Chapter Seven: Laying the groundwork. (Part three.)
Tonight was a good night for Gotham, and Commissioner Gordon, along with every officer in the GCPD were in very good moods to say the least. Thanks to the evidence provided by the 'anonymous source', they had managed to lock away a great many criminals that had evaded the law for so long… and this time they were going to STAY behind bars for the rest of their miserable lives.
With this done, Gotham was a much safer place now. Which would mean that both the Civilians and police could both breathe even easier. It was definitely a big step in the right direction, but there was still plenty to do with numerous gangs still at large, both major and minor. For now… Jim wanted to enjoy this moment of victory while it lasted. "Hey! I want my phone call!" One of the newly acquired prisoners angrily demanded.
Jim smirked a bit as he took a drag from his pipe and spoke "You heard him Bullock. He wants to make a phone call." The belligerent detective chuckled as he pulled out a cell phone from his desk and handed it off to the prisoner in question. The inmate tapped on the black phone screen and tried the power button on the side a few times, but the phone refused to come to life.
"Hey! What gives?! This phone doesn't work!" The prisoner shouted, earning a small chuckle from the Commissioner… since he knew full well that the battery had been removed, making the phone useless. A small trick he and the other officers employed when certain inmates demanded the use of a phone.
"Apologies. But the GCPD is severely underfunded and resources and equipment are somewhat scarce. We'll get another phone to you… at our earliest convenience." Gordon spoke in amusement before walking away towards his private office, leaving behind a very furious inmate who could now only wait for processing along with his fellow criminals.
As soon as Gordon entered his office, he noticed something a bit peculiar… the lights were off, and he very clearly remembered having left them on. Gordon smirked a bit as he guessed what was going on. He flipped the lights back on revealing the form of the Batman standing in the corner as he had suspected. "Batman. I had a feeling you'd show up soon." Jim spoke as he walked over to his desk and took a seat.
"Great work in those arrests Jim. The GCPD has been busy." The Caped Crusader spoke with his arms crossed, earning an appreciative nod from the Commissioner. The Veteran officer then asked the Batman "I take it that this isn't just a social call?"
"Unfortunately no. I have concerns that the Kingpin is planning something big, very big. One of the key points of his plans seems to involve the takeover of the mayor's office. With himself being elected as Gotham's mayor. And I also have audio recorded evidence that he plans to use Poison Ivy's powers to grow something for him. I'm not sure what exactly as of yet." The Batman spoke, crossing his arms over his chest as he paced the room thoughtfully.
"The Kingpin? Huh. Funny you should mention him. He's the one that gave me the evidence to put all those crooks away. He even told me about his goal to become Mayor himself." Gordon admitted as he took a drag from his pipe and exhaled smoke, his words surprising the Batman… a truly rare occurrence.
"He what? And you accepted it from him?" Batman questioned with a deep frown, causing the Veteran officer to frown back as he replied to the Vigilante "What was I supposed to do? Dump it in the garbage?"
"You can't trust him Jim. And you shouldn't have accepted anything from him either. What did he want in exchange?" The Batman questioned, he had known Jim for a long time, and he knew that the man was the most honest cop on the force, perhaps even in the history of the GCPD. He could not be bought like any other cop, and that made him an invaluable ally in the force. If the Kingpin had somehow gotten to him… it would be disastrous.
"Nothing. He didn't ask me for anything. He just gave me the info and left. And you think I don't know that? I don't trust him any more than you, but I'm not in a position where I can always balance out my own personal feelings and morals with my duties. I have a responsibility to do what's best for Gotham and my officers. And the evidence he provided couldn't be ignored." Gordon argued with a scowl.
After a few moments of tense silence, Gordon sighed and spoke "I'm sorry Batman, but my hands are tied here. I can't stop the man from running for mayor or arrest him without justification if that's what you want to ask. But if he's really and truly crooked, you can bet that I'll slap the cuffs on him myself."
"I understand Jim. I'll find the evidence we need. Be ready for anything. From what I have been able to piece together with the help of some friends, he has some prior experience with the criminal underground from his youth, he is extremely charismatic and persuasive, and possibly has a near-genius level intellect. I'll continue monitoring him. He's bound to make a mistake at some point." The Dark Knight spoke and then vanished out of sight.
Gordon sighed to himself since he trusted the Batman, and it was very rarely if ever that he was wrong about something. However, the word of a Vigilante would never carry water in a court of law. For now, he would continue doing his job and do his best to keep the people of Gotham and his fellow officers safe from harm.
The Commissioner gazed out the window and sighed, finding this current peacetime to be quite stressful. He knew full well that maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow, at any time now, something could and would happen in Gotham. Things had been relatively quiet since the Arkham riots and Thorne's death, but Jim knew this was but the prelude to something of a much bigger scale. The calm before the storm. And now with Elections coming up, it was highly probable that someone was going to stir up some manner of trouble. It'd be for the best to have his officer's on high alert during this time.
On another note, after that impassioned speech that Minato fellow gave, about wanting to help Gotham and it's people… it'd be a real shame if he was indeed crooked like Batman believes him to be. If the Kingpin is on the up and up, then there was a strong possibility that under his leadership things could start improving for Gotham. And for once… Gordon silently prayed to anyone or anything that would listen to him that Batman was indeed wrong about the Kingpin.
Meanwhile. Eastside Docks, Warehouse 133.
"What a shithole." Muttered the form of Crush as rain clouds gathered overhead, the sounds of thunder rumbling in the sky as she stood outside an old looking warehouse. According to her boss, this place was apparently the late Thorne's secret stash of drugs and dirty money. A kind of backup plan if he needed them. Not that it mattered now since Thorne was six feet under.
And now she had the lucky job of burning the place to the ground. This would be fun. It had been some time since she had the chance to burn someplace down. She approached the front doors and with minimal effort pulled them open, allowing her entry into the building. When she stepped inside, she pulled out a small box of cigarettes and a lighter before grabbing one and sticking it between her black colored lips. After a few clicks of her lighter, it ignited allowing her to light her cigarette.
She took a deep drag from it and exhaled smoke from her nostrils. Stepping deeper inside she noticed that layers of dust seemed to decorate the place, signaling that the place didn't receive very many visitors. Large stacks of cash and drugs, piled on shelves and pallets could be seen throughout the warehouse, showing that there was plenty to burn. It wouldn't take much effort to turn this place to a smoldering pile of ash.
She then took notice of something on the floor, tire markings. Freshly made, as evidenced by the smell of burnt rubber in the air. Someone had left in a hurry. And there was lots of someone's given the number of differently sized footprints littering the floor… and all of them seemed to go to and from a set of cargo containers that had been emptied out, save for the wooden pallets inside.
She approached the empty containers and saw that they were marked as 'AA Chemicals.' Whatever that meant. Something fishy was going on here, and she didn't like it. She may be a violent knucklehead, but she wasn't raised to be a stupid violent knucklehead. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed her boss's number. The line rang a few times before the voice of her boss spoke "Hey Crush. The job done?"
"Not just yet big man. Seems like someone was here before me. Not sure who, but it looks like they stole something. Chemicals of some kind. How do you want me to handle this shit?" She asked, wishing to clarify on what her boss wanted to do before doing anything outside of the original job, especially since she didn't want to disappoint him. He was a good boss to her.
On the other end of the line, 'Minato' paused for a moment as he processed this information before asking "They took nothing else? Just the chemicals?"
"Yup. They left the dope and cash behind." She answered causing her boss to hum in thought at this. Whoever had stolen the chemicals definitely weren't run-of-the-mill hoodlums. They knew what they wanted and took off with it. But why Chemicals? Either they were very valuable and/or extremely dangerous.
"Continue with your current assignment. By now they're long gone anyway, so no point in going on a goose chase. When you're done, come back to the Iceberg Lounge." The Kingpin spoke, earning a quick 'yep' from Crush before she hanged up.
She smirked a bit as she took a drag from her cigarette since the fun part came next. Time to start a big bonfire.
Meanwhile.
"Something the matter sweetheart?" Asked the form of Peyton after the Kingpin had gotten off the phone with his subordinate Crush. Sounded important since she and the others heard something about chemicals being stolen.
The blonde teen placed his phone back into his pocket as he replied to the Ventriloquist "Not sure. Could be something, could be nothing. I don't really know what to make of it just yet. I'll keep you posted if anything significant occurs." The other bosses nodded their heads in understanding.
Harvey cleared his throat and spoke "Back to business then. If you are running for mayor, you need to get your image and message out there." The former DA then gestured to a series of posters, each bearing the likeness of the Kingpin's 'Minato' form.
"You see any that you like? A good public image and advertisement can go a long way in your campaign." Harvey spoke as the blonde boy took a look at each of the poster's. After having posed in front of a camera for about two hours, he was eager to see the end results.
He almost sneered in disgust at the first one, which seemed to depict 'Minato' raising his arms to the heavens while numerous Civilians were grasping at his legs "That one just screams 'Messiah complex', who the hell came up with that one?" Naruto grumbled, earning some chuckles from the others as they all agreed. That one needed to be scrapped for sure.
The Uzumaki then turned to the next one which depicted his 'Minato' form standing on a boat raising an American flag high in the air. "Uhhh, why am I in a boat?" He asked, earning more snickers from his cohorts.
"We think the artist was aiming for something patriotic." Harvey muttered as he tried to stifle his laughter. While he didn't want to laugh at the young boss's expense… the face he was making was just too funny.
The next poster seemed something akin to an old-time crime drama movie poster, depicting 'Minato' carrying a Tommy gun in one hand, a shotgun in the other and a burning car in the background that he seemed to be walking away from, and in the corner it showed him and Peyton in a passionate embrace. This poster caused everyone to glance over at the Ventriloquist who seemed to have a pretty sheepish smile on her face. Was this a joke to her?
"Not exactly 'Mayoral campaign' material… but I kinda like the poster. It's pretty cool. I might frame and hang it on my wall as a keepsake." Naruto spoke with a small grin with the others silently agreeing that it was indeed cool looking.
Finally, there was one poster that stood out from all the rest. It was rather simplistic in nature, showing the form of Minato from the waist up, a warm and reassuring smile on his face. "I like that one best. How does that saying go? Simplicity is the best form of sophistication? Something like that?" Naruto spoke as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Yes. That's right sweetie. And a solid choice. That smile is somehow comforting. Inviting. Like you could whisper 'everything will be okay' in the worst and darkest times, and everyone will still feel at ease." The Ventriloquist spoke, prompting the others to voice their own agreements with her statement.
"Now I just need a good slogan. Something to outline my goals and give people hope. How about 'For a brighter future'?" Naruto asked as Harvey nodded approvingly but then decided to voice his personal and professional opinion.
"That's not bad. But people have heard similar slogans time and again. People have seen countless politicians grandstand and make empty promises. You gotta prove that you stand out from all the rest." Harvey spoke as he rolled his signature coin across his knuckles.
"Oh don't worry. That won't be a problem for me at my announcement ceremony. Mr. Cobblepot? How go the preparations?" The whiskered teen asked as he clasped his hands behind his head.
The Penguin replied "Preparations are set and ready on your command dear boy. All that is left is to finalize the invitations, pending your approval of course." The entrepreneur spoke at the end since it was only natural for the boy to get a say in the guest list for his own ceremony. Oswald pulled out the invitation list for the boy to peruse and handed it to the whiskered teen.
Naruto skimmed over the names, he saw the names of some well-known reporters for media coverage along with some familiar names that belonged to certain famous or otherwise influential people in Gotham. He saw Commissioner Gordon on the list, no surprise since Naruto had requested the man to be invited since he wanted the officer to see the Kingpin's first truly public and media covered debut. Cameras, reporters and all of Gotham would be watching him in the spotlight, and he was going to give a show they'd never forget.
Then another name came upon the list that seemed vaguely familiar "Bruce Wayne? The same Wayne in 'Wayne Enterprises'? The skyscraper with the big W at the top?" Naruto asked for the sake of clarification.
"Yup. That's him. Me and Wayne used to be friends… before this." Harvey spoke as he gestured to the scarred side of his face with slight hesitance. The Penguin then cleared his throat and began to speak in an explanatory manner "Bruce Wayne is a multi-billionaire and one of the absolute biggest names in Gotham. So much so that it is almost customary for all parties and events to send invitations to him, even if he declines."
"That so? Sounds like a pretty important guy. Anything else I need to know about him? Touchy subjects maybe?" Naruto asked since he didn't wish to offend this Bruce character in the event that he crossed paths with him.
Harvey flipped his coin in his hand and began rolling it across his knuckles as he spoke "There is one thing in particular that you probably shouldn't mention. When Bruce was a kid, about nine or so I think. His parents were gunned down and killed right in front of him. It's safe to say that it left some deep, really deep scars on him. Best try to avoid talking about his parents. Might stir some bad memories for him."
The Uzumaki nodded his head in understanding as he committed this information to memory. And reviewed the rest of the list before speaking "All right. Looks good to me. Please send out the invites so we can move onto the next phase Mr. Cobblepot." At the end of his sentence, the Penguin tipped his hat as he and the others all grinned.
Knowing full well that this was but the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Once things took off, they would rule Gotham likes royalty, and not even their nemesis the Batman could stop them this time. As far as Gotham would be concerned… the new mayor would be considered a hero, while in the shadows they would rule the Criminal underground with their young friend's support. Granting them total control of Gotham itself from the top-down.
The next day. The Batcave.
"Minato Namikaze. No known entries or records in any database. Frequently seen at the Iceberg Lounge, so there's a strong possibility he has connections to Penguin and possibly other Mob Bosses.
No known skills or abilities, but seems to have gained the obedience of his followers which includes a number of notable Super-criminals, suggesting he has strong persuasive and charismatic capabilities. Potentially genius level intellect. Seems to be psychologically manipulative as well given his recent interactions with both Commissioner Gordon and Black Canary. Further observations are required." Spoke the form of Bruce Wayne otherwise known as Batman as he sipped at some coffee, his eyes staring at a picture of the Kingpin on the Bat-computer.
As far as criminals went, this one was a rare kind of mysterious and enigmatic. There weren't many things that Bruce didn't know about both his allies and enemies, and what he didn't know, he discovered. The Joker however was one of the few criminals whose past was a total blank. And whenever the Joker was questioned about his history, the clown would either avoid the question with a disturbingly morbid joke, or would make some highly elaborate story, each telling of his background being different.
The mystery behind the Joker's identity, if he ever had one, and his maniacal love for chaos, mayhem and destruction and general unpredictability made him one of the most dangerous super-villains in all the world. There was many a time that the Batman had come close to and almost decided to end the Joker's existence… but what stopped him, aside from his own moral code, was the fear that if Joker were killed… something far worse would step into existence to replace him.
And as for the Kingpin… he, much like the Joker, was a complete mystery. His background, capabilities and motivations were all unknown. Which made him a potentially dangerous individual. And Bruce didn't like that at all. He preferred knowing what he was dealing with and how to counter it.
From behind Bruce, a small 'twang' noise sounded out causing Bruce to turn in his seat slightly, and saw the form of a young woman who was busy testing the integrity of her bow string. She was known as Artemis, the Green Arrow's latest protégé. A remarkable talent with her teacher's style of the bow and unlike his other student Speedy… she didn't have his temper or arrogance. She seemed rather competent too.
The Arrow sent her along to help the Batman and his team as well as his apologies that he couldn't come in person. Not that Bruce could blame him, Green Arrow had certain obligations to protect his city, just the same as Batman had to protect Gotham. If he sent Artemis, he must be confident in her skills, and any help she could provide would be greatly beneficial.
"So that's the guy? Handsome, but doesn't seem like much." Artemis spoke as she checked through her quiver full of trick and gadgetized arrows.
"Don't be fooled by appearances. Ever. He has a number of Super Criminals under his command." Batman warned her, prompting her to nod in acknowledgement. Knowing that even the most unassuming individual could be potentially dangerous.
"If we can just find something. Anything. A weak point of some kind, some bit of information. We can start peeling away at the layers and finally find out who he really is." The Batman mused quietly. He had asked both Canary and Vixen to poke around and the territory of the Late Thorne, which now belonged to the Kingpin.
And they were coming up empty… except that a number of the repurposed buildings seemed to be undergoing heavy renovation. When they questioned the contractors, they said they were bound by confidentiality contracts. Iron clad and legal.
So then they snuck inside to have a look around, some properties had large numbers of beds being moved in, and others seemed to be being converted into stores as evidenced by racks and shelving being placed. Just what was the Kingpin doing exactly?
And on another note, The League of Assassins seems to be regrouping. Whatever they were doing before, they had finished and seemed to be gathering for the next stage of their plans. He would need to find out what they were doing and soon. Had they found their target? Or were they just reorganizing their search efforts? Or were they up to something entirely different now?
The Batman's musings came to a close when his faithful butler Alfred appeared behind him and spoke "Pardon the interruption sir. But this came for you." The loyal butler presented an envelope addressed to Bruce Wayne.
The brooding billionaire accepted it and used one of his batarangs to cut it open. He pulled out the contents and found a letter inside that read 'To Mr. Bruce Wayne, you are cordially invited to a public unveiling and party in honor of my dear friend Minato Namikaze. We hope to see you there Mr. Wayne, best regards, Oswald Cobblepot.'
A public unveiling? Sounded like the Kingpin was making his move. He would be announcing his intent to become Mayor. And this indeed confirmed that he was in league with the Penguin who portrayed himself as a legitimate businessman with the Iceberg Lounge being one of his many fronts. This could be his chance to have another face-to-face with the Kingpin.
Batman failed to intimidate him, but Bruce Wayne might be able to get him to say something or slip up somehow. Within the envelope was a pair of tickets with the date and time showing when it would be taking place, one for himself and a plus one. Good. It meant he could bring in some extra help. And Mari would be a perfect candidate for this operation given her connections to the realm of Fashion. Anything that could be used to try and get their hooks into the Kingpin would be useful.
Additionally, he would have Robin, Artemis and Canary for backup in the event something went wrong. At gatherings like this… something almost always went wrong.
"Seems like a new opportunity has presented itself to us." Bruce spoke as he quickly texted the details to the rest of his investigation team while Alfred had a look of some concern on his face.
"Sir, if you don't mind my asking. Why is this Kingpin character of such strong interest to you?" Alfred asked, earning a questioning look from the Dark Knight.
"He is an unknown element Alfred. And a potentially dangerous one. I can't let him accomplish his goals unchecked. Especially since he is undoubtedly connected to the Penguin." Bruce replied earning a small 'hmm' from his loyal butler and surrogate father figure.
"Perhaps. But a word of caution sir? Just because someone may be connected to a criminal, it doesn't necessarily make them a bad person. Some people find themselves in the criminal underground because they feel they have no other alternatives. Others do so in the belief that they can, through certain morally questionable deeds, do more good than through what can be considered 'proper channels' or 'morally correct decisions. In other words, don't be so quick to judge this man for whatever crimes he may or may not have done." Alfred spoke in a patient tone.
In the background, Artemis hummed in thought and knew that Alfred had a good point. She herself was once part of the criminal underworld, though it wasn't by choice… and clawing her way out wasn't an easy feat. "We'll see Alfred." Came the noncommittal response of the Batman who wanted to leave no stone unturned. One way or another… he would discover the Kingpin's true colors.
The next evening.
"Snazzy joint." Came the response of 'Minato' who was wearing a black and crimson tuxedo, taking note of the locale which was atop a skyscraper with a perfect view of Gotham city below.
"Of course my friend! The location would have to be suitable for your big debut!" Spoke the Penguin as he observed the guests slowly being filed in as his staff ensured no one brought in any concealed weapons or unauthorized equipment. The last thing they needed was some mafia hitman shooting up the place.
"Shame Two-Face and Peyton couldn't make it." The Kingpin spoke as he readjusted his cufflinks. Kami, he was so fucking nervous he felt like his heart was about to pop from the stress. Largely because he believed that reporters were in many ways could be just as crooked as career politicians, and were just as untrustworthy. He had to look good and act just as good in front of the cameras.
"Indeed. Still, they have other engagements that needed attending. And they assured me that they would be eagerly awaiting your big speech." Oswald muttered, hinting at Commissioner Gordon to which the blonde man acknowledged. Harvey was busy with taking care of televised campaign ads and such things while Peyton was overseeing the now conglomerated of business fronts.
"Hey puddin' check it out! I'm all glammed up and ready to paaaaartay!" Squealed the form of Harley Quinn as she appeared next to her boss and took his arm into the valley of her chest. She was currently wearing a black and red dress with a diamond pattern and was wearing crimson high heels. Her face caked in white makeup and pink blush, and her lips painted a ruby red color as well.
"Now calm it down a notch Harley. Let's not go embarrassing the boss in front of the media. It's his big night after all." Spoke Killer Frost as she pulled the clown girl off of the Kingpin, the blonde woman having a sheepish smile on her face. The ice user was now wearing an icy blue dress with some snowflakes decorating the skirt region.
"Sorry Mistah K. I'm just super excited right now. This is gonna be epic!" Harley spoke gleefully a face-splitting grin on her face as she played with one of her trademark pigtails. Her words earned an approving grunt from Crush as she crossed her arms beneath her bust.
The white skinned woman wore a modified tuxedo with the sleeves ending just above her elbows, a set of black dress pants and shoes. Apparently Crush didn't like the idea of wearing a dress, so she had to be convinced to wear something decent. It also helped when the boss commented she looked like a 'Cool bodyguard type' in her current getup. "I'm not into that political shit, but if the boss wants to make some douchebag paper pushers start ugly crying, I guess it's cool. Plus he'll be doing some real good for this craphole of a city." She spoke as she lit a fresh cigarette and placed it between her black colored lips.
Neo let out a silent giggle as she sauntered over, still wearing her favorite bowler hat and having her signature umbrella on hand. She was wearing a light pink dress, cream colored high heels and a brown choker around her neck. The pinkette gave a soft smile and winked as her hand softly brushed against The Blonde Man's shoulder "..."
"Thanks Neo. That means a lot. I'm lucky to have all of you fine ladies to support me." 'Minato' spoke with a warm smile. Tonight was his big night. All of that careful planning and preparation hinged on tonight's success. It was time to make it or break it. He felt much more comfortable now since he knew that his subordinate's would be there for him.
"Can anyone explain the mechanics behind how the boss can understand Neo?" Ivy asked with a raised eyebrow since that was a question that had been burning in their minds for some time now since the pinkette never spoke so much as a single word… but their boss could somehow understand her as if she were speaking normally. The plant lover smoothed her dress a bit which was a dark green color that complimented her own skin as Selina hummed in thought before shrugging her shoulders.
"Let's just chalk it up as a quirk of the boss's. My head hurts when I think too much about it." Selina muttered dismissively. The Cat Burglar was currently wearing a black dress and high heels and a silver necklace with a small cat pendent hanging off of it.
"Well, in any case, we've got your back. Knock them all dead." Ivy spoke and then planted a chaste kiss on his cheek, leaving a lipstick marking. While it wasn't a poisonous kiss, it would still leave a small burning sensation that would leave him all hot and bothered for a few minutes.
Neo frowned and made a shooing motion towards the green skinned seductress and then with a flick of her wrist, made a handkerchief appear in her hand and used it to wipe off the lipstick on 'Minato's' cheek. "...!"
"Neo says to keep it in your pants for tonight. And in my words, not Neo's we can save the fun for later. Maybe sometime after tonight." The blonde man spoke, earning some playful giggles from the girls. Even Crush had a small smirk on her face at that as she pinched his butt, making him stiffen a bit.
Off to the side, the Penguin whispered to the Kingpin 'All the guests are present' prompting the blonde man to clear his throat since it was now time for his big speech. All he had to do was get through this big moment, and when the party started he would just have to mingle and shake hands for an hour or two before departing quietly. No problem. He had survived far worse than this, although for some reason this felt much more stressful.
He took his place near the podium as he waited for the Guests to take their places with the Media reporters and cameramen setting up the needed equipment they were allowed to bring with them. Mingling inside the crowd were the forms of Bruce Wayne and Mari, the former warily watching both the Kingpin himself and his allies. Selina took notice of this and mockingly smirked at him, and mouthed 'Enjoy the show.'
The multi-billionaire raised an eyebrow at this but remained quiet, his only option for now would be to watch, wait, and see what happens. "I don't smell anything suspicious. No chemicals or explosive materials." Mari whispered to him, tapping into her amulet's power to enhance her senses. Bruce nodded to her since that was one of the first things that he asked her to check for. Couldn't be too careful whenever Gotham's criminal underworld was involved.
Bruce looked off to the side and spotted Commissioner Gordon gently pushing Barbara's wheelchair forward, the red haired girl had a warm smile on her face as she chatted with her father, suggesting that she only came here at her father's request. That would explain why she said she couldn't come to the Clocktower tonight. That was okay though… staring at those screens day and night couldn't be good for her eyes. That aside, there were often things you can only see in person that you can't from a computer screen.
Once the media representatives were ready, 'Minato' approached the podium at the Penguin's signal and then tapped the microphone, causing some feedback sounds that got all of the guests attention. The camera lights blinked on, signaling that the cameras were now rolling as he began to speak "Good evening, and thank you all for coming. I am known as Minato Namikaze, otherwise known as 'The Kingpin', and as you may have heard, I have been credited for the death of Rupert Thorne. Though allow me to say that he most assuredly did not die by my hands.
But we are not here to speak of any crimes I supposedly did or did not do. I have much more important things to say. Growing up, I had to learn to look out and fend for myself from an early age. I lived in a Red Light District and saw first-hand the effects of a deteriorating government, rising crime waves, lack of healthcare and so forth.
Those in charge who cared were left politically impotent, stagnation and corruption became commonplace, and many people suffered as a result of this. I remember on a number of occasions seeing people, young and old alike being unable to afford medication and healthcare due to crushing costs. And it was even worse for people who suffered chronic conditions and illnesses. I saw many parents working themselves almost to death to care for their children.
These same problems and more are all extremely prevalent here in Gotham. And to that end… I promise to fight these issues with everything I've got! I want to give Gotham City and its people a fair chance, something I was never given growing up. I want people to have affordable healthcare so they can live healthy lives. I want to make the streets safer so that people don't have to live in constant fear. I want to root out the true criminals within Gotham that are murdering and exploiting the people, and see to it that they aren't only punished appropriately, but that they won't be able to escape their sentences as they have so many times in the past.
To begin addressing some of these problems, I am proud to announce that in the coming days, Inari Pharmaceuticals shall open its doors to the public, providing highly affordable and extremely effective natural medications and remedies to ease illness, soothe aches and pains, and help chronic conditions. Not only that, but I'll be opening shelters for the homeless, to make things easier for them to land on their feet, and I shall do all I can to aid Gotham's finest in the apprehension of dangerous criminals.
And finally, I shall be running for Mayor to begin rooting out the corruption within City Hall so that I may do more to help this city and its people. And I am prepared to fight the corrupt bureaucracy every single step of the way. And. I. Will. WIN! FOR GOTHAM!" The Kingpin shouted at the end, raising his fist high into the air. His speech earned a series of loud applause and cheers from the crowd who were clearly captivated by his words as cameras flashed and the numerous reporters were furiously scribbling down notes.
Bruce had to admit, this guy was good. Really, really good. He presented himself as an empathetic figure and a potential savior, fighting for the good of Gotham. His words and speech were meticulous, but didn't appear to be scripted. He knew what he wanted to say and how to say it. And the media was eating it all up.
Reporters were clamoring and shouting questions as they tried to make themselves be heard until the blonde man made a 'quiet down' motion which seemed to do the trick as the Reporters hushed. 'Minato' cleared his throat and pointed towards a random reporter "What's your question sir?"
The man in question cleared his throat and spoke "You're painting a pretty picture and all that. But I find it difficult to believe given what kind of company you keep. You really expect us to believe that someone that hires known Super-Criminals can help Gotham?" Ah. A cynic. Of course there had to be at least one amidst the crowd.
The Kingpin smiled a bit and replied "A valid concern my good sir, and I respect your opinion. Still, allow me to say that it isn't fair to harshly judge someone based upon who they hire or other such things. I'm giving my employees a fair chance, just the same as anyone else deserves. And I'll let the results of my work do the talking for my character in Gotham's coming days." At the end of his words, another round of applause was given to the Kingpin as the reporters took note of his words and reactions.
'Minato' then pointed to another reporter and asked "You ma'am. What do you want to ask?" The woman smiled a bit and stepped forward with a confident stride, allowing him to better see and hear her. She was an attractive looking woman with brown hair done up in a loose ponytail who spoke "Vicki Vale, Gotham Gazette. I want to ask your opinion about Vigilantes and Heroes like the famous Batman, Superman, Hawkgirl, and so on."
"Well Ms. Vale, I hold a high amount of respect for those people. They put their lives on the line almost every single day to fight criminals, save lives, and avert disasters that standard emergency responders and police cannot handle on their own. But I sometimes can't help but… question the effectiveness of their methods." The blonde man spoke as he adjusted his tie, his words earning some curious murmurs from the crowd, even Bruce and Mari couldn't help but cock an eyebrow while on a nearby rooftop their backup could hear everything and were also curious about this.
"To expand on my statement, I have to ask… what is the point in beating down and arresting criminals both standard and Super, if they don't STAY in prison or somehow manage to escape the law through some method or another? Each and every escape gives them another chance to improve their schemes and techniques, and thus more and more lives are at an even greater risk. Which is why, as another of my goals as mayor is to improve and secure numerous penitentiary facilities to minimize the risks of escape. If any heroes are listening to this, either right now or by some other means in the future, I hope you can assist me on this project." 'Minato' finished and looked into the cameras with a hopeful expression.
On a nearby rooftop Black Canary pursed her lips, looking back on his words when they were in his limo, "Are you the cure that eliminates the crime at the root? Or are you just a painkiller to suppress the symptoms?" Was this what he really meant? She wanted to be angry at him… but she couldn't deny he made a good point. Especially given the infamous number of times that Villains such as the Joker or Lex Luthor have escaped the law. Either through some bloody mayhem-fueled breakout like the former, or through wealth and connections like the latter.
Back at the ceremony, a Reporter asked "Exactly how affordable will medications be from your company Mr. Namikaze?" At the man's question, the Kingpin snapped his fingers as he turned to a display that was covered by a black sheet to prevent people from seeing underneath with Selina Kyle standing next to it.
"This, ladies and gentlemen, will be the prices for my company's medications. Behold!" Minato spoke and snapped his fingers, prompting Selina to smile as she removed the sheet in one swift movement, showing a list of different medications, the health conditions they could aid, and their prices… which were astonishingly low.
Many people gasped in shock at the low prices, few of them only able to whisper something like 'holy shit!' or such other things. Within the crowd, Bruce couldn't help but feel his jaw drop knowing full well that there was no possible way that any Pharmaceutical company in the world could compete with those kinds of prices. "I think I'm starting to see a bigger picture forming." Mari muttered as she adopted a thinking pose, with Bruce stiffly nodding since it seemed that they had both drawn the same conclusion.
He was using Poison Ivy's abilities to manipulate plant life to quickly grow these 'natural medications and remedies' at a rapid pace. Even a small handful would be more than enough for her since she could easily multiply the yield, which would easily allow him to undercut the competition. Quite ingenious, except for the fact that Ivy would never allow plant life to be exploited. So what was she getting out of it that would make her do so? And were these medications truly all that they were described to be? With Ivy, it most often meant poison or mind control.
He would need to interrogate her later on the matter. Maybe then he'd have his smoking gun. After a few minutes and questions later, the Kingpin was finished speaking to the media and encouraged everyone to enjoy the party. Seeing that he was making his rounds to mingle with and interact with his guests, Vixen decided to take this chance to try and get in close. She gave a subtle nod to the disguised Batman who nodded in return as she made her way towards Minato.
When she broke away, Bruce caught sight of a familiar face standing off to the side with a smug looking grin on his face. "Tommy?" Wayne asked himself as he almost instantly recognized the face of his old childhood friend Thomas Elliot. His old friend took notice of Bruce and raised a glass of champagne to him before drinking it down and vanishing out of sight. A small part of Bruce wanted to break away and catch up with his old friend, but ultimately decided to stay on task. He could always find a means to get in touch with his old friend at a later time and catch up.
Mari smoothly walked over to the Kingpin as he seemed to be making light conversation with some of the guests, and right behind him were the forms of two of his 'private security' a rather diminutive looking girl with pink hair holding an umbrella and a woman with chalky white skin that looked like a heavy metal rocker.
"May I cut in?" she asked with her most charming smile, earning the attention of the Kingpin as he excused himself and approached the dark skinned woman "Certainly. I'm trying to make as much time as I can for all of my guests, unfortunately. There's only one of me available. So what can I do for you Ms..?" He trailed off at the end.
"Mari. You can call me Mari Mr. Namikaze. I have to say… I was very impressed by your speech. You were so dedicated, sincere and… passionate." She spoke with a low purr at the end and then produced a business card and presented it to him. He accepted it with a polite smile and looked it over before placing it into his breast pocket.
"A Fashion model? How very interesting. And I appreciate the kind words." The Blonde man spoke with a sincere tone which made Mari smile in response and then speak "If I might be so bold, I would love to endorse you and your campaign."
"Well, I certainly won't say no to anyone willing to help." 'Minato' responded, very much grateful for any and all support that could potentially boost his campaign. Some endorsements would be very helpful to say the least.
"Perhaps we can discuss more over dinner?" She asked with a sweet smile and a sultry voice, the kind of which would make almost any man go weak in the knees. 'Minato' smiled back and replied "It would be rude of me to turn down a lady's invitation. I'll be sure to give a call after I've made the needed arrangements." He gestured towards his breast pocket where he stored her card for emphasis, earning a nod from the dark skinned woman as she gave a small curtsy and departed, being certain to add a generous and enticing sway to her hips.
When she was out of earshot Crush leaned over and whispered "What do ya think? Another Hero type looking to get some dirt on ya?" Her boss let out a quiet 'hmm' in thought since he couldn't discount that possibility since he strongly doubted that Black Canary would be the last one to try and spy on him.
"Maybe. But let's not jump to any conclusions." He responded since he didn't want to take any unnecessary risks or give the Hero community any reason to use more… aggressive tactics. While he was sure most if not all heroes had some kind of code of honor, he wasn't sure exactly what each and every Hero considered to be 'crossing the line' in their respective codes. Best not to push things too far.
"Mr. Namikaze. Great speech. It was very impressive." Spoke the form of Jim Gordon who approached with the form of his daughter, making the Kingpin snap out of his musing and greet them with a broad grin. He glanced down at Barbara and noted the dark circles under her eyes that she seemed to be concealing with makeup, though he didn't comment about it since he believed it to be rude to ask.
"Thank you Commissioner, that means a lot. As I said in my speech, I intend to aid your police force." 'Minato' spoke and held out his hand, prompting Neo to tip her hat and slip a glass of champagne to her boss who accepted it with a quiet 'Thank you'.
"And what is this 'Help' going to cost my dad and the police?" Barbara asked as she cocked an eyebrow in suspicion, her eyes openly glaring at the Kingpin who seemed to take this in stride as he responded "No strings attached or hidden agendas if that's what you're thinking. I just want to do my part to help the police the people of Gotham." He responded calmly as he took a sip of his beverage.
"And what kind of 'help' should I be expecting?" The Commissioner asked out of curiosity, while he wasn't sure if he could trust the Kingpin… any help he could offer the police would be a tremendous boon… so long as everything was above board and legit.
"Depends on what the police need, but I thought I'd start with military grade weapons and equipment. I assure you that it will indeed be through legitimate channels if that's your concern." The Kingpin offered as he took another sip of his drink, his words making both of the Gordon's jaw-drop.
"Are you crazy? You want to militarize the GCPD?" Gordon asked, feeling that empowering the police too much was sure to invite disaster. Most often when you give someone a powerful tool or weapon, they would most definitely want to use it for almost any given reason.
"Why not? The GCPD often tangles with Super-Criminals and other organizations when assisting heroes like the Batman or under other circumstances. And think of it from this perspective, would you rather have such equipment on hand for emergencies and never need it? Or not have it all and need it at the worst possible time?" The blonde asked with a raised eyebrow.
The Commissioner scowled a bit, but couldn't really argue with that logic. Victory lies in preparation and all that, but he still didn't like the idea of empowering any organization too much. Power corrupts and whatnot. Still… any help would be better than no help at all. "By the way Ms Gordon… you seem worried about something." 'Minato' asked out of concern, taking note that Barbara seemed to be glancing out towards the city every so often.
"It's nothing… I'm just worried… about a friend." She muttered in a distracted tone, causing her father to sigh a bit, knowing full well who she was talking about. Naruto Uzumaki, the kid that escaped Arkham and Cadmus and then vanished out of sight. He put a 'Be-On-LookOut' for the boy, but so far nothing had appeared. The kid was like a damned ghost.
"Wherever this friend is… I'm sure he'd be thankful you're thinking about him." Minato spoke in a sympathetic voice, and then quietly excused himself to tend to his other guests. As he departed, Barbara raised an eyebrow at what he'd said. 'He'? 'Him'? She didn't say or imply that she was worried about a guy. How did this Minato know that? Unless… unless he knew something about Naruto. She glanced up at her father who seemed a bit distracted at the moment and hadn't taken notice of what the man said, likely thinking about Minato's words about militarizing the police. She clenched her fists together tightly and looked down at her legs.
This wheelchair had been a kind of prison for her for so long… and she was on the precipice of finally leaving it. And now… she had a potential lead that could help her find Naruto. A part of her thought about mentioning this to Bruce, but it was possible that he'd take it too far and would put the Kingpin on guard. She decided to take point on this one personally… it was time for Batgirl to don the mask once again, no matter the price. Even if it meant the permanent loss of her legs… she would find Naruto Uzumaki.
The next morning.
In an undisclosed location, the sound of amused laughter could be heard as Ra's Al Ghul read over the morning newspaper, the front page reading 'New Mayor Candidate, Minato Namikaze, plans to revive and take Gotham by storm!' with a picture of the new mayoral candidate as well.
"It is now no wonder why we could never find the boy. He has been hiding in plain sight all along! Ingenious." Ra's spoke with a proud smile, instantly recognizing the form of the late Kushina's husband. A man like Minato was difficult to forget due to his high speed technique, the Hiraishin, and his accomplishments in the previous Shinobi war.
"Why take on the form of the late Yondaime?" Talia asked with a raised eyebrow, earning a small chuckle from her father.
"It's all quite simple. Young Naruto has effectively disguised himself to the world, and at the same time is using his new guise as bait to draw in both potential enemies and allies from the Shinobi Nations should they leave their little continent. A risky yet bold move on his part. To think, this 'Kingpin' was young Naruto all along… and he is already accomplishing so much in such little time. There is no room for doubt that he is the child of both Kushina and Minato." The Demon's head responded as he set aside the newspaper with a smirk.
Brave, bold, cunning, charismatic, and can get virtually anything he wants through his own efforts or by sheer force of will. He was the perfect candidate to take over the League of Assassins. Ra's would have to put this boy to the test, but for now… it was time to make contact. The Iceberg Lounge would be their next stop. It was now time… for a new era and for the next generation to take the reigns.
End chapter seven.