With the thumbless man in their custody, Jim and Harvey returned to the GCPD and began the questioning. Jim sat at the other end of the table, twirling a pen between his fingers while Harvey's usual 'bad cop' persona took center stage. "First things first. Most killers leave their prints at the crime scene, but not you, no. You left your whole thumb in the dead guy's mouth!" Harvey shouted. "You got style! I like you, kid," his voice grew low and threatening. "This is your last chance. Once we walk out that door, it's over," Jim warned.

"It was self-defense!" The thumbless man insisted. "Of course it was! Wasn't that what I said, Jim? Didn't I say it was probably self-defense?" Harvey's sarcasm echoed throughout the room. "Talk," Jim gestured for the man to go on. The thumbless man's eyes filled with fear as he thought about what would happen after he left that interrogation room. Unknown to the detectives, Sionis was the type of man who would put a target on your back if you spoke out against him. Eventually, the man told them everything, along with writing out a statement, but only on the condition that Harvey left.

Jim nodded to Harvey, telling him he could handle this. With a quiet sigh, he left the room and informed their Captain on their progress. "Gordon's getting the rest of his statement. Apparently, it was part of the hiring process. Sionis told the top three candidates to fight it out. They weren't supposed to fight to the death," Harvey explained. "This is unbelievable," Essen sunk into her seat. "They all signed confidentiality agreements, so they're accomplices to whatever happens," Harvey added.

"Do we know where the fight was held?" Essen questioned. "Some old office building. The windows were boarded up. And he was taken there blindfolded," Harvey responded. A knock came from the office door, and before Essen could invite them in, Ed entered with his usual grin. "Yes, Ed?" Essen looked over at him. "Printer toner. The medical examiner's report said it was black ink. But I did my own examination, and it was printer toner. Also, I pulled staples from his shoulders and found graphite chips between his ribs. Your man was killed in an office," Ed told them.

"Yeah, we're kind of past that, Ed, but thanks," Harvey spoke, and Ed's face fell almost instantly. "Is there anything else?" Essen inquired. "Yes. It made me think of a case from a year ago. Young man, business suit, esophagus lacerated from index card shoved down his throat. So, I did some digging," Ed continued. "How many other bodies were killed with office supplies?" Essen asked. "Four... in the last three years," Essen turned back to Harvey, ordering him to get their man to sign a confession.

Outside of the office, the three of them were unaware of what was going on. Sionis must've gotten word on what happened because not long after they brought in the thumbless man, an attorney representing Sionis Investments entered the precinct and began badgering Jim on the investigation. "I explained to Detective Gordon, as counsel to Mr. Adams, I'd advised him against speaking further. Also, any statements he has made will be considered having been made under duress," The attorney explained to Harvey and Essen when they joined the conversation.

"Uhuh, and how much is Sionis paying him to take the fall?" Harvey asked. But the attorney said nothing else, only wishing them a good day before leaving. "He showed up before Adams could sign his statements. We got to figure out where Sionis is staging these fights," Jim explained. "I'll run all the buildings he or his company owns in Gotham," Harvey said before returning to his desk to do just that. "Does this make any sense to you?" Essen asked Jim. "No, but how's it any worse than the Goat or the Balloonman?"

Essen was in disbelief, wondering when did this type of extensive crime become normal in Gotham, wondering what changed in the city. "Maybe nothing. Maybe it was always just below the surface. Only needed a spark," Jim reasoned. "Like Thomas and Martha Wayne being killed? I'm not blind, Gordon. I know you're still looking into it. But how could their deaths have caused all this? Why were they so important?" Jim explained that maybe they were killed because of what they represented. A decent and hopeful Gotham. "Whatever it is, it's gone now," Jim told her.

"When Zsasz came for you, I should've stayed," Essen looked at him with regret. "I told you to go," Jim reminded her. "That doesn't matter, I should've stayed," Essen composed herself. "Now, let's get this guy,"

~~~~~~~~~

"Inciting violence by smacking Thomas Elliot?!' Headmaster Koch's voice boomed throughout his office. Holly sat uncomfortably in the chair directly across from him. Her victory might've been short-lived, but she didn't regret it one bit. "You don't understand what was going on," Holly muttered. "I understand perfectly, Ms. Gordon. I've had five students come to my office and say they saw you strike Tommy for no reason!"

"I didn't strike him for no reason. He started making fun of me and Bruce. Don't you remember the name he referred to me as in the auditorium a week ago? Middle Class?" Holly reminded him. "Someone calling you names is no excuse to hit them. No matter what Thomas might've done to you, retaliation is not the answer," Mr. Koch continued. Holly stood up, as the headmaster told her to sit back down. She was outraged by the way he was talking. Was he blaming her and Bruce for the bullying they endured?

Holly shook her in disgust, eyes squinting as she eyed the middle-aged man. "With all due respect, sir. I don't think you've ever been bullied a day in your life, so you don't understand what I and countless others go through. If I tried to speak up, I knew you'd make empty promises and sweep everything under the rug," Holly spoke. Headmaster Koch tried to interrupt her, but Gordon continued talking. "You know it's the truth. You let people like Tommy Elliot get away with anything and everything. But what happens when someone has had enough and decides to snap, are you gonna blame the victim then?"

"Are you... threatening me, Ms. Gordon?" Headmaster Koch couldn't admit to her face, but her demeanor sent a few chills down his spine. "Not at all," Holly's intimidating tone turned back to normal. "I'm just saying that if you want to avoid more 'violence' then I'd suggest you stop blaming the victims and take action," With that, Holly picked up her backpack and walked out, leaving the headmaster with the lingering thought. As she walked down the empty hallway, Holly felt confident, like she had just solved math's toughest equation.

It happened all the time, she saw it for herself. The bullied become the bullies. The victims stooping to unthinkable lows. If her message had gotten through the thick skull of Headmaster Koch, perhaps life wouldn't be so unbearable for her and everyone Tommy and his gang tormented.

Later that day, when school let out, Bruce, although thankful for Holly's intervention when it came to Tommy, couldn't unshake the mention of his mother being used against him. No matter how hard he tried to calm down, it felt like any moment he could explode. He dashed down the stairs as quickly as he could, not even saying goodbye to Holly or Cara as they waited for him at the bottom of the steps. He stepped into the loading zone where Alfred was waiting, trying to spot him amongst the sea of uniformed students.

"Tad late, Master Bruce!" Alfred commented when he finally spotted the young boy rushing down the steps. But Bruce was quiet as a mouse, and that instantly made Alfred question what was wrong. "What's going on?" He asked, stopping him in his tracks. "Nothing, I'm perfectly fine!" Bruce insisted. But the butler asked again what happened, this time checking to see if anyone hurt him. "Someone spoke disrespectfully about my mother," Bruce finally admitted. "Oh, did they now? Well, I hope you broke their bastard teeth for them, hmm?" Alfred straightened the boy's blazer.

"No. He's much bigger than me, and I... I'm not very good at fighting. I didn't hurt him at all," Bruce explained. As much as he wanted to tell Alfred how Holly stood up for him, he feared that it would make him appear weak, that he needed a girl to help him instead of dealing with the problem himself. "Just don't tell the school!" Bruce pleaded before finally getting into the back of the limo. "Not bloody likely," Alfred muttered.

~~~~~~~~~

"Take a look at this. Sionis owns half of Gotham!" Harvey sighed as he turned towards Jim. "All right, we'll split up. Focus on the buildings that are abandoned or under construction first," Jim said as he put on his coat. "This son of a bitch is not getting away," "I'll say one thing, he has your number," Harvey warned. Jim looked confused, asking Harvey what he meant by that. "You may not have put down Cobblepot, Jimmy Boy, but you got a demon in you. You can call yourself a soldier, but all this fighting Falcone, fighting other cops, you love it," Harvey clarified. "So, when you find something that seems remotely possible, call me," 

With Harvey's shift almost up, Jim was left to close this case himself. As he was about to continue investigating, his phone rang. "Barbara, everything all right?" he asked, hearing the faint sounds of a motor on the other end. "Fine. I just wanted to check-in. Holly and I are on our way home now," Barbara answered. "Hey Dad!" Holly's voice popped in for a moment. "Girls, can we talk later? I'm kind of in the middle of something," Jim asked. "I'll call you back once everything is fine,"

Before Barbara and Holly had the chance to reply, Jim hung up and walked out of the precinct. Hours had passed, and halfway through the list, Jim had no luck. As he pulled up to the next building, he looked past the chain-link fence surrounding the abandoned building. As he crawled through a small opening in it and entered the building, he was greeted with rows and rows of desks. Some of them had bloodied paperwork strewn about them. A few of the lights flickered on and off, and as the further he walked in, he heard the sound of rattling,

"GCPD!" He called out, pulling out his gun, and continued walking. Soon, he found three men, all in tall cages, trying to get out. They held their hands up as Jim approached them, and he asked if anybody else was with them. But none of the three men got the chance to answer, as Sionis snuck up behind Jim and tased him in the neck.

"That... would be a yes,"

~~~~~~~~~~

The Tommy-Bruce altercation did not sit well with Alfred. And the longer their drive around Gotham was, the more he pondered what he was going to do. At the next stoplight, Alfred knew where they were heading. After a few more turns, Alfred pulled up to the sidewalk outside of Tommy's house. Feeling the sudden stop, Bruce looked up from his lap and out the window as Alfred opened the door. As Bruce stepped out, Alfred reached into his pocket, pulling out something covered in a white cloth.

"This is your father's watch. Don't lose it now," Alfred explained, pulling back the cloth. The shiny silver watch quietly ticked away as Bruce picked it up and examined it. "Tommy Elliot's house," Alfred pointed to the house wedged between two bigger buildings. "Don't you be scared," Alfred took notice of Bruce's hesitancy. "I'm not. I'm visualizing what I'm gonna do," Bruce responded. "Cause if you don't want to do this, there's no shame in it," Alfred reassured. But the young boy shook his head, claiming that there would be immense shame in not doing it.

Bruce clutched the watch as Alfred went back into the car while Bruce walked up the steps leading to the front door. He rang the buzzer, and not long after that, Tommy answered and looked confused. The cut on his face Holly gave him had been cleaned and bandaged, but this time he was going to be even more of a bloody mess. "What the hell are you doing here?" He squinted. "We have unfinished business," Bruce glared. Tommy stepped out onto the steps and shut the door behind him. "Listen, if you think you're gonna tell my parents..." Instantly, Bruce's fist connected with Tommy's face, and he fell to the ground.

"Are you crazy?!" Tommy shouted at him. But Bruce ignored him, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and punching him again. "Don't. Talk. About. My. Mother!" Bruce growled, punching another two times before Alfred decided to intervene. "Master Bruce!" He called out. "Point well made, I think," Alfred then turned his attention back to the bleeding Tommy as he held his mouth in his hands. "You all right, mate? Any broken bones?"

"He... He tried to kill me!" Tommy hissed in pain. "That's right. He did. He tried to kill you. Just remember that next time you see him," The butler leaned in closer. "And you remember that I let him try. Now, let's get some ice on those knuckles," Bruce nodded before they walked back to the car, Bruce wrapping the bloodied watch back in the cloth. "What do you fancy for your dinner?" Alfred questioned. "Pizza?" Bruce suggested. "Pizza? Superb choice, Master Bruce," Alfred smiled.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Meanwhile, back at the abandoned office building, Jim started to come to, his vision blurry but slowly clearing as he looked around him, wondering what happened. "Detective Gordon? Wake up!" Sionis's voice echoed through the loudspeakers. Jim slightly jumped, standing up to see the three men now wearing black ski masks, each carrying their own weapons. "So, three of you applied for a position at my firm. I explained then you can use anything here as a weapon," Sionis explained. "And the last man standing gets the job. However, tonight is special. Do you see the man without the mask? Whoever kills him is the victor,"

"Listen to me! I'm a cop! So far, none of you have broken any laws!" Jim warned the men, but none of them bothered to listen. "Let the games begin!" A bell rang, and as the men began to step towards Gordon, he warned them again, giving them one last chance not to move. But Sionis wasn't making things any better. "Oh. And I'll throw in a million-dollar signing bonus," he added. With money as the driving force, Jim knew then and there he was screwed.

He quickly kicked a chair at one of the men as another ran up to him. But Jim grabbed him by the arm and threw him into one of the desks. The third man snuck up behind Jim and tried shoving him into one of the white pillars, but Jim whipped around and put him in a headlock as he backed up and shoved him into the wall. One man down, two more to go. One grabbed a nearby fire extinguisher and tried to hit Jim in the head but he was quick to kick him in the gut and shoved him into another desk. While he was distracted, the other man grabbed a hidden sword, and as Jim shielded himself and drew the blade away from him, the blade cut into his left arm, but the pain didn't stop him as he finally managed to grab the sword and throw it to the side, punching and punching until the last man was unconscious.

Jim looked up at the security camera, knowing that not only was Sionis watching this cage fight, but so were the rest of his employees. The detective turned around when he heard the sounds of someone unsheathing another blade, and he saw that familiar black mask he saw in Sionis's office, but now it was covering his face. "I knew you had a killer in you! So, where are your brother police? Did they abandon you?" Sionis sneered. "I don't need them," Jim insisted. Sionis raised his blade, and the second round of the fight had begun.

Jim grabbed the blade he had pried out earlier, and the clanging of metal filled the office again. As Sionis tried to take a swing, Jim expertly dodged them and snuck in a few of his own. "Seems I'll have to give myself the million dollars," Sionis said before the fight continued. The swords continued to collide, but it didn't last quite as long as Sionis knocked Jim's sword out of his hand. As Sionis went in for what he hoped to be the final blow, Jim twisted and pushed him, making him topple onto one of the desks. With Sionis down and the blade out of his hand, Jim climbed on top of the desk and unleashed a flurry of furious strikes. 

Jim grabbed the sword and hovered it right above Sionis's chest. He caught his breath, trying to muster enough strength to fight against the detective, but he was too tired. Jim wanted to put an end to this man, but he did not want to give Sionis the satisfaction even in death that Jim was a killer. He threw the sword to the side and got off the desk, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Jim? Jim?!" Essen's voice called out as about three cops followed behind her. While Jim was distracted, Sionis got up from the desk and reached for the sword. "Jim!" Essen gestured behind him, and Jim landed one single punch to Sionis's face before knocking him out cold.

"Thanks," Jim looked over at her. "No problem," Essen nodded.

~~~~~~~~~~

Back at the precinct, Jim sat at his desk as someone tended to the wound on his arm. Everything seemed so different than when he was in the precinct earlier when most of his fellow officers acted like he was the bubonic plague. Now, almost all of them started treating him like one of them again. "Alvarez and Collins are bringing in Sionis' minions. Pansies tried to rabbit when they saw you cuffing their boss," Harvey explained, pulling Jim out of his thoughts. "You okay?"

"Essen told me you made a speech," Jim mentioned. "I wouldn't call it a speech," Harvey shrugged. "She said you called me an asshat," Jim added. Harvey nodded, admitting he did call his partner that. "Thank you for having my back. Now and before," Jim slightly smiled. "Just try not to be such a pain in the neck. Makes my day harder," Harvey warned. "You know, you were wrong. What you said earlier. It's not that I love fighting, but I'm not afraid to either," Jim explained. "And if we don't fight for this city, who will? I'm not gonna stop, Harvey. Falcone, the mayor, every cop I know that's dirty, I'm gonna get them. You should know that,"

"Go home, Jim," Harvey replied before walking away. Jim picked up the phone and called the apartment, but neither Holly nor Barbara picked up. "Hey girls, it's me. I'm coming home soon. Everything is gonna be better, I promise. I love you," He made the voicemail before hanging up. As he put on his coat and got ready to leave, Alvarez stopped by his desk, asking if he had a minute. "Can it wait? Kind of on my way out of here," Jim answered.

"Some unis brought in a perp, claims to know you," Alvarez explained as he and Jim walked together. "Oh yeah? What's the charge?" Jim questioned. "B & E, some fancy store uptown. Pretty professional job. Kid didn't even trip the alarm," That quickly caught Jim's attention, and he asked Alvarez if it was a boy or a girl. Alvarez confirmed that it was a girl. "She said to ask if you've been down in the sewer lately," Jim rolled his eyes at that comment, knowing exactly who had been brought in.

"Hey, Detective. Miss me?" Selina smirked.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bruce clenched and unclenched his bruised fist as he adjusted the icepack on his knuckles. It felt wrong to take such pleasure in hitting someone, but at the same time, it felt exhilarating, and just the tiniest dose of adrenaline continued to pump through his veins. "I enjoyed it. I enjoyed hurting him," Bruce admitted to Alfred. "Of course you did. He deserved it," Alfred agreed. "Will that ever go away?" Bruce inquired. Alfred sighed as he sat across from Bruce in the library. "That I don't know, Master Bruce," the butler responded.

The young boy looked up from his lap as he met Alfred's gaze directly. "Alfred... can you teach me how to fight?" Bruce asked. A small smile spread on Alfred's face. "Yes, Master Bruce. Yes, I can," He answered.