2012-07-21 Birds of a Feather

The hard driving bass of the music downstairs is muffled in the posh office. The Penguin sits in a swivel chair with his feet kicked up on a heavy oak desk, an umbrella in his hand. To his left is a large black man clean cut wearing a suit, arms crossed in front of him. His appearance marred by a metal mask that covers the bottom half of his jaw. Everything about him says "dangerous." To the Penguin's right is a bird stand where a Red-tailed Hawk is perched staring across the room at the only other inhabitant. A plush leather couch on one wall facing a one-way mirror that overlooks the dancefloor on the ground floor. The room is filled with various paintings of birds in flight, penguins at play and raptors hunting.

Two-Face eyes the large man in the suit, tilting the scarred side of his face towards the Penguin's associate. "What's the matter Copplepot? Don't you trust me? I thought we were discussing business."

Penguin picks up a tin from the desk and pulls a Kool cigarette from it, bringing it to his nose and sniffing it before placing it in a silver cigarette holder and lighting it. He inhales deep and blows a few smoke rings his beady left eye fixed on Two-Face, "Bossworth here is my business, Harvey. Besides, he handles things for me when I'm away on business or making guest appearances around town. He knows how I run things and he is loyal. Isn't that right, Bossworth?" Without ever taking his eyes off of the man seated across from his employer Bossworth replies, "Yes sir, Mr. Cobblepot."

A wry grin spreads across the Penguin's face, "So, back to business. Do you want in on this or not?"

Two-Face rolls a silver dollar across the knuckles of his right hand as he turns to face the Penguin once more. "We'll see." Two-Face flips the coin with his thumb and catches it in his open palm. "Looks like I'm in." He holds the coin up showing the deformed heads side to the Penguin.

Penguin grins and nods, "Bossworth, scotch on the rocks and something for baby here." He leans over and strokes the feathers of the hawk next to him, "Yes you are a pretty bird. Hwa wah wah." Moving faster than would seem possible for the heavy man, he sets his feet on the ground and leans in close, "There is a shipment of guns leaving Gotham soon and when I say soon I mean soon. I propose we take that shipment. Fourteen crates of automatic assault rifles for us to split, sixty-forty." Bossworth moves to a small table and begins pouring the drinks.

Two-Face clenches his hand around the coin. "Sixty for you I take it?" Two-Face leans back in the chair and stares up at the ceiling. He brings his clenched fist to his forehead and drops the coin there. "Sixty, forty... sixty, forty..." He sighs. "I guess that's fair. As long as my side isn't doing most of the work." Two-Face sits back up, quickly moving his hand to catch the coin as it falls from his forehead. "What did you have in mind?"

Bossworth hands his boss a glass and then moves around the desk to Two-Face, he locks gazes with Harvey's scarred side eye and can only maintain contact for a second before quickly moving back to his post beside The Penguin. He pulls a cellphone out of his pocket and speed dials a number. When the other line answers he quickly says, "Mr. Cobblepot would like some meat, raw, thinly sliced brought up to his office." He hangs up the phone promptly and crosses his arms in front of him once again.

The Penguin takes a sip of his drink and sucks his teeth as the firey liquid burns on its way down. He takes a long drag off his cigarette and blows the smoke into the glass, the smoke curls upwards clinging to the glass and slowly rises out of the glass. Setting it down on the desk in front of him he swings his legs down and leans forward in his chair, "Here's the plan, my boys run down the trailer on the interstate. Your boys provide security while we unload at a warehouse in Chinatown. You are responsible for transporting your share of the take and if the Bat or any of his misfit family show their wings it's every bird for himself. Hwa wah wah!" Oswald leans back in his chair once again, kicking his feet up as he takes a drag of his cigarette and blows a smoke ring.

Two-Face take the glass from Bossworth with his left hand and swirls the scotch in the glass for a moment. He raises the glass to his lips and downs the drink completely save for the ice. "That's acceptable. More than fair actually." Two-Face leans forward and places the glass onto the desk. "You're a shrewd businessman Oswald, I see why you've got so many nice things." He leans back once more and eyes the Penguin.

There is a knock at the door and Bossworth moves across the room to open the door. Outside the door is a chef with a covered plate in his hands which Bossworth promptly takes from him. He shuts the door and strides across the room, placing the plate on the desk in front of the Penguin and once again resuming his post.

Oswald uncovers the tray and immediately the bird lets out an excited "raaah." Oswald grabs a piece of the thinly sliced meat from the tray and tosses a piece to the bird. "Wah wah wah, that's a smart bird" he says as he strokes the hawks feathers. His eyes never leave his pet as he plainly tells Two-Face, "You want to know what's more important than class, Harvey?" He scoops up his glass and points at Harvey with it, "Dignity! They can take all the nice things away but they can't take my dignity." He raises his glass in salute, "To nice things!" He drowns the glass in one gulp and sucks his teeth at the burn once again. "Times change but the players never remain the same." He lifts the glass to his lips once more, letting a single ice cube into his mouth and crunches it up fast with his sharp teeth. The hawk next to him lets out a "raaah" and he tosses it another slice of meat, "Hwa wah wah!"

Two-Face flashes his best smile at the Penguin, a small droplet of spittle leaking from the left corner of his mouth. "Ah yes, dignity." He stands and wipes the corner of his mouth with the back of his right sleeve. "I'm chalk full of that." Here Two-Face makes his way towards the door. "Until tomorrow then. Stay healthy- I'm not doing all of this alone."

Penguin watches as Two-Face exits the room and turns to regard the hawk on its perch next to him, "Bossworth, call the boys and let them know they will be have help for the job tomorrow." Bossworth answers as he always does, "Yes sir, Mr. Cobblepot." Tossing piece of meat to the bird, the Penguin squawks his trademark laugh, "Wah wah wah!