The images on the television kept flickering with static, the chaotic colors of the museum contrasted sharply with the darkness on the other side, like two different worlds separated by a pane of glass.
Unable to pinpoint the location of the Joker and the victims, it could only be seen that they were somewhere underground. But in Gotham, the city not only has three sets of sewers built in different periods, but even many basements have been illegally connected.
Connecting basements of different buildings forms a new network, which has many benefits.
For instance, drug mules moving underground are definitely safer, and it's also easier for illegal immigrants to evade immigration officers. And in cases like now, when planning some conspiracy without a fixed base, just find any basement.
Most of Gotham's illegal immigrants come from Mexico and South American countries, with a small portion from the Middle East and Africa. Many people still yearn for the Freedom Lighthouse. In their original countries, they had to submit to warlords while producing and trafficking drugs, so why not come to the United States and breathe some free air? What if they get rich and reach the peak of life?
Though in reality, illegal immigrants in Gotham are synonymous with cannon fodder and meat, and none have ever truly succeeded, dying for a dream is not shameful.
Even Batman can't stop such things, who doesn't have dreams?
He only set up surveillance on the ground, mainly to force those yearning for the darkness back underground, since ordinary citizens live only on the ground. By separating their living spaces, they won't intersect, and ordinary people won't be harmed.
Alas, even Batman can't have everything go his way.
Joker on the other side of the television didn't care what Batman was thinking. He had Catwoman and Barbara in his hands, so Batman had to play with him.
Dare Batman deal with Luthor and ignore him? Then rip the ticket!
Dare Batman go after Mad Laugh and ignore him? Rip the ticket!
If Batman leaves the city? Rip the ticket!
Isn't it simple? Even a newly minted kidnapper can do such things, let alone the so-called king of crime, the Joker.
Anything of value to Batman is a pawn to Joker. Joker also learned about the Mad Laugh blowing up the Hall of Justice through Nameless still lurking there.
No satellites, no high-tech? No problem, Green Arrow could only purchase Cold War-era Fur Bear products, while Joker managed to obtain current US Army radio sets.
Gotham is less than 400 km in a straight line from Washington D.C., and advanced military radios have a signal range of over a thousand kilometers. Old methods like carrier communication certainly have their advantages. Joker isn't afraid of having his intelligence intercepted because the mole in the Hall of Justice isn't his, hehehe....
Despite the nuclear explosion causing strong electromagnetic interference, as long as the noise generated was received, Joker could guess what happened over there.
From a certain angle, Joker could understand Mad Laugh because he understood both Batman and himself.
This could be considered a resonance between madmen, though Joker really disliked this point.
"You just got the remote control, then you probably guessed a bit, right? Both of these people are guilty, both want to kill you. One is a fit of rage, and the other one is a plot and scheme," Joker's voice quivered, seemingly trembling with excitement: "I'm your old friend, Batman, and I want to help you, give you an opportunity."
"Opportunity..."
"Yes, an opportunity, hehehe, press the red button, and the left electric chair will be electrified. Press the green button, and the right electric chair will be electrified. The voltage isn't very high; they might not die, although they both have heart conditions..."
"You are wasting your time."
"I know you don't want to kill, but if you don't choose within ten seconds, both will die, hehehe. Although I originally wanted them to live a little longer, you hurriedly started the game. Oh, you really understand me; I always find it hard to refuse your invitation, hahahahahaha...."
"......"
"Come on, choose quickly. I can give you some advice. Choosing the fatty might be better; he has more fat, which roasts well. Of course, the skinny one can work too; he's younger and, perhaps after being electrified, might survive? Such a difficult choice, hehe..."
Joker kept talking to disturb Batman's thinking, also making slurping sounds as he waited for the explosion of comedic effect in that moment.
If Batman was to kill just one criminal, then he would have a reason to kill himself. Dying at Batman's hands, how wonderful.....
"......" Batman looked stern, squinting his eyes.
"Tick tock, tick tock, time is running out, Batman. If you don't choose, soon the current running through them won't be just temporary... I haven't yet seen someone light up like a bulb when electrocuted. Can you really see bones when a human body is electrified?"
A countdown appeared on the remote in his hand, with red liquid crystal numbers constantly changing, and Batman casually tossed it aside.
He then kicked the television flying, and everything went silent.
Yes, this was the way to break the cycle. Because those two were in Joker's hands, playing by Joker's rules certainly wouldn't end well. Even if Batman chose one of them, Joker would never release the other, as it might expose his location.
Once Joker's game ended, the pieces would be worthless, and both would certainly die.
He wasn't interested in watching any human-shaped lightbulb; he wanted to see Batman's choices and reactions in the game. There are funny entertainers who make a living by reacting.
It's hard to joke about others, but people find it easy to joke about themselves; they're always the least guarded about themselves.
Bitter laughter, silly laughter, unconscious laughter, as long as Batman laughed...
And Batman saw through this. As long as he didn't let the Joker see what he wanted to see, he would keep the pieces waiting for Batman to choose, at least allowing both of them to live a little longer.
From the previous conversation, he was certain that he could communicate with the Joker in real time, and that the Joker could see his actions and expressions. The camera must be on the TV.
Smash the TV directly, move to the next room, and avoid discussing the choices here, then the Joker would continue to keep both of them.
Given their current bleeding speed from being tied with wire, they could hold out for a few more hours. Letting Ah Fu quickly pinpoint the Joker's location might mean rescuing them with just an amputation.
Batman continued forward, moving from this room to the next, and here the TV was already on before he entered.
The Joker's head wobbled in the screen, looking at Batman with a very resentful gaze, as if accusing him of 'skipping levels' before.
But in reality, the Joker had long anticipated that Batman would do this, not to mention that he had given a few hints before.
'If they all survive, bad things will happen,' this sentence was a hint; there was a way to keep both of them alive.
In a game, if it starts with a bang, what's the point? At least let Batman find his footing first, only then can he fully immerse himself, hehehe....
Of course, the Joker never spoke empty words. When he said something bad would happen, it naturally wasn't a bluff. However, that was only something visible at the final stage.
"Ah, I really can't do anything with you, oh well, let's start the second level!"
As the Joker's words fell, music began to play in the room, the kind of comical tune that plays when a clown appears in a circus, but Batman's mouth turned downward as he remained expressionless.
"In the second level, I will release some people from the museum, of course, they're all very happy people. Copperhead may be a waste, but his poison-making skills are not bad; your flesh is their antidote. If they haven't tasted your blood in five minutes, they'll all die. What will you choose next?"
With that, the Joker raised a remote control and pressed a button on it, the image on the TV also suddenly changed, revealing a large door deep within the museum.
The door was painted with a large smiling face, adorned with balloons, and splashed with bright colors. As the Joker pressed the button, a large group of people surged out from the darkness behind the door.
These people, both male and female, young and old, wore various attires: company white-collars, students, gang members, homemakers.
Their only commonality was the maniacal smile on their faces, these Smiling Men charged down the hallway like zombies released from a cage, making the door look like a hippie version of the gates of hell.
Batman turned and left immediately. Although he didn't know the exact location of the door on the screen, he already vaguely heard the chaotic footsteps.
The Joker had these hundreds of people inhale Laughing Gas and injected them with the so-called Copperhead Venom, once again placing Batman in a dilemma.
If Batman escapes, these people will die from the poison; but if he uses his own blood to detoxify them, he might fall into extreme weakness.
As he turned to leave, it seemed as though the Joker couldn't see him anymore, but the TV still conveyed his laughter and reminder.
"You only have five minutes! Batman! Five minutes, hahahahahaha....
Batman squinted slightly at the mention; Copperhead's new Venom should be the product of a reaction with the Laughing Gas, after all, with Batman entering this second level, the countdown only began, and the Joker didn't know when Batman would get here before.
This precise 'five minutes' couldn't be given otherwise.
While thinking of things in his mind, Batman's hands moved without pause. After stepping out of the room, he shot a grappling hook and hung upside down on the ceiling.
There are many types of Laughing Gas, some making people laugh to death, some making people only laugh but not die, some making people laugh while being controlled.
Their raw materials are unknown, currently estimated to stem from the Joker's body's Blood of Dionysus, one of the Ten Great Metals, providing self-healing ability but driving people mad.
But that's precisely the weakness. The Joker is "crazily clear-headed," but those affected by the controlling Laughing Gas aren't. Their thinking ability is impaired.
Thus, Batman moved upside down along the ceiling, and the Smiling Men below ran like headless flies, no one even thought to look up.
However, to save these people, Batman couldn't just hang on the ceiling for five minutes; otherwise, he and the Joker would both be responsible for the death of these hundreds of people.
Even if it's the Joker who poisoned them, when such things happen in front of you, it's your responsibility.
When the Joker announced the timer, Batman began counting down in his mind. At this moment, he quietly found a secluded corner to contact Alfred.