Chapter 73: Iceberg Lounge (2)

[Third Person's PoV] 

Robin trailed casually behind Batman, hands laced behind his head, completely unfazed by the loud music, flashing neon lights, and chaotic swirl of partygoers dancing and drinking all around them. He'd long grown used to these kinds of places. After years of tagging along with Batman on nightly investigations—even through seedy underground clubs, shady backrooms, and questionable alleys—nightclubs had lost their shock value. At this point, they were just another stop on the usual patrols.

Batman marched ahead with his usual purpose and stoic intensity, cutting through the crowd like a shadow through fog. Suddenly, he came to a sharp stop in the middle of the dance floor. Robin slowed behind him.

"Robin," Batman said, his tone a mix of calm irritation and resignation.

Robin raised an eyebrow, already suspecting what was coming. "Yeah?"

Batman exhaled. "Where's Danny?"

Robin blinked. "What do you mean? He's right beh—" He spun around mid-sentence… and froze.

The space behind him, where Danny had been just moments ago, was now completely empty.

"—Oh, for the love of..." Robin groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Without another word, Robin turned around and jogged back into the crowd, weaving through the sea of bodies. It didn't take long to locate the particular scene.

Just a few feet away, a group of flirtatious women had encircled Danny Phantom like moths to a very bashful flame. He stood in the center of theircle, squirming like a deer caught in headlights. His face was greener than a unripe tomato, and his arms were frozen at his sides as if he didn't know what to do with them.

"Oh my, I've never met a ghost before~" one of the women purred.

"Are all ghosts such cutie patootie, or are you just one of a kind?" another giggled, batting her lashes.

"You poor thing… You died so young," a third cooed, clutching her chest dramatically. "My heart just aches for you."

"Here," one of them added, puckering her lips. "Maybe a kiss will make you feel better."

"Uhh—I—I think I'm—uh—feeling better already—oh wow—uhh—" Danny stammered, his eyes wide.

Robin let out a tired groan and pushed forward. With one swift motion, he reached through the group of ladies and grabbed Danny by the collar, yanking him backward like a misbehaving puppy. Danny's feet dragged across the floor, heels scraping against the tiles. His face was now smeared with lipstick, and his expression was somewhere between dazed and euphoric.

"Bye, ladies~ I'll never forget you… hehehe…" Danny giggled dreamily, waving his hand softly as Robin hauled him away.

"Danny. Get yourself together," Robin said coldly.

"I don't think I wanna…" Danny sighed, eyes still glazed. "Robin…"

"What," Robin grunted, not even looking back.

"I think I've found my calling. I'm going to become a place-bound ghost. I don't mind haunting this place for the rest of eternity…"

Robin let out a loud, frustrated exhale as they rejoined Batman.

"Let's just go," Robin muttered. "It won't happen again. I've got a hold on him now."

Batman said nothing, continuing forward in stoic silence. The trio moved past the crowd and approached the roped-off VIP lounge. Two large security guards dressed in sleek black suits stood in front of the entrance, arms crossed, sunglasses in place despite the low lighting. A red velvet rope separated them from the exclusive area beyond.

"Move," Batman ordered curtly.

One of the guards stepped forward, shaking his head. "Sorry. We've been given direct instructions not to let you through. Mr. Cobblepot—Penguin—put both you and your sidekick on the blacklist. No exceptions."

As the second guard stepped up to reinforce his partner, two blazing green beams of ectoplasmic energy blasted forward from behind Batman, hitting them square in the chest. The blast sent both guards flying backward, crashing through the decorative double doors with a loud crack. The red rope snapped from its posts and dangled limply.

Danny hovered in midair behind them, fists glowing bright green, a satisfied grin on his face. "What about me?" he asked casually. "Am I on the list?"

Without missing a beat, the trio walked over the fallen guards and into the luxurious lounge beyond.

Inside, the air shifted drastically. The temperature dropped several degrees, and a visible mist curled at the edges of the room. Danny's breath puffed out visibly, and he shivered slightly. He wasn't sure if it was because of the massive iceberg planted right in the center of the room—or if he was detecting some ghostly presence. Either way, it sent a chill down his spine.

Despite the cold, the party continued. The Penguin—Oswald Cobblepot—sat comfortably on a velvet couch near the iceberg, dressed in his classic black-and-white tuxedo with his signature top hat. Several women lounged beside him, giggling at his jokes as he puffed on a cigar.

As the trio entered, guards stationed around the room immediately took notice. Weapons were drawn, safeties clicked off, and barrels aimed squarely at Batman, Robin, and Danny.

The women at Cobblepot's side looked visibly anxious, glancing toward the nearest exit, unsure if they'd soon be caught in a shootout.

Cobblepot narrowed his eyes, clearly irritated by the intrusion.

"Batman," he sneered, rising slowly to his feet. "I had a feeling you'd show your brooding face sooner or later."

Batman stepped forward, gaze as cold as the iceberg dominating the lounge. "Oswald. I'm going to assume I don't need to explain why I'm here."

Before the tension could build further, Danny floated casually between them, pulling out a small notepad and pen from his utility belt. His eyes sparkled with innocent curiosity.

"Excuse me, Mr. Penguin?" he asked politely. "Can I please get your autograph?"

Oswald blinked, stunned. "What?"

Robin groaned and dragged his hand down his face.

Batman simply closed his eyes and inhaled deeply—pulling on every ounce of the inner calm the Tibetan monks had taught him. His jaw tensed. His fists clenched.

"You want my autograph?" The Penguin asked, stunned, his monocle nearly falling from his eye.

"Yes, sir," Danny replied politely, offering a respectful nod. "You see, I'm trying to collect signatures from every notable hero and villain I meet. From the villain side, I've only got Catwoman so far. You'll be next on the list—right here, if you don't mind." He flipped open a page in his notepad, revealing a section labeled Villains with just one name written in neat penmanship. He motioned to the blank space underneath.

"Kekeke!" The Penguin burst out with a delighted cackle, puffing up with pride. "I like this new sidekick of yours, Batman! A hell of a lot better than that rude little brat you usually drag around."

Robin's eyebrow twitched.

"This kid clearly knows greatness when he sees it," Penguin declared, releasing the arm of one of the women beside him to snatch the pen from Danny's hand. "You've got a good eye, kid. I'm feeling generous tonight—here you go."

He scribbled a messy signature on the page, flourished with a cartoonish drawing of a penguin, then handed the pen back with smug satisfaction.

"Much appreciated," Danny said with a small smile, tucking the notepad back into his utility belt.

Then, without hesitation, Danny's fist snapped forward.

A glowing green punch struck Penguin directly in the face. The crime lord was launched backward off his seat like a sack of meat, crashing hard into the massive iceberg at the back of the room. A wet spray of blood burst from his mouth as he hit the ice with a sickening crack.

Robin's jaw dropped in silent awe. Batman simply exhaled, letting the remnants of his irritation dissipate.

"Y-YOU STINKING LITTLE BRAT!!" Penguin roared from where he lay slumped against the iceberg, clutching his face in agony. "WHAT WAS THAT FOR?! WEREN'T YOU A FAN?!"

Danny stepped onto the headrest of the couch, one foot raised dramatically as he cracked his knuckles with a fierce glare. "Do I look like a household appliance to you, you pointed-nose freak?"

"SHOOT THEM! SHOOT THEM ALL!!" Penguin screamed, spitting blood as his guards sprang into action.

The women screamed and ducked as bullets filled the air.

Danny immediately summoned glowing green spectral shields, casting them around the fleeing girls to protect them from the gunfire. As chaos erupted, Batman and Robin moved like phantoms, batarangs and smoke pellets flying from their hands. Guards were disarmed and knocked unconscious in moments, taken down with a level of precision honed from years of training.

Amid the chaos, Penguin fumbled into his coat pocket, pulling out a strange device. With a snap-hiss, a whip-like coil of glowing metal extended outward and lashed around Danny, catching him off guard.

"HAH!" Penguin laughed maniacally. He pressed a button, and the whip surged with electricity.

"AHHHHH! I'M REALLY GETTING SICK OF BEING ELECTROCUTED!!" Danny screamed. The current coursed through his ghostly form, smoke rising off his clothes. He gritted his teeth, then spun mid-air with explosive force, hurling Penguin into the opposite wall. The impact left a dent in the plaster as Oswald crumpled to the floor in a heap, groaning.

Danny hovered above, body steaming, fists clenched and jaw tight.

Enraged, he dove toward Penguin with his fist pulled back, but Oswald managed to roll aside at the last second. Danny's punch struck the wall instead, creating spiderweb cracks that spread from the impact like a shattered mirror.

With the last of the guards taken out and the women having escaped in a flurry of panicked heels, Batman, Robin, and Danny regrouped and turned toward the trembling crime lord.

Oswald pushed himself upright, blood dripping from his nose—but rather than look afraid, he laughed.

"Chakakaka!!"

Robin spun his baton and narrowed his eyes. "You find something funny, Cobblepot? Is it the fact that you're about to get the worst beating of your life?"

Penguin wiped the blood off his face with the back of his hand. "No, it's the fact you're about to," he sneered. Then, raising his voice, he shouted, "Everyone! If you know what's good for you, come out now! Your new boss demands it!"

From all four corners of the room—walls, floor, and ceiling—ghostly figures began to drift through the surfaces. Miniature spirits floated forward, dozens of them, with eerie glowing eyes and translucent bodies.

They swirled around the trio like a spectral storm.

Danny's eyes twitched 

The Penguin looked around, arms raised in triumph. "Hehehe… What's the matter? Feeling outnumbered, ghost boy?"

He scowled as he looked around and notice one of them was missing and barked out another command. "Klemper! I know you're in here! Your… 'friend' needs assistance!"

The word friend left his mouth with sour hesitation, but it didn't matter.

A new presence drifted out from the wall—tall, translucent, and glowing faintly green. He wore a sleeping gown and a floppy nightcap. His expression was one of sleepy confusion… until his eyes fell on Oswald's bruised and bloodied face.

"Friend?" Klemper asked slowly, blinking.

"Yes, yes! Friend!" Oswald nodded fervently. "Look at what they did to me! Now go—get them!"

Klemper's face darkened. His fists clenched.

"You hurt… Friend." he growled, staring at Danny, Batman, and Robin with sudden hostility.

Danny's shoulders sagged as realization hit him hard. His breath still curled in the air like fog.

The room had never been cold from the iceberg. The chill… had been the presence of dozens of ghosts, hiding just beneath the surface—lurking. 

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