| ??? - October 29
"It's time we dealt with that child, Joseph Luthor. We've issued subtle warnings more than once, yet—knowingly or not—he's rejected our generosity every time."
"Yes. He refuses to fall in line. And the introduction and rapid expansion of BellCoin threatens our plans unless we bring it under control."
"We could have the U.S. government outlaw its use for business transactions. That would kill its value overnight."
"No. Too overt. LuthorCorp is already partnering with the government, distributing BellCoin as emergency credit—letting people buy food, medicine, and other essentials at half the cost. If we move against it now, people will ask questions. And once they start digging, they won't stop."
"Then we make the message clearer. He's taken other children under his protection, hasn't he? Let's show him what happens when he refuses us again."
"Who do we send?"
"He doesn't travel with much security. Occasionally Killer Croc—a bad habit from his days as a Gotham gutter rat. Bloodsport and Deadshot will be more than sufficient."
**
| Gotham - October 30
The meeting—and deaths—of the Black and Whites had been broadcast online, audio included, and spread like wildfire. Though the video was taken down repeatedly, it resurfaced just as fast, reuploaded and shared by an ever-growing audience.
Across Gotham, many celebrated the end of the gangsters, criminals, and villains who had inflicted so much pain on the city. People cheered as they watched Two-Face do what Batman never would, and more than a few openly called him a hero.
After all, if three notorious crime bosses had plotted to eliminate you because you were shutting down hard-drug distribution and human trafficking, then you had to be doing something right.
The reaction wasn't confined to Gotham. Worldwide, the footage ignited fierce online debates. Half the public approved of the broadcasted killings; the other half condemned them outright.
Some went further, posting lists of villains they wanted Two-Face to target next. At the top, unsurprisingly, was the Joker—still at large after weeks in hiding following the murders at U.N. headquarters. Below him were names like Professor Pyg, Poison Ivy, Mr. Freeze, Firefly, Scarecrow, and Harley Quinn, in no particular order. A few even included Lex Luthor, despite him already being in custody and not being from Gotham, due to Superman's death.
Meanwhile, Batman was hunting relentlessly for Two-Face, determined to put him behind bars.
"Seriously, Bullseye," Harvey Dent asked, seated behind a desk in an abandoned auditorium, "who—or what—is Worldmind? They predicted the exact time and location of that meeting, gave me enough warning to set the explosives, and they've been invaluable in managing my operation and choosing targets. We've built enough trust by now, right?"
Joseph, wearing his Bullseye persona—altered clothes, body, and face—shrugged as he leaned against the desk, scrolling through PikPok on his phone. "I've got no more clue than you except that their name is the Network," he said easily, lying without effort. "They reached out to me first. I just accepted. So far, they've always held up their end. Gotham's changing for the better under us."
And with the curse over Gotham greatly diminished by a pillar of chaotic fire, the city would continue to improve.
Joseph scrolled again, stopping when a video featuring Peacemaker autoplayed.
"I mean, look," Peacemaker said, "I'm not a fan of the whole coin-flipping gimmick. It's indecisive. If you want peace, you don't leave it to pocket change—you pull the trigger because it's the right thing to do. But hey, Harvey's got the right spirit today. He blew up a warehouse full of mobsters and didn't even charge the taxpayers for the C4.
"Bottom line? Those three pricks are dead. Crime dropped twelve percent, and all we lost was a crappy warehouse that probably smelled like old fish and hairspray anyway. I'm grabbing a celebratory taco. Eagly! Get over here—we're celebrating justice!"
Harvey laughed, the scarred side of his face twisting grotesquely. "Never thought I'd be called a hero for live-streaming a mass murder," he said. "When they see what we're doing next, they might start building statues. Feels like my days as a hot-blooded prosecutor all over again. Anyway, I'm starting the stream soon—be ready."
The people had asked him to continue. And Harvey Dent was nothing if not a man of the people.
In front of the desk sat camera equipment operated by members of Two-Face's gang. Behind the cameras were the Joker, Professor Pyg, and Scarecrow—bound, gagged, and blindfolded.
Joseph had tracked them down with Nova's help and captured them for today. There was no point in waiting. Batman was already closing in on Two-Face's operations, and Joseph wouldn't allow these monsters to exploit the suffering left behind by the Hour of Chaos.
If this was ending, might as well end it loudly.
As for the other notable villains, most were already locked away in Arkham or Blackgate—and after tonight, none of them would even think about escaping.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Two-Face said, rising from his desk and stepping into the camera's view. "For too long, our great city has been eaten alive by cancer. Corrupt politicians. Dirty cops. Crime lords. Costumed freaks. Where did it all go wrong?
"Bruce Wayne tried to save Gotham, pouring millions upon millions into it—but where did that money go? Batman tried to save this city too, but he refuses to see the truth: the system he defends is broken. It lets monsters escape again and again, lets gangs poison our streets, and leaves civilians to pay the price."
Even half-disfigured, Harvey Dent was magnetic. It was easy to see why he had once been nicknamed Apollo by the media for his 'golden boy' looks, charisma, and seemingly untouchable status as the District Attorney.
Joseph leaned against the desk, watching. He had a different task.
"When corrupt officials refuse to deliver justice," Harvey continued, "the people must take it themselves. The justice system failed to destroy the underground—so I became the underground. I will be the cure to Gotham's cancer."
Joseph pushed himself off the desk and stretched. Batman would find this abandoned auditorium soon. He always did.
"Now," Two-Face said, "it's time to dispense real justice. Not the arbitrary coin toss that lets rats crawl back into the dark. This justice will be permanent."
He walked to the right and ripped the blindfold and gag from Scarecrow.
"Jonathan Crane. A man who revels in fear, spreading it with his toxin. Your death toll is estimated in the thousands. Any last words?"
Scarecrow smiled.
"Look at you, Harvey. No coin. No twitch. No hesitation. You think you've found 'true justice,' but all you've built is a more efficient gallows.
"You aren't curing this city—you're teaching it a new kind of terror. The fear of finality. The fear of the scale. And when the light leaves my eyes, I want you to feel the weight of the crown you've placed on your own head.
"So tell me, Counselor… now that you've become the Reaper—does your heart beat any faster?"
A gunshot cut him off. A red bloom spread across the sack as Harvey lowered his revolver.
"My heart is steady," Harvey said. "I serve a greater purpose; justice."
He moved on, tearing the blindfold and gag from the next captive.
"Lazlo Valentin. Professor Pyg. A butcher masquerading as an artist. You turned living people into Dollotrons—mutilated, obedient replicas. Your failed creations number in the hundreds. Any last words?"
Pyg giggled.
"Oh, look at you! The seam—it's still there, Harvey! You can stitch the mind, but the meat always remembers!
'Justice'? Such big words for a man still so… unbalanced. You're an unfinished song! A broken doll playing cobbler! You think you're fixing Gotham, but you're only smashing toys you don't understand!
Don't pull the trigger yet, little Law-Man. Let me fix that brow—just a snip, a tuck, a splash of pink. I can make you symmetrical. I can make you perfect. Why be Judge Janus… when you can be art?"
The gun fired. A neat hole appeared in the center of the pig mask, and Pyg went silent.
"And now," Harvey said calmly, "for the final act. The Joker."
Glass shattered.
Batman crashed through the window, cape flaring like a demon descending from the dark.
Joseph cracked his neck.
About time.