Commissioner James Gordon had been trying for ages, but every effort to meet Bruce Wayne ended in failure. Truth was, Gordon wanted that meeting badly, yet Bruce simply didn't know he existed.
Whenever Bruce and Lucius Fox had private talks, they shut down access to the R&D wing, making it impossible for Gordon to even see Bruce, no matter how hard he tried.
And then Fish Mooney's kidnapping at Evanston High School forced Gordon into a completely different direction.
Right now he stood before a huge crowd of worried parents and students, trying to calm them as angry adults demanded answers.
At the forefront was Nathan Kane, the stern patriarch of the Kane Family and the great‑uncle of Bat‑Kane. Dressed in a military uniform, he stood before the press lambasting Gotham's security failures. He didn't hold back, blasting Police Chief Savage, Mayor Mitchell, and even the President of the United States in the same breath.
Gordon rubbed his forehead, helpless. If Louise's father was a lieutenant general and Haino's mother was the deputy secretary of defense, that had already been inconvenient enough. Then there was Nathan Kane, whose rank was far beyond either of them.
Nathan Kane was the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the highest‑ranking military officer in the United States Armed Forces, and the principal military advisor to the President and Secretary of Defense.
As he spoke to Gotham's media, Nathan made it clear that if the city continued in chaos — if tanks and armored vehicles tore through the streets, and his own daughter had been nearly kidnapped — then the response wouldn't just be the National Guard.
He warned that the Army, Navy, and Air Force would be mobilized nearby, ready to intervene if necessary. With warships reportedly cruising not far off the Gotham coast, people took his words seriously, and the city erupted into panic.
By nightfall, hundreds of Gotham residents were desperate to flee.
On the Kane Memorial Bridge, the balding owner of Gunfire Feast sped east in his old pickup, loaded with weapons and gear, racing toward Metropolis. Nathan Kane's speech blared from his truck speakers.
He yanked his phone and shouted into it.
"Dammit! It was going to be a great chance to make a fortune, but now the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs is directly involved. What the Kane Family wants, I don't know — but if he's here for Gotham, he's here for money. Damn greed!" he yelled, nearly spitting at the window in frustration.
On the other end, his son listened, nodding even though he couldn't be seen.
"Yeah, Dad, this was supposed to be our big break. The Falcone Family's tanks and armored vehicles were all planned to be resold — military surplus moved through middlemen down to the border, then back into the city through smugglers. Gotham's underground market was gonna boom," the son explained.
He paused, tension in his voice.
"But now Fish Mooney kidnapped Kane's daughter. Everything's screwed. Instead of buying us time to dominate the arms market, the Joint Chiefs get a reason to fully intervene."
A loud crash sounded in the background, followed by a woman's scream. The son cursed.
"I don't get what the Wayne Group is thinking. This is Wayne's Gotham, for God's sake. If the Kane Family and the military take over, what happens to the Falcones' influence? If Gotham becomes peaceful, what business do we have left? We've got to stop military intervention, Dad. I say we arm the Falcones even harder, push them to crush the riot fast, before daytime!"
The balding owner's voice crackled with excitement.
"If you understand this, then you're ready to take over. I'll back you all the way. The Falcone Family may be monsters for working with the Joint Chiefs, but chaos is what we vultures live for. I'll call General Levein next; he's an old friend and can authorize serious firepower. He won't say no to profit and influence without putting troops on the ground!"
"But what about the new leader of the Falcone Family?" the son asked. "With Carmine gone, I can't reach the boss. I heard it's someone named Axel now — some Wraith figure popular online? It's ridiculous. Nobody expected the Falcones to switch hands like that."
The father stared at the road, stunned.
"What did you say his name was?"
The son repeated, calmer.
"My intel says his name is Axel, and he's now the de facto head of the Falcone Family. Fish Mooney, Oswald, and Victor Zsasz all pledged loyalty to him at the Iceberg Lounge. Maroni probably backed the wrong side. Axel seems to be around twenty‑two or twenty‑three, though he might be older — sometimes they just look young compared to us."
That was enough.
The balding owner slammed on the brakes, swung the truck around, and tore back toward Gotham against traffic.
"It's him! Hahaha, it's him! I've been judging people half my life and giving away priceless guns, and now I bet on a dark horse! This little bastard who robbed me this morning might be the next Gotham Godfather! If this is true, we're going to get filthy rich!"
His laughter echoed as he floored the pedal. The reckless driving triggered honks and curses from nearby cars. Screams followed gunshots — the man flipped a switch in his truck bed, releasing small missiles toward the other vehicles and spewing curses in return.
With wild anticipation, he raced back to his store.
___
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