Chapter 27: Arrival

Noon passed and evening soon came.

Arias had spent the day cementing his reputation and attending to business related matters with Roulette.

He was currently seated in a luxurious limousine, just one of the many assets he had supposedly "bought" during the auction.

In the back,seated opposite of Arias was Roulette. She had a digital tablet in hand and was still carrying out many tasks for Arias.

Normally one wouldn't trust their secretary to such an extent but Arias wasn't afraid his assets or wealth could be stolen.

After all, he still had the final say before anything got implemented or carried out. Plus given that she was much smarter than the average criminal, she would see the benefits of staying with him for at least a while longer.

The two were currently on their way to the iceberg lounge, an infamous hotspot for criminals which was formerly owned by The Penguin.

On paper, the iceberg lounge was considered by some as the hottest spot in Gotham.

Before the raids, The Penguin had used the posh nightclub as a front to run his illegal activities, secretly trading stolen goods and information.

The two-story, 12,800-square-foot restaurant and lounge includes a large pool for pet seals and penguins in the center dining area, an iceberg-like sculpture in the pool, a casino, a ship themed dance floor, and polar decor. A tuxedoed jazz band on the sculpture is often seen playing tunes.

It also holds some more private rooms such as an office, armory, and some hidden back rooms, which served various criminal purposes and still do.

Arias kept the theme of the lounge as it was since it was generating a considerable amount of income.

He went as far as to make it somewhere the general public could go during the day, only becoming adult themed past 10 pm.

This made it quite the hotspot for regular families as well who could afford the daytime prices. Kids loved the decor and seeing exotic pets as they ate, whereas adults enjoyed experiencing a form of luxury at an affordable price.

Whenever Roulette wasn't handling direct business for Arias, she would be at the lounge, making sure it was running perfectly.

Although it was empty after the raids, it had since been revitalized by Arias, with many of Gotham's elite promoting it, mostly to gain favor from Arias.

…

The duo arrived at the lounge just a little past 8pm, before adult time began. Because of that a long line of patrons could be seen outside, waiting for a chance to enter.

They of course didn't have to stand in a line as it was an equally luxurious outdoor area. Furthermore the fact that it was built on a single artificial island, connected to the rest of Gotham only by a single bridge meant it had its own independent harbor.

On that harbor we're many yachts, a few belonging to Arias. This was were some adults would wait or even have dinner under the starry deck.

It was truly a top class place like any other.

…

Arias's arrival was met with applause and camera flashes which wasn't a strange thing considering he was now more or less a big celebrity in Gotham.

He smiled and waved as he made his way inside where even more people applauded him and took pictures as he interacted with other patrons and even their children like every other cliché public figure.

After spending thirty minutes of his time doing this, he left for the private back rooms which were initially used to store stolen and or illegal goods.

There, seated on the crates below a flight of stairs were a few familiar faces on the criminal scene of Gotham.

The most noticeable ones were the ones Roulette had mentioned beforehand to Arias. Giganta, Harley Quinn and Shade.

Giganta, who they had the least amount of information on was new to the criminal scene. No background, no family or traces of identity could be found when Roulette attempted a background check.

The only thing clear was that she wasn't wanted, which was strange because rumors had reported her clashing with Batman in an incident months prior. Although she already looked like a giant at first glance, she had the ability to drastically increase her size even further. Her reason for crime was simply because without an identity plus her appearance, she had no choice.

She resembled a wild primal woman and wore ripped leopard hides for a top and skirt.

Shade was more clear cut. He was simply a common thief with the power to manipulate shadows and even teleport. Despite this however, shade's background shows that he had been caught numerous times and has spent many sentences in prison, yet he hasn't aged a single day.

Rumors have been passed that he is immortal due to having a track record that dated back to England's 1700's , though he himself has never confirmed it. His reasons for still remaining a petty criminal are that he finds joy and excitement in stealing, calling it thrilling and lively.

Even his attire was a classic, sporting a dark suit and matching top hat with a cane in hand.

Lastly was Harley Quinn, perhaps the most infamous among the three. She was very well known as the joker's adoring sidekick.

Though the lastest encounter between him and Batman showed he held her in little regard as it had become general knowledge that he attempted to save his own life using hers without hesitation, unsurprisingly this shocked no one except her.

Regardless the joker was captured and sentenced but Harley was acquitted on all counts. This was because of her former colleagues during her time as a psychiatric doctor who pleaded that she had been pushed to insanity and that she too was a victim.

This was proven due to another incident in which Gotham saw first hand what the joker gas could do, driving many poor victims to uncontrollable hysteria.

Although freed, she was put in what they called a treatment center, where she escaped and just roamed Gotham. No one really knowing what she wanted or what her goal was, though her usual bubbly personality didn't seem changed by her circumstances.

She wore tiny red and blue shorts with ripped leggings underneath and even a ripped white top with a red and white jacket above.

The rest of the criminals present were mostly just former henchmen without a boss and source of income anymore.

Arias descended the stairs with Roulette at his side while looking at the many faces present without any particular emotion.

The back rooms were glum and rather empty so it was a rather sorry sight seeing so many people present just sitting on crates or the floor.

When the majority noticed Arias descending, they quickly got attentive and stood upright with their heads hire, clearly disciplined well by their former sadistic bosses.

Giganta simply stood confidently and puffed her enormous chest out. Whereas Shade simply tipped his hat and stood straight with both hands on his cane.

Harley put the bat she had brought under her armpit and proceeded to stand at attention and salute…while still blowing gum.

Arias showed a brief smirk and came to a stop about a five meters away from them.

'This should be interesting.'

A/N: Yes I've mixed and edited their backgrounds slightly without straying too far from the original, depending on which earth that is.