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Description
The bar:

Inside of an office a person is facing the large window to see the rest of Gotham city laid out before them. They are talking on the phone with the one they had hired to make sure the job was done right.

Person: Just make sure she's secure before bringing her here. (Listens to what the other person is saying.) No. I don't want loose ends squealing…at least not yet. (Listens.) Well it's your own damn fault for not finding him when you broke in. (listens.) I don't want excuses. Just get over there and if anyone so much as utters a syllable about me…silence them.

They hangs up the phone and looks back to see someone else in the office with him.

Second person: Having doubts?

First: Regrets. This was your plan., and now it might all go to hell.

Second: Try not to worry so much.

First: How can I not? Your scheme for taking Freeze and the cure failed and now he's on the hunt with the Batman. How can you not worry?

Second: Because, my good friend, when you see failure you only see it as such. When I see failure…I find  the opportunity in it. And this one is a beauty.

********************

Time: 1:23 a.m.

Place: Gotham East end

Batman and freeze continue to drive towards the Stacked Deck. They pass by one car and truck after another as they zip along the roads.

Freeze: Are you familiar with this place, Batman?

Batman: The Stacked Deck is more-or-less a "villains only" bar. It's mainly a meeting place for low-level criminals in Gotham. At one point the Joker tried to use it for one of his operations. Didn't work out once all the wannabes started spreading the rumor about joining. Afterwards it was wannabes who took over.

Freeze: And you've never had to go back until now?

Batman: Trust me, these ones are not as…"imposing"…as you and most others.

They finally reach the Stacked Deck. A large neon sign hangs over the doorway displaying the name. The building is a bit run-down. Batman makes sure to park the bat-mobile within an area where no one will stumble onto it.

Batman: (opens the door and looks back to Freeze.) I want you to wait here.

Freeze:  What?

Batman: I'm only going into question. I can handle these people but I don't need you causing more trouble.

Freeze: I told you before, Batman, not to order me like your protégé's.

Batman: I'm not telling you, Victor. I'm asking. Just give me ten minutes.

Freeze: (Contemplates before looking back to Batman.) Five.

********************

Inside the Stacked Deck are an assortment of Gotham's "joke villains" as they are so bluntly called. At the bar are the criminals like The Monarch of Menace, Magpie, The Condiment King and the Signalman. At one table The Cavalier and Captain Stingaree are sharing a drink with each other. At another Mr. Polka-Dot, Zodiac Master and Crazy Quilt are discussing their "triumphs" or victories." Or more or less there situations at home. The Eraser, Zebra Man and Kite Man are playing darts while the Music Meister plays the piano to lighten the mood of the joint. Among these criminals are a few lesser thugs or ordinary looking men, one of which is watching all the bar patrons closely.

Bar Tender: (Sees the Condiment King trying to order another drink while seeming very drunk.) Alright, Mitchel, I think you had enough.

Condiment King: Do not *hick*refer to me by that name. I am the *hick*Condiment King! And all shall relish the day *they thought to –

Signalman: Oh shut up, Mayo. Every single night you come in, that's all you ever talk about. Your puns are giving me more of a headache then the bourbon.

Condiment King: (Getting up and stumbling over to him.) You dare to *hick* mock me, Signalman?

Signalman: If you don't back off, I'm going to make a new one out of your head!

Monarch of Menace: (Getting between the two.) Alright, enough. Just leave him alone, Phil.

While that's going one, the villains over at the table are talking.

Crazy Quilt: So you hear the word on the street? Freeze's lady was taken out of Arkham. Right as he was about to cure her on top of it.

Mr. Polka-Dot: Now don't that figure. Guy gets a chance to cure his wife and then some shmuck has to go and ruin it.

Crazy Quilt: Yeah. But now they're saying he's out for blood. Going around killing anyone who might have taken her.

Zodiac Master: That's not what I heard. I here he's working with the Bat. They've been driving around town trying to find answers.

Mr. Polka-Dot: Come on. You really think Freeze would work with the Batman? Or vice-versa? I got enough trouble with the Bat-freak after he broke my arm and two of my ribs.

Zodiac Master: You never know. The way things are going in this town...

Crazy Quilt: Hey, maybe Batman will make him the new sidekick. Hahaha. He'll probably need to wear tights and a cape now.

Zodiac Master: (Laughing) Yeah right? Hahaha.

Crazy Quilt: (Hops up on his chair and uses his cape to look like Batman.) Hey everyone, I'm Batman. (Gets the attention of the other villains laugh.) Fear me and my new partner in crime fighting, Mr. Freeze. I'll scare you to death while he mixes me an ice-cream cone.

As they keep laughing, He runs around the bar with his cape flapping. The Condiment King sees this and aims his gun at him.

Condiment King: Aha! So Batman*hick* you try to use Crazy Quilt's costume as *hick* a disguise against me?

Crazy Quilt: (Is standing in front of the front door when he stops.) On give it a rest, Condiment King. You're too drunk to know I'm not the real…(Suddenly the door opens and Batman is standing in the doorway. All gasp and look in horror when he enters.)…oh hell…

Condiment King: (Pushing past others until he's face-to-face with Batman.) So you finally show yourself, my greatest *foe*! (He aims his mustard gun.) Say your prays Bat—Oof!

Batman punches him in the face knocking him out. Some of the patrons leave through the back door. One sits and watches.

Batman: (Looking to the other villains.) Firefly was in here some time ago. He met with someone. I want to know who. (No one answers. He walks over to the bar tender.) Well?
Bar Tender: I…I don't know. He comes in here now and then. I didn't see him with anyone, I swear.

Batman: (Looks around and sees Kite Man acting suspicious. He can see he's sweating a lot. He walks over to him.) Something on your mind, Brown?

Kite Man: N…no. Not a thing….really.

Mr. Polka-Dot: You know I think you should leave, Batman. (He stands up from his chair.)

Zodiac Master: Jesus, Abner. Sit down.

Mr. Polka-Dot: (Ignoring him.) You heard me. Don' you know this is harassment. I could have your winged behind in court by next week. (Looks back to the others.) Why should we be so afraid of him huh? He comes in here with his "man of the night" crap and we gotta sit in the corner wetting ourselves?

Batman: (seeing that some of the others are starting to look violently at him.) I think you should have another drink, Krill. I don't want to hurt you or anyone else.

Mr. Polka-Dot: Sure you don't. Maybe because we actually mean a threat to you together instead of alone.

Magpie: Yeah!

Eraser: Yeah!

Cavalier: Let show him what we're made of!

Zodiac Master: Yeah!

Mr. Polka-Dot: See, Batman! Just because we're not like Two-Face or Bane doesn't mean  we ani't afraid of you!

Batman looks and see as they start to surround him. He then notices the clock on the wall and how much time has passed. Before anyone can attack Batman, the front door bursts open and Mr. Freeze is standing there. His glass covering is down and his techno-goggles are around his eyes and glowing red. His voice sounds robotic through the speakers.

Freeze: [Five minutes are up, Batman.]

Eraser: Holy…

Batman: (looking to Mr. Polka-Dot.) How about now?

Crazy Quilt: (looking to Polka-Dot.) What now Mr. High-and-mighty?

Mr. Polka-Dot: I…uh…GET THEM!

All the criminals and villains, except the one certain bar patron, attack Batman and Freeze. Batman fights hand-to-hand against the ones attacking him. Freeze uses the strength from his suit to fight off his attackers. He sees a few and uses his freeze-gun to freeze their feet to the ground. His sensors detect when someone tries to sneak up on him and he turns in time to swat away The Monarch of Menace. While he fights off the Cavalier and Captain Stingaree, Batman notices Kite Man trying to run away. He pulls out a grappling-hook and fires it, swinging around Kite Mans legs and tripping him.

Batman: Don't go anywhere, Brown. We're not done talking.

Suddenly Mr. Polka-Dot breaks a chair over Batman's head while his back is turned.

Mr. Polka-Dot: (Grabbing a broken beer bottle and holding it to Batman's throat.) You don't know how long I've waited to do this.

Suddenly Freeze spots this and picks up a table with one hand and throws it at Polka-Dot, hitting him in the back and knocking him out.

Freeze: [Wait a while longer, Mr. Krill]

Batman: (Looks to see Polka-Dot along with most of the others knocked out and strong here-and-there in the bar. Looks to Freeze.) Thank you.

Freeze: [You are welcome. Now I believe Mr. Brown has some information for us.]

Kite Man: I don't know anything. Honest!

Batman: (Lifts him up by the collar.) Let's take this outside.

********************

As he sees Batman and Freeze drag Kite Man outside, the certain bar patron walks out another door, making sure not to lose them while he readies himself.

********************

Batman and Freeze have Kite Man up against a wall outside one of the nearby buildings.

Batman: Answers, Brown. Now!

Kite Man: If I talk, you can bet I'm probably a dead man.

Freeze: [If you don't speak then you can be sure you are a dead man.]

Kite Man: You can't do that. Not while the Bat's here.

Batman: You never know. I could look away and never see a thing.

Kite Man: Y…you…you're bluffing. You wouldn't let him.

Batman turns his head while Freeze brings his gun up to Kite Man's face. Swear starts to harden on Kit Man's face as the gun gets closer and closer.

Kite Man: Alright. Okay. Firefly came in a while ago. He was just having  few drinks…then this guy came over and started talking with him.

Batman: Who?

Kite Man: I don't know. I didn't recognize him.

Freeze: [What did they talk about?]

Kite Man: I don't know. I'm not one to go eves dropping over something I got no business in. But they were talking for a while. I left before they did. But then when I came back the next day…I was talking with the guys. They said the guy was familiar in some way. Said he might have been with—

He stopped when a bullet fly's through the air and goes straight through his head. Kite Man drops to the ground dead. Batman and Freeze look to where the bullet came from and see a shadowy figure leaping away across the rooftops out in the distance.

Freeze: (Allows the glass covering of his helmet to come up.) Dammit!

Batman: (Looks down at the body. And then at the bullet lodged in a nearby wall.) Same as the guards at Arkahm. (Looks to the rooftops.) Wait here, Victor.

********************

Narration: As I make my way up to the rooftops, via grapple-hook, I start to realize who may be involved in all of this. I just hope I'm wrong. But it becomes more and more apparent as I see the bullet casing sitting on the ground where the gunmen fired. I look and examine it before seeing just what I was afraid of. I make my way back down to Freeze.

********************

Batman: (Shows Freeze the bullet casing.)It was Deadshot.

Freeze: Why?

Batman: To keep people like Brown from talking. This is bigger than I thought.

Freeze: (Smashes a nearby trash can in anger.)This is becoming more and more aggravating! I need to find Nora!

Batman: And we will, Victor. But you need to stay calm.

Freeze: How do you expect me to remain calm? Our recent lead as just been murdered and we're no closer to knowing who Lynns spoke with. Maybe you should have let me deal with Brown myself.

Batman: So you could do to him what you almost did to Lynns? Break off each limb until he tells you his darkest secrets?

Freeze: As I said before, Batman: when Nora's life is on the line, everything is necessary.

Batman: What about the last few years, Freeze? All the crimes you committed, the lives you took in the process? Where they worth it?

Freeze: Of course.

Batman: And what about Nora? How will you explain it to her? Will you be able to look her in the eye when you tell her that her husband became a criminal all for her? (Freeze looks at Batman coldly before turning away. Then Batman hears a call from his communicator.) Oracle?

Oracle's voice: Batman, the police found the truck.

Batman: Where?

Oracle: It was left abandoned near one of the old docks, near Gotham's west end. Whoever was driving it burned it after getting out.

Batman: Trying not to be traced. What about the docks? Any boats not there by the time the police arrived?

Oracle: Hang on. I'm checking records right now. (A moment of silence.) Alright, one was docked there for a while. The S.S. Bait.

Batman: And the owner?

Oracle: It's signed under a Mr. W. White.

Batman: Warren White. The Great White Shark.

Freeze perks up when he hears the name mentioned.

Oracle: This is bad. Batman, I managed to find the tire-brand and trace back to the dealer. It was made by Praeda Industries, under the dealings of a Mr. Fisk. Apparently he's some kind of partner with White.

Batman: The Fox. It's the Terrible Trio.

Oracle: Those business men who were the animal masks?

Batman: The Fox and one called the vulture do. The original shark was a man named Shackely who died a few years ago. White's been in the position since then.

Oracle: This is getting bigger, Bruce.

Batman: I know. I was just at the Stacked Deck where I tried to question Kite Man, but Deadshot managed to keep him quiet.

Oracle: Deadshot's involved too? Bruce, what's going on?

Batman: I intend to find out.

Freeze: (Sees Batman turn back to him and turns off his communicator.) White is involved? I should have guessed. This must be all part of a great revenge scheme he has for me after what I did to his face.

Batman: If that is the case then we need to hurry. Come on.

Freeze: (As he and Batman make their way back to the Bat-mobile.) Where are we going now?

Batman: One of the air fields owned by Voulper, the Vulture. It's the most like place they'd be hiding. We're going to end this, Victor. We're going to find out what this is all about and bring Nora home.

Freeze: Nothing less, Batman. Nothing less.