━━━ LES JUMEAUX !

"𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐒 𝐒𝐔𝐂𝐇 𝐀 𝐁𝐀𝐃 𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐀," Justice muttered, leaning against the hood of a car in the mayor's garage. Her eyes flicked toward Gordon, who was pacing nearby with his hands on his hips, clearly preoccupied.

Gordon shot her a glance. "You've said that about five times now."

"And I'll keep saying it until it sinks in," she replied sharply, gesturing toward the looming folder in Gordon's hand. "You've tied this whole mess to The Iceberg Lounge. A place crawling with criminals, mobsters, and a guy nicknamed The Penguin. You don't think walking into that is asking for trouble?"

Gordon sighed, running a hand down his face. "Cobblepot runs the place, yeah, but he's more of a middleman than anything else. If anyone knows who's behind this, it's him. We've got to follow the lead."

Before Justice could reply, Batman stepped out of the shadows, his presence a quiet interruption. "I know who he is," he said, his voice like gravel, low and steady. "I'll go talk to him."

Justice raised an eyebrow, arms crossing over her chest. "You'll just... stroll in there? Alone? That's the plan?"

"Yes," Batman replied curtly.

"Just say you wanna fuckin' kill yourself," Justice said, looking increasingly frustrated.

Batman took in a long, shaky, breath, "I don't care what happens to me."

"No," she countered, stepping forward. "You're not doing this alone."

His jaw tightened beneath the mask. "It's safer if you stay here."

"Safer for who?" she shot back. "You think I'm going to let you interrogate some mobster on your own? What if things go south? What if he already knows more than we do and expects you?"

Batman's silence stretched long enough to become its own form of rebuttal, but Justice wasn't deterred. She stepped closer, her determination radiating in the set of her jaw.

"I'm coming with you," she declared.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

Batman's gaze shifted briefly to Gordon, whose expression suggested he wanted no part in the argument. Finally, with a sigh heavy enough to carry the weight of his annoyance, Batman relented. "Fine. But you follow my lead."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Justice quipped, grabbing her coat from the car's hood.

Batman turned sharply toward the exit, his cape flaring slightly as he moved, "Do you ever take 'no' for an answer?"

Justice shrugged, following after Batman. "No, and you shouldn't."

"Then I don't take your answer," He said as flatly as ever.

"Har-har-har. Very funny."

Batman stood in the dim light outside The Iceberg Lounge, his imposing figure shrouded in shadow. The glow from a nearby streetlamp cast a faint gleam on the slick pavement, highlighting the sharp angles of his cowl. Justice lingered beside him, her arms crossed against the chill of the evening air.

The door creaked open just a sliver, enough for one of the twins to peer out, his sharp gaze darting between Batman's imposing figure and Justice's smaller, but no less confident, stance.

Batman wasted no time, leaning forward slightly. His voice was cold, calm, and commanding. "Know who I am?"

The twin hesitated, clearly thrown off by the sheer intensity radiating from the vigilante. "Yeah," he muttered after a beat. "I've got an idea."

Justice stepped forward then, her boots crunching softly against the pavement as she closed the space between her and the twin. "We want to see the Penguin," she said simply, her tone clipped.

The twin's lips curled into a half-smirk, half-sneer. "I don't know what you're talking about, pal."

Justice tilted her head, her lips curving slightly into a wry smile. For a second, it seemed as though she might step back and let Batman handle things. But instead, she moved closer, slipping just to the side of the twin.

Her voice dropped to a low whisper, one that carried none of the humor or sarcasm she usually employed. "Let me make this simple for you," she murmured, her tone laced with quiet menace.

As she spoke, her hand moved beneath her long coat, drawing a sleek handgun. She pressed the cold barrel against his abdomen, carefully concealed by the fabric of her coat. The twin stiffened, his breath hitching ever so slightly as his bravado crumbled.

"You're going to open that door," she continued, her voice barely audible, "or I'll open something else. And trust me, it'll ruin your entire night. Understand?"

The twin swallowed hard, his smirk faltering as his eyes flicked toward Batman, who stood a few feet away, none the wiser to the interaction.

"Fine," the twin muttered, his voice low enough that only Justice could hear.

He stepped back, shutting the door. Justice retracted the gun, slipping it back into its holster beneath her coat just as the door opened again. This time, both twins stood in the doorway.

"They're saying they want to see the Penguin," the first twin muttered, jerking his head toward Batman and Justice.

The second twin crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing. "There's no Penguin here."

"Yeah, that's what I tried to tell them," the first twin added quickly, as if that might deflect attention from himself.

The second twin stepped forward, his stance aggressive. "Get out of here, or both of you are gonna be covered in blood."

Batman's response was immediate, his voice colder than the night air. "Mine or yours?"

The second twin's face twisted in fury at Batman's calm retort. He lunged forward, his fist sailing through the air in a clumsy attempt to catch Batman off guard. But Batman was faster—far faster. He caught the punch mid-swing, twisting the twin's arm with practiced precision. A sharp, pained grunt escaped the twin's lips as Batman drove his knee into the man's gut, sending him staggering backward, clutching his stomach.

The first twin barely had time to react. His hand dipped into his pocket, fumbling for what might have been a weapon, but Batman was already on him. A single, brutal jab to the jaw sent the twin reeling, his back slamming against the doorframe.

"Let's go," Batman said curtly, his gravelly voice cutting through the tension as he turned to Justice.

She followed, her boots clicking against the pavement as she fell into step beside him.

"What was that?" Batman asked, his voice low but biting, as they moved deeper into the shadows.

Justice arched a brow, feigning faux-innocence. "What was what?"

"The twin," Batman said, his piercing gaze snapping toward her. "He backed off too easily. What did you do?"

Justice smirked, her tone laced with nonchalance. "I have a way with words."

Before Batman could respond, a sudden rustle behind them broke the moment. Strong hands clamped down on Justice's shoulders, yanking her back with startling force.

Her instincts kicked in instantly, her elbow driving backward into the attacker's ribs. But his grip didn't falter. A gloved hand flew over her mouth, muffling her sharp cry.

Batman spun on his heel, his cape billowing as he moved like a force of nature. His fist connected with the attacker's jaw in a single, decisive motion. The man crumpled to the ground, groaning in pain as Justice stumbled forward, catching her breath.

"Stay close," Batman muttered, his voice tight.

Justice barely had time to nod before more figures emerged from the shadows. The first man charged, swinging a crowbar in a wide arc aimed at Batman's head. Batman ducked effortlessly, his gloved hand shooting up to grab the weapon. With a powerful yank, he tore it from the attacker's grasp and used it to sweep the man's legs out from under him.

Justice caught movement from the corner of her eye—a second assailant rushing toward her with a knife glinting in his hand. She sidestepped his lunge, driving her knee into his stomach before delivering a sharp elbow to the back of his head. The man crumpled to the ground with a groan.

"Nice," Batman muttered as he deflected a punch from another attacker, twisting the man's arm behind his back before slamming him face-first into the wall.

Justice didn't have time to respond. Another man came at her, swinging wildly. She ducked, narrowly avoiding a blow to her temple. Her fist shot out, connecting with his nose in a satisfying crunch.

Above the clatter of footsteps and groans, a sudden metallic click cut through the air. Justice's eyes darted toward the sound. At the top of the staircase, a man stood holding a gun, his hands trembling slightly as he leveled it at Batman.

"Drop it, or I'll shoot!" the man barked, his voice shaking with a mix of fear and determination.

Batman didn't hesitate. He roughly pushed Justice behind him, his imposing figure shielding her as he moved toward the gunman.

"Stop, let me—" Justice tried, but was quickly interrupted by a harsh 'don't' from Vengeance.

The shot rang out, the sharp crack of the gun echoing through the space. Justice's heart skipped a beat, but the bullet ricocheted harmlessly off Batman's armored chest.

The gunman's eyes widened in panic, but Batman didn't give him a chance to react. He closed the distance in two swift strides, wrenching the gun from the man's hands before delivering a punishing blow with the crowbar.

Another attacker appeared from behind, swinging a baseball bat at Batman's side. But Batman moved with fluid precision, catching the bat mid-swing and twisting it free before using it to knock the man unconscious with a single strike.

Justice barely had time to register the chaos before a figure stepped into view at the top of the staircase.

"Enough!"

The voice was deep, commanding, and carried a casual menace that made Justice's blood run cold.

The attackers froze, retreating slightly as the man descended the stairs. He was stout, with a broad frame and a confidence that seemed almost theatrical. His suit was slightly rumpled, but his swagger was unmistakable.

"I heard you were looking for me," he said, spreading his arms slightly in mock invitation. His lips curled into a smirk as his sharp eyes darted between Batman and Justice. "I see you've met the twins."

"I'm Oz," he added, his tone dripping with faux cordiality.

Justice adjusted her coat, her eyes narrowing as she took in the man before her. "Do you waddle, or do they just call you 'The Penguin'?" 

IRIS' TRUTH !

im fighting the urge to write a dick grayson young justice fic but im trying to finish this book first, i've already made graphics and everything, im js contemplating