Riding in a car arranged by the intelligence agents, Steve arrived at the Gotham City Police Departnt. But as soon as he walked into the station, he could imdiately feel how different Gotham was from New York.
Though both were coastal, economically developed cities in New York State, the atmosphere here was nothing like the one in New York. What had been hidden in the streets outside was openly on display inside Gotham PD. The darkness was laid bare before Steve.
The officer at the front desk had a lazy, indifferent attitude. He wouldn’t work seriously unless given a little bribe. To get his arrival ssage passed to Commissioner Gordon, Steve had to spend a hundred dollars as a "service fee.”
Just to get soone to pick up a phone and say a few words, they could pocket a hundred dollars in corruption money. And that was just the tip of the iceberg.
Thanks to his heightened senses, Steve overheard more disturbing things. So officers were secretly working with gangs. In exchange for slowing down their response tis, the gangs would agree not to bother civilians and would split a portion of the profits with the officers on duty.
"Doesn’t anyone do anything about this?" Steve muttered after he was led to Gordon’s office. With his personality, he simply couldn’t accept the level of corruption in the GCPD.
"If you don’t want the Gotham Police Departnt to be completely dismantled, it’s best not to have thoughts like that."
Steve hadn’t expected that while he was talking to himself, Gordon had already walked in after receiving the news.
"Huh? Commissioner Gordon, what do you an by that?"
Though he’d been caught speaking his mind, Steve didn’t try to hide it. He asked the question directly.
"The reason is simple. Gotham was born in darkness. It’s built on it."
That answer didn’t sit well with Steve.
"No matter how dark it is, shouldn't we still try to break through it?"
Gordon gave a nod, but then he asked a more serious question.
"Then here's the problem: who has the power to break through the darkness in Gotham? You need to understand, Gotham is very different from other cities. Its very foundation was built by a group of families."
Because of Gotham’s unique history, its situation couldn’t be compared to nearby cities like New York.
"Gotham was created by four major families. While there are other cities in Arica with similar origins, ford around one or more powerful families, what makes Gotham different is that its founding families never fell. Over ti, three of the four major families, along with many other big and small families that rose afterward, have all fallen into darkness. Only the Wayne family still stands for the light of Gotham."
It wasn’t that the people of this city didn’t long for the light. The fact that they built the Thomas Bridge after Thomas Wayne’s death to honor the philanthropist proved that ordinary citizens of Gotham still held on to kindness and justice in their hearts.
But the four families that had remained standing for centuries, along with the other families that erged during Arica's developnt, were the true powers ruling Gotham.
In New York, people could force the governnt to make concessions through protests. But in Gotham, that wasn’t an option. All the people could do was pin their hopes on the Wayne family.
"When a city’s mayor is backed by the leader of a massive criminal gang, can you imagine what kind of place that is? When a city’s prosperity is built upon shadows, do you know what kind of sacrifice it would take to tear that darkness apart? How much power would it require to truly change it?"
Gordon was giving Steve a glimpse into Gotham’s reality, at the sa ti, he was also reinforcing his own belief.
He knew he didn’t have the strength to change everything in this city, but he would never stop trying.
"Okay, there’s no need to dwell on the small stuff. The famous Captain Arica visiting the GCPD surely isn’t just for sightseeing. So let’s get to the point."
Gordon tried to steer the conversation back. But Steve stood silently for a mont, then bowed his head.
"I’m sorry, Commissioner Gordon. I may be called Captain Arica, but even I can’t do anything about this."
He was apologizing for being powerless to change Gotham. Because the instant he realized that the city’s darkness wasn’t caused by just one or two culprits, but was the result of choices made by everyone in Gotham, he understood that changing the city wasn’t sothing a single hero could accomplish. Not even a symbol like him.
Hearing Steve's apology, Gordon was montarily stunned. Then he nodded slightly, finally accepting this Captain Arica that Vought had suddenly brought onto the scene.
In truth, ever since Vought introduced their heroes, Gordon had little faith in any of them. Living in Gotham, battling gangs alongside Batman and Harvey every day, he had seen what real heroes looked like, and what true lawlessness really ant. Vought’s heroes, to him, had always been nothing but hollow symbols.
But Captain Arica changed his view. While he too couldn’t solve Gotham’s problems, there was no doubt he had the heart of a true hero.
"Alright, Captain. Gotham’s troubles will be handled in Gotham’s way. Now, why don’t you tell why you ca all the way from New York."
“Sure."
Steve nodded, already deciding that after he returned, he would talk to Vought and see if sothing could be done for Gotham.
"I want to et Batman."
* * *
Not long after, the Bat-Signal lit up once again on the rooftop of the GCPD. It was the first ti it had ever been used for sothing unrelated to cri.
But what neither Steve nor Gordon expected was that the first person to arrive wasn't Batman; it was Harvey Dent.
"Gordon, there shouldn’t be any major gang activity tonight. Are we calling Batman over small stuff like petty robberies now?"
"Harvey?" Gordon looked surprised. "I thought you already went ho to rest. Why are you back at the station?"
As a district attorney, Harvey didn’t work out of the police station. But to make sure he wasn’t targeted by so short-sighted street gangs, his movents were always monitored by the police. So Gordon knowing where he was wasn’t unusual.
"I was reviewing so case files and made a few new discoveries. I figured I’d drop them off. Then I saw the Bat-Signal lit up. But judging by the situation, it looks like it was for Captain Arica here."
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