Hotel rooms were never spacious for someone who lived in them all year round. They never seemed to change whether at night or in the daytime the always seemed to have the same limited shameful, homelessness feeling. When you didn't have a home though; that's the feeling you became familiar and happy with. The view out the window could have been any city. New York, Los Angeles, Metropolis, any of those city could have been the guess from the image but Gotham at night, that was something special. The true darkness and insanity of the rich city came out. Gorgeous only in it's immense mysteriousness, Gotham city was a good city to be targeted for imperialism. No one really ran it, the mayor was a coward behind desk with his girls and leather chair. The police commissioner was a fool, crime eluded him. Commissioner Ramsey's perception of crime was blinded by the fact that he was unable to fully comprehend the depth of the people who committed them.
The city was without leadership, begging to be taken command of like a submissive woman. There was one: Batman. Though he wasn't a leader he was the image Gotham looked to, not for guidance, but for protection. That's what mattered, people didn't look to their presidents and kings for guidance but for protection, so Gotham couldn't be take over without losing Batman. That was easier said than done though. You just couldn't kill Batman, it was too obvious, too easy. Even if Batman was killed now the people would rally behind his death, then it would probably be impossible for anyone to gain control of these people. Batman would have to be dismissed, and there were a few ways to do that but as of now it wasn't important. Other things had to be done first before-
"Sir…" A voice at the door called. Elliot turned around from the window and smiled at the man at the door. "…I hope I'm not intruding." The man said, he entered the door and closed it holding both hands in front of him.
"No, you aren't…" Elliot clasped his hands together and greeted Chad Brummer with a smile of the eyes. "…I trust you have good news." Elliot said.
"Yes…" Chad answered. "…everything is going well, all the men arrived from the Gotham harbor."
The sky outside was beginning to dim, soon nightfall would come, it would be the third and last day of the full moon and within the week a plan would be unfolded and there would be a new order in Gotham. It was only a matter of time and participants, the great thing was that the participants did not have to be willing to participate, they only needed to act in a standard human fashion, stay alive and one of them would have to die. The smoldering wind that rose from the old Gotham train yards entered the hotel room and drifted about like a curious visitor, the smell of labor, greed, laziness and human nature filled the room for one moment and in that moment Elliot relished it. Somewhere down in the city of dark dreams there were people who were gullible, somewhere in there there were people who were waiting for some change to come along so they could jump on the bandwagon. Human nature needs authority, something to follow even if they didn't believe in it, it just needed to be there. Elliot was going to deliver to the people the thing they wanted, within a week there would be something new, something more profound, something more powerful to follow and to obey. Of course there would have to be some changes, there would have to be a shift in power, someone would have to lose power for Elliot to assume the 'ultimate' power.
"Good…" Elliot said after a long moment of ruminating to himself, the smell of cinder was beginning to retreat from the room, back out the window, back to the ground below where it wouldn't be noticed by the people who have become some use to it. The plebian, the run of the mill, that would be the true downfall of Gotham City. You couldn't bring down Gotham with some elaborate machine or some madman's plan to topple the political powers, it was too complicated, a person could be tricked, but not people. People however; always, willingly gave up freedom when fear became prominent. History had proven it and Elliot would prove it again. "…They needn't be locked away somewhere, they will know when the time comes. They may relax" Elliot explained.
"I will relay that message to them sir, I'm sure they'll be happy to know this, they have had a very long trip." Chad explained, his body remained motionless, he was a statue, a barely living postal card that went from place to place relaying messages without as much as a hint of real emotion. Elliot despised his personality but trusted him, they had worked together for a long time now and there was a lot that had been done and very little left to complete what they had started together. Chad would be there in the end and then there would be nothing more to plan for or seriously think about thereafter. Elliot had a whole team of men behind him but there was one man he wasn't sure about.
"What about him…?" Elliot asked with a hint of suspicion in his voice. The lack of trust was evident, every great plan had one part to it that was not perfect. The Achilles heel of geniuses was always the same thing: Outside parties. "…Is he still cooperating?"
"Yes…" Chad answered simply, the pause lifted into the air like a balloon freshly filled with helium, it hung there and drifted for a moment or two and then Chad took a breath and started again. "…he made contact this morning, he said he had an engagement in Metropolis, but would be here in time to fulfill his contract. He also wanted me to relay that he's still expecting fifteen thousand up front." Chad stretched out the last two words but even with the slight sign of emotion Chad remained still and formal.
"He needn't worry about his money…" Elliot quickly answered, as if he was answering the man himself. "…We will just have to wonder if his expertise is as…" there was a pause from Elliot as he searched for a word. "…high class as he brags." Elliot finished. Chad nodded, even in his lifeless eyes Elliot could see Chad was beginning to bore. The truth was that Elliot was beginning to bore as well, time was moving so slowly. He was so close to the moment of truth and yet it wasn't here yet. It wasn't like him to get anxious, but he was on the verge of greatness, of glory. Fate was beginning to show his happy face towards him. Fate was a man, it was clear, only a man could embrace such an ingenious plan and now was going to be the time where he and fate were going to shake hands and, together, give Gotham something it has been missing for years. Something that it was screaming to have once more, and Elliot could hardly wait to give it to them in the most ruthless and cunning way he could.
"You may go Chad, enjoy your stay in Gotham, the next week will be tumultuous." Elliot commanded, Chad bowed slightly and left the room. Elliot smiled for a long moment to himself. Once more Gotham would have the thing it lacked the most: merciless, ruthless and relentless order.