Daniel stood atop an overturned car in the middle of the deserted street and let out a tired sigh.
Today's work had been exhausting.
The streets were finally quiet.
The infected were no longer charging through Gotham — instead, they drifted helplessly high above the city, leaving behind abandoned vehicles, shattered storefronts, and burning buildings.
Two figures descended from the rooftops.
Batman and Robin landed a short distance away. Robin looked up at the sky, eyes widening. "...Wow."
He stared at the countless infected floating over Gotham. Seeing thousands of people suspended in the air with his own eyes was something else entirely, even after Batman had described it.
Daniel jumped down from the car and dusted off his hands. "I've got to say, Batman..." He looked at the Dark Knight with a tired expression.
"You really dragged me into one hell of a mess."
Batman remained expressionless. "Gotham didn't have many options."
Daniel glanced around at the devastated city. "Yeah, I noticed."
He looked back up at the thousands of floating infected before his expression turned serious. "Tell me you've got a cure. The number of victims has already crossed ten thousand. That's a massive outbreak, even for Gotham."
Batman was silent for a moment. "No. The Joker Virus spreads through bodily fluids. Anyone exposed to infected blood or saliva is at risk."
He continued in his usual calm tone. "So far, there is no cure."
Daniel let out a long sigh. "Well... that leaves us with one massive mess."
Without a cure, there was only one option. Contain them.
Batman nodded. "Until a treatment is developed, every infected individual has to remain isolated. We also have to make sure the virus never leaves Gotham."
Daniel understood immediately. The quarantine wasn't ending anytime soon. If even one infected person escaped, the outbreak could spread across the country within days.
***
Over the following hours, Gotham became the center of the largest containment operation in its history.
The National Guard established checkpoints around the city's perimeter while military helicopters circled overhead.
Temporary containment facilities were built to house the infected, and hazmat teams carefully transported the civilians Daniel had immobilized.
Every hospital in Gotham was placed under emergency lockdown. Scientists, virologists, and disease control specialists from across the country were dispatched to study the Joker Virus.
News networks around the world interrupted their regular programming.
A reporter stood outside Gotham's quarantine zone as military vehicles passed behind her.
Breaking News: Authorities have officially confirmed that the virus infecting more than ten thousand Gotham residents originated from the Joker. The city remains under full quarantine while scientists race to develop a cure.
The broadcast switched to footage of the burning city.
While the Joker has committed countless acts of terrorism over the years, experts believe this outbreak may become the deadliest crime in Gotham's history.
---
Public outrage reached a boiling point.
"This never would've happened if Batman had finished the Joker years ago."
"How many innocent people had to die before someone admitted enough was enough?"
"Batman captures him, Arkham fails to hold him, the Joker escapes, and the cycle repeats."
Talk shows, newspapers, and online forums erupted with heated debate. Many defended Batman, arguing that he wasn't an executioner and that upholding the law was what separated him from the criminals he fought. Others disagreed.
"If the legal system can't keep the Joker locked up, someone has to stop him permanently." "How many chances does one man get?"
"This isn't robbery anymore. This is mass murder."
One commentator looked directly into the camera.
"More than ten thousand people are infected because the Joker was allowed to live after countless previous massacres. At what point does refusing to kill one murderer become sacrificing thousands of innocent lives?"
The question spread rapidly. For the first time in years, public opinion toward Batman had become deeply divided.
Even inside Gotham, people who had once admired the Dark Knight now questioned whether his greatest principle had become his greatest weakness.
Inside the Batcave, multiple news broadcasts played across the giant monitors. Every channel carried the same discussion.
Robin glanced at the screens before looking at Batman. "They're blaming you."
Batman stood silently in front of the Batcomputer. "I know."
"They're saying if you had killed the Joker years ago, none of this would've happened."
Batman remained quiet. He had heard the argument countless times before. This time it carried more weight than ever. Ten thousand infected civilians.
An entire city under quarantine. Families torn apart. The consequences were impossible to ignore.
Alfred broke the silence. "Master Bruce... you've always known that one day the public might ask this question."
Batman looked at the burning image of Gotham displayed on the monitor. "I don't regret refusing to become an executioner."
*****
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