A Deal And Another

-POV BATMAN-

I tried to get up as i see Alex going towards joker but it seems like i have a punctured lung cause even a little bit of movement causes me immense pain.

I hope the gaurds can stop him, HUH who am I kidding they won't be able to stop him.

*BOOM*

The sound rang in my head as it echoed throughout Arkham Asylum, i failed yet again in saving someone even if it's joker even if his existence causes problems.

If i can't save someone, even joker, do i deserve to be the dark knight this isn't the first time nor is it the last time i failed someone, even if it's joker.

I keep on telling myself 'even if it's joker' because i don't want to have any thoughts of 'atleast it's just joker', the day that happens my spirit to fight will die.

I see Alex coming in but i stay still not even bothering to fight him cause i already feel my will to fight slipping seeing the gun in his hand.

"It's done" He says as he sits infront of me on a chair.

"Does it feel good?" I ask because i wonder what he feels, as it might reflect what i might have felt if i had killed joker myself.

"I feel relief" He says and i know that i am right in not killing joker, because i don't need relief that might have killed my spirit for vigilantism.

"Relief in killing a man is a clear sign of psychopaths in this city" I say to get him angry to get him angry enough to kill me and be done with it.

"Relief in not killing him" He says and i look at him in surprise, but i can see the blood on his face is he mocking me, giving me hope to get me to fight again.

"What do you mean? What about the blood on your face?" My gravelly voice reaches his ears and he tells me "I didn't kill him, the blood is from his ear i shot off."

"Why?" I ask in defeat, while i have a reason to not kill him and the city has a reason not to kill him but what reason does he have, why didn't he kill joker?.

"Because of you, i understood when i aimed my gun that this felt like an end, this felt like the last thing i do on earth and i don't want it to be that way, so i came here with a proposal....." he paused and said the words which i dreaded "...Bruce wayne." I immediately use my HUD to activate the clean wipe protocal on the cameras in Arkham.

But outside i didn't even show a reaction, this doesn't mean i was going to deny it when someone finds my identity.

"What is this....proposal?" I ask because i can sense this isn't him seeking cooperation, this is him giving me an ultimatum either i accept or joker dies, i never felt this helpless before, all the times before the league members somehow save me but not this time it seems.

"We will shift joker to an actual prison, lock him in the deepest dungeon and throw the keys away" That.....is fair i think, better than letting joker die.

I nod my head at him not willing to agree but not having the strength to disagree, he lifts me up and helps me walk out of arkham and get into my batmobile, i leave with the knowledge that if he insists enough Gordan might just put the clown in an actual prison.

-POV LAUREN-

As far as i can remember my life was normal, going to school coming back home playing in the playground making friends all those things, this doesn't seem as hectic as it can be in gotham, so i was unaware of all the darker parts of the city.

This happy life lasted until the day my parents died and i was pushed into the grey area of Gotham, it was a whole new world for me to fight without my parents but I learned, i learned to not smile, i learned to not dress too much, i learned to avoid the alleys, i learned to work for the smallest of convenience that were readily available to me when my parents were alive.

I learned to not hope for a better day and learned to stay content with what was given, i learned to search for a better place to live in other than Gotham, i learned that....i had to study.

I went into my studies with a fervor but, to earn a scholarship i needed talent so i picked up javelin throwing and pushed myself to be the best at it.

I got the scholarship at last and life seemed to be looking up when the train i was in was filled with people who were leering at me, i knew what they were going to do and i wasn't going to go down without a fight, as i readied myself to kill myself if need be he stood up, he fought, he fell down, he forgot.

I took an unknown man home, he forgot his past so, i returned his help by helping him for a while to orient his life and the rest is history, skip to 2 weeks after and now we are standing in Arkham infront of THE JOKER who is bleeding from his ear.

I hear footsteps approaching and turn to see commissioner gordan coming in and aiming his gun at Alex and say "Drop the gun son" I look towards Alex's hand and see the gun which i have been ignoring until now in favor of feeling numb to everything that happened.

I see Alex dropping the gun and surrendering himself to the police i was taken with them to the same car as Alex, we both sat behind while commissioner sat infront.

"You still have hope, we will write off jokers ear as an accident, all you have to do is apologize to the mayor for arresting his son...." "For assaulting a homeless man"Alex interjects and gordon coughs before saying "Yes, if you want your job back" Alex looks on as he says "I don't need the job anymore, 2 years of service and nothing to show for.".

Gordon looks defeated as he says "Them we'll have to detain you for illegal entry and armed assault on a patient" Alex words dripped of sarcasm as he says "Patient more like criminal" we all fall silent for a while before Gordan says "What about her she will be detained with you?" while giving me a pointed look, Alex looks towards me and says "All evidence points to her being a hostage so she can go."

As we reach the police station, we enter and i am told to wait outside for a while before Gordan comes and says "Let's go, I'll take you home young lady."

-POV JAMES GORDAN-

I sit infront of alex in the interrogation room and look at him trying to break out of the cuffs and say "I'll not write a report on this until the ceremony day ends" He looks unimpressed by my efforts to get him back in the fold "You'll need a job which provides protection after all the people you pissed off" He finally talks and the words confirm what batman said and what i refused to believe.

"I own Marvel entertainment, i won't need this job" now that that cat's out of the bag i ask him "Why?" he looks at me weirdly as he asks "Why what?Why i joined the force?" i nod and he sighs as he says "Before i started marvel comics, i lost a friend to some criminals, i wanted revenge but didn't wanna be a vigilante or a mob boss, thought maybe being a cop might help turns out it doesn't" He gives me a pointed look at the last.

We fall into silence and as i am about to leave i say "The offer stands until the ceremony ends and the joker is going to a real prison" He acts confused as he asks "How and why?" I grit my teeth and tell him "Don't act innocent i know the big donation you have given to arkham came at a price" He just smirks before putting on a thoughtful expression.

"Hey Gordan i need you to give Lauren this card and tell her to draw as much money as she wants to get out of this city and live her dream will you." I really wanted to reject but i couldn't so i took the card and got out and met the girl and said "Let's go, I'll take you home young lady" She turns to me and opens her mouth to say something before closing it and nodding.

We walk to my car and she sits at the back as i drive, i give her the card Alex gave me and tell her what he told me "What will happen to him mr.commissioner?" I look to her through the reflection in my rear mirrors and say "He will be kept here and moved to a more secure prison on the day of the ceremony.....unless he takes back his job and apologiizes to the mayor"

She looks to the left as tears fall from her eyes "No need to cry ms.Lauren he's got enough money to buy the police station, he'll just need to be in there untill his trial or he might just get a bail" I say self depreciation visible on my face.

All these rich asshats who can getaway with a lot of stuff, i have atleast reduced the corruption in my department that's something i can brag about for the rest of my un-fucking-predictable life.

I left ms Lauren at her home and moved to my own home to my wife and children as i am trying to sleep i ask my wife something that's on my mind for a while now "Leslie, in all these years of my service didn't you want me to leave gotham atleast once?" Leslie turns around and looks at me as she says "Why are you asking this all of a sudden?"

I think of that, why am I asking this "I saw a kid do the smart thing by sending those he loves out of Gotham, out of this city of crime" Leslie sighs and says "I wanted you to not do anything that put you at harms way but that changed after our kids were born" I listen intently as she continues.

"I wanted you to be capable of protecting us and if being a police commissioner in gotham gave you that power i was willing to let you continue your work" I look out towards the window towards the sky before looking back towards my wife and kissing her like my life depended on it, actually my life did depend on them being here so there's that i suppose.