Tony brought Joker's body, who had once been Alfred, back to Wayne Manor.
A few days later, 'Bruce Wayne' held a grand funeral for the man who had raised him, taught him, and stood by his side since childhood.
Tony remained silent the entire time. Even when some of Gotham's most powerful elites tried to approach him for a few words, he showed no interest in speaking.
Alfred had helped him reconcile with his father. For the first time in years, Tony had felt the warmth of family again. But who would've thought that not long after Howard's death, the old butler would follow?
Even 'Bruce Wayne,' at this point, made him feel nothing but anger. To him, 'Bruce' was the reason Alfred had met such a tragic end.
If he hadn't disappeared from Gotham without warning, if he'd trusted Alfred enough to tell him where he was going, if he hadn't become that damned 'Batman' who lived in the shadows instead of beside the people who loved him, then maybe none of this would've happened.
Tony still had kindness in his heart, but not the kind of overwhelming sense of duty or hero complex others had. He didn't see 'Batman' as a noble figure or some selfless symbol.
Just like now—he was even willing to cooperate with LexCorp to monitor the entire world if it meant finding the person who killed his mother.
After the funeral ended, Tony watched 'Bruce' walk away quickly with a woman by his side. The sight only deepened his sorrow for Alfred. Without saying a word, he turned and left the manor, returning to the hotel Commissioner Gordon had arranged.
...
Meanwhile, in the Batcave.
"Kate, I need you to keep a close eye on the Court of Owls over the next few days," 'Batman' said as he scanned the monitor filled with encrypted files and maps.
"Bruce, Alfred just died. Don't you think we should... slow down?"
Kate hesitated. In her view, there was no point in continuing to hunt down the mutants—not now. Someone on their side had fallen too. Surely, even the enemy would retreat for a while.
"A mutant just died too. And not just anyone, someone very important—"
"Kate," 'Batman' cut her off and explained. "According to what I've found, the Court of Owls might have something—some mysterious power that can bring the dead back to life."
Kate's breath caught. "That... that's not possible. Is it?"
She wanted to question it, but the serious look in 'Batman's' eyes stopped her.
"How did you find out about this?"
"I checked Alfred's computer," he answered. "There was a file in it, a brief note on the Dionesium compound. He must've had access to it. But now, with him gone, that lead's gone too."
Kate fell silent. She wanted this time to pray and mourn for Alfred. But if the Court of Owls really had something that could bring people back from the dead, they couldn't let the mutants get their hands on it.
"I understand. I'll keep an eye on my family's movements. If the Court of Owls makes any obvious moves, I'll know."
Compared to the Wayne family, which had always been at odds with the Court, the Kane family—connected to the Waynes only through a marriage from Martha's generation—still maintained some vague ties to the Court of Owls. That made Kate a valuable asset in watching them.
As soon as she left, 'Batman' and Deathstroke made their way deeper into the cave, entering a hidden chamber in the Batcave. As they stepped inside, a faint hum filled the air, and the door closed behind them.
In the next instant, their eyes closed, and their minds stretched outward. Within seconds, their consciousness seemed to cross vast distances, entering a strange new space.
At the center of this pure white space, Reid sat calmly on a throne-like chair, maintaining the mental network that linked all of his subordinates.
"Who do you need help from?"
Opening his eyes, he looked directly at the two men and asked why they had entered this mental space. This place was only used during critical emergencies, when it was time to mobilize serious power.
"Aquaman," 'Batman' replied. "He's currently battling Namor of Talokan, right?"
Reid frowned slightly. "Is something wrong?"
From his perspective, Gotham's situation hadn't yet escalated to the level that required Arthur's involvement. After all, aside from himself, Aquaman was the strongest force on Earth on their team.
The ongoing conflict between Arthur and Namor beneath the sea had lasted for years. Reid's goal was for Atlantis to gain complete control of the oceans, so that battle had already begun long ago.
"The situation isn't so urgent that only Arthur can solve it. I want him to help because I believe we can use this chance to crush half of the mutants' power in one strike," 'Batman' elaborated.
Hearing that, Reid didn't bother playing games with the version of himself posing as 'Batman.' He immediately used his telepathic ability to read everything this clone had been through during the past few days, absorbing every detail with complete clarity.
"I see."
Since they were essentially the same person, understanding each other's thoughts was never an issue.
"I'll notify Arthur. He'll move his battlefield with Namor to the waters near Gotham in the coming days. As for the rest, I'll leave it to you."
'Batman' and Deathstroke nodded once, then exited the mental space.
Alone once again, Reid leaned back in his chair and muttered, "Taking out all of the mutants on Magneto's side in one move, huh? That really is a good idea."
...
Behind Wayne Manor, in the family cemetery.
Alfred Pennyworth, the loyal butler who had served two generations of Waynes, now rested in a grave beside Thomas Wayne, among the family he had long served and protected.
If he had truly fallen into eternal slumber, that would've been the end of it.
Suddenly—
Splurt!
A pale hand burst through the soil. The ground swelled, then cracked open.
Moments later, Joker clawed his way out, his face smeared with dirt, a crooked grin forming on his lips. He was still dressed in the same tailored black suit he'd been buried in.
"A grave, huh?" he said to no one. "Bit early for that."
He dusted himself off and strolled out of the cemetery, passing beneath the old trees that lined the edge of the manor grounds.
Waiting just outside, parked along the road, was a battered old car. Inside, Harley Quinn leaned out the window with a huge smile.
"About time, puddin'! You finally crawled outta that ugly-ass box!"
Joker gave her a sideways glance, slid into the driver's seat, and started up the engine.
"Where to now, darling?" Harley asked, legs propped on the dashboard.
He gave her a twisted smile as he pulled the car into gear.
"We're going to collect all the Dionesium buried beneath Gotham," he said, eyes gleaming. "Some very important guests are about to arrive... and I want to give them a proper welcome."
Like the others with access to the mental network, Joker had known the plan before he even clawed his way out of the grave.
And now, a large part of the mission to wipe out the mutants... was resting entirely on him.
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