Shaping Up
Gotham City Police Department, Gotham City
11:32 pm November 5
The roof was icy cold. Barbara told him to wear a heavy jacket to work. He should have listened.
Police commisioner Jim Gordon was shaking slightly, rubbing his hands on shoulders for warmth.
He only recently switched on the stage light that aimed it toward heaven, signaling his dark angel. Like all rooftop stagelights, this was bright and strong enough to beam past the sky. However, unlike all rooftop stagelights in Gotham City, this had a bat emblem mounted on the torch, causing a definitive shape at the center as it lit the night.
'Something like this should have a name,' he mused. After all those years of using it to call his 'friend' and he hadn't even thought of a title yet.
Then he thought of one. 'The Batsignal,' chuckled Jim. 'That's a good one.'
"Been waiting long?" asked Batman.
Gordon flinched. "Jesus."
"Sorry," he apologized.
"No need," replied Jim. "This isn't the first time. I should be getting used to it by now."
"So what do you want?"
"Well. I saw what you did to those guys down at the harbor the other night. Good job, really. It started a lot of racket."
"How?"
"Well there's this lawyer Albert Kints. He's coming in raising all kinds of hell about accessive force and unwarranted intrusion."
"That wouldn't be the first time."
"Yeah I know. Except this guy seems to be getting through to the D.A's. Must be a close friend or something. Either way at most it's just more paper work for me. James Marshall has been a long time kingpin in the business. There's no way he's getting out of this."
"And that foreigner he was dealing with?"
"Alvarez?" That guy's going to be tried back at his home country, although I bet he'll come out fee. He's big down there, and drug fuels their economy. To them it's practically another market."
"Shame."
"Well I can't complain too much. James is bigger in the business, and we caught him. And besides, you win some and you lose some."
"Right. Was that it?"
Jim scratched his skull. "Not completely."
"What else?"
"Well we got James to start talking. He's given us dates for next shipments and a lot of associate drug deals. We're going to go in pretty heavy. This is exactly the kind of break we need."
"Need help?"
"No actually. In fact I think it would be best if you sit this one out. It's not that I don't appreciate the help or anything, it's just public image. By making these busts ourselves we'd be telling the people that the police can be relied on again. It'll help us long term, and it'll make the people think we are actually competent."
Batman nodded once in understanding. "Fair enough."
Now there was nothing left to do but part ways. Batman placed a foot on the rooftop ledge and prepared himself to leave. He glanced at Jim, noticed the policeman shivering in response to the cold climate, with hands on his shoulders. It reminded him of what an old mentor once said.
"Rub your chest. The hands will take care of themselves."
"Right," and he obeyed. "Thanks." Then police commisioner Jim Gordon watched his ally drop into the night.