With These Hands

Drug deals in abandoned warehouses weren't as exciting or eventful as movies made them out to be. Especially when Batman is too busy to show up and bust it up. 

Cobblepot himself didn't show. Thus, it was just a simple exchange after each party made sure they weren't being ripped off by the other. 

With a sprint in his step, he exited the warehouse and made his way back home with nine hundred grand added to his inventory. 

There was something strange about knowing that he'd made his first million dollars and all of that money came from selling drugs. 

Either way, he had his money and Penguin had his drugs. He would no doubt ask for more when that eventually ran out. He gandered that Cobblepot had someone try to put together something with similar or greater effect than Euphoria, hence his attempt to get the formula. 

And failing that, simply make a large purchase of it to sell. 

It didn't take long to make his way back home after dashing quickly at frequent intervals. Entering and shutting the door behind him, he let out a smile as he tossed his jacket on the couch. 

"I take it you got my message." He said, seemingly to no one. 

It was silent for a moment before footsteps were heard, the dark knight stepping into view from his hiding place.

The vigilante was a bit taller than Liam imagined and slightly less intimidating. 

"Where did you go?" The man ground out. 

"I don't believe that's any of your concern." He replied, settling down on the couch. "Besides, I think you lost the right to ask questions when you so casually let yourself into my home."

The silence was deafening. 

He found himself on the receiving end of the oh so famous batglare but it lost its effect against what he felt. 

"You broke into my home. My home!" That was the part that pissed him off the most.  

He'd stayed silent for two days so he wouldn't mess up tonight's deal. That was done, now he could react how he wanted.

He could have played dumb and allowed Batman's scrutiny to pass. He would have been cleared of any suspicion the man had of him but it wasn't that simple. 

Call him dumb or stupid, he'd take the insults. No normal person would be calm after someone so blatantly so blatantly did that. 

"You invaded my privacy then stalked me for two days. Hacked my phone." He continued. "I didn't go to you, you came to me. So give me one good reason why I shouldn't call the police."

"Nobody would believe you." The man said simply, not showing a hint of what he was thinking. 

"Do you want to test that theory? Perhaps I might have an even bigger scoop to tell them." Liam said, matching the vigilante's glare. 

Moving forward, Batman's cape seemed to pool around him. "How did you know?"

"Your scare tactics might work on your usual thugs but it won't now. And like I said, that's not really your concern." He said, refusing to answer. 

Talking back to Batman, not the week he planned on having but here he was. 

"It was you who rescued the Jones family, wasn't it? And cured Valerie of her cancer." Batman accused with narrowed eyes. 

"And if it was?"

"It was reckless. Vigilante work isn't for kids." The man ground out.

"Says the man who has a thirteen year old sidekick." Liam said with a roll of his eyes. "Let's get to the main reason you're here. You want the cure, don't you?"

With a smug smile, he made his way to the fridge, grabbing a soda for himself, aware of the dark knight's eyes trained on him. 

"Where did you get it?"

"I made it." He admitted casually, watching from the corner of his eyes as the man briefly showed an expression of surprise before hiding it. 

"How?"

Chuckling, he moved back into his seat, wiggling his finger. "Now that would be telling, wouldn't it?"

He could almost feel the glare intensify for a moment before he continued. "Let me make it easier for you. I'll give you the cure for, let's say, five million per pill."

"That's ludicrous and you know it. Think of all the people you could help with that cure." The dark knight said, trying to encourage him to 'see reason'. 

He honestly had nothing against heroes, in fact he admired some of them. Unfortunately or fortunately, he wasn't as selfless as they were. 

"We both know you could afford it without any inconvenience. I protect my own but I'm no hero. That's your job. Not all of us were born with good fortune." He said, ending his short rant. 

Once again, silence permeated the air. He couldn't tell what Batman was thinking. Either way, he'd already accepted whichever outcome it would be. 

"I'll be in touch." Batman finally said before turning to the window he entered from. 

"Oh one more thing." Liam said as the man opened the window to leave, causing him to pause briefly. "I'm not sure if you're aware but Valerie and her family have been getting some not so friendly letters from less than savory people ever since she returned from the hospital."

"I'd take it up personally but that seems right up your alley." He added. 

He wasn't worried when Batman didn't respond as he left. The man would look into it. 

After making sure that he was gone, Liam took his time rummaging through the building and destroying each bug the dark knight placed. His head turned from how many things he Appraised and how much information he looked through in quick succession but that didn't stop him. 

He wouldn't stop until his home was bug free. 

If Bruce Wayne bought the cure off his hands that would solve the problem of not gaining profit from it just sitting in his inventory. It would also allow him to easily spend some of his illegal money if he was involved in some sort of business or deal. 

He would easily be able to explain his spending as his payment from the sale. 

Of course he'd have to add anonymity to their deal whenever Batman or Bruce contacted him, and he was sure he would. 

As for being able to reverse engineer it, he doubted they'd get far with that. If they did then that would be on him. 

'I think I've had enough excitement for one day.' He thought, making his way into his room and shrugging off his clothes. 

For now, he just wanted to sleep.