"Madness is often just grief that refuses to die quietly."
---
The Bat-family gathered in the Cave, the largest assembly since Bane broke Gotham's back.
Oracle's monitors flickered, showing shaky phone footage of a new Gotham incident: Joker, laughing in the streets with Harley at his side, bodies already in his wake. The family was gearing up.
But the feeds showed something strange.
Not Batman.
Not Nightwing.
Not even the GCPD.
It was him.
The man who tore open the sky. The one they'd all faced. King.
And he was walking straight into Joker's chaos with nothing but calm footsteps.
The Encounter
Joker's shriek of laughter bounced down Crime Alley. He aimed a revolver at a whimpering hostage when a sound rolled through the night.
THUMP… THUMP… THUMP.
The King Engine.
The laughter died in Joker's throat like a candle snuffed by a hurricane. His eyes darted, hand twitching on the trigger.
King stepped into the light, towering, scar cutting across his left eye, gaze heavy as stone. His voice rumbled low.
"Clowns belong at circuses. Not among graves."
Joker forced a grin, hiding a tremor. "Oho! Big scary man thinks he can play knight. Do you know who you're dealing with? I'm chaos incarnate! I'm—"
The Engine growled louder. Joker's words cracked. His body shook. Why was he sweating? Why did his own laughter sound hollow?
King took another step. "You're noise. And noise fades."
Joker's knees buckled. For the first time in years, Gotham's jester had nothing to say.
Harley Quinn
Harley clutched her mallet, torn between fight and flight. But King's eyes softened as they turned on her.
"Why do you follow a fool?" He asked, not cruel, not angry just direct. "You have wit. Fire. But you waste it chasing a shadow."
Harley swallowed, her grip loosening. No one had ever spoken to her like that. Not Batman, not Ivy, not even the Joker in his rare softer moods.
King extended a hand, palm open. "Stand. Don't crawl."
For a moment, the street was silent but for the rain. Then Harley let the mallet drop with a dull thunk. She took his hand.
The King Engine stilled.
The Family Arrives
From the rooftops above, the Bat-family descended, every member at once. Nightwing first, graceful. Red Hood with his pistols half-raised. Damian's blade gleamed. Tim landed with precision, scanning the scene. Cassandra Cain appeared like a whisper of death, Stephanie Brown behind her. Duke Thomas's yellow light cut the dark. Batwoman flanked the alleys. Bluebird's shock-gloves hummed. Oracle's voice guided through the comms.
And finally, Batman himself stepped from the shadows, cape dragging Gotham's weight behind him.
They all saw the impossible sight: Joker cowering on the ground and Harley Quinn standing — quietly, steadily — beside King.
Jason muttered, "What the hell…"
Barbara whispered, "He… calmed her down? Just like that?"
Batman's eyes narrowed. "Not calmed. Redirected."
King met his gaze, Harley still at his side. "She deserves better than to be a clown's echo. If you truly fight for Gotham's soul, help her find her own."
The Bat-family stood stunned. Even Cassandra, silent and deadly, tilted her head at him.
Batman finally spoke, voice grave: "You've made an enemy tonight. Joker doesn't forget humiliation."
King's scar caught the light. "Then let him remember."
The King Engine rolled once more and for the first time in Gotham's history, Joker ran.
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