The operation began exactly as planned.
Dozens of surveillance feeds covered my screens.
Traffic cameras. Security cameras. Police drones.
Every major intersection in Gotham was now under my observation.
And in the center of it all—
Three black vans speeding through downtown.
Inside one of them was my target.
The Joker.
I watched the footage calmly as the vehicles tore through the streets, police sirens echoing behind them.
"Unit three, do not pursue aggressively," I instructed through the communication channel.
"If the Joker believes he is being cornered too early, he will change routes."
The officers acknowledged.
Everything needed to feel natural.
Like an ordinary chase.
In reality, the Joker was already trapped.
Eight escape routes had been sealed by police barricades and tactical units.
Which left only one path available.
The exact path I wanted him to take.
Still, I remained cautious.
The Joker was unpredictable.
Not irrational—but chaotic enough to occasionally break patterns.
For a moment I wondered if he might deviate.
But then the van turned.
Exactly where I expected.
I allowed myself a small breath of relief.
"…Good."
The Joker was following the route I had designed.
Which meant the operation had already succeeded.
Several kilometers ahead waited the final stage of the trap.
An abandoned industrial district.
Open streets.
No civilians.
Perfect containment.
I continued watching the feeds as the vans sped closer.
Then finally—
They reached the designated zone.
"Prepare the strike team," I ordered.
Police vehicles emerged from side streets.
Armored trucks blocked the road ahead.
Snipers moved into position on nearby rooftops.
The Joker's van slowed.
For a moment nothing happened.
Then—
A rocket launcher fired.
The explosion slammed into the front of the vehicle, flipping it sideways across the asphalt.
The van skidded to a stop.
Seconds later, the door burst open.
A thin figure in a purple suit stumbled out, laughing loudly despite the situation.
The Joker.
Within seconds he was surrounded by armed officers.
"Drop the weapon!" one officer shouted.
The Joker raised his hands theatrically.
"Well, well," he said, grinning. "Looks like someone planned a party for me!"
He didn't resist.
In fact…
He almost seemed amused.
Which was… unusual.
But irrelevant.
The officers forced him to the ground and placed him in restraints.
The arrest was complete.
I leaned back slightly in my chair.
"…Excellent."
More importantly—
No one else had appeared.
No black cape descending from the rooftops.
No grappling hook.
No dramatic intervention.
Batman had not arrived.
I hadn't fully prepared for what would happen if he did.
Unlike the Joker, Batman was not someone I could easily predict without deeper analysis.
His psychological profile was incomplete.
Which made him dangerous.
Fortunately, the situation had resolved itself.
The Joker was now in police custody.
And this time…
He would not be returning to Arkham Asylum.
Instead, he would be transferred to a secure federal facility.
And shortly after that—
Execution.
Logically speaking, this was the only reasonable solution.
Sending the Joker back to Arkham had repeatedly resulted in escape.
Each escape resulted in more victims.
The cycle needed to end.
Of course, there was one potential obstacle.
Batman.
Batman strongly opposed lethal punishment.
Even for someone like the Joker.
Which meant if he discovered the execution order…
He might attempt to interfere.
But that would not happen.
Not if I prevented it.
With my current Level 12 intellect, designing countermeasures was trivial.
Within minutes, I began constructing an encrypted security system across Gotham's police databases.
A digital firewall.
Multiple layers of encryption.
False information pathways.
Even if someone attempted to access the Joker's transfer records, they would encounter fabricated files.
Incorrect locations.
Incorrect schedules.
Incorrect orders.
In short—
A perfect information maze.
Even the Batcomputer would struggle to penetrate it.
And by the time anyone realized what had happened…
It would already be over.
I watched the screen as the Joker was loaded into a transport vehicle.
Still laughing.
Still smiling.
Completely unaware of what awaited him.
My system interface suddenly appeared.
[CRIME RESOLVED]
Target: The Joker
Points Awarded: 250
My eyes widened slightly.
"…That's… a lot."
Apparently capturing one of Gotham's most dangerous criminals counted as a major achievement.
Which meant the system shop would finally become useful.
But before I could open it—
Another notification appeared.
[WARNING]
A high-level investigator has begun examining the Joker operation.
I immediately understood who that meant.
Somewhere in Gotham…
A man in a black cape was likely studying the situation.
And asking a very important question.
Who had captured the Joker before he could?
Because if there was one person in this city capable of uncovering my existence…
It was Batman.