The HoneyBee and The Bat

Iceberg Lounge

Honeybee stood next to Batman, the cool night air sending a slight shiver down her spine as they gazed at the imposing façade of the Iceberg Lounge Nightclub. With a practiced motion, the female vigilante made a slight adjustment to the stingers on her wrist, ensuring they were primed and ready for action. Meanwhile, Batman remained focused on the building, his imposing presence a silent reassurance to his companion.

As the stingers were securely clicked back into their gauntlets, Honeybee lowered her arms and met Batman's intense gaze. "I'm ready if you are," She stated with unwavering determination. Batman turned his head to her, his deep voice cutting through the stillness of the night. "Stay close," He instructed, his unwavering focus speaking volumes.

With a resolute nod, Honeybee acknowledged the command, her unwavering sense of determination matching his own. Together, they swiftly and stealthily made their way through the shadows, their shared mission propelling them towards the foreboding structure of the nightclub.

Pushing toward a deserted warehouse, a nondescript door in the facade; a lone sodium streetlamp flickers, illuminating an old sign: ICEBERG FISH CO. The two stop before the door and Batman bangs on the frame.

The door swings open to reveal Batman and Honeybee in the shadow; the club music booms. Batman glares at the bouncer, "You know who we are?" The Bouncer's eyes give the Bat Suit the once over, then to the Bee Suit, "Yeah. I got an idea."

Honeybee spoke lowly, "We wanna see the Penguin." The Bouncer glares at her, "I dunno what you're talking about, pal." Batman just stares. The Bouncer shuts the door. A beat, then it opens again. Now there are two of them, twins. 

The identical twin glances at his brother, "What's the problem?"

"She says they wants to see the Penguin."

"The Penguin? There ain't no penguin here."

"That's what I tried to tell them."

The identical twin steps in front of Batman, "Get outta here, freak. You hear me? Or that little suit's gonna get all full of blood." Batman remains eerily still, then spoke, "Mine, or yours?"

The Twin lunges, blind-sided by Batman's vicious elbow strike, the other Twin charges, his throat meets the heel of Honeybee's palm -- and just like that, the two march inside the club.

"I saw that whole thing, I'm gonna call the cops! What is your problem?!" A clubgoer shouts as they walked past.

The music throbs as they plunge down a corridor. The twins stagger back in, screaming to alert more bouncers, who scramble as the two vigilantes emerge onto the landing above the club; strobe lights reveal glimpses of Showgirls above a dance floor.

Batman starts downstairs when the Bouncers pounce. A martial arts brawl erupts as they descend. Batman taking on two at a time, cracking heads on railings until he leaps over one dropping a full story. Honeybee turns on her wings and joins Batman's side, kicking a few Bouncers down.

Honeybee spots another Bouncer with an aluminum bat who swings. She steps in fast, throwing an elbow, twisting the bat free, and dropping the Bouncer hard. A mustached Bouncer pulls a gun, "Hey! Put the bat down, or I'll blow your head off!"

Batman takes the bat from Honeybee, twirling it under the strobe lights. The mustached Bouncer fires, bullets ping off the bat, and Batman lets it fly, knocking the mustache Bouncer out.

Batman sees the twins again. One has a shotgun. Clobbers shriek as Batman triggers a quick-draw slider on his arm, whipping a harpoon gun to his fist, firing through the gunman's legs into his brother's foot behind him. The line retracts, yanking him forward upending them both, the gun fires into the ceiling.

The club in total chaos now; when someone comes up behind, Honeybee and Batman spin, ready for more, only to see a man with a misshaped nose in a striped tux and lavender bow tie; he puts his hands up grinning in awe.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Take it easy, sweetheart! You looking for me? I see you met the twins. Boy, you're everything they say, ain'tcha?" He smiles big, flashing a shiny gold tooth, "I guess we both are. How you doin'? I'm Oz." He hobbles closer on a clubbed foot and sticks out a hand to shake. Batman and Honeybee don't return the gesture.

Inside the dim club dressing room/ back office area, Batman and Honeybee stand at a desk enclosed by racks of showgirl costumes, Penguin looks at the photo of the twenty-two-year old and mayor.

Batman stands rigid, "Who is she?"

Cobblepot sets the pictures down, "I really don't know, chief. I might've been coming out at the same time, but I wasn't rolling with 'em." Honeybee raises a brow, not believing him. She suddenly turns her head at the sounds of footsteps approaching.

Through the costumes, the two vigilantes spy a figure in a high-slit evening gown. A stunning woman appears streetwise vibe. She stops, uneasy at the sight of the two. Cobblepot gestures to her, "It's okay, baby. Mister Vengeance and Bee here, they, uh... they don't bite. C'mon."

She hesitates, eyes on Batman; then saunters to Penguin, and sets down a drink tray. Honeybee notices her eyes slowly moving towards her, then back to Batman.

"Thank you, honey." Cobblepot lifts an envelope of cash off the tray. The two vigilantes watch him hand the Woman a rubber-banded cluster of vials with eye-droppers, a.k.a. "DROPS". The Woman turns to go, but stops, struck, as she sees the photo. Her eyes briefly meet Batman's, then Honeybee's, then she heads out. Penguin hands Batman the photo.

"Here you go, champ."

"I wanna know who she is. And what she has to do with this murder."

"Whose murder?"

"The mayor's." Honeybee hisses. Cobblepot looks back at the photo, "Wait, the mayor...? Oh, shit, it is, look at that!" Batman yanks him from his seat, and slams him into a mirror, cracking it. Batman growls, "Don't make me hurt you."

"You better watch it. You know my reputation?"

"Yeah. I do. Do you?"

Honeybee turns her attention away from the two, sensing something in the mirror. She turns to see the Woman in the Evening Gown still watching through the doorway in the distance, she disappears again. Through her prephereial vision, Batman has also noticed.

"I'll tell you one thing..."

Batman and Honeybee turn back to Cobblepot.

"Whoever she is, she's one hot chick." He smiles cruelly, "Why don't you ask Mitchell's wife, maybe she knows?" He is thrown off by Honeybee's look, "What, too soon?"

Batman looks at the photo again and spots an Evening Gown in the background, face in shadow, but there's no mistaking that dress. As Batman and Honeybee move for the empty doorway, Cobblepot calls out as they pass the hanging bead strings.

"Let me know if there's anything else I can do!"