White Orchid in Gotham (KHR/DC) (Patreon)

[Gotham, Old Gotham District]

Jack Inzerillo

I hate meeting with other crime families, makes me feel small and I don’t like that, the reminder that my family isn’t the best…well I’ll let the thought end there.

Growing up I envied the way people saw my old man, the respect, the admiration. There’s none of that now.

Ever since the bat came out of whatever dark whole, he was in, all the people that used to respect our name and the names of all those involved in the life, show none.

And now there’s this.

“Pops what are we even doin’ here, a meeting this big will attract the bat’s attention, you know that”

“Son, everyone knows it’s risky, but our host is one we can’t ignore, not right now anyway. The Gesso family has taken control of the old country, they deserve our respect for that and our admiration for doing it after the last head of the family died”

I really don’t like that, the new boss of the Gesso is supposed to be a teenager, stupidly young, but now I’m supposed to greet him as a superior.

“Besides he has guaranteed our security, and I believe him. After all he released the clown from Arkham just as a distraction”

“What!? Is he insane? the clown might come to the meeting, and he cares for nothin’ other than his amusement. Pops we have to turn around the car”

There is no soul in Gotham City that doesn’t know that damn clown would kill us all just for a laugh, the boy must be stupid, releasing the clown just to occupy the bat is nuts.

Suddenly my father backhands me and shushes me.

“Are you a woman? Don’t scream like that when I’m beside you. I didn’t tell you because you don’t need to know. Everything is taken care of, the bat and the rest of his flaying rats are running around on the other edge of Gotham.

We are safe, so shut your mouth an act like the heir of our family. I don’t want you to embarrass me in front of so many of the people we do business with”

We stay in silence for the rest of the way until we arrive at an old warehouse, at the entrance two men in suits are waiting, as they see our car approach, they contact someone over a radio.

Using such old tech is the smart choice, sure everyone with a receiver might hear but for such short-ranged devices as the one we use then they would have to be in our line of sight anyway.

The families learned the hard way that using newer tech just attracts the ‘masks’, those idiots in Metropolis are now behind bars because of things like that.

After some waiting the floor opens revealing a passage down, Gotham has many holes all over, so this is not actually a surprise.

The car moves and enters the tunnel a well-built road inside guarded by the machines the Gesso use; the ugly things called Moska.

The name was given because they are apparently good at following trails of blood like the black fly.

Dressed all in black these automatons are apparently incapable of being hacked by anyone, not even the Green Lanterns or so they say.

The car comes to a stop.

“How are we supposed to enter there is no one at the gate and the thing is closed?”

“Just walk forward Jack”

Shit, the old man doesn’t like it when I ask too many questions, better shut up now.

Doing just as he told me, I walk to the gate but before I even touch anything, a light show starts to happen.

“Inzerillo Jack, welcome”

Seriously what the fuck.

The mysterious gate opens and more men in suits appear, they waste no time in passing me by to greet pops.

“Don Inzerillo we are glad you could join us the meeting is about to start; do you want your heir to be part of it?”

Pops looks at me searchingly for a few seconds before responding, his gaze tellin’ me nothin’ about his decision.

“Yes, it’s time for Jack to take more responsibilities in the family, he needs to know more”

Before I can say anything, they start to lead us into the bunker they bult here the inside is beautiful, marble and gold adorn the walls, some art and there is a strange but not displeasing tone playing in the air.

Gorgeous women are giving food and drinks to those we pass, I can recognize some of the people here, there’s Hugo Panessa second son of the head of the Panessa family, the Don of the Cassamento family Santo who is leaving to another room like us, I see some of the survivors of the Galante family relaxing in the room.

Men from the Dubelz and Falcone families playin’ cards, I even see some of the damn gypsies from the Ibanescu drinking with men from the Maroni family. Some guys from the Sabatino are trying to flirt with one of the waitresses

Remnants from the Bertinellis, Tomassos men are crowding around the people that work for the head of the Beretti family

We leave behind the entertainment and enter a conference room with a large table, the leaders of the families are sitting and behind them, the under-boss or the heir, depending on the person.

“Enrico old friend it’s good to see you, shame how time passes”

Carmine Falcone is not who he once was, his glory days are over, but he is still first among equals, and he likes to remind people of that.

“Carmine, I didn’t think I would see you here, didn’t your uncle have an accident in the old country? I thought you would be absent for that reason”

An accident, the polite way of saying he was killed in his bathtub, someone opened the old Falcone’s throat like it was nothing, but such is the price of business.

“The same could be said for many here, just look at Santo over there he lost a nephew or ask Panessa if he doesn’t care that his daughter had a car accident”

People say that Tomasso Panessa nearly killed the messenger when news arrived of his daughter’s death, killed to teach a lesson to her husband, Sevastian Maroni, rumor has it that he was killed by the new kid in person.

Santo’s nephew drowned on his own pool if rumors are to be believed but more than likely he was tortured and killed there, after all the Gesso suddenly knew where they hid their product after it happened.

“We are all here because the new capo says he will offer recompense and he even has a deal for us, but you already knew that, from what I know you hear everything”

Pops only smiles at the comment, he takes his seat and greets the other capos at the table.

Santo Cassamento is a gruff man, he doesn’t talk much and simply drinks whatever the attendants provide.

Tomasso Panessa looks like he could kill anyone here, the man is tall and big, not muscular but big, he seems impatient to begin and barely even reacts to pops saying hello.

Angelo Beretti is a calm man and a fair boss by all accounts, he is the one controlling East End now and battles Black Mask’s men whenever they try to muscle in, he and my pops are old drinking buddies but not many here know that.

Robert Dubelz is a fat man there is no way around it, the man is overweight and barely fits in his chair he has some plates filled with lobster and meat in front of him and barely pauses from eating to answer whatever comment is directed to him.

Dragos ‘the dragon’ Ibanescu is now an old man and not the tall figure he was when I was a kid, he still has a mean face, but the years have not been kind to his body, the man now walks with a cane, people say the bat was the one that made him a cripple, supposedly for trying to sell the latest robin to the clown.

Sal Maroni looks pissed, he looks like he will shoot the kid when he appears and I don’t blame him, the kid killed his brother, I doubt whatever he is offered will stop him from retaliating now that Gesso is on American soil and far away from the rest of his robots.

Tony Sabatino is the only one who looks happy about the events that took place some months ago, he was the only one that accepted the rule of the Gesso in Italy and was left with his territory intact and even got some of the Moska for his protection.

The smell of something sweet assaults my nose as a panel opens on the wall of the room and the new boss comes out, the kid looks even weirder than I thought.

White hair and purple eyes, paler compared to us and with the features of his Japanese mother in his face, a strange tattoo under one of his eyes and an even stranger smile on his face.

He has a really good-looking bodyguard behind him, a red headed woman that is strangely familiar to me, maybe someone I’ve fucked? Whatever.

“I’m happy that we are all here no-“

“We ain’t here for your empty words Gesso, we want what you promised”

Sal interrupted the kid brazenly, making the smile on his face disappear. No boss can tolerate such disrespect and Maroni has broken the etiquette that holds us together by speaking out of turn.

The kid snaps his fingers, plants come rushing out of nowhere. Thick vines now hold Sal above the table and are shaking him before dropping him back down to his seat.

Fuck that’s why she seemed familiar I’ve seen her rack many times on tv.

“I hope that such interruptions won’t happen again, as you can see, I’ve acquired a new associate, Poison Ivy is now working for me”

Silence reigns in the room, it gets so quiet I can even hear the sound of Robert’s stomach as it digests food.

“Continuing what I was saying before, now that all of us that share roots are here, I would like to begin detailing my plan to recover the power we are owed”

He pauses waiting for any comment and Carmine makes a motion with his hand indicating that he would like to speak

“I say it’s about time we started but we aren’t all here Roman Sionis is missing”

“Black Mask is as insane as the clown I would not get him involved in this; we will have to get rid of him”

“You say he is like the clown, but you work with him and not Roman, something fishy is going on here”

“There is no harm in telling you, the clown was not actually released by me or my men another associate was the one to free that monster, you ever wonder how that freak escapes death every single time, truth is he doesn’t. The Demon’s Head revives him”

Shouting starts at his proclamation, after some rude words are spoken, everyone calms down and the kid continues.

“Ra's al Ghul uses him as a distraction whenever he wants Batman out of his affairs, he even uses his miraculous Lazarus Pit’s to bring him back to life so he can use him at any time he wants.

Did none of you ever why when you sent someone to kill him while he was injured and received confirmation, he suddenly came back to life, well the answer is he did die, but just for a little while.

That’s the reason he has gotten more insane over the years, dying and coming back is harsh on the mind”

Curses fly through the air at the news, the clown is bad for business and now we discover we just needed to keep his corpse safe to get rid of him, truly an irony for men who ensure remains are never discovered.

“Fine, we will consider getting rid of Sionis but what is your plan?”

Robert is serious now and I can tell cause he even stopped eating

“Well Gentlemen it’s time for us to go green…metaphorically of course”

He looks behind him to Ivy and smiles at her.

“You see gentlemen this partnership will open up new doors for us, a new law was passed recently legalizing the use of drugs so long s as they are not synthetic, sadly most of them require a process which puts them on that category.

That is where our dear Ivy comes in, she will supply us with natural drugs that can bypass the restriction, they will sell just as well as the old ones and there will be no more toxic waste running around.”

That has to be a dig at Poison Ivy, but the woman doesn’t react.

“She will also provide some enhancements to our workforce, and I will supplement that with my Moskas. My Friends Gotham City will be ours. We will just have to become more eco-friendly in our practices, but she can help with that”

“So, my fellow Bosses what do you think of my proposal?”

The men make all considering noises and some like Sal and Robert are talking with their under-bosses

“What about the bat?”

The question Carmine makes stops all conversation around us.

“The bat will be busy while we take over Gotham, after all, our moves will be legal, and lobbying is not against the law, eventually we will make the law here. As for our more…under the table jobs, don’t worry about it, I will not impose on you for territory just a cut of the profits. The distraction requires money like all things”

“Who’s gonna be the patsy then?”

Sal seems to like the way things are going if the grin on his face is any indication.

“The Riddler has fallen of the tracks again and is building new puzzles, not just for Batman but for the rest of his ilk, all over the world and all over Gotham, he wants to test himself against every hero.”

The grins in every face in the room remind me that for all the shit we endure nowadays, these men are still kings of the underworld.