A/N: So I have been kind of bad lately about uploading on time and I apologize for that. It's not intentional. I recently took some classes that went late into the night, sometimes to 10:30/11 and it tuckered me out so I wasn't watching the days and didn't have the energy to write. Finally getting a little done, though.
Thx!
AMM
I pull up and front of City Hall and look up, noticing lights shining brightly out of the still broken floor to wall windows on the fifty-second floor. I walk into the building and notice that the elevator is still closed from the other night so I begin to climb the stairs.
I push open the doors leading into the offices on the fifty-second floor and see that it's still a mess. God, he hasn't fixed anything in this building, has he? I walk towards the door and go to open them when Hill's Secretary, the only person in the offices, stops me.
"Sorry, the Mayor's busy. Do you have an appointment?" she asks politely. I'm surprised Hill still hasn't let her go home yet. "The Mayor's doing debate prep." I'd nearly forgotten that's tomorrow. "He really can't be disturbed right now." She stresses.
I could be rude and just walk in, I could plead for her to help me out this once, but instead I say, "You're really telling me that Bruce Wayne needs an appointment?" As much as I hate using my title as a way of dodging the rules, it's still necessary to do it occasionally.
"But the Mayor-" I cut her off.
"-Will be fine. And if he fires you, just come to work for me. Deal?" She smiles and turns her head, looking back towards her computer.
I open the doors and slip into Hill's office. His back is turned as he stands in front of a mirror, his eyes meeting mine for a moment in the reflection. The door snicks behind me as it shuts and I cross my arms over my chest, eyes narrowing in disgust. "Bruce Wayne. Finally, you've come to see me. Of course, only after your name's been dragged through the mud. Don't get me wrong," he combs his fingers through his hair after he finishes adjusting his tie. "I'm glad to see you. But you're a day late and a great many dollars short."
This man thinks I came here to offer money. I'm no friend, I'm here for answers, but I can't just say that. So why not lead him on to believe that I am here to offer him money for his campaign. "We can be friends, Hill," I smile my fake smile, dropping my arms so I don't seem so intimidating and step forward a little. "I'd like us to put aside our differences."
I see Hill smile his greasy smile in the mirror. "It's easy to ask for peace after losing the war." He turns to face me. "But I won't be the one to deny a fresh start. You're father and I; we took this city and made it ours. Falcone too, rest his soul. We built everything we have." Falcone sits in his desk chair before looking up at me with cold eyes and a sneer. "You were born with it. A soft boy like you wouldn't understand what it takes to rise to the top." He leans forward on his elbows as I walk to one of the chairs in front of his desk, pulling out my phone and setting it on the desk before playing the most recent voicemail from Hill to Oz.
His voice filters out, repeating what I've already heard. "I've given you everything I have on Wayne. I've help up my end of the bargain and expect you to do the same." I stare straight at Hill and watch the panic slip through his stiff façade but only for a second before getting covered up as he stands. The recording shuts off and Hill walks towards a set of doors.
"Sounds like me," he says dismissively.
"It is you," I pocket my phone and follow him out onto his balcony.
"So?" he walks up to the railing. "What's your point?" he says calmly. "I take it you have one or are you just fond of my dulcet tones?"
"Why attack me? Because of Dent and the campaign?" I ask as I step up beside him.
"I'm in Cobblepot's crosshairs, same as you," he tries.
"But you fed them dirt on me." I grit out while re-crossing my arms.
"Only the files I seized from Wayne Manor." As if that makes it any better. "Your father, Falcone, and I-we had ways of getting anything we wanted. How do you think your family got the land for Wayne Tower? Cobblepot wants retribution because we took his family's land. Oswald's family signed it over to us. Along with the rest of their assets" I can understand Oz being angry, but Hill needs to stay out of this unless he wants to end up dead at the hands of Oz.
"Even if that's true-it's no excuse for Cobblepot's crimes."
"I quite agree. It doesn't hurt to understand your enemy's motives. There's so much more we could share…if only we were friends." Hill knows I want to know what's happening, what my parents did and my thirst for answers, but he doesn't seem to realize that I don't care about anything he has to say. I want to keep him believing, however, that he's got me hooked.
"I could help you with Penguin. Let you in on some family history." He steps up to me and puts a hand up on my shoulder as I practically tower over him. I fight shrugging him off. "But I'm caught in a dogfight for my political career-and my rival has bottomless pockets." He turns to look sourly at the big poster of Harvey's face and his campaign slogan right across the way, leaning against the railing with hands clenched tightly.
"Now, if that rival were to, say, drop out….or his advertising spend were to dry up….I might have a lot more resources for helping a new friend." I want to say no, that I could never go against Harvey, but I figure that I can lead Hill to believe I'll back him just long enough to get the info I need out of him before backing away.
"Fine. If that's what it takes to earn your friendship."
Hill smiles again, looking to me. "I knew you'd see the light. It's time we really talked." He walks back towards his office. "Power is an old oak-the trunk stands strong, but it's the roots that hold it up. And the thickest of them lead to Arkham." Hill takes a seat in one of the chairs opposite of his desk.
"Arkham Asylum?"
"Your father, me, Falcone, we used it to get our enemies out of the way-drugged and declared them insane. It made it easy to take their things." I sit in the other chair. "Thomas was the doctor. I leveraged my political power to ease the transfer of assets."
"My father….I can't believe he'd be apart of that!" There are many things I've come to learn that my father has done but there's no way he drugged people and declared them insane just to take their stuff. But I never thought he'd be in the crime business either. Maybe I didn't know my father at all.
"It doesn't matter if you believe. Penguin does. And he's not happy about it. Gotham was chaos before we took control. At least now, there's a semblance of order." He quiets for a moment before saying quietly, "Listen Bruce-now that we're on the same side-your father's last gift to me. They're yours." Hill pulls the cufflinks off and hands them to me. I notice the small black keys adorning them as I take them from Hill's palm. "The keys to the city." He explains.
"Thank you,"
"Hamilton." He pats my back like an Uncle would his favorite nephew. "Call me Hamilton." He then stands and goes to the other side of his desk. "Penguin's gathered quite a few victims to his crusade. But that's a problem for another day. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to prep for the debate. My door is always open Bruce." He opens his office doors as I stand, putting the cufflinks in my pants pocket. "Next time, make an appointment."
Right before I leave, I stop in front of Hill. "Whatever deal you've made with Penguin….he won't honor it." I try to warn him.
"Don't worry about me. This isn't the first time someone's tried to take a shot at me." I step out of the office and hear the door creak as Hill shuts them behind me. I notice the secretary's gone so I pull out my earpiece and put it in my ear.
"Alfred-get a warning out to Gordon to increase security at the debate. Hill seems to think he's safe but Penguin's still out there.
A/N: So this chapter was short….again but I honestly prefer the short chapters compared to the super long ones, just so that you all have time to process what you've just read instead of getting squished with information.
Thx!
AMM
