Take It Off

Chapter 3: It's A Hole In The Wall

The Iceberg Lounge is popular, it's big-time, it's known in every corner of Gotham. Outside of Gotham, however, is a completely different story.

Empires that get too big fall. They can't keep the resources flowing, they can't keep their nasty sides hidden. They can't keep track of everything, can't coordinate, can't defend themselves.

As far as the world's concerned, the Lounge and its owner aren't really anything special. A one-town act that's mostly unknown in a city that happens to have Batman in it.

As far as the world's concerned, Oswald Cobblepot is a little man in a little club with delusions of grandiour. And maybe, possibly, a crook who's been caught more than once.

As far as Gotham's concerned, he's a king. The Penguin has only been caught a few times, always managing to get himself out in a mostly-legal manner.

He runs the smuggling business in Gotham, has his flippers in every pie, has every Rogue and many cops on his payroll. Even the Bat can barely touch him. All while maintaining the legal side of everything.

Penguin, Oswald, Mr Cobblepot. Everyone knows he's one and the same, but not a damn thing can be done about it. He watches as mobsters shoot each other into oblivion and Rogues so foolishly get caught, being not really either and yet both.

Is he a criminal mastermind, a smuggler and a mob boss, just one that happens to be smart enough to stick around when all the others became obsolete? Or is he a Supervillain, flamboyant and in it for the game, just one that's calmer than most?

The answer is simple: yes and no, both and neither. Oswald Cobblepot is simply a business man who happens to have what it takes to make it in Gotham. Why should he need to label it further?