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Downtown, Jump City. 11:32 AM.
BOOM.
The first explosion shook the ground.
A building on the left—a clothing store—exploded in a massive orange fireball. Glass shattered, flying in all directions like shrapnel. People screamed, ran, some fell.
BOOM. BOOM.
Two more explosions. A car. A light pole. Each was connected to the network of explosives Joker had planted everywhere.
"20 seconds remaining!" Joker screamed from atop the burning car, his arms raised as if conducting a symphony of chaos. "Isn't this magnificent? The music, the fire, the screaming! This is art!"
"Titans, move!" Robin shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos. "Cyborg, find the main device! Beast Boy, Starfire, get people out of the area! Raven, with me—we'll stop Joker!"
The team moved like a trained machine. Cyborg ran toward the nearest explosive, his electronic eye scanning the wires. Beast Boy transformed into a massive dinosaur, gently picking up civilians and placing them away from danger. Starfire flew high, her eyes shooting green energy to destroy the distant explosives.
And Kayleth?
Kayleth stood there, in the middle of the chaos, his swords drawn, staring at Joker.
"15 seconds!" Joker shouted, holding a remote control, his finger hovering over the button. "Who will die first? The mother with her child over there? The old man in the wheelchair? Or—oh!—you, new hero?"
Kayleth smiled a cold, dangerous smile. "Clown. I know everything about you. I've read your file. Watched your stories. You're insane, but you're not stupid. So let me tell you something." He took a step forward, his swords gleaming in the sunlight. "I'm not like them. I don't follow the 'no killing rule.' If you push me, I will kill you. And I'm immortal. Which means I can take all your explosives, still be standing, and cut your head from your body."
Joker stopped. His smile disappeared. For a moment—just a moment—there was something in his eyes. Something dangerous.
"Oh?" he said quietly. "You're... different. You're not like little Batty and his friends. You're..." He tilted his head. "...you're a killer."
"I was," Kayleth said. "And now I'm trying to be something better. But if I have to, I'll go back to what I was. For them." He pointed to the Titans, who were working frantically to save people.
"10 seconds!" Joker screamed, his smile returning, wider than ever. "Well, let's see if you're serious!"
He pressed the button.
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
Four explosions at once. A residential building—full of people—began to collapse. The upper floors broke, started falling toward the street.
"No!" Starfire screamed, flying toward it, but she was too far.
Beast Boy tried, transforming into a giant bird, but he wasn't strong enough to carry a building.
Cyborg shouted: "I can't stop them all! The system's too complex!"
Raven raised her hands, black energy rippling around her. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!" Trying to contain the explosions with a magical shield—
—but there were too many.
Robin looked at the collapsing building. At the people inside. At the time—5 seconds before it falls completely.
"We can't—"
"I can."
Kayleth's voice cut through everything.
Everyone looked at him.
Kayleth walked forward, calmly, slowly, toward the collapsing building. His swords were returned to their sheaths. He looked at Raven. Smiled—a sad, small smile.
"You told me not to die," he said. "But that's what I'm good at."
"Kayleth, no!" Raven screamed, her eyes widening. "Don't—"
But he ran.
He ran straight toward the collapsing building.
Inside the building, third floor.
Smoke was everywhere. Fire devouring the walls. The floor shaking, cracking. People were trapped—a mother with her child, an old man in a wheelchair, a group of teenagers, all screaming, crying, trapped.
Then, through the smoke, Kayleth appeared.
He was covered in burns. His black clothes torn. His skin charred. But his eyes—his green eyes—were sharp, focused.
"Don't worry!" he shouted, his voice hoarse from the smoke. "I'll get you out!"
"You can't!" one of the teenagers screamed. "The building's collapsing! We're all going to die!"
Kayleth smiled—a crazy, confident smile. "You won't die. I'll make sure of that. Even if I die a hundred times."
Then he began working.
He grabbed the old man in the wheelchair—carried him on his back. Grabbed the mother and child with his arm. Shouted to the teenagers: "Follow me! Now!"
He ran toward the window. Kicked it. The glass shattered.
Looked down. Three floors. A deadly fall.
But he jumped.
Outside.
"Oh my God!" Beast Boy screamed, staring. "He jumped!"
Kayleth fell from the sky, carrying four people.
Raven moved by instinct. She raised her hands, black energy exploded from her. "Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!"
A black platform appeared beneath Kayleth—made of pure energy—and caught him before he hit the ground. Lowered them gently, safely.
Kayleth placed the people on the ground. The mother and child were crying, but they were alive. The old man was breathing hard, but he was safe. The teenagers were shocked, but they were unharmed.
Kayleth stood, swaying. His body was severely burned. His left arm was broken, hanging at an odd angle. His face was black with smoke and burns.
He looked at Raven. Smiled. "Thanks... for catching me."
Then he fell to his knees.
Raven ran to him, dropped beside him. "Kayleth!"
"I'm... I'm fine," he said, breathing hard. "Just... give me a second. I'll heal—"
CRACK.
His arm healed, the bones snapping back into place. The burned skin regenerated, became new. In ten seconds, he looked normal again.
He stood, dusted himself off. "See? Good as new."
Raven stared at him. Her eyes—her violet eyes—were full of something. Something he couldn't name.
"You... you're a fool," she said, in a quiet, trembling voice. "You could have—you could have—"
"Died?" Kayleth said gently. "Yes. But that's what I am, Raven. I don't die. And because of that, I can do things others can't. I can save people others can't save." He looked at the survivors. "And they deserve that."
Raven opened her mouth, then closed it. She didn't know what to say.
Then, from behind them, the sound of slow clapping.
Everyone turned.
Joker was standing, clapping, a wide smile on his face. "Bravo! Bravo! That was excellent! The immortal hero! Saves the day! I loved it!" He laughed. "But now, let me ask: How many times can you die before you get tired?"
He pressed another button.
The final explosion.
The building Kayleth had been in exploded completely—collapsed into a mountain of rubble.
Joker laughed, ran toward an alley.
Robin shouted: "Don't let him escape!"
Kayleth stood. Looked at Joker. Then at Robin.
"I'll follow him," he said.
"No killing," Robin said sharply. "You promised."
Kayleth hesitated. Then nodded. "No killing."
(Narrator: He's lying. Completely.)
The dark alley.
Kayleth followed Joker into a narrow, dark alley, surrounded by brick walls. Joker was at the end, his back to the wall, holding a small bomb in his hand.
"Oh, there you are!" Joker said, with a smile. "I was wondering when you'd come. Now, let's play. I have a bomb. You have swords. Who will win?"
Kayleth walked forward, slowly. His swords drawn. "You don't understand, Joker. I'm not like the others. I'm not a hero. I'm a soldier. And I know what happens when you leave a man like you alive."
Joker tilted his head. "Oh? And what happens?"
"More death. More pain. More innocent people die because no one had the courage to stop you permanently."
Joker laughed. "Permanently? You mean... kill me? Oh, I love it! But, would you dare? I mean, Batman didn't. Robin won't. Why would you?"
Kayleth stopped. Directly in front of Joker. Looked at him. At the insane eyes, filled with chaos.
Then said quietly: "Because I don't care what people think of me. I've killed before. I'll kill again. If it means saving innocent lives."
He raised his sword.
Joker pressed the bomb's button. "Well then. Let's see!"
BOOM.
The explosion filled the alley.
Outside the alley.
Robin ran toward the alley, Raven behind him. "Kayleth!"
Smoke filled the entrance. They couldn't see anything.
Then, through the smoke, Kayleth emerged.
He was burned again. His clothes torn. But he was walking.
In his hand, he was carrying Joker's remote control—destroyed.
Robin looked at him. "Where's Joker?"
Kayleth stopped. Looked at Robin. Then said quietly: "He... escaped. Used the bomb to cover his escape. I couldn't catch him."
Robin stared at him, suspiciously. "Really."
"Really," Kayleth said. He didn't blink.
Raven looked at him. Her eyes narrowed. She knew. Felt something. But she said nothing.
Robin sighed. "Fine. But next time, you stay with me. No solo chases. Understood?"
"Understood," Kayleth said.
Robin turned, walked away. "Let's go back. People need our help."
Kayleth nodded. Started walking.
But Raven grabbed his arm.
He looked at her.
She whispered, in a voice so low only he could hear: "You killed him. Didn't you?"
Kayleth looked at her. For a long time. Then said quietly: "If I say yes, what will you do?"
Raven was silent. She studied his face. His eyes. The coldness in them. But also... something else. Something broken.
Then she said: "I don't know."
She released his arm. Walked away.
Kayleth remained standing, in the alley, alone.
He looked at his hands. Saw the blood—Joker's blood—still on them, despite the burns having healed.
(Did I do the right thing?) he thought.
(Or did I just start down a road with no return?)
He didn't know.
But he was certain of one thing:
Joker won't kill anyone else.
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If you like this story! and you wan read more or simply support me than check out my patreon at:
https://www.patreon.com/c/zikou66
You can Get Access to 3 More Chapters OR 7 More Chapters if you wan!
And be sur am happy just by your reading
And be sure I'm happy just by you reading it.
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