"Don't let yesterday take up too much of today."
- Will Rogers
...
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Shortly after, Ignatius continues shooting and killing the drivers of the remaining three cars, one after another.
This caused their vehicles to go out of control, either crashing and killing the driver or being torn to pieces by the Man-Bat chasing behind them.
"The old Penguin is undoubtedly dead. Let's go back."
At this point, Ignatius turned around and spoke to his henchmen behind him. He then walked straight into the Iceberg Lounge.
"Um... Boss, are you sure we shouldn't send someone to check for bodies?"
One of his henchmen hesitated for a moment before asking.
"After being torn apart by dozens of Man-Bats, he's probably just a pile of flesh. Who can even tell?"
Ignatius says this without looking back.
Hearing their boss say that, the henchmen had no choice but to follow. They all hurried into the Iceberg Lounge and tightly locked the front door.
Once inside the Iceberg Lounge, Ignatius wasted no time and walked into the meeting room.
In the huge meeting room, a tense atmosphere fills the air. A lot of people with different appearances are sitting in chairs.
Behind each of these leaders stood an armed bodyguard.
Unlike the people sitting down, these guards had the same clothes and weapons, making it clear that they were part of an organized group.
However, judging from the atmosphere in the meeting room, it seems more like surveillance than bodyguard duty.
There are some people sitting in the chairs who look strange.
Their skin is golden, their heads look like blue liquid-filled glass bottles, and some don't have heads or any internal organs that can be seen, just clothes that float inside them.
These people are either subordinates of the Penguin or crime bosses closely tied to his interests. They are the most important part of the Penguin's criminal empire.
There are also four or five leaders with superhuman abilities, but their powers are not very strong.
It's easy for bullets to kill them, and when someone points a gun at the back of their heads, they look a lot like regular people.
"Oswald Cobblepot is dead, and those Man-Bats killed him! Now, does anyone else object to me taking over everything the Penguin owns?
As Ignatius walked into the meeting room, he naturally took his seat at the head of the table confidently.
The criminal leaders present saw a video recording of the entrance to the Iceberg Lounge playing on the room's projector, which showed everything that had just happened.
"I haven't seen a body. Who can guarantee that Cobblepot is truly dead? And even if he is, why should we trust a traitor like you?"
The middle-aged man with golden skin spoke with a hostile tone.
"It seems Mr. Gold has objections. Anyone else?"
Ignatius didn't seem to care, and he smiled. He then turned to the man with a glass head and asked, "Mister Combustible, what are your thoughts?"
"I... I need some time to consider."
Mr. Combustible hesitated.
"What about you, Imperceptible Man?"
Ignatius finally turned his gaze towards the floating clothes.
"Well... I've been working with Cobblepot for many years. He made us a lot of money—a whole lot of money."
The Imperceptible Man spoke.
Ignatius quickly understood and immediately painted a big picture for them.
"Listen up, everyone. Oswald Cobblepot is now a thing of the past. His old-fashioned ways are outdated in this era. Cooperate with me, and I'll ensure you reach heights of status and wealth beyond your wildest dreams."
"Hah! Who understands what you're talking about?"
A harsh voice interrupted, and it was Mr. Gold again while showing no fear of offending Ignatius.
The reason Mr. Gold dared to show such disrespect was that he had the highest defensive capability among everyone present.
He could harden his skin, and although he would still die from multiple gunshot wounds to vital areas, he was confident he could kill Ignatius before that happened.
However, Mr. Gold's abilities could only defend against handguns and small-caliber rifles. He couldn't stop using stronger weapons.
[A/N: This is just OC not Solomon Gundy].
Ignatius smiled, then suddenly lifted an umbrella from under the table and fired a beam of light at Mr. Gold's face.
With a sizzling sound, Mr. Gold's face melted into a mess.
"Now, does anyone else have objections?"
Ignatius calmly blew away the smoke rising from the tip of his umbrella and asked.
The people in the room shook their heads repeatedly, all expressing that they would continue cooperating with the Penguin Empire in the future.
Ignatius did not establish his own faction but instead inherited everything that belonged to the Penguin.
This included the Iceberg Lounge, Iceberg Casino, Iceberg Restaurant, and even Cobblepot Manor, along with all the other properties controlled by the Penguin, which were transferred to Ignatius' name this very night.
All the paperwork had been prepared in advance, with the Penguin's personal signature, fingerprints, and notarization.
There was no Penguin present, but everything was done properly and in accordance with the rules.
At that moment, no one noticed the strange light that flashed on the floral accessory on Mr. Combustible's chest in the corner of the meeting room.
...
In the sky, thousands of kilometers away from Wayne Tower, a sleek Batwing struggled to break through the swarm of countless Man-Bats.
"The number of Man-Bats is increasing, and it's getting harder and harder for us to see outside."
The Phantom Thief said this with a serious expression as they looked at the crowded screens inside the bat jet.
"If this continues, even if we manage to reach Wayne Tower, landing will be a big problem."
"Man-Bats is the result of a mutation mixing human and bat DNA. They possess the traits and characteristics of both species."
Batman pondered for a moment.
"Meaning, Man-Bat can also hear ultrasonic waves, perhaps using specific frequencies of ultrasonic waves..."
"...could control the actions of Man-Bat to some extent, just like how you control bats?"
The Phantom Thief quickly grasped Batman's idea.
"It's not certain, but at least we can attract most of the Man-Bat to the sound source."
The Batwing was equipped with an ultrasonic emitter.
"Phantom Thief, I'm going to eject your seat later and then launch an ultrasonic wave to draw the Man-Bat away. Take advantage of this chance to get to Wayne Tower fast. Lucius Fox is waiting for you there."
Batman said it expressionlessly.
"What did you just say? Are you sure you're serious?"
The Phantom Thief asked in astonishment.
'Isn't Batman planning to use him as bait to lure away the Man-Bat and then give him a chance to break through?'
"You previously led the False Face Society to Robinson Park, right? This time, it's my turn to do the same."
Batman replied calmly.
...
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