Ch: 59: The Last Laugh

- Wayne Manor -

- Home Theatre -

Harvey Dent presses his palm against the dressing over Harvey Bullock's leg and holds it over the blood flow. Bullock was pale, tired from his trauma and his blood loss. He has trouble keeping his eyes open while Dent couldn't close his own. He presses his right hand over his other to reinforce the dressing, "Hold on, Harv. Bruce ought to be back to see...he has to be...he said he would." Dent was lit by the damaged projector with its light being split between the shattered glass, casting two shadows off of him.

"He won't back...he betrayed you. He abandoned you...they all abandoned you..."

Dent snaps his head back upon hearing the voice and finding no one else with then, "Hello? Who's there?"

"You know who I am, Harvey. I am your only ally, the one who won't turn their back on you! Unlike Bruce and the others...they all lied to turn, manipulated you...for their own gain. I will never do that to you."

Dent's eyes shake as he flustered by his deepest fears, "You...? You made me kill Aubrey! You made me into a killer!" trembled Dent as his voice was shaking, "That wasn't justice..."

"Justice? And what is...? Leaving him to the same system that he put in place? Face it, killing him was the only way to punish him. And we still have so much to do...so many more people to punish for their crimes! And I know the perfect place to start..."

"No... Please..."

Meanwhile...

"You thought yourself to be invincible? Untouchable. Infallible. Incorruptible. That you were somehow superior to others like you are a destined saviour. Tell me Brucie...tell me...is it finally setting in? The fear that all of this time...you couldn't be more wrong," Joker taunts the restrained man with a strained chuckle as he traces the fingers of his gloved hand against Bruce's scalp, "Turns out...that your-ever-so-precious *code* is more of a joke than any of my material - And. That. Just. Won't. Do."

Joker grips a handful of Bruce's hair and rams his head in the table, a move that brought a gagged Selina and Talia to hold a scared look towards the sight. Lee, Blüd and Jim watch in silence still not fully accepting the horror of the situation, their faces flush with denial and their eyes tremble.

Harley strides to the dinner table, holding a silver tray as she smirks, "Come on Mistah J, is that really how we should be treatin' our guests? You're gonna ruin their appetite and after all the blood, sweat and tears that I put into dinner." The crazed blonde gives an exaggerated frown before she sniggers, setting the tray down and taking residence next to Selina. "At the risk of coming across as egotistical, I can bet ya that this will be the crème de la crème of any meal that you've ever eaten and ever will - Let's just say that this dish is gonna stick with ya for the rest of your very pathetic lives..."

Joker takes a look at the attendees and sowers his expression, "We're still missing those two buffoons...why haven't the crew brought them to us? How could they let a guy with a bullet wound escape? How does that even happen? - Oh, whatever...they're boring now anyway...especially since we got the main prize. We'll just kill them later." The pale man sits back, ruffling his hair with his stained gloves. His smile creeps back, stretching unnaturally, "Look at all of us, all brought together by this city! And to think some people say Gotham has no redeeming qualities."

"Ya sure are happy, Mr Jay," Harleen kicks up to her feet and twirls, "It makes me feel so warm knowin' that I have made you so bubbly."

Joker heaves with laughter, almost choking. He slaps his knee, sniggering at the woman's words, "You? Don't be so cavalier with such foolish statements. All of this? What's happening right now...is all thanks to me and my genius." Joker gets up, rubbing his palms together and fails to see the faint twitch in Harley's eyes. Walking around the restrained Bruce, Joker near-giggles as he removes the coverings over his mouth, "Well, Brucie-boy...welcome home! I hope you don't mind but I took the liberty of redecorating this place. It was in desperate need of some more colour, specifically red...and oh boy...is there gonna be a whole lot redder after we're done here."

Bruce's eyes look past the crazed man and first to Selina who stares back. She looked well enough with some mild bruising, nothing that she hasn't had before. He then turns to Gordon who was still trying to fight his restraints. Bruce noticed that the man was not scared, in fact, Bruce had rarely seen him this unnerved. Next was Talia who remained still as stone. Bruce realized that if she hasn't broken the restraints by now then none of them would be getting out. Lee was the second to last, she looks tired as if she had been drugged and was still feeling the effects. Lastly, he looks towards Blüd who was succumbed to the pain from his hands, barely keeping a straight face.

Joker lifts Bruce's chin and leans in, whispering, "See this, Brucie? They're here because of you my dear. You just couldn't help yourself, could you? You just had to bring them into our game. You really should know better by now...the people you love...tend not to last too long. I am the only one you'll ever need and tonight...I'll prove it, darling." Behind Joker stood Harley who watches him admire Bruce. Her eye twitches again as she glares jealously, silently she clenches her fist.

She speaks to draw his attention back to her and only on her, "I really think we should get this movin' along. It would be a damn shame if all of my work just goes to waste, right?," she steps closer to the table and removes the cloche from the tray, "Bon Appetit." Bruce and Selina both look at what was on the tray, finding it to be just some ordinary dinner but they knew there was something more to it, there had to be. Harley circles back to Selina and leans over the table, resting her chest over her arms, "Like it, Kitty?"

Harley yanks the gag from Selina's mouth which unleashed a storm of rage from the dark-haired woman, "I'm going to kill you, Harley! You are dead once I get out of here! Dead! I'm going to tear you so shreds you fu-." Harley interrupts Selina by grabbing the back of her hair and slamming her head on the table, holding her there with a gleeful smirk, "Ya ain't in no position to be making threats, Kitty! Now shut your mouth or you'll be seeing your mother again real soon...so zip it! For once...let me have the attention!" she lifts Selina's head and slams it down again.

Selina recoils in agony, dazed and bruised needing a second to regain her composure as she lets out a whimper. Blood trickles from her nostrils as she cries.

Joker jabs Bruce's shoulder with his elbow, "Meow...right, Brucie? Usually, I only want to be the one to torment my victims, but...eh? I can't turn down some good-old senseless violence. It just lifts my soul up, you know what I mean?"

"Selina! Are you alright?" asked Bruce as he looks to hurt woman. Selina looks back to him dizzily and weakly nods, eyes trembling. The pain overwhelmed her senses and made her unable to speak back to him. Bruce saw this and glares at Harley, "...Why...? Why? We were your friends, Harls! We trusted you...so...why? Why...do this...why? Joker doesn't love you, Harls! He's incapable of love," pleaded Bruce, trying to reach her, "He's only using you. You are worth more than that, Harls..."

The blonde anxiously faces Bruce, looking over him and observing the painful look in his eyes, "Love? What would you even know about that? It's you who can't love anyone," replied Harley as she struts towards the restrained man with a smile, "All of your friends... you lie to them, treat them like they can't be trusted - you have all these people who love you and you can't even appreciate them. Do you even realize just how much that pisses me off?"

"...Harleen...that's not-"

She stops next to him and kneels down to make eye contact, "Ya have everythin' I ever wanted, all my dreams and aspirations...and you treat them like they mean squat. All my life...I've gone from broken home to broken home, alone and afraid. But now...there's someone...who looks at me and sees someone worth loving...you have never had to feel that, the agony of thinking that you're not worth being loved and hating yourself for it..."

Bruce stares back into the blonde's blue eyes, stoic as ever, "Harls...that's not true...you mattered to me...I..." Upon hearing his words, Selina's eyes narrow as she looks between Bruce and Harley, notching their close proximity. She sees the pain in Bruce's eyes, seeing it break through his stoic exterior.

Outside Wayne Manor

Alfred walks towards the mansion, gazing up at it with a look of familiarity. He sees that the sky had become overcast, darkening the world around him. He pulls out his handgun and fastens his pace towards the manor while he hears footsteps from behind, "Let's get one thing straight here missy, this doesn't make us chippy, got me? I'm only humouring this cuz my boy is in trouble. If it was any other day, I would put a bullet between your eyes without a second thought."

Nyssa passes him and rolls her eyes, "I'm shaking in my boots," she says disinterestedly, reaching for the blade on her back, "I trust that you can put any unsavoury feelings about me away for now."

"Only if you don't go doing somethin stupid'," replied Alfred as he draws his gun, "Master Bruce vowed not to kill but I made no such promise. I will not hesitate to put you down."

The pair check the perimeter of the manor, treading as if they were stranded in a thin layer of ice over the ocean, "The whole building is in lockdown and at the control of that clown. You are aware of that, are you not?" Nyssa holds a grin back as she sees the older man turned to face her, glaring over her, "Good. A man at the age of yourself does require checks for dementia now and then...wouldn't want you to go forgetting why you're here. I do very much dislike repeating myself," she continued to fuel the flames of the man's frustration, knowing that he wouldn't act on said feelings while his friends were in Peral.

"I don't know how he managed to do it, but Jeremiah found a way to hack into the Batcomputer's systems. Whatever he did, it has spread to all of Bruce's hideouts, especially the Batcave. Just trying to make heads and tails of his...work is driving me crazy. I sometimes forget that he used to be one of the most intelligent people to work for Wayne Enterprise. I think he even knows our systems better than I do." Lucius's voice came through Alfred's earpiece, carrying all of his concern, "I-I need more time."

Alfred's eyes narrow as he takes his sights off of the oldest daughter of Ra's al Ghul and faces the sky, feeling a soft drop of rain splash down his cheek. The rain begins to pick up, becoming heavier until it had turned into a downpour, "We don't have that time, Lucius! My boy's in there!" he vents, becoming erratic. Nyssa picks up on the man's mental affliction as she begins to question if he could really be useful to her. The grey-hand man notices the stares of the woman, "You got something to say?"

Nyssa nods as she lifts herself to connect their gazes, "You are also quick to blame others for when things go awry like you feel the need to be the voice of reason, the light that can always bring Alwatwat back from the darkness within him - but we both know that's not true."

"His name is Bruce, ya hear me? His name is Bruce," blurts Alfred getting closer to Nysa, "This Alwatwat is just nonsense made up by the league."

"Bruce died in the alley with his mother and father, that day...they all met their end. But as they perished, a new creature rose, a dark phoenix from the ashes of the Wayne's. To deny that creature that has become of Bruce is to live in ignorance to the reality of the situation... - This is all on you, Jeeves," Nyssa continues with a stern gaze, "Kindness? Empathy? Compassion? Such qualities do not belong with the man that Alwatwat must be. Your efforts to care for him...will only weaken him...it's what allowed him to be captured, his trust in his fellow man."

"You don't know him. You don't know anything about my boy. He's better than you ever have hope of being," replied Alfred.

"Even now...you refuse to accept my words. For once, I do not have intentions to tear you apart, in fact...for us to survive...you must finally understand my words. Both light and darkness can be blinding, but the shadows have never burned anyone. This is much bigger than us right now and Alwatwat is at the centre of it. If my father believed in him...then I must too, though at great reluctance..." she and Alfred stand in silence as they both nod, agreeing to put aside their past.

"We just need to hope that they can hold on a little longer," Nyssa remarks.

Meanwhile

- Inside Wayne Manor -

"Now kiddos...let's say grace, shall we?" Joker laughs as he wraps his arm around Bruce's shoulder, "Whatcha say, Brucie-boy? Do you want to do the honours...it is your house, after all, buddy." He watches Bruce as not a single word is exchanged between them, instead Bruce only glared at him intently. Joker rolls his eyes, disappointed by his response or lack thereof. The green-haired man throws himself off of Bruce and holds his arms behind his back, "And after I went through the trouble of putting on my best suit, too."

"Can I do it? Always wanted to host a dinner like this, honey," Harley chirps as she squeezes in-between him and Bruce, smiling at them both, "Considerin' how this is gonna stick with them for the rest of their lives, it's only fair that I show some manners, right? Gotta have some etiquette."

Joker lifts a single eyebrow as he sighs, "I know it's times like this where I wonder just how you got a PHD," blowing a strand of hair from his eyes, "Just make it quick. It was only going be fun with Brucie anyway." Joker removes himself from the table and heads out of the room, skipping along the way, "Don't be too rough without me! Daddy's gotta do something quick!" he shouts back to Harley. The blonde simply shrugs before she pulls out a butterfly knife.

Bruce takes notice of the fact that the blonde was now without the company of Joker and sought to make the most of the opportunity, however, Selina spoke up before he had a chance. Selina hisses at Harley, narrowing her gaze into a strained glare, "You're pathetic, y'know that? Do you need to feel validated by that *monster?* How sad, Harleen. Pathetic as always."

Harley rolls her eyes as she twirls her knife, humming a childhood tune, "Strictly speakin' as a psychologist...it kinda sounds like ya are projectin' just a tad, Kitty." She looks at herself in the reflection of the knife with a smile, "But do you wanna know what I also think?" She thrusts the knife into Selina's leg with a cackle as she hears her howl in agony, "That cut deep, Kitty." She then twists the knife which brought out several more cries from Selina.

"Harls, stop!," Bruce grabs the blonde's attention as fights against his restraints, "Please...just stop. You don't need Joker to be someone. You never did...you were amazing on your own. Please...he has taken so much from me...please don't let him take you too...please...Just stop while you still have some humanity left..."

Harley's eyes soften as she yanks the knife out of Selina's leg, turning her back to Bruce, "Stop it, B. I don't want to be saved, especially by you." She pockets her knife and rubs her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket, "I'm not worth it, B."

Selina looks down to her leg, noticing that Harley had accidentally sliced the rope that was binding her.

Joker skips back into the room with a sinister hum as he holds a jerrycan which he begins to pour over the floor as he makes his way towards the dinner table, "Looks like things are getting heated-up in here...and no...that isn't just you... - It's gonna be all of us - HA!" Bruce, Selina and all the others are struck with fear, petrified of what was coming their way. Joker continues to empty the red can, circling around the dinner table with a whistle with some of the gas leaking onto him, which Selina and Bruce both saw.

"What the hell are you doin'?" Harley protests as she reaches for the jerrycan. Joker lifts the can above his head as Harley tried to reach it "Ya didn't tell me squat about this."

Joker chuckles, unaware of the leakage from the can that dripped over him, "My sweet Harley...It must have...slipped my mind," laughed Joker as reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a lighter, "But do try to keep a level head...we wouldn't want you fuming..."

"Jeremiah!" Bruce yelled out to the green-haired maniac, almost pleading, "You have me! These people have nothing to do with us! Just kill me...please...! This is between us." Joker mused at Bruce's pleads, enjoying the fear he heard in his voice. Harley has the opposite reaction, looking at Bruce as if he was some sort of wounded animal - one that she took pity on. With one last attempt, Bruce tires reaching out to Harley for one last time, "C'mon, Harls...you can't let him do this...Please...Harleen!"

Harley stands in silence as she focuses on both Bruce and Joker, everything was slowed for her. Each moment became an eternity. Her lips quiver, unable to say anything as she could only watch The Joker.

"This is the end of us, Brucie," Joker laughs as he flips the lighter open, showering his face with yellow light, "Let's go out in a blaze of glory, what do you say? Hmmm? This little game of ours can only end with us dying, and I don't want to risk another nutcase killing you before me. Think about it, Brucie-boy, everything has been leading to this. It may be cut short, but I'd say we've had a blast, right? Although a couple more years would be fun...I just can't stand the thought of someone getting you first... You were always meant to die by my hand and I can't live without you" Joker lifts his arm as she sees the horror on the faces of the guests, marvelling at it, "Well then...I guess I'll see you on the other side, Brucie...in hell, HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!"

Harley's eyes twitch, watching Joker preparing to drop it. She grits her teeth, discreetly pulling out her knife.

"Hey, Jeremiah," Selina called out to get the man's attention. She lifted her free leg and kicked Joker's groin. The green-haired man growls as he moves back, dropping the lighter on himself. Joker screams as he was solely set ablaze. He flails his arm as he is fully engulfed in flames. Selina's eyes shake as the man's screams of agony turn to laughter. Joker still fights against the blaze over him but laughter bellows from him as he darts around the room.

"Mistah J...?," Harley gasps as she rushes to his aid.

Joker shoves the blonde away, colliding her with Selina. Seizing the chance, Selina takes the knife from the blonde. She then uses her free leg to kick Harley into the table. Selina cuts through her binds in one swift motion and kicks up onto her feet, throwing the knife to Bruce as she sets her sights on Harley.

Bruce escapes his restraints and throws the knife to the ground, glancing at Selina in horror, "What did you do?" His eyes fall upon the blazing Joker who was still laughing, "-What did you do?" Selina grabs Harley by the collar of her jacket and throws her off the table. She doesn't look at him, instead, she rushes to Harley.

"Apparently what you won't!" screamed Selina as she pounced onto Harley, wrapping her hands around her throat, "This is for my mother!" Bruce looks between Harley and Joker, deciding on which he needed to go to. He decided to rush towards Joker who still rushed through the room, laughing as his flesh was burned away.

Bruce tackles Joker to the ground and removes his own jacket, using it to calm the flames on Joker. The green-haired man's laughs got louder and more erratic as he begins to fight against Bruce, trying to knock him off of him. Bruce is coiled with pain as he feels his hands and forearms being burned by the flames, but he persisted against the agony, "Why so serious, Brucie? What's on your mind, buddy? Looks like something is burning you up! HA HA HA HA HA!"

Harley kicks Selina off of her and rushes out of the room, grabbing her knife along the way, "You need to get your claws cut, Kitty! What? Doesn't Bruce do that for you anymore?" Selina catches up to Harley and tackles her from behind and throws her onto the floor, "Ow! What-sort-of-hero tackles someone from behind? An' people say I fight dirty!"

"Harley!," called Joker as the flames surrounding him had almost all been extinguished by Bruce.

Harley jolts her head back and slams it against Selina's nose, throwing her back. "Coming, honey." She rolls over onto her back and kicks Selina's face with her boot. She then gets up and sprints towards Joker with Selina hot on her heel. Bruce looked to the two women, distracted from the threat under him. Joker pushes Bruce off of him and gets up to his feet, nearly tripping in the process. He meets Harley halfway as she smiles at him, "What's the plan?"

"You are" Joker answers as she grabs Harley and holds his arm around her throat while he holds a Joker card in his hand against her throat which caused Bruce and Selina to stop in their tracks. He laughs as he stares at Bruce with glee, "You just couldn't do it, could you? You just couldn't let me die... You had the perfect opportunity, all you had to do was nothing! And you still couldn't do that! HA! Is that code of yours so precious to you that you would let a pretty girl like Harley die? Are you willing to sacrifice her to preserve your moral superiority, well?"

"-What are ya doin'...?," Harley looks back to Joker, eyes widened.

"Silence... This is between me and my Brucie! That is what this has ever been. Everyone else are just pawns, and sometimes...to win a game...the sacrifice of a pawn is necessary," Joker licks the burned flesh of his lip. "Look at you, Bruce...fighting so hard to preserve this foolish code of yours? Never to kill? You're weak. You're unable to look past your own ego, even if it would save this city! Take it from a guy who use to run tech at your company...if a code is never altered, then it eventually becomes obsolete, useless."

Bruce stoically looks at Joker, "I will never kill you, Joker. You will never turn me into a murderer."

Joker sniggers upon hearing Bruce's words, "If not me, it'll be someone else. It's been what...two years of your little crusade? And look how close you've come to breaking your code. Now imagine, three years, five, ten or twenty? Do you honestly think your precious moral virtue can last that long? The longer you do this, the less the *extremes* will phase you, Brucie." Joker tightens his arms around Harley, giggling at her pained struggles against him, "Its as I say...it all takes one bad day, and it could be tomorrow, next week, next year or in thirty, but that day is coming, Brucie...so why not just get it out of the way now? C'mon...kill me.. Deep down you know that you want to..."

"Never" Bruce's eyes narrow, "Not even you..."

Joker sighs, licking his lips with a nod, "Disappointing, but not unexpected. Hear that, Harley? Looks like this is where you exit the stage...shame... I'll have to search for another henchwoman again...hopefully, the next one will be better at punchlines." Harley closes her eyes and tenses up.

Selina closes her eyes as a sudden stream of light meets her gaze. Bruce, Joker and Harley all look as the windows to the room, brightened as the outside world shines through and lights up the whole room, "The lockdown's been deactivated...good job Lucius" thought Bruce as he turned his sight back to Joker.

Joker grimaces as the thought of his defeat shook him, "N-no...how did he break my..." Harley's eyes sharpen, biting her lip and reaching into her pocket. Joker snarled as he glares at Bruce, "Doesn't matter now anyway...Harley is still getting one hell of a makeover, HA HA HA HA HA-EH..AUGH..." Joker gasps as Harley stabs him in his neck, "...W-Wha..." Joker drops to his knees, blood pouring from his mouth while Harley kneels down as she holds a venomous glare, "Done in by a dumb blonde...and my dumb blonde of all things..."

"How's that punchline for you, Mistah J?" Harleen hissed as she twists the knife into the man's neck.

Joker's lips curve as he laughs, "You get points for irony, kiddo! HA! B-b-but I guess it's t-true wh-what they say...the jokes n-not funny when you're t-the punchline, huh. Eh...what the hell..HA HA HA HA!" he bursts out laughing as a mockery. Harley tears the knife out of Joker's neck and stabs through his chest multiple times, spattering his blood over her as she continues to cut through him. But Joker continued to laugh even when he was choking on his own blood.

"Enough!" Bruce grabs Harley's wrists to stop her from further stabbing Joker as he drags her off of him, "Stop!"

Blood pours from Joker's mouth as his green and purple suit was stained with red all over but he still smiles, laughing endlessly, "In h-hindsight, I probably should've s-s-seen this c-coming...but that doesn't make me any less p-pissed..." he continues to laugh, holding his sides as he breaths become slower and weaker. He holds his sides as he continues laughing, trying to hold his organs inside him, "B-but it l-looks like I-I h-have t-t-the last laugh, B-Brucie...Poor, little Barbara is s-still comatose a-and I-I'm t-t-the only o-one who k-knows h-how t-t-to wake her, checkmate! HEE! HEE! HEE! HA!"

Selina's eyes widen, trembling under the horror of Barbara forever being lost to her, "You...monster..."

"Y-Yeah...I know - HEE! HEE! HEE! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! There is not a s-single t-thing that y-you can do to s-save her! Little Barby dies with m-me! HA!"

"Mockingbird," Harley snaps at Joker, "That's the trigger word."

"HA-HA-HA-HA-UGH...What...?," Joker's eyes narrow, "Oh...you absolute bitch! You told me you forgot it!"

Bruce drags Harley up onto her feet but the blonde keeps her eyes on Joker, "And you said that you loved me."

"All the things t-that I've done to you...a-and that's y-your biggest i-issue? Jeez...a-and I t-thought I was c-crazy! HEE! HEE! HA! HA! HEE! HE-." The sound of gunfire fills the room as a bullet is shot between Joker's eyes. The clown prince of crime falls to the ground, lifeless. Nyssa stood behind him, smoke flowing from her handgun. Selina, Gordon, Talia, Bullock and Lee all looked at the woman in shock. Bruce makes eye contact with the oldest daughter of Ra's al Ghul, frowning at her actions.

Nyssa gave a quick look to the deceased villain with a grimace glare, "Did you hear the one about the lunatic who went on to live a long life...yeah...me neither." She marches forward, unloading several more shots into the clown's corpse until she was out of ammo. The fury in her eyes matched that of the deepest infernos in hell.

"You..." Bruce rushes Nyssa but is swiftly kicked back by the woman's boot.

"You're weak, Bruce," Nyssa drops the gun in her hand, stepping over Joker, "He was a dead man anyway, I just didn't want to miss my chance for vengeance. That *thing* didn't deserve to live...much like..." Nyssa sets her sights on her next target: Harley, "This woman has been tainted by him. As long as she lives, the sickness of the man remains in this world. Isn't that right, Mis Kyle?" She reaches behind her back and draws her blade, "Killing Joker was my vengeance, I understand killing this woman would be yours, correct?"

Selina's eyes tremble as she sees Nyssa gesture her sword to her. She reaches a hand out towards the sword that was offered by Nyssa, the temptation of revenge burned too deeply within her. She saw that Harley had fallen to the floor, kneeling and facing the ground, unable to look at the people who once trusted her. She took the sword from Nyssa and affirms it in her grip, feeling it weigh more than she originally believed it would.

But something just wasn't right. She had to know. She wouldn't allow herself not to, "My mother...why did you do it? Why'd you kill her? Why...? She did nothing to you!"

Harley shrugs as she keeps her eyes to the floor, "Does it even matter? Nothin' I could say would stop you now, and I don't blame ya. So go on...do it. Ya know that you want to."

Nyssa leers at Harley, "This woman killed your mother, Selina. So make her pay, blood for blood. She is too dangerous to be left alive, and we know Bruce doesn't have what it takes to do it himself."

"Selina, no..." begged Bruce as he stands up, looking into her eyes, "I'm sorry for your loss, I truly am. But Harley was brainwashed by Jeremiah, all those things she did...she did only because she was his victim, too. She can't hurt anyone now."

Nyssa scowls, showing grave issue with Bruce's pleads towards Selina, "Easy for you to say when it wasn't your mother who was murdered by this woman. Face it, Alwatwat...this is beyond you. This is about Selina's anguish...and there's only one way that she can ease it."

Bruce reaches for the sword held by Selina, carefully he eases towards it, "Listen, Selina...when I lost my-"

"DO NOT MAKE THIS ABOUT YOU!" Selina screamed, her eyes watering as her hands were shaking, "...or your parents. For once...can you try to understand another person's pain. You wanted the man who killed your parents to die...and you got that...so why can't I? Huh? Why can only you get that"

Bruce looks at the sword, seeing his and Selina's reflection in it, "The night I confronted my parent's killer is a memory almost as clear as the night in Crime Alley, Selina. I won't lie...I wanted him dead, I needed him to die. It was all that I wanted at that moment." He looks up to Selina, seeing her whimper, "But then...I saw into his eyes, and that's when it hit me, something that never crossed my mind until that moment. The man I swore to destroy, the man I wanted dead for so long...he wasn't the malicious monster I imagined he was... in a way, he was just another victim of this city."

"W-Why are you telling me this...?" Selina asks as she had trouble keeping her grip secure around the handle of the sword, "He still died, Bruce... Whether it was by your hand or not...you got closure...you got justice...vengeance!" Bruce sees Alfred enter the room, standing silent.

"Revenge? Vengeance? Justice? I'm not too sure about that. All I know is a person died that day, a person who had nothing. A man who needed help, not some evil villain. Every day I think back to that day and wish I could have saved him to show that this city is not beyond help." Alfred listens to Bruce's words, giving a single nod towards him. Bruce nods back as reverts his gaze on Selina, "A good man once told me that if I'm not careful, I could become a monster far worse than anything I swore to fight against. At first, I dismissed him - I thought I had it under control, but now that I'm seeing what you're going through...I finally understand his words, Selina..."

Selina breathes in as she calms her breathing, "And what's that"

Bruce could feel Alfred watching, giving him the strength that he needed, "He wasn't saying that I would become a monster towards my enemies, he meant I would become a monster towards my friends. All this time, I lied, I betrayed and I hurt you...all because I thought I was protecting you, but I now see that I wasn't. I haven't been there for you...or my friends." He leaves a brief pause between his words as he sees the agony in Selina's eyes. He looks around and sees his friends still trapped, watching the pain in their eyes, "And look where that has gotten us, Selina. Seeing you like this...this isn't you...not anymore...it's not any of us..."

"So...what? She goes to prison and gets out in like ten or twenty years while my mom is rotting away?... It's not fair..." Selina still fights against Bruce's words as she tries to draw every bit of her range to allow herself to kill Harleen, "It's not fair."

Bruce retries reaching for the sword as he retains eye contact with Selina, "You're right...it's not, but doing what's right isn't usually fair, but that's not why we do it. We do it to show others that it's not impossible, to show them that it's worth doing - to show ourselves that we are strong." Selina looks down at Harley, seeing that she was nothing. She was weak, barely a threat. She lets out a long exhale before handing the sword over to Bruce.

"Why didn't you just take it from me?" Selina asks.

The billionaire takes hold of the sword in both his palms, "Because I knew that I wouldn't need to."

Nyssa glances between Bruce and Selina as she smiles, "Look at you, Alwatwat. You have evolved...it makes you wonder if it's actually possible to save this city. Perhaps my father was correct about you, just not in the way he wanted."

Bruce cautiously hands Nyssa's sword back, "You...tried to make Selina kill Harley...and you act like it was all just a game to you? Some sort of sick entertainment."

Nyssa sheaths her sword and smiles, "You can't save the world if you fail to even save your friends. It was the only way to be sure, Alwatwat. You somehow walk among the shadows without being consumed by them. A creature of the night who thrives in the light... Maybe you truly are the one who can save Gotham."

Before Bruce says his peace, Harley shoves him out of the way, running out the room as she whimpers. Selina prepares to dart after her but is halted by Nyssa, blocked by her sword while Bruce bolts after the blonde. Nyssa tilts her head towards Selina, lifting an eyebrow, "You can rest easy now, Miss Kyle. For what happens next is not on you." Nyssa looks back to Talia, sharing a look with her sister, "There is still another who must find peace this day..."

Minutes Later..

Harley rushes out onto the roof of the Manor, feeling the brunt of the storm that shook the last. Bruce joins her on the roof and catches her, grabbing her as they both fall. They splash into the puddles of the roof, rolling around as they tried to fight the other off. Harley screams as she struggles against Bruce, "WHY?" Bruce stranded her as he holds her wrists down, looking straight into her eyes. He sees the absolute defeat in Harley's eyes, "...Why..."

Bruce slowly comes to realize the fragile state of the woman, knowing that she was no longer a threat. He releases his hold on her wrists and removes himself from her. He watches Harley heave as she begins to get up from the puddle, "Why what?" was his only response, rain dripping from his hair and into his eyes. Harley bellows a haunting scream as she attempts to punch Bruce. The dark-haired man dodged each and every one that Harley threw, not laying a hand on her. The blonde quickly caves her antics.

Harley falls to her knees, exposed to the elements. Raindrops slide down on her, soaking her from head to toe, slowly washing away the white paint on her skin, "Why...why...am I still alive...? All the things I did...I shouldn't be here. You should've let Selina kill me..."

Bruce kneels and embraces her from behind, holding her tight, "No one else dies... No one else dies today. This has to stop, Harleen." Harley begins to cry, mixing her tears with the downpour that hits her face as she reddens her once blue eyes. She cautiously reaches up to her hair and removes the bands, allowing for her hair to fall back into place. The make-up that she once wore had complete been washed away, leaving her with a natural look.

"...Why couldn't have I met you first...before him... Why did it...have to be him..." Whimpered Harleen as she jolts. Her tears become heavier and her lips quiver under the rain, "And why do you still care about me, B? Why...? Damn you...why do you still want to hold onto me...? I told ya...I'm not worth it...so why...WHY?" The blonde completely breakdowns, shaking to her core under Bruce's hold of her, "WHY? WHY? I d-don't deserve you...I don't deserve anyone..."

Bruce watches the woman in his arms, seeing her turn herself to face him as he watches the rain drip from her shaking lips. Her eyes were half-closed from the rain and her hair was knotted, soaked and stuck to her forehead. He secures his hold on her and looks her in the eyes, "We can get you help. I promise...I'll get the best for you. I swear to you that I'll be there for you...all the way." He gently moves the blonde's hair from her eyes, "You'll get the best-"

Bruce paused as he watched the woman's lips as a drop of crimson red leaked out among the raindrops. Widening his eyes as he glances down to the woman's stomach and sees that a knife had been lodged in her. Slowly looking back up to meet the gaze of the woman, Bruce's eyes shake, "...Why...?"

Harleen lifts her hand, holding her palm over Bruce's cheek, "As sick as it sounds...there's still a part of me that still loves Joker...and would do anything for him... and I know...eventually...that p-part of me w-w-would win out...b-but I don't wanna hurt you, B. I don't wanna hurt any of ya any more than I-I have...so I'm m-making s-s-sure that I can't. I wanna die while I still have some remorse for...the...things I've done, all their people I've hurt... I can't forget the pain I've caused..."

Bruce's eyes begin to water softly as he lifts his hand above Harleen's, "Y-you didn't have to...d-do this... There's other ways...ways to help you..." He watches a long stream of red escape the woman's mouth as her eyes become less focused, however, she retains her smile towards him.

"Shhh...it's okay, B-Man, it's okay...I want this...it's the only way to protect you. You took me into your home, treated me like a friend, trusted me with your life... You...Y-you mean the world to me and I don't want to be used against you. I...just...l-l-l-...like you too much." Harleen's eyes weaken as she falls back, her hand falling from Bruce's face. Bruce catches her and holds her tight in his arms. The dark-haired man nods, shaking as he looks over the woman's fragile features, "I-L-like you, too."

Harleen stretches her lips into a toothy-grin, "Y-You n-n-never di-did answer my question, did ya...?" She fights to open her eyes, barely succeeding as she gave one final glance into Bruce's eyes, "The dress...did you like it...?."

Bruce gives a single nod, "Yeah...I d-did. It was beautiful, Harls...just like you." He gently strokes the blonde's cheek, dreading as he watched her take her final breath, shutting her eyes for the last time, while she had the gentlest of smiles. Bruce closes his eyes and rests his head over Harleen's chest to confirm his fears, "...You were beautiful..."

Later.

"This is Vicky Vale, reporting on the horrors that shook today. Commissioner James Gordon and Bruce Wayne, along with their friends were abducted by the known-mass murderer, known as Jeremiah Valeska aka the Joker as some reporters are saying, along with an-unnamed accomplish. It is unknown how the Joker managed to orchestrate such a ploy, but there is one thing we do know...tonight was not without loss. Ex-DA, Harvey Dent is missing and is presumed to be dead by authorities. May he find peace wherever he might be."

James Gordon stands outside of Wayne Manor as the downpour continues, shielding himself and Lee with an umbrella while they watched the paramedics carry out a concealed Joker on the stretcher, his white-gloved hand dangling. Gordon holds his arm around Lee and brings her closer to him.

"But it seems that not all is bad tonight as various sources claim that the Joker is dead, though the circumstance leading up to his death are still unknown, I am sure that Gotham will now sleep easier now that he is no longer able to cause any more pain. Just when you think the world is dark scary...there always a light that shines through, reminding us that there is always hope."

Selina then exits the Manor as she aids two other paramedics in escorting Bullock out on his own stretcher. The man gives a thumbs-up towards Gordon who returns the gesture. Selina looks off to the side as she sees Blüd having his hands bandaged inside an ambulance.

"But that leaves one burning question, Gotham. Tonight, where was The Batman? The self-appointed protector of this city? Well? We really could have used you tonight? Where were you? People died tonight, Bats and you were a no-show. I hope you, Gotham will learn from today. You cannot count on the Bat to save you...after all, how can he? He's just one man. Counting on him to be there to save you is a gamble my friends, and my mother raised me not to gamble..."

Talia joins Selina as she assists in transporting Bullock's stretcher, they both share a single look, not exchanging a single word.

"Batman if you are hearing this then please...stop. If you are just going to fail us after telling us that you'll protect this city...then it'll be for the best if you don't even bother, at least that way...people won't be wasting their time on preying to a saviour that'll never come. When we needed you most...you failed us, does that sound like the hero that Gotham needs?"

Inside the Manor, Bruce journeys down the stairs towards the exit as he carries Harleen in his arms, emotionless as he stares blankly. He reaches the ground floor and passes by several G.C.P.D officers and the burned Clayface who hadn't moved from its spot. He heads out, back into the downpour which caught the eye of Gordon, Lee, Talia, Blüd and finally Selina. Slowly he makes his way from the Manor as he doesn't acknowledge the others.

Selina's eyes widen, quickly fulling with rage but she is held back by Talia before she could do anything. That's when she noticed that Harleen wasn't breathing which drew the anger out of her. Talia's eyes avert from Bruce and towards the other woman. Selina throws her arms around Talia, crying as all of her emotion, all her anger and sadness is finally released. Talia holds her arm around Selina and allows her to continue. From afar, Alfred and Nyssa watch under the shield of the umbrella held by the older man.

"Well, proud of yourself, Miss?," Alfred focuses on the hurt on Bruce's face, "I thought you wanted him to save his friends?"

Nyssa stood with her hood up, covering her eyes as she took watches Bruce, "Didn't he?"

"So I pose this question to The Batman...what have we done to deserve you? Give Gotham time, allow us to heal. We don't need you."

Bruce carries along the path with Harleen in his arms, watching several medics rush towards him. He looks past them and towards the stretcher which held the body of the Joker, watching his motionless hand that dangled towards the ground, waiting for the subtlest of movements to happen but it never came, only absolute stillness. Thunder quakes the sky, followed by a flash of lightning that bleaches the scene in absolute white.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

- Several Days Later -

Gotham Cemetery

"Maria Kyle was troubled through her life, feeling the need to leave her family behind, alone in this city. Although I do not know the reasons behind her actions, I can tell you this, in the eyes of the lord all is forgiven. May her soul find the peace in death that eluded her in her life - May she rest," a priest with combed black hair recited as he reads from a book. He stands at the end of the coffin as a crowd of people surround it, including Selina, Talia, Lee, Barbara Kean, Gordon, Barbara Gordon, Harvey Bullock, Alfred, Lucius and Thomas Elliot, with one person missing.

Rain poured down, hitting against their umbrellas.

Selina looks from the cover of the umbrella in her grip, glancing out to the distance as she sees a silhouette standing on the rooftops from afar, glowing white eyes staring back at her. She hears the priest continue which took back her attention, "Loss can be painful, agonizing even but we should not feel angered as the ones we lose would not want us to feel as such. Just because we can no longer hear their voices doesn't mean they lose all sound. Everything they taught us stays which in a way means that they do too."

Alfred followed the direction of Selina's gaze, stumbling upon Batman too.

"It is easy to let the loss of a loved one change you, but what truly changes you is not them being taken away, rather it's having them in the first place. All their hopes and dreams. Their regrets and their victories are what changes us, teaches us to be better and that doesn't go away when they leave us. As long as we hold them in our hearts, what they taut us shall never leave, instead...that's when it becomes a part of us. Indeed, nothing lasts forever in this world, but this the closest that we can get," the priest closes the book and looks to the small crowd, "So do not sheds tears mourning her loss, instead smile as we celebrate her life, just like she would have wanted."

Sofia Falcone watches the ceremony, under the cover of the trees. She masks herself under the umbrella that was held by one of her guards. She gives a simple smirk before returning to her car, hands in her pockets.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

Later.

- The Batcave -

Batman struts towards the Batcomputer as the drops of rain drip off of him, soaking the floor. He sits in the chair in front of the computer, gradually pulling down his cowl to reveal his face and the hurt in his eyes. Bruce rests his chin over his knuckles as he mauls over the last few days, for once he had no answers. He sits in silence until his solitude is interrupted by an all-too-familiar voice, "We didn't quite catch you at the ceremony, did we?," Alfred alerts Bruce to his presence as he holds his folded jacket, "Miss Kyle was none too pleased."

"I was there, Alfred" confirmed Bruce, melancholy in his tone.

Alfred replies with a surrendering nod, placing down his jacket as he comes towards Bruce, "It's been four days, Master Bruce. You've barely said anything, even less than you typically do. This isn't healthy. Mopping around like this..."

"She-Harleen...she thought it was better for her to-to kill herself than to seek help...I just don't understand...how could she think that?" asked Bruce, unsure of what to think. He clenches his armoured hand into a fist as he glares, "H-how can someone be that lost?"

"Oh, Master Bruce..." Alfred walks with his arms held behind his back, taking his place stood beside the sitting Bruce, "I'm not quite sure if that's something that we can answer or if there's even one to be found, but I do understand this..." The humble butler holds his hand over Bruce's shoulder with a nurturing smile, "You helped her find peace in her final moments. Not a lot of people are afforded that luxury." Bruce stays silent as he takes in the wiser words of the older man.