Batman: Hero of Gotham

51- The Maniac Mayor

Roof of City Hall, 9:12 PM.

"I don't know if that was the right thing to do. Why did I do that?" Harvey paced around the roof of City Hall, fidgeting with a quarter. "Don't screw this up, Harvey!" Two-Face talked. Suddenly, Bruce appeared. 

"Harvey, we need to talk." Bruce said.

"If you've come to save your home, you're wasting your time." Harvey responded. "My mind is made up."

"I have always supported you. You were my friend!" Bruce exclaimed.

"Tell me, Bruce. Were you thinking about our 'friendship' when you were fucking Selina?!"

"Look, I know you're still pissed off at me for sleeping with Selina, I get that. But this has to stop. Now." 

"Gotham deserves a Mayor that can focus on cleaning up this city." Two-Face spoke. "That's why I'm taking your money, your home, everything. It's time that you started paying your debt to Gotham. The value of your estate-- it could be used to do a lot of good."

"Believe me, Harvey. I've been paying them for my whole life. I have nothing left to give."

"I'll be the judge of that. The deal is done. A strong leader doesn't back down. When they see an enemy-- they crush them-- without hesitation." Two-Face took out a walkie-talkie. "I made a promise to this city that I would make it better. That I would weed out the crime and corruption."

"You're not a leader. All you do is drum up fear hoping that people will line up and hide behind you. And nothing you do to me will change that."

"If that were true, I wouldn't be able to do what's necessary to take out the Children of Arkham."

"What are you talking about?" A voice came on the walkie-talkie that Two-Face was holding.

"Ready to go." The voice said.

"Do it." Two-Face ordered. Next, a deafening eruption came from the city. Bruce turned around and saw an explosion of fire in the distance of the city.

"What the hell did you do?" Bruce asked Harvey, shocked. Two-Face ignored Bruce.

"Are Lady Arkham's drugs destroyed?" Two-Face asked on the walkie-talkie. 

"Aw man...that blast was way bigger than you said! We must have taken out a whole city block with it!" The voice on the radio talked. "We lost a bunch of our own guys, the apartment next door! Jesus Christ!"

"We stopped the Children of Arkham, that's all that matters." Two-Face didn't care that he was a murderer and psychopath. He then turned off the radio. "That's what a leader does."

"Does a leader kill innocent people?! You're a murderer now!"

"Their deaths are unfortunate, but think about everyone the Children of Arkham could have hurt with those drugs - That feels like an acceptable price to pay. I couldn't just destroy the drugs - I had to make a statement! I needed the Children of Arkham and any other potential enemies waiting in the shadows to know what I'm capable of! That I'll do anything to protect this city! That I am the Hero of Gotham!"

"After what you did tonight, everyone in Gotham is going to see who they really elected mayor. When that happens, they will turn against you."

"On the contrary, Bruce, this is what Gotham wanted. I can see tomorrow's headlines already-- 'Hero Mayor Saves Citizens from Children of Arkham Terror Plot!' Meanwhile, somewhere in the back, they'll stick the article about 'Bruce Wayne's tragic suicide'."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"All the shame you've suffered was just too much for you to bear. Your family's history. Getting forced out of your company. Losing all of your money...no one will question finding you dead in Crime Alley, the same place the rest of your disgusting family died. Tragic but unsurprising. Hell, maybe even dear old Alfred will shed a tear." Bruce, in anger, punched Harvey in the face, forcing him to the ground. Bruce got on top of him and kept punching until two of Harvey's police officers dragged Bruce off of Harvey. "I hope that was satisfying for you. That's the last one you get. Goodbye, Bruce." The police officers pointed their guns at Bruce and led him out of the building and into an alley which was ironically Crime Alley. 

"Just keep walking and shut up." One of the officers said.

"Please...why are you doing this?" Bruce asked.

"Hey! He said shut up." The other officer said.

"You're cops! You're supposed to be protecting people and keeping them safe. Is this really what your badge stands for?" Bruce asked.

"This is how we're protecting people." The original officer said. "The Children of Arkham are trying to tear Gotham apart. We're saving it."

"Yeah. We've finally got a leader who wants results." The other one said.

"Harvey's not going to save Gotham. He's going to destroy it!"

"No. No, he won't!" The second officer said. 

"Look at what he's already done tonight! Do you think that's going to be the last city block he blows up to get his way?"

"I hadn't thought about it that way." The second officer scratched his head.

"Hey! Don't listen to his crap!" The first officer shouted. "The Mayor is the only one brave enough to take real action against our enemies."

"Your Mayor just blew up a city block!" 

"Sometimes to help the greater good, there's a price to pay!" The second officer raised his gun again.

"People died! Your fellow officers died!"

"But--"

"If you think that's where he's gonna stop, you're just as crazy as he is!"

"Maybe he has a point, man." The second officer said to the first officer. The first officer turned to the second officer. 

"Shut up!" The first officer then shot him in the face. Bruce's eyes widened as the first officer pushed Bruce to the ground. "You just don't get it! You don't understand! That's why I'm gonna take you out!"

"You know I'm telling the truth and I know you're hearing me!" Bruce then heard Gordon shout from out of nowhere.

"Officer! Drop your weapon!" Gordon shouted at the officer who had his gun pointed at Bruce. The officer pointed his gun at Gordon. Bruce grabbed the officer's gun from out of his hands. Gordon then shot the officer in the head. "You okay?" Gordon asked Bruce. 

"Yeah. You really showed up in the nick of time." Bruce said. "How'd you even find me? Dent just blew up a whole city block!"

"I know, I know. The reports I've been hearing are just awful. Dent's gone way too far.He's supposedly trying to stop the Children of Arkham. But now he's become a goddamn terrorist himself! A terrorist with half the city's support behind him! The amount of blood on his hands is probably equivalent to the amount of blood on Lady Arkham's hands."

"I just don't understand how this could happen. He's not emperor, he's just mayor!"

"He's declared martial law - Basically whatever he says goes as long as he sees it's good for the city.I can't help but feel guilty. Batman gave me the information on where to find Lady Arkham's drug stockpile. I hand it in to my superiors and this happens. I'm trying to figure out what I can do to help, but I feel like my hands are tied every direction I turn. Grogan's out for Batman's head - As soon as he can figure out a way to do it. I've never felt this frustrated with the system in my entire career."

"Sounds to me like you're already on the right path - Weeding  the bad seeds out of the Department, cutting down the 'Enforcers'."

"Yeah, I just hope it'll be enough. Everything is such a goddamn mess. Do you need a ride?"

"Thanks, but I've got it taken care of." Bruce said goodbye to Gordon and got to his car to get to the Batcave.