Gotham City. Burnside. The Clock Tower
Barbara Gordon is back inside the clock tower in Burnside, ready to be Oracle another time: someone had to coordinate the resistance against the Joker, and she's the most suited for the job. She starts with a public announcement to the whole city of Gotham, explaining how the Bats are back into town and will be out there to help everyone. They will take the city back. Nightwing is happy to hear, and remember, Barbara's voice, and it feels good to be back.
Meanwhile, in the Ace Chemical Processing Plant
The Joker, dressed up in Batman's new costume, designed for a new version of Gotham City, mocks the desires of Bruce: Gotham will never get brighter, or safer. Gotham is a dark place, angry at him for his stupid childish dream, a dream destined to never come true. He's there to tell him that, and the war he waged upon the city is a demonstration that the Joker is right. As Bruce and the clown fight, Nightwing and the rest of the family take out Punchline, giving her to the authorities. It's ending, the Joker lost, and Batman tells him so, but the clown laughs. He just cannot understand.
This war was already over: their fight was never meant to be during the war, but already in its aftermath. He scarred Gotham City once again: he corrupted all the politicians, made the GCPD shut down and especially took the good name of the Waynes and destroyed it for good. No one in Gotham City will ever trust Wayne Enterprises to help people anymore. All the work he did to clean up Gotham, honoring the memory of his parents while trying to make the Wayne name a symbol of light is trash now. The people will not trust Batman to be their savior anymore.
And then, Joker gains the upper hand: he plans to disfigure Bruce's face, so that no one will ever acknowledge him as Bruce Wayne anymore, only Batman. He will have to start from the bottom once again. Right then, a rifle shot cuts Joker in the face: it's Harley, coming to end the whole story once and for all. She already told Batman that she was sick of the eternal fight between them, and this time she would change things: with the explosives Joker prepared, she creates two belts, applying one to herself and one to Joker. Batman will be able to save only one, and the Joker laughs already. He knows the Bat will come for him, and Harley will die.
Batman tells him that if he is quick, he can deactivate the bombs with the gadgets in the suit. Then, with the Joker astonished by his choice, Batman leaves him be and saves Harley's life, with Alfred zombified corpse laughing during the whole scene.
One Week Later, in the Hospital
Batman is in Harley's hospital room: she woke up after some time, after being saved by Batman from a very bold and risky decision. She asks about Joker: Batman knows he's not dead, as he deactivated the bombs Harley planted on him. But now the clown knows that, for the first time, Batman did not care, and was ready to let him die if it meant saving the life of someone different. As he once again held the funeral of his father, this time together with the whole family, Batman knows he must not let his dream die. He will become a better Batman and a better man, and Harley agrees with him.
Somewhere, a mysterious man is a little deluded by Bruce: what would their masters think about it? It's time for Gotham City to choose who should be its protector. It's time for Batman to meet the Ghost-Maker.
