Darkest Knight

Chapter 10: A New Order

"Here are the keys, Mr. Wayne," said a portly real estate dealer in a brown suit as he offered Bruce a fully loaded key ring. "I'm sure you'll make the most of this investment."

"I'm certain I will," Bruce agreed with a smile. He turned his gaze toward the newly acquired apartment building. It was rundown and most of the windows were broken and boarded up, but considering the cheap price Bruce had paid, it was still a bargain.

"How many of these crumbling old buildings are you going to waste money on?" Damien asked when Bruce got back in the car with him.

"I'll show you when we get the office," Bruce answered.

***

Spread over Bruce's desk was a map of the city. Bruce nodded toward the map while he shut the door behind them. "Have a look, Damien. Wayne Enterprises owns everything highlighted in green."

Damien examined the map and the color coding. He turned a stunned gaze on his father. "You own most of Gotham."

"The important parts," Bruce confirmed.

The intercom buzzed, and Bruce answered it. "Yes?"

"Mr. Wayne, the Mayor is here and would like to see you," his secretary reported.

"Send him in," Bruce instructed. He grinned at Damien. "He's going to be mad."

The doors to the office burst open as Mayor Hamlin charged in.

"Wayne!" the red faced politician shouted. "What are you trying to pull?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Mayor," Bruce innocently replied.

"Don't give me that," Hamlin shot back. "You've been buying property all over Gotham. Are you trying to own the whole blasted city?"

"With all due respect, Mr. Mayor, I do own the city," Bruce calmly replied. He gestured to the map. "To be more specific, I own sixty-nine percent of it, including but not limited to the industrial and warehouse districts, the waterfront, and a good portion of the residential areas."

The Mayor halted his accusations and swallowed hard. "What are you planning to do with it all?"

"As you may know, many people in Gotham are unhappy with Batman being in authority," Bruce explained. "The dissatisfied are leaving the city in droves, and the property values are plummeting as a result; it's how I bought everything so cheaply."

"I'm aware of this," Hamlin confirmed.

"What you probably aren't aware of are the sizable numbers of people wanting to move into Gotham," Bruce went on. "There are people outside the city who appreciate Batman taking a harder line with criminals. They're wanting to move in where they're protected from the scum prowling the city. People can walk the streets at night without fearing they're going to be murdered. Rich families don't have to worry about their children getting kidnaped for ransom. Anyone dumb enough to commit a crime in this town gets a visit from Batman, and that is what's keeping Gotham safe. A lot of people want that kind of protection, and I'm providing them a place to live so they can enjoy it."

"You're working with Batman," the Mayor assumed.

"I'm taking advantage of the situation he's creating, as any good businessman would," Bruce corrected. "By investing in the residential areas, I'll have decent places for the new citizens to live after a few renovations. Because I own holdings in the industrial areas and waterfront, I'll have jobs for them as well. In a year, maybe two, I'll earn back every penny I've invested. Afterwards, it'll be straight profit. Tell me, Mr. Mayor, do you want to be in opposition to this progress, or do you want to go down in history as the Mayor who led Gotham to great and new heights?"