Sir...

Jim Gordon sat in an almost barren room apart from the furniture that was left behind by the previous owner. Still feeling out of place, Jim had tried to settle back into his chair once again. It was brand new and carried an aroma that was a culmination of warm leather, heated plastic and packing peanuts. The armrests were not broken in and still grabbed at his arms and shirt if used for too long. The cushion was also stiff and offered too much resistance. His desk still had plastic clinging to the side, and there it would probably remain until the movers were finished transferring all of his belongings. What bothered him though was that it was extremely bright in the room, due to the lack of shades as well as simply because he was not used to his new setting.

The room was an office at the corner of one of Gotham's central towers that had two walls made entirely out of glass and did not offer much protection against the sun's warm glow. Jim noticed the pair of movers come into the office carrying a large filing cabinet; as they entered, one of the men lost his grip and dropped a corner onto the new carpet, cutting a small tear into it. In fear of potentially having his pay docked, the mover responsible, in a panic, looked directly at Jim. However, thinking it added character to the room, Jim only grinned and nodded, showing his lack of interest in the tear. Glancing around to the walls now, Gordon had began to notice small dark outlines, that littered the two inner walls, where old pictures used to hang. It gave him an unusual sense of calm knowing that not every bit of grime from this dirty job had been washed away. It served as a reminder that this job was not going to be permanent and that he had to do the best he could in the short time-span allotted to him.

Mr. Gordon...

As the movers repeatedly brought more and more of Jim's effects into the room, he looked into the box that was placed on the desk before him. Jim carried this box in himself, as it was filled with his personal, rather than business, items. Rummaging through the box he started to pull a few items out and began placing them on his desk. One of the items was a small plastic souvenir that he happened across while walking the streets of Gotham. For most who would have bought this cheap plastic paperweight, it would have been a tally mark of famous Gotham locations that have been visited. For Jim, however, it served as a crude, grim reminder of the time and effort put into keeping this city safe. It was a replica of the Bleake Island Gotham City Police Department building with a disproportionate Bat Signal that was half the size of the building it was placed on top of, with an LED light built into it. Gordon never turned the signal on though; in fact, he had broken it as another reminder of the ultimate sacrifice his friend, the Batman, made five years ago to keep his closest allies, including Jim, safe. It had been five long years since the Batman cleaned up Gotham's streets and removed the biggest criminal players by locking them in GCPD's upgraded containment wing.

Jim also had Aaron Cash to thank for the upgrades to the department's containment system. As the thought of Aaron entered his mind, Jim realized he was holding onto the Golden Department Shield and firearm that was presented to him upon his departure from the force. The gilded shield was a token given to all of GCPD's veterans of twenty or more years. Now resting on a plaque, the firearm was more of a personal gift from the department. It was the pistol that rested against his chest all those years spent serving as Gotham's Commissioner. Jim had not put much thought into the significance of these tokens, but as he held them in his hand he couldn't stop himself from grinning. Even at the darkest times Jim never gave up hope that he would be able to make a difference in this city. Sitting there, in that moment, with those mementos in hand, Jim knew he accomplished what he set out to do. He then realized that his new job led to all new possibilities and struggles that held serious consequences for Gotham.

"Mr. Mayor!"

Jim Gordon snapped out of the general haze he had been consumed by since winning the mayoral election. As the fleeting thoughts left Jim's conscience, he focused his attention on his personal assistant sitting across from him at the desk.

Her name was Michele, Shelly for short. Jim wished he could say she was your typical beautiful twenty-something, but she was far from typical. While she was there to look pretty for the cameras, her type of beauty wasn't what one would expect in this line of work. She stood at about Jim's shoulders and had a light complexion that stood out against her long, bottled red hair; it was almost a fire-engine-red accentuated with black streaks. Jim was not a stickler for appearance guidelines anymore, so he didn't mind her choice of hair color or the tattoos that decorated her body. On her chest was an elegant font in a language Jim assumed was French, and her upper left arm was covered in a colorful half sleeve that displayed her love of Halloween and the autumn season. On her right wrist was what looked to be a signature of sorts, but Jim never asked whose it was, and behind her right ear were some tiny music notes that danced down to her neck. She always dressed professionally, with finely tailored pencil skirts and blouses, and when she was in the office she wore thick black-framed reading glasses.

The way Gordon saw it, he was not your conventional politician and, therefore, should not have to pretend to be one. He knew that Shelly was good at her job, and that was all he cared about. Despite her non-conformative appearance, she never ran into trouble with clients and always got her work done in a timely manner. Jim really admired that about her and had grown pretty fond of her throughout the election process.

Jim was very uncomfortable with his new surroundings in the mayoral race. He missed the dark, rough edge that came with being Gotham's Police Commissioner, but Shelly helped him along the transition to the new political office. When in the public eye, Shelly was a miracle worker for Jim and, with little effort, made him shine brighter than Wayne Tower in the Gotham City skyline. Partnering with the Batman and leading GCPD through the many incidents set by the city's "super" villains, Commissioner Gordon was already a hero to the public. Jim, however, did not see it that way; to him, he was just doing his job while trying to protect those who were closest to him. During the election process, Jim had doubted that he could continue on in the race but was put at ease thanks to Shelly's grim determination to give the city of Gotham the mayor it deserved. Despite Jim's lack of persona under the press spotlight, with Shelly's help he managed to win the election by a landslide. Gordon's prolific career also helped solidify his victory against the other candidates. Jim and Shelly had taken Gotham by storm and the buzz surrounding Gordon's victory could be heard all the way to Metropolis.

"I thought I lost you there." Shelly said a little testily. "If you spaced out this much while you were Commissioner, we probably wouldn't be sitting here today."

Reminded by her dark humor and outlook on situations behind closed doors, Jim felt as if he were back at the precinct messing around with the guys. That was why he liked having her around.

"I feel as though I have nothing but time to space out now." Jim answered almost sarcastically. "I'm still just letting it all sink in. Trying to get used to the new title."

"Well that's all fine and dandy but here is where the real work begins. I have a couple of things to run by you if you're done having your moment." his assistant quickly responded.

Jim felt as if sometimes she really did mean to make fun of him but he didn't mind it. It was just that same passive aggressive attitude that put his mindset back in GCPD. He still had some of his belongings in the box between them on the desk but nodded anyway to allow Shelly to continue.

"Okay." She looked down to a clipboard in her hand. "The first thing is actually now the last thing you did as Police Commissioner of Gotham City. Before you retired from your position you had nominated Aaron Cash as your successor to whomever would end up in the Mayor's office. Now that that person is you, you can go ahead and make it official by appointing him the position and allow GCPD to undergo the change of command process."

"Consider it done." Jim said sternly. He had grown fond of Aaron Cash's commitment to the force and his devotion to his family. Having been present at all three major incidents, including the takeover of Arkham Asylum, the events leading to Arkham City's collapse and the night the Batman died, Aaron had proven himself to be a worthy and capable candidate. He had also proven himself invaluable in the renovation of GCPD's retainment cells for the city's so-called "super" villains. Having intimate knowledge of each villain due to his time spent working at the Asylum allowed Cash to cater the containment cells to their strengths and weaknesses. Disregarding the Firefly incident, each villain had successfully been held in captivity. Jim saw that as a sure-fire sign that Aaron was a perfect fit as Commissioner of the new Gotham City. His contemporary edge had made even Jim's tried and true techniques seem outdated in their effectiveness when dealing with Gotham's villains. Jim actually was looking forward to teaming up with Cash to work towards cleaning up the city's streets for good.

"Great. Now the other thing is something I knew you would have liked to be a part of. Certain bills are being passed through the system that call for the reinstatement of Arkham Asylum and the demolition of the Arkham City extension." Shelly continued.

"Damn." Jim grimaced at the mere mention of the locations. "You would think that they wouldn't have waited so long to take care of this problem. It's a damn good thing Cash revamped GCPD, otherwise these crooks would be back out on the streets without Arkham Asylum."

"Exactly, and you are the perfect man for the job. Even if you're not handling the construction yourself, you could make sure the right people are." she responded, almost leading Gordon into his next thought.

"Speaking of the right people, what is Lucius Fox up to these days?" asked Jim.

"The former CEO of Wayne Enterprises? Last I heard, he had stepped down and took an extended vacation shortly after. As far as I know, he's still out of town. I will have our people look into it, though." The young woman looked at her boss with her eyebrows knitted together in mild confusion. She was trying to piece together the connection Jim clearly saw. What would you want from him?"

Jim liked when Shelly asked questions. She had gained his trust through the election and, therefore, he had no problem trying to help her understand his thought process. He would explain from time to time how and why he came to conclusions and what he did to either chase leads down or take care of the situation. This helped her understand how to respond to inquiries when Jim was not around, but it also provided insight into what went on in such a great man's mind.

"Lucius Fox used to work for Mr. Wayne in the Research and Development branch of Wayne Enterprises." he answered. "Making the connection we all now know, where do you think the Batman received all of his useful gadgets?"

Shelly was always interested in what Jim's thoughts were due to her interest in psychology. Her original plan was to get a degree in psychology and work at Arkham Asylum, but after the Joker's takeover, that was no longer a viable option. She always figured studying villains would be more interesting, but she soon found out that combating and dealing with those villains was more up her alley. Shelly soon set out to earn her way into the services of the powerful public servants of Gotham so she could try to make her dent by providing assistance where she could. She eventually earned her way into the office of Mayor Quincy Sharp and there she was passed along until Jim announced his run for office. She instantly submitted her résumé and was noticed by Jim due to his work with the Mayor's office on numerous occasions as Commissioner and, after a short interview, the job was hers.

"Wayne Enterprises' Applied Sciences Division and the Research and Development branch were but small parts of the company as a whole. A short time after the emergence of the Batman, however, those departments were consolidated under one name: Lucius Fox. I have also only come into this information recently." Jim continued. "After I had stepped down as Commissioner and announced my candidacy I received an envelope with the Wayne Enterprises logo at my house. Inside the envelope was an item and a letter. I actually still carry them with me and have them in this box." Gordon reached into the box in front of him and pulled out the thick, padded envelope and opened it. He first pulled out the letter, unfolding the single piece of paper, and showed the company letterhead to Shelly. He then cleared his throat and began to read aloud.

To my dear friend Jim Gordon,

This may come to you some time after my disappearance but I have left instructions with the company to deliver this if you were to announce your candidacy for the Mayor's Office. I had a feeling that after your time as Commissioner ended, you would not be done serving Gotham. The only option available to you at that point would be Mayor. Now that you are reading this, let me get down to the point.

This is an official notification that you have been given full, unrestricted access to Wayne Enterprises records, including personnel, finances and text documents. You will have my personal security level access to the entire company. I am entrusting this information to you in hope that you will use it wisely while serving as Mayor and continue OUR work. Please utilize whatever resource you deem necessary to help ensure this city's safety. Certain contacts of mine and the company's have been notified of this letter and await any questions you may have. I must keep this message brief in order to make all of the necessary preparations to leave town. I do not know how long I will be gone, and we may never speak again. I would just like to say thank you and goodbye.

Your friend,

Bruce Wayne

"So you mean to tell me that Bruce Wayne is still alive and gave you full access to his company?" Shelly sat across from Gordon wide-eyed, her mouth slightly hung open.

It was then that Jim realized that he should have left that last portion out, but he had come to trust her and it was too late to take it back.

"That is what I am lead to believe. You honestly never know with this man, but it would be safe to continue assuming that he is still dead. I did, however, take him up on his offer and went to the company to look into certain things that were bugging me." Jim went on. "When I arrived, I was lead to his old office and was sat at his old desk. I logged into the computer using a retinal scanner, no less, and it actually greeted me as Jim Gordon. I do not even want to know how he got the original retinal scan to match the new one to. This is when I found the connection between Lucius Fox and Batman's gadget supply."

As Jim spoke he reached back into the envelope and pulled out what looked like a stand of sorts. Shelly peered past the thick black frames of her glasses at Gordon quizzically as he then pulled out the trophy. Gordon held the item in his hand and gave Shelly a moment to look it over. To her, it almost resembled a lobster claw. It was black and had two larger points on the ends that came together to give the visage of the pincers. The points did not seem connected but had appeared so on the opposite end of the item. The pincers were attached to a circular piece by portions thinner than the pincers. Both ends of the piece also had sharp edges and a shape to them. When Gordon realized that Shelly still could not figure out what it was he grabbed one of the pincers and gave the item a flick. Like a switch blade, the item sprung itself into place and locked tightly. Gordon then mounted it on the stand by the circular piece in what was now the middle. Shelly could not believe her eyes; it was a Batarang that now lay mounted on Gordon's new desk.

"He... He just gave you one of his Batarangs?" Shelly was still bewildered by Gordon's new trophy. "I thought that when you were on the receiving end of one of those it was not an entirely pleasurable experience?"

"No, it usually isn't. I've put enough thugs away that can attest to that." Gordon chuckled.

"That is incredible!" Shelly exclaimed. "I have never seen one up close. I mean, you always hear of people finding a lost one on the street or stuck in a wall, but when they go and post something online about it - whether they are trying to sell it or not - the Batarangs always end up disappearing one way or another." The corner of the girl's mouth tugged in the start of a half smile as gears began to turn inside her head. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't intrigued by the thought.

"Now don't go and get any bright ideas." Jim said, mocking her for getting lost in her thoughts. "There is something else I would like you to help me with since I'm not good at these kind of things." Jim reached into his box and pulled out the last item. It was a decorative picture frame that Jim turned towards Shelly, revealing Tim Drake and Barbara Gordon next to each other, overlooking the Gotham skyline.

"I want you to help me pick out a suit for my daughter's wedding." Jim said almost pleadingly.

"I can absolutely help you with that, sir." Shelly almost seemed excited to help. "Let me just run to my desk and take care of a few things, like submitting an inquiry at Wayne Enterprises about Mr. Fox, then we can look into that suit for you." As she was finishing the sentence she was already walking out the door.

Jim nestled back into the uncomfortable desk chair and contemplated the ramifications of letting Shelly in on the secret. During his chat with her, the movers had finished bringing everything into the office before he even started reading the letter. The office was now stuffed with filing cabinets and pictures yet to be hung, and Gordon could not care less. He figured he would enjoy the mess while he could before he began his work as Gotham's Mayor. His solace was cut short when his personal phone rang from an unknown caller.

"Um, hello?" Jim hesitated.

"I heard you were looking for me, Mr. Gordon." said the voice on the other line. "It is an honor to speak with you. I take it you have received the letter from our mutual friend?"

Shelly poked her head into the office and said, "I just got off the phone with Wayne Enterprises. They said that they do not have any contact info for..." Jim cut her off.

"Lucius Fox. Just the man I wanted to speak with."