See No Evil: The Investigation (ch. 58) (Patreon)

"Alpha team, you're on the string of assassinations," Nightwing informed them, though Megan knew him better as Dick Grayson. Behind him was a projected screen that had detailed information about over thirty murders that happened immediately after the quake in Gotham. A map of Gotham showed where each one took place, or at least where the body was found, along with the estimated time of death and how they were killed. The murders stood out compared to the widescale gang shootings and riots -- the murders were obviously assassinations.

Key players whose gangs ended up collapsing before they could get a grip on their territory in Gotham. Who committed the assassinations was unknown. From the evidence, it seemed likely that there were two assassins or more, given how prolific the murders were and the fact that some kills were done with bladed weapons and others with guns.

Megan's gaze drifted to Alpha squad -- Jason as Robin, Cassandra Sandsmark as Wonder Girl, and Garfield as Beast Boy. It was a solid team for an investigation. Jason's talents for detective work, Garfield as a means of tracking and picking up details otherwise missed, and Cassandra as a powerhouse for when they encountered the assassin, should she be needed.

"Information is limited. What we do know is that these people were targeted specifically, and in the wake of their death, several parties benefited -- William Holden, formerly a top lieutenant in the Two-Face Mob. They've kept a low profile since Harvey Dent's death, but they didn't disband. Quite the opposite -- what's now known as the Holdover Mob, has been expanding in numbers and in territory. Significantly." Pictures came up of a man in his early thirties -- brown hair, blue eyes, handsome.

"In no time at all, they came out of hiding and now have a firm grasp on the Cauldron. At the same time, another gang swiftly rose to prominence -- The Street Kings, officially led by Marcus Green, but intel paints his mother, Anna Green, as the real leader behind the gang. Started small, then in recent months, out of nowhere, they've started hitting way above their weight class. After the quake, they've made moves to take the Narrows."

Nightwing pressed a button, "Lastly, is the Old Guard, led by Becca Royce and Annabeth Sobeck. Its formation predates the quake -- caused by an exodus when Vergil St. Jude cleaned house after Two-Face snuck a bomb into Lowtown. Since then, they've taken over a chunk of East End. With this string of assassinations, their way was cleared. They don't own East End, but they've been ripping out rivals aggressively."

Garfield raised a hand, "Should we be worried about them attacking Lowtown?" He asked, eyeing the map of the estimated territories of Gotham. From what Megan understood, the Blackgaters had kept anyone but them from holding any power in East End. When they fell, it was chaos in the streets as small gangs tried to carve out a slice of East End for themselves. However, their grip was still too new. With something like the Quake, it was easily shaken off and taken away by larger gangs.

Dick shook his head, "No. Many of the Old Guard are former or current residents within Lowtown. The Old Guard seems to be an extension of Lowtown to the point that breaking the rules in Lowtown is synonymous with breaking the rules of the gang. How close the two are tied together is currently unknown, but it will be the responsibility of Beta squad to investigate that connection," Dick continued.

Dick looked to Alpha squad, "The Odessa Mob, Bertinelli Family, LoBoys, Aki-Jin Yakuza, and Snake-Flower Triad have also been doing very well for themselves. Your mission is to investigate all of them for a connection to the assassinations and their illegal dealings."

"Can't we just take them down?" Cassandra questioned, crossing her arms.

To that, Dick frowned. "As Gotham has been declared a No Man's Land, the law is not formally recognized and any evidence gathered during that time is considered null and void. So, there's no real point in building a case against them. However, if you find them personally disagreeable, then there's also nothing stopping you from taking them down. Hard," Dick said and there was an edge in his voice that Megan didn't often hear.

There was a beat of silence as the Team let that sink in. Dick let out a breath, "Villains need to see how much the rules protect them as much as they protect their victims so they keep playing by them. If people like Psimon think they can enter a Starbucks and kill everyone in it with nothing but a thought without consequences, then that's what they will do. We target the ones that poke their heads above the rest, and we take them down as hard as we can. No deaths and no killing. And I'm not asking you to violate your personal morals or code of ethics. We need to make a clear example that villains can't do whatever they want."

Megan nodded in agreement, her gaze sliding to Conner as Dick looked to Beta squad.

"Which brings me to Beta squad's mission -- You will be coordinating with Jim Gordon and Vergil St. Jude on apprehending villains. Some have already carved out fiefdoms in Gotham. Poison Ivy has taken over central park. Mr. Freeze is in the Docks, and effects of Scarecrows fear toxin have been seen near East End." Beta squad nodded -- Aqualad, Tula, and… Conner.

Her… ex-boyfriend.

"Theta squad will be investigating Vergil St. Jude," Dick said, and Jason shifted where he was. He fought off a frown, but it was with some difficulty. But Megan put it out of her mind as she straightened -- Karen Beecher, Dick Grayson, and herself were Theta squad. This would be her mission. "Vergil has been noted to have information that he shouldn't in addition to being inordinately prepared for the earthquake that hit Gotham. Batman suspects that he has a connection to the Light, which would explain that knowledge. We will perform recon to test the validity of that theory."

As Dick spoke, the information changed -- Vergil had bought up ten percent of Gotham shortly after the quake and he was in the process of buying more.

"And if we do?" Jason asked, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Given that the President has given Vergil an unofficial go-ahead to bring Gotham to heel? Nothing overt. But, what we do covertly is use him to sabotage whatever the Light intend for Gotham," Dick said, and there was steel in his voice as he made a promise to himself. Jason gave a curt nod, accepting that. "Everyone else, you are Delta squad. You will patrol Gotham, perform recon on the escaped prisoners, and gauge the temperature of all the burrows of Gotham."

"A final thing to remember -- we are not to be seen. Dr. Fate has confirmed that the Joker has no real way to discover us if we're hidden. And if he doesn't know, then we aren't breaking his rules, or the UN's," Dick continued, stating the condition firmly. Missions with the Team tended to be explosive, and they couldn't afford that now.

Lagoon Boy shifted, "Why not go for the Joker then?" He questioned hotly, annoyed that he hadn't been given a direct mission. He, Artemis, and Wally made up Delta squad.

Dick looked at him for a moment before his gaze swept over the heroes in front of him. The Team had seen some growth since it started out only a few short years ago. "The Joker is not our concern," he said, sounding like he very much didn't agree with the words that came out of his mouth. He sensed that everyone else felt the same, so he elaborated. "Batman is tracking down the Joker. We know he's in the sewers hiding out, gathering his strength."

"That information came from an anonymous source," Jason spoke up, earning a mild look from Dick before he nodded in agreement.

Dick gestured to Jason, giving him the floor. Jason wasn't the only one surprised by it -- the last Megan had heard, Dick and Jason were constantly at each other's throats. Jason recovered quickly, clearing his throat as everyone in the half-circle looked to him. "The Batcomputer was compromised. We don't know how badly, but we have an idea who did it. It's someone calling themselves A Concerned Citizen. Batman reached out to find out who in the hell they were, and got no answer, but a few days later, he got info that the Joker was in the sewers along with an apology for breaking into the Batcave."

Jason shrugged, "As far as we know, they're an information broker that's acted once before -- they alerted the police about the Blackgaters that helped arranged that massive bust. That, and their coding ability is pretty similar to Sainthood Enterprises." He added, and it was easy to see that Vergil and Lowtown kept coming up in connection to shady figures. "He's not charging us, so if you ever come into contact with him, take everything with a dump truck of salt."

"As for the Joker, we are to wait until Dr. Fate or Zatanna provide us our silver bullet. If we go in too fast… well, Dr. Fate told us all the stakes." Dick said grimly as the video feed behind him changed. It was the Tienanmen Square in Beijing China -- the Joker stood at the heart of the square, his arms spread out wide. Then Bejing began to shake. There was another video in London, a traffic camera catching the Joker stepping into the center of traffic before striking the same pose.

Dr. Fate told them that he was hunting down the traces of magic… but there seemed to be a Joker in every major city. That was why the Joker needed to regain his strength. At any moment, he could destroy every major city on the planet. He could shake the entire world apart. The League needed time to neutralize every single Joker at once, just as the Joker needed time to regain his strength. It was a race against the clock to see who got what they needed first.

"But, when we get the go-ahead… you'll all be the first to know," Dick finished. "Dismissed."

…

"Bee, I want you on tech. Plant listening devices, cameras, and taps everywhere you can. This investigation is going to be a long one. I'll shadow Tifa -- we don't know if Vergil is connected to the Light, but if he is, then he would use intermediaries. Tifa would fit the profile of someone who he would trust," Dick explained as they stood in a ruined building across from one of Lowtown's exits. A smaller one. "MM, you're on Vergil. Shadow him. Surface thoughts only. We don't know if he is a member of the Light. We don't have reason to dig too deeply." He stressed, pinning a look at her.

"Alright, I won't probe too deeply," Megan agreed easily. Though, there was a quiet part of her that wanted to argue that she could get the answers they wanted in seconds rather than wasting days on this investigation. But, she swallowed any protest that she might have had. Vergil hadn't done anything to deserve her less than gentle touch and the stakes weren't so high that she had to do it anyway.

Dick nodded before he applied a fake mustache. He barely looked like himself with it on, especially with the black eye and bruising on the side of his face -- all face paint. "Then move out," Dick ordered and the mission began. Megan faded from view, becoming invisible before she began to descend downward. She opened the connection between herself and the others as they began their own parts of the mission.

Sinking through asphalt, then a large root, then more concrete, Megan found herself floating above a second city beneath the first. It almost reminded her of the tunnels of Mars -- people living beneath the surface, the small buildings made to fit the tunnels, the flow of people… but she shook her head free of those thoughts. Her memories of Mars weren't kind, and her mood didn't need to be dragged down any further.

Instead, she focused on heading towards Vergil as she idly inspected Lowtown. It seemed fairly full -- there was a steady stream of cars and foot traffic. People ate, they went into stores -- and she even caught a group of boys painting a mural.

It was of Vergil -- in a casual looking shirt and pants as he held a bat in one hand, a gentle look on his face as people clung to his legs. Underneath it in the scrolling script that seemed to be the boy's style was the words 'Loyalty is a two-way street. You've given it to me, so I'll give it to you.'

It took Megan a moment to realize it, but she figured out why Dick was so suspicious of Vergil. The atmosphere down in Lowtown felt too normal. It felt like it had returned to normalcy only a week after the worst earthquake in human history. Maybe Lowtown really was too well prepared for the earthquake. Above, Gotham was in shambles. Here, people were going about their lives as if everything was . . . not fine, but something close it. They were too relaxed. Too calm.

Megan flew above the coming and goings unnoticed as she headed to the heart of Lowtown. Spotting the Sainthood Enterprises building was simple from there, and Megan sank through the walls of it until she found herself in Vergil's office.

'I'm in position,' Megan told the others as she observed Vergil. The first thing that she noticed was that he looked tired. The second was that he wasn't alone,He's with Revy.'

"You need to let up, Vergil," Revy said, sitting in a chair as she propped her feet up on his desk as Vergil went over papers. A contract. "Everyone needs a vice to blow off steam."

"I think you mean a hobby," Vergil corrected, "And women are apparently my vice. Haven't you heard?" He questioned sarcastically as he signed the contract. He then placed it in an Outbox before he grabbed a folder from the much fuller Inbox.

Revy chuckled, "You did that to yourself. Tifa is way out of your league, but Cass too?" She made a tsking noise while Vergil gave her an annoyed look. "And you have 2B following you around like a lost puppy, no wonder everyone thinks the two of you are fucking."

"You've made your point," Vergil sighed.

Revy leaned forward, taking a pack of cigarettes from her tank top and passing one to Vergil. "Since you don't have the time to bang your harem, then smoke that to take the edge off." She said before she stood up.

Vergil held up the cigarette, "I don't smoke."

"Either smoke that or get laid. You're so tightly wound you're stressing me out," Revy dismissed, "I have things to take care of. See you later, slut," Revy said, flipping Vergil the bird before she headed for the door.

"When Tifa talks to you, could you back up my argument? People need to see that I won't just send Lowtown after you if you fuck with us. They need to see that it's personal for me," he said and it sounded like he and Tifa had had an argument about something.

"Yeah, yeah -- I'll help you with your lover's spat," Revy said, walking through the door.

"And I wasn't in any danger! 2B was there the entire time!!" Vergil shouted as the door closed before he blew out a breath. He glanced at the cigarette for a moment before setting it to the side. He opened the folder, and looked through it, only to look back at the cigarette. Talking to himself, he grabbed it and lit it up. Bringing it to his lips, he took in a deep drag and blew out a cloud of smoke.

He closed his eyes and leaned back in the chair as he took in a second drag. Then his eyes snapped open before he ripped the cigarette from his mouth and snuffed it out in his cup of coffee, "What the fuck is wrong with me?" He cursed, as he turned his attention back to the folder.

And there he stayed for hours. Megan reached out telepathically, brushing against the surface layer of his mind, but there was nothing. His thoughts were consumed with trying to figure out how he was going to get the city to sell him a plot of land -- he thought of offering favorable contracts on reconstruction, to buy outs… and bribes.

Which was hardly news given that Vergil had openly admitted to bribing government officials already. She could go deeper. To dreg up any mentions of the Light in his memories. But, she didn't.

Megan's lips thinned as Conner's words echoed in her ears. The words that he had ended their relationship of five years with. 'I can't trust you with my mind. And if I can't trust you, then what's the point of being together?' that had stung. Even now, months later, it hurt.

But Conner wasn't wrong. She had been too free with her telepathic abilities. Which is why she resolved to only use them to their fullest extent on bad guys. Which Vergil didn't qualify for. Yet.

She winced when Vergil absentmindedly reached out for his cup of coffee and took a swig, apparently forgetting about the cigarette that had been soaking in it for the better part of three hours. And he didn't notice. He set the cup down and continued his work, only to start smacking his lips before he stuck out his tongue and… "Oh, gross," he hissed, spitting into the trash can by his desk.

He spat a few more times before his phone rang. He answered it quickly, "Yeah?" His eyes narrowed, "Yeah? Alright, I'm on my way." He said, hanging up the phone. He let out a breath and dragged a hand down his face. Then he smacked his cheeks with his gloved hands. He took off his tie and unbuttoned the top button of his red wine colored shirt before he headed for the door.

'Vergil is on the move.' Megan informed.

A moment later, Dick responded, 'I just got a call from Barbara. They discovered where a number of prisoners are. She reached out to Vergil to help the mission. Bee, do your thing. MM, watch over Barbara for me.'

'Of course, Nightwing,' Megan replied as she shadowed Vergil. 2B joined him after he left the building. She reached out and… '2B is an android,' Megan confirmed the theory when she was met with nothing as she prodded 2B's mind. Her telepathic abilities couldn't work on machines.

'Good to know -- that begs the question of how Vergil got his hands on an AI that advanced. 2B appeared months ago, before Christmas,' Nightwing noted as Vergil and 2B left Lowtown. They got onto a motorbike with 2B as the driver and took off. The areas around Lowtown were the only places where there was enough road to drive on with a car. The city beyond it had been devastated.

Megan saw the full scope of it as she flew behind Vergil. Gotham had never been the prettiest city. She had visited plenty of times to hang out with Artemis and Barbara. They spoke fondly of Gotham, but it was clear you had to be a Gothamite to have any love for the city. Now, as she flew above its ruined streets, she saw nothing but devastation. No building had been spared. The skyline of Gotham had crumbled, leaving only the Wayne Enterprises building as the lone giant that still stood tall, even if parts of it had collapsed after being hit with another skyscraper that had failed to withstand the quake.

People hid in ruined homes or followed signs put up to lead them to Lowtown. The roads were blocked off, first with rubble, then with actual barricades. The two slowed down as they approached one, Vergil raising a hand. The people on the barricade that faced outwards looked at him. Megan noticed that the people that were manning it wore Old Guard colors.

"It's the Saint! Let them through!" A voice called out as a wire gate was pushed open. The barricade itself was misshapen, as if it had been scavenged from a collapsed building and they took advantage of it. Given they were digging in around it, they intended to hold that position.

"Give them hell!" Another voice cheered, waving to Vergil as they drove through the checkpoint. It didn't really prove that there was a link between Vergil and the Old Guard, but it was clear that respect for Vergil went all the way down to the lowest rung of the gang. Enough so that there was a real chance that if Vergil asked them to do something, then they would.

Megan made a note of it as they continued onward, heading to a new destination. Megan saw Barbara first -- she wore dark clothing, but there was a badge at her hip. She had chosen to stay in Gotham as Barbara Gordon to help coordinate with the team as an agent on the inside. She could be a voice for the Team with the police and help maneuver Vergil as a member of the police.

'They're about to arrive. And-' Megan began, only to cut herself off as she saw a figure reveal itself on the ruined pizzeria above Barbara. 'There's someone above you. Non-hostile posture. White hair, dark skin.'

'Sounds like it's Snowflame. A Colombian drug lord that has connections to Vergil from his time in the Penguin Mob,' Barbara responded calmly. 'Don't interfere. If Vergil was going to do something, then he wouldn't do it like this.'

Megan agreed, sparing a look at Vergil and 2B as they came to a stop. Barbara greeted them, "You didn't bring anyone else?" She questioned, trying to catch Vergil in a lie.

"Snowflame is already on site. I sent him a message, and… well, I mentioned cocaine and he came running," Vergil admitted, but… how had he sent that message? Through 2B? He hadn't used his phone or given any verbal sign of sending a message to anyone. Megan made a note if it as Barbara nodded, before she pointed to a mostly still standing building. A gun store, based on the looks of it. "That's the place? Well, let's crack on then. We're both very busy people." Vergil said, striding to the front entrance of the building down the street.

"You're just going to go through the front door?" Barbara questioned, and Vergil didn't miss a step.

"That's what it's for," he returned dismissively as 2B followed in step. Barbara swallowed a sigh as she followed.

'I'll be the safety net,' Megan reassured as she flew forward, entering the building. The guns had all been looted, the glass cases shattered. However, there were ten men that were digging at the wall with pieces of rebar. She arrived in time to see one of them pull out a cinder block, and in the spaces in the block were several kilos of cocaine. 'Ten men and I'm only seeing a pistol on three of them. They arrived after the place had already been cleared out.'

Given that it was just three guns of poor quality, Megan reached out with her telekinesis and performed some sabotage. A small adjustment to the firing pin. Some grout in the trigger. Or taking the bullets out of the revolver. Simple things that were all perfectly explainable. Four of them dug while two of them weighed the cocaine -- it was definitely several kilos worth. Ten bricks had been stacked up so far-

"I smell cocaine!" A voice announced, making the men jump as Snowflame fell from the ceiling. Megan darted away, glancing up to see a hole in the ceiling that still flickered with white flames. Her lips thinned as she quickly looked away -- fire was fire. "You do our god proud -- the first thing you do after escaping prison is to retrieve his holy body!"

"What the fuck?" One of them shouted, taking aim with a broken gun. "Who is this guy?"

"I don't know?!" The apparent leader said, the eleventh kilo of cocaine in his hand waiting to be added to the others. "Shit, do you work for Nacho? I wasn't skimming from the top -- that was Darrien, I was just-" he started to explain before the ones that had their guns trained on Snowflame fired. Their eyes widened as their guns failed, and Snowflame smiled wide.

"A true miracle! Thank you, Lord!" He shouted as white flame gathered in the palms of his hands before he flung it outward. The white flames expanded outward in a wave, forcing Megan to fall back. The white fire washed over the men, some of which were caught charging Snowflame. Instead of the awful stench of burning flesh, Megan only smelled burnt plastic.

Then she heard an ear-piercing howl, "Whhoooooooooooooo!" One of the men cheered, screaming at the top of his lungs. "I love COCAINE!"

"A true believer! Fight with me brother!" Snowflame offered as he jumped by the man's side -- and, with some awe, Megan watched as the two men fell on the others, working in sync as if they had fought at each other's sides for years. It was made only more impressive considering that the scrawny man beside Snowflame had just betrayed the group. What he lacked in physical strength he made up for in what humans called 'crackhead energy'.

The battle was a short one. Snowflame did most of the heavy lifting, but in a short minute, the duo stood alone amongst more than half a dozen unconscious bodies. Vergil stepped through the front door, "Thank you, Snowflame. And…?" He trailed off, 2B behind him. His surface thoughts didn't betray anything other than mild surprise.

"Deliverer! I have found a true believer!" Snowflame announced, clapping him on the back so hard that he stumbled forward, looking awed as he looked at Vergil.

"I uh, I'm Tony, uh, Mr. Saint?" Tony introduced himself, fidgeting where he stood.

"Nice to meet you, Tony. I'm sure you and SnowFlame are going to get along like a house on fire," Vergil remarked as Barbara entered behind 2B. "Could you answer a few questions for us?"

Barbara stepped forward, "Who was behind the mass escape at Blackgate? I checked it out -- there were no signs of a forced breakout. It was like someone gave you the key."

Tony looked at Vergil before answering with a small shrug, "Sorta? After the Earthquake, some cells got damaged, but it wasn't enough to let us out. Just bad enough to take out the power and the generators. A day later, the Warden shows up and says he's letting all the non-violent criminals leave. Which, uh, I am? I was in for petty theft."

That didn't line up. "Blackgate is empty," Barbara pointed out and earned a shrug from Tony.

"I don't know anything about that. Maybe the Warden decided on a prison break?" Tony offered, earning a frown from Vergil.

"Or it wasn't the Warden. Clayface was one of the escapees during the Arkham breakout. Maybe after getting out, he decided to pay the favor forward?" Vergil ventured, and shapeshifting was in Clayfaces's list of abilities.

Barbara shook her head, "Not without gaining something from it. If it was Clayface, then someone paid him to do it," she said, glancing at Vergil. Who simply cocked an eyebrow at the accusation. She read his thoughts and…

'It wasn't him. He thinks it's either what's left of the Blackgaters in Gotham, or the Joker.' Megan informed Barbara. She gave no indication that she heard that, but she didn't press the accusation.

"Whoever it was, they would have needed money. A lot of it," Barbara remarked, earning a shrug from Vergil.

"Money has lost its value in Gotham. One of the first things people did was rob the banks," Vergil said, making a good point as he continued inside. He walked over to the multiple kilos of cocaine. Taking out one of his cards, he made the kilos vanish. Then he made one reappear. "Catch," he said, tossing the kilo to Snowflame.

Snowflame caught it like the world would end if it touched the ground. Barbara gave the two a look, "Seriously?" She questioned, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Cocaine isn't illegal in Gotham," Vergil replied easily. "And we aren't going to snort it. Snow, can you work with it?" He asked, making Megan frown lightly. Snowflame turned over the kilo, bringing it to his nose as if he could smell it through the plastic. He treated the question like the fate of the world was at stake.

Then he pressed a hand to the kilo, "My Lord Cocaine! Grant this vessel of your love the power to change your most blessed body!" He exclaimed, white flames covering his hands like an aura. Tony dropped to his knees like he just saw god, his jaw slack while tears streamed from his eyes. The flames sunk into the cocaine, and it absorbed them like a sponge. Then Snowflame removed his hand and dropped to a knee, presenting the kilo of cocaine as a sacred object to Vergil. "It is done, Deliverer."

Vergil dropped a card on it, "Yes, it is," he agreed.

"What was just done?" Barbara questioned, before she was forced to catch the kilo of cocaine before it nearly hit her in the face.

"Long story short? There's a god of Cocaine and he gave us a divine mission -- to spread cocaine as far and wide as possible to as many people as possible. Being the daughter of the Police Commissioner and an honorary cop, I'm betting you can see an issue with that." Vergil began, and he really just brushed over the whole Cocaine god thing.

"The Deliverer understood that the laws of man would interferer with our holy quest, so he sought alternatives that would obey the laws of mere mortals, and spread the good word of our Lord," Snowflame elaborated.

Barbara looked at the cocaine in her hands, "What is this?" She questioned, earning a small and sharp smile from Vergil. His thoughts were full of anticipation. Of conflict and how to win that conflict.

"That is a health supplement that you snort," Vergil answered. "It gives the high of cocaine, but is next to impossible to overdose on. Your lungs would fill up with cocaine before you do. It's only as addictive as caffeine and gives you all the necessary vitamins and minerals a person needs to consume in a day," Vergil explained as he approached Barbara. "It'll still need to be a regulated substance, just like alcohol. But, overall, it's safe to use."

Barbara looked down at the kilo of… something in her hands, "What are you doing?" She asked bluntly, sounding like she had no clue what to expect.

"Undercutting the Cartels," Vergil answered easily. "Cocaine is their money maker. Always has been. Now, Sainthood Enterprises, with the help of Snowflame, will provide a safer and cheaper alternative."

Snowflame nodded, "Those heathens that defile my lord's body for petty profit will be driven into the ground. It is the next step in America's war on drugs." Snowflame believed it completely. He was picturing a world where every man, woman, and child did lines of cocaine before every meal.

"Why give this to me, then?" Barbara asked, holding the kilo up like she was tempted to throw it on the ground.

"Because this could last months. Lowtown grows its own food, but most people are wasting everything. They're indulging in ice cream and candy, while the smart ones are storing up on canned goods. Soon enough, people are going to get hungry. I'll provide what I can. And I know your father will too, but as of right now, every meal eaten is a tick down on the countdown until Gotham runs out of food. And because of the weather, there is no chance of growing enough food to sustain what's left of the population." Vergil explained, and there was something chilling about how he was so matter of fact about it. Calm and precise. He wasn't just pretending either, he felt that way all the way to his inner thoughts.

Barbara nodded, "You want my dad to help gather up all the cocaine in Gotham, and turn it into a health supplement, to take the edge off of the food reserves." She said, earning a nod from Vergil. "I can't promise anything."

"I know. It's just an option on the table. I'm working on putting more of them on it," Vergil replied.

Barbara stashed the kilo bag in her coat, directing a stern look at Vergil, "Is there anything else you want me to say?" She asked him, and Vergil's thoughts went quiet. Silent. Like he was giving her his absolute focus.

He smiled ever so slightly, "One more thing -- I wanted to talk to you about a secret society that I stumbled upon." He informed easily, and Megan flinched back. Was he really going to just-

"Their name is Checkmate… and they've been using me as a pawn… and I need your help."