Three days had passed since the passing of one of Gotham City's most iconic and powerful individuals and the time had come for his public funeral. Hundreds of people, nay thousands, gathered from all over Gotham City and the world to mourn the loss of the hero known as Batman. Heroes and villains alike gathered together in peace on this melancholy day. Heroes like Nightwing, Robin and others close to Batman came to pay their respects to their mentor and friend. Members of the Justice League, most notably Wonder Woman, the Flash and the Green Lantern, had also made it a point to attend the day's proceedings. Several criminals had been released from Arkham Asylum for the funeral of their arch nemesis. The Riddler, Catwoman, and even Mr. Freeze were among the citizens in attendance, but one character everyone expected to see was obviously missing in the crowd.
In his solitary cell, deep inside the walls of Arkham Asylum, the villainous Joker, normally bouncing with energy, sat paralyzed in a small wooden chair facing the window. He had been like that since his triumphant return to Arkham Asylum at midnight the night before. The guards were not shocked to see the Joker arrive; oftentimes he would escape from Arkham only to come back on his own a short time later claiming to be in need of a relaxing vacation. But this time was different. The gleam in his eyes and the bounce in his step were obviously gone. He stared out his window blankly, as if he were waiting for someone to arrive that he knew would never come. His doctors claim that he has become unresponsive and catatonic. It is as if he is waiting to see the Bat Signal in the sky, or hear his arch enemy break down his door and command his attention. But he knows that will never happen again; he knows that the Batman is dead.
Six decorated police officers, including Gotham's own Commissioner James W. Gordon, carried Batman's closed casket onto a raised platform in the center of Gotham Square. They leaned the casket against a specially made stand and opened it for all to see. Inside, the Batman stood in full regalia, just as the people remembered. His mask still covered his face and his symbol shone brightly. The blood had been cleaned from his suit out of respect for the long-time protector of Gotham's inhabitants. His eyes were closed but his face still retained a hint of the color that it had in life and so the Batman looked more like a wax statue than a corpse. Commissioner Gordon wiped a tear from his eye with a handkerchief and approached the microphone slowly. Gordon cleared his throat and began to unravel the piece of paper on which he had written his speech.
"Good evening, Citizens of Gotham City and beyond; thank you for coming here today to pay respect to the man who protected us, even when we asked him not to. I would like to start today's proceedings by informing you that, despite popular belief, we will not be removing the Batman's mask. He was a hero to us all, and we will not belittle what he stood for so that you photographer's can get a cheap thrill and sell a few newspapers. On a more personal note, the Batman was-"
"Look up there," a child started. "What is that?"
"Its a bird!" an elderly gentleman cried.
"No, it's a plane!" a young woman shouted.
Like a feather falling from the heavens, a figure descended from the skies without a sound. It started as a blue speck, but then bits of red could be seen flickering in the wind. As it approached the people below, the object's decent slowed and finally a tall muscular fellow landed lightly on the platform to the right of the commissioner. The man standing before them was recognized by all as Superman, the Earth's greatest protector. The Man of Steel passed behind Gordon and the crowd watched in silence as he walked to the casket and knelt before Batman, offering a silent prayer for the hero. Without a word, Superman rose and moved to the microphone, placing a hand on Commissioner Gordon's shoulder. With a simple, understanding, nod, the Commissioner moved aside and allowed the Man of Steel a chance to say his own words about Batman.
"As many of you know, I was not always on good terms with Batman, but I always respected him. Batman was a hero, the likes of which this planet had never seen before and will likely never see again. I was told when I was but a boy that my father had chosen to send me to Earth because of the capacity for greatness contained deep within the human race. I was told it was my destiny to protect this planet until its people had realized their potential and lived up to it. When I saw the wars that ravaged the Earth and the way one human would take the life of his own brother, I began to doubt what my father had told me. That was until I met Batman.
"At first, I believed the Batman to be no more than a garden variety vigilante, armed with high tech machinery and a thirst for power that blinded him from the needs of others. But I came to realize that I was sorely wrong. The Batman cared for this city more than he cared for himself. He was willing to lay his life on the line, time and again, for people who would spit on him given the opportunity because he loved them unconditionally. He saw the good in the human spirit that even I was too blind to see. He was, in many ways, an inspiration to me. He was my greatest teacher and I will always hold him in the highest place in my heart.
"Look around you. Take a look at the buildings and the people you see. These sights, these people, which you see around you now, are all here through the power of the Batman. This city became what it is today because of everything the Batman stood for and fought to protect. Take in the smell, take in the sky because you are able to enjoy it today only because of the Batman. The Batman is not dead, and he never will be, so long as you do not let his memory die with him. If you let the things he stood for slip from your grasp then you will be no better than the man who shot him. The Batman is a symbol for all of humanity that one man can make a difference. Batman is the proof that one man can change the world. The Batman stands as an incorruptible symbol that one man, no matter how unassuming, may mold the world in his image and make it a better place for all. And that man is Bruce Wayne."
A hush fell over the crowd as Superman revealed to them the identity of their secret guardian and protector. Superman quickly removed the Batman's mask and laid it in the coffin at his feet. He allowed a moment for the people to take in the information that they had just received. The city was in shock, for never in their wildest dreams would they have assumed the Batman to be wealthy socialite Bruce Wayne. In the public, Wayne was known as a playboy and an idiot who invested his father's fortune in sports cars and supermodels. It seemed, to even his closest friends, that Bruce Wayne was on no level near the intellectual plateau of the World's Greatest Detective.
"Bruce Wayne suffered great tragedy as a child, but he endured. As a young man, Wayne's hardships did not cease, yet still he endured. Bruce Wayne could easily have let the needs of the many be cast aside for his own needs, but he did not. He heard his city's cry for redemption and he took up arms to save her. Bruce Wayne is the Batman; Bruce Wayne is Gotham City. Many of you, I know, are in shock and disbelief when you see that the hero in front of you is but a normal man. Take not from this experience that Bruce Wayne is one of a kind, or some sort of deviation from the norm. Realize when you look upon his face, that any one of you has the ability to be a hero. See in yourself the ability to be more than just a mindless drone.
"Perhaps you will not be a costumed vigilante or some other form of heroic crime fighter, but each of you has the ability to make this world a better place. Take others' feelings into consideration when making decisions that affect those around you. Think twice before you steal from another person, or lie to a close friend. Each day affords new opportunities to be better people and stand for something greater than ourselves.
"If you take nothing from this experience, realize that people like me and the Batman will not be here to watch over you forever. One day we will be gone and you will be left to fend for yourselves. One day soon the people of this planet will be called to action and forced to realize their own potential or perish. Take a moment to ask yourself a simple question: will you be ready when that day arrives? Would you be ready if that day were tomorrow, or the next?
"Now I will take leave of you, and allow you to mourn the loss of this icon and hero in your own way. But I must beseech you and request that you allow me to give the Batman a hero's send-off. A true hero like Bruce Wayne does not deserve an eternity of rotting in the earth. Let me take him to the heavens, where he will float among the stars and the heroes of yore. Let me lift his body to the sky, and let the Gods guide him into their arms."
The people began to applaud and cheer loudly at Superman's emotionally touching words. There were no flashbulbs going off or pictures being taken depicting Bruce Wayne inside the coffin, because even the black hearted paparazzi knew where the line was and chose not to cross it. There were tears of joy streaming down the faces of all in attendance when Superman closed the coffin and began to take flight. As Superman drifted out of sight, several of the attendees began to disperse in silence including those superheroes that had been spotted in the crowd. Most notable among the remaining individuals was the enigmatic vigilante Nightwing, who had been moved to tears during the ceremony.
"Commissioner," Lieutenant Harvey Bullock tapped Gordon on his shoulder.
"Yah, Harv?"
"We found Bobby Billiard's body."
"What? Where?"
"The old Ace Refinery plant. It don't look good, boss. His face is all cut up and he looks like he's been dead for more than a day now."
"Shit."
"That's not all, boss. Billiard's wife came down to the station about ten minutes ago with a box of her husband's valuables and she's got something you may wanna hear."
"What is it, Lieutenant?"
"A tape."
"What kind of tape?"
"A confession tape."