Batman was on patrol in Gotham City when he received a disturbing message from Alfred. A video had been uploaded online, showing a man in a pig mask and a voice distorted by a device. The voice claimed to be Jigsaw, a notorious serial killer who liked to put his victims in deadly traps and test their will to live. The video showed a woman chained to a wall, with a timer counting down from 60 minutes. Jigsaw said that the woman was a corrupt judge who had sentenced innocent people to prison, and that she had a choice: either cut off her own hand and free herself, or stay and be electrocuted when the timer reached zero. Jigsaw also said that he had a message for Batman: he wanted to play a game with him, and that he had hidden clues all over the city that would lead him to his location. He said that if Batman failed to find him before the timer ran out, the woman would die and he would disappear forever.
Batman wasted no time and traced the source of the video to an abandoned warehouse. He arrived there and found the woman still alive, but in agony. He quickly disabled the trap and freed her, then searched the warehouse for any clues. He found a tape recorder that played another message from Jigsaw. He said that he admired Batman's dedication to justice, but that he also saw him as a hypocrite who violated the law and the rights of others. He said that he wanted to test Batman's morality and see if he was willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good. He said that he had planted a bomb in a nearby hospital, and that it would go off in 30 minutes unless Batman entered a code that he had hidden somewhere in the city. He said that the code was a four-digit number that represented the year of a significant event in Batman's life. He said that he had left clues in four different locations, each one corresponding to a digit of the code. He said that Batman had to find all four clues and enter the code before the bomb exploded, or else hundreds of innocent people would die.
Batman realized that he had no time to waste and quickly left the warehouse. He used his Batcomputer to scan the city for any signs of Jigsaw's activity. He found four possible locations that matched Jigsaw's criteria: the Gotham Museum of Art, the Gotham Opera House, the Gotham City Hall, and the Wayne Manor. He decided to start with the museum, since it was the closest one. He arrived there and found another tape recorder that played a message from Jigsaw. He said that the museum was a place of culture and beauty, but also of greed and corruption. He said that the first digit of the code was the number of paintings that had been stolen from the museum in the last year, and that Batman had to find them and count them. He said that the paintings were hidden in a secret room behind a painting of a clown.
Batman searched the museum and found the painting of a clown. He moved it and revealed a hidden door. He opened it and entered the secret room. He saw several paintings that had been reported missing, and counted them. There were seven paintings in total. He memorized the number and left the museum. He then headed to the opera house, hoping to find the second clue. He arrived there and found another tape recorder that played a message from Jigsaw. He said that the opera house was a place of drama and tragedy, but also of joy and love. He said that the second digit of the code was the number of times that Batman had seen his parents' favorite opera, La Traviata, at the opera house. He said that Batman had to find a ticket stub that had the date of the last time he had seen it.
Batman searched the opera house and found a ticket stub that had the date of the last time he had seen La Traviata with his parents. It was on October 26, 2021. He remembered that night vividly, as it was the night his parents were murdered. He felt a surge of anger and sadness, but also of determination. He counted the number of times he had seen the opera with his parents. It was three times. He memorized the number and left the opera house. He then headed to the city hall, hoping to find the third clue. He arrived there and found another tape recorder that played a message from Jigsaw. He said that the city hall was a place of power and authority, but also of lies and corruption. He said that the third digit of the code was the number of times that Batman had confronted the mayor of Gotham, who was a crooked politician who had ties to the mob. He said that Batman had to find a newspaper article that had the headline of the last time he had done so.
Batman searched the city hall and found a newspaper article that had the headline of the last time he had confronted the mayor. It was on June 15, 2023. It said that Batman had exposed the mayor's involvement in a money laundering scheme and had forced him to resign. He counted the number of times he had confronted the mayor. It was four times. He memorized the number and left the city hall. He then headed to the Wayne Manor, hoping to find the final clue. He arrived there and found another tape recorder that played a message from Jigsaw. He said that the Wayne Manor was a place of wealth and privilege, but also of love and family. He said that the fourth and final digit of the code was the number of people that Batman had loved and lost in his life. He said that Batman had to find a picture that had all of them in it.
Batman searched the Wayne Manor and found a picture that had all the people he had loved and lost in his life. It was a picture of his parents, Alfred, Robin, Batgirl, and Nightwing. He felt a pang of grief and regret, but also of gratitude and hope. He counted the number of people in the picture. It was six people. He memorized the number and left the Wayne Manor. He then headed to the hospital, hoping to stop the bomb. He arrived there and found a keypad that had a display that showed the countdown. It had 10 minutes left. He entered the code that he had deduced from the clues: 7346. The display showed a green light and a message that said: "Congratulations, Batman. You have passed the test. You have proven your morality and your will to live. You have saved the lives of hundreds of people. But the game is not over yet. I am waiting for you at the place where it all began. Come and find me, if you dare. Jigsaw."
Batman realized that Jigsaw was referring to the place where his parents were killed: Crime Alley. He decided to go there and face Jigsaw once and for all. He arrived there and found a man in a pig mask, holding a shotgun. He recognized him as John Kramer, the real name of Jigsaw. He had been a cancer patient who had survived a suicide attempt and had decided to dedicate his life to testing the morality and survival instincts of others. He had been presumed dead, but had apparently faked his death and continued his twisted games. Batman confronted him and said: "Jigsaw, your games are over. You have no right to judge others and put them in danger. You are a murderer and a psychopath. You need to be stopped."
Jigsaw replied: "Batman, you are a fool. You think you are a hero, but you are a vigilante and a criminal. You have no right to enforce your own justice and break the law. You are a hypocrite and a coward. You need to be challenged."
Jigsaw then pointed his shotgun at Batman and said: "This is the final test. You have a choice: either drop your weapons and your mask and surrender to me, or fight me and risk your life. What will you do, Batman? Live or die? Make your choice."
Batman did not hesitate. He said: "I choose to fight. I choose to live. I choose to stop you."
Batman then threw a batarang at Jigsaw, knocking the shotgun out of his hands. He then charged at him, ready to end the game once and for all.
Batman and Jigsaw engaged in a fierce hand-to-hand combat. Batman had the advantage of strength and skill, but Jigsaw had the advantage of cunning and unpredictability. He had rigged the alley with various traps and devices, such as spikes, wires, and explosives. He tried to lure Batman into them, but Batman was able to avoid them and counterattack. Jigsaw also used his pig mask to conceal his identity and his voice device to taunt and distract Batman. He said things like: "You are wasting your time, Batman. You can't save everyone. You can't even save yourself. You are a failure and a fraud. You are the reason your parents died. You are the reason your allies died. You are the reason Gotham is a hellhole. You are the reason I exist."
Batman ignored Jigsaw's words and focused on his actions. He knew that Jigsaw was trying to get under his skin and make him lose his composure. He knew that Jigsaw was a master manipulator and a sadist who enjoyed playing with his victims' minds. He knew that Jigsaw was a dangerous and formidable opponent who had eluded him for years. He knew that Jigsaw was a threat that had to be eliminated. He said to Jigsaw: "You are wrong, Jigsaw. You are the one who is wasting your time. You are the one who can't save anyone. You are the one who can't even save yourself. You are a killer and a lunatic. You are the reason people suffer. You are the reason people die. You are the reason Gotham needs me. You are the reason I will stop you."
Batman and Jigsaw continued to fight, exchanging blows and dodging traps. The fight was intense and brutal, and neither of them was willing to give up. They both sustained injuries and bloodied each other. They both showed their determination and their will to live. They both wanted to end the game on their own terms. They both wanted to win.
The fight reached its climax when Batman managed to grab Jigsaw by the throat and pin him to the ground. He removed his pig mask and his voice device, revealing his face and his voice. He looked at him with contempt and said: "It's over, Jigsaw. You have lost. You have failed. You have no more games to play. You have no more lives to take. You have no more choices to make. You have nothing left. You are nothing."
Jigsaw looked at Batman with defiance and said: "It's not over, Batman. You have not won. You have not succeeded. You have more games to play. You have more lives to save. You have more choices to make. You have everything to lose. You are everything."
Jigsaw then smiled and said: "I have one last surprise for you, Batman. Do you remember the woman you saved from the warehouse? The one who was a corrupt judge? The one who had to cut off her own hand? The one who you thought was innocent? Well, she was not. She was one of my accomplices. She helped me set up the traps and the clues. She helped me lure you into this alley. She helped me play this game with you. And she is here, right now, behind you, with a gun pointed at your head."
Batman was shocked and turned his head to see the woman he had saved from the warehouse. She was indeed holding a gun and aiming it at him. She had a bandage on her hand and a smirk on her face. She said: "Hello, Batman. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not a victim. I'm a player. And I'm here to finish the game."
She then pulled the trigger and shot Batman in the head. Batman fell to the ground, lifeless. Jigsaw laughed and said: "Game over, Batman. You have lost. You have died. You have failed the test. You have failed yourself. You have failed Gotham. You have failed me. You have failed the game."
Jigsaw then got up and walked away, leaving Batman's body behind. He said: "But don't worry, Batman. You are not the only one who has failed. There are others who have failed as well. Others who have failed to live up to their potential. Others who have failed to appreciate their lives. Others who have failed to make the right choices. Others who have failed to play the game. Others who need to be tested. Others who need to be taught a lesson. Others who need to be challenged. Others who need to be hunted. Others who need to be found. Others who need to be played with. Others who need to be played by me. Others who need to be played by Jigsaw."
Jigsaw then put on his pig mask and his voice device, and disappeared into the night. He said: "The game is not over yet. The game has just begun. And I will be back. I will be back to play more games. I will be back to test more people. I will be back to challenge more heroes. I will be back to hunt down more prey. I will be back to find more players. I will be back to play with more lives. I will be back to play with you. I will be back to play by Jigsaw."
The end