A hum of frenetic energy would surge into the air, the black and white clothed form of 'Mr Penguin' whirled around inside the ice cold gym in which he honed his craft. The cold was not required to train, rather Oswald felt at home in the cold. This would separate Oswald from the rest of society, whom he felt only disdain for. This was the way of 'Mr Penguin'.
Off to the side stood three men, muscular brawny types with little grey matter between them. With each strike Oswald landed on the sparring dummy, high mocking shrill laughter filled the room. Breathing slowly Oswald began to speak.
"Thanh Son Tran. The Indomitable Tiger I've heard people call you. A most interesting name, A moniker that evokes the very image of a wild creature, not quite the king of cats, but a wild animal nevertheless. It appears our battle shall be claw versus spike. Did you know that Penguins don't actually have teeth. Instead inside the mouth of a Penguin lie backward pointing spikes that clamp onto slippery wriggling prey to prevent its escape. Make no mistake Thanh you are the prey in this situation."
A contemplative pause was taken by Oswald here, reflective in nature.
???: "Mr Knight.... I do believe you wanted to drop in unannounced on the local crime bosses, to see them for yourself. We should get going sir" spoke a brawny ape like figure dressed in a suit that only just covered his wide neanderthal like frame.
A swift nod was all that was given in response.
???: "Mr Knight.... I do believe you wanted to drop in unannounced on the local crime bosses, to see them for yourself. We should get going sir" spoke a brawny ape like figure dressed in a suit that only just covered his wide neanderthal like frame.
//Downtown, a meeting with low level Crime bosses//
Smoke drifted through the room, the haze of drug and alcohol had long since slowed down and impeded the mental acuity of the men inside this room. Tapping a slender cane along the floor Oswald walked, his expression dismissive, nose wrinkling as the foul scent of booze permeated the air, added to this was the sickening stench of men who had simply given up on maintaining a clean appearance. This information would inform Oswald that there was a lack of decorum among the low level crime bosses, ordinary men playing at being criminals, not a single brilliant mind among them.
"Is that all it takes, a little booze, a small amount of drugs and you forget who you are? Disgraceful slobs the lot of you. Look at you all having your little group therapy sessions in broad daylight, hiding, cowering like children. I really had expected more from you all."
Shaking his head Oswald sighed, unimpressed by the men he saw before him. Casting his eyes around the room Oswald began to speak once more, his tone harsh and cutting.
"It seems that you all need a leader, someone to take control. Someone to take you from common criminals to uncommon criminals. So this is whats going to happen from now on you all work for me. Success will be rewarded, failure will be punished."
The sounds of coughing echoed up from the table, a solid oak creation covered in dust and stained by booze. There at the head of it sat a slender male, dressed in a grey suit with eyes the colour of moss.
???: "What do we call you...? who even are you?" this unnamed male spoke quietly, a mixture of curiosity and confusion present in the notes of his voice.
"You may call me 'Mr Penguin' that is the name you can use when you speak of me. I'll be back to lay out our next move soon. For the moment I have a match to prepare for."
//Nightclub downtown Japan, four hours later//
Fog rolled out over the floor of the club, blue and green strobe lights flickering throughout the room. There was a single eye catching feature in this room. That feature being a solid block of ice, that appeared to house a slender form of a male, a male that seemed to be clinging to life. As the fog vanished it became clear that Oswald had kept one of his former friends alive after all, gone so far as to use them as a centerpiece of his newly purchased nightclub.
Leaning in Oswald peered into the wide terrified looking eyes of his former friend.
"I wonder which of us is frozen. You or me?. You see its all about finding that switch. That switch that allows you to move between violence and peace, aggression and calm. A lesson you never did learn did you?" Oswald mused, a faux sad smile tipping his lips as he descended further into memories from his past.
Shaking his head, a gesture meant to clear his mind, Oswald found himself pouring a cheap barely drinkable booze. The taste was foul, and yet there was a certain charm to its lack of flavour. Downing the flavourless alcohol, Oswald gagged briefly, a look of disgust flickering upon his features. Clearing his throat Oswald pressed a button, triggering the camera to start rolling to deliver his parting message to his opening opponent in UOW.
"Thanh Son Tran. The Indomitable Tiger. I do hope that you live up to your name, that you provide a fight worthy of the creature whose name you bear. Anything less than 100% effort will be met with disdain, don't let me down. Show me how strong you are, prove that you have even a single spark of fight inside your body."
A pause was taken here, two seconds no more and no less.
"This is your chance Thanh, to make a good impression. I do not give second chances. This match is about more than a simple or a simple loss. It is about overcoming the limits of the human body, building a legacy. In my case that means I need to take you down, to defeat you on the field of battle. In this world only the strong survive and i fully intend on being the one to survive at any cost"
Harsh mocking laughter broke through, slipping past Oswald's lips. A faint sound of a growl was audible amidst the transmission. A sound that was born of the creature Oswald had taken as his in ring moniker. "UOW. Do keep your eyes open you won't want to miss the events to come. Through the art of competition I shall weave a story of resolve, unbreakable spirit. Perhaps after the match is over we'll see just how a tiger bounces back from adversity."
Leaning in a shade closer to the camera Oswald began to whisper "I'll turn violence into a artform. I promise to put on a show, to bring eyes to company known as UOW. Thanh You and I share a familiar story, your resolve is clear. However in the end I will be the one to write the ending to this story. History is written by the victors and I intend to write this portion of history".
A smirk flashed outwards, full of bold confidence. "Goodnight UOW. This is just the start of a journey, the journey of the figure known as 'Mr Penguin' Oswald Knight. Buckle up and enjoy the performance that Mr Penguin is going to bring to life before your very eyes."
The camera cut out there, fading to black, laughter bubbling up and out, laughter that sounded almost like a honking sound, or maybe this was Oswald playing mind games with everyone?. Tune in next time, same Penguin channel, same Penguin time to possibly learn the answer to this question and more.
Fade to black...