GCPD (New Age)/Issue 2

The second issue of GCPD written by GazzaB9.
==Synopsis of "Hooded"==
==Plot of "Hooded" (unfinished)==
A group of men sit at a table, smoke billowing around them from their cigars. A small pile of poker chips sits in the center of the table as they all play the game together.
*Gang Member #1: You hear about Ronnie?
*Gang Member #2: Should I of...?
*Gang Member #1: He's dead.
*Gang Member #3: One affair too many and his wife shot him?
*Gang Member #1: No, the Big C in his... I think his prostate is what the medic said.
*Gang Member #2: One of our guys died of cancer in his ass... What the fuck is this city...?
Unbeknownst to the men, a man in a red mask is parked just outside on the other end of the wall. He looks between the car and the wall, as if making calculations in his head. After a moment, he steps back into the car.
* Gang Member #1: ...I think I fold.
* Gang Member #3: You think you fold, or you know you fold?
* Gang Member #1: I don't... I fold, okay?
He sets the cards down. Outside, the man in the car starts to rev his engines and readies for whatever he is about to do.
* Gang Member #2: You think we should pay Ronnie's wife a visit after this?
* Gang Member #1: She's not holding it together, I don't think she'd want a reminder of what her husband was up to in his free time.
The car crashes through the wall, breaking the chairs that the gangsters were sitting on and running over a few of them. One of the gang members pulls a gun but is quickly run over as well. Another crawls away, his leg broken as he reaches out for a phone left on a nearby table. However, the man gets out of his car and walks over, firing a bullet into the back of the crippled gangster's head. When he's done, he walks to all of the bodies and tosses a card on to each of the bodies before getting into the car and driving off, not uttering a single word. The card in question is white and has the words "RED HOOD" written on it on the front and back in red ink, the card currently being held in the gloved hand of GCPD detective Renee Montoya. Behind her stands detective Crispus Allen.
* Renee Montoya: "Red Hood"...
* Crispus Allen: The vigilante?
* Renee Montoya: Guess so, but don't know why he would leave a card. He's never done that before, so why start now?
* Crispus Allen: Copycat?
* Renee Montoya: Definitely on the table.
Renee stands up and dusts off her legs.
* Renee Montoya: Everybody here has a criminal record. So... yeah, I don't see why it wouldn't be a copycat. Just one with his own twist with the cards.
Renee looks down at the bodies. Sensing an aura coming from her, Crispus tilts his head and raises an eyebrow.
* Crispus Allen: You don't think it was a copycat, do you?
* Renee Montoya: Nope.
* Crispus Allen: What's your theory, then?
Renee smiles. At the police station, she is now standing in front of a whiteboard that has a series of images on it depicting people in red masks. In front of her sits Crispus, Ellen Yin, and Harvey Bullock.
* Renee Montoya: Who here recognizes these guys?
Yin raises her hand.
* Harvey Bullock: Don't raise your hand, we're not in school...
* Ellen Yin: Excuse me?
* Renee Montoya: Go on Yin, who are these guys?
* Ellen Yin: Those are the old Red Hood Gang, right?
* Renee Montoya: Exactly. Earlier this morning, a group of gang members were found murdered. Tire tracks indicate the killer drove through a wall and a bullet in the back of one victim's head shows that he's armed and dangerous. At the scene of the crime? He left these.
Montoya tosses a plastic bag towards the other detectives, which has the Red Hood cards in them.
* Renee Montoya: Lab tested them, no finger prints.
* Ellen Yin: Couldn't this just be the vigilante? He kills gangsters all the time.
* Renee Montoya: It's not out of the question, but I doubt it. The guy who did this left cards for us, as if he was trying to taunt anybody who found it. Red Hood doesn't exactly care about that kind of thing.
* Crispus Allen: But what about this is telling you that it's got something to do with the gang? When they were still around, I was in college...
* Renee Montoya: That's the difficult part. It's just a hunch right now, but it's a really confident one.
* Ellen Yin: Isn't it risky to base an investigation on a hunch?
* Crispus Allen: When you've been around for as long as Renee it's not.
Renee fires a couple finger guns at Crispus as a thanks.
* Renee Montoya: I'll hit up some local hot spots. See if I can dig anything up. Cris, you wanna come with?
* Crispus Allen: Sure, I don't have a case right now.
* Renee Montoya: Nice. Yin, Bullock, call me up if anything happens while we're out.
* Harvey Bullock: No promises.
* Renee Montoya: Ha, ha.
Outside, Renee and Crispus get into the police car together.
* Crispus Allen: Who're we gonna talk to first?
* Renee Montoya: Old reliable. And... old gruesome...
At the Iceberg Lounge, various people are gathered and eating. In the center of the building sits a large iceberg, it's namesake, and a small enclosure that contains various penguins. At the back of the lounge is Oswald Cobblepot, who is currently having a woman dressed in a revealing tuxedo light the cigar in his mouth. He takes a puff and then notices the shadow over him looking to see Renee and Crispus standing above him.
* Oswald Cobblepot: Of course. Something goes wrong and you come crawling to me...
* Renee Montoya: Actually, I prefer to stand.
* Crispus Allen: You know why we're here, then?
* Oswald Cobblepot: Perhaps. Perhaps not...
* Renee Montoya: Come on, Ozzie. We'd really prefer not to play this game with you.
* Oswald Cobblepot: My name is Oswald Cobblepot... Address me as such. And here, my policy is that nothing comes for free. That includes information, detectives.
Crispus and Renee glance at each other. Renee sighs and rolls her eyes.
* Renee Montoya: What do you need, Oswald...?
* Oswald Cobblepot: Amnesty.
* Renee Montoya: What'd you do this time?
* Oswald Cobblepot: I refuse to incriminate myself.
* Renee Montoya: Too late.
* Crispus Allen: Montoya, don't antagonize him. We can't give you amnesty for everything, Cobblepot.
* Oswald Cobblepot: Fine... The past month will do.
Crispus looks over to Renee again, who pauses and shrugs.
* Renee Montoya: Sure. You're probably gonna break some law again after, anyway.
Oswald angrily takes a puff from his cigar, glaring at Montoya and exhaling the smoke from his nose.
* Oswald Cobblepot: ...Get it done first, then I'll give you what I know.
* Renee Montoya: Come on, Cobblepot, you know we don't trust you that much.
* Oswald Cobblepot: Then I suppose our business here is done.
Renee looks suddenly annoyed, making hand gestures that almost make her look desperate.
* Renee Montoya: Ozzie, come on, we—
* Oswald Cobblepot: My name is Oswald Cobblepot... Now, please leave my establishment before I have you escorted out.
Renee tries to think of an argument but gets frustrated and sighs, walking away. Crispus follows after her, his hands in his jacket pockets.
* Renee Montoya: Goddamn it...
* Crispus Allen: I warned you not to antagonize him.
* Renee Montoya: Yeah... Yeah, you did. He makes it so easy though, with how superior he always acts...
* Crispus Allen: You need to get that attitude of yours in check.
* Renee Montoya: You're not the only person who's said that to me.
As the pair exit the Iceberg Lounge, Renee unlocks the car.
* Crispus Allen: Where to next?
* Renee Montoya: Noonan's, down at The Cauldron. Somebody there must know something.
Just as Montoya finishes her sentence though, an explosion goes off. Both detectives turn and see that the Iceberg Lounge has had many of its windows blown in from the sheer forth. They look at each other to conform their next action before heading inside, both holding their guns just in case. In the Iceberg Lounge, debris is everywhere, many are dead and more are injured.
* Renee Montoya: You take the lower levels, I'll take the upper ones.
* Crispus Allen: Right.
The two split up, Renee heading up the stairs and helping various people who are pinned under rubble.
* Oswald Cobblepot: Detective!
Renee turns and sees Cobblepot also pinned, blood coming from his pointed nose, which is gashed open.
* Oswald Cobblepot: Help me immediately!
* Renee Montoya: Are you injured?
* Oswald Cobblepot: I can feel below my neck, if that's what you're asking me...
* Renee Montoya: Then you're fine, I need to help people who could be injured first.
* Oswald Cobblepot: What!? I can't move!
* Renee Montoya: I'll get to you soon, Cobblepot, just stay calm.
Renee leaves Oswald there, heading for people who are obviously more injured than he is.
* Oswald Cobblepot: You cow...
Renee finds an oddly shaped pile of debris, hearing something and pressing her ear against it, hearing a series of whimpers coming from inside. Realizing someone is completely trapped, she looks around for something but doesn't find anything.
* Renee Montoya: Hello? Who's in there?
The person trapped inside doesn't reply and continues to cry. Knowing they are likely in danger of suffocating, Renee decides to start kicking and stomping on the rubble, eventually breaking through and reaching her hand inside, a smaller hand grabbing her as she pulls out a clearly injured little girl, who is grabbing Renee's shirt as if she's afraid she's about to disappear.
* Renee Montoya: It's okay, it's okay... Where's your mommy?
* Little Girl: She was next to the bang... when it happened...
* Renee Montoya: Oh god...
Renee gently sets the girl down.
* Renee Montoya: We'll do everything we can to find who did this. Okay?
* Crispus Allen: We might not need to.
Renee, a little confused, stands up and looks down from the top floor over the balcony. On the lower level, Crispus is crouched down next to something. He moves slightly so Renee can see it, revealing the detached upper body of a man in a red mask. His lower half has completely exploded and his mask is slightly burned, but on his chest is very clearly the words "RED HOOD" written on his partially singed shirt. Later, the paramedics have shown up and are wheeling everyone out of the building while Renee and Crispus discuss matters just outside the door.
* Crispus Allen: What's the count?
* Renee Montoya: According to doctors, five are dead and eighteen are injured. Forensics say the bomb was so powerful that it's a miracle any amount of the masked guy's body survived, let alone how much there was. Injuries on the body indicate the bomb was likely strapped to his belt...
* Crispus Allen: What're we thinking on the Red Hood body?
* Renee Montoya: I don't think it's the same guy as the one who did the earlier murders. It doesn't make sense for him to murder a group of gangsters and then blow himself up for no reason...
* Crispus Allen: Well, not for no reason, he was definitely trying to take somebody out with him.
* Renee Montoya: Yeah...
* Crispus Allen: ...You okay?
* Renee Montoya: Yeah, I'm fine. I mean... No, yeah.
They both pause for a moment.
* Renee Montoya: It's not every day you have to deal with a domestic terrorist attack is all. I'll get over it, don't worry.
* Crispus Allen: Alright. But don't be ashamed of talking to the psych if you need to.
Renee nods. Then a hand comes up and waves at them, both of them turning to see Oswald gesturing for them while in his stretcher.
* Oswald Cobblepot: Detectives...
* Renee Montoya: Cobblepot?
* Oswald Cobblepot: I'm willing to tell you everything I know now... Free of charge...