Can Gotham be saved?
Batman believed everyone could be saved.
But in the Joker's eyes, Gotham itself was a massive asylum, and Bruce Wayne, the man who became Batman after losing his parents, was simply another patient trapped inside it.
The Joker had once been an ordinary man. After losing the woman he loved, he became something else entirely, the city's most vicious monster.
Batman believed light still existed.
The Joker did not.
He had already seen Gotham for what it truly was. Lies, corruption, betrayal, cruelty. Humanity's ugliest instincts hidden beneath expensive suits and polished smiles.
Madmen like the Joker, the Batman Who Laughs, and James Gordon Jr. saw the world differently from normal people.
They saw the filth underneath the city.
They understood the darkness in people better than anyone else.
Batman, meanwhile, still needed tools like the Batman Who Laughs' mask to truly peer into the human heart.
That was the difference between a man and a madman.
It was also why Batman could never predict the Joker. Chaos could not be reasoned with.
As for Adrian's opinion of Gotham, he wanted to destroy it completely.
Not physically.
Spiritually.
Because Gotham's existence itself was a threat to him.
After all, he was now the President of the United States.
The heroes and villains of Gotham were all unstable extremists obsessed with individuality and driven by warped ideals. Even someone like Commissioner Gordon had eventually walked down a path that opposed him.
To Adrian, Gotham was a breeding ground for dangerous lunatics.
Pulling himself back to the present, Adrian slowly approached the Joker, who lay screaming on the ground.
"Does it hurt?" Adrian asked coldly. "Living without your own face after losing your skin. Just imagining that kind of life sounds miserable."
"Haha...!"
Despite the agony twisting through his body, the Joker still laughed.
"Sorry, little Homelander. Your serious attempts to scare me are honestly hilarious."
His mangled voice echoed through the factory.
"You remind me of those little Robin wannabes running around Gotham. They always tried so hard to look intimidating. It never stopped being funny."
"Oh?" Adrian narrowed his eyes slightly. "You still find this amusing?"
He let out a quiet breath.
"I was wrong. Trying to reason with a madman is pointless. People like you don't think like normal human beings."
Adrian turned toward the chemical vat nearby.
Through his X-ray vision, he could clearly see Batman submerged inside.
Confusion flickered across his face.
He knew exactly what this vat was.
This was the same chemical bath that had transformed the Joker years ago.
Why bring Batman here?
Was this some twisted attempt to make Batman experience the Joker's suffering?
The Joker noticed Adrian staring at the vat.
Lying on the floor with his bloodied face exposed, he forced out another laugh.
"You know... I once made a deal with an old man. Crazy bastard wanted to reshape the world, wipe out entire civilizations, then he turned his eyes toward Gotham."
The Joker coughed before continuing.
"He gave me something special. Water that heals wounds... even brings people back from death."
A disturbing gleam filled his eyes.
"So I poured some into the chemicals. Like holy water blessed by God Himself."
His grin widened grotesquely.
"Maybe God hates me too much for it to work on someone like me. But Gotham's precious Dark Knight? Oh, it'll work perfectly on him."
Adrian immediately understood.
The Lazarus Pit.
The only thing capable of healing injuries that severe belonged to Ra's al Ghul and the League of Assassins.
The name came from the biblical Lazarus, the man resurrected by Jesus.
The Lazarus Pit could restore the dying, heal nearly any wound, and extend life far beyond normal limits.
Ra's al Ghul had discovered it centuries ago while wandering the Arabian deserts. A scholar of medicine and alchemy, he uncovered the mysterious pit hidden beneath ancient ruins.
But the waters carried a price.
Repeated exposure damaged the mind.
Madness.
Violence.
Obsession.
Adrian knew the history well.
Ra's al Ghul had watched the Lazarus Pit heal a dying prince, only for the restored man to lose his sanity and murder Ra's beloved wife. The tragedy reshaped him completely.
From that point onward, Ra's built the League of Assassins and spent centuries imposing his brutal vision of justice upon the world.
As Adrian recalled the story, his expression darkened slightly.
Nearby, Black Canary stared silently at the Joker's mutilated body.
She still could not fully process what Adrian had done.
He had ripped the Joker's face clean off without hesitation.
A chill ran through her spine.
Strangely, part of her even felt relieved. Compared to what happened to the Joker, her earlier fear of Adrian suddenly seemed completely justified.
Her attention remained fixed on Adrian and the Joker until a sudden splash interrupted her thoughts.
She quickly turned toward the vat.
A figure slowly rose from the chemicals.
Her eyes widened in shock.
Batman.
Batman had woken up.
"What the hell...?"
Black Canary's mind reeled.
She had no idea what had happened. She had been too far away to hear the conversation between Adrian and the Joker.
All she could do was stare in disbelief.
Batman emerged from the chemical vat, disoriented and breathing heavily.
The Joker's laughter became louder.
"The King of Gotham returns!" he shouted. "I'm touched. My efforts weren't wasted after all."
Using every ounce of strength left in his ruined body, the Joker staggered upright.
"Oh, this is beautiful. Tears of joy, Batsy. This whole thing was my love letter to you."
His voice trembled with excitement.
"So tell me, how does rebirth feel? Confusing? Exciting? Liberating? Come on, don't leave me waiting."
Batman's head throbbed violently.
The moment he saw the Joker, his thoughts sharpened.
Even in this horrific state, Batman recognized him instantly.
"Joker."
His voice was low and strained.
Batman glanced down at the chemical vat around him.
"This isn't normal chemical waste."
Then realization hit him.
"The Lazarus Pit."
He had heard stories about it for years, but never imagined he would be submerged in it himself.
A violent pressure pounded against his thoughts.
He recognized the symptoms immediately.
Lazarus Pit side effects.
Then another realization struck him.
Adrian.
Batman's eyes snapped toward him instantly.
Adrian slowly clapped his hands.
"Impressive," he said. "A modern version of Orpheus dragging Eurydice out of the underworld."
The Joker laughed again.
Batman's eyes narrowed.
Then Adrian vanished.
In less than a second, he appeared directly beside the Joker.
His fist drove forward without hesitation.
Straight through the Joker's chest.
The factory fell silent.
===
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