Justice

"If you fight a dragon for too long, you become a dragon yourself. If you gaze into the abyss for too long, the abyss gazes also into you."

Amygdala, awakened by the excruciating pain, began to sob and wail, lamenting his suffering.

Killer Croc released him.

Adam's eyes fixed on Amygdala. Even with his chaotic mind, the manic felt the weight of Batman's gaze.

His cries were cut short as if an invisible hand had choked him. He whimpered and collapsed to the floor, shivering and curling into a ball.

"It's over, Batman. You've become a prisoner of Gotham's sin as well."

The Riddler declared, "Remember Carmine Falcone? Did you know that in his youth, Falcone's life goal was to eradicate sin from Gotham?"

"And he became Gotham's biggest crime lord. You're on the same path, Bats. When a righteous man succumbs to sin, it's as poisonous as a tainted well!"

He proclaimed wildly, "Therefore—Batman is dead!"

He threw his gun to the ground. "Long live the Bat-King!"

He bowed dramatically to Adam, like a jester in a play: "Batman! You are a criminal now, too!"

He shouted with glee, "You're no different from us!"

The Riddler had convinced himself of his own twisted logic. Batman, the murderer of the Joker, was now a fellow criminal in his eyes.

Batman shared the same traits as him, but was far stronger. Therefore—

He surrendered, completely and utterly.

Adam knew that a mere gesture, a crook of his finger, would likely send the Riddler groveling at his feet.

Well, perhaps not that exaggerated, but the sentiment would be the same.

If Adam wanted, he could have the Riddler's help instantly. With his intellect and resources, defeating Bane, finding the nuclear bomb, saving or ruling the city, it would all be within reach, right?

But...

He refused.

"I've been a criminal for a long time, Nigma. I've never denied the violations of civil liberties, the illegal possession of lethal weaponry, the flagrant disregard for the Castle Doctrine. Now, I'm simply adding first-degree murder to the list."

"But you, you bastard, listen closely."

"Everything you've said, I think it's all hogwash!"

"Your darkness theory is just a rehash of the Joker's. You think everyone will become slaves to darkness, just like the Joker believes even Gordon could become him after one bad day. But Gordon didn't become the Joker. Neither did Barbara."

He spoke these words, but his eyes remained fixed on the blindfolded Jim Gordon.

"Whether it's a bad day or being consumed by darkness, those are just excuses villains use to justify their actions."

"Laws? Laws are just pieces of paper to me, Nigma. Don't misunderstand, the line I drew in the past was to protect you, not myself."

"I've been grappling with the question of whether sacrificing a small measure of justice for a greater good is truly just."

"So, do you have the answer now, Batman?"

Adam sighed.

From the moment Edward Nigma had opened his mouth, he knew the person he needed to address wasn't the defeated Riddler before him.

It was the other member of Gotham's former triumvirate, the police commissioner who had given everything for his city: Jim Gordon.

He removed Gordon's blindfold. The commissioner looked at him with a mix of pity and understanding.

"Batman, you were once hope," Gordon said.

Jim's voice was gentle, his gaze unwavering as he spoke to Adam:

"You told us, you told Gotham."

"No matter how knowledgeable you are, no matter how gifted, you cannot be as self-righteous as Nigma."

"No matter how much you want to save your family, you cannot sacrifice innocent lives for them, like Victor did. Even if Gotham's nights are cold, you cannot use the blood of others to warm yourself."

"Judicial efforts will always bear fruit in the end. Society will not remain forever in the gray area. Justice will ultimately be worth protecting."

"You told us [life is worth it]. Even if you've experienced the worst day, even if you've endured unimaginable pain, no matter how much suffering, madness, or despair, life is still worth living."

Gordon's voice cracked, his composure crumbling.

"You told us that humanity's greatness lies in facing the darkest horrors of history and still finding hope, still working to heal society, instead of tearing it down! These were your words, your teachings!"

"Why? Why let the Joker win? Why make such a drastic decision? Why become like them?"

"Oh God, you should have sent the Joker to prison instead of murdering him!"

"I didn't shoot him," Adam corrected. "I reduced him to pulp."

Adam added, "The pulverized kind. Joker sauce."

"Joker... Joker sauce. I'm sure that's some kind of sick joke."

Gordon, his voice laced with fury, sputtered, "What, are you going to make some kind of Bat-Joker sandwich with Joker sauce?"

"That's what I did. And I'm sorry, Jim."

"You know what this will do to Batman's image..."

"Procedural justice is just a means to an end, Jim Gordon."

"What?"

"I will only ever spit on the Joker's grave, Gordon. Killing him doesn't make me a tyrant or a dictator who kills on a whim."

"Do you really believe in that slippery slope fallacy? Aren't we always striving for substantive justice?"

Adam continued, "Superheroes have the power and the responsibility to inspire and guide people to make the right choices.

When procedural justice and the system can achieve that, I should absolutely support them. But when the system fails or becomes corrupt, I have a duty to oversee it."

"The justice that superheroes pursue should be above the law. Otherwise, why not just join the system and become a police officer?"

Gordon fell silent.

Adam sighed, stopping himself mid-sentence and shaking his head.

This was a fundamental difference in philosophy and perspective. Jim Gordon had been part of the system for too long, his thinking confined by its limitations.

From the moment he had killed the Joker, Adam knew their partnership could never be the same as it once was.

This was the price he had to pay, and he had accepted it.

"Now then, Mr. Nigma. You better tell us where you hid the Penguin's nuclear bomb."

"What nuclear bomb? I never stole any nuclear bomb!"