Nion calmly looked at Joker and his straining smile.

His face stoic under the mask with his visor going full black and his hands in his pocket. The man with the highest authority on the planet was standing still as he gazed at one chaotic mind. Batman and Gordon couldn't move to stop him.

They understood they couldn't stop him.

The time seem to be at a stand still as Nion entered Jokers mind.

With his touch on the mind, he churned the chaotic landscape of insanity. Nion could immediately tell that this mind was not right, at least compared to his. This mind was... broken, shattered even.

The mind was like a broken glass, one that was smashed by a hammer. The pieces were everywhere, some pieces even shattered beyond recognition, some forever lost into the oblivion.

Nion waved his hand, controlling all that chaos to something interactable. The chose churned and condensed into a room with multiple book shelves, about thirty, each a twelve division. But most were in disarray, with books sprawled on the ground, ripped pages scattered about. Some shelves even toppled and shattered.

But some were intact, had books that were neatly arranged.

Nion lifted a book near his foot. this one had a golden cover with plashes of red and blue paint. Nion could already tell that this book was missing few pages, even whole chapters. He opened the colorful book, and could see the memories within.

He saw a women, an intellectual, a bit insane even. Her character, her eyes, her lips. He could tell who it was. He could tell what Joker was feeling. This was Harley Quinn's first interaction with Joker and he was amused. Nion kept flipping the page, going through many memories, each different from other, their interaction in Arkham.

How their twisted love bloomed.

Nion flipped through until he found when Harleen turned to Harley.

Nion looked as Joker dropped her into the chemical vat, one similar to one that turned him. But what Joker expected was someone similar to him, someone criminally insane. However, Harley was different, she was not fully gone.

She didn't have the desire to kill what she loved. He failed at creating another him.

Nion closed the book as the rest were just lost days with many pages missing, or things that he care not to remember. Nion waved his hand, scanning through the many scattered pages and found once that belonged to the book. The pages flew into the book and merged themselves, completing the book.

Nion reached and placed the fixed book back to the shelf and turned to one of the shelves that was intact. He reached for one with black hard cover. He could already tell whose memory this was about. He opened the book and saw Batman punching.

This was one of the many punches he received.

Nion flipped through and saw many atrocities he had committed to attract Batman, once that were so clear and defined compared to Harley. He flipped through the pages and couldn't help but want to not restrain his mind. HIs mind so vast and powerful, comparable to an ocean, letting it unrestrained would leave Joker vegetable.

However, he controlled himself from burning the mind and he placed the book back.

He then scanned the books and lifted them all with telekinesis before he restored the torn pages. The many pages flew back to their own book, torn pages mended together and attached themselves. The books were repaired one by one, some completely, some not. The shelves and years of his life before were put back together as they were the more damaged ones.

The torn pieces were put back together, broken psyche completed.

Nion wasn't even caring for the mental immune system trying to fight him, but a powerful mind like his could not be even graced by a human mind.

However, Nion couldn't fully say that joker would be sane. The mind was too damaged for that, he couldn't heal the broken mind, it needed time to fix itself.

Nion pulled himself out, now out looking at Joker who no longer had a crazed smile but a weird tranquility. He doesn't seem to be responsive, if not for Nion still keeping his force, he would have fallen.

Nion released his grip, letting the man fall to the floor. He then turned to the worried looking Dr. Young, "His mind is in order, but its still fragile. I locked most of his memories as they would cause his mind to collapse again. I hope that you will be able to rehabilitate him before his execution."

"Execution?" Gordon intervened before Dr. Young could.

Nion turned slowly, stating undeniable facts, "Yes, execution. I will be implementing new laws that are more strict with harder punishments. So, execution is in order for most criminals, insane or not."

"That's~" Gordon didn't know what to say.

How could he? How could anyone? He knew all that Joker did. How many times this maniac killed? How many times he had made people suffer for his amusements? How many families had he orphaned? Gordon couldn't for the right of him even argue. Moreover, he wanted the guy gone.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"What!? Sorry, I got no sassy morality and redemption. And you have given him more than enough chances," Nion stated as he turned to Batman with a smirk, "I hope you won't disobey the law. After all, you fight for justice, so does the government."

"..." Batman just had his usual glare.

"I know that you have no killing code, Batman. However, I can't take on that code, I have a planet to manage and killing pest is the only option," Nion stated and turned to Dr. Young. "On that note, I have also fixed most if not all your patients. However, they all would need rehabilitation.

Sorry for making your schedule busy."

Nion was not only browsing though the mind of Joker, but of all the patients in the asylum. They human mind was such a simple and complicated thing. Fixing it was easy but hard at the same time. So, time would reveal the results.

It took time for Dr. Young to understand Nion's statement. When she finally did, "No, no, I should thank you. If they return back to their family normal, that all I wanted," Dr. Young replied, a small smile and relief in her eyes.

"You are welcome," Nion stated.

"Well, can you explain what your thought on human mind from your experience?" Dr. Young inquired.

She wanted to learn more and understand more.

Nion answered many other questions she had about human mind. They both conversed about how the treatment to these patients could be implemented as they walked back to Freeze's cell. Nion saw that Freeze was already ready in his cryo-suit. He hen pointed to the side and a door opened.

"Go through this, it will take you to your hideout," Nion stated, "People will come to assist you with your wife's retrieval."

"How do you know of my hideout? Its not even known to my closest associates," Mr. Freeze remarked.

"Dude, I know where Ivy's underwear is. Don't question me of things," Nion stated, his words of answer causing Freeze to lift a brow. But Freeze decided to not question and walked through the door and it closed behind him.

Nion then turned to Dr. Young, "Then I will take my leave, I don't want to bother you anymore."

"Allow me walk you out, please," Dr. Young stated.

Nion stopped her, "No need, Dr. Young. Take rest for the day, you will need it." Nion then turned to Batman, "Lets go."

Nion flicked his hand and a door appeared next to him. Nion moved to cross but stopped before the door and turned to Gordon. "Gordon, do not waste police force on trying to capture criminals. I have given them an option and I really, really, hope they don't take it."

Nion didn't wait for Gordon to answer and walked through the door, leaving him silent. Batman turned to Gordon and gave his a nod of content before walking through the door. Batman crossed the door and felt his ears again pop due to the pressure difference.

They were now in a dark place, one that was familiar to Batman. Batman scanned the dark cave and found Zion sitting on his scheming table with a juice in his hand.

"Would you like some refreshments, Sir?" Alfred asked with an empty tray.

"No need, Alfred," Batman replied.

"I understand, sir," Alfred turned to Nion, "Would you like anything else, sir?"

"No need, Alfred," Nion replied as he chucked the rest of the juice. "I need to go home and get some sleep."

Alfred received the glass and gave a comment, "At least one of you have a regular sleeping cycle."

"I know," Nion commented as a door opened next to him, "Good night, Alfred. Maybe I will allow you to execute Joker."

"I would very much appreciate it, sir," Alfred commented as Nion walked through the door.

Alfred then walked up nonchalantly as they both didn't just casually talk about allowing the butler to kill his one hated person.

Batman just looked at the Alfred's vanishing shadow. He then turned and sat on his bat-computer, he didn't want to start a conversation on that. He then surfed through and open a video and audio live. He had left his devices in Iceberg Lounge when the others were dying.

"What is the plan?" A voice very familiar to him.

"What? You want to fight him?" Another voice rebuked.

"We can, with enough power," Another answered.

"So, what's the plan?" The first voice asked.

"We lay low for now and bid our time," the voice answered.

"You want us to surrender!"

"Yes, but we can just walk out of the jail. Just kept the streets clean for now," the other voice said.

Batman listened in on their conversation, the big bads were not here, these were the low level thugs. The Big Bads were having their own little meeting on how to deal with the new situation. But Batman was sure that they will try to find the best way to avoid punishment, by claiming insane.

["○( ＾皿＾)っ Hehehe…"]

Batman looked at the message, a smile try to creep to his smile. Batman was justice in the corrupt system, but if the system would rise to smite injustice, he could only follow. He still held his no killing rule, but he always let the system decide the punishment, he was not above system.

So, this was not against his code.

"How did the conversation go?" A voice asked as Robin appeared out of nowhere.

The boy wonder was wearing the suit Zion had given. He had grown to like the feeling of ease, especially that ability to cloak.

Batman didn't turn, but spoke, "You are getting dependent on the suit. When the suit fails, you will be defenseless."

"I only use it to scare the crooks, the unseen works better," Robin replied as he removed his mask.

Batman turned to Robin, "It is better to hone your skill."

Robin wanted to speak but he swallowed his words, "Okay."

["No need to removed the suit, you can just turn it off. "]

["At least it will give him a way out in tough situation"]

Batman didn't need to turn, he could tell Z.A.I was always listening. He was the greatest detective, others might not fully realize but he did. Z.A.I was already monitoring all of Gotham, included in his globe consciousness.

"Fine, I will allow it," Batman relented.

Robin smiled, "But what about the conversation?"

Batman turned back to the computer, "Nion gave a chance for the criminals to surrender."

"If not?" Robin asked, yet he didn't need an answer.

Everyone on Earth knew that answer.

Batman stayed silent for a moment before stating, "Joker will be executed, so will other criminals of his caliber."

"Really?" Robin sounded even a bit happy, but he quickly realized, "But they will not get their chance to change."

"We do not fight the system, Robin," Batman stated, "We fight to protect the people. If criminal's death won't change a person, I don't see the path to redemption."

['And I am sure, sir Zion knows what he is doing. He already gave Victor and Ivy a way out.']

"Wait, what did he give Freeze and Ivy?" Robin asked, he was out of loop here.

"Victor was offered a cure and job, while she received a similar offer, I do not know about Ivy's situation," Batman answer.

"You don't? Its very rare for you to not know," Robin stated.

Batman went silent, his face hardened.

Yes, it was very rare for him to not know anything or get involved. So, from when was he okay with not knowing? From when he was okay with just knowing the context and not dig deeper? Batman frowned at that realization.

'Since when?'

["Who knows"]

["X﹏X"]