Gotham Under World

Dog Days

Oscar Pence, a tall man with a broken jaw and a scar running across his eye, looked over at his partner.  "You know I hate that suit, Julian!"

He was known to the Gotham Underworld as Mad Dog.  He had slipped and broken his jaw during an attempted robbery.  Whether it was the pain of the injuries or his rage at the janitor for leaving the floor wet,  Pence had become an insane lunatic and had committed nearly half as many crimes as there were inhabitants in Gotham City.

Julian Days looked down at his attire.  His suit was made entirely of paper, pages from several out-of-date calendars to be exact, stitched together with black thread.  "What else would you expect me to wear?  I'm Calendar Man!"  He straightened his tie.  

He was obsessed with Gotham's important events and holidays, and all his crimes were based on them.  For example, three years ago he had stolen the crystal nativity scene from the Gotham Cathedral as a Christmas gift to his wife. 

"I don't care what you wear!  Those garments just look so...uncomfortable."  Mad Dog scowled.  Suddenly the iron grate in their cell door slid open.  A guard shoved  two trays through.  They were each loaded with to bowls of cold, gray gruel. 

"Eat up! The guard taunted.

Julian Days reached through the opening, grabbed the man by the collar and slammed his face against the heavy door, knocking him unconscious.  He then turned and reached into the two bowls.  They had arranged with the inmates next door that whoever broke free first would hide a cell key in the gruel.  He lifted the dripping piece of metal, handed it to Oscar and dumped the bowls on the guard. 

Oscar extended his arm through the grate, toward the keyhole and unlocked the door.  Stepping outside the cell, he bent down and took the guard's belt and put it on.  He removed the gun from the holster and shot him through the heart.