Shadow Monarch in DC-Chapter 46: Aftermath

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Batman stood over Joker's lifeless body, staring. The twisted smile was frozen in death, but that didn't make it feel like a victory.

It never did.

His cape swayed behind him as he straightened, turning toward Arthur, his voice low and edged with quiet frustration.

"I could have prevented this from happening... if only you had agreed to stand down."

Arthur didn't even glance at him. Didn't even acknowledge the weight in Batman's words. He stood there, still as a shadow, the glow in his eyes dimming slightly.

"No, you wouldn't." His tone was flat, certain. Cold. He finally turned his head slightly toward the Dark Knight, but not enough to fully face him. "He'd just outsmart you. He'd escape, disappear into the cracks of this city, like he always does. Then he'd come back to terrorize someone else, somewhere else."

Batman's jaw clenched. His silence was heavy, but Arthur could feel it. Could feel the weight of the burden Bruce carried, the responsibility he shackled himself with.

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Finally, the Bat spoke, his voice quieter. "That's not how justice works."

Arthur let out a slow exhale. His fingers flexed at his sides, as if suppressing something.

"Justice?" He let the word hang there for a moment. A humorless chuckle followed, before his expression turned unreadable again. "That man didn't care about justice. Didn't care about losing, didn't care about winning." His voice hardened. "Joker only cared about proving a point... and of course playing the mouse and cat with you."

His gaze drifted back to the ruins of the building, to the chaos Joker had left behind.

Then, for the first time, Arthur's voice carried something real.

Regret but not because of Joker's death, the total opposite.

"...I wish I had been the one to finish him off" His fingers curled into a slow fist before he relaxed them. "But that maniac would rather die on his own terms. He wasn't looking for a fight. He choose an ending that played by his rules."

Silence.

Batman didn't answer immediately.

Because he knew deep down that Arthur was right, but he would never admit it.

Arthur noticed the toxic mist clearing from the city. The unnatural green haze that had choked the streets was finally dissipating, fading into nothing. The damage was done, but the worst was over.

Arthur exhaled slowly, scanning the aftermath before turning his attention back to the trio before him.

"I won't interfere with what's happening in other cities." His tone was calm, firm, final. "That's up to you and the Justice League to fix. You deal with Ivy or whoever else is involved."

Batman's expression remained unreadable, but his posture stiffened slightly. Hal, still holding the rescued child, furrowed his brow but said nothing.

Then...Arthur's glowing eyes narrowed.

The temperature seemed to shift as his gaze swept over them, settling on Batman. His voice was quieter, but it cut through the silence like a blade.

"If any of Gotham's maniacs come to this place... well, Bruce... you already know."

A warning. Not a threat. Not a challenge. A promise.

Batman's fingers twitched slightly. The weight of Arthur's words wasn't lost on him.

Hal let out a slow breath, shifting the kid slightly in his arms. "You know you are still giving me the creeps." His usual snark was there, but there was an edge to his voice. He'd seen a lot of things, but Arthur's presence was something different.

Robin stood stiffly, silent. He wasn't stupid. He knew that if Arthur had truly wanted them all dead, this conversation wouldn't even be happening.

"Well then, am I free to go?" Arthur asked, raising both hands mockingly, as if expecting cuffs. His voice was laced with amusement, the question dripping with barely restrained arrogance.

Neither Batman nor Hal responded immediately. Robin tensed slightly.

Arthur tilted his head, watching them for a moment longer before he added, almost casually, "Well, you know where I live anyway."

And just like that he turned.

The moment his foot touched the nearest shadow, he was gone.

The only thing left was the lingering sensation that he was still watching them, from somewhere.

A long, heavy silence followed.

Hal let out a breath and rubbed his temple. "...Okay. Gotta ask...how the hell did he know our actual names?"

Batman's jaw tightened as he turned slightly toward the ruins, his mind already piecing things together.

"That's his way of telling us that he knows where to bite us. Where to find us." Batman's voice was steady, but there was a sharp edge to it. "He knows we can track him...so he's evening the playing field."

Hal stared at where Arthur had disappeared, brow furrowing. He had fought aliens, and everything in between, "...Is he really just a kid?"

Batman didn't answer immediately.

Because, deep down, he wasn't sure anymore.

****

2 Days later – Blackwynd Estate

Arthur sat at his table, idly stabbing a fork into his meal as the television droned on in the background. The news anchors spoke with that usual mix of forced professionalism and barely hidden relief.

"Thanks to the combined efforts of the Justice League, the remaining traces of the toxin plaguing the cities have been successfully neutralized. Several known associates of Poison Ivy have been apprehended, including..."

Arthur barely listened. "Same old, same old..."

But then

"And in other news...sources have confirmed that the infamous Gotham criminal known as The Joker has been found dead among the wreckage of Jump City's broadcasting tower. Authorities are still investigating..."

Arthur paused mid-bite. His fork hovered over his plate.

his eyes turning towards the screen.

"Well... these past few days have been rather calm." He leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping lazily against the table. "I expected Batman to send some Justice League members knocking by now, but..."

He scoffed, shaking his head.

"Guess not."

Still, something about it gnawed at him. Batman wasn't the type to just drop things like that. He was waiting. for what, Arthur wasn't sure.

Arthur tapped his fingers against the table, the news still playing in the background. His gaze drifted toward his phone. This was as good a time as any.

He grabbed the device, dialing without hesitation. A single ring.

Then—click.

"You've seen the news, right?" Arthur said, keeping his tone casual.

"Of course." Adam's voice came through the receiver, steady as ever. "And I take it you had something to do with what happened there."

Arthur smirked. "Perhaps."

There was a brief silence Adam didn't press

"But that's not the reason I called." Arthur leaned against the table, voice dropping slightly. "I need you to buy a place for me. A house in Gotham."

A beat.

"...Gotham?" Adam repeated, his tone almost amused.

"Don't use our name. Don't use anyone associated with us. Use someone who can't be tracked back to us."

There was a pause then a soft exhale.

"I won't ask why you'd willingly go to that hellhole, but fine. It shall be done."

Arthur chuckled. "Knew I could count on you."

He was about to end the call when something else crossed his mind. "One more thing—about the Titans. Did you—"

"Yes," Adam cut him off smoothly. "I've already sued them for property damage."

Arthur grinned. "Brilliant."

"Anything else?"

"That's all for now."

Click.

Arthur set the phone down, rolling his shoulders. 'time to go.'

Arthur stood up, stretching as he moved toward the door, He stepped outside. But then A pulse.

A presence.

His instincts flared, his muscles tensed. His eyes snapped wide open, glowing faintly as he sensed something descending fast from the sky.

For a split second, his fingers twitched...ready to summon his blade.

But then, he exhaled.

The tension drained from his shoulders as he smirked slightly, tilting his head upward.

"Oh... it's just her."

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If you Like this story! Check out my other stories! Solo leveling in Westeros.

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