Shadow Monarch in DC-Chapter 44: Joker’s Last Laugh.

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Joker's grin stretched wide, his eyes gleaming with twisted delight as he twirled his revolver like a showman.

"Ooooh, I like you already. No monologue? No 'Justice' speech? Just straight to the nightmare fuel!"

His voice practically purred with amusement, but there was an edge of something else. Curiosity. Anticipation.

With a dramatic flourish, he threw his arms out. "Boys, make him smile."

And then hell erupted.

The Gatling guns roared, spewing a hailstorm of bullets, the rooftop shaking from the sheer force. The clown-masked gunmen let out manic laughs, their fingers glued to the triggers, certain that nothing could survive that barrage.

But Arthur was already moving.

A blur. A shadow. A phantom among them.

Bullets ripped through the air, but none found their mark. Arthur weaved between the shots with unnatural speed, his body shifting like a specter. The glow of his Promethium sword flashed, and before they even knew what happened.

CRACK!

A knife-wielding lunatic lunged at him Arthur caught his wrist mid-strike, twisting sharply. Bone snapped like dry wood. The man howled in pain before a brutal kick sent him crashing into a metal vent, unconscious.

Another goon swung the butt of his rifleArthur grabbed it mid-swing, yanking it out of his hands like he was taking a toy from a child. His fingers crushed the metal, bending it like tinfoil, before tossing it aside.

The clowns faltered for a moment. Just a moment.

It was a moment too long.

Arthur raised a hand. Invisible force gripped them like puppets on strings.

BANG!

One of them suddenly turned his gun toward himself, a look of pure terror flashing behind his mask before pulling the trigger. Another thug tried to resist, but his finger squeezed the trigger against his will, unloading into his own squad.

Bodies collapsed. Screams turned into silence.

The remaining clowns scrambled, horror setting in as they realized this wasn't a fight. This was a slaughter.

And Arthur? He wasn't even trying.

Joker's laughter pierced through the carnage, cutting through the air like a blade. It was a raw, unhinged sound, a mix of amusement, awe, and sheer excitement.

"Oh-ho-ho! Now that's entertainment!"

He clapped, actually clapped like he was watching the greatest show on Earth.

"You're definitely not Batsy's cousin, that's for sure!" He leaned forward, eyes twinkling with sadistic joy. "No 'no-kill rule' holding ya back, no broody speeches oh, I like you."

Arthur didn't answer. His glowing eyes cut through the smoke like twin beacons of death. His gaze locked onto Joker.

Then he spoke.

"Arise."

From the corpses of the fallen clowns, shadows twisted and writhed, unnatural forms clawing their way from the void of their bodies, glowing eyes turned toward Joker, empty yet brimming with intent.

The remaining thugs, those still breathing, staggered backward, their bravado and madness draining as they realized they were standing among the dead.

One dropped his gun. Another turned and ran, tripping over himself.

And then, hell broke loose.

The risen shadows attacked, merciless, inhuman. The air filled with screams of men who once reveled in terror, now reduced to prey. throats crushed, bones snapped like twigs.

Blood splattered the rooftop.

A man tried to flee, one of Joker's top goons. A shadow caught him, its hand piercing straight through his chest. Another thug fired wildly before a black hand yanked him off the edge.

It was over in seconds.

And only Joker remained, He just tilted his head, watching.

Then he grinned.

"Ooohohoho! Now that's a party trick!"

He clapped his hands together, reaching into his coat. Click.

BOOM!

A grenade launcher roared, spitting a bright green canister straight at Arthur. The impact detonated on his chest, unleashing a swirling cloud of Joker Toxin...thick, acrid, curling like grasping fingers around him.

Joker cackled. "HA! Have a laugh, will ya? It's on the house!"

And then

A sound cut through the chaos.

Low at first. Unmistakable.

A chuckle.

Then, it grew deep, rich, mocking.

Through the green fog, through the madness, a silhouette emerged.

Arthur was laughing.

Not the Joker's kind of laugh. Not wild, erratic.

No...this was something else. Slow. Cold. Measured.

Like a predator humoring its prey.

Joker's grin faltered for half a second.

Arthur walked forward, untouched, unbothered.

[System Notification: Immunity to Poison. Harmful Substance Cleared.]

The gas dissipated around him like mist meeting an unstoppable tide. His eyes—those damn glowing eyes never left Joker.

Joker chuckled...almost nervous. "Ooooh, that's not fair."

Arthur didn't respond.

His risen soldiers surrounded Joker, now still, like statues. Waiting. Watching.

Joker sucked in a breath. "Alright, alright, you win Round One."

His hand dove into the crate beside him.

And he pulled out a little girl.

She couldn't be older than seven, small, fragile, her cheeks smeared with dirt. Terror twisted her face. Her eyes darted around, her tiny hands clutching at Joker's sleeve.

"Help!" she whimpered, voice shaking.

Joker leaned in, his breath hot against her ear. "Shhh, sweetheart. Don't ruin the punchline."

He turned back to Arthur, his grin splitting wider as he dragged her toward the edge of the rooftop. With his free hand, he pulled out a knife, pressing it lightly against her lips.

"Y'know, I was saving this one for Bats." He sighed, shaking his head. "But, hey! Plans change!"

The moment his foot touched the ledge, Arthur raised a hand.

Ruler's Authority.

Joker jerked. His hand twitched violently...not from nerves, but from raw, unseen force crushing his fingers one by one.

CRACK.

His index finger snapped. Then his middle. Then his ring.

One. By. One.

The little girl screamed, thrashing, but Joker?

He didn't scream. He laughed.

A guttural, broken cackle, each bone-snapping twist only making him shudder in delight. His grin stretched impossibly wide, his breath ragged.

"Ooohohoho, tickles!" He tilted his head, giggling through clenched teeth. "You—You really are...fun!"

Arthur's voice was ice.

"You can smile even wider now."

Joker shuddered violently. His own fingers betrayed him, his own grip tightening around the knife, not on the girl, but on himself.

With a sharp motion

He stabbed himself in the mouth.

The blade pierced through his cheek, blood dripping down his chin, yet his laughter only grew louder, wilder.

His free hand yanked the girl closer, his lips brushing against her ear, his voice a manic whisper.

"Now I get it!"

He licked his bloody lips, eyes dilated with a sick, newfound clarity.

"I know who you are.."

"no you don't." Arthur said calmly.

The air itself seemed to hold its breath.

Joker stood there, grinning, blood still dripping from the corners of his mouth. His fingers twitched inside his sleeve, and Arthur felt it before he saw it.

Something was off.

A shift in the air. A faint metallic click. A presence of pure, reckless intent.

Then

Joker yanked his arm free, revealing the dead man's switch.

"SURPRISE, SURPRISE, CHAMP—WE BOTH GO BOOM!"

And he pressed it.

Arthur for a second thought he was bluffing but it detonated.

BOOOOOOOOM!

The rooftop was consumed in an instant. Fire and raw force erupted outward like a tidal wave of death, swallowing everything in a violent, apocalyptic bloom.

But Arthur was already moving.

Ruler's Authority. His unseen power snatched the child, pulling her into his grasp as his cloak whipped violently in the blast wave.

Then came the shockwave.

Windows shattered. Steel twisted. The very air howled. The explosion didn't just claim the rooftop...it swallowed the entire building.

The structure groaned, a dying beast, before the upper floors collapsed in a chain reaction of destruction.

Debris rained like meteors. Shattered concrete and molten metal plunged through the night sky, swallowed by plumes of fire and smoke.

And then

The ground gave way.

Arthur, still shielding the girl, was swallowed by the collapse.

****

For a moment, there was nothing. No sound, no movement.

Then rubble shifted.

An unseen force throwing slabs of concrete aside like weightless paper. From beneath the mountain of wreckage, Arthur emerged His Cloak tattered.

But still standing.

And, in his arms the girl. Unharmed.

He exhaled.

Then, in a low voice, full of sheer frustration

"Crazy bastard tried to take everyone with him."

His glowing eyes flickered in the dark, scanning the destruction.

Arthur's boots crunched against the wreckage as he stepped forward, still holding the child in his arms. The night burned around him, the remains of the collapsed building a ruin of fire, smoke, and twisted steel.

And then

A sound.

A wheezing, ragged chuckle.

Arthur's glowing gaze flicked to the side.

Joker was still alive.

Barely.

He was half-buried under debris, his suit charred, his left leg twisted at a sickening angle. His right arm was missing from the elbow down, blood pooling beneath him. But the bastard was still laughing.

Through bloodied teeth, Joker lifted his gaze, barely able to focus, but still...still...he grinned.

"Heh... You... are fun, kid. Really fun."

Arthur stiffened.

Joker coughed, blood splattering from his lips. His voice was weak, barely a whisper, but the amusement never left.

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"Don't let... the world.... take that.. from ya."

Arthur's eyes snapped wide open.

/-\

If you Like this story! Check out my other stories! Solo leveling in Westeros.

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If you wish to read more or simply support me than check out my patreon at

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You can Get Access to 3 More Chapters OR 7 More Chapters if you want