens to her heartbeat, noticing that she's not afraid but almost excited.

"It's ok, Baby. Mr. Vengeance here don't bite." Oswald says.

The bartender then leaves the room while Bruce and Oswald start talking.

"So, what can I do for you?" Oswald asks.

"You were close with Carmine Falcone." Bruce says.

The Penguin pauses for a moment.

"Yeah, I was...Once. Damn shame what happened to him. Guess you never know what kind of Demons someone is carrying around."

"We both know he didn't kill himself. He was taken out by the one who was really running things in Gotham."

While Oswald chuckles, Bruce listens to his heartbeat go up. He knows something.

"That's some theory. Maybe some nut on the internet would agree with you."

"I want a name." Bruce says.

Oswald pauses again, before drinking his cup of scotch and standing up to his feet.

"Sorry, I can't help you. In case you haven't noticed, I'm just a humble club owner."

At that moment, Batman grabs Oswald and slams him into the window, shattering the glass.

"Don't make me hurt you." Bruce says.

"You better watch it. You know my reputation?" Oswald says.

"Yeah, I do. Do you?"

Cobblepot scowls at Batman.

"Look... I don't have the answers you're looking for. So if you're not here to accuse me of anything... I suggest you leave."

Bruce pauses for a moment, before slowly letting go of him and walking out of the room. When Bruce leaves, Cobblepot quickly makes a call to someone.

"Hey, it's Oz. We might have a problem. I think this Bat freak knows about... our mutual friend." Oswald says.

While he talks, a small recording device listens into his conversation. Meanwhile,outside of the Iceberg Lounge, the bartender quickly walks away from the club, taking off a wig to reveal that she's the reporter, Vicky Vale with a big smile on her face.

"Wait until Ellison hears about this." She says to herself.

Back with Bruce, he's in the cave listening in on Oswald with Alfred while the butler takes notes. At that moment, the man with glasses and the suit walks into Cobblepot's office.

"Wesley, hey. Is that a new suit?" Oswald asks.

"What happened with the Bat, Oswald?" Wesley asks.

Oswald sighs.

"He knows that Carmine wasn't actually the one running the show. He even knows that you had him killed in his cell."

Wesley stays silent for a moment.

"Did you tell him anything?" He asks.

Oswald laughs it off.

"Of course not. But the Bats no joke. He went through my guys like tissue paper. You gotta tell Fi-"

Wesley cuts off Cobblepot before he could say who he is working for.

"We don't say his name." Wesley says.

"Right. Right, sorry. You tell Kingpin, that whoever this guy is, he needs to be put in the ground and fast."

Wesley stays silent for a moment.

"We'll work on it." Wesley replies as he starts to leave the office.

Meanwhile, Alfred underlines the name Kingpin, pointing out Batman's next target.