American Comics: Multiverse of Madness

272. Part of Gotham.

After crossing the war zone, Gotham Hospital was finally in sight. Since the Parademons were concentrated in heavily populated areas or battling Gotham's local gangs, this stretch of road allowed Gordon a brief moment to catch his breath.

"How long has it been, Harvey? How long since we last fought side by side?" Gordon stared straight ahead, his voice low and reflective.

"Feels like yesterday, James," Two-Face replied from the passenger seat. His emotions were turbulent as he looked at the shattered streets and the collapsing Gotham. A deep sense of oppression weighed heavily on his heart.

"The last time we shared a ride, I was the one handcuffed in the back seat."

"...Haha."

Gordon let out a dry laugh, though it only made his tongue feel bitter.

"We're not going to survive this, are we?"

Gordon's question sent a chill through the car, plunging the atmosphere into icy silence.

The smell of smoke filled the air, its acrid sting invading Two-Face's nose. For a moment, he didn't know how to respond, feeling as though a massive stone was pressing on his chest, making it hard to breathe.

Looking down Gotham's streets, everything in the distance was consumed by fire and smoke.

One of Gotham's iconic landmarks, Wayne Tower, let out a groaning sound before it collapsed into flames, swallowed by the inferno.

The destruction of Gotham was only a matter of time. The same fate awaited other cities as well. The Parademons were invading Earth in massive numbers, leaving no place untouched. This was just one small snapshot of the war; they could only imagine the horrors other cities were facing.

Perhaps, this time, there was true unity. Maybe elsewhere, in Central City, Metropolis, or Star City, heroes and villains were also joining forces—just like Gordon and Harvey.

After a long silence, Two-Face finally spoke.

"James."

Hearing his voice, Gordon turned his head slightly, only to see Two-Face smiling and holding up a coin.

"Wanna flip for it?"

Seeing the worn-out silver coin, memories flooded back to Gordon.

He knew that Two-Face's coin was custom-made—a 1922 Gotham City commemorative coin, one with heads on both sides. However, one of the faces was scarred, representing the duality within him.

Back in the day, Harvey was Gotham's District Attorney. He fought side by side with Batman, becoming both the light and darkness of Gotham, working together to clean up the city's chaos.

But after Harvey's disfigurement and descent into split personality disorder, he became a man of contradictions. Obsessed with the "two sides" of things, he developed an evil persona and eventually stood against Batman.

But now...

Seeing Gordon staring at the coin in silence, Harvey smiled. The right side of his face, still intact, radiated kindness. "Batman's gone. Now, Gotham's protection falls to us."

Gordon lifted his head, staring at Two-Face's scarred visage, and couldn't help but ask.

"And what does your other side say?"

"He says..."

Harvey's smile grew wider, the left side of his face hideous.

"I'm right."

Then, the two shared a quiet smile.

Harvey pulled a cigarette from his pocket and placed it in his mouth, eyes fixed on Gotham Hospital, which was drawing closer. His gaze lingered on the countless Parademons in the sky above.

Sizzle!

A small flame flickered in front of Harvey, and he turned his head to see Gordon holding up a lighter.

Leaning forward slightly, the cigarette tip caught fire, and Harvey spoke softly.

"With just this car, we're not getting in."

"I know."

Gordon put away the lighter, slowed the car down, and reached for the automatic rifle beside Harvey. But suddenly, the arm he extended was firmly grabbed by another hand.

"This isn't your fight," Gordon turned his head, staring directly at Harvey.

Harvey exhaled a puff of smoke and smiled.

"I know."

Gripping Gordon's hand tightly, Harvey's hand trembled slightly as flashes of Gotham's shattered landscapes passed before his eyes.

"There are still people in the hospital who need your command, James. That's your responsibility. And I…"

He seemed to be mumbling to himself, or perhaps he was asking.

"...Am I still Gotham's White Knight?"

Gordon's heart clenched.

He felt a tightness in his chest, unsure of how to respond to Harvey's question, even though the answer lingered on the tip of his tongue.

Commissioner Gordon couldn't help but wonder, if given another chance, would things be different? If he could go back twenty years and face Gotham's people with a better version of himself, would everything have turned out the same?

Harvey got out of the car on his own.

Crushing the cigarette under his foot, he removed his coat, revealing the black-and-white suit underneath, mirroring the duality of his scarred face—one side black, the other white—representing the good and evil within him. But now, finally, they had come to a unified answer on one thing.

He was Harvey. He was Two-Face. Just like the other reckless individuals in Gotham—supervillains who, even knowing it meant death, defiantly chose to fight.

They all belonged to Gotham. They were a part of Gotham.

If Gotham truly couldn't be saved, then they would be the first to face destruction.

"For Gotham…"

Harvey took a deep breath, watching as the car sped off toward the hospital, and then shouted with both guns in hand.

"Come on, you monsters! Are you disappointed that you can't feel fear from me!?"

Up in the sky, several Parademons, who were attacking Gotham Hospital, heard the commotion.

They turned to see a speeding police car, with Two-Face behind it, yelling and firing provocatively. Without hesitation, their predatory instincts kicked in, driving them into a frenzy. Flapping their wings, dozens of Parademons, like small planes, dived straight toward the police car below.

"I'm right here!"

Harvey shouted as he ran, firing his guns to draw the Parademons' attention.

As he sprinted, with each step, he could hear voices echoing in his ears—voices from long ago, growing clearer with the sound of gunfire. At first, it was just his own muttering, but soon he heard Batman's voice.

"To conquer fear, you must become fear"

Harvey remembered those words from his time working alongside Batman. But back then, he didn't truly understand what Gotham was. Stumbling over something, Harvey fell to the ground but immediately scrambled back to his feet, firing at the Parademons in the sky.

"Why do we fall, Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves up" 

"Come on!!"

Harvey roared, pouring out all his emotions.

But his bullets and firepower were no match for the Parademons' nearly indestructible bodies. In the blink of an eye, they slammed into Harvey like armored vehicles with terrifying speed.

"It's not who we are underneath, but what we do that defines us."

BOOM!

.....

📢30 advanced chapters on p@treaon📢
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273. What Is Hope?
274. Defeated Soldiers.
275. Into the Dream with the Wind.
276. The Master of Dreams.
277. Shazam.