Who: Edward Nygma, Oswald Cobblepot, NPC, Captain America & the Red Hood When: Backdated, Wednesday night/morning, October 12th, 2016 Where: The Iceberg, Cobblepot's Private Office, Gotham City What: Riddler-napping Rating: Low
In the early after hours of the Iceberg, two old friends enjoyed a drink and each other's company. The taller of the two, the redheaded man, was laughing softly as the shorter, the dark haired man with the hooked nose retold a story, a small smile on his lips.
"Mmm ... are you certain it was Lynns?" Eddie wiped his mouth after he emptied his glass, and chuckled once. "It sounds more like the actions of a complete dunderhead, it could have been Walker."
Cobblepot shook his head and refilled Edward's glass. "No, no, it was Lynns. Bought himself a very good bottle with all that cash he'd somehow managed to steal..." He let out an exaggerated noise of disbelief, "WAK!" and then continued, "and moved to stand up on the bar, to announce his success ... and slipped and poured it all over Mr. Dent."
"Damn." Eddie shook his head, lifting the refilled glass in thanks. "If only I hadn't been busy and elsewhere that evening." Another sip and his eyebrows lifted suddenly. "Oh! Speaking of Dunderheaded Moves That Will Go Down In History, I have one about Scarface and Pammy..."
A commotion near a back door made both men's head swivel abruptly in the direction. Cobblepot grunted and reached for his umbrella, as Edward felt an uneasy tingle go up his spine. "Ozzie .... what is..."
The doors slammed open, and one of Cobblepot's men rushed inside, bleeding. "Boss! Too many of 'em, they --" More gunfire sounded, nearing the private offices.
Oswald swung his umbrella up, backing up a few steps and away from the desk. "It appears someone is making a power play. An uncouth and unfortunate move. Get Gilzean and his goons--"
"That's what I'm tryin' to tell ya, Cobblepot! They killed 'em!"
"...WHAT?"
Before anything else could be said, main doors to Oswald's office damned near exploded as they were pummeled with gunfire. The noise, confusion and chaos would have made many a man faint, but The Penguin and Riddler were used to this. Eddie grabbed Oswald and hurled them both behind the desk. He knew damned well that under that oak paneling was almost a solid structure of bullet proof material. More of Cobblepot's men arrived at the scene, and they were momentarily pushed from being the main target of their attackers ... almost.
It was then that Edward heard the a sound he was all too familiar with: the unmistakable noise of a bullet ripping through flesh. He tensed, and then realized it hadn't been his own flesh. And the "WAK!" of surprise and then the groan of pain was coming from ... "....oh no ... Ozzie...." Crimson spilled and stained the rotund man's crisp white shirt, trickling to the floor a three fingered gloved hand was pressed into the bullet wound on his side.
Oh good Gorshin no... Edward's head jerked up as he heard the gunfire cease and footsteps approach. Eyes wide, his gaze moved to his oldest and dearest friend ... And then he swiftly moved. Standing, he grabbed the bronze penguin that always adorned this desk ... and yanked. The bird tipped back into his hands on a hinge and a door under the desk swung open. With a grunt, Eddie shoved with all of his might the great weight that was the other man into the opening.
The last thing he would see, before he himself was grabbed and the solid steel trapdoor slammed closed again, was the stunned/pained expression of Oswald Cobblepot.