The gun clicked hollowly as the hammer dropped on an empty firing chamber. Scott faked being surprised, ejecting the magazine to find no bullets had been loaded. He could only hope Joker wasn't able to see through his performance.

Joker laughed hysterically, leaning on his knees for support. He cackled for half a minute before he calmed down enough to talk.

"Had to find out how far I can trust you," Joker explained. "Can't have my top man being untrustworthy, can I?"

"Of course not," Scott denied. He was glad Joker couldn't hear his racing heartbeat. He offered the gun back to Joker.

"Keep it," Joker instructed. "Get some bullets because you never know when you might need to use it."

"Sure thing, Boss," Scott agreed.

The goons let go of Harley, and she walked out of the office first, followed by Scott close behind her.

"Harley," Scott began, but she whirled around and tried to punch him in the face. The training she'd given him kicked in automatically, and he dodged the punch, grabbing her by the wrist.

"Not here," Harley quickly whispered. She shoved him back against the wall, storming off down the corridor.

Scott let her go. Harley's actions showed she wasn't truly mad at him, merely going through the motions in case someone was watching. He didn't really understand her lack of anger toward him. She couldn't have known the gun was empty, so she must've thought he'd been willing to kill her.  He would need to solve the problem later as he had a mission to complete. Changing directions, he headed for the parking lot and one of the many vehicles available to members of the Joker gang.

   ***   

"Good to meet you, Leonard McCormick," the bearded man in the dark suit said as he stood from his desk and offered his hand along with a friendly smile. He had the smooth and practiced manners of a well-rehearsed actor, but Scott wasn't buying any of it. He knew the real face of this politician, and he expected to see it in very short order.

"Likewise, Mayor Hill," Scott said while shaking the man's hand. Just in case things went badly, Scott had used the fake name of Leonard McCormack. He'd created the identity by taking the first name of one person and the last name of another from different pages in a phone book.

"How can I help you today?" Mayor Hill asked professionally. He sat down behind his large desk of polished oak, folding his hands together on top.

"I want you to fire Commissioner Gordon," Scott said simply.

"I beg your pardon?" Hill repeated.

"I don't have a speech impediment and you don't have a hearing problem," Scott told him. "You heard me."

"Your jokes are not appreciated," Mayor Hill said while straightening his tie. "I have a considerable amount of work, so if you will take yourself and your jokes elsewhere, it would be appreciated."

"I'm not joking," Scott said. Lowering his voice, he leaned on the desk with both hands, intentionally encroaching on the Mayor's personal space and forcing the politician to tilt back in his chair. "I'll leave when I get what I came for."

"I'll call security," Hill threatened, but his voice quivered with fear.

"Go ahead," Scott encouraged. "While they're taking me away, they can arrest you too."

"What are you talking about?" Hill demanded. He had yet to reach for the phone or intercom.

"Penguin and Two-Face were both paying you money," Scott accused. "I have the records, the bank statements, and everything I need to bring you down."

"Whatever you have won't hold up in court," Hill denied.

"It doesn't have to," Scott shrugged. "I just wonder what your voters will think. You remember them, don't you? The people you swore to that you'd eliminate bribery and corruption. I wonder how they'd respond if they knew you were pulling the strings of both the GCPD and District Attorney's office to keep murdering thugs on the streets. How much money were you being paid to make the entire justice system turn the other way while criminals operated with impunity?"

"Please, if this gets out, it will ruin me," Hill pleaded.

"Replace Gordon," Scott ordered coldly. He handed the Mayor a file folder. "I already have his replacement in mind."

"I can't just fire him," Hill protested.

"Of course you can," Scott countered. "The Police Commissioner serves at the pleasure of the Mayor. Simply announce your dissatisfaction with the increasing gang violence and dismiss him on that basis. Once Gordon is out and the new Commissioner is in, you can get started on the next item on your to-do list."

"What's that?" Hill asked, slumping down in his chair as he realized he'd been outmaneuvered.

"You had the police and prosecutors look the other way for Penguin and Two-Face. You'll now extend the same professional courtesy to Joker's people. You screw this up, and your criminal record making front page news in every media outlet in Gotham won't be the worst thing to happen to you."

Scott turned to walk out of the Mayor's office, but he paused at the door to offer a final word in parting. "Get it done, soon. Joker isn't known for his patience."

   ***   

Scott knocked on the old door and waited patiently for a response. Like the rest of the house, the white paint of the door was faded, chipped, and in desperate need of a new coat.

When the door opened, an older man looked Scott over with a trained eye. The man's hair and thick mustache had gone white years ago, and his face was covered with lines from both age and stress.

"What do you want?" the man asked in a gruff voice.

"Commissioner Gordon, I need your help," Scott explained.

"I'm not the Commissioner anymore," Gordon denied.

"I know," Scott admitted. He hesitated before going on because no matter which way this went it could end horribly wrong. "May I come in? It's better if no one knows I'm here."

Gordon propped the door open with one hand while stepping slightly to the side to allow him entrance. Scott didn't know if Gordon let him in because the cop's instincts told him to take a chance or because he was simply curious. Either way, the result was the same.  Gordon showed Scott into the small and cozy living room, closing and locking the door behind him.

Wingback chairs of dark green sat on opposite ends of a low coffee table. One side of the rectangular table faced a sofa and the other a modest television set. Gordon took one of the chairs and gestured for Scott to have a seat on the sofa.

"Firstly," Scott began. "I'd like to apologize for getting you fired."

Gordon didn't so much as twitch an eyelash at the comment.

"You knew," Scott guessed.

"I have a few friends at city hall, and your face was in the papers when you helped Joker rob the bank where you were working security," Gordon replied. He reached under the coffee table and pulled out the gun hidden there, aiming it at Scott. "Why don't you tell me what you're really doing here?"

"Joker's going to destroy the city," Scott stated bluntly. "The police were in his way, and he was going to kill them all until I found a way to get to Mayor Hill. With law enforcement neutralized, he'll turn his attention toward the government itself."

"Are we talking about a full out attack?" Gordon queried.

"Yes, but not against politicians," Scott clarified. "No government has the power to force every individual to do what the leadership wants. The people follow only because they allow themselves to be commanded. This renders every government unstable as the people can take back their power at any time."

"Joker's going to attack the citizens of Gotham to undermine their confidence in the government," Gordon reasoned aloud. "With the police in his pocket, resistance will be light to none."

"It's going to be a bloodbath," Scott warned. "Unless, you help me stop it before it starts."

"How?" Gordon questioned.

"I'll probably be selected to lead the attacks," Scott replied. "While I'm taking my forces in the front door of apartment buildings, I'll need you to sneak the civilians out the back."

"I'll need help for a job this size," Gordon informed him.

"Be sure to pick people you would trust with your life," Scott advised. "If Joker finds out what we're up to, he'll kill both of us."