Meanwhile, at the Iceberg Lounge... The place had a amusing style to it, all the guests in Gotham city had to admit. Fake icicles dangled from the ceiling, there were ice blue floors and white tables and between the round tables the ice fairy girls waited on the guests, wearing what amounted to blue swimsuits and white caps. Jane Vale, the blonde haired adventurer called Catwoman, smoothly surveyed her surroundings as she walked to a table, her black dress glittering in the light. "Hello," the old man looked up at her, "Miss Vale." "Mr. Cobblepot," Jane nodded respectfully as she sat down across from the man once called the Penguin. "Oswald, please," he said, his smile a little tired. Unlike the old days where he wore a monocole the old man now needed glasses, a cane sitting by his seat to help the grey haired owner of the lounge to get about. "Oswald, then," Jane smiled. "How are you, sir?" "Oh, as well as ever," Oswald waved any concerns for his health off casually. "You look well, Miss Vale." "Thank you," Jane smiled as a ice fairy girl arrived. "Mr Cobblepot, Mr. Nygma has also arrived," she informed him. She also flashed Jane a more than friendly smile. "Bring him here, then," Oswald nodded. "Yes sir," the young lady headed off once more. Turning back to Jane Oswald smiled as he said, "I'm flattered you want to interview us old timers, Miss Vale." "I've long been fascinated with the advesaries of the Batman," Jane conceded, "and I've been hoping for a opportunity to talk to you all. Thank you, for helping arrange this." "I can't promise all of us," Oswald cautioned her, "many of my compatriots are either in jail or in Arkham." "I'm surprised you call them compatriots," Jane noted as she sipped her soda, "you always considered yourself a gentleman criminal." Oswald chuckled softly at that, "Good point, very good." He looked thoughtful, "Miss Vale, when you've been in the game as long as I have, you quickly lose whatever illusions you might have, either about yourself or others." "So, what's the difference between a penguin and a waiter?" the tall, slim man asked, his head bald from age and face covered in wrinkles. "What?" Vale asked. "At least a waiter will serve you," he grinned as he sat. Offering his hand to Jane he said, "Arthur Wynne." "Eddie," Oswald gave him a scolding look. He sighed, "All right, Edward E Nygma." "Mr Nygma," Jane nodded, "or would you prefer....?" "Riddler?" he raised a eyebrow, "Eddie would be fine." "Why did you use Arthur Wynne, sir?" Jane asked him curiously, noting how twitchy the older man was. "The creator of the crossword puzzle," Eddie admitted with a smile, "I'm a great fan, as you can imagine." "So, what would you like to know?" Oswald asked as he waved a serving girl over for another drink. Jane took out a tape recorder, setting it down on the table and clicking it on. "Your favorite cases or your most interesting adventures." A laugh as she added, "Or anything else you'd like to tell me." Both men spent nearly an hour regailing Jane with tall tales and adventures, even trying to one up each other on their defeats at Batman's hands. Both also agreed that the modern era of villains in Gotham were a poor shadow of the sort of men they had been. "Ah, that was nice," Oswald addmitted. "So what happened to the others?" he asked them both with a sigh. "Joker's still missing," Eddie noted as she took a sip of his drink, "assuming the Bat didn't finally kill him." "You think Batman would?" Jane looked surprised. "According to the rumor mill Joker killed a Robin," Oswald noted, "if anything could drive him to kill, that'd be it." "But no, I think Batman wouldn't have crossed that line," Eddie said after a few moments of consideration. "Why not?" Oswald challenged. "Batman walked very close to that edge day in and out," Eddie swirled his drink around, "once he crossed that line, he'd never go back." There was a moment's silence then Oswald nodded reluctantly, "True." "Two face?" Jane asked them. "Harvey Dent's been cured, at least supposedly," Eddie offered up that fact. He smiled wryly, "I was surprised he didn't come." Oswald shook his head mournfully, "He doesn't talk about Two Face, he claims he doesn't remember any more." "That's unusual," Jane admitted, "or is it he just doesn't want to be reminded?" "I think a bit of both," Eddie shrugged. "Deadshot's been busy," Oswald noted. Eddie chuckled, "Poor bastard." "Hmm?" Jane looked in confusion between both men. "Floyd Lawton is the only survivor of three incarnations of the Suicide Squad," Oswald informed her, "not to mention a long time member of the Secret Six, yet all the poor man really wants to do it die." "His deathwish, it's real?" Jane noted. "Oh yeah," Eddie agreed forcefully, "he's perfectly willing to die. He even invited Deathstroke to shoot himself in the chest once." "Yet he's never...?" Jane trailed off. "There are rumors the Deadshot currently with the Six isn't Lawton," Oswald conceded, "but no one knows for sure." "Calculator still hiding out?" Eddie changed the subject even as he signaled the waitress for another round of drinks. "Noah Kuttler, right?" Jane confirmed. Once they nodded she asked, "So what is he hiding out from?" "Luthor," Oswald chuckled grimly. "You've heard of the Society?" "The Secret Society of Super Villains," Jane nodded, "they've been around off and on for years, sorta a super villain union." "The most powerful version was lead by Luthor and nearly took over the world," Eddie revealed, "but they were defeated in the Battle of Metropolis. Afterward, Luthor dropped out of sight and Calculator took over." "When Luthor came back, Noah refused to surrender control," Oswald smiled wryly, "apparently the power had gone to his head." "Oh dear," Jane could guess where this was going. "Yup," Eddie nodded, "not only did Luthor expel Noah, he put a very impressive price on his head. Poor guy doesn't dare show his face anywhere." There was a soft chime from Jane's watch, then she looked at the men with regret, "Looks like my time's up." Oswald rose, bowing awkwardly as the old man said, "It's been nice speaking with you, and I hope our meanderings will ve of use to you." "I'm sure they will," Jane smiled, charmed. "If you need more information," Eddie shook her hand, "let us know." "I will," Jane smiled as she collected her recorder then headed off. There was a long moment of silence as they sat back at the table, two old men now alone once more. "You ever miss the old days?" Eddie asked. "Being beaten by the Bat, thrown in jail or threatened by our fellow rogues?" Oswald asked dryly. "Every day." "Me too," Eddie agreed, finishing his drink.
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