I've finally graduated college, so hopefully now it won't take two and a half years to get this story uploaded like what happened with Age of Wonders I.
Slowly, the nightmarish vision in the Dark Knight's mind began to clear. But what had just been done could never be undone. The Joker's body sat there now, lifeless and cold. Even though no blood had actually been shed with the neck snap, Batman's arms still felt drenched, from his fingertips to his shoulder, in blood.
Ever since he was a kid, on the night he swore to wage war on crime, he also swore an oath to never take a life. That he would never be the reason that someone was laid to rest six feet under. As long he wore the cowl of Batman, he would not kill his enemies, even if they deserved a fate worse than death.
But lying on the floor was the Joker. The undeniable proof that Batman's oath had been forever, irrevocably broken. But while he sank to his knees, mourning what he had just done, the crowd began to cheer. Roaring screams of happiness echoed all through the air, accompanied by thunderous applause. From the corner of his eye, Batman could see the Riddler and the Scarecrow grinning, while Doctor Octopus waved his arms around in celebration. Giganta and Moonstone did the same.
And then there was Doom. The ruler of Latveria stood there, watching over Batman and the lifeless body of the Joker.
"And so, it is done!" Doom shouted, turning his head to face the audience. "At long last, Gotham's protector has been made to do what he should have done ages ago! No more lives shall be cut short by this monster. No more shall he bathe in the blood of his victims! The Joker's reign of terror is at its end!"
Even though the audience could plainly see this, the applause only increased after Doctor Doom's words. A few moments later, a few people began chanting "Burn in hell! Burn in hell! Burn in hel1!" It slowly picked up, more and more voices spouting the same line, until the entire crowd was in complete unison.
Most of the time, the Dark Knight had a million thoughts going through his head every moment. If a situation was big enough that it needed his entire attention, he would conjure up methods ad infinitum upon which to process it. But right now, his mind was empty. A mind whose wheels were turning and calculating through all the time, now felt quiet and hollow. That is, except for that one thought. The thought that he had actually killed someone. The fact that it was the Joker, who reveled in how monstrous he truly was, did nothing to dissuade this.
Batman kept his eyes on the Joker's body. "I…I'm sorry. How could I…How could I…"
He could not finish those words. He could only tremble.
"Son of a bitch…" Iron Man said to himself, letting the entire scene sink in.
As much as he felt that the Joker needed to put down, as much as he agreed that his insane cackling needed to be silenced for good, to see Batman actually do it…
It almost felt like a dream. A vivid and graphic dream, once from which the Invincible Iron Man could not force himself to wake from. But it was not. The Joker's cold, limp body was sprawled in front of the heroes.
"I got nothing," Spider-Man added on, looking down at the ground. "I thought Batman could fight off the fear gas. But Jesus, Doom actually made Batman do it."
Amidst the cheers, and Doom's speech, Tony suddenly remembered there was another reason for Doom's gloating. Doom planned to rid the world of all its power sources, forcing them to submit to his will in exchange for his generator that would grant power to the entire world. Assumedly, part of the reason Doom had engineered this scheme was to give the world one final distraction before his nasty surprise.
But he had no idea how to break free from his glass cell. He tried blasting at it everything he had, from his repulsor rays to the tiny missiles he had stored above his shoulders. Each shot left an explosive blast in its wake, but otherwise did little. The glass was beginning to crack, and those cracks increased in size each time, but it was still minimal.
"Damnit, J.A.R.V.I.S, can you detect any weaknesses?!" Iron Man shouted towards his A.I.
*I'm sorry, sir, but my scanners have come up negative.*
Iron Man scoffed, before J.A.R.V.I.S. followed it up with, *Lord Doom built this cell with specific countermeasures to your armour.*
"That really doesn't help. You're useless."
Iron Man's interactions with the system were cut short when he saw Doctor Doom heading over towards him, his hands firmly behind his back.
"Your attempts to free yourselves from Doom are in vain!" he screamed, bringing his fist forward to shake it at Iron Man. "Your fate has been sealed! You shall pay the price for daring to think that you could intrude upon my country! You will not see the end of this day!"
Spider-Man scoffed. "Just say 'You're all going to be executed!' I mean, seriously, aren't you tired of the sound of your own voice, Doomy?"
Doom whipped his head over and turned to Spidey, iciness making itself known behind that mask that he always wore. "For daring to insult the great Doom in such a petty manner, your death will be made twice as painful as originally intended!"
Doom raised his hands up as he walked over to his overwhelming sea's worth of an audience. "And the Americans can mourn their heroes all they wish! But no matter how many tributes their media churns out, or how often their superhero community goes onto live TV to pay their respects to their fallen comrades, they will not able to do anything! Unless they wish to go to war with us, for they shall have to remember that Batman, Iron Man, and Spider-Man faced the consequences for opposing my vision! No one escapes the eye of Doom!"
Doctor Doom certainly loved hearing himself talk. As Iron Man looked around the cube that held him captive, not once did he consider that this might be the end for him. He imagined that at the end of the day, he would be going back to one of his manors (either in New York or Malibu), and he would be greeted by the sight of Pepper and Morgan. He would help tuck Morgan in, tell her how much he loves her for the zillionth time. Then he and Pepper would head into their room, where they would undress each other while grinning at one another, ready to have some fun. Doom could yell all he wanted about how this would be the end for all three of them, but no. Not a chance in hell.
With all of that in mind, Iron Man did not foresee how this would happening. And thus, underneath his armored face, his eyes began to widen when he saw them. Vines were slowly beginning to sprout up across the corners of the stage where the villains stood. Doom was still waving his fists around to his subjects, while the Riddler and the other supervillains stood behind him, oblivious to the creeping vines. For a few moments, that was. Then Doc Ock tilted his head around, as the vines began to creep their way forward. The Riddler did the same, his mouth going agape. The Scarecrow snarled, Giganta jolted up, and Moonstone formed her hands into glowing fists, ready to attack whatever was causing this. Iron Man chuckled to himself.
"Well, I'll be damned," he said, looking over to Spidey. "The gals actually came through."
Spidey nodded. "They'll probably want to punch you in the face after they break us free."
"Fair enough. I'll take it at this point."
And then the vines picked up the pace at rapid speeds. It was only shortly after the other supervillains noticed that the vines began to wrap themselves around them and entangle. All five of Doom's henchmen grunted and groaned as they squirmed, trying to break free. Giganta in particular tried to increase her size to break free, but when she was twice her regular height, she stopped. The vines around her tightened considerably, and all that was left for her to do was screech in frustration.
Doom whipped his head around to look at what was happening. And Batman was forced out of his thousand yard moment, as he peered up to notice the commotion himself.
"Who dares to challenge Doom?!" the dictator shouted.
Batman's eyes narrowed, and he clenched his teeth. "I believe you know damn well who this is!"
Finally, the vines lunged towards Doom. The crowd was gasping and screaming, with many even fleeing the scene. Before Doctor Doom knew it, the vines were beginning to wrap themselves around all of Doom's limbs, completely obscuring them in lush greenery. And it was only then that Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn leapt up onto the stage from the right side of it.
"Perhaps it is time we stopped hiding out in some insane dictator's country!" Harley stated as she swung her baseball bat around. "Alright, let's kick some ass, Red!"
"I offered you sanctuary!" Doom spewed out, leaning forward towards the two. "And this is how you -"
Before he could finish, several of the vines began enwrapping themselves around his mouth, and before he knew it, his voice was muffled by the lush green plant life that had forced itself around him.
"I think we've all heard enough from your mouth!" Ivy shouted, her arms crossed while Harley ran towards Iron Man and Spider-Man.
With everyone else distracted, Iron Man resumed his attempts to break free. He fired, and fired, and fired, and fired. Each time, the cracks grew larger. This was a very durable and tough material, but it could not be truly indestructible. Harley grabbed out a dagger from her pocket and sliced off the ropes that kept Spider-Man bound. It was not long before the spectacular Spider-Man leapt up, extending his fists outward. And then Iron Man charged one final blast from his repulsor ray, and when it struck the glass, it finally shattered. Glass flew around the air, with Harley and Spidey even having to duck down and cover their faces behind their elbows.
"You guys know that once you do this, you probably can't go into hiding again, right?" Iron Man asked, turning his head to face Harley.
Harely threw her arms into the air. "Eh, we shouldn't be hiding anyway. Not the best way to make up for our crimes. Now, there's just one thing I need to do."
Harley darted over to the Joker's corpse. For a brief moment, her eyes narrowed down and her lips morphed so that she could bare a snarl. To see the sight of that 'clown' who had mistreated her, abused her, and ruined her life, all for his amusement. She stomped on his lifeless face. Even though he could not feel the pain, she did it several more times, gleefully giggling as she did so.
Finally, after a few moments, she stopped, stepped back, and took a deep breath. Ivy walked over to her girlfriend and placed a hand on her shoulder while Harley tried to relax.
"Okay, we can go destroy the generator now."
It was not long before they found it. Evidently, before they showed up to save the heroes at Doom's big presentation, Ivy and Harley had put their effort into tracking down where the generator was located. It was only a few rooms away from where Iron Man, Batman, Spider-Man, and Batgirl had all been held after they were captured by Doom. They looked at the generator. It was truly enormous, standing several stories high. It was the same muted green tint as the rest of Castle Doom, with lime green electricity buzzing all around. Sizzles and cackles were all that Iron Man could hear at that moment, as he stood by his allies.
"So, any strings attached?" Spider-Man asked.
Harley grinned. "Nope. Just blast and shoot at it like there's no tomorrow!"
For once, no elaborate plan was needed in order to fix this. Iron Man powered up his arc reactor, and a Unibeam was immediately emitted from his chestpiece.
*Power depleting rapidly* JARVIS tried to warn him, but it was a small price to pay. Spider-Man utilized his webs by sticking it onto any object within vicinity and chucking it over towards the generator. Harley shot at it with two regular pistols. And finally, Batman grabbed out his explosives from his utility belt and tossed them towards the generator. They all repeated this process ad nauseum.
Then they could hear Doom and his legion breaking the door open and storming through. "No! You will not ruin Doom's glorious plan!" he bellowed at the top of his lungs.
But that is where Ivy came in. She was able to control some of the plants that were kept all around the castle, and their vines and leaves erupted towards the supervillains the same way they had forced their way into this room. Of course, this wouldn't be enough to hold the villains forever. But they just needed a few more minutes, and then it would all be over. At Ivy's command, toxic poison began protruding out of the vines, which covered the villains in a noxious cloud. None of them were immune to this, and they collapsed onto the ground. These toxins weren't fatal, and it wouldn't be long before Doom's armour inoculated him against the poison. But these few moments made all the difference. With one final attack, the generator was destroyed, an explosion of green light breaking out everywhere.
"You will all burn in Hell for this!" Doom barked over to them, struggling to get back onto his feet due to the toxins. "You will burn in the deepest depths of Hell!"
"Sure we will, Doom. Maybe we'll see you there," Ivy fired back towards him.
They all needed to get out of there now. The Riddler, the Scarecrow, and Doctor Octopus should have been captured, so that they could resume their imprisonment. But first…
"We know where Batgirl is. She's crippled, but she's alive," Harley stated.
"Alright, we need to get her and then get out of here!"
The Riddler, the Scarecrow, and Doctor Octopus should have been captured, so that they could be taken back to America to resume their sentences. But they were on Latverian soil, and the superheroes had stirred enough trouble already. It was a damn shame, but it wouldn't be permanent. Those three would be captured and returned to the States, eventually.
To distract himself from that thought, Iron Man thought about his family. Just as he imagined, he would be returning to them. He would be able to tuck Morgan in under her sheets, and remind her of how he loved her more than anything in the world. The Joker's threat, about how he would take all of that away from him, would never be carried out. Knowing that such a vile psycho would never be able to hunt down his daughter, it made Iron Man feel relaxed.
But he couldn't help but notice Batman's expression. He was forlorn, and in shock. Iron Man tried to imagine the sheer rage and turmoil that must have been going through the Dark Knight's head. He was so stubborn about his no-kill rule, after all. He bore the pale face of a man whose entire life had been upended in an instant, and who now did not know what to do with himself.
And all Iron Man could do was sigh. Sigh in pity for his comrade and friend.
Batman sat at the conference roundtable of the Vanguard Tower. Usually, his back was straight-up, even when there wasn't a meeting conducted. But today, he was slouching down, his arms crossed. It still weighed heavy on his mind. It was all he could think about.
Often, when he would close his eyes, he would revisit that night in Crime Alley. But not this time. Now, whenever he would close his eyes, he would go back to that night. Even if it would only flicker for that moment, the scene of him grabbing the Joker's neck and twisting it until it snapped. Every time.
And the Joker's corpse would lie there. That image was in his head every waking moment. Harley had burned the Joker's body and divided his ashes amongst half a dozen points in the Atlantic Ocean, but to Batman, it mattered little. In his mind, it was almost as if the Joker was lying right in front of him.
Superman, Captain America, and Iron Man were all in the conference room as well, with Spider-Man, Alfred, and a wheelchair-bound Barbara Gordon having been invited into the Tower. On the panel, the news was bombarding the world with reports about the Joker's death.
"The destruction of Doom's generator, which would have brought the entire planet to his knees, is not the only news that seeped out from Latveria. After six years and an immeasurable pool of blood at his feet, the Joker's reign of terror has come to an end," Lois Lane reported from the streets of Metropolis. Behind her was a massive crowd of people. Some were holding signs praising the Joker's death, while others were cheering loudly, throwing their arms into the air. If it had been nearly any other supervillain, no crowd would be there to celebrate their demise. But there they were now. "Behind me is a crowd of people who have come together to celebrate the death of the Joker."
"Well, to think it took an egomaniacal dictator to bring Batman to his senses!" J. Jonah Jameson barked onto another panel at the monitor, his arms firmly planted onto his desk. "The Joker is one of the worst monsters in human history, and it's honestly about time that someone put that devil down!"
Jameson then pointed at his camera. "This is just the beginning! Carnage needs to be executed for what he has done, as does Mr. Zsasz! And while we're giving people what they deserve, someone finally needs to handcuff Spider-Man and lock him behind bars!"
Spider-Man shook his head. "To think I used to work for that nutjob! I swear, if I had a quarter for every time he's insulted me, I might actually be able to pay off my student debt!"
Batman peered up at the sound of metallic footsteps. Iron Man was approaching him alongside Cap and Superman.
"In spite of everything that he had done, I am so sorry that Doom made you do that to the Joker. I cannot offer enough condolences," Cap began as he took one more step forward.
Superman nodded. "I would've flown over in a heartbeat, but by the time I learned of what happened, you had all already destroyed the generator. I'm sorry."
Iron Man extended his hand out towards Batman. "Come on, Bats. It's over. The Joker is now a thing of the past. And no one hates you for it."
Batman sneered up at his fellow billionaire. "We both know that I don't care what other people think of me."
He stood up from his seat, and without making eye contact with Iron Man, walked past him and over to Captain America and Superman. As he had sat there, he pondered what he should do with his life. To have broken one of his most sacred vows, even if he was tricked into it by the fear gas…it still rattled every bone in his body. And he felt he had reached a decision.
"Effective immediately, I am resigning from the Vanguard of Justice," he began. Cap and Superman's eyes both widened at this. "Not only that, but this is the last you will be hearing of me for a long time. I will disappear for a while. I will contact Grayson and ask him to look after Gotham in my stead. I have a dozen safehouses across the world, and it's time to make use of them."
Batman then turned towards Alfred, whose face was now sorrowful and forlorn. "Pack your things, Alfred. We leave tomorrow at dawn."
Batman tried to leave the room, but he felt a firm hand grasp onto his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks.
"Your resignation is not accepted, Bruce," Cap stated. Batman did not look him in the eye, but he did turn his head to acknowledge him. "I know that this is a difficult time for you, but escaping to some mountain in Tibet or to middle of the Sahara won't do you any favors. Stay here, and we will all help you through it."
Superman stepped forward to stand by Cap's side. "You know that you're not the only one here who has vowed to never kill. In your shoes, I would be haunted every moment as well. But I would reach out those I trusted in my darkest moments. Those that I know would stand by me through the hardest times. And you have people like that too, Bruce. You have all of us."
Spider-Man cleared his throat. "I'm not as good at spontaneous speeches as they are, but I agree. Stay here and fight through the pain. You are one of the strongest people I've ever met. I know you'll come out stronger for it."
Barbara wheeled her way over to Bruce. "My time as Batgirl may be over, but this is not the end of my fight. I will do all I can to bring justice to this world. It would be comforting and more bearable if you were still here."
And finally, it was Alfred's turn. "As I told you, just because something is wrong does not mean it is not necessary," he began, before placing both of his hands around Batman's arms. "It pains me to see you so haunted. To lose Jason, and then be forced to take the Joker's life…you hide it, but I can still see your turmoil. And with all due respect, Master Bruce, I will not stand aside and watch helplessly as you give in to your torment. No matter what happens, I will always be with you."
To hear their words, it almost lessened the endless pain that Batman felt. That image of the lifeless Joker came close to fading away. Everyone stood there, looking at him. No more words needed to be said at this point. Batman had to ponder to himself…would hiding atop a mountain really make the pain go away? Would living quietly in the Sahara wash away the regret and self-loathing that consumed him over the deaths of Jason and the Joker? He considered the possibilities. If rather then becoming Batman in the first place, he had simply shut himself off from the world after his parents' deaths, to spend the rest of his days bitter and alone.
Just as the images and horror of that night in Crime Alley had never gone way, neither would this. Jason's death would leave massive scars across his mind until the day he died. And every day, he would think about how he gave in to his most primal temptation and slayed the Clown Prince of Crime. And every day, it would leave his mind shattered for just a moment.
He would have to fight through it. He looked over to realize that Iron Man was now standing opposite him, his hand extended out once more. "Please, Bruce."
In a rare moment, Batman smiled. And he accepted Iron Man's offer, reaching his own hand out to shake Iron Man's. "Thank you. Thank you all."