Chapter Text
Notes & Observations (Gotham Project) - Year 3 - November
Saturday, November 2
It’s been twenty-three years since the murder of my parents, and there are still no breaks in their case. Falcone’s last words haunt me, his promise/threat that everything he knew about the night of their murder would be buried with him. I doubt he believed his entire family was to follow him to the grave in the months to come; an entire home flooded with deadly carbon monoxide without warning, killing the key members of the Falcone syndicate in minutes. Word on the street was that Carmine’s daughter took over for a short time before being captured and imprisoned in Arkham. With the head of the Maroni Crime Family lying dead of a heart attack during a physical altercation in his own crime lab, along with Salvator Maroni’s wife and his heir burned to death, there was a power vacuum in Gotham.
The city is tearing itself apart as if the flood allowed humanity to release its animalistic instincts. Morals and decency fell by the wayside as people fought for survival.
Things are worse now; crime is up nearly 40%. Murder or suspected murders are up 10%. Unemployment was at its highest with the flood shuttering businesses; even the money offered by FEMA wasn’t enough to rebuild.
Batman is always watching from the shadows, but it’s not enough. I cannot be everywhere in this big city. Not when the snakes now attack in the light – uncaring of maintaining their anonymity. Nearly half of the crimes are now available to watch on social media – the perps egging each other on and escalating without end. It’s making it easier on GCPD, but harder on the victims as their pain is reduced to commentary. People are cruel.
In one month, the local high school had been shut down four times due to threats of school shootings. Weapons are too readily available; Riddler’s fringe group of 500 evidently included a small group of teenagers barely able to get their licenses to drive – nonetheless having access to AR-15’s.
It feels hopeless.
The impact of Batman wasn’t what I intended. I intended the project to be short-term – a couple of years at the most; yet I cannot stop until things are better.
Alfred convinced me to try another way; Use the Wayne name and fortune to offer employment, healthy wages, and a positive work environment to help the city rebuild. For those I’ve employed, I do see my employee’s lives improve; but unlike others in my economic tier, I know the wealth is not ‘trickling down’ to those in poverty. We don’t live in a socialist society; wealth is hoarded and those who do donate to help those in poverty pose publicly for the kudos. Of course, the charities have their expenses – so the amount shared barely keeps the lights on.
Bruce Wayne is now another cover, (much like ‘Matches’ Malone or GrubHub delivery guy) much to Alfred’s disappointment. An airhead CEO who can be led around by false flattery and a pretty face.
I don’t know what else to try. I need another way. There has to be another way.