BATMAN: Who Killed The Joker?

Part Eleven: The Last Laugh

The Estate|October 31st- 9:32 PM
We all began walking around. Paranoid. Wondering who it was that had the Joker murdered by Deathstroke. Jason had arguably drawn the most attention to himself but we kind of all had. I stood in the fancy bathroom talking over my earpiece.

"Dick, get moving this way." I demanded as he agreed.

I exited the bathroom and looked around, everyone was celebrating. Harley was on stage dancing. I began wondering just how many of the people here were Joker or Black Mask thugs in disguises and how many were standing around as servers or just weren't hiding at all and were waiting on their cue to show up and blow the brains of any of the mobsters out. I was suspicious of just about everyone. Suddenly, the spotlight hit again.

"Ladies and gentlemen it's time! For the man who KILLED THE JOKER..." the recording said...

My fist clenched.

"In FIVE"

My mind raced on who it was. Morgan Edge? Harvey Dent? Maybe I was fooled...maybe it's not a he at all...maybe it's someone else, maybe it's one of my own family members.

"In FOUR"

I looked around trying to spot anyone and everyone in my family. Kate was next to me. Barbara, across the room. Jason, upstairs.

"THREE"

"Dick, are you there?" I asked in my ear piece.

Silence.
"Two"
"It can't be Dick." I thought to myself.
"Dick do you copy!?" I shouted and heard a struggle.

"One"

"Sorry Bats I was knocking out one of these thugs outside. I'm coming in the back." Dick responded as he entered through the back, beginning to sneak through the huge kitchen to see a man in a black suit, exiting the kitchen and heading for the stage flanked by two Joker henchmen.

A sigh of relief came out, hearing Dick respond..until...

"Ladies and gentlemen...LEX LUTHOR!" Harley exclaimed!

The man himself began to walk on stage. My heart sank. I was befuddled. I was in shock. As was everyone as there was a collective gasp.

"But WHY!?" I thought to myself, befuddled.

"I know..you're all in shock and horror." Lex began.

"But you know what..I've spent the last 10-15 years of my life cleaning up Metropolis. Being the mayor...but being RESTRICTED by what I can do. I've seen how Superman and these other Justice Leaguers do things..and I've seen that they're not effective. If crime is to end in Gotham...then it must be by Gotham SUCCUMBING to ME. And the way you get rid of crime and scum in Gotham is by grabbing the crime by the balls and taking control of it yourself." Lex spoke.

I snarled in anger, knowing of the hell he's put Clark through for years. And knowing that he robbed this from myself and my family members.

"I called all of you crime lords and mobsters here...because I want to give you an option. I've welcomed you into my new Blüdhaven/Gotham City home.. and I've revealed myself to all of you."

"You have two options...you join me and surrender your men to be apart of my task to take over Gotham City...OR...you DIE." Lex scowled.

Chatter amongst all of the mobsters began as I turned to walk out of the front door.

"Jim are you hearing this shit?" I asked.

"Every word." Jim answered.

"As an example of me making things right even beyond getting rid of The Joker and Roman Sionis.....I'd like to welcome my dear friend MORGAN EDGE who is here tonight. I'm welcoming him BACK into Gotham City after he was wrongfully forced out of Gotham City by the bat... and much like Ms. Quinn he is lending me his resources from Edge Industries and is going to be apart of the empire I plan to build to Make Gotham Great Again!" Lex smirked.