18 Chapter Eighteen

In a dimly lit room, two men could be seen sitting opposite each other. One of the men was quite portly, his facial expressions were one of arrogance and his clothes were dignified only wearing a fancy tux.

In his left hand an umbrella, and on his right a Cuban cigar. Though probably the most distinctive feature about him would be his long beak-like nose.

This man was known and feared as Oswald Cobblepot, one of the richest men in Gotham City and the leader of one of the strongest criminal organisations.

But he was also known by a different name...the penguin. But do not let the funny nickname fool you, because the man behind that name was as petty as he was ruthless.

And opposite him was an equally terrifying individual. Roman Sionis, better known by his criminal alias Black Mask.

He is a longtime enemy of Batman and one of the most prominent figures in Gotham City's organized crime.

He was the leader of the False Face Society. Their modus operation consisted of committing crimes of all sorts, but with the condition that all the members of the organization must wear masks, to hide their real faces.

That included the leader of the society Black Mask who at most times would be seen wearing an eerily spine curling Black mask and no one had ever seen him without it on.

The room was filled with an air of tension as the Penguin and Black Mask exchanged knowing glances.

They were about to embark on a plan that could secure them unimaginable wealth and power.

Black Mask tapped his gloved fingers on the table, his eyes fixed on the map spread out before them. "Penguin, this treasure hidden beneath the Comic Con building is said to be worth a fortune. With it, we could reshape the criminal landscape of Gotham City."

The Penguin leaned forward, his monocle glinting in the dim light. "Indeed, Black Mask. But we must proceed with caution. We don't want Batman or any other interfering heroes to catch wind of our intentions. Our decoy group will provide the perfect distraction while we carry out our excavation."

Black Mask smirked, his masked face hiding any trace of emotion. "Precisely. We'll create a group known as the Chaos Avengers, a name that will instil fear and panic among the convention-goers. They will believe that the group plans to detonate bombs throughout the event, causing chaos and ensuring our uninterrupted search for the hidden treasures."

The Penguin nodded, his calculating mind already envisioning their success. "Once we have retrieved the treasures, we'll disappear into the shadows, leaving no trace of our involvement. Gotham City will be ours for the taking."

With their plan in place, the Penguin and Black Mask solidified their partnership, shaking hands as a symbol of their unholy alliance. They knew the risks, but the allure of the hidden treasure that was potentially worth billions proved too enticing to resist.

.....

(Uptown, 777 Grant Wood Road, Gotham City)

In front of Jayden's barber shop, a familiar yellow supra pulled up to the front and Lola who was in an excited mood parked her car and made her way inside the barbershop.

" Hey, Jayden...huh? where is he?" Lola was slightly confused, she had just texted Jayden not too long ago and he said he was here.

But now looking at the window, the sign at the front said closed, so why was his front door unlocked?

That was when she heard the familiar sound of a cat's meow. Raven had just entered the barber shop when she noticed Lola, she ran up to Lola and rubbed her body against her leg.

" It's good to see you too Raven, hey do perhaps know where Jayden is." Lola asked Raven out of curiosity, but as if understanding her she purred before walking to the back of the shop and up the stairs.

Lola decided to follow Raven and they ended up going all the way to the fourth floor of the building.

Lola was wondering where Raven was leading her until she heard a noise coming from the rooftop.

Raven finally led her to the rooftop where Lola immediately looked around in wonder. When she walked up here she expected a couple of things...but this, this was definitely not one of them.

" It's beautiful..." She said unconsciously as she admired the green, blues and purples all around her.

" Hey, Raven did you have a good walk..huh Lola your here too." Jaden's surprised voice finally brought her back. Lola looked towards him but then looked at his exposed upper body.

" Haha, see something you like." Jayden teasingly said." Yes." Lola replied, unashamed of her blatant staring.

"Hahaha, it's good to finally see you, did you finally sort out whatever it was with Selina."

"Yes we did, and I'm sorry again for missing your grand opening." She apologised sincerely.

" It's alright, no harm done, so what did you come here for." Jayden asked curiously.

" Before that...did you do all this Jayden, it's amazing." Lola said while looking at the garden in front of her.

" All this! Yep all me. I thought that this place seemed a little...empty, so I decided to fill it up and revamp it over the weekend, what do you think, nice right."

" It's better than nice, Jayden." Lola complimented him sincerely. Jayden gave her a small tour and after that, the two of them ended up on one of the benches Jayden had just built.

Though instead of sitting side by side Lola had decided to take Raven's spot on his lap.

" So what did you want to talk about." Jayden asked.

Lola looked into Jayden's eyes, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.

"Jayden, I have a proposition for you. Comic-Con is happening next week, and I know how much you love those types of events. So, how about I invite you to come with me? We can geek out together and have the time of our lives."

Jayden's face lit up with excitement. "Are you serious? That sounds amazing! I've always wanted to attend Comic Con, but I never had the chance. Thanks, Lola. I'd love to go with you."

Lola beamed, happy to see Jayden's enthusiasm matching her own. "It's a date then! We'll dress up as our favourite superheroes and immerse ourselves in the world of comics and anime. It's going to be epic!"

After making plans for Comic Con, Jayden's eyes gleamed with curiosity. "Hey, Lola, since we still have some time before the event, are you busy today?"

Lola shook her head, a playful grin spreading across her face. "Nope, not at all. Why?"

Jayden's eyes twinkled mischievously as he took her hand, leading her to the cosy hammock. "Well then, how about we spend the rest of the day together? Just you, me, and some quality cuddle time?"

Lola's heart skipped a beat as they settled into the hammock, their bodies intertwined. The gentle sway and the soothing breeze created a perfect ambience for relaxation and togetherness.

They spent the day chatting, laughing, and sharing stories. Lola had even taken a few pictures of herself and Jayden together laying on the hammock.

At one point he had fallen asleep and Lola had taken a few pictures of his cute sleeping face before sending them to Selina who messaged her not too long after with jealous emojis.

Lola chuckled before deciding to join Jayden and take an afternoon nap.

Raven who had been not too far away playing in the garden had jumped into the hammock at one point and curled up between the two.

The scene was picturesque.