The Red Ghoul

ARC I: PART I

A shadow had fallen upon Arkham. Not that anyone had noticed. Not the guards, or nurses, not the inmates, or even the Bats and Birds that nested in Gotham City. The shadow was smart after all. He had been taught by the best of the best and had come back home with an objective in mind.

It shouldn't have been as easy as it was to break into one of the most secure places in Gotham. It was the place where the worst of the worst, the rogues of Batman, spent their days incarcerated. Yet, it had been so easy... maybe this was why Arkham was known to be a revolving door.

The shadow was as silent as death, as he entered the cell of the most infamous criminal to have ever roamed the streets of Gotham City. The shadow made sure to never allow the monster to realize he was there.

Joker did not deserve to breathe the same air as the shadow. He did not deserve the honor or the fanfare of an elaborate plan. He did not deserve to control the shadow's dreams and his desires.

The Joker had hurt so many people. Killed so many citizens of Gotham City. Tonight, the shadow was the hand of Lady Gotham. Tonight, the shadow was the Knight of Arkham. He will bring the justice Batman had refused to give to his Lady. The justice he had refused to give to his son.

The shadow could feel it. The tugging coming from withing him. The shadow did note even try to resist, he allowed the sword to appear. The All-Sword. The sword that only appeared before the face of true evil.

The shadow could have laughed. The Joker was so evil that he summoned the All-Sword. Something not even Ra's al Ghul had been capable of. However, the shadow did not laugh. The Joker did not have the right to know that tonight he would breathe his last breathe.

Standing behind the monster, as this one laughed maniacally and planned the bombing of Gotham's Children Hospital, the shadow swung his sword. It was a small cut, one that left no DNA or proof that could be linked back to the shadow. No one would ever know the shadow had been involved, or that the Joker had died of anything but natural causes. But death was brought upon the Joker that night, even with a small cut. Because a cut from the All-Sword was all it was needed. No one could come back from it.

The Joker was dead.

Finally.

In one clean cut the shadow ended the nightmare that had plagued Lady Gotham for over a decade.

The shadow let out a shaky sigh as he felt it. How the chains weighing him down broke. The last of the green mist leaving his mind. The shadow smiled as he felt Lady Gotham thanking him. But there was no need for any thanks. Tonight, the shadow had freed Gotham. Tonight, the shadow had freed himself.

When the shadow opened his eyes, they were back to the beautiful blue they had been before his death. The shadow welcomed the world once more as who he had been.

After all, Jason was finally free.

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"I thought that you had other plans to end that monster?" A beautiful woman asked curiously.

The red shadow turned towards the green shadow with a warm smile. "I had. But my time in the All-Caste changed many of my plans. That monster did not deserve to have his wish fulfilled. After all, making the Batman a killer through him would have been a dream come true, not a punishment."

"Your father has a way to gather twister characters around him," the green shadow chuckled.

"What brings you here T?" Jason asked calmly.

Talia al Ghul stared at the boy she had given back life to with a pensive expression. When she had met him, he had been but a shell of a broken boy. A corpse wandering around the streets of Gotham City, with no recollection of who he had been or what was going on. Someone that only the Lazarus Pits could have saved and healed his mind. But miraculous cures always came with a price. The boy's mind was back, but it was twisted within the corrupted green mist of the Lazarus Pits. The boy was angry and vengeful, motivated by a rage that was closer to demonic than inhuman.