CHAPTER 78

Tom sat alone on a bench in the tranquil surroundings of Gotham City park, his eyes transfixed on the stunning sunset which was painting the sky with an array of captivating colors. However, his thoughts were far away from the peaceful scene before him.

His mind was preoccupied with the brutal beating he had inflicted on The Joker the day before. The memory of their fight replayed over and over in his mind, each blow landing with a sickening thud, but he was unable to shake off the feeling that he should have killed The Joker.

The Joker was an evil and dangerous criminal, a being whose very existence threatened the lives of innocent people. Tom was plagued by the thought that the world would be a better place without him, and he couldn't help but feel that he had made the wrong choice in sparing The Joker's life.

Despite the fact that he had inflicted a serious blow on the villain by completely nullifying his Joker Syndrome and rendering him incapable of causing any further harm, Tom couldn't help but wonder if he should have gone all the way and ended The Joker's life.

But he tried to shake off those thoughts, assuring himself that he had done what needed to be done. He held The Joker's beating heart in his hand, and he could have easily ended him, but he didn't. Instead, he had tweaked with The Joker's brain and fired some of his signal receptors, leaving him in a childlike state where he spouted gibberish each time he was spoken to.

The Joker was imprisoned at Arkham Asylum, but Tom knew that Batman would soon be on his tail. He was willing to face the consequences of his actions, even if it meant going up against the Dark Knight himself.

As the sun sank below the horizon, Tom finally stood up from the bench and began to make his way home, taking in the cool evening breeze as he walked down the bustling streets of Gotham City.

…

[Bruce Wayne's POV] 

I received a report about a violent attack at the public library. It was no ordinary crime, for the perpetrators were none other than The Joker, along with Harley Quin and his henchmen. The attack claimed the lives of innocent people, but luckily Jason and Barbara were able to take control of the situation and prevent any more casualty.

However, the situation was not without its mysteries. Barbara reported that Tom had disappeared with The Joker, only to be later delivered to the police station, brutally beaten beyond anything a normal human could take. The Joker, on the other hand, regained consciousness, but he had completely lost his senses. He was no longer a threat to society, nor did he pose any danger to anyone around him.

Harley Quin was now in jail, and she was completely devastated when she heard what had happened to her lover. She was in total denial and refused to accept the fact that she might have lost him for good.

I decided to question her about the incident, and she mentioned how The Joker and a pale-looking kid with white hair had suddenly disappeared, leaving behind a gaping hole in the library's wall. Barbara had confirmed the same scenario, and there was nothing on Tom. I couldn't help but wonder how a kid with such immense power could have lived in this city without using his abilities for good as a superhero or for selfish purposes as a villain.

Deathstroke had mentioned that Tom was just a normal teenager who wanted to live an ordinary life, as impossible as it might seem. It has been a while since I first heard about the potential menace named Tom, and I knew a visit to him was long overdue. I needed answers, and I needed them now. 

… 

[Jason Todd's POV] 

The incident at the library left me and Barbara completely baffled. When she told me that Tom had disappeared with The Joker, I thought maybe he had met his match. But I was completely wrong. Not only was Tom able to defeat Deathstroke, but he went ahead and beat The Joker so badly that he completely lost his mind. It was as if Tom had ripped away the last thread of sanity he might have held onto, nullifying his Joker Syndrome.

Tom was a monster, a monster in the form of a weak-looking boy who wouldn't seem to have any malicious intentions at first meet.

If he happened to be a supervillain, I doubted that Young Justice would be able to defeat him without trouble. We still didn't know the nature of his powers, so there was no way of predicting what he might do or knowing what he was capable of.

I just hoped we wouldn't meet him again in a fight. Hell no, I wouldn't even consider fighting him, even if it hurt my pride. I knew my limits and wouldn't cross a line that might leave me in the same state as The Joker or worse.

As I read Barbara's report, a sense of unease washed over me. Tom was a complete enigma, and the fact that he had been able to defeat two of the most dangerous villains in Gotham was nothing short of astounding. The Joker was known for his unpredictability and insanity, but Tom had somehow managed to bring him to his knees.

It was clear that Tom had powers beyond our understanding, and it was crucial that we learned more about him. However, approaching him directly might not be the best idea. It was evident that he was not someone to be underestimated, and any attempt to confront him could end in disaster.

The question lingered in my mind, who was Tom, and what were his true intentions? The uncertainty of his true nature and the mystery surrounding his powers was enough to send shivers down my spine. I knew that we had to tread carefully around him if we were going to stand any chance of understanding the mystery that was Tom.

… 

Tom had just finished his nighttime routine and was ready to hit the hay. As he was settling into his comfortable bed, he heard a loud beep emanating from his portable tab. It was the security breach alert. He quickly picked up the tab and checked the live feed from his house's security cameras. To his surprise, there was no sign of an intruder in the house.

Tom groaned, annoyed at the interruption. He picked up the tab and saw that there had been a breach in his home's security system. He quickly scanned the alert. It didn't give him any information about the intruder's location, which only fueled up his curiosity even more. 

Tom became even more curious but was on high alert and decided to put on his customized glasses, which had thermal vision settings. He activated it and was slowly looking round, just when he was about to turn around. He suddenly noticed a presence he hadn't felt earlier, as he was about to turn to confirm the person. He heard a deep voice that'll state even the boogie man. 

Tom spun around at the sound of the voice. The Dark Crusader loomed before him, his presence sending a chill down Tom's spine. It seemed that the famous vigilante wasn't in the mood for idle chatter.

"Oh, it's just you," Tom said, trying to sound nonchalant. "I've been expecting a visit from you since my run-in with Robin."

The Dark Crusader took in his surroundings, eyeing Tom's impressive security system. "That's quite the setup you've got here. Did you design it yourself?"

Tom shook his head. "No, I'm not much of a tech guy. It came with the place, and I just activated it."

The Dark Crusader's piercing gaze locked onto Tom's face. "What's your business with Deathstroke?"

Tom bristled at the accusation. "I don't have any business with that guy. He tried to force me to join him so he could exploit my powers, but all I want is to live a normal life. It seems like that's impossible now, though. Everywhere I turn, someone is trying to poke at me, just like Robin did."

The Dark Crusader's expression softened slightly. "And what about Joker? What did you do to him?"

Tom's face darkened at the memory. "I was this close to killing him, but I couldn't do it. I'm not a killer. Instead, I did the next best thing and freed the world from his madness."

The Dark Crusader's voice was stern. "There were better ways to handle him. Now he'll never be able to atone for his crimes."

Tom sighed, regret etched on his face. "I know. It was a mistake. But I had to do something."

The Dark Crusader shook his head. "Using your powers to take justice into your own hands is never the answer. It only leads down a dark path."

"Very well," Batman said as he turned to leave, his cape swishing behind him. "But remember, using your powers to take justice into your own hands is not the way to go. It only leads down a dark path."

The lights in Tom's room flickered, and he looked up to see if there was a power outage. But before he could glance back down, Batman had vanished into the night. Tom's sorry expression slowly transformed into a sly grin, as his red pupils emitted a slight glow, and he laughed menacingly.

It was all an act to make Batman believe that he didn't want anything to do with violence, yet found himself in the midst of it each time. Tom had hoped that this display would cause Batman to lower his guard, which he was sure was already fixed on him.

As he continued to chuckle to himself, Tom couldn't help but feel exhilarated at the thought of the thrill that violence brought. He had always been drawn to the power that came with it, and he relished in the idea that he could manipulate Batman's perception of him to continue his schemes without suspicion.

He knew how paranoid Batman was and how he wouldn't be swayed by such displays of emotions and mere words, he just had to fake it till he believed it. 

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