Rising Robin

Chapter XXXIX: The Show

Dick peeked out of the doorway that led to the alleyway. Nobody noticed Dick. Dick turned behind him to see Jason holding his rifle in preparation for any trouble. Dick nodded towards the crowd with his head. "Try to avoid being detected by the crowd. Search the surrounding buildings for the gas. I'm gonna head for the rooftops & see if I see anything from above."

Jason nodded & followed Dick out of the alley. Jason ran down the alley into another building, searching the premises. Dick sighed. He hoped that nothing bad would happen to Jason.

Dick glanced up, examining his route to reach the top of the building. Dick glanced to his side & saw a dumpster. He leaped up onto the top of the dumpster & climbed up onto a nearby fire escape. He began climbing up the railings, & made his traveling easier by leaping across various gaps within the fire escapes. Eventually, one gap was to high to reach. Dick glanced up. The ledge was only a few feet away. Dick steadied himself, & leaped upwards, grabbing onto the edge of the rooftop with his fingers. Dick hoisted himself up over the edge & stood up. Piece of cake.

Dick made his way across the rooftop, standing over the Mayor & his protective detail. The Mayor had just finished explaining the ongoing work to finish up the recent construction projects around town. Mayor Quincy Sharp cleared his throat. "I, uh...would also like to talk about something else for a moment," Mayor Sharp started. "I understand that most of you are probably thinking one thing to yourself right now, & that is that this city is no longer safe. After some of the events that took place in this city over the course of the last few months, that is not an unfair statement to make. After the damage in the Old Gotham district, then the attack on the Olympus Hotel, the coffee shop in the Upper East Side district, & of course, the Gotham City Academy."

Dick felt his chest grow heavy. He was present in each of those attacks. He felt more responsible for the damage than anyone else. Dick should have done more to save those lives. He should have done more to save this city from Nolan Drake. Now was possibly his last chance to finally do something.

"Then, one night, there was another attack on another private property," Mayor Sharp explained. "The Iceberg Lounge, one of this city's most elite nightlife spots, was attacked. The owner, Mr. Oswald Cobblepot, experienced firsthand what the rest of the city has experienced: loss, tragedy, & fear. A man of a good heart, who has given everything to this city, & has done so much for the city government in fundings, has taken a low hit from Gotham City's most notorious. It is tragic, indeed, but just as he is doing now, the rest of us must be strong." Mayor Sharp glanced to his side, then back into the audience. "Please give a warm welcome for Mr. Oswald Cobblepot," he announced, raising his hands together to clap.

The rest of Gotham joined the Mayor in welcoming Cobblepot, watching as he walked onto the stage. He limped across the stage in an odd manner, almost resembling a penguin. Dick watched as Cobblepot approached the microphone. "Thank you, Mayor Sharp," Cobblepot said. He turned to the audience. "Crime is currently at an all time high here in Gotham. Police have reported more muggings, robberies, & murders than ever before. But this isn't news, now, is it? Gotham City has always been this cruel. The only difference between crime 30 years ago & today's crime is the creativity. People are blowing places up in the city, almost as though they are taking notes from the Taliban. Some criminals even take on their own personas, dressing up in costumes, but plotting even more diabolical plans than the man before him. Someone must do something about this, ladies & gentlemen." Cobblepot glanced towards Mayor Sharp, who smiled back at him. "Because some people aren't."

In one swift motion, Cobblepot removed a pistol from inside of his coat & shot the Mayor in the face. The whole moment felt frozen, but loud cries echoed throughout the streets. Dick rose up, seeing the Mayor's body crumble down onto the ground. "I'm moving in!" Dick cried.