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Part Thirteen: Chapter 84: Reclaimed

Frost stood at the top of the Joker's staircase with a phone pressed to his ear. On the other end the Penguin cries about his club getting shot up. He had apparently been misinformed about who was behind it. He thought it was the Joker. Now Frost is left explaining to the drama queen that it was virtually impossible for the Joker to be behind it. Frost has to tell the Penguin that he's somehow lost the whereabouts on his boss. Naturally that makes the Penguin even more paranoid. Just to keep the peace, Frost ends up having to give away a shipment of guns to the Penguin.

"Boss isn't gonna take your threats too kindly," Frost sighs.

"You don't even know where your boss is!! He somehow just POOF, just vanished completely from police custody at Gotham General! You don't even know if he's alive!! Much less if he was behind the shooting in my club!!"

Frost paces, "The boss has expressed no desire for anything you have. He doesn't have to worry with turf wars, he IS the turf that all of you fight over."

"Obviously you have never met your boss! He would orchestrate for all of us to go to war with each other just because he's bored! He's INSANE! It's literally been declared by a court of law!!"

Frost runs a hand over his face and tries to not sigh too loudly. He's about to say something to the Penguin when he turns around and sees Ace opening the front door with a gaping jaw. Frost's own lips part in anticipation. Then he sees green and white. It was the boss. He was home. Frost has never been so glad to see his boss before. Only in his absence has Frost learned just how hard it is to run an organization.

"Hello?! Hello!!? Mr. Henchmen!!? Yoo-hoo!" The Penguin squawks in Frost's ear.

"Uh...ye...yeah. Um, actually the boss just walked in the front door. I have to go. I'll have the boss contact you as he sees fit." Then Frost hangs up. He straightens his suit and starts down the stairs. The entire time he prepares himself for the blow that he knows the boss is going to give him. The Joker always hits him when he comes home after an escape. He always blames Frost for not getting him out faster.

The Joker's eyes meet with Frost's. "Johnny ol' boy," he gives him a simple nod. Another one of his goons comes over with his cane, phone, gun holsters, and straight razor. The Joker slams a clip in the bottom of his gun and cocks it. He suddenly raises it and aims it right between Frost's eyes. "Yoooou owe me some answers," the Joker says and taps the barrel of his gun on Frost's forehead.

Frost's eyes slightly cross as they try to see the gun to his forehead. "Y-Yeah, sure thing boss," he bravely says and swallows hard.

"My office. Now," the Joker motions up the stairs with his head. He keeps his gun perfectly aimed on Frost's brain. Frost slowly walks up the stairs. The Joker notices all his men standing around and staring. "Back to work!"

"Um, boss, there ain't been much work to be done with you gone," Frost explained.

"Oh? Is that so?" The Joker asks. "Very well then...fix the hole in the ceiling!!" He commands the men who were standing around doing nothing.

"What hole boss?" Someone asks.

Frost rolls his eyes at the man because he already knows what would come next. The Joker's gun fired a shot straight up, through the ceiling. "That hole," Frost sighs.

When they get inside the Joker's office he plops down behind his desk and lays down his gun on top of it. He pours himself a glass of Scotch and takes a gulp. He exhales and looks up at Frost. "Ok, let's hear it. What happened? Start with the sleazy strip club I got taken from."

"It was the bat. He caught me by surprise. The cops showed up and SWAT took me in. I didn't personally see what the bat did with you. But I've found out that...that," Frost's eyes nervously look away from the Joker.