Never before had there been, nor would there ever again be a thicker stench of worry and malcontent then there was overhead of the facilities at Gotham Memorial Hospital that night in question, where innocence had become a cruel tease to mock the saints into submission. Hope was a finite substance that had become as hot a commodity as oil had been in such a modern age, being enlivened by those of which had been lucky enough to procure it in bulk only to dangle in the faces of those who would do anything to change the oncoming tide. In the heart of the intensive care ward a long procession of rooms embossed in a mixture of frenzy and near deafening silence contrasted themselves by a mere sense of comparison, in one of the calmer rooms a heavy stillness remained as a young man with tattoos running up the sides of both his arms maintained his resolve in not once taking his eyes away from his brother who simply lie motionless in the bed. Beyond that, he had not been seen making a single example of complex nervous function for a number of weeks, his brain damage having resulted in enough blood loss that he had slipped away into a comatose state. The physicians had not been the most helpful, either, having said numerous times that with his condition he could very well wake up the next morning but still be just as capable of staying this way for the rest of his life, but that was an answer that the young man known as Victor Velasquez couldn't bring himself to accept. Each and every day since he had been brought in, he would come by to see him for a matter of a few hours, which sadly enough would amount to little more then him talking amongst himself and trying to not bring up the sense of self imposed guilt that managed to strike him in dead in the center of his chest and relieve him of any of the false praises which would trail behind him were he to venture anyplace else. As long as he stood in that one expanse of some two hundred square feet, he could see under the covers of a brother who merely longed for the improvement of his ailing kin, that above all else he had been the coward who had single handedly sent his brother halfway to hell.
"Don't worry, hermano, I haven't given up on you...I'll...I'll find whoever did this to you." He vowed with the stray beeps and whistling of the medical equipment being the only response he was going to receive.
"Is that so...well, if you're hoping to find somebody to bounce ideas off of...you might not exactly be in the best place. I mean...I think he's more of a listener then an idea man." A bit more poised and high pitched voice called out from behind where he had been standing, a very slender man with short, black hair which had appeared to have been thrown about by a harsh wind and a lovingly tailored suit of red and black grabbing ahold of his lanky frame. He gave the most immeasurable scent of fine cologne and coffee grounds, but yet at the same time his cheeky smile which bore a somewhat disturbing undertone with his mouth pearly whites which were so straight that they had almost seemed too well manicured. The dullest tinge of an accent could be heard behind his inflections which were more conditionally placed then any person would ever have, it sounding English at first but at times coming off as a rehearsed British accent rather then one you were born into. "You are Victor, I presume? Your reputation precedes you, im afraid."
"Man...I don't know who you are, but unless you're a bitch...don't come in here acting like one, capuche?" Like a caged animal being forced to perform a trick, Victor had not given any thought as to how one should properly introduce themselves, and he had always seen flattery as a means to hide the knife you had at the ready and reserved for the back of another at a later date. Needless to say, Gotham had taught him a flavor of paranoia that had made him obsessed with ridding his life of all apparent possibilities of being someone else's fool.
"Well, then, I suppose that I should be a bit more direct then, shouldn't I? It has come to my attention that this hospital had blatantly refused to accept any more cash, checks, or any sort of payment in your name...needless to say, they've been well informed." He was tracing circles along the tile floor with one foot in an impatient and fanatic display as he continued, never quite certain of whether or not to keep his hands at his sides or stuffed headlong into the deepest depths of his pockets so he would find contentment in going back and forth between the two.
"And just...how the fuck did you find out about that?" Slightly annoyed, the distance between the two of them evaporating within seconds, stray pieces of saliva spewing out from behind his lips with the question as he hadn't told anyone nor would he have figured that the matter of medical bills would become a topic of discussion within an urban environment.
"Listen, I know...that you are in pain, and that you have these feelings of insecurity about just what might happen to your brother. You are not alone in that, but the thing is that sometimes you just don't know which backs to scratch and which hinges need to be greased in order to get certain...annoyances out of the way and out of your life. Understand? I want to help you, nothing more, and I have the money to do so and can get it to the hospital director within two days. Now, I understand that they have given you a time limit, as well, is that correct?" The stale air circulating as his eyes widened and his mouth hung low, this was enough of a sign for the man to proceed with his proposition, taking a sleek phone of the most ivory color out from his jacket pocket and bringing up a single picture for Victor to see. In this photograph which now had been turned about to just the proper angle for him to see, was a stack of hundred dollar bills structured in the shape of a pyramid atop of a luxurious kitchen table, a small watermark of that same days date being placed in the bottom right.
"You come in here...and expect me to just believe you...how do I know that you wont put a bullet in my head the second I give you what you want?" He demanded, thinking through just what could come to pass if he would decide to take him up on the offer, regardless of the lack of detail towards what he was demanding in return.
"See, that's the best part, Victor. I'm going to give you exactly what you want, first and foremost, and then as a sign of good faith you simply give me what I want. I mean, surely a small favor wouldn't be beyond you after I saved your brother from certain death, yes? I'd love to do the work pro bono, but this is a time and place where a man's skills mustn't be taken for granted, and our time and our word is all we have. What they never say about this...this line of work, is that like it or not family is an obligation one mustn't have, but then again we cannot change the way life works, can we?" He proposed, attempting to appeal to the rugged and emotionally vulnerable man, Velazquez not realizing just how undressed this man had made him without so much as a single expletive or threat, and as much this man had already seen and heard he yet had still not chose to end him when he had the chance.
"So...what do you want me to do?" He inquired of the man.
"Just a few moments of your time, at another time, of course. Let's just say that I am a man who has a certain interest in a similar business to yours, I have a product that I believe the people of Gotham would absolutely love to get their hands on. In fact, I'll do you one better, a little extra add-on bonus for your cooperation." He gestured towards him with on free hand, letting the potential for a handshake mark the beginning of a future partnership, should he pursue such a thing.
"Oh yeah...and what exactly is that?" Victor beckoned.
"let's just say... I know who informed the board of directors of the true nature of your business and where your money comes from, and I also am aware of exactly where he'll be this weekend." He finished, Velasquez's hand feverishly extended and took his hand without further question.
"Who...are you?"
"Just...call me the Advocate." He amusedly replied, a smile once again breaking through the otherwise delightful disposition.