Chapter 168: Unpredictable
"The biggest risk is being afraid to take one."
- Unknown
...
After Batman walked away, Penguin breathed a sigh of relief before realizing that his back was already wet with sweat.
'Damn Batman, he really thinks he's above everyone else! He calls us villains? Clearly, he's the biggest villain in this city!'
Penguin couldn't help but feel angry and ashamed when he thought about how embarrassing he had been just now.
He looked at Ignatius, who had already passed out on the ground next to him, with a mix of pity and relief in his eyes.
He felt pity for Ignatius because he knew what it was like to be kicked by Batman, and even if he didn't, he could imagine it from how that door looked.
As for the relief, it was because Ignatius had passed out and hadn't seen how Penguin was always answering Batman's questions obediently.
After all, if his subordinates were to see him in that state, it would have been rather embarrassing.
But don't assume that Oswald Cobblepot was too nice to his subordinates.
It's purely because he has seen too many people. If Penguin were to kill all the witnesses, he wouldn't have many people left under him.
This wasn't the first time Batman had forced his way into the Iceberg Lounge, and it wouldn't be the last.
In the beginning, Batman surprised him by showing up at his parties, beating him in front of his guests and henchmen, and then asking for information.
At first, Penguin had thought about fighting back, surrounding himself with bodyguards all the time, and staying alert in case Batman showed up unexpectedly.
However, the results were utterly useless.
Penguin learned his lesson as time went by, and he got wiser.
He stopped fighting and even helped by telling Batman whatever he wanted to hear.
Of course, there was a line he wouldn't cross, mainly when it came to revealing his own criminal activities.
In some special situations, Batman would even ask Penguin for help in investigating cases, and Penguin would follow without hesitation.
So, almost everyone in Penguin's gang knew about these things, but there were very few who would look down on Penguin because of them.
In Gotham City, with hundreds of gangs and tens of thousands of members in the underworld, who would dare to say that they weren't afraid of Batman?
Whoever did it was either a supervillain with a lot of courage or a very smart person.
In short, Penguin knew that being afraid of Batman was not a shameful thing, but it wasn't easy to overcome that trauma.
It was hard to accept that the Kingpin of Gotham's criminal underworld would do whatever Batman told him to do.
At this moment, the Penguin picked up the phone on his office desk and contacted one of his subordinates.
"Send a few people to my office; Ignatius got seriously injured, and take him to the hospital."
It didn't take long for a few of his subordinates to arrive with a stretcher and carry Ignatius away.
...
On the other side,
Batman went back to the Batcave with a troubled mind after leaving the Iceberg Lounge.
"Master Bruce, if you keep looking so gloomy, it will be hard for the women to like you again. If the Wayne family ends with you, I'm not sure how I'd explain it to your ancestors."
Alfred remarked as he served tea and food.
"In an hour and a half, the Wayne Foundation needs to hold its annual charity gala. I was hoping you could meet a noble, beautiful, gentle, and generous young lady at the gala rather than some female thief or a heiress from an assassin organization..."
"I'm not in the mood for jokes right now, Alfred. I feel like the situation is getting out of my control."
Batman answered while taking off his mask and suit to reveal a muscular body, then changing into Bruce's usual clothes.
"Are you talking about the charity gala? I know you hate those events, but it's been a tradition since your mother founded the Wayne Foundation."
"No, I'm talking about the Phantom Thief."
Bruce shook his head.
"If I recall correctly, the last time you mentioned the Phantom Thief, your assessment of him was 'a boring thief who only knows performance art.' Now, it seems your opinion of him has changed?"
Alfred asked curiously.
"The Phantom Thief not only found out mine and Dick's identities, but he also knows about Matches Malone."
Bruce's eyes narrowed.
"Are you serious?"
Hearing Matches Malone, Alfred's expression changed instantly.
He was one of the people Bruce trusted the most, so how could he not understand the importance of Matches Malone?
"A few days ago, the Phantom Thief disguised himself as Match Malone and gambled with Oswald at the Iceberg Lounge. I haven't done anything like that, and my investigation shows that the real Matches Malone hasn't returned to Gotham."
Bruce spoke in a serious tone.
In the eyes of others, Matches was in charge of the Matches Gang, which was a new, medium-sized group that primarily involved arson.
But in reality, Matches Malone's true identity was Bruce Wayne!
That's one of Bruce's deepest secrets, and only the people he trusts the most know it; even the Justice League doesn't know this secret, although they don't need to know.
Matches Malone's identity is quite unique. He is a real criminal who partnered with his brother to commit arson in Gotham.
The loss of his brother in an accident many years ago had a significant impact on Matches Malone.
This made him think about disappearing from the criminal world.
So, Matches Malone left Gotham and hasn't been back for a long time. He still has no plans to go back to Gotham.
At the time, Batman was fighting different groups of criminals in Gotham, which made it hard to solve many cases.
The amount of information obtained was limited, and the level of efficiency was not enough even with brutal interrogation.
He desperately needed a stable and fast way to get information without attracting attention.
Matches Malone's disappearance gave him a good identity.
Indeed, Bruce adopted Matches Malone as his criminal alter ego.
He was able to identify the majority of the Gotham crime families' confidential information by using this persona.
Matches Malone is a real person, and he's still alive.
However, the Matches controlling Gotham's criminal world isn't the real Matches, and the one who gambles with the Penguin isn't the real Matches either.
Bruce kept a close eye on the real Matches and ensured he wouldn't return to Gotham. He knows everything about his movements.
"The Phantom Thief must have some kind of supernatural power. He craves the applause and amazement of the audience. He stole a sample of Man-Bat Serum, and he knows our identities. He even disguised himself as Matches Malone to gamble against the Penguin..."
Bruce frowned.
"Alfred, I don't know what the Phantom Thief's true intentions are, and I don't understand the intentions behind his actions. He is beyond my control... I can't understand him."
...
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