BATMAN: Fall Of The Dark Knight #Wattys2016

15: MARRY ME, SELINA (& JOKER NO MORE)

Commissioner Harvey Bullock stared down at the lifeless body of Jack Napier a.k.a. The Joker, blood oozing out of the bullethole in the center of his forehead where Bruce Wayne had shot him. His eyes were wide open and he was grinning from ear-to-ear. Bruce was sitting slumped in his chair looking downward at The Joker while Selina was knelt down beside him with her arms wrapped protectively around him. The other police were busy processing the crime scene, including Detective Renee Montoya.

While Bullock was still gazing down at The Joker, he remarked to no one in particular, "We've been searching for that psycho for months. He pretty much disappeared after Batman whacked that crazy girlfriend of his." He gazed up and asked again no one in particular, "What was her name again?"

"Harley Quinn," replied Detective Montoya.

He snapped his fingers. "Oh yeah, Harley Quinn."

Selina could feel Bruce's body tense up as they spoke about the murder of Harley Quinn, and she hugged him tighter. Bruce and Selina didn't move as the police finished processing the scene. Bruce didn't even bother to look up as they carried The Joker's body off in a body bag. Selina looked right at him to gauge his reaction, but he had no discernible emotion on his face. Bullock stayed behind when the other cops left. Selina looked up at the grizzled-looking cop, whom she had an even more contentious relationship with over the years than she had with Gordon, asking him as if she already knew the answer, "So is Bruce in any legal trouble?"

Harvey eyed them both for a moment before he shook his head and replied, "No, from what you told me it sounds like a clear cut case of self-defense. That psycho clown breaks in, threatens to kill you both, you get the gun away from him and Mr. Wayne here shoots him with his own gun to stop him from killing you. Is that about right?"

Selina waited for Bruce to respond, but he just kept sitting there in his chair gazing down at the floor at the spot where The Joker's body lay. She looked back up at Bullock and said while nodding her head, "Yeah, that's exactly what happened."

Bullock offered a derisive grunt as if he didn't totally believe them, which Selina suspected he didn't. The aging cop turned and started to walk away, but then he abruptly stopped and looked back at them.

"You know," he began to say, "it sure is ironic."

"What is?" asked Selina hesitantly.

"It's ironic that Bruce Wayne was able to do to The Joker what the Batman never could."

With that, Bruce finally gazed up at the Police Commissioner who was giving him that same knowing look he had given him that day at Dick Grayson's office. They stared each other down for a moment, and Selina was starting to get a little nervous. But then Bullock broke their gaze as he touched the brim of his hat with his fingers and turned and stepped out of Wayne Manor. After Harvey left, Selina looked back at Bruce and asked him, "So, Bruce, how do you feel?"

"Drained," he said as he looked downward again. "I feel drained, Selina." He sighed before he added, "I guess Bullock was right."

"About what?"

"That I could do what the Batman couldn't."

"You mean shoot The Joker?" Bruce nodded. "Why did you . . . you know . . ."

He looked right at her. "Kill The Joker?"

She nodded.

He shrugged. "It's like Dick Grayson told me. I'm at least partly responsible for creating that monster. So I'm at least partly responsible for everyone he's ever hurt or killed."

"Are you talking about that Billy Piper?"

He nodded. "Him, Jason Todd, Barbara, Jim Gordon's wife, everybody. Even Harley Quinn. She would probably still be a respected psychologist if she had never met The Joker."

"You're not responsible for that one, Bruce. If it wasn't The Joker, she probably would have gone off with some other crazy-ass creep, you know?"

"Maybe." He sighed again. "But her death is my responsibility. That one is on me."

She rubbed his shoulder and offered him a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry, Bruce. Is there anything I can do?"

"Yes, there is." He looked sqarely at her again. "Marry me."

Selina's eyes grew wide and her jaw dropped in total shock. "What?"

"Marry me."

She shook her head and said to him the only word that came to mind: "Why?"

"Because I'm done with being Batman. I'm done with risking my life every night dressed up in a costume fighting other costumed madmen who are trying to kill me. And I know you're tired of being Catwoman." She nodded in agreement. "Besides, The Joker's dead. Bain's dead."

"What about the other criminals?"

"Let the police handle them. I'm getting too old for this. And you know you are too."

She feigned outrage at what he said about her. "Hey, speak for yourself, buddy!"

They both laughed. "You know what I mean," he said.

"So is that why you want to get married?"

 He nodded again. "I want to live a normal life or as normal life can get for people like us. And I want you by my side, Selina. I want us to grow old together and not have to worry about whether or not we'll get blown away by some gun-toting lunatic." He took her hand in his. "I love you, Selina."

She smiled sweetly at him. "I love you, too, Bruce."

"So what do you say?"

She thought for a moment then she nodded and said with much enthusiasm, "Yes, Bruce, I will marry you."

Bruce smiled broadly, which was something he rarely ever did. "I'm sorry I don't have a ring to give you."

Selina smiled back at him and patted his hand. "That's okay, Bruce. I know you can afford to buy me a nice big one. I may not be a thief anymore, but that doesn't mean I still don't enjoy the finer things, you know what I mean?"

Bruce and Selina shared another laugh before they hugged and kissed each other passionately.

What do you think of what Bruce Wayne did to The Joker? Let me know in the comments below! As always, I'll get the next chapter up and running ASAP. And, as always, feel free to comment and/or vote on this or any other part of this story. Thanks!