Lex understood immediately.
Batman and the Joker weren't just enemies. They were opposites carved from the same blade.
Both brilliant. Both relentless.
One chose chaos.
The other chose restraint.
The Joker didn't have superhuman strength. No alien physiology. No mystical gifts. But he'd humiliated Batman more times than Gotham could count—through planning, manipulation, and an almost surgical understanding of human weakness.
He was also a world-class marksman. A frighteningly precise blade fighter. There had been nights when Bruce Wayne had barely crawled away alive.
That didn't make the Joker stronger.
It made him dangerous in a different way.
Batman's greatest strength—his refusal to kill—was also the chain he willingly locked around his own throat.
He brought criminals in alive. Again and again.
If he had been ruthless? Gotham's criminal elite—the Joker, the Penguin—would've been erased years ago. The rest of the underworld would've fallen in line fast.
But Batman chose law over finality.
And that restraint gave monsters second chances.
News of Batman's death had spread like wildfire weeks ago.
Tonight, Lex had reversed that narrative.
As long as Batman stood somewhere in Gotham, criminals hesitated.
Not always out of fear.
But out of uncertainty.
"You want me to take the Batmobile downtown," Lex said slowly, "make an appearance near Wayne Tower, and convince the Joker this isn't worth it?"
Gordon shook his head.
"Not exactly."
He folded his arms.
"I want you here. When he comes. At the right moment."
Lex nodded once.
That was defensive strategy. Controlled response.
"If we pin him here," Lex said, thinking aloud, "we could use the opening to retake Wayne Tower."
Alfred's teacup paused halfway to his lips.
"No," he said flatly. "You're thinking too optimistically."
Lex looked at him.
"Why?"
"Because," Alfred replied evenly, "we don't have the manpower."
Gordon stepped in.
"Your idea's solid in theory. If Joker empties the tower to attack us, we counterstrike."
He spread his hands.
"But with who?"
Lex frowned slightly.
"You're telling me Wayne Manor can't field a team?"
"Not one capable of urban assault against armed resistance," Gordon said. "We're stretched thin just maintaining patrols and perimeter defense."
Alfred added, "Wayne Tower was an office building. It was never designed for combat."
"And most of its upper floors are still crawling with infected."
Lex's gaze sharpened.
"What about the underground armory?"
Alfred's eyes flickered.
"That equipment has already been invaluable."
"Then we need the rest of it."
Lex leaned forward slightly.
"Trust me. We'll need every advantage sooner rather than later."
Alfred didn't argue that point.
He simply said, "We still lack bodies."
"How many does Joker have?" Lex asked.
"Prisoners claimed over two hundred," Gordon replied. "I doubt it's that high. But even if it's half that…"
Lex did the math quickly.
A hundred armed men in a fortified skyscraper.
Manageable.
If approached correctly.
He turned to Alfred.
"Can the Batcomputer access Wayne Tower's systems?"
"Not anymore," Alfred said. "Joker destroyed the servers and severed network links when he took control."
"No remote surveillance?"
"None."
Lex absorbed that.
No digital eyes.
No drone feeds inside.
Blind entry.
Good.
Unpredictability worked both ways.
"I see," he said quietly.
Gordon studied him.
"You're thinking again."
"Yes."
Lex straightened.
"I'll wear the suit again."
Alfred's expression tightened slightly.
"But not here."
Silence.
"We don't wait for him to attack Wayne Manor," Lex continued.
"We hit Wayne Tower first."
Gordon blinked.
Alfred actually stepped back.
"Good Lord," Alfred muttered. "You can't be serious."
"Completely."
"Taking the initiative against a fortified position controlled by the Joker," Alfred snapped, "isn't bravery. It's suicide."
"No one can do it."
Lex met his eyes.
"I think Batman can."
That landed.
Alfred's jaw worked once.
Bruce Wayne was gone.
But the symbol wasn't.
"If you want me to continue being Batman," Lex said evenly, "we change the plan."
Gordon exhaled slowly.
"And what exactly does that look like?"
"I go in alone."
Alfred made a sharp noise of protest.
"Listen," Lex continued, ignoring him. "Joker expects resistance. He expects defense. He expects panic."
"He doesn't expect Batman walking into his front door."
Gordon's brow furrowed.
"You're talking about infiltration."
"No."
Lex's eyes hardened.
"I'm talking about a conversation."
That worried them more than anything else.
"You'll 'talk' to him?" Gordon asked carefully.
"Yes."
"And the rest of us?"
"When you receive the signal, you move."
"With what force?" Alfred demanded.
"Whatever you can assemble."
Gordon looked between them.
"You're insane," he said softly.
Lex didn't disagree.
"Maybe," he replied.
"But if we succeed, we regain the tower, the weapons, and the narrative."
"And if we fail?" Alfred pressed.
"Then Joker attacks Wayne Manor anyway."
Silence fell heavy.
Gordon rubbed his temple.
"You understand I can't order anyone into something like this."
"I'm not asking you to," Lex said.
"Mobilize volunteers. Quietly."
He stepped closer to the desk.
"Batman goes in first. Alone."
Gordon stared at him for a long moment.
"You're gambling everything on shock value."
"Yes."
"And on the assumption Joker wants to see you."
Lex's mouth curved slightly.
"He does."
Alfred's voice lowered.
"You're not Bruce."
"I know."
"You don't know how he thinks."
Lex looked at him steadily.
"Actually… I think I do."
Joker craved escalation.
He craved attention.
He craved proof that the game was still alive.
If Batman showed up at his doorstep instead of hiding behind walls?
He wouldn't resist that invitation.
He'd lean into it.
And when he leaned—
Lex would push.
Gordon finally broke the silence.
"Alright."
Alfred shot him a look.
"You're agreeing to this?"
"I'm agreeing to try," Gordon said quietly.
"If there's even a chance we can cripple him before he moves, we take it."
Alfred closed his eyes briefly.
When he opened them, they were sharp.
"You are both out of your minds."
He set his cup down.
"The best I can offer is remote support."
"No cavalry."
"No backup inside."
Lex nodded.
"That's enough."
Alfred stepped closer, lowering his voice.
"For what it's worth… this is exactly the kind of reckless plan Master Bruce would have rejected."
Lex held his gaze.
"Maybe that's why it'll work."
Gordon let out a long breath.
"Go rest for an hour," he said. "I'll start pulling names. Volunteers only."
Lex turned toward the door.
Alfred's voice stopped him.
"Wait."
Lex glanced back.
Alfred straightened his jacket.
"If you insist on this madness, you'll need to reacquaint yourself with the equipment."
He gestured toward the lower levels.
"Come downstairs."
Lex allowed himself the faintest smile.
Preparation.
Finally.
As they exited the office, Alfred walked beside him in silence for several steps.
Then, quietly—
"You're not trying to replace him, are you?"
Lex didn't answer immediately.
The cave entrance loomed ahead.
"I'm not replacing anyone," he said at last.
"I'm preventing a collapse."
Alfred studied him from the corner of his eye.
In that moment, just briefly—
He almost saw Bruce.
Not in the face.
Not in the voice.
But in the decision to walk directly toward the most dangerous place in Gotham—
And call it strategy.
....
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