CHAPTER 2
When the Penguin told Batman to get a “day job,” he didn’t know that the Dark Knight already had one.
The Caped Crusader lived two lives. One of them was spent in the dark of night as the world’s greatest crime fighter. The other was spent in the light of day as a billionaire businessman named Bruce Wayne.
Keeping those two lives separate and secret was an everyday challenge, but Batman and Bruce found a way.
Until today, when both lives collided.
There was a party going on aboard a luxury yacht anchored in Gotham Bay. The elegant vessel belonged to Bruce Wayne. He was the host of a special celebration. His company was the sponsor of a charity sailboat race. The Wayne World Cup was a race around the world. Each year, the event received international attention.
Bruce and his guests watched the million-dollar sailing yachts compete on the high seas. Live pictures were broadcast from a special Wayne Enterprises satellite.
The race was at a very challenging and dangerous point. The vessels had reached the Antarctic Ocean, the bottom of the world. There, the winds blew without being interrupted by any landmasses. There was a constant current of air at all times.
The wind was a powerful gale at the best of times. At the worst of times, it was potentially fatal.
The party guests watched the action in complete safety aboard Bruce Wayne’s yacht. The waters of Gotham Bay were calm. The television screens were large and dynamic. The smallest fleck of sea spray looked larger than life, and the satellite caught every moment with crystal clarity.
KIRRRRRSH! A quick flash of something strange on the high-definition video feed caught Bruce Wayne’s attention. The waves didn’t look quite right. Batman’s crime-fighting instincts didn’t shut off when the sun came up in the morning and he took off his cape and cowl. Bruce stood as still as a statue and watched the television screen intently.
Suddenly, a huge shape came up out of the Antarctic waters. SPLAAAAASSSSH! The water next to the racing sailboats swelled dramatically. They were nearly tipped over! Bruce and his guests watched anxiously as the crews scrambled to keep the ships from capsizing.
A black-and-white submarine surfaced between two of the sailing yachts. FOOOOM! FOOOOM! Harpoons shot out from both sides of the sub and smashed through the hulls of the boats. Then they were reeled in like fish on a line. The other racing vessels sped away from the danger.
Men in black-and-white wetsuits swarmed onto the captured sailboats. The yachts were being hijacked on the high seas! The party guests stood in surprise and watched.
Everyone was motionless with shock. Everyone but Bruce Wayne.
Bruce carefully snuck away from the crowd. Then he jumped into his speedboat and slammed the throttle to full. VROOOM! There was no time to waste. He had to get to the Batcave!
Bruce recognized the sub attacking the sailing yachts. It had the shape and markings of a penguin. His old foe was up to new tricks.
It had recently been reported that the Penguin escaped from police custody. That was weeks ago, and no one had seen the crafty criminal. Batman thought the Penguin was simply keeping a low profile in Gotham City. Now it was obvious that the villain wasn’t in Gotham at all. He had gone south. Way south!
When Bruce reached the Batcave, his faithful butler, Alfred, was waiting for him. He had a change of clothes draped over his arm — a modified version of the Batsuit.
“I thought you would be needing your cold-weather suit, sir,” Alfred said. “The Batplane is fully fueled.”
“Thank you, Alfred,” Bruce said. He took the costume from the loyal servant. “I just have to make one quick call before I leave.”
* * *
Soon, the Batplane was in the air and heading south. The flight was going to take many hours, so Batman used the time to search for the Penguin’s submarine. The Batplane had all the latest high-tech gear, including links to civilian and military satellites, sonar, and infrared imaging.
The Batplane also had devices that could analyze tiny particles in the air or in the sea. The equipment could even track a butterfly in motion.
The Dark Knight was confident he could find the Penguin. It just might take a while, since the Antarctic was a big place.
* * *
Below the waves of the frigid ocean, the Penguin greeted his captive guests in his custom submarine. They were not feeling very grateful about his hospitality.
“Welcome aboard! You may call me Captain Cobblepot,” the Penguin said, using his real name.
“I’ll call you Captain crackpot!” one of the sailors replied angrily. “How dare you attack us?!”
“This is piracy!” another man yelled. “You won’t get away with it!”
“What do you want?” a female crewmember asked. “A pardon for your crimes? Ransom money?”
The Penguin smiled at her and then bowed. He was dressed in a formal navy uniform from 200 years ago. It was black and white, of course — just like a penguin’s appearance. The Penguin was pretending to be a gallant sea adventurer from a long-gone era.
“Ladies and gentlemen, you mistake my hospitality for hostility,” the Penguin told them. “You are guests, not prisoners!”
The crew captain stomped up to the Penguin.
“You shot harpoons into our boats and dragged us onto this weird submarine!” the crew captain said. “You bet that’s hostile!”
The Penguin shrugged. “I will admit that my invitation was a little out of the ordinary,” he replied. He took off his bizarre hat and swished it back and forth like a character in a drama. “But I meant no disrespect. I just like to do things with a little flair!”
“What are you going to do with us?” a woman asked.
“I’m going to entertain you,” the Penguin said. “You’ll see that I have the highest regard for people of your social standing.”
“Not interested,” a crewman said.
Another man crossed his arms over his chest. “Me neither,” he said.
The Penguin’s expression turned from polite to annoyed. These people didn’t want to play his game. His pleasant fantasy was shattered.
The villain jammed his antique hat back on his head. “Hmph! You high-society types aren’t as civilized as I thought,” Penguin complained. “Very well, if you won’t play nice, then I’ll put you on ice. Take them away!”
Henchmen in wetsuits grabbed the captives and shoved them out of the room. They were marched toward the galley.
“What did he mean he was going to put us on ice?” a worried crewman asked. “Is he going to . . . put us in the refrigerator?”
“Ha!” a sailor scoffed. “That would be warm compared to the weather outside.”
The crew people were stuffed into several large cylinders. Layers of frost covered the clear glass. There were three tall tubes and eight sailors, so it was a very tight fit. The Penguin waddled into the galley to watch the panicked looks on their faces.
“I took these devices from Mr. Freeze,” the Penguin said.
“What are these things?” the woman stammered.
The Penguin didn’t answer her. Instead, he showed her. CLICK! He pressed a button on a remote control. FWOOOOOOOSH! The cylinders filled with super-cold gas. The captive yacht crews were frozen instantly.
The Penguin grinned. “That will teach you to give me the cold shoulder,” he said.
