He Faked His Death, So I Faked Mine Too

The next day, at the Gotham City Police Department.

"A criminal gang in the East End has already taken in the Maroni Family's fleeing foot soldiers?" Gordon froze. "How is that possible?"

"I thought it was strange too," Officer Harvey Bullock said with a nod.

"Could it be the Falcone family?" Gordon asked.

"No. The evidence against the Falcone family has already been submitted to the court. They've got enough trouble of their own," Harvey Bullock said. "My informant hasn't reached the gang's leadership yet, but he's learned one thing: The leaders wear masks."

"Masks?" Gordon couldn't place them. Gotham City had gangs of every description, and none of them cared much about originality.

After the Red Hood Gang fell, for example, a crop of small gangs had sprung up to ride its coattails: the Purple Hood Gang, the Black Hood Gang, and the Green Hood Gang.

Then the thin-skinned Joker had come calling, and they had all promptly vanished from sight.

Not that the Joker had done much to them. He had merely taken them to a chemical plant and dyed each of them in multicolored, glow-in-the-dark patterns that would never wash off.

That night, Gotham City gained a new urban legend: walking, glowing poison mushrooms.

"I'm arranging for an informant to infiltrate them, but it'll take time," Harvey Bullock said. "I suspect they're Mob from another city. Otherwise, I can't explain how their leader has enough trusted men to control the East End."

"Maybe. But my gut tells me he could be an even bigger problem than Maroni."

Crime Alley.

After the fall of the Maroni Family, a new ruler had risen here at an astonishing pace.

Black Mask. Roman Sionis.

"Boss, the man you told us to find returned to Gotham City today."

"Oh... Tommy..." A chilling