[indent][b][u]October 22nd, 10:26 AM
Gotham City Hall, Gotham City[/u][/b][/indent]

[color=IndianRed]“Nicole. What’s happened so far?”[/color] The quiet, clipped and cold voice had the young woman sitting near the back of the City Hall forum glancing up, nodding a greeting before looking down to the clipboard in her arms. Her note taking hadn’t stopped even then, and the dark haired woman merely adjusted her glasses before beginning to go over them in a low whisper, conscious of the debating voices at the front of the room.

“The hospital issue has been tentatively decided on by burning the bodies, except for the families who pay to just have the body locked away in a morgue slot until the whole issue is resolved. Uhm, the … the skeletons are also being ground down into ash since the bones seem to keep moving, from what I understand.”

[color=IndianRed]“Yes, I heard about that. The graveyards?”[/color]

“A few more recently dead have already emerged from their graves, with signs of others following. Police barricades have been keeping them back, it seems stationing more around the city graveyards is the leading solution.”

[color=IndianRed]“And as for the lack police of coverage in the rest of the city?”[/color]

“Not mentioned.”

[color=IndianRed]“Of course.”[/color] Zoey leaned back slightly into the seat she had taken, right at the corner of the large room filled to the brim with people. Officials, concerned citizens - it was almost as though people cared about this dump called a city. Though, the billionaire wasn’t all too convinced - more than likely they were more concerned about their own hides.

Or in the case of one specific man, what he could get out of this.

Steel-blue eyes narrowed as a burning, white-hot anger coursed down her spine and spread throughout the woman’s entire being. Since Zoey entered the room and took her preferred spot - corner, back to a wall, good view of everything - saved by her personal assistant, she couldn’t tear her gaze from the man heading the open forum.

William Murphy. Mayor of Gotham City. Tall, handsome, charismatic. Won his election with honey-sweet promises to focus on the rights of citizens, though there were whispers on the streets of what [i]other[/i] promises were made behind closed doors. That’s how it always was in this city, he was no different than any other politician.

Except that Zoey [i]hated[/i] that piece of trash disguised as a man.

His face was burned into her visage almost two decades ago, before she ever knew who he was. When he was no more than one of numerous corrupt beat cop, and her a teenager, brimming with overconfidence and hope for helping this poor, corrupt city she had just moved to. Did he even remember? Did he feel any remorse?

He certainly didn’t suffer nightmares that kept him up for days on end. Didn’t becomes a shell of what he could have been. If she knew who he was back then, he’d have been buried all those years ago, with the rest of them.

Now here they were. Him, Mayor of [i]her[/i] town. Her, three threads of sanity away from breaking into his home and murdering him where he slept.

Heh.

A nudge to her arm, though Zoey didn’t even spare a glance to Nicole. Didn’t need to see her assistant’s pinched, worried gaze. It brought her back to reality though, and to the fact that glaring a hole through Murphy wouldn’t [i]actually[/i] put a hole through him. Focus. Nicole was pointing out something to her.

“... So if anyone should have an idea to put forth towards the Mudos…”

Ah.

Rising up from her chair Zoey strode with purpose to the small podium set before the councilmen. Every step, every person put to her back made the billionaire’s already tense, burning muscles coil further. Anxiety, paranoia, that underlying [i]rage[/i]. Then standing there, waiting to be addressed.

When Murphy’s glittering black eyes met hers, cold steel-blue to that fake, [i]infuriating[/i] warmth, something flicked in his gaze. Recognition. Realization.

“Miss Kasimir,” He greeted after a heartbeat, that same warmth inflected in his tone. It made Zoey’s jaw tense, her teeth gritting together. “You have a suggestion?”

Inhale. Exhale. [color=IndianRed]“Concrete.”[/color] A pause.

“Pardon?”

[color=IndianRed]“Get a few dozen workers, a couple concrete mixers, and cover the graves. Prevention is key.”[/color] For a moment the Mayor stared at her, a frown tugging at his lips. Whispers filled the room, thoughtful agreement from the citizens at her back. It took a moment for Murphy to respond, his words slow and thoughtful.

“There’s no room in Gotham’s defense budget for something of that magnitude-”

[color=IndianRed]“I’ll pay for it, then.”[/color] Something changed in Murphy’s eyes then, the faux warm gaze becoming calculating. It made the small hairs on the back of Zoey’s neck stand on end, made her already tense muscles tighten further. The pause this time was longer, his gaze searching hers. She met him head on, head held high.

“...Miss Kasimir, as noble as your intentions are, we cannot merely disrespect the dead by covering their final resting places over. Families will have to be contacted, those without listed next of kin tracked down, really it’s just a lot of red tape that can’t be ignored without proper protocol.” Fire burst in Zoey’s chest, adding to that white-hot rage that never cooled. Her slender fingers flexed, missing the familiar spark that would’ve started up had she been wearing her gloves. When she spoke again her words were biting, anger bleeding into every syllable.

[color=IndianRed]“If we don’t do something about what’s happening the only [i]family[/i] that will be contacted is for those who lose their lives to these things! Wasn’t your entire platform built on keeping Gotham safe, [i]Mayor[/i] Murphy?”[/color]

“And I [i]am[/i] keeping Gotham safe, Miss Kasimir, from ideas that would sue our city into the ground, or trod all over the wishes of our people.” Their eyes didn’t part from each other, and in that moment Zoey knew that any singular, slim [i]chance[/i] that he wasn’t the same man from seventeen years ago was dead. He was looking for something, there was a [i]reason[/i] he was doing this. “Now if that’s all, I’ll let you know if something changes - as I’m sure you will to me as well, of course.”

And if Zoey Kasimir couldn’t find out what it was, Grim could.

[hr]

[indent][b][u]October 25th, 9:53 AM
Owl’s Rest Cemetery, Gotham City[/u][/b][/indent]

Something changed.

Three days had passed. Three nights of terror, of destruction, of [i]death[/i]. The blood of police barely able to contain them, the blood of citizens in the street without even the meager protection that their presence held.

And Mayor Murphy’s quiet backroom deals to have a load of cargo delivered via the Gotham City docks while there was so much chaos, absolutely [i]decimated[/i] by Grim’s wrath.

She might’ve gone a bit overboard getting the Grim Jet to sink the ship, too. 

He still hadn’t relented to her plan either, but Zoey was tired of playing his waiting game of who would break first. Tired of seeing blood in the streets that was so easily preventable. It would’ve been easier to wait just one more day or two for him to cave under pressure, or even to just grease his palms to get things rolling, but she wasn’t willing to risk more lives. Wasn’t willing to play his game.

[color=LightGreen]“I told you there were some good guys in the force.”[/color] A grunt was the only reply the Captain got, but Jaina wasn’t too worried about it. The short blonde woman stood at her friend’s side, watching the construction crew work. It took some convincing to get the owners of Owl’s Rest anywhere near here, but they finally relented to give them the access the broken locks couldn’t. Two dozen construction workers - those who both wanted to protect the city, and those whose greed eclipsed their fear. Three cement mixing trucks, five smaller ones. A surprising handful of off-duty Gotham City’s finest, watching over everything with sharp eyes.

[color=LightGreen]“Not going to say thanks?”[/color] Captain Jaina Jasper’s tone was teasing, but Zoey’s eyebrow merely twitched lightly. She was so tired. So [i]exhausted[/i].

[color=IndianRed]“...Thanks.”[/color] The billionaire finally rumbled lowly. Her steel-blue orbs slid over to Jaina’s, holding her friend’s gaze. [color=IndianRed]“And when the commissioner finds out what you and them are doing? This wasn’t exactly sanctioned.”[/color] Jaina shrugged.

[color=LightGreen]“His nephew was one of the officers hurt in the past couple nights. I doubt even [i]he[/i] is going to stop you.”[/color]

[color=IndianRed]“Good.”[/color] Zoey returned her gaze forward, watching as Nicole followed the shouting foreman around, making sure he had everything he needed. Everyone was on edge being here, but it was quiet during the day - anything that [i]did[/i] move was quickly put down. Mostly into concrete.

[color=LightGreen]“What do you plan to do when Murphy gets on your back?”[/color]

[color=IndianRed]“Ki-”[/color]

[color=LightGreen]“Aside from sulking?”[/color] Zoey huffed, glaring darkly.

[color=IndianRed]“He can puff and moan all he wants. If even the Commissioner is on my side, his ratings will plummet if he tries to oppose what I did.”[/color]

[color=LightGreen]“He might fine you, at least.”[/color]

[color=IndianRed]“Let him. Threatening to move Kasimir Realty’s Headquarters will end that right quick. I have no fear of making an enemy of a [i]coward.[/i]”[/color] Beside her, Jaina could only sigh and shake her head. Slowly her gaze moved forward as well.

[color=LightGreen]“... You really need to see a therapist, Zoey.”[/color]

[color=IndianRed]“Fuck off.”[/color]