Gotham City: "Things Change"

Gotham City is changing.

Crime of all kinds is on the rise: street crime, from petty thefts to murder; white collar crime, from embezzlement to misappropriation of funds; and organized crime, from extortion to narcotrafficking.

A criminal gang is gaining power, a criminal gang with a long history, very traditional, yet uncannily modern, and fanatically devoted to its mission of evil.

Touring the community triumphantly, as if their main battles had already been won, leaders of this gang were anticipating the time when they would sieze full political power. They were eagerly discussing the day when they would rule Gotham City openly; a time when, having taken over the community, their evil activities would no longer be illegal, but would instead be the law of the land.

"We're going to change all this," they maliciously smiled. "What they call 'robbery', we'll make them call 'tax'. What they call 'prostitution', we'll make them call 'marriage'. And what they call 'murder', we'll make them call 'justice'," they thundered boastfully, looking around some more.

Following them, watching their every move, a ghost-like figure contemplated them from the shadows.

"What do you want?"

Startled, they turned toward the voice. Something stirred in the darkness, approaching them like a phantom.

"Ah, the direct approach. That means so much, coming from an internet persona hiding in cyberspace," they laughed. "We're just touring these crime-ridden streets, deciding what we're going to do to deal with this evil wave of immorality in Gotham," they explained. "You know, upstanding community-leader kind of business," they added with a smirk.

"But you're not the community's leaders." The voice was quiet, determined, confident.

"Things change," they laughed again.

They paused, then asked the phantom, "You don't actually think you can win, do you?"

"Things change."

It was only for a moment that they pondered the exchange, but when they looked again, the Dark Knight had vanished back into the shadows.