"I will make them pay," Falcone said. "I've been waiting for this day for too long. Just because I'm silent doesn't mean I've forgotten. I have just been waiting for them to leave a single feather behind. And today, that wait is finally over."
"It seems we all have a score to settle with the Court of Owls," Bruce folded his arms and said.
He wasn't entirely certain that the death of his parents was connected to this mysterious organization, but what he did absolutely know was this: if this dark organization was indeed controlling Gotham, transforming it into what it is today, they certainly played a part in the murder of his parents.
Bruce stood on one side of the long table, with Falcone and Shiller stationed at either end. In the pitch-black conference room, only the flickering candlelight remained.
Finally, Falcone said: "To exact revenge on them, I am willing to form an alliance with you. But this alliance must remain deeply covert. Any member wishing to join must be vetted by the other members. And we have only one goal."
Bruce added: "To shatter any mysterious power that seeks to manipulate Gotham."
"To bring about a new order to this city," Shiller concluded.
When the three returned to the surface, they said nothing. There was no written agreement about their pact, not even a single clear rule. But they all understood that the secret meeting that had taken place in the Gotham underground had determined Gotham's future.
Shortly after, Detective Gordon and Prosecutor Harvey, both known for their integrity, competence, and conviction, joined the pact, giving birth to the original "Gotham Conspiracy."
This was an organization even more enigmatic than the Court of Owls. It didn't have any apparent goal or actionable plan. Furthermore, everyone avoided using any affiliation to the organization for communication. They only maintained their outward social identities, working synchronously a little more frequently than usual on certain matters.
The ultimate objective of this organization was singular: if chaos was Gotham's nature, let it be eternally chaotic and free. Anyone who aimed to manipulate the city was destined to fail. Gotham would forever remain Gotham.
After confirming the actions of the Court of Owls, Shiller cast aside his reservations and began preparations for Gotham City's first reconstruction. His initial task was to draw up a perfect city planning blueprint for Gotham City.
Of course, Shiller himself didn't possess that kind of knowledge. But that was not a problem; he had a very useful tool at his disposal.
"Stark, put your genius brain to good use!"
In the lab of Marvel New York's Stark Building, Shiller handed a case of blueprints to Stark. Stark was perplexed, and after surveying a few pages, he asked, "What is this? City planning? What's with all this?"
"I need a comprehensive and perfect city plan for this city, and I need it as quickly as possible."
Stark glanced at the blueprint, then at Shiller, and retorted, "Why on Earth would you think I know how to do city planning?"
"You might not know, but you can learn. You always have to learn something new, why not start with this today?"
"Even if you can't learn, Jarvis can. He is a super artificial intelligence. Designing a city should be a piece of cake for him."
Stark opened his mouth to retort, but instead looked back down at the blueprint, then asked, "Do you really expect me to design a city plan for such a huge city all by myself?"
"Alright," Shiller said, "Actually, another genius, like you, has already drafted a preliminary plan. But…you know, his supercomputer isn't powerful enough. So, I had to come to you for some technical support."
Stark didn't pay attention to anything else; he only caught the words "genius" like himself. Just as he was about to object, Shiller tossed him the other blueprints, which he then scanned with skeptical eyes before breaking into a total stupor.
"Wait a minute," Stark began comparing documents and blueprints, and then set them up on the floor, saying, "What is this, an examination question? This city doesn't exist in the real world. You made it up. What's the point?"
"The point is to see who is the bigger genius."
"Let me repeat this: there is absolutely no one in this world smarter than Stark," Stark pointed his finger, "If you think otherwise, you are certainly mistaken. And I'll prove it to you right now."
As he began sketching on the map, Stark said, "Okay, I admit; he is a genius. The way he comprehends the logistics transport system is unique, and it seems quite perfect."
"However, it is not the best, I have a better idea… look here. The problem lies in the central roundabout…"
Once occupied with such a problem, Stark would grow very serious and meticulous. While he sketched out ideas, he said, "This guy you mentioned… I admit he's good. It seems like he even calculated everything manually, without any computer assistance. That's already at the human limit."
"However, he lacks creativity. Like I said; his vision is outdated. A city doesn't have to be flat; it can also be three-dimensional…"
"A 3D city! Yes, that's what it is, a 3D city. This concept has been proposed countless times, but no city has put it into practice yet. But, suppose – just suppose - this city you gave me actually existed in the real world, then a 3D city would be the perfect solution!"
Stark was utterly convinced of his idea. He said, "Look at the structure of this city... Look here… this is the blueprint. What is this place? Living Hell? What lunatic named a neighborhood that?"
"Forget it, that's not important. The key point is, its spontaneously formed ecosystem is incredibly close to the 3D city concept. This should be a part of the standard solution already. This pattern fits the city's current situation perfectly, especially since it has a harbor…"
"Look at this guy's plan, the main hub is centred around the roundabout. His line of thought is not wrong, but like I said, he lacks creativity. The central roundabout doesn't have to be flat; it can be spherical…"
"Let's take our vision out of the 2D plane. It's outdated, too rigid. Now, Stark is here to tell you what true genius is…"