Gordon pulled the handcuffs from behind his waist. The metal flashed in the firelight. He took two steps forward, only for a hand to settle on his shoulder.
"I'll do it."
Li Jie walked past him, his eyes fixed on the mangled mass of flesh on the ground. The Mad Hatter lay there, his features almost unrecognizable, with only the faint rise and fall of his chest.
"Jay, I want to do this myself..."
"I know," Li Jie said. "But you'd better go..."
He gestured behind him with his chin. Gordon followed his gaze. Batman was slowly limping out of the alley through the shadows. His torn cape hung behind him like a shredded flag.
Gordon sighed, nodded, and handed Li Jie the cuffs before running after Batman.
"Bru... Batman."
Gordon stopped two paces behind him. He had never been good with pretty words, and he had no idea what to say. He simply pulled a crumpled cigarette pack from his pocket, put one between his lips, and offered Batman another.
Batman did not take it.
"Natalia survived," Gordon said. "Superman... Supergirl got her to the hospital. You have a lot of good friends."
Batman said nothing.
Gordon lit his cigarette and took a deep drag. The smoke scattered in the morning breeze as he exhaled. The eastern skyline was beginning to pale. Dawn was coming.
"You did the right thing," Gordon said. "That last punch..."
He never finished. A sudden shout from behind cut him off:
"What are you doing! Drop the weapon immediately!"
Gordon froze, then spun around. A dozen meters away, Li Jie stood with his gun aimed at the dying Mad Hatter on the ground.
"Jay?"
Gordon had barely spoken when Batman lunged at Li Jie, like a real bat swooping on its prey. He reached