Batman stood over Two-Face and stared down at him while pointing a gun at his head. It had been five weeks and so far and he had gone through and killed nearly all of the rogues. It hadn't been very difficult to find them; the Joker's death seemed to have spooked them, and they were afraid he would come for them next. Most had escaped and either went into hiding or went after him trying to kill him. It was ironic, if they had stayed in the asylum he would have left them alone so that they could hopefully regain their sanity, but once they left the Arkham grounds he showed them no mercy.

"You know, when I heard what happened with the Joker, I assumed it was just an accident," said Two-Face as he glared up at him, his men lying dead around him and his body broken. He had been one of the ones who had tried to kill the Bat, but had failed like all the others. "But I see now that you've changed. I don't know what happened to you or why you're suddenly doing this now, but before you kill me, I want to have a say in the matter." He pulled out his special coin and flipped it into the air. Batman caught it and tossed it behind him, angering Dent.

"Luck won't save you, Harvey. You had your chance, and you squandered it time and time again. Despite what you may think, there is no such thing as luck. What and who you are is for you to decide, not a coin. We shape our own destinies, and this is how you've chosen to shape yours. I don't want to do this, but you've given me no choice."

"You don't want to kill me? That's bull and you know it. Admit it, now that you know how it feels to take a life you live for the kill, and even if you didn't, you just want me and the rest of the freaks gone, by any means necessary."

"I'm telling the truth Two-Face, I wish things could be different, but they can't. You were my friend Harvey," said Batman as he pulled off his mask to show him his face.

Two-Face's good eye widened in shock. "No, it can't be… You can't be him…"

"Now you understand how much it pains me to do this," said Batman as he pulled his mask back on. "I'm sorry Harvey."

He pulled the trigger, sending a bullet into Harvey's brain. He dropped dead instantly, his expression frozen in disbelief.

Batman left the building he had found Two-Face in, lamenting the loss of the man who had once been a friend. It was times like these when he wanted to quit and give up, but he knew he never could. He had been charged with the duty of protecting his people, and he would not stop until he drew his dying breath.

The sun was about to rise, so he drove back to the Batcave. He had begun coming out in the daytime, but he needed to rest after his fight with Two-Face. Taking out the rogues was never easy, and took a great toll physically and mentally.

As he drove, he went over the list of rogues he had killed in his head. So far he had knocked off Penguin, Poison Ivy, Killer Croc, Scarecrow, Riddler, Mad Hatter…etc. The list had grown quite long, he hoped those that remained would take the hint and not stir up any more trouble.

He returned to the Batcave and went over to the Batcomputer. He checked and made sure that no other super-criminals had broken out of Arkham. Once he had finished, he turned on the morning news, where they were about to replay a debate between Vicki Vale and Jack Ryder from the night before. They were debating whether the Batman was a hero or a menace, with Jack on his side and Vicki against.

"I used to be against the Batman," began Ryder. "I believed that an outlaw vigilante would only make things worse for Gotham. It wasn't until just recently that he won me over. Finally taking a stand against these so-called super-criminals is finally bringing peace to our city."

"But Jack, he's doing it by killing people. Why aren't the police trying to stop him? They always did before, but now they're turning a blind eye just because he's rid us of many of the super criminals. He's not even giving them a chance to repent. I used to support the Batman, but now… I can't bring myself to side with a murderer," countered Vicki.

"I'll admit it's not the ideal solution, but what other choice to we have? These criminals refuse to see reason, they refuse to respect the law, and locking them away just wasn't working. Besides, do you really think those super-criminals could live normal lives? Even if they weren't evil, with their disfigurements and mental illness, criminals like the Joker and Two-Face and Mr. Freeze and so many others could never hope to lead normal lives, so they chose crime. To offer them another chance after they had been given so many other chances would be absurd. Besides, just look at Gotham now. People can feel a little safer in knowing that the biggest threats to their safety are being eradicated."

"Gotham has become a safer place, I myself don't worry as much as I used to about my safety. But what are we willing to sacrifice for safety and peace of mind? Batman is a murderer now, plain and simple. By allowing him to continue we're entrusting a murderer with the fate of our city just so that we can sleep easier at night."

"What do you think will happen? The Batman has always been about protecting people. Sure, he's killing people now, but they deserved it! They believed they could do whatever they wanted and suffer no punishment, but now it's coming to an end."

"Those people did deserve death, but it's not Batman's place to play God and decide who lives and who dies," Vicki countered. "His purpose is to protect and to let us deal out punishments and carry out justice."

"But justice was never carried out. Take the Joker for example. He earned the death penalty hundreds of times over, but he always pleaded insanity and was sent to Arkham Asylum where he could escape again. Our justice system is screwed up, Vicki."

"You make a strong argument Jack, but there's another point to consider. What will happen when Batman has offed all the super villains? Do you really think he'll stop killing? Once they're gone, he'll likely move on to other criminals. First murderers and thieves, then smaller offenses, like drunk-driving or speeding, both of which endanger lives."

"That's a bit of a stretch, don't you think?" said Jack, a mocking edge to his voice." I mean, you'd have to be crazy to kill people for things like that, and I don't think the Bat is crazy, at least, not anymore."

"It is a stretch, and it would be madness to kill people for things like that. But crime is crime, and even insignificant crimes are still against the law, and I don't think Batman will stop until he's cleaned up Gotham completely. The Batman has a lust for saving lives, and now that he's crossed the line, now that he's taking lives, I don't think he'll ever stop. Just look at all the men throughout history who thought they were doing the right thing when in reality they were doing more harm than good. Hitler, Genghis Kahn, the list goes on and on. The road to Hell is paved with good intentions. Now, I could be wrong about Batman, and I truly hope that I am, but what I'm trying to say is, don't become complacent. Perhaps Batman is the best thing that has ever happened to this city, or maybe he will be our downfall. Either way, we can't rely on Batman to take care of us, we need to learn to take care of ourselves."

"In my opinion," said Jack. "You either stand behind Batman and support him in his crusade to clean up our city for good, or you stand in front of him and face the bad guys yourself."

Batman turned off the TV, frustrated by what he had seen. Over the past five weeks, most people had supported him, happy to finally be rid of the terrorists in their city. But there had been many who refused to see that he was just trying to help, they kept trying to turn everyone against him simply because he was using drastic measures to save Gotham. Here he was, giving everything up for them, and yet they were bound and determined to see him as the boogeyman.

But Vicki had made him realize something. He needed to start focusing on other criminals, too. Not the ones who drove drunk or too fast, that would be ridiculous. No, he needed to start focusing on the criminals who were overshadowed by super villains but who were dangerous nonetheless. It was easy to forget them in light of criminals like the Joker, but they were still a problem, a threat to his city.

But there was a problem. He was just one man, and although he had been fighting this one-man battle for years, he couldn't deny that he was getting older, and that he wouldn't be able to put an end to all these people by himself. It occurred to him then that he could use the police force. Of course, he knew they wouldn't just help him, they'd sooner lock him up in Blackgate than help him murder criminals. There was also the fact that even if they agree to assist him did they would lose their jobs, or worse. He would have to go to a higher power if he was to get them on his side.

xxxx

That night, Batman snuck into Mayor Quincy Sharp's office. The man jumped and nearly fainted when he saw him.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack," he said as he dabbed at the sweat on his forehead with a handkerchief.

"I need to talk to you."

"What about?" asked Sharp nervously.

"As you know, I'm trying to bring an end to crime in Gotham, but I can't do it alone. I'm requesting your permission to let the police force assist me."

"What?" Sharp exclaimed. "You can't be serious. Police aiding a vigilante in murdering criminals, it's unheard of, it's unethical. I'm sorry, but I can't give you that kind of power." Trembling, he dared look up at the Dark Knight. "You aren't going to kill me, are you?"

"No, I live to protect the innocent, I only kill those who reject the law. If you choose to turn down my offer, I will understand. I'll find another way and I won't force this on you. Just hear me out, please."

Batman studied the man before him for a moment before speaking. Quincy Sharp was a small, pathetic, ignorant man who was nothing more than a puppet, just waiting for someone to come along and pull the strings. He genuinely wanted to clean up Gotham, but he had no idea how to do it. Batman was sure that he could make him understand why he needed to do this.

"Mayor, I understand why you don't want to do this, because it does sound crazy. But look at the world around you. We have to take extreme measures if we are to take back this city. Grant me my request, and I promise that you can change your mind at any time. I know you want to cleanse this city just as much as I do, and you can. We can make a difference here, if you'll just trust me."

"Normally I wouldn't even be listening to this, but as much as I hate to admit it, you're right. With the death of these super villains, the city doesn't seem quite as dark as it did before, and things are finally looking up. But this city is still out of control, and as mayor it is my responsibility to take a stand against the evil that plagues the people. Batman, starting tomorrow, the Gotham Police Department will be at your disposal. The public won't like it very much, but I believe that taking a stand is more important," said Sharp, sounding almost strong and dignified. "Just one thing Batman, please don't let me down. I have an election coming up soon, and if this goes wrong…"

"I promise this will work. You've made the right decision, you won't regret this."