Funeral

Yes, this was the end.

The Riddler watched in stunned silence as Batman and the Joker conversed on the TV screen, then Batman activated the machine.

Before his eyes, the Joker was transformed into a gruesome pulp within the crystalline coffin.

No trickery, no faked death, no vanishing act. No disappearing in an explosion or falling off a cliff.

Just a simple, final death.

The Riddler had orchestrated his own fake deaths multiple times, using Clayface or Snakeskin (another Gotham rogue with shape-shifting abilities), but never like this.

Batman had killed someone, murdered without hesitation.

The Riddler saw the video zoom in, bringing the Joker into focus.

Rewind to the moment of the Joker's demise.

"So this was all a lie? You didn't become the Joker?"

"Never," Adam replied.

Silver-white particles shimmered, and as the coffin sealed shut, Adam breathed a sigh of relief.

Lucius's tech was flawless. With that thick crystal barrier between them, the Joker had no chance of escape.

He had done it. He had outsmarted the Joker, the one who had tormented and broken the original Batman, Bruce Wayne, countless times. Now, he was trapped within the coffin. All Adam had to do was press a single button...

Separated by a transparent pane – the Joker was certain it was some kind of high-strength polymer – the Joker looked at Batman.

"Haha, ahahaha... Batman! You caught me again, haha, I'm such a fool, haha – but this is hilarious, this joke is brilliant – damn you! You're good at this. I won't fall for it again—"

The Joker laughed until he choked, but Adam remained unmoved.

"There won't be a next time, Joker."

"What?"

The Joker's laughter abruptly stopped.

"Like I said, you're going to die. This isn't an impulsive act, or a crime of passion. It's the result of a long and meticulous plan."

"I've decided to use femtosecond laser ablation to kill you."

Adam reached out and gently stroked the transparent coffin: "This isn't a cage, Joker. It's a coffin."

Killing the Joker had been a decision made long ago. Ever since the Joker had used laughing gas to permanently disable over 20,000 soldiers on the battlefield, Adam had never considered allowing him to remain in this world.

Of course, as a comic book enthusiast, he was aware of the endless debates surrounding Batman's no-kill rule.

Countless arguments had been made from political, military, philosophical, and even economic standpoints, all for or against the idea of Batman taking a life. For decades, the debate had raged on.

But the thing is, Adam wasn't Batman.

Hence, the debates were meaningless. There were no moral choices, no epic destinies. To Adam, the Joker was simply a problem. If possible, he'd even considered using a knife or gun, the memory of Bane-Batman having ingrained the skills necessary to kill. He could wield any weapon with ease.

But he chose the safest option. The tale of the Batman Who Laughs had left him uneasy. In the comics, Batman had often stated that even if he killed the Joker, Gotham would simply produce something worse.

He didn't want to discover he was the next Laughing Bat after some time, cackling maniacally as he set about destroying the multiverse.

That was too absurd. Even a hack writer, three bottles of cheap wine deep, couldn't conjure up such a nonsensical plot.

Therefore, he had to be cautious when dealing with the Joker's demise. Was there really a Joker toxin on his spine, capable of turning others into clowns?

Perhaps, perhaps not. But Adam wasn't willing to gamble with his own sanity.

The Joker in the coffin clutched his neck, his breathing becoming labored.

Adam walked to the control panel and began working silently. Once connected to the energy source, the machine would activate, instantly pulverizing the contents of the coffin. Joker gas, or any other strange concoction, wouldn't be able to escape the sealed chamber.

After the Joker's death, Adam would encase the coffin in multiple layers of steel, then entomb it in concrete within the deepest recesses of the Batcave, hidden away for eternity.

The Joker sensed the murderous intent in Batman's eyes. He cracked a few manic jokes, reminisced about their shared past, but Adam remained completely unresponsive. So, finally –

The Joker became uncharacteristically calm.

"I get it. It's over. You're not playing games anymore, are you, Batman? Fine, I accept it. This is the end. But you always run from the people around you. Did you ever consider the words you've never said to me—"

"I hate you. Those three little words, I hate you, Joker."

"Listen, Batman, if this is truly the end, then I think I deserve a final request."

"Femtosecond laser ablation is ready."

The machine whirred and clicked.

"Attention, please confirm all systems are operational. Countdown: 10 seconds."

"Batman!"

Adam stood before the crystalline coffin, unmoved, watching the Joker claw at the transparent barrier.

"I'm dying, you're about to kill me, but listen closely, Batman – I hate you."

"Your turn, Bats! Come on, your turn, say it!"

Time ticked away, and Adam turned his head. The hope in the Joker's eyes dwindled with each passing second.

"7 seconds."

"6 seconds."

"Me too."

Adam finally answered, "Joker."

"Haha, haha... That's right, that's right, Bats."

"I'm glad you finally realized this today, because in the past, you know, I would never let you see me die."

"Falling from a helicopter, tumbling off a cliff, disappearing in an explosion... but I always came back. I shouldn't have let you witness my death, but it seems inevitable today."

"Listen carefully, I will not die, Batman. This is a fact."

"I am an idea, a concept, and I will live on in the shadows, thriving on Gotham's discontent... You'll see me again soon, hahaha, hahaha, ahahahaha—"

A thin line of blood trickled from his forehead, then his head began to collapse in on itself.

The Joker was dead.