In a bar located near a wealthy area in the south of Gotham City, Shearer squeezed some lemon juice into his prepared cocktail glass. He raised his drink and said to Gordon, "Congratulations, Detective. Now you can finally do things the way you want."
Across the round table, Bruce also lifted his glass. Harvey chimed in after raising his glass, "Indeed, it's worth celebrating. You are the most upright cop I've ever known."
The four of them clinked their glasses. Gordon took a sip of his drink, his face slightly flushed, excitement or alcohol, he wasn't sure. He said, "The more I think about it, the more I realize I have a long way to go."
Bruce said, "Progress is always good."
Shearer laughed, he covered his mouth with his glass, and then said, "Really? Seems like our innocent young man here has made quite some progress recently?"
Bruce set his glass down and said, "I remember you once said, Professor, you had no advice to offer about my personal life."
"But I did remind you to be careful with your kidney; and when I said 'protect your kidney,' I didn't just mean against knife wounds. Trick Street has splendid neon lights; you can find the best ones on the whole East Coast…"
Gordon's eyes flicked between the two of them. He raised an eyebrow and said, "What's this all about?"
"Nothing, it's just me telling you that you should mind your business more often. Some are very confident about the organ's function," Shearer replied.
Gordon understood now, he said, "It seems Bruce's love life has been quite...exciting lately."
Shearer put down his glass and laughed, "Quite the opposite."
Having some insider knowledge, Harvey nudged Bruce with his elbow and said, "It seems you and this girl you mentioned hit it off well. How's everything? Have you two made it official yet?"
Gordon perked up at this, Bruce rubbed his temple, looking at the three pairs of expectant eyes around him, he said, "Please, don't, it's personal. And the purpose of our gathering today is to celebrate Gordon's promotion."
"To me, the news of Gotham's richest man getting a new girlfriend seems more exciting than the promotion of a police captain," Gordon said.
"Well that's a bit exaggerated considering how many girlfriends our city's richest man has had," Shearer added.
"But being a police captain is as useful as being an average cop," Gordon sarcastically remarked.
Feeling helpless against their teasing, Bruce said, "Alright, I admit it. I am attracted to a girl... No, not just attracted. It's not because she is beautiful or has a nice figure... Oh, she is undoubtedly gorgeous and physically appealing, but that's not..."
Gordon and Harvey both made 'you-needn't-explain-it' faces. Harvey added, "At your age, I remember thinking that my attraction towards any girl was not just for their looks, but now I know that was pure bullshit. Any man in this world saying that is simply talking bullshit."
Gordon, adjusting his tie, said, "Could it be that a girl has actually managed to capture Bruce's heart? I would love to meet this extraordinary woman."
Bruce continued, "She is not extraordinary, just a girl from the slums. Like every ordinary girl, she loves flashy gemstones and jewelry, dreaming of having a castle filled with gems."
"Do you prefer a German or French castle?" Shearer asked, "The Neuschwanstein Castle, for example, is wonderful. How about buying it?"
Bruce, exasperated, flicked his glass and said, "I'm not courting her! I am serious. Stop looking at me like that. I admit I was a bit... okay, more than a bit... But I really plan to marry her..."
"You're not facing her right now; you don't need to say all those sweet things."
Shearer quickly interrupted Bruce before he could say anything more about marriage. This was not something anyone could just casually mention.
But in reality, it didn't make any difference, as Batman was the lead character. If the protagonist said such things, there shouldn't be any harm in it.
Bruce took another sip of his drink. He appeared unusually excited, he said, "We have indeed confirmed our relationship, and we have been on dates for several nights in a row. She gave me a beautiful gemstone."
"What about you? Didn't you give her anything in return?" Harvey asked.
Bruce replied, "I'm still thinking."
"That's quite impolite," Harvey said, "Don't tell me you look down upon her because she is from the slums? With all due respect, not everyone is as fortunate as you. I believe that at least to you, class shouldn't interfere with love..."
"Of course, I don't think that way."
"The problem is, if you don't quickly give her something to prove your love, she might think otherwise." Shearer added, "Any girl from the slums dating the world's richest man might not feel very confident."
"Alright," Bruce said, "What do you think I should give her? I've been thinking for a while, but I can't come up with anything."
Harvey, unaware of Catwoman's real identity, didn't know the relationship between her and Batman, or their story for that matter.
However, Shearer was well aware of this.
"How about a string of pearl necklaces?" Shearer suggested.
Bruce's hand tightened on his wine glass. He took a sip and said, "I must admit, I'm not particularly fond of pearl necklaces, but if she likes them, I'd certainly buy her the best one."
After the party ended, Shearer returned to his apartment to clean himself up, all but his lingering smell of alcohol.
There was a reason why Shearer was going back and forth between DC and Marvel. After coming to DC, he wanted to give Marvel's plot some space to pan out on its own, while also wrapping up his own matters here on time.
He was generally a cautious man, hoping to see everything to a satisfying conclusion. Although the former principal not being sent to prison was unexpected, his original purpose of coming back was to tie up loose ends left by the Jonathan case.
The ex-principal had now become Batman's target. Shearer had no plans to interfere for the time being, but there was still someone else - the missing Director Victor.
Shearer knew that it must have been Sal Maroni who kidnapped him. Even so, Maroni may not necessarily kill him. The former police chief surely knew many valuable pieces of information. With such huge losses, Maroni would not let Victor die easily, unless he could compensate him.
But Shearer needed Victor dead.
In the early stages of the Jonathan case, he lacked the ability to handle the situation efficiently. During the theft of the fear gas, he could only resort to the simplest method - burglary. Although he managed to remove 99% of the evidence, he needed to eliminate the 1% that could potentially be discovered.
Victor, in his attempts to overturn the verdict for Jonathan, had entered the evidence room more than once. He was the only one who could expose Shearer's theft of fear gas.
You should know that after Jonathan was admitted to the insane asylum, the traditional version of fear gas concentrate was discontinued. However, considering the massive losses of Maroni, many in the Mob had their eyes set on this weapon. Once it was revealed who was responsible for the theft of the fear gas, the mob would swarm in like sharks smelling blood.
Shearer initially planned to visit Maroni, but before he could, an unexpected guest came to him.
Shearer got into a car following a man dressed in black. The man seated in front spoke, "Professor Shearer, there's no need to be afraid. The Godfather asks for your presence because he needs your help."
The limousine soon pulled up at a manor not far from the South District. Shearer followed the guide into the manor, the décor of which seemed rather old-fashioned. Once inside, he was led up to the third floor where the guide knocked on a door. A deep voice commanded from within, "Come in."
Shearer entered to see a towering man, or rather, an old man, with silver-gray hair, immaculately dressed in a suit. He sported a bow tie, and in the pocket on his chest was a red poppy. He exuded an intimidating aura.
Twirling his ring on his finger, he addressed Shearer, "Professor Rodriguez, I apologize for the abrupt intrusion. I called you here because I require your assistance."
"I am honored to be of service, Your Excellency Falcone."
Shearer approached Falcone, separating them a desk's breadth away. Behind him was a floor-to-ceiling window, with two black-suited bodyguards standing at the sides.
Falcone didn't say much, merely nodding his head before stating his request, "I have a son, and he's not getting any younger. My family and business need him to carry on. I hope to hire you as his tutor."
Before Shearer could ask any questions, Falcone added, "His previous tutor was shot three times in the chest and couldn't be saved. I heard that you even managed to make Bruce Wayne submit his homework on time. You sound like an excellent choice."
"Of course, I'm not threatening you. I know you've stirred up some minor troubles in Metropolis, and some people traced you here by the scent. But by now, they should all be lying in the sewers."
"This is my sincerity. What do you think?"
Shearer looked at Falcone, who now appeared more like the characterization of this mob boss from the early DC comics. Falcone's inspiration was Corleone from The Godfather, the character portrayed by Marlon Brando.
Now it seemed that, compared to the depiction in movies and televised series of Falcone wearing a jacket and strange sunglasses, this elder was indeed more akin to the patriarch of the powerful mob family ruling over Gotham.
"I agree, but I also have a request."
"The previous chief of police has gone missing...", Shearer trailed off.
"You want to find him?"
"No, I want to kill him."
Falcone settled himself down, accepting a cigar offered by an adjacent man and taking a puff of it. Letting out a cloud of smoke, he asked slowly, "Victor... I know him, a clever old fraudster. Do you have a grudge against him?"
"I think, in Gotham, one doesn't need to bear a grudge to kill."
Falcone chuckled, holding his cigar, "It seems you really will prove to be a good tutor."