The dark is filled with horrors, pain, and sorrow.
Batman approached his next and final target. It was do or die, with Nightwing burned by tea, and Robin mentally ill because of Batdoof, it had to end. It all had to end.
"Oh, hey Killer Moth! I'm not doing anything tonight, but I guess if you want to ha-" Rozuraider was interrupted by a swing to the face. He did his best to block the swing by raising his hand over his face, and stopped the punch from connecting with his nose.... But the target it hit was so much worse. The holy ring Ash had been wearing was hit directly, and shattered into dust.
"NOOOOOOOO! Do you know what you've done!?" Rozuraider cried, "We're done for! All we wanted was to be heroes!" Tears ran down Rozuraider's face as she looked at Batman in disgust. Batdoof swooped down from a nearby building, his eyes red and face moist. He was crying as well. He looked in the eyes of Batman,
"So... it's finally happened. It's all over. Our hopes, dreams, aspirations... destroyed. By you, the person I thought would be our greatest ally, of all people. I know that before you became the man you are you were just as faithful in Doof as we are now." He turned away from the masked man and turned to his lover. He took Rozuraider in his arms, and together they cried. They held tightly to each other and sobbed, then together they fell to the ground. Blood slowly pouring out of the eyes, ears, nose, and mouth... All as Batman watched. He fell to his knees, and stared at his hands before him. He had killed. He was a vigilante, a criminal, but now... he was a murderer. The Joker was dead, but he could hear the voice of that man in the back of his mind, Didn't it feel good, Batsy? To end the life of the weak, of the scum of the Earth, it is true justice... It is true vengeance for your parents and all of the Defenders that died before you. Don't you want to avenge your fallen comrades? I know a way.... Kill.
Something inside the Bat snapped. He knew what he had to do.
On the other side of Gotham, the Riddler was channeling his inner Joe Flacco yet again. He pulled out a fresh hamburger and chucked it. Poor [tier=t1]Johnnymustang[/tier] surprisingly hadn't seen it coming, but the beautiful beef sandwich flew towards him, condiments dripping through the air. The burger smacked him in the face and exploded instantly. There was no surviving such beefy goodness.
"Gotta keep the meme alive," were the Riddler's final words before leaving Gotham. His job was done for now, but he'd be back.
Batman had spoken with the remaining Defenders, his most loyal teammates, Robin and Nightwing. He had been able to teach them of the Joker's influence, and together, they could rule Gotham with no resistance. All it took was the death of two others.
The three approached the Mad Hatter and Walrus, The Wonderland Gang was completely unprepared for what was coming. The vigilantes apprehended the two, and handcuffed them. They then revealed knives from their suits and slit the throats of The Wonderland Gang. There was no opposition now, their rule would be easy. Batman pulled out a GCPD radio from his belt and spoke into it,
"Gotham is safe. Bring the civilians home."
Buses of citizens rode into the city as the sun rose, the knight was gone, never to return.