"What's going on, Jim?" asked Batman, as he landed on the roof of the GCPD in front of the lit Batsignal. "I thought you were handling cleanup. I'm busy trying to find the Joker – he's still out there…"
"I know you're busy, but I think there's something you should know about," interrupted Gordon, as he lit his pipe. "Superman is here in Gotham."
"What? Why?" asked Batman, confused. "I've got the chaos under control, except for Joker. Superman can't help me find him – even if he can see through walls, he doesn't know how he thinks…"
"He didn't come because of Joker," interrupted Gordon. "Bullock contacted the Metropolis police department to ask Superman to come help his team clear out Crane and Tetch's hideout – Bullock said he wasn't sure what some of the crap in there did, and he wasn't risking the lives of his officers to find out. I guess he figures it's a risk super-powered people should take, in case it's radioactive or something."
"And he knew it would annoy me," finished Batman, nodding.
"I agree with him that that stuff needs specialist care," said Gordon. "But I think you could probably have handled it without Superman's help. I just thought you should know the reason he's here in Gotham, and that it's nothing personal, at least not in my case."
"But it is in Bullock's," finished Batman.
Gordon puffed on his pipe. "Bullock isn't a bad guy, Batman, and I think he does respect you, deep down. His whole tough guy attitude is just for show – he really cares very deeply about this job, and about protecting the people of this city. He thinks he has to hide that in order to get respect, but it's the reason I respect him. And I know right now this job is killing him – having to visit crime scenes, examine victims, inform their families. It's the hardest part of our job. I think he wants Superman here to see what's happened here with his own eyes. I think he hopes it'll help him and the rest of the Justice League understand how bad things really are here in Gotham."
"So they'll be compelled to help me out, is that right?" asked Batman. "They'll be so appalled by the chaos and violence that they'll send someone with actual super powers to protect this city, because I'm clearly not good enough."
"I think he's just desperate to try anything," replied Gordon. "And frankly, so am I at this point. It's not a question of you not being good enough – it's a question of saving as many innocent lives as possible. You do so much for this city, more than any one man should. He's grateful, and I'm grateful, as you know. But if this all could be stopped somehow, even if that means partnering with someone like Superman, if it would save lives, wouldn't you do it?"
"Of course I would," replied Batman. "But he can't stop crime and violence anymore than I can. It's not something that can ever be permanently stopped, not without extreme measures which I'm not willing to take. It hurts me too, Jim, to see innocent lives lost – you'll never know how much it hurts me. But if we cross that line, super powered or not, it can't end well. The price of total order would be some kind of totalitarian regime, and that's not a price I'm willing to pay. What about you?"
"No," agreed Gordon. "But I'm willing to try almost anything to make things better. It's not like they could get worse."
"Be careful what you wish for," replied Batman. "And be careful of thinking things can't get worse."
He flew off across the city, back to the hideout where he had arrested Crane and Tetch earlier that night. Superman was there examining some of Tetch's machines, and he didn't look up as Batman climbed in the window. "How did you know I was here?" he asked, calmly.
"You could have told me yourself," replied Batman. "But you didn't. Why is that?"
"I knew you'd be mad," replied Superman, turning to him. "You always want the Justice League to stay out of your business, which you assume this city is. And I can see why. This kind of destruction isn't a pretty sight."
"No," agreed Batman. "But I'm used to it."
"That's the problem, all right," agreed Superman, nodding. "This can't continue on, Bruce."
"It won't," retorted Batman. "I've caught most of the supercriminals – Joker's still out there, but he's the only one…"
"I don't just mean this incident," interrupted Superman. "I mean the situation in Gotham can't continue. You've been active here for years now, and it seems like nothing has changed – it seems to have only gotten worse, honestly. I've been talking to the rest of the Justice League, and we think we need to come up with a more permanent solution to the Gotham situation."
"What does that mean?" demanded Batman. "We can't kill these people – I won't allow it."
"No, and that would only make them martyrs which others would want to emulate," said Superman. "But I think the Mad Hatter might have given us the answer," he said, holding up a small book.
"What is that?" asked Batman.
"It's his notes," said Superman, tossing the book at him. "He invented an alternate reality simulator. A way to keep people trapped in a virtual reality of someone else's choosing. Their bodies are here, but their minds are dreaming, living in a fantasy world. It would make the supercriminals completely docile."
"To trap them in a world of unreality forever?" asked Batman. "Tetch did that to me a couple times, and believe me, it's a form of cruel and unusual punishment. Besides, smart people figure out what's going on, and override the simulator. That's what happened to me – I broke the control, returned to reality, and smashed up his hat. The same thing would happen with the supercriminals – none of them are dumb."
"Not if there was no way to escape the alternate reality," replied Superman. "If the simulator wasn't on something removable, like a hat, but if it was actually inside their brains, embedded in a microchip. There would be no way to escape the control of something that was inside themselves."
"They'll never consent to that," retorted Batman. "And it would be illegal to do that without their consent. I'm willing to bend the law in a lot of ways, but forcibly implanting something inside someone can't ever be good for them."
"Not for them, but think of the greater good," said Superman. "Anyway, laws can be changed, or overridden, by people in authority."
"We're not in authority," retorted Batman. "No one elected the Justice League."
"No," agreed Superman. "But they did elect President Lex Luthor."
"You think Luthor will go along with this?" asked Batman. "Half of the supercriminals in Arkham were in the Injustice League with him."
"There's no honor among thieves," retorted Superman. "Besides, Luthor doesn't really care about anyone. All he cares about is winning the next election, and if he can solve the situation in Gotham, he'll win it in a landslide."
"And you're prepared to ask Luthor for help?" asked Batman.
"I'm prepared to do a lot of things to save innocent people, and restore order to Gotham," replied Superman. "What about you, Bruce?"
Batman said nothing. "It doesn't feel right…" he began.
"And this does?" demanded Superman, gesturing to the crime scene outside. "Don't the people of this city have the right to live in peace and security? Doesn't their right to safety override some maniac's right to free will? Just think about it, Bruce, and I'm sure you'll come to the same conclusion I have."
"And if I don't?" asked Batman.
"We'll talk about it," said Superman, nodding. "But I'm going to schedule a meeting with our esteemed commander-in-chief. You should be there."
"Thanks, but I have work to do," retorted Batman. "I have to find Joker and stop him from inflicting terror on my city."
"You won't stop him permanently even if you do," replied Superman. "He'll break out of Arkham no matter what. And we can't kill him, you're right about that, that's a line we shouldn't cross. But this idea won't be killing anyone. It's the opposite - it will save lives. It's the perfect solution to our problem. I hope you'll come to see that."
"I hope so too," murmured Batman, as he leapt out the window. "But I doubt it."