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I Would Like to Dedicate This Chapter to Kevin Conroy, the Date I Am Publishing This November 30th Would've Been his 69th Birthday

Ten Years Ago

The Iceberg Lounge was alive with energy, pulsing with bass-heavy music that seemed to thrum through the very bones of the crowded space. The air smelled of alcohol, expensive cologne, and the faint tang of electricity. The sprawling club was bathed in deep crimson light, bouncing off the towering steel structures that lined the massive hall, creating a surreal and almost otherworldly atmosphere. People packed the floor, their movements erratic yet synchronized, lost in the rhythm.

Y/N leaned against a railing overlooking the dance floor, a whiskey in hand, his expression a mix of distraction and forced cheer. It had been Waylon's idea to come out tonight. Waylon had insisted that Y/N needed to blow off some steam. "It's your round," Waylon said, leaning over Y/N as he grinned with a toothy smirk, his gravelly voice cutting through the music. Before his training, Y/N wasn't the bulky figure he was, here, he was more lean, few bits of fat here and there, pretty average build.

Y/N rolled his eyes, smirking back. "You're built like a truck, Waylon, but I swear, your wallet's lighter than my conscience."

Waylon laughed, clapping Y/N on the back hard enough to nearly spill his drink. "You keep talkin', and you'll end up drinking tap water all night."

With a dramatic sigh and mock surrender, Y/N pushed off the railing. "Fine, but next time, it's on you. Don't try and dodge it." He set off, weaving through the pulsating throng of bodies toward the bar.

Navigating the packed floor was no easy feat. He sidestepped a couple mid-spin and ducked under a man throwing his hands in the air like he was in a trance. But his progress was abruptly halted when he collided with someone, sending a splash of icy liquid flying.

"Are you kidding me?" a woman exclaimed, glaring at him as she looked down at her dress. Her dark hair fell in soft waves, framing a face that was both elegant and fierce. She wore a sleek rose-colored gown that clung to her figure in all the right ways now sporting a dark stain spreading across the fabric.

"Shit, I'm so sorry," Y/N said quickly, raising his hands. "I didn't see you. Totally my bad."

One of her friends, an equally well-dressed blonde, stepped forward, her lips curling in disdain. "Do you even know who this is?" she demanded, her tone dripping with incredulity.

Y/N blinked, genuinely confused. "Uh...no?"

The woman in the rose dress shot her friend a look, silencing her before she turned back to Y/N. "It's fine. Really," she said, though the tightness in her voice suggested otherwise. "I'll just clean up at the bar."

Feeling the heat of her glare as she turned away, Y/N followed her toward the bar. He was already planning his apology before he reached her side. "Look, I really am sorry," he said, leaning against the counter beside her. "I can pay for your dry cleaning or something."

The woman sighed, dabbing her dress with a napkin. "It's fine," she repeated, though her frustration was still evident. "It's just...this dress—"

"Looks expensive," Y/N finished for her, grinning. "But for what it's worth, it looks great on you."

Her hands paused mid-dab as she looked up at him, surprised. It wasn't the reaction he'd expected. Her features softened ever so slightly, and there was a flicker of something curious in her eyes. "You really don't know who I am, do you?"

"No clue," Y/N replied honestly.

Her lips curved into a faint smile, a mix of amusement and intrigue. Before she could say more, the bartender appeared, ignoring everyone else to focus entirely on her. "Are you okay?" he asked, his gaze darting briefly to Y/N. "Is this guy bothering you?"his voice locked with Y/N's who felt unnerved before the man looked at the woman, nodding his head almost asking permission to strike at Y/N.

She shook her head. "No, it's fine. Really." Then, as if on a whim, she turned back to Y/N. "You want a drink?"

"Depends," Y/N said, his grin widening. "Are you buying?"

She laughed softly, something about his attitude catching her off guard. "I guess I am," she said. "What'll it be?"

"Rum and Coke," he said, offering his hand. "Name's Y/N."

She hesitated a moment before taking it. "Sofia," she said, her lips curved up, almost like she was gonna say something else but cut herself off. Allowing herself, for once, not be known as the daughter of Carmine Falcone, but as herself. "Just, Sofia" she smiled.

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Y/N climbed the steel framework with a practiced ease, the welding torch in one hand and his gear slung over his shoulder. He preferred being up here, away from the noise of the crew below. From this height, Gotham stretched out like a patchwork of grime and ambition, steel and smog. Up here, it was quieter, lonelier. Just the way he liked it.

The welding torch sparked to life, and he focused on his task, sealing the joints of the beams, feeling the heat bloom around him. Below, the other workers were joking, their voices carrying faintly on the wind. He tuned them out. No one expected him to join in; he'd been there long enough for them to stop asking.

A while later, the foreman's voice boomed across the site. "Alright, everyone! Gather 'round!"

Y/N climbed down, reluctantly joining the loose circle of workers as the foreman stood on an overturned crate. The man was middle-aged, broad, and loud, with the kind of authority you couldn't ignore even if you wanted to. He raised a clipboard, tapping it against his hand for emphasis.

"Got two announcements for you all today," he began. "First off, because of all the hard work you've been putting in lately, the company's giving you a little Halloween bonus. Should hit your checks next week."

A ripple of cheers and applause went through the group. Y/N forced a small smile, nodding as if he was just as excited as the rest of them. It wasn't much, but every little bit helped.

"Second," the foreman continued, "we're taking tomorrow off. Whole city's gonna be shut down for the mayor's funeral. No sense in us being the only ones out here."

That news got an even bigger reaction, with a few of the guys clapping each other on the back. Y/N stayed quiet, keeping facade of a smile plastered on his face. He didn't care about the day off. For him, it just meant more time to dig around.

Once the announcements were over, Y/N grabbed his bag and headed out, barely glancing at the others as they started making plans for their unexpected free time.

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The bell above the door to Croc's Gym jingled as Y/N stepped inside. The familiar smell of sweat and leather hit him immediately. The gym wasn't much to look at worn equipment, dim lighting but it had heart.

Y/N walked through the gym, the hum of bags being punched and heavy metal weights clanking up and down. He would've moved to begin his own workout, but something didn't seem right. Dropping his towel and water bottle off by some weights, Y/N peered into the back office. Seeing Waylon let out a heavy laugh, chatting with Oswald Cobb of all people.

"Really appreciate you helping with the license, Oz," Waylon said, his deep voice rumbling like distant thunder. "And that insurance paperwork? Never seen anything move that fast."

Oz waved a hand dismissively. "Waylon, my friend, it's nothing. We take care of our own, don't we? A little nudge here, a little signature there—it's what I do." His sharp eyes flicked toward the entrance, landing on Y/N. "Well, look who finally decided to show his face. I keep hearing you're back in town, but you haven't stopped by the Lounge, like all" he laughed. "The hells the matter you live opposite the joint and you never need to let off some steam with a drink?" he joked.

Y/N smirked, ever so slightly, slinging his bag onto a nearby bench. "Trying to keep my liver intact, Oz. Don't wanna fall back into old habits" he added, his eyes looking down briefly. His mind flashing back to what he used to do years ago, the way he acted without a care.

Oz chuckled, tapping the umbrella he always carried against the floor. "Ah, come on. What's the point of living in Gotham if you're not indulging a little? First round's on me, whenever you crawl out of whatever cave you've put yourself in" he continued to joke, not knowing how right he was.

"Cave's comfortable," Y/N shot back. "Doesn't come with overpriced cocktails."

Oz and Waylon laughed at this, with the two exchanging small talk over Waylon's animal business slowly falling into place. "Alright, I'd love to stay and trade barbs, but business calls. Waylon, you're all set. And Y/N, try not to let this guy drag you into too many bar fights, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah," Y/N replied with a lazy salute as Oz left, the door jingling again as it closed behind him.

Once they were alone, Y/N turned to Waylon, his tone more serious. "You need to stop letting him get involved, Waylon. You know what kind of attention he brings."

Waylon shrugged, crossing his thick arms. "I know, man. But Oz is our friend. He's always looked out for us."

Y/N frowned, rubbing the back of his neck. "Friends like him don't come cheap, Waylon. Just... be careful, alright?"

Waylon grunted, the closest thing to an agreement Y/N was going to get. "I hear you. Now, you want to stand there and lecture me, or you wanna hit the bag? You look like you could use it."

Y/N shook his head, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Alright, fine. Let's see if you still remember how to block" the veins on his forearms tightening as he made fists.

Waylon laughed, already heading toward the training area. "Bring it on".

-------------------------

Y/N looked at himself in the mirror in his apartment, mostly geared and suited up with his chest plate and gauntlets attached to his hands. The man looked at himself up and down, seeing what was ten years ago a scrawny man know a hulking bulk of muscle. He wasn't that man who partied to the early hours of the morning, unknowingly mingling with the highest of the high of Gotham's filth invested underworld. He was a weapon, sharpened, perfected.

He looked down, to his cowl, or the underneath of it. The cloth that went slid underneath the armour offering some form of comfort. But he didn't need comfort, he needed results.

A part of him considered it, going to Selina as Y/N opposed to the Bat. Telling her why he did this, telling her to get him into the club within the club and not going herself. But he couldn't, to protect her, to protect himself. He trusted Selina, he really did, but a part of him.......that little voice, that sense of doubt. That if one thing went wrong the entire mission would be compromised.

Just as Y/N was about to pull the cloth over his head;

Knock Knock

It almost startled him, almost. The door, would knock, at this hour? In Gotham. Someone perhaps hoping to get lucky? To find an apartment empty and ransack it, looting everything and selling it off in hopes of getting their hands on Drops.

"Who-" Y/N swallowed, then coughed. His voice was dry. "Who is it?" he called out to the front door.

"Uhhhhh, me, me Y/N" the quiet, gentle voice of Ed Nashton called back causing Y/N to shake his head. Ed, what would he want? He was always quiet, even when they were kids. He didn't come out to play, he didn't come out to drink, didn't even come to graduation. He always just kept to himself, logic puzzles, crosswords, he lived in the old Wayne Manor that was converted into an Orphanage when Thomas Wayne announced his running for Gotham Mayor. Everyone knew it was simply a publicity stunt.

Y/N quickly threw heavy jacket over himself to conceal and turned off the light, and slightly opened the door seeing Ed standing there. The door was only slightly open, with the chain still attached it would limit Ed's view into the apartment.

"Hey......Ed" Y/N mumbled to himself.

"Hi Y/N" Ed smiled looking at Y/N, his eyes not leaving his face and not peering into the apartment behind him.

"I......wanted to ask........I've joined a kinda movement" he drew out, nerves getting to him, this was Ed. He always seemed kinda nervous. "It's a kinda, political movement I guess" he shrugged to himself.

Political? Ed never seemed like the type to get into politics.

"Listen Ed, i uhhhh" Y/N tried to say, slowly inching the door closed ever so slightly. "I'm not one to get involved in elections and........stuff" he whispered, Ed looked down in what seemed to be disappointment.

"It's move of a, way to see the city if that helps?" he tried to persuade.

Y/N didn't say anything, looking at Ed's eyes and then scanned him all over. "I don't know Ed, sorry" he repeated, trying desperately to get the timid man away.

"Oh.........okay" Ed muttered, slowly turning away from the door and slowly walking his way towards the staircase. Y/N watched, making sure he saw Ed start to walk down the stairs before he closed the door. He breathed a heavy sigh of relief, Ed never came up to this floor, in fact Y/N had never seen him leave the building except for work. Moving towards the window, Y/N peered out to across the street, the Iceberg Lounge.

Who knew it held a secret? Well, everyone knew it held secrets. But a club, within a club not open to the public? That's where it gathered, the stench, it's from that hidden club that the decay and mould that infected Gotham spread and poisoned the city.

Grabbing the cloth and pulling it over his face, and then moving to the heavy helmet and ensuring the ears were attached properly. He made sure to grab 2 burner phones, and a pair of tiny earbuds. Y/N would find out exactly how, and why, Carmine decided to keep such secrets.

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The drive across the city wasn't difficult, the rain still poured making the roads slippery. But it wasn't that hard. He would meet Selina at hers, and he'd reveal his plan. He didn't have that many fancy gadgets, most of his money had been funnelled into the car, suit and a few gadgets here and there. He didn't have the right tech designed for infiltration, so he'd improvise.

-------------------------

"You're kidding me right?" Selina asked, holding onto one of the burner phones and looking at it disappointed. "A phone, you're gonna see what I see, through a phone?" she added, her pupils darting from the phone to the large Bat in front of her. She all dressed up on a red rose whig and hugging outfit, and her eyes it seemed the plan was already a no go.

"Yes" Y/N mumbled back, clicking on his phone and the one Selina held instantly perked online. He showed her the phone he was holding, showcasing he'd view through a camera lens. Y/N for a fact knew there'd be reception down there, who else would Carmine have his addicts pull others along for the ride.

"And how I am supposed to hide this thing?" she continued, slowly buying the plan only to be met with a blank stare from Batman. In response, Selina quickly turned around and let out an embarrassed sigh, Y/N darted his eyes away. Mere moments later Selina turned back around, the phone had been sneakily tucked between her dress, you could barley see it poking between........well. "You really think this is gonna work?" she asked, shuffling it round to make it more comfortable.

"I need to see in there" Batman drew out, adjusting the camera on his phone and setting up to a smaller recording device, backing up all saved footage from tonight. They were burner phones, he'd either break them himself or after tonight they'd be unusable. "It's his kingdom, his hunting ground" he added, and Selina knew exactly he was.

"Hey, why am I starting to feel like a fish on a hook? I'm just looking for Annika" she declared, eyeing up the technology the Bat was using, seemed so simple. He reached for his utility belt, pulling out a small black container, not paying her comments any mind. "Boy, you're a real sweetheart" she scoffed. "You really don't care what happens to me in there tonight, do you?"

That, got Y/Ns attention causing him to look at her.

"Care?" he asked, stepping closer to her, one might think his voice would be one of anger but it was still emotionless. "I do this, because I'm the only one that cares" he added, stepping closer to Selina whose breath hitched in her throat. This close to the Bat, and with him saying that. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all. Y/N moved a hand up, next to Selina's face.

For a brief moment she saw it in his eyes, for a fraction of a second. She saw the man behind the Bat, that man trying his hardest, just trying to hold on......and after that split second, the Bat reappeared before her eyes. With his hand drawing back, and Selina suddenly felt something in her left, moving a hand up to feel it, it was a small earbud, like the phone, hardly noticeable thanks to the red whig covering her ears.

"Looks good" was all the Bat had to say, turning away to ticker with his tech.

-------------------------

Took a few moments to adjust, but as Selina casually strolled through the back of the Iceberg Lounge with the other girls preparing themselves. The image came in clearly, he hooked the burner up to the recorder with a USB and could only let things play out. The loud booming music, the laughs and giggles were all around Selina, and Y/N just had to focus, tune them out.

"I got you" he whispered through his microphone, careful to keep his voice down. "Can you hear me?"

"Yeah" Selina muttered in response, trying not to draw attention to herself by the fact she was talking to herself. Selina continued to march up, towards an elevator that was guarded by one man.

"Hey where you goin'?" he asked the woman, his eyes narrowing at her and exhaling.

"Hospitality" was all Selina answered with, showing the man Y/N now recognised a guard granting her access to the inner sanctum of the Roman's criminal empire.

"That's one of the guys I got into it with the other night. Looks like I broke his nose" he noted, but something else about him seemed familiar causing Y/N to narrow his eyes and get closer to the phone screen. He knew that face, he knew it somewhere.............the GCPD. "He's an off duty cop?" he spoke out, meant for himself but he was in shock. Carmine has the cops doing his dirty work, and as the off duty officer closed the door to he elevator he wrote this down in a notebook, the timestamp and to inspect the man.

As the elevator began to descend, Selina shuffled with her dress to ensure the phone would remain un-noticed. "Are you sure no one can see this thing?" she asked out loud to Y/N.

"He didn't, the rest of the girls didn't" was all he spoke back, and Selina got her answer. She took a tense breath, somehow not that reassured by that comment. Then the elevator doors opened, 44 Below, the belly of the beast. It was another world down there, less crowded, more calm music, one could compare it to a modern day speak-easy. Drinks flowed from table to table, not the cheap stuff from up stairs, good stuff. Decades old whiskey, drugs packed on tables, men smiling as they spoke with another.

As Selina passed a table, Y/N quickly made a note of the timestamps, all these men seemed to familiar. 'More GCPD officers?' he thought to himself. 'How deep does the mould spread?'. But Y/N also noticed just how much the mens eyes, travelled when looking at Selina.

"These guys have a little problem with eye contact don't they?" he spoke out, a mans gaze was one of he frightening things in this city, cause many of them held emotions that were not unbecoming of loyal citizens.

"Feels good doesn't it?" Selina spoke out with a smirk, now he finally knew what it felt like.

"Yeah baby feels real good" a nearby man spoke, downing his glass of alcohol and smiling enjoying his night. Selina passed by a lounge area, three suited men sat with a few ladies of the night. Holding the mens eyes open as they administered Drops into their eyes, as soon as the Drops made contact the men shot their heads and felt the rush.

"Jesus I hate Dropheads" she scoffed.

"Really? 'Cause when I first saw you, it looked like you were dealing for Penguin" he replied back over the bud.

Just then, in the corner of the horde of drugs and alcohol Y/N spotted a face anyone in Gotham would recognise. Bruce Wayne, his arms around girls, smiling and laughing at his every whim. Glasses of alcohol lay before them, but no Drops, he smiled and joked, causing the women to burst out with their own laughter.

"I tell you ladies, as soon as Alberto gets his ass here we are in for quite a night let me tell you" he said, causing the girls to get excited.

Portrayed by Richard Madden

But Selina turned away before Y/N could get any more information. Everyone knew Bruce Wayne was a playboy, he enjoyed a good night out on the town. But even he was in on Carmines inner club.

"Listen, I don't ask you how you have the money for your toys" Selina spoke back with spite, zoning Y/N back into the mission at large. "So come at me with-" before Selina could finish, she looked directly at a man who made eye contact with her. She recognised the look, that high, that mixture of already feeling the rush and wanting to feel more.

"Listen can we just not do this right now" she spoke, hurrying away before the man could get any ideas and attempt to make a move.

"Wait who was that?" Y/N asked, bringing the phone closer. He knew that men, he'd seen him before, in person, he knew him if he could just see him.

"Oh I saw him"

"I need to see his face" he said sternly, and even Selina could hear just how much he meant it. And so she did, if was that important. The man was still looking at Selina, and Y/N then knew where he had seen the man before.

He was there, that day, the trail of the man who killed Y/Ns father, he called Y/N up to testify. Y/N tried to burry the memory, but the man, his name was on the tip of his tongue. The name flashed to his mind as he remembered the judge calling on him to calm down due to the emotions he was making Y/N go through.

"Gil Colson" he spoke out, looking to the screen in front of him. "He's the D.A".

"And he's coming over, you happy?" Selina asked through the earbud, seeing Gil Colson rise out of his seat and move towards Selina, he was so high he almost tripped over an empty bottle of vodka that was rolling along the floor.

"Talk to him" he spoke back, he was highly intoxicated through whatever he had drunk and mixed with the Drops. His defences would be lowered.

Selina sighed, seeing the man approach her and could only look down as she knew this dance, she had been through it a hundred other times and with a hundred other men.

"Hi, how you doin'?" he asked, nervous.

"Hey" was all Selina replied with, putting on a fake smile.

"I'm Gil

"Hey aren't you the D.A?" Selina asked, stepping closer holding her smile and putting one a fake almost entranced voice. She knew how to play men in power.

"Yeah" he responded, almost over joyed at the fact she knew who he was.

"Is that right? I haven't seen you around here before.." Colson replied, he was blinking rapidly every time he spoke. Trying to soak up as much as the Drops as possible and feel that rush. "It's-- 's a hell of a time to be the new girl, 'cause people are all... A little on edge" he added, swallowing hard.

"Oh, honey, I live on the edge"Selina joked and giggled, causing Colson to also.

"Is that right? I like that! Do you wanna come over?" he asked, gestating to the table behind him full of people consuming Drops and enjoying themselves.

"Sure" Selina smiled, looking at Colson and then to the table and walking right over.

"Uh this is Travis" he introduced placing his shoulders on one man who waved at Selina. "I think you can sit over there... Ritchie. Glen" he further introduced, to which these men also nodded towards Selina.

"That must be half the D.A office" Batman guessed as he looked the screen in front of him, mouth slightly hung open in shock, just how deep does this rabbit hole go?"

"You know Carla here, huh?" Colson asked, gesturing to one of the lady workers sat next to one of his associates. "This is Sheri, don't mind her. She's just taking a break" he patted a woman on the back who had clearly had enough as she was slouched over and looking as if she were going to puke. "Drowning our sorrows, you want a Drop?" he asked, holding a tray of Drop dispensers to Selina.

"Uh, no, I'm good, but you enjoy!" she spoke back, gently pushing the tray away.

"Hope you don't mind... I got a lot on my shoulders with that psycho running around" Colson pitied himself, a world where a man must do his job. A world that Carmine offered escape from apparently.

Y/N noticed something through the video feed, Colson's eyes, they were red, bright red. He knew this, a side effect of the Drops, the physical tole it would take on the body. He had seen it many times outside of his apartment. "He's wasted".

"No Shit!" Selina laughed out, replying to Y/N but Colson took it as a reply to him and laughed with the woman.

"I like this girl" Colson continued to laugh, looking to his colleagues close by.

"Oh, hey, I like you, too!", she placed a hand atop of his, disarming him, lowering his defences. Getting him vulnerable.

"I mean this Riddler" he began, shaking his head and pushing his lips together. "He's going after the most powerful people in this city, he knows so much--" he stated, his voice conveying that he was panicked, almost worried the killer would come for him next.

"He doesn't know shit man" the colleague Glen spoke up, trying to clam Colson down.

"What are you talking about?" Colson snapped back, his head whipping round tom looks at Glen. "You guys, he knew about the Rat...." that peaked Y/Ns interest, and as Glen continued to try and calm Colson down Y/N spoke up through the microphone.

"Wait, the Rat, ask him about the Rat" he told Selina, who spoke this Colson.

"Hey, what's this about a rat?", teasingly tapping her fingers along his hand to not only calm him down, but also get his attention.

Colson wiped the sweat away from his face, calming himself down and allowing his body to accept the gentle high of the Drops. He took a sharp breath, and turned his attention towards the beautiful woman who was focused solely on him. "I mean... There was a rat, we had an informant" he began, his voice cracking out of nervousness. "We had big time information on Salvatore Maroni, that's how we got him out of the Drops business" he explained, and Y/N wrote all of this down as fast as he could. "But if this guy knows... it's gonna come out. And when it does, this whole city's gonna come apart!" he explained, he was so worried about this? The Rat is the key to all this.

"Okay, I don't wanna hear this" Carla, the other worker who sat besides one of Colson's colleagues stated, trying to divert attention away from this topic. "This is the kinda pillow talk that got that Russian girl disappeared", that was the information Selina was looking for.

"What do you know about that?" she asked her follow worker, her attention shifting away from Colson to Carla.

Quickly Carla stood up and looked to the party around her, "Does anybody want a drink?" she asked, trying to get out of there as quickly as possible.

"I want a......drink" Colson said, words failing him as the Drops took hold of his brain. Carla excused herself, making her towards the bar to which Selina tracked her with her eyes.

"Keep him talking" Y/N spoke, trying to get Selina to stay there, Colson was so close to saying more, if she would just listen to him. But she didn't listen, and abruptly stood up and began to speed walk after Carla.

"Wait where are you going?" he asked her.

"She knowns Annika"

"NO!" he almost shouted, "Stay on the D.A!"

"I told you" Selina spoke back as she neared the bar. "I'm looking for my friend". Moving to the bar, Selina grabbed Carla's arm and spoke with venom in her voice. "Where's Annika?" she demanded to know, Carla looking at Selina in fear.

"Outta my face I don't know you" she replied, snatching her hand away.

"Yeah, but you know her, you took her!" Selina yelled back, beginning to draw some looks from the patrons and workers around them. "What have you heard, is she okay?!"

"Jesus Christ" Carla spoke back, trying to hush Selina and just keep her head down. "Keep your voice down! What, do you got a death wish?" before Selina could continue with her questions, a voice spoke out drawing the attention of the two girls.

"Hey, what's the problem ladies?" a calming, yet demanding voice let out. The lights of the club briefly shined upon him, but Y/N knew who it was, Selina knew who it was. His presence was felt by his voice alone, his lackey Oz stood next him almost like a guard dog. The Roman, Carmine Falcone, the man anybody, and everybody on the streets would go to for a job, not a safe job though. Y/N had a memory flood back to him, he had only met the Roman once, and back then he couldn't defend himself.

"There's no problem, just girl talk" Carla responded, trying her best to just get away from Carmine.

"Let's just keep its festive down here alright?" Oz spoke up to the two girls, Carla nodding her head and taking the drinks back to the D.A booth. But Selina didn't leave, she continued to look at Carmine, and him to her. His face became clearer in the dark blue lights of the bar, mid 60s, a face you'd remember if you saw him.

"Hey" he spoke to Selina.

"Hey" she quietly responded, either out of respect, fear or both.

"Been a long time" he spoke, he stopped as he was right in front of Selina. Carmine's hand moved up and grazed Selina's cheek playfully. "Nice to see you down here. How you been?" that's when it dawned to Y/N, much like him, Selina had some form of connection to Carmine.

"Yeah, I've been-- I've been okay" Selina struggled to find her words, whether it be out of nervousness or fear. But she kept eye contact with Carmine the entire time. "I was just, um... I was just headed back upstairs" she stated, gently moving away from Carmine but he kept his grip on her cheek.

"Oh, well" he smiled, looking down at the woman. "Now, don't be a stranger" he called out, never paying her a piece of mind as Selina quickly made her way out of 44 Below. Quickly the woman pushed the doors open to a bathroom, and looked the camera of the phone in the mirror, all the time Y/N could only stand back and watch from his screen.

"You know Carmine Falcone?" he asked through the earbud, he needed to know more. Selina was involved in this a lot more than he initially thought.

"I told you it's a mob spot" she tried to explain, leaning onto the sink for support, catching her breath and trying to regain her compute.

"You didn't tell me you had a relationship with him"

"I don't have a relationship with him, okay?!" she half shouted back.

"Well, that's not what it looked like"

"Forget it" Selina scoffed, removing her earbud and throwing it to the ground and stamping on crushing it into pieces. Y/N reeled back in pain as the feedback fed through his own bud and caused him to throw it to the ground in pain. Next he saw Seina remove the phone, and promptly through the lens of the camera, smash it against the side of the sink.

Y/N watched the crack screen and the feed of the recording cut off exhaling loudly. It wasn't much, but it was something. A Rat linked to the Maroni case, Selina had some form of connection to Carmine, all these loose threads. His eyes slowly turned to the window, towards the far off distance and the night sky. He'd need to tell Gordon, he needs to tell somebody.

Authors Note
There we go another chapter done and dusted, originally I wanted this chapter to be longer. But if you saw my announcements, my laptop decided to kick the bucket on me. So originally I wanted this chapter to be a bit longer, but I don't know when I'm gonna be getting it back. So the chapter was already 6K words so thought I'd put this out.

So yeah, a few changes here, notably Sofia and Bruce. I really want to start emphasising how different this world and Y/N is, plus I'm simping for Sofia hard. I might change the casting of Bruce down the line, I'm kind of half and half on to keep Madden or so we'll see.

I do apologise if this chapter cuts off a little short, again I did plan for this to on longer but my 2012 MacBook decides to write Brooks was here on the way out lol.

Here's hoping it'll get fixed soon.

Anyway,

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