559/Won't Get Fooled Again

Won't Get Fooled Again
Date of Scene:	22 May 2017
Location:	Gotham City
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Batman, Lex Luthor

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Batman has posed:
Gotham City Hall: a tense city council meeting occurs late into the day.

"This cannot /possibly/ be a feasible long-term strategy," one councilwoman says, exasperated.

"Crime rates have plummeted. Our residents can see the results," a councilman replies. "I don't know about you, but I try to make good on my campaign promises."

"Ha!" a third council member scoffs. "Wasn't your platform on unnecessary waste? You haven't tried to cut a single dollar from the city budget."

The mayor pounds a gavel. "People, please!" She sighs, rubbing her temples. "The fact of the matter is that this is our only option. That detail does. not. leave. this. room." The mayor leans back in her chair.

"Frankly, I'd be happy to have the old GCPD back. After all, several members of the current police force have made attempts on my life in the past year. But we can't just wish and make it happen."

Lex Luthor has posed:
"You're right. You can't."

The voice comes from the doors of this closed room meeting as they have been opened by two huge women. Each of them are dressed to the nines and look like they are from some Island of Paradise. They hold the doors open and stand aside as the voice that's making an entrance becomes all too clear.

"But Lex Luthor can."

Lex Luthor, in all of his expensively tailored suitness, strides into the room like he owns the place. He's wearing a big grin as he approaches the gathered members of the City Council and the Mayor. Whatever security is already in place may want to think twice about rushing him because those two huge bodyguards look like they are ready to go to work.

Trailing along behind Lex Luthor is Otis. He adjusts his bow tie as he picks up his dragging feet while carrying the briefcase marked with the gold/emerald 'LL' on the clasp.

Lex stops just short of invading all of their personal space, wanting rather for all eyes to turn and look at him and where he stands. On the side of the people not the politicians. It's a chess move of a symbolic nature if there ever was one. He stands there and he waits, knowing that there are probably more than enough questions about to head in his direction.

Batman has posed:
As the doors open and an entirely unexpected voice speaks, the assembled council turns. There's even an audible gasp by one councilman, who's struck lightly on the shoulder by the woman next to him.

"Keep it together, Dave," she mutters.

The mayor stands, slowly. "Mister Luthor ... ah, forgive my confusion--our confusion--but you are certainly unexpected today. This is a closed meeting, after all. You're not an elected member of the council, so unless you've joined Commissioner Joker as the GCPD union representative, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave."

The council members exchange confused and concerned glances, and their eyes pass to the bodyguards as well.

"If I can ask," the oldest councilman in the room says without bothering to check for approval, "you're some way from Metropolis. I don't suppose you've bought /your/ city's resident hero to help out?"

Lex Luthor has posed:
Lex Luthor fights the twitch that's attempting to happen on his face. He keeps his body from shuddering at the insinuation that an /alien/ is more of a hero for the people of Metropolis than he is. He takes the 'keep it together' words to heart even if they are not meant for him. He does, indeed, manage to keep it together.

"As a matter of fact, I have. Me."

Lex Luthor lets that linger for a moment before holding out his hand to wait somewhat impatiently for Otis to get his briefcase open, "One second, Mr. Luthor." Otis bumbles through it and eventually manages to put an old book into Lex's hand. A quick glance from someone with historical knowledge might notice that it is, in fact, an original copy of Gotham City's Municipal Laws and Ordinances... from decades ago. It's even coming apart in places but Lex handles it carefully as he speaks. "I hold in my hands the key to your salvation. The only thing that will allow you to take back your city. The one thing that you and your people missed that I, Lex Luthor, found." He flips the book open to an earmarked page and then holds it out for the bailiff or whoever is in here to take so that the Mayor can see it with her own eyes.

"I believe you'll find the highlighted passage most enlightening in regards to your current city wide predicament." Lex grins even more now. "Be sure to read it aloud for the class."

Batman has posed:
The council members murmur to one another, skepticism apparent on their faces.

"Mister Luthor, please. We've spent considerable time going through the city's ordinances--" the mayor begins, but stops as the book is opened.

With a sigh, the mayor puts on a pair of reading glasses and reads the page. Then does so again. Then a third time. Then a fourth.

"Any hope of sharing with the rest of us?" a councilwoman asks, half-frustrated and half-excited.

"Yes, please!" "Indeed!"

"Mister Luthor, you couldn't have made copies ahead of time? How /theatrical/," yet another council member says, pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing.

The mayor says, "Ahem. This seems almost laughable. There's no way it would work!"

After a moment, the mayor adds, "Ah. /You're/ the solution, aren't you?"

"Ugh!" the councilman next to the mayor exhales, grabbing the book of laws. "The marked passage says...'The city may, at any time, be turned over to a privately-run administration should it or any department thereof be found insolvent or otherwise managed to a criminally inappropriate degree. Such administration may then amend the policies and regulations overseeing such department(s) to effect competent change.'"

There's silence in the room.

"Mister Luthor," the councilman who'd just read asks, "...are you proposing to /buy/ Gotham City?"

"We're not incompetent--except maybe you," the woman to his right says. "He's proposing to buy the Police Department." She purses her lips. "Is that really even possible?"

Lex Luthor has posed:
Now is the moment that Lex Luthor steps into the spotlight. He's had his theatrical moment and now it is time to punch this administration in the gut. He's right in the middle of all of them for this and the doors are being blocked by his two bodyguards. Hope & Mercy look as though they couldn't be moved by anyone short of Wonder Woman herself. They are here to support their employer.

"Rest assured, I have no interest in Gotham City as a project or anything else. I already have a city." This is said to the councilman that dares to claim that he wants to buy Gotham City. "Gotham is a bit ragged for my tastes." With that deflection handled, Lex turns to speak mostly to the Mayor while the rest of the kiddies at the big people's table get to listen in.

"Here is how this is going to work. I will buy the GCPD. I will pay for everything from new equipment, vehicles, uniforms, salaries, hazard pay, back pay and anything else it takes to get the GCPD back up on its feet and running as smooth as it should've been in the first place. I will have my team clean house and make sure that every single officer in every single division of the GCPD is clean. I will pay for all of this and anything else out of my own pocket. Out of the kindness of my heart. Out of a sense of duty and justice as I too have been forced to stand by while someone else steps in to fulfill the void that was left in the wake of tragedy. I will make sure that the men and women that put their lives on the line to protect the people of Gotham are never slighted or feel like they need to strike again. I will guarantee that this is the last time anything like this will ever happen. But in exchange for all of this and my reduced role capacity, I only ask you for one small favor."

Lex looks as though he's ready to take everything off the table as he lets those words hang ominously in the air over the meeting.

"I want Batman released."

Batman has posed:
If there was silence in the room before, now it's positively a black hole for sound. The 'absolute zero' of noise.

One by one, the council members look at each other and then turn, finally, to the mayor.

The mayor looks down at the desk and the book of laws for a long time.

"I take it," the mayor finally says, breaking the silence, "that you've had these ordinances confirmed, and your solutions triple-checked, by your lawyers? I ask this not as an insult, but just out of a need for explicit confirmation before I sign anything."

Several council members clear their throats and begin talking at the same time. Out of the chaos of their simultaneous voices, a shared question emerges: "Will releasing Batman open the door for the other 'residents' of Arkham to be freed?"

A number of nodding heads echo this general sentiment. Even the mayor nods, sighing. "A matter of prudence, you understand. For our lives. While the GCPD strike was ... unfortunate ... further upsetting the /current/ Police Department, with no clear solution in mind, is effectively inviting our murders to occur."

Lex Luthor has posed:
Lex Luthor's grin never fades from his face as he simply says a single word in response to the worries that are being tossed in his direction.

"Otis."

Otis is fumbling with a mint when he's summoned to do the next thing that they had planned out. Rather, that Lex had planned out. He already knows what's coming down the pipeline and he's made sure that everything has been prepared. It takes Otis a moment but his brain catches up to him. "Oh! Right, Mr. Luthor!" And Otis is on the move again with a huge stack of papers from that same briefcase.

Otis moves up and down and around to get to every single city council member and the mayor herself. He's passing out various papers and things that should be read by those that are gathered. Of course, though, Lex Luthor is more than willing to explain it all in laymen's terms to each and every one of them at the same time.

"My associate is giving each of you three things. Feel free to read them at your own leisure but, in the interest of time because you're certainly running out of it, allow me to explain." It took all of his energy not to say Lexplain there. It really did.

"First. You will find a signed, in triplicate, copy of statements from each of my attorneys. They each state and cite various cases from the federal level of incidents very similar to this one. All of them valid and not one of them has failed. The ordinances themselves have been verified and you'll find signed copies of those in your packets as well. There is absolutely nothing that I will allow to go wrong with this purchase. It's being handled by the best there is." Himself, of course.

"Secondly, you'll find contracts with my own private security force. Considering the hole you've dug for yourselves, staying in Gotham is likely not the best idea. However, I have already carved out a personal security team for each of you and your families. They will be there, unseen and unheard, until they are needed. To be frank, they /have/ been there. How else do you think you made it to this meeting?" Lex grins once again letting that bomb drop into each of their laps. "You'll need to sign and initial those contractual agreements stating that you approve of the protection that Team Luthor is providing. You'll also have the option of opting in or out of the Luthor Protection Program which is detailed on Page Seven in case you'd prefer to relocate."

"Finally, there's the Batman, issue. Which, of course, I have already taken care of. Due to unpredictable and clinically insane nature of the Police Commissioner that /you/ appointed," Lex has to make sure they know othat was their fault. "We can have Batman removed from Arkham Asylum on the grounds that the Clown Commissioner's arrest was done under false pretenses and that he was unfit, mentally, to carry out such a tall order of apprehending the city's most wanted vigilante. On top of that, there are at least a dozen other options for releasing Batman, and only Batman, from Arkham Asylum. You'll find them in your packet as well. All you need to do is make the call." Lex raises a single eyebrow. "Or I can."

Lex looks smug as it seems he may have actually thought of everything.

Batman has posed:
"Excuse us a moment," the mayor says, and the council members huddle close around the desk to have a heated exchange at whisper-volume. While most of the language is tempered, if concerned, there's more than a fair share of profanities about almost any facet of the situation: Lex, Batman, the GCPD, the Joker, the mayor, rival council members, Gotham City, Otis, the rule of law...

Eventually, the mayor makes a firm-sounding statement, and the council composes itself.

"Alright, Mister Luthor," the mayor says. "Show me where to sign. With that ... Gotham City--or, at least, Gotham's police force--is yours to overhaul."

As the mayor begins signing the forms that Otis provides, there's an additional comment: "This will, of course, appear to be an agreement we all came to amiably. You'll have our full support, and I expect you'll treat us--and the GCPD union--fairly in return." Whatever implied threat there might be doesn't sound like it has the bite it might in some other circumstance.

"So..." the most outspoken councilwoman asks, "...I'm guessing some of those forces are going to be on-hand to deliver the pink slips to everyone currently at Gotham Central?"

Lex Luthor has posed:
"Otis, get our fine Gotham City Mayor a pen!"

Lex has already spun on his heels while Otis works with the Mayor (and the others) to get everything signed and gathered back up for him to stumble back over to the suitcase. Everybody gets to keep their LexCorp pens that they sign with as well. The green and gold combination makes them both unique and worth it. Real gold, of course. There's weight to these pens.

Lex doesn't even pay any more attention to the words and possible threat that's coming down the pipeline. He stopped listening once the papers started to be signed. He's already turning to leave the meeting that he wasn't supposed to be at anyone. "Mercy, get the car. I'm late for a dinner with Brad." Mercy leaves and Hope holds the doors open for her boss. Lex goes into his pocket for his custom phone and holds it up to his ear, "Mr. Kuttler. It's done. Send them in." With that said, Lex turns to look over his shoulder at the Mayor and the Council and grins one last time. The phone is tucked back into his pocket and he almost seems to be looking down on them all. "You're welcome, by the way." He can't believe they haven't even thanked him for this. How rude. He saves their city and this is how he's treated?! He'll remember this.

Lex turns to disappear out of the doors. "Come along, Otis!"

Otis, of course, is struggling to juggle everything, as well as make an amazing exit like his boss and he's even still trying to get that mint out of the packaging. "Coming, Mr. Luthor!"

Batman has posed:
Papers are signed. The GCPD is officially turned over to Luthor until such time as it can run itself once more--a prospect that should not take tremendous time, given the cash injection being provided.

Phone calls are made. With some armed support, one 'patient' at Arkham Asylum is released.

Council members are escorted to their offices, and then their cars, by Luthor's protection service.

The current officers of the GCPD are served their termination papers. Some go quietly. Some go happily. Some don't, but are taken down regardless. Some escape to parts unknown.

Replacement officers are brought in to man the station while the striking officers are informed of the union's victory, however unorthodox it may be.

Gotham City is, at least for the moment, a place of order again.