Let the Fighting Begin.[Penguin]

[dinah]

Dinah started to worry. Normally the Black Canary was confident and ready for anything; anything but this. Her cousin had not returned home last night and it wasn’t like Alison to be out at all hours of the night without at least checking in. She had missed dinner and her cell phone seemed to be out of service. She closed the flower shop, checked their home for any messages left on the counter or posted on the fridge indicating where she might be, checked her own cell phone, looked over her e-mail, and then went back to the shop to look over the security videos to see who it was who picked up Alison.

The woman looked to be as young as she was with both ends of her hair drawn up into pony tails, loose clothes that gave her a sort of flirtatious clown-like appearance mingled with shades that folded into her blouse collar and short, red California girl shorts. The girl wasn’t as familiar to Dinah but when she recognized the purple and green Ford it all came together. “Oh no. No, no, no, not you. Anyone but you.” She grabbed her leather jacket and dressed while heading down the hall toward the kitchen, where she grabbed her bike helmet and keys. She was silently praying that her cousin wasn’t already dead or caught in some catatonic stage where her smile was no longer friendly but drawn out into a permanently twisted sinister grin that would haunt Dinah for the rest of her life. She locked the door to her home from the inside and slammed the door behind her, ran over to her bike, mounted, kicked back the kickstand and started her bike. She placed her helmet on and tore down the streets of Gotham, looking for anything that might give her a clue as to where the Joker and Harley would be holed up. Her eyes scanned the streets for any kind of run down comedy club, circus, amusement park, wax museum for comedians, and anything with a grin on it while on her way to the Iceberg Lounge. She knew it was the place for gossip and meeting place for criminals and any wild card that may walk in. She didn’t need an invitation to get in when she could force her way in. And if she just so happened to run into that clown… She could already imagine his lips drawing up into an unnatural smile with dark shadows lighting up his yellow eyes, that long, pointed nose and long chin and any other feather that carved his features into a look that represented menacing, maniacal mayhem. There were only two predictable things that the Joker did, one of them was to choose a hide out that had something to do with clowns and smiles and the other to make bad jokes, while the rest of his mind and actions were simply chaotic and disturbing. Harley could be just as evil as the Joker if she thought it fit to carry out every plan he wanted executed, but hopefully this wasn’t the case. But if it was, she’d knock out a few of the Joker’s yellow teeth with her fist alone. She wasn’t going to let him get away with harming her cousin even if he was one of Gotham’s most feared criminals. Sure he gave the others a run for their money but he’ll have his hands full with Dinah’s wrath when she catches up to him.

She stopped just short of the Iceberg Lounge’s walkway where the lights lit up the area giving the walls, sidewalk and streets a soft, baby blue tint. As usual there was a long list of customers waiting behind the velvet rope ready to pay their way inside, visible even through the helmet‘s visor. Dinah removed her helmet, placing it on one of the handlebars and looked over Gotham‘s finest, if not most expensive Night-Club, but Dinah had no intention of paying to slip inside, she did not have time to waste by standing in line and waiting for her turn. She had to get inside and find out where the Joker was before any damage could be done to Alison, medical attention in case harm had been inflicted. She ignored the valet’s protests of not being able to park in front of the drive up area and began pushing her way through the crowd to reach the bouncer at the front door. “Step aside.” She ordered, and when he didn’t, she showed him how serious she was by kneeing him in the gut and striking his chin with an uppercut with her elbow. She grabbed him by the shoulders and tossed him aside. The crowd was appalled from her rough ways and began to murmur about how lower class trash think they can get away with anything these days.

Dinah’s scowl would not leave until she found her cousin. She even curled her left lip into a silent snarl as she caught sight of Lark, one of the Penguin’s waitresses and henchwoman. The girl was carrying a tray of wine glasses on a silver platter in which Dinah made sure to overturn it while storming her way forward. The crystal shattered on the floor while Lark protested a “Hey!” Dinah felt the woman grab her arm and turned in time to snatch the woman’s fist before it could connect with her face. She brought up her knee to block Lark’s kick and head butted the woman, sending her stumbling back and the derby hat to fall off and roll across the floor and come to a stop under one of the dining area’s tables. Dinah made her way past the giant swimming pool filled with vicious, fully-grown harp seals who were known to attack due to their territorial complexes when the occasional thug would be tossed over the railing and into the cold waters below. Canary’s growl surged up within her throat when she saw the other two henchwomen, Jay and Raven moving in front of their boss to protect him from her fury. Their body language told Dinah that they were ready to fight though she knew they were the least of her worries. She could tell they didn’t have the urgency to win the battle, they didn’t have the drive that Dinah did. She was fighting to protect her cousin, not getting paid to take out riffraff. Not to mention she had painfully long hours of practice in many areas of different styles of martial arts, whereas the other two maybe took a class or two. They could be taken out easily and even used as shields in case their boss was tempted to shoot at her. What were the odds of that? He was a high-class societal bird who would not allow his business to go into ruin by firing at her and accidentally hitting one of the guests, let alone his own worker. It would get into the news for certain unless he paid off every reporter in Gotham.

“Cobblepot!” Dinah shouted, her voice shook the area like a small earthquake and sent a high-pitched singing through the crystal surrounding them. “You’re going to tell me where the Joker’s girl and latest hideout are, otherwise I’ll sing and bring everything down around you.” She looked at the ice display above the seal swimming area, giving him a clear idea of where her first target will be. “He has my cousin and I won’t leave here without an answer.” Her blue eyes turned back to the tuxedoed host and began to fill her lungs with air.

She saw four others gather around The Penguin, looking more like birds of prey than Oswald's three pigeons. It didn't matter to Dinah, she loved a good challenge and she'd clear a path through his latest addition of security just to get at him. She knew they were in too close a range for her to use her canary cry for her voice could kill everyone standing in front of her and as a hero she could not allow that. She tightened his firsts and stood into a back stance, ready to fight.

[Oswald Cobblepot - The Penguin]

Up until that point the lounge had been running as perfectly smoothly as usual. The extravagant surroundings impressed the rich who mingled, gambled and drank as they pleased, the criminals off in the back bar peacefully sat with their drinks if they knew what was good for them and the private rooms of the club continued with their usual back room deals, information gathering and sorting and occasionally even the odd bit of legal business within Cobblepot's empire.

And then the peaceful evening is disturbed by an attack upon the bouncer at the front door.

Outside of the security team watching over the cameras only a few within the lounge closest to the door notice the initial attack and have much the same reaction to the crowd outside, an angry murmur spreading with disbelief at the behaviour of the common lower classes before they attempted to ignore the riff-raff and their violent ways.

Oswald had been enjoying his evening, socialising with the richest of Gotham's citizens and some of the few people he considered even vaguely worth his time. He was laughing at a rather dismally poor joke when he heard something break and Lark call out. The rest of his group paid little attention, ignoring the waiting staff as usual but Cobblepot remains ever cautious and always on the lookout for trouble and looks over in time to see Lark being knocked around.

Security didn't have time to warn him what was going on but he could see clearly enough that someone was foolish enough to burst in like they owned the place and throw around his staff, he'd have to show this girl who was really the boss around the club but it may have to wait, if he was to handle the situation and maintain his public image he'd have to step carefully.

Real alarm didn't show in the guests until the room and all their glasses shook. The rude woman was clearly a metahuman, for most that meant the party was over and people quickly started heading for the doors, a few screaming as if they'd already been attacked and causing more panic. Oswald was more concerned with the aquariums round the walls, the show of power made it easy to see this was the Black Canary, rather bad form of her to take a fine bird's name then be such a nuisance. He was glad to note he was no where near the aquarium with the sharks in it and none had yet broken, just the danger of the water spilling out and washing someone into the seal enclosure would be troublesome enough...Though he really should rig something up to do that for emergencies.

He seems largely unphased if a little on edge, so used as he is to people coming up, throwing a tantrum and demanding information from him. His mind is working on plans. A vigilante breaks into his club, attacks his staff, endangers the lives of guests and evades police capture (For he was sure someone would have called the police by now) He could use that. If he could get her to kill someone then even better, play it right and he comes out soaring like an eagle.

Extra security held back behind the private doors awaiting orders, unless there was an immediate threat to Oswald's life he couldn't use them, nothing spoils the appearance of a law-abiding businessman like having your own personal heavily armed guard squad discovered.

The bouncers were free to interfere and the pair from the door kept back but stayed behind the Canary while a couple of the waiters and one huge guard who was guarding the private doors joins the girls around Oswald. There was a reason attacking Oswald in the club only worked with a great deal of planning and stealth; everyone worked for him. Even the barstaff were hovering nearest to the hidden guns behind the bar waiting for things to get worse. Dinah was lucky Oswald couldn't just shoot her without looking like the bad guy, his public image saved a lot of people that way.

Cobblepot placed a hand on Jay's shoulder as he stepped forward. To the guests foolish enough to stay and watch it would look like he was trying to protect his staff and move them aside. From Dinah's point of view she'd see he's no more exposed than before, still partly behind Jay and holding her in place, his hand squeezing tightly in his rage. Yet he sounds so polite "My dear, I haven't the faintest notion as to what you are talking about. If your cousin is missing I advise you inform the police"

[dinah]

Dinah kept her back to the seals as she walked over to the Penguin’s side, this allowed her a full view of the area by using peripheral vision; if there was any kind of movement from security she would be ready for them. Her only concern was to be taken by force from all sides, but she stayed close in case she needed to use the Penguin as a hostage. Perhaps it would be best to take him off to the side and talk to him one-on-one to cut down on the danger, and if that failed, she had already come up with three escape plans but gave no such indication of them.

There was an extra chill in the air, charging the atmosphere with higher levels of energy as Dinah and Oswald faced off. Dinah could sense the mounting danger and began to wonder just how surrounded she actually was. Normally bar tenders would run off to call the police, workers evacuated to keep themselves from getting injured and the security had not piled in yet. What did this bird have aside from confidence that he was unwilling to tell her? What could she use against him if he did not cooperate? She could attack the glass at any given moment, using anything as a weapon against him, or fight her way to him unless bullets brought her down first, but would he risk destroying his establishment over one woman? She did not believe so, for he was as calm and composed as ever, or at least he was pretending to be.

“The police wouldn’t know where she was if the Joker has her.” Dinah retorted. “Your lounge is known as a place for gossip of all sorts and that’s why you’re going to tell me where the clown is hiding.” She refrained from grabbing his clothes and pushing him around for he was willing to talk, despite her loud entrance. “Alison is about my height, has long blond hair in the back that curves inward on the sides and is layered. She has blue eyes with a touch of gold around the iris, has a beauty mark on the right cheek and is usually seen with a orange and white welsh corgi, no tail, red collar. Think hard.”

What Dinah did not realize was that Alison had been dolled up by the hands of Harley, her clothes were set aside as white leotards had taken their place. She wore jester shoes instead of her fall boots, her jacket cast off and her face painted white with cool colors surrounding her eyes, thus distracting one’s glance at her natural eye color that enhanced the woman’s beauty. The hair color was impossible to know since it was tucked under a jester hat that hugged the scalp, and the eyebrows were painted a dark violet with a trace of magenta. The dog however, could be easily identified unless one did not know what a corgi was. The penguin seemed like a well-bred man who would know that Queen Elizabeth II has quite a few of the little suckers throughout the years and that high society, who saw themselves as kings and queens, must consider the queen‘s affairs. And if not, two of the queen’s beloved corgis had made an appearance during the Olympics opening ceremonies and was in the news for passing away later on. On the other hand the penguin was living in Gotham and probably referred to the newspapers for entertainment rather than wasting his time on meaningless ceremonies unless they involved him. Why would any rich person be watching the Olympics when they could be out yachting or making money?

The cries from the elite did nothing but bother Dinah’s ears as the guests scrambled to get out of the way. As the staff gathered around Oswald her plans to take him hostage were out. What about threatening his animals? Or would that just annoy him? She did not like harming animals if she could avoid it but she was running out of options. Calmly she looked down at a table behind her where a plate of hors d’oeuvres were and decided to show the owner of the Iceberg Lounge just how ineffective his staff were at intimidation. She plucked one up from the plate and spun the toothpick around between her thumb and pointer finger before placing the food into her mouth and chewing as she eyed him for an answer. Self confidence and anger started back at Oswald as Dinah’s urge to fight soared through the roof. She still had pent up energy and a craving for revenge from those who had stolen her voice, and it was in times like these where she could not wait to release her fury. She kept the toothpick in case she needed to use it against any of the Penguin’s staff and licked her lips to remove any stray crumbs that may have found their way into the crevices of her mouth.

[Oswald Cobblepot - The Penguin]

Oswald liked to keep a particular type of staff, the sort where if they see something shady going on around the club he doesn't have to then have them killed. It was more for convenience than anything, he wanted to be cruel and terrifying behind doors, to break things and people who got in his way. He wanted to be himself and he didn't want his staff to be calling the police everytime they heard gunshots in the lounge or saw a wanted criminal having a beer. Not every employee in the club had a criminal record of course and some of the staff in the main room had ducked behind tables or just gone to help get the customers out of harms way but being willing to turn a blind eye in return for a pay check was part of the job description.

Oswald stuck close to his staff, he had no intention of getting too close, he'd sooner use them all as shields before he'd open himself up to the danger of being grabbed. He certainly had no intention of being alone with the woman, he didn't even like to be alone with those he considered harmless when he was conducting business. Not that he considered this business. Vigilantes really were bad at business, always barging in and demanding things, throwing him around when he refused, even wanted criminals understood the concept of doing a deal.

He listens to the description of the Canary's cousin merely for the information. Clearly this was a woman that Dinah cared about, he could use that sometime. He didn't care if the Joker was in the backroom having a drink though, he wasn't going to tell her about it. He didn't even cooperate with Batman without getting beaten up and he was afraid of that guy "A place of gossip? I have no idea who told you such a thing but this is a club, we serve drinks and food, we have music...and we certainly don't allow dogs" unless they come with Harley. As with everything connected to the unpredictable Joker it's better to ignore them and hope they go away unless they start breaking things.

Of course he knew what a corgi was, he'd frequently attempted to get invited over to England for one of the Queen's diner parties, it would be something he could hold over the other socialites but alas they had turned out to be quite picky about his criminal history. He was still working on it, just as he attempted to meet most important people in the world just so he could say he knew them and potentially open up more business opportunities.

"Nor do we allow your kind of people" he continued, lifting his head a little so, despite the fact he's no taller than her, he still manages to look down his long nose at her, it's a look he's well practised in "I suggest you remove yourself from the building and twitter on to someone from the authorities instead"

[dinah]

She watched his facial expression, listened to the tone in his voice, looked for any body language that would give him away to any lies and secrets he may or may not know. She could see that he had practiced hiding little tells by how composed he was in his behavior, how straight he stood and held no expression other than a dignified if not held-back angered look. If she was not as concerned over her cousin‘s disappearance, she would have laughed at the sight of Oswald Cobblepot. Sure he dressed like a dignified gentleman and even held his composure like one but his bulging belly and shortened limbs completely gave him the look of a penguin posing as a regal eagle. She could feel an intense danger radiating off of the man-bird; that, along with his criminal records, were the only things that reminded her she was dealing with one of Gotham’s dangerous criminals. He was like Al Capone only that he had goons to fight his own battles for him. Although there were rumors that the man did know a thing or two about judo, something that Dinah knew as well. She knew how easy it could be to take him, but the thought of her and him sparring left a bad taste in her mouth. It was not that the man could not defend himself, just Dinah’s overconfidence

She wasn't sure if the rumors on the streets were real about Oswald knowing everything about the activities of Gotham's criminals, but she would find out if only he would tell her through any possible hint through body language or change of tone. So far, they were in fact, just rumors. Maybe a threat would do the trick.

“You’re lying and yet you are not.” She surmised from what she had gathered from the little information his staff’s body language had told her. He had mentioned that he knew nothing about her cousin, which seemed true, but as for the mentioning of his lounge being just a club, some of his men looked nervous, though none of them looked in the direction of the other doors. She had also noted that she did not find any orange or white dog hairs, nor did she smell the lilac-scented hand lotion her cousin wore. In here, it was only the most expensive and richest scents that money could buy, the kind that was powerful enough to make the eyes water in order to cover up the scent of decaying and withering rich seniors.

When he had mentioned “Your kind of people” she felt anger rushing through her veins. She was so tempted to grab him by the vest and pull him toward her to show him how angry she could become, if he was not completely honest with her, but she knew that he would withhold information and tell her he was being honest. This man was just as stubborn as she was when angry and in knowing they had something in common, it made her even more disgusted with him.

Her temper slowed when she had thought about what he had meant about ’your kind’ for he was obviously not talking about her skin color. She thought that maybe he was referring to her metagene, the very thing that had given her the Canary Cry. Or perhaps he was telling her vigilantes were not allowed? Either way she scoffed at his remark. “I’m not too friendly with your type either.” She strained her hearing to see if there was anything amiss that she could help give her an idea as to what Oswald was hiding. When she found nothing, she knew she would be wasting time if she stayed any longer.

“If you hear something and don‘t get back to me on this, I will bring this place down within twenty-four hours.” She changed her smirk into a serious glare when facing him. “First your expensive crystal glasses will burst, then the aquariums. The walls, floor and ceiling will shake, chandeliers will drop and every one of your staff members will be blown back by a gust of vocal vibration. And if you or anyone you hire lays a finger on her, it’ll be more than your lounge that will crumble.” She handed over her calling card, literally a card to call her in case Oswald discovered anything.

[Oswald Cobblepot - The Penguin]

Oswald hid a smile when he saw her get angry. A lot could be done upon the mistakes of others, bursting in and making a scene was mildly usable but it would never be enough to create public opinion and Cobblepot does so love getting people to think what he wanted them to. A mistake large enough to turn people on a vigilante, particularly one who had the gall to consider themselves above him was always something he would have liked to take advantage of. A pity she appeared to be remaining in control, he wondered how long she could keep that up.

He actually likes having metahumans around so long as they're on his side. He goes to a great deal more trouble to recruit the particularly useful ones but when they become vigilantes they're far more trouble than they're worth. He needs the control, if she breaks his property he wishes it to be because he wanted her to.

He glares at her threat but really doesn't take it seriously, if she truly carries it out he's thought of a way to turn it to his advantage as a bit of good PR. With the amount of rumours that go around about him he always needs that to bury the bad stuff in. He was feeling confident though, perhaps a little too so with his staff nearby but he certainly wasn't going to follow along with her plan. He was in charge here, not some loud mouth girl with an attitude!

Stepping forwards at last Oswald snatches the card off of her "I assure you should I find her you will be among the first to be informed" he pockets it as he steps back and gestures at her with his umbrella, an innocent enough move unless one is aware of what it usually hides within. His voice reduces to an angry mutter so none of the remaining hiding guests have a hope of hearing him as he shoots a look of fury at her "And then I will see to it that you regret every day for the rest of your miserable little existence that you brought this matter to my attention and dared to disturb my business with your pitiful threats. Now get out before I cease asking nicely" The nerve of all these vigilantes, walking around like they own the city when anyone should know that that job should belong to Cobblepot.

[dinah]

“The worst has already happened to me if the Joker has my cousin, Mr. Cobblepot. Anything else you throw at me, I can rise above it.” She kept her tone even but firm. She had a hard time reading his thoughts except through the small facial expressions he showed her and she could play that game as well as anyone that she knew.

The Black Canary did not like the fact that he waved his umbrella around at her, for she was well aware of the dangers that came from pulling a trigger here or pressing a button there, so when it came down to the nitty gritty, opening one of them up within a building was the least of her worries. Dinah cleared her throat to not only remind him of what she could do, but also to show him that intimidation meant nothing when overconfidence outweighed her fears. Perhaps it was time to change tactics?

Miss Lance turned her back on him, ready to dodge and dive out of the way in case he was tempted to use his umbrella or anything else against her; but no. Not him. Not while in public where his guests were watching. “If you do find any information on Alison, perhaps I can reward you and allow you to keep your snooty establishment. If I squawk just loud enough I could have friends in high places bend to my will. Ever hear of the rare white Quetzal bird from Panama? I heard there are only fifty left in existence and I can get you a pair of them if you promise to replenish their population. And what better man for the job than someone who would kill in order to protect an endangered species of birds?”

Yes, the Quetzal bird known for it's glorious green iridescent green wing covert, back chest and head, the ravishing red belly, the 17 inch body with the 24 inch tail that split into two distinct feathers at the end. It's chirp was nothing special but the white Quetzal were. Their tail feathers alone cost a couple of thousands of dollars in some areas of the world.

“Think about it Oswald, those eggs are worth a lot of money to breeders and you wouldn’t destroy the chicks that aren’t born with white feathers, unlike some of the breeders. Who knows? You may even be rewarded with a plaque and your name in the papers. Yeah, you could simply steal the birds and raise them on your own, but why do things the hard way and have them taken away when I can guarantee them to you without any fear of losing them in case you are thrown into Arkham.”

She didn’t really care about the birds, for species were always dying out and new species would come forward. That’s just how it was. And when one species did die out she saw no specific change on how it has affected her environment; the urban environment. Birds were birds to her, either pretty little things to look at or annoying evil-doers that left white, unpleasant spots on her motorcycle or house window every now and then. She knew that Penguin saw them in a different light and hoped that he would take her offer, just so she could get her cousin back. Alison was far more precious to her than any winged creature, even herself.

"Twenty-four hours Oswald..* She reminded him.

[Oswald Cobblepot - The Penguin]

Oh boohoo, the Joker has her cousin. Must she keep going on about it as if he should care? Why can't she just hurry up and do a little damage so he can drag her name through the mud? Oswald is a master at keeping his thoughts off his face, his expression barely rises above mild irritation as he becomes more annoyed with her presence and starts plotting less than pleasant actions. Whether he could get her before her voice brought down the room was debatable but regardless he couldn't make a move with people watching. Maintaining a public image really sucked the fun out of things sometimes.

Finally though it seems she shows some potential. A vigilante willing to do a deal? It was rare trait, he could work with that and the subject was certainly tempting "Forty six" Oswald automatically corrects "With some unconfirmed reports" He tries to hide the interest but it was apparent. Most people knew of his fondness for rare birds and it wouldn't be the first time he gotten a rare breeding pair. He was practically the perfect man to help with such things, he had resources to spend a fortune on such a project and he cared enough to do it though his options for being involved in such a project legally tended to be very limited given his criminal record often included the theft of such rare birds.

Though he doesn't lower his umbrella much he does pocket her card at least "Perhaps I may be able to make some enquiries and attempt to navigate a solution to your little problem. Twenty four hours is rather a steep demand but I shall be in touch should I hear a peep on the matter. Good day, Miss Canary" Oswald desired time to plot, scheme, gather information and assess the risk of messing with the Joker. He wished to close negotiations with them in his favour, without the time limit to cause him to have to rush into things. He wanted those birds and he imagined she knew it or she would not have brought them up. To lose the opportunity to gather such a rare and magnificent creature would be disastrous which put him at a great disadvantage should she attempt to control the deal.

[dinah]

Bingo. He knew exactly what she was talking about when she baited him with the false numbers. Let him believe her to be an uncaring idiot but it didn’t matter as long as he was interested. Even his temperament seemed to change for the better after she had given him what he wanted to hear in exchange for her using him. This wasn’t the first time she had used a man to get access for something important for her. She had dated Ra’s Al Ghul to get her Canary Cry back after goons had taken it from her, but this matter was not for selfish reasons. Oh no, this was to save Alison’s life.

She turned her back on Oswald a second time, listening, waiting for that click that would either send out a bullet in her direction or who knows what else? But she knew he wouldn’t. Couldn’t. Too many witnesses watching and gawking to see what she would do next. She ignored their angry and scared glares with her fingers curled into her palms to make fists as she exited in a bold fashion. Her entire presence screamed ‘get out of my way’ as her shoulders moved too and fro in time with her boots. It was a shame she didn’t get to see this place crumble with glass shards spraying in every direction for she did like hearing those breaking noises and seeing the surfaces quiver due to her super sonic sound waves.

“I knew that a perceptive, proper man such as yourself would come to his senses when shown the right initiative.” She turned away with a smile, although really she was hiding her discontent for him and all villains. But if a little flattery would help in finding her cousin, she would use it.

Dinah stepped up the security who stood in her way. Within seconds her mind was already thinking of ways to take them down but she waited while they were only checking with Oswald first to make sure she was not being detained. Since Oswald had agreed to help her to some degree, she was willing to leave without breaking his security. As they stepped aside she uttered, “Maybe next time boys.” With that, she stepped outside and looked for her motorcycle. Of course they would try to move it out of the way so that the other guests could drive up in their cars, but her bike was meant to stay put when the keys were drawn out of the ignition. It was a fairly heavy bike that locked the back wheel when she placed down the kickstand so no matter how hard people tried to roll the bike, it simply would not work. Instead, they would have to lift and carry it, but even then it was too much effort for someone who was not strong enough to lift it, or willing to get their clothes dirty.

The bike chirped when the Black Canary pressed a button on her key chain, thus unlocking the anti-theft mechanisms she installed when upgrading her bike from regular to awesome. The lock came up from the back wheel, allowing her to drive it again. She climbed on, turned the key to start it then roared the engine in front of all the people lined up outside, waiting to be let in. She spun the bike around, creating a skid mark outside of the Iceberg Lounge and sped out of there like a canary from a coalmine. That will be the Penguin’s reminder that she was there, leaving her reputation and mark as one not to be messed with.

[Oswald Cobblepot - The Penguin]

Oswald doesn't entirely mind being easily baited. If people know what he wants they'll be more likely to approach him for the business under the impression it will be easy to get him to agree to anything. He doesn't however consider she might use false numbers for he tends to presume everyone's an idiot when it comes to birds as the majority of people certainly don't know their facts about endangered birds. They're too busy caring about people and other silly things. That she knows that the bird existed and got close enough to the number is surprise enough for him.

He fakes a smile in return until she's turns her back before it instantly falls away and he watches her leaving. His security gives her a bit of a sneer on the way out but without the orders to stop her they let her pass and leave again, the guests who'd run and then stopped to watch the show from outside give her a little more distance though for fear there would be further theatrics.

Oswald doesn't really relax until she's out the door and he hears her bike leaving. What an unpleasant woman. A heavy sigh and he puts on a more cheerful face for his guests, or at least those who hadn't fled out the door "I believe that's quite enough of that for one day. Drinks will be served from the upper balcony bar while we tidy up a little, do enjoy a round on the house" he proclaims on his way to the door. A few free drinks seemed the only option for attempting to smooth things over before people got it into their minds that they could just go somewhere else that wasn't covered in broken glass.

He snaps his fingers on the way at a couple of waiters just coming out of hiding from behind a table "Get the place tidied up" He had to go out and see to the police he fully expected would be there before long. It was best that someone was there to meet them, inform them they were too late and keep them from snooping around too much. He produced his phone from a pocket while he was out of earshot of the public and dialled up his assistant "Find out where the Joker is and ensure the police do not stray where they're not wanted" It was going to be a long evening before things were moving along smoothly again.