The Origin of Gotham

"Indian Hill."

Gordon tried to remember, but even as Police Chief, he knew very little about the place.

He knew it belonged to no one. It was a massive scrapyard where many Nomads lived.

All the land there seemed cursed—even weeds could not survive.

And it was actually the district with the lowest crime rate in all of Gotham. Hardly any criminals came there to make a living.

"Looks like nothing came to mind." Falcone smiled at him and shook his head. It was hard to tell whether he was disappointed or merely wistful. "Would another name give you some ideas? The Indian Hill Paramilitary Zone, perhaps? Or the Gotham City Institute?"

"!!!"

Military and research institute—based on Gordon's experience, he instantly understood what kind of place this was. His pupils involuntarily widened.

At that moment, his only thought was: After all these years, Falcone had gone mad too.

Even though he had never heard those names, he could guess what this place had been used for. Paradise Island might look down on technology, but during its long war with Atlantis, the Amazons naturally used technology to make weapons—either to arm ordinary people or wipe out enemies in large numbers.

Some of those things were probably the sort that would leave Ra's al Ghul silent and move Jester to tears. He just had not expected such a place to exist in Gotham as well.

"Ah, so you did think of something. Good. You're still as sharp as ever. I'm pleased. As you guessed, this was once a research institute specially established here by the Amazon Council to study Biochemical Weapons."

Falcone lightly applauded and gestured for Sofia to sit down as well and listen to him tell the story of Gotham's founding.

"Our city was established in the eighties of the century before last, built jointly by four great families." He slowly walked over to the fireplace, holding his wineglass as he watched the flames flicker. "They were the pioneers of this city. It took nearly ten years, and in 1891, Gotham was completed."

"The four great families were the Wayne family, which little Bliss's mother belonged to; the Kane Family, which her father belonged to; the Elliot family of Thomas, today's Hush; and the Cobblepot Family."

"Well, strictly speaking, aside from the Cobblepot Family, all of our Ten Families came later. Before our ancestors arrived in Gotham, they were merely pitiful people with nowhere to call home."

"I seem to have gone off topic. Ah, let's return to the construction of Gotham. Back then, the four great families were not nearly as wealthy as they are today. At most, they had a little money. Building a small town here would have been possible, but a city? Heh."

"Just when they were short on funds, a political broker from the Amazon Council came knocking with an offer they could not refuse."

"The Amazon Council would fund them in building a city here—or, more precisely, a beachhead on the East Coast against Atlantis."

"Once the city was complete, the four great families could manage it on the Council's behalf, and the Council would not interfere. The Council would build research institutes, military bases, prisons, and temples here, while the four great families would be fully responsible for logistics and supplies within the city."

"Back then, what lay before the four great families was not today's forest of skyscrapers, but a desolate shoal and a small town. There was no way they could refuse such a gift from heaven. So they immediately struck a deal with the envoys and became the Amazon Council's white gloves."

"The city was built, and the Council honored its agreement by handing the city over to them. They, in turn, continuously supplied Gotham's resources to the Council—fish, steel, manpower."

"Your police headquarters, Blackgate Penitentiary, Arkham Asylum, and various other places—haven't you noticed how much they resemble fortresses? That is because they were all built during that era."

"Decades passed, and the nature of war kept changing. Before long, the Council decided it needed a bigger stick to intimidate those creatures in the water. So they bought the graves of the Indians' ancestors and built the Gotham City Institute, intending to eliminate their opponents once and for all in any war that might come."

"What could be more convenient than building a biochemical research institute in a coastal city, where you could simply pour poison directly into the ocean?"

"This is where we are now. I have to say, the imagination of people from the last century leaves even an old man like me in awe. You really ought to see what monsters are above our heads. Heh. They have brought me quite a lot of amusement."

Gordon could no longer sit still. He was burning with anxiety, as though sitting on a bed of nails, constantly shifting on the sofa. "Then what is your purpose, Falcone? You occupied this place—what exactly are you planning to do?"

The old man took a sip of wine and calmly turned around. "My purpose is to give you another chance—to let you build the Gotham you imagined. We gangsters have always relied on society to survive. It is time for us to go legitimate and do something proper."

"Hm?" Gordon truly could not understand Falcone's thinking anymore. In fact, he felt he had never understood him at all.

"Beneath our feet are forty million cubic meters of green liquid. It is a special compound enhanced through magic. Once dissolved in water, it can easily seep through an animal's skin and body, turning any living thing into a corpse. According to the manual, they called it 'Super Sarin.' It was originally meant to be released into the sea during wartime to completely deal with the Atlanteans."

Falcone sat down on the sofa as well, set aside his wineglass, and continued speaking to Gordon with a smile.

"But later, scientists discovered that if all the oceans were polluted, those toxic components would spread across the entire planet through rainfall. The Amazons would not survive either, so this place was abandoned in 1990."

"Just tell me what you plan to do," Gordon pressed.

"I came back this time to use it to cleanse Gotham. Just a little, enough to return it to the way it was when it was first founded—when there was no one here. Gordon, when that time comes, you will be able to build your city however you wish. Once this rain stops, when you walk out of here tomorrow, you will discover that Gotham's light is truly dazzling."

"You seem to have forgotten to mention your daughter. This is her city, isn't it?" Gordon scoffed at the idea while thinking of a way to stop this madness.

Falcone shook his head sternly and raised a hand to cut Gordon off. "No, Gordon. Only you. The new Gotham will revolve around you. Sofia will merely help you manage the darkness. If she were allowed to rule the city, how would that be any different from when our Ten Families ruled it? You promised me that Gotham would be filled with hope. This is for the city's future!"

"Yes, I want Gotham to become better, but not in this way!" Gordon's eyes widened as he repeatedly shook his head.

"Do not be afraid, Gordon. It will be over soon. Everyone in Gotham will die in their sleep without realizing it. There will be no pain at all." Falcone gently took his hand. Both of their skins were equally dry and shriveled. "Gotham's residents are beyond saving. Their hearts are full of madness and darkness. Only by completely clearing them out of Gotham can this city be reborn."

"You're insane, Falcone. You're insane." Gordon pulled back his hand and leaned against the chair. The wavering firelight illuminated all three faces, and only Gordon's was ashen.

Falcone smiled as he returned to his seat. He took a cigar from the box on the table and patiently trimmed it. "No, Gordon. This is not madness. It is something I learned only after arriving in Hong Kong. They have a saying there: 'Live until old, learn until old.' I benefited greatly from it. At last, in the wondrous East, I found a way to cure Gotham—their so-called cutting off one's wrist to save the arm."