Batman: Arkham City: Sorrows

He set the body down upon the police car. Someone near him was speaking, he could hear nothing. He kept walking, face grim and solemn, not saying a word, not sure of where he was going. He couldn't believe it.

People he knew and cared about died, because of him. He didn't even realize how much they had meant until he killed them. The mother of his child, dead; her father, dead; his best friend, dead. All because of him, all because of his unhealthy obsession, all because of the bat.

He felt something on his shoulder, someone had laid hands on him, he didn't even think to retaliate, he didn't even move.

"Batman! What happened in there!" Commissioner Gordon's yelling broke through his thoughts.

"He is dead, he died. They all died." He said to reply to the Commissioner, barely able to concentrate on what he was saying.

"Who all died! Answer me!"

He turned again, and began to walk, wordless once more. The paparazzi were beginning to surround, all shouting their incoherent babble. He couldn't understand, he looked up, and grappled high to the rooftops of Gotham City.

He sat down, leaning on an air vent, and he cried, for the first time since that dark night in the alley, he cried. The tears were a relief to his system, all the years of held up pain were all seeping out of him into a slowly freezing puddle of his sorrows.

He didn't understand. He missed Talia; he should miss Talia, but in his head stuck the Joker prominently. For decades, they had fought it out, he killed so many of his loved ones, destroyed so many of his achievements, and still, he didn't know what to do without him. He was the best friend he ever had, like distant brothers, who fought whenever they met, but still always were family. Except, they weren't family, they were enemies, enemies until the end. Arch-enemies, but he still cared, why?

What did it mean to have an enemy, even more so an Arch-enemy? It's always a bond, although a crazy one. What is the difference between Arch-enemy and a best friend; the circumstances in which they meet, maybe? He honestly didn't know, the World's Greatest Detective had finally met his match. The Riddler would never be able to top his skill, but this death was what finally had stumped him.

He had seen death hundreds, if not thousands of times. Only a certain few deaths had done something like this to him, but why his? He was back on that question again. He didn't want to be. When his mind drifted to that question, the frozen puddle before him became bigger. The Jokers body was still in view, it had been at least 15 minutes, and no one had dare touch the body yet, no moved the car it was on. He died with a smile, how brilliantly fitting.

He looked closely at the body, for the first time. He wasn't the Joker he had remembered, he was the sick Joker. He had pretty much begged for him to be saved by Batman. He hadn't let Harley take off his mask due to respect. He respected Batman, but Batman had given nothing in return, never a nice word, even when he was being completely sincere, nothing. Batman was ashamed of himself; the frozen puddle was starting to freeze the lower parts of his boots.

Part of the Dark Knight died that day, no joke would ever seem funny to him again. Not a punch line would effect him. For it'd be all too painful for him. For reasons he could never figure out.

They had never found out his real name or identity, they had to bury him as The Joker. The Wayne Corporation had spent thousands reserving the Joker a private funeral, villains and super heroes alike were together, in peace. Batman stood at the front while the casket was being lowered, saluting as it went. He planted flowers next to the grave stone, they spurt out water if you touched them. Just how he would have liked it.

He visits Talia's grave every other weekend, or at least, that's what he tells Alfred. He still does visit her grave, albeit briefly. Harleen Quinzel was there sometimes, without the makeup or outfits, just as a normal human being, though there was something off about her appearance. She didn't know who Bruce Wayne really was, or why he visited The Jokers grave often.

All anyone knew was that Joker had died. They didn't know Batman could've saved him.