Ririko braced both hands on the table and said slowly:
"How long can you hide? A week? A month? You might as well step out and draw them all out at once."
Oswald's expression shifted.
He thought it was easy for her to talk when she wasn't the one hurting. No, her back really didn't hurt right now. His did.
He cleared his throat and asked patiently, "What exactly are you getting at?"
Ririko brushed aside a stray lock of hair by her ear:
"Hold a press conference. Treat this attack as a harmless joke, then keep attending public events as usual. Once the Court of Owls sees you still out and about, they'll naturally send a second wave."
Oswald narrowed his eyes at her, deeply suspicious of her motives:
"Did you take out a massive accident insurance policy on me and name yourself as the beneficiary?"
Ririko gave him a seductive smile, stood up, and reached out to smooth down his tousled hair.
"You need to let everyone know that, as Gotham City Mayor, you will never back down in the face of evil.
Besides... doesn't Gotham still have Batman to step in and clean things up?"
The moment Oswald heard the name "Batman," his face fell:
"Who wants that flying rat protecting me! Since when has Cobblepot been pathetic enough to rely on that ridiculous man in tights to save his life?"
Ririko kept egging him on. "Even without him, you have so many men working for you, all hired with good money. Surely they can stop a few assassins?"
Oswald weighed it up.
He knew perfectly well that hiding forever was no solution.
He still wanted to remain mayor and keep making moves on Gotham's chessboard. If a few assassins sent by the Court of Owls could