Disclaimer: Characters owned by DC. This scene is adapted from a story by Greg Rucka.
Timeline: End of No Man's Land
Thanks to Debbie for the beta!
Aspects of Justice
He takes in the tears in Renee's eyes, Bullock's downcast expression, hears the soft coos and whimpers behind them. His hands are ice-cold. He imagines he can still detect the odor of gunpowder emanating from the lobby. His heart is in his mouth as he wills himself not to hear what his two detectives are saying. He knows, even without their telling him, of course. Sarah is… gone. And the twisted maniac behind him who is—for once—not smiling is to blame.
Jim Gordon is a police officer, sworn to uphold justice. His life has been dedicated to proving that the law works. But here, at the close of No Man's Land, for just a few hours more, there is no law. Perhaps, Gordon considers, there can still be justice.
He yells, and swings, and suddenly Joker is on his knees, bleeding in the snow. Good… but not enough. Not nearly enough to make him pay for what he has done. At the back of Gordon's mind he knows that what he's doing is vengeance, not justice. Or is it? Would it somehow be more morally respectable for someone whom Joker had not affected to be meting out this punishment? No, he realizes as he levels his Smith and Wesson. This is justice. Joker has gone too far.
He cocks the hammer, before he hears his voice.
"Jim…"
He doesn't turn around. Of all people, Batman should know. Batman did know—years ago, the night Barbara was shot and he… He stopped him. He, Jim Gordon, had held Batman back from doing what should have been done years ago. By the book, he'd said. But that book didn't have a chapter on the Joker. And after tonight…
"He's gone too far. He paralyzed my daughter, my little girl… he just murdered my bride, my Sarah…" His gun is inches from Joker's gleaming white teeth. "Too much… too far…"
Batman's voice is suddenly weary. "We've all gone too far. Look at them. Look at us. They can't take anymore. It's time to bring our people back, Jim."
He hears, he understands, and he knows his friend is right. But he simply cannot bring himself to lower the gun before maniac grinning in front of him. That's the way it always plays out. They can bring the man to justice… but they can't keep him locked up. They can't…
"I won't stop you."
Batman means it, too. Gordon realizes that he really does have a chance to stop the leering lunatic once and for all. And still his finger hesitates on the trigger. Can he do this? Can he fire on an unarmed man, one who surrendered to his 'Blue Boys', seconds before he learned that Sarah was dead? Can he…?
"You have a little boy, too, don't you?" Joker smirks.
Oh, hell, yes. The gun goes off so fast he barely has time to brace for the recoil. The bullet streaks before him as the smell of powder fills his nostrils. And Joker cries out, staggers, and falls to the ground, clutching his bloody knee. The clown is shrieking and giggling, but Gordon isn't listening. All he can think is that in spite of everything that Joker has done to him, the maniac still hasn't turned him into a killer. He can still claim a moral high ground, even if it's a bit lower than it once was.
"Arrest him," he says dully as he reholsters the weapon. "Charge is murder." And, justice—tinged with vengeance, yes, but still justice—is served. He can relax, now. He can breathe. He can…
Two arms grip him. A fold of a black cape wraps around him. And his tension slips away. It's alright. Batman won't stop him. He can let go. And he does.