The Epilogue
/Ashes to ashes/
/Dust to dust/
The funeral was small, very small, and unassuming. The police had been discreet about his identity and Jean Paul Valley had few friends.
Most of the ones he did have were dead now anyway.
Bruce Wayne was there, however. He came in disguise, and most of the people there never knew it was him. Barbara Gordon knew, and she knew he'd be there. She knew Bruce better than almost anyone in the world, which is why she knew that it would be best not to approach him until after the ceremony.
When the speeches had finished and the coffin had been lowered, she wheeled herself over. The rest of the mourners were leaving, but he stayed, stared at the coffin and the tombstone. She waited.
Finally he spoke. "It shouldn't have happened."
Her look was sympathetic. "No, it shouldn't have."
He turned to her, anger in his eyes. "It wouldn't have happened if I had been there! If I'd been there… I would have taken him in before he killed himself. Or I would have talked him down from that… massacre. Or I would have stopped the fire in the first place. So many people have died because of this! And I could have stopped them all."
"So could I, Bruce!" The voice was tinged with anger. "Do you think I don't feel guilty? But Bruce, we were busy saving the world. We were stopping a much bigger tragedy…"
"...And so we didn't have time for such a small one."
"You can't stop everything. You can't predict everything that's going to happen. You can't know what will send everyone over the edge."
Silence. And then: "It doesn't mean that I can't wish I could."
"You always will, Bruce. That's what makes you, you."
"…"
"It's not your fault, Bruce. Jean Paul chose his own destiny, in the end. And you're right. It was a tragedy."
For a few seconds he looked… old. Old and weary. "It was." And then he turned and walked away.
She took one last look at the grave, and then she followed.
The End
/Ashes to ashes/
/Dust to dust/
The funeral was small, very small, and unassuming. The police had been discreet about his identity and Jean Paul Valley had few friends.
Most of the ones he did have were dead now anyway.
Bruce Wayne was there, however. He came in disguise, and most of the people there never knew it was him. Barbara Gordon knew, and she knew he'd be there. She knew Bruce better than almost anyone in the world, which is why she knew that it would be best not to approach him until after the ceremony.
When the speeches had finished and the coffin had been lowered, she wheeled herself over. The rest of the mourners were leaving, but he stayed, stared at the coffin and the tombstone. She waited.
Finally he spoke. "It shouldn't have happened."
Her look was sympathetic. "No, it shouldn't have."
He turned to her, anger in his eyes. "It wouldn't have happened if I had been there! If I'd been there… I would have taken him in before he killed himself. Or I would have talked him down from that… massacre. Or I would have stopped the fire in the first place. So many people have died because of this! And I could have stopped them all."
"So could I, Bruce!" The voice was tinged with anger. "Do you think I don't feel guilty? But Bruce, we were busy saving the world. We were stopping a much bigger tragedy…"
"...And so we didn't have time for such a small one."
"You can't stop everything. You can't predict everything that's going to happen. You can't know what will send everyone over the edge."
Silence. And then: "It doesn't mean that I can't wish I could."
"You always will, Bruce. That's what makes you, you."
"…"
"It's not your fault, Bruce. Jean Paul chose his own destiny, in the end. And you're right. It was a tragedy."
For a few seconds he looked… old. Old and weary. "It was." And then he turned and walked away.
She took one last look at the grave, and then she followed.
The End