Gotham City Hall was a gruesome crime scene, made all the more chaotic by the media circus behind it. The police and first responders were having a difficult time keeping the press and protestors away from the display. Gotham's Crime Scene Investigative unit and Forensics Department had tried their best to analyze the environment surrounding the hung bodies of Sionis and Zsasz while the cops did their best to hide the display from onlookers.
Public opinion had been long divided in Gotham with regard to vigilantism; for nearly two decades, the mainstream press wrote Batman off as being an urban legend, a superstitious folktale that had circulated throughout the internet and the Gotham underworld in order to scare its citizens into obeying the law. In recent years, Batman's existence was more widely corroborated, with the very public actions of the Justice League, an unsanctioned group of super-powered individuals led by the Superman of Metropolis. The League had collectively saved Earth from extraterrestrial threats like the White Martians, the cybernetic organism known as the Brain Interactive Construct (also dubbed "Brainiac" in the press), and the recent invasion from the intergalactic despot and warlord Darkseid. Despite millions of casualties during these events, the world had largely embraced Superman and the Justice League as noble protectors of humanity, and most of the press had acknowledged Batman's existence and role in the organization, despite his mysterious nature.
Still, one thing that had remained constant was the state of Gotham City, New Jersey. Critics had felt that the Gotham City Police Department had been, at best, woefully inadequate and understaffed, and at worst, hopelessly corrupt. While Gotham was one of the most populated American cities, it was also infamous for having one of the highest violent crime rates in the world. Protestors at City Hall and Police Headquarters had become commonplace in the aftermath of the Darkseid War; some calling for police reform, others calling for the police to be abolished outright, and fringe groups both for and against Batman and his team of allies, which the press had dubbed the "Gotham Knights." The press wasn't sure what to make of the garish display that evening. Protestors had lined the streets, feeling that Batman and his team had gone too far, while others thought that this was a long time coming, and that Batman had not been going far enough.
Commissioner James Gordon was overseeing the crime scene personally, joined by three of his most trusted colleagues, Lieutenant Harvey Bullock, Sergeant Renee Montoya, and Detective Crispus Allen. Bullock in particular was critical of Gordon's working relationship with Batman over the years, and was known for being a hothead. Despite their differences and Bullock's gruff demeanor, Gordon knew that Bullock was one of the few honest cops he could trust. Like Gordon, Montoya and Allen couldn't publicly condone the use of vigilante justice in Gotham, but recognized that Batman and his team were a necessary evil. The veteran detectives recognized that publicly displaying the bodies of two dangerous crime lords was not something that Batman or his team had been known for.
"Twenty years on the job, and I thought I've seen everything," Bullock opined, "We've seen him gift-wrap these scumbags for us before, but this is something else."
"It's not him, Harvey," Gordon retorted, "Clearly someone is trying to make it look like he had something to do with this."
"Could be copycats, like some of those cult groups that have been springing up lately," Allen suggested.
"Doesn't match up with the M.O. of the Sons of Batman," Montoya retorted, citing one of the more well-known communities of Batman supporters in recent months, "They're mostly peaceful…and even the ones who aren't wouldn't be clever enough to pull this off."
"Check this out, boss," Bullock addressed Gordon as some of the forensics unit presented various pieces of paraphernalia they had come to recognize over the years in plastic containers. Playing cards, two-sided coins, manuscripts made of cut-out newspaper articles and magazine clippings with large question marks decorating them, Scarecrow dolls, and other iconography associated with some of Gotham's most infamous criminals.
"It looks like a Greatest Hits list of all the psychos we've put away in Arkham over the years," Bullock observed, "Last I checked, most of them are still in the looney bin, so I doubt it's some sort of group thing."
"There's still one inmate who we haven't accounted for," Montoya reminded Bullock.
"This looks like something he might do, but we've seen him do a lot worse," Bullock replied, referencing the Joker. "Besides, we don't even know if he's still alive." The detectives continued to discuss the situation when a familiar distorted, artificially-modulated voice interrupted them.
"Anything is possible when it comes to the Joker," Batman said, emerging from the shadows of a nearby alley on the corner where the detectives were standing. Years ago, Bullock might have drawn his gun instantly, but he had been around long enough to be largely unfazed by the Dark Knight's unexpected. Still, he wasn't pleased to see the legendary vigilante.
"Well, looks like you got a present, Bats," Bullock said sarcastically, motioning towards the bodies of Sionis and Zsasz, which had since been lowered and placed into body bags, "I can't say I'm all that sad to see those two go, but I didn't think you had it in you!"
"I didn't," Batman coldly replied as he inspected the evidence. "Clearly someone wanted to send a message to me."
"We've seen bloody playing cards, mock Two-Face coins, and even fake riddles," Gordon observed, "Last I checked, Dent and Nashton are still in Arkham, and the feds have been keeping Harley Quinn in Belle Reve. We never did find the Joker's body after that Red Hood character showed up back in February."
"Black Mask and Zsasz had their share of enemies, but this all feels too obvious," Batman replied, looking at the paraphernalia of some of his more colorful adversaries from years past. "Whoever did this wanted to get my attention but it feels more like a diversion. Most likely a sign of something on a larger scale."
"Or you've managed to inspire other wackos to put on masks and do our jobs for us," Bullock argued, "Seems like every other week I hear about you and the 'Gotham Knights' getting more people to play dress up and do something stupid." Bullock was losing his patience before several other figures came out of the same dark alley. Robin, Nightwing, Orphan, and the Spoiler slowly emerged from the dark, flanking their mentor.
"Bullock, you silver-tongued devil," Nightwing replied with a mischievous grin, "You really know how to flatter a gal."
"Yuk it up, punk," Bullock shot back growing heated, "People are dying and all evidence points to you weirdos so far. If it were up to me, you'd all be in Arkham with the rest of the freaks!"
"That's enough, Harvey," Gordon chastised his longtime colleague, "As far as Arkham goes, we need to send a unit down there ASAP. Whatever is going on here, there's a good chance that Arkham could be targeted next."
Suddenly their conversation was interrupted by the sound of a massive explosion from the other side of town.
"It's already happening," Montoya gasped in horror as police radios indicated that the explosion came from Arkham Asylum. Amidst the chaos, Batman and his young partners had disappeared from view into the shadows before Gordon and the rest of the cops could react.