Multiverse: Deathstroke

Chapter 31: Ch.30 Origins of Gotham

"Indian Hill."

Gordon tried his best to recall, but even as the Police Commissioner, his knowledge of the place was quite limited.

He knew it wasn't under anyone's control and that it was just a massive junkyard with many homeless people living there.

And he also knew that the land seemed cursed; not even weeds could grow.

Hmm... And also, it actually had the lowest crime rate in all of Gotham. Hardly any criminals came there to make a living.

"It seems like you haven't figured it out." Falcone smiled at him, shaking his head, unsure whether it was out of disappointment or contemplation. "How about I give you another name that might ring a bell? Something like the Indian Hill Paramilitary Zone? Or maybe the Gotham Research Facility?"

"!!!"

Military and research facility? With Gordon's experience, he instantly understood what kind of place this was, and his pupils dilated involuntarily.

At that moment, his only thought was: After all these years, Falcone has gone mad.

Even if he hadn't heard those names before, he could still guess what this place was for. Although Themyscira looked down on technology, in their long war with Atlantis, the Amazons naturally used technology to create weapons, either to arm ordinary people or to wipe out enemies on a large scale.

Some of these were things that would leave Ra's al Ghul speechless and bring tears of joy to the Joker, but he never imagined such a place would exist in Gotham.

"Ah, it seems like you've figured something out. Good, still as sharp as ever. I'm pleased. As you suspected, this place was once a special research facility set up by the Amazon Council specifically for biochemical weapons," Falcone said with a light clap of his hands, signaling Sofia to sit down and listen to him explain the origins of Gotham.

"Our city was established in the 1880s by four founding families," he said as he quietly walked to the fireplace, holding his wine glass, watching the flames flicker inside. "They were the pioneers of this city, and it took nearly ten years. By 1891, Gotham was completed."

"The four families were: the Wayne family, to which young Bruce's mother belonged; the Kane family, to which her father belonged; the Elliot family, today represented by 'Hush' Thomas; and, of course, the Cobblepot family."

"Hmm, strictly speaking, except for the Cobblepot family, we of the Ten Families were all latecomers. Before our ancestors arrived in Gotham, we were just a bunch of homeless, unfortunate people."

"I seem to have digressed. Ah, let's get back to the building of Gotham. Back then, the four families weren't as wealthy as they are today. At best, they had some money. They could've built a small town, but a city? Tsk, tsk."

"When they ran out of funds, political lobbyists from the Amazon Council came to them with an offer they couldn't refuse."

"The Amazon Council would fund them to build a city here, or more precisely, to build a bridgehead on the East Coast against Atlantis."

"When the city was completed, the four families could manage it on the Council's behalf without interference. The Council needed research facilities, military bases, prisons, and temples built here, and the four families were responsible for all logistics and supplies, within the city itself."

"At that time, what lay before the four families was not the skyscrapers of today, but a barren beach and a small town. They couldn't possibly refuse such a pie falling from the sky, so they struck a deal with the emissaries and became the Amazon Council's white gloves."

"The city was built, and the Council kept their promise, handing the city over to them. And they, in turn, continued to provide Gotham's supplies to the Council, such as fish, steel, and manpower."

"Your police station, Blackgate Prison, Arkham Asylum, and other such places—don't they feel like fortresses to you? That's because they're all from that era of construction."

"Decades passed, and the nature of warfare changed. Soon, the Council felt they needed a bigger stick to threaten those creatures underwater. So they bought the Indian ancestors' burial ground and built the Gotham Research Facility, intending to once and for all eradicate their enemies in a potential war."

"What's more convenient than building a biochemical research facility in a coastal city, so you can directly pour the poison into the sea?"

"That's where we are now. I must say, those people of the last century had an imagination that even I, an old man, find breathtaking. You should see the creatures above us; they've given me quite a bit of entertainment."

Gordon was already restless. His anxiety felt like he was sitting on a bed of nails, squirming in the chair: "So, Falcone, what is your goal? You've occupied this place—what are you planning?"

The old man took a sip of his wine, turned around calmly, and said, "My goal is to give you another chance, to let you build the Gotham you envision. We gangsters have always relied on society to live; it's time for us to clean up and do some legitimate business."

"Huh?" Gordon truly couldn't understand Falcone's intentions anymore. In fact, he felt he never really understood them at all.

"Beneath us lies 40 million cubic feet of green liquid, a special compound enhanced by magic. Once dissolved in water, it can easily penetrate animal skin and tissue, turning living beings into corpses. According to the manual, they called it 'Super Sarin,' originally intended to be deployed in the sea to completely wipe out the Atlanteans."

Falcone sat down on the sofa, set his glass down, and continued smiling at Gordon:

"But then science discovered that if all the seas were polluted, these toxic elements would spread across the entire Earth through rainwater, and the Amazons wouldn't survive either. So, in 1990, this place was abandoned."

"Just get to the point," Gordon pressed.

"This time I've returned to use them to cleanse Gotham, just a little, to bring it back to its early days, when it was empty and uninhabited. Gordon, then you can rebuild your city as you please. When this storm ends and you walk out of here tomorrow, you'll see Gotham's light shining so brightly."

"It seems you've forgotten about your daughter. Isn't this supposed to be her city?" Gordon scoffed at the idea, while also thinking of ways to stop this madness.

Falcone shook his head seriously, raising his hand to interrupt Gordon. "No, Gordon, it's only you. The new Gotham will be centered around you. Sofia will only assist you in managing the darkness. If she were to govern the city, how would that be any different from when the Ten Families ruled? You promised me to make Gotham a place of hope. This is for the future of the city!"

"Yes, I want Gotham to be better, but not like this!" Gordon widened his eyes, shaking his head repeatedly.

"Don't be afraid, Gordon. It'll be over soon. Everyone in Gotham will die peacefully in their sleep, without any pain." Falcone gently took his hand, their skin both dry and brittle. "The people of Gotham are beyond saving. Their hearts are filled with madness and darkness. Only by completely cleansing them out of Gotham can this city be reborn."

"You're insane, Falcone. You're insane." Gordon pulled his hand away, leaning back into the chair. The flickering firelight illuminated their faces, with only Gordon's looking pale and ashen.

Falcone smiled as he returned to his seat, taking a cigar from the box on the table and carefully trimming it. "No, Gordon, this isn't madness. This is something I learned in Hong Kong. They have a saying there, 'Live and learn.' I learned a lot there. I finally found a way to cure Gotham in the mystical East. They call it 'cutting off a limb to save the body.'"