251 Revelation #151

Grayson couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as he stared at the memorial in front of him in the middle of Gotham City Park, noticing the assortment of random objects lying on its base.

There was a tattered umbrella, a double-headed coin scarred on one side, a thorny red rose, and other symbolic items. He couldn't help but chuckle in amusement as he raised his head and turned to the tattered cowl pinned to the memorial inside a bullet-proof frame.

"In memory of Batman... he was not a hero. He was a silent guardian, a watchful protector. He was the dark knight..." He muttered, reading the inscriptions under the cowl aloud.

It had been three days since the ACE chemicals plant incident. Word of the caped crusader's and his arch-enemy's demise had spread far and wide as soon as the authorities cleared the site and consolidated the evidence.

Unsurprisingly, reactions to the news varied greatly. Some mourned the loss of the caped crusader as one of the few people who cared for Gotham, while others merely celebrated the Joker's death.

Some believed the dark knight was merely a myth until the news broke out, but regardless of their beliefs, thousands of people gathered at Gotham City's Park to pay their respects.

The mayor had decided to host a public funeral for the departed vigilante and paid from his own pocket to create the memorial before announcing it to the entire city and inviting everyone.

Many people came, civilians, police officers, and even some of the caped crusader's former foes, though they kept to themselves and didn't garner much attention.

Several heroes appeared to mourn their friend, say their goodbyes, and ensure the safety of the event. It was their presence and the army of machines and police officers prowling the area that ultimately dissuaded everyone from causing trouble.

Ultimately, the funeral ended on a good, albeit sad note, as everyone left to return to their lives several hours later.

"Well, how does it feel to stand in front of your own grave...?" Grayson asked, seemingly amused as he turned to the man standing next to him, giving him a hard-to-decypher look.

"Strange... not as strange as what you told me, however..." The man blankly replied, shaking his head, pausing as he seemed to recall the details.

...

Three days ago

Batman's expression turned blank as he realized what was happening, but he didn't flinch at the rapid peeping from the Joker's chest cavity. He came after the Joker prepared to die, as it was the only way to ensure the clown would never return again.

Having fought the clown prince of crime for many years, Batman knew him better than anyone else. He knew about the Joker's tendency to crawl back, more vicious than ever, no matter what you throw at him.

The only way to be rid of the mirthful clown was to entirely wipe him out of existence in both body and soul. The caped crusader was ready to do just that, even if it meant he had the share the same fate as the clown to power up the magic device that was said to come from hell itself.

The caped crusader let out a tired sigh as he closed his eyes and reached for his utility belt to activate the magic instrument, but his limbs would not move, causing him to freeze.

Before he could react, a burst of violent flames overtook him as the bomb inside the Joker's chest exploded, but instead of pain, the caped crusader felt warmth as green died his vision.

Suddenly a transparent green barrier expanded around him, and his eyes widened as he watched Grayson standing in front of him, raising a black orb in the air as it glowed in a sinister purple light, seemingly drawing something from thin air.

"I don't know what you were about to do, but that thing in your belt is dangerous," Grayson said, his expression blank as he turned to Batman and crushed the black orb in his hand.

"I don't know where you got it, but it would have blown up at least two blocks if you activated it..." He added with a shrug as the orb crumbled in his hand and its pieces fell to the ground.

"In any case, the Joker's gone. For good..." He concluded as he created a fireball in his hand and incinerated the fine dust that was the black orb, wiping any traces of its existence.

"Why did you save me...?" Batman asked, much to Grayson's confusion as he only received a blank stare and no reply. "I told you not to interfere... the area was empty. There would have been no casualties," He added with a glare.

"No casualties other than you and a couple million dollars worth of property damage..." Grayson replied with a shrug as he chuckled. "Besides, you're not the boss of me, dude," He added, raising his eyebrow.

"You might think you've saved me, but that couldn't be further from the truth..." Batman said, maintaining his calm as he watched Grayson manipulate his energy to suppress the fire and chemicals from leaking outside the plant.

"Oh?" Grayson said, pausing as he gave him a side glance. "If you're talking about the Joker's gas, it's already out of your system..." He added as he resumed suppressing the fire.

"Even still... that's only part of it..." Batman said, trailing at the end of his sentence. "The Joker and me... we aren't that different. There's a fine line separating us..." He added, his tone somber as he slowly climbed to his feet.

"It's the oath I've made, the lines I would not cross..." Batman said as he stood tall, staring into Grayson's eyes as the latter finished what he was doing and gave the caped crusader his full attention.

"Today... I broke the oath and crossed the line..." The caped crusader said, his tone grave as he clenched his fist. "And now I may never stop crossing lines. I can no longer trust myself..." He concluded, speaking in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Batman crossed the line, but that's not all you are, is it?" Grayson said, crossing his arms as he met the caped crusader's gaze. "If Batman can't stop crossing lines..." He added, making quotation marks with his fingers as he trailed off.

"Then let Batman die today with the Joker, and let Bruce Wayne enjoy his life for a change..." Grayson concluded as he relaxed his arms, dismissively gesturing to the side.

"As I've said, you don't understand. I'm Batman, more than I am..." The caped crusader said, stopping halfway through as Grayson interrupted him before he could finish his sentence.

"Human. You are a human being, what's more..." Grayson said, pausing as he seemed to hesitate before firming his resolve. "Look, I haven't told this to anyone, so you better listen closely," He added, his expression turning serious.

"You're a comic book character," Grayson said, pausing as he studied Batman's expression, and chuckled at the blank face he received in response.

"Everything you ever did, everything that ever happened to you... it was all decided by some artist in another world..." Grayson explained, speaking in a matter-of-fact tone.

"The death of your parents, your decision to put on the cowl, your moral code, your unbreaking nature..." He added, to which the caped crusader's expression finally shifted at the mention of his parents.

"Heck, the readers even decided on Jason's death through a poll on the internet..." Grayson said with a chuckle that did not sound amused to the caped crusader's ears.

"And you know what's even more fucked up? Most of the votes in favor of Jason's death came from one person, who didn't like him for whatever reason..." He added with a sigh as he stopped chuckling and shook his head.

"You've lived by a script all this time and didn't even know it, but now you do. Not only that..." Grayson said, his eyes glinting as he trailed at the end of his sentence.

"You also broke out of it today, all on your own..." Grayson went on, without bothering, to hide the endless curiosity and interest in his tone and expression.

"You were never supposed to kill the Joker. He was your worst and most interesting enemy..." He added, putting on a genuine smile. "Readers enjoy watching him push you to your moral limits, only for you to win and him to lose..." Grayson said, taking another pause as he chose his words.

"But he won today. You killed him, and you've ironically freed yourself in doing so..." Grayson said, finally finding the words. "Now... you can go ahead and kill yourself and die as Batman if you wish... I won't stop you..." He said with a sigh, shaking his head.

"Or you can, possibly for the first time in your life, enjoy actual freedom as Bruce Wayne..."

...

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