#Revised History of the DCU: Gotham City and the Wayne Family Part VII

[krinsbez]

Revised History of the DCU: GOTHAM CITY AND THE WAYNE FAMILY, Part VII: Hex In The City

Jonah Hex had sworn never to return to Gotham City, shaken by the general weirdness of the fight over the Box. However, fifteen years of accumulated experience made the whole experience seem rather less disturbing in hindsight, so he didn't think on it too much when he found himself back in the city following a bounty. The city had changed quite a bit since Hex's last visit. Having secured a fortune beyond the dream's of avarice, Alan Wayne had determined to see his father's dream of a rebuilt Gotham completed. To make this dream a reality, he hired architect Nicholas Gate and his engineer brother Bradley. The Gates had their own grand vision, combining Cyrus Pinkney's neo-Gothic designs with what was then state-of-the-art technology. However, Alan Wayne was not his father; he lacked the same genius, charisma and sheer force of personality that had enabled the Judge to dominate the city and always get his way. Despite his vastly greater wealth, Alan had to bargain and compromise with the rest of Gotham's elite to give the Gates' brothers the freedom to build his new city. Inevitably, corruption crept in at the edges. When added to the vast hordes of people drawn by the opportunities the new growth promised, the result was a police force that was undermanned, overstretched, and frequently incompetent or worse. So when a madman began cutting up prostitutes, the police were stymied. In desperation, they turned to Dr. Amadeus Arkham, a student of the new field of psychiatry, with a particular interest in the criminal mind, to give them some insight. Having already taken this step, it wasn't that much farther to try to hire Hex. While Hex didn't care for having Arkham follow him around, he did like the idea of making extra money and a native guide while he hunted his bounty, and so accepted. What the duo found was rather more than they bargained for...