CHAPTER 5
“I won’t let that bad bird fly the coop,” Batman said. He took a Batrope from his Utility Belt. With one perfect toss, Batman lassoed the tail fin of the submarine.
The cold-weather Batsuit protected the Dark Knight from the frigid water as he hauled himself hand-over-hand toward the submarine. He climbed up one of the horizontal stern planes and onto the spine of the ship. When he reached the main hatch, he found that it was locked.
FZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT!
The Caped Crusader cut through it with a miniature torch in mere moments.
The Dark Knight jumped down into the sub.
CLAAAANGGGGGGGG!
The sound of his boots hitting the metal deck echoed through the corridors. Batman knew he had to stop the submarine. That meant he had to get to the control room.
There was no one onboard the submarine to stop him. The crew had abandoned ship. When Batman got to the control room, he saw that the Penguin was all by himself.
“Leaving so soon? The excitement is just about to start,” Batman said.
“I hate to overstay my welcome,” the Penguin replied. “It’s bad manners.”
“It wouldn’t be the same without you. I insist that you stay,” Batman said. He threw a Batarang at the instrument panel.
KABLAM!
The controls exploded in a shower of sparks. Immediately, the submarine’s engines stopped.
The Penguin had an umbrella hooked over his arm. He always had one with him. To an everyday person, it seemed like it only helped the Penguin walk on his stubby legs. However, the umbrella was also a concealed weapon.
CLICK! The Penguin pulled a trigger in the umbrella handle. A large blade emerged at the tip!
The Penguin lunged at the Dark Knight and slashed at him. Despite being rather plump, the Penguin was very fast on his feet. However, Batman was prepared for this. Quickly, Batman jumped out of the way of the Penguin’s strike. CRUNCH! The blade plunged into the computer console, destroying one of the monitors.
Batman leaped from place to place in the control room as the Penguin slashed the umbrella knife at him.
SWISH! SWISH!
The Penguin kept missing the Caped Crusader, but kept hitting the instrument panels.
PZAAAK! KZIIIZZZZ!
Soon everything was shorted out or destroyed.
The Penguin gasped. He had worn himself out. When he looked up, he shrieked angrily. “My ship is destroyed!” he said. “Look what you made me do!”
Batman smirked. “All part of the plan,” he said. “You’re dead in the water, now. Time to surrender.”
The Penguin looked defiant at first. Then he dropped the umbrella on the deck, and bowed his head.
“You win,” he said meekly.
“I always do,” Batman replied. He pulled a pair of Bat-Cuffs from his Utility Belt.
Suddenly the crafty criminal jumped away from the Dark Knight. He snatched off his top hat and pulled an egg out of it.
Despite his extensive knowledge and preparation for the Penguin, even the Dark Knight didn’t expect his foe to do something so strange.
The Penguin threw the egg on the deck.
CRACK!
The egg split in half against the floor, spilling out billows of sooty black fumes. Soon, the clouds filled the entire room.
The Penguin used the thick dark clouds to conceal his escape. He snatched up his umbrella and scooted past the Caped Crusader. Then the portly criminal ran from the control room as fast as his stubby legs could carry him.
It was hard for Batman to see, but that did not stop him. The Dark Knight used his other senses to track the Penguin.
CLINK! CLINK! CLINK!
Batman followed the sound of the Penguin’s umbrella tip on the metal deck plates.
The sounds led the Dark Knight into the galley. He saw the freezing cylinders there, and instantly recognized them from his many battles with Mr. Freeze. The devices were open and empty.
KA-POWWWWW! Something hit Batman in the back, knocking him into one of the tubes!
SLAM!
The door shut on the Caped Crusader.
HISSSSSSSSSS! Freezing gas hissed into the chamber.
“HAHAHA!” The Penguin laughed.
“I’m going to make a Batman ice sculpture!” the Penguin gloated.
Batman was still as a statue inside the cylinder. The cold air wafted around him, filling the cylinder slowly.
A moment later, the Penguin pressed his face against the frosty glass to gloat over his victory.
Suddenly the door lock exploded. BOOOOOOOOOM!
Batman burst out of the freeze chamber and grabbed the Penguin by the collar. Unbeknownst to the Penguin, Batman’s thermal Batsuit had protected him from the extreme cold in the chamber. Batman had simply been waiting for the Penguin to get close enough. Now the Dark Knight had his foe by the bow tie!
“WAAUUG!” the Penguin said, gasping for breath.
“Is the Hand of Justice too tight?” Batman asked.
“Mercy!” the Penguin gasped.
The Dark Knight was not cruel. He relaxed his grip just a little so that the super-villain could breathe more easily. However, it was just enough for the slippery villain to wriggle free!
CLICK!!
The Penguin pushed a button on his umbrella. Miniature helicopter propellers popped out of the tip.
WHIR-WHIR-WHIR-WHIR! The Penguin held out the spinning blades. “I’ll slice you to ribbons!” he cried out.
The Dark Knight rolled backward just in time. He leaped back to his feet, then reached for a weapon in his Utility Belt.
The Penguin tossed an egg grenade at the ceiling of the galley. It stuck to the metal.
TICK! TOCK! BOOOOOM!
Suddenly there was a huge hole in the top of the Penguin’s submarine. The Penguin used the helicopter umbrella to fly out of the opening and into the cavern.
“I’m not going to let this bird fly free,” the Dark Knight declared.
Batman threw a Batarang with a rope attached out the hole. The rope wrapped around the leg of the Penguin’s trousers. Batman held onto the end of the rope, and was lifted out along with the Penguin!
The Penguin dragged the Caped Crusader through the air.
He tried to shake his enemy loose. He swooped and plunged all around the docks inside of the iceberg hideout.
WOOOOSH! They almost hit the side of the navy patrol vessel. SWISSSSH! They barely missed the sailing mast of the eco-tourist ship.
“A penguin is a flightless bird,” Batman reminded his opponent. “It’s time for you to come back to earth.”
The Dark Knight pulled sharply on the Batrope attached to the Penguin’s pant leg. The force tilted the Penguin in midair and the umbrella propellers tipped sideways. The Penguin and Batman suddenly headed toward the icy water of the docking bay.
Below them, a pod of orca lifted their heads out of the water with their mouths wide open. The Penguin was terrified, and rightly so — penguins were an orca’s favorite food!
The fearful felon was shaking so hard that he could not control the umbrella. Batman shifted his weight and guided the umbrella-copter away from the water. A moment later, they landed safely on the snowy ground. The Penguin fell to his knees and kissed the ice.
When he looked up, the Penguin saw that he was surrounded by all the people he had captured. Some of them aimed robot penguin laser beaks at him.
But that didn’t make the Penguin cry uncle. He was ready to go on the attack once again.
SSSPLAAASSSSSSSH!
Suddenly an orca burst out of the water and slid on the ice toward the Penguin. Its toothy mouth gaped open. Aquaman rode atop the sea mammal’s back like a seafaring cowboy.
“WAUK!” the Penguin whimpered. “Please don’t hurt me!”
The Sea King stood like a monarch about to issue a royal decree. “You have invaded my realm and harmed my subjects,” Aquaman said. “Now you will face my wrath!”
The Penguin covered his head with his hands. “Batman! Save me!” the Penguin begged.
“Gladly,” Batman said. He snapped a pair of Bat-Cuffs on the Penguin’s wrists.
CLICK-A-CLICK! CLICK-A-CLICK!
“I’m taking you to a nice, safe jail cell,” Batman told the Penguin.
“Yes, yes! Just keep that maritime menace away from me!” the Penguin replied. He stared at Aquaman as if the Sea King was a shark.
“Take this sea scum away,” Aquaman said. “The sight of him makes me angry.”
“Of course, Your Majesty,” Batman said to Aquaman. He tried not to smile or chuckle, but Aquaman was playing his royal role to the max. Aquaman nodded knowingly.
It did not take Batman long to put the Penguin into one of the freezing cylinders for the trip back to Gotham City.
When he finished loading it onto the Batplane, he turned to say goodbye to Aquaman.
“Thanks for your help, old friend,” Batman said. “It’s always good to have a Sea King on my side.”
“The King of the Sea and the World’s Greatest Detective make a good team,” Aquaman said. The two heroes shook hands. Aquaman leaped back into the freezing water as if it were a comfortable bathtub and then climbed onto the back of a waiting orca.
“I’ll make sure the captive ships and their crews make it to a safe port,” Aquaman promised.
“And I’ll make sure this Penguin stays out of hot water!” Batman replied.