DC Universe- 2100

Batman planted is foot on the man's chest. "Who are you?" He growled.

"I-I-I-I'm just an errand boy! A stooge! I didn't do nothin', I swear!"

"Then you're going to tell me everything you know." Batman said picking him up and planting him up against the wall.

"You work for Black Mask or did Halloween come early this year?" Bat-Girl asks.

"Yeah. B-Black Mask saw an opportunity to get back his turf in Gotham. That vampire freak's been cleaning house long enough that it left a big enough gap for him. Only problem is the bird beat him to it."

"Bird?"

"I...that's what the boss calls him. I don't know nothin' else about that."

"But you do know more."

"Yeah. Boss scheduled a meet up a few of his old boys to see if they could make some room and work together to bring the bird down. Only everyone in the meeting turned up dead except for Paulie Vega. There was a big 'HAHAHA' spray painted on the wall, too. The boss figured the bird hired that Clue maniac to whack the competition."

"Clue is still technically a mercenary," Bat-Girl says to Batman. "But something isn't adding up, here."

"We need to look into this Bird character." Batman said.

"You're right. I just don't understand it. If Clue were on some sort of mission, then why would he out himself in the middle of it to play with the Bats?" Bat-Girl asks. "Other than...you know...his being completely insane."

"I think he'd take any chance he could get to mess with us." Batman said. "He'll get his job done but he'll screw with us as well."

"Good point. Let's get to the bottom of this 'Bird' business, then," Bat-Girl says.

Batman nodded and dropped the thug.

"Any idea where we should start?"

"With Vega." Batman said. "And the meeting site."

Bat-Girl nods. "If I remember right, Vega's had a few run ins with the law. He has a condo uptown."

"Lead the way." Batman said.

"Age before beauty," Bat-Girl says.

Batman shrugged and headed out with her heading to Vega's

Vega sits in his condo eating dinner with his wife and kid.

The lights go out in his condo.

"What the hell is goin' on, here?!" Vega shouts.

Bat-Girl moves in and grabs the wife and kid.  Then she takes them to another room and locks them in before returning to Batman and Vega.

Batman sat down at the table across from Vega. "Who is the bird?"

"What the hell are you doin' in my home?" Vega barks.

"Answer the question, please, Mr. Vega," Bat-Girl says.

"Screw you."

Batman flipped the table over and grabbed Vega by his throat and slammed him against the wall. "Talk."

"Is that comfortable, Mr. Vega? No. I imagine not. Now, you might think this is just another example of the good cop, bad cop routine. And you'd be right. But, you see," Bat-Girl says, turning on her shock knuckles. "I'm the one with anger issues. Now please answer the question."

"All right, all right! Get off'a me!"

Batman dropped Vega to the floor. "Talk."

"I do-" Vega chokes out, "I don't know who he is."

Bat-Girl steps around Batman with her shock knuckles ready.

"BUT," Vega cuts in. "I do know that Black Mask had some of his boys break up one of their operations so he could get some of his turf back in the warehouse district. They said the nut likes to call himself Penguin. Emperor Penguin. Guy's makin' a push to monopolize on turf in Gotham. Word is, his next target's gonna be-"

Suddenly a gunshot rings out and a bullet crashes through the window and ends up between Vega's eyes.

"Sniper!" Bat-Girl shouts.

Batman turned looking out the window using his HUD to zoom in on the shooter.