American Comics: Something's Wrong with This Superhero World

Chapter 255 The Deal (Bonus Chapter)

The silence of the forest was suddenly broken. The Joker was hurrying through the dense trees when he suddenly heard a mechanical roar overhead. He looked up and saw Bruce Wayne, dressed in a high-tech suit of armor, descending from the sky and landing steadily in front of him.

The Joker blinked, speechless as he looked at Bruce Wayne's high-tech armor. "Damn it, can't you stop bullying me like this? You could at least wear the regular Batman suit!"

When filming movies or putting on a show, they leave all sorts of high-tech weapons unused, focusing instead on hand-to-hand combat. But when it comes to real fighting, they use mechs to fight against ordinary people like themselves who don't have superpowers, showing no regard for martial ethics.

The clown looked around and scoffed, "There's not even a cell phone signal in this godforsaken place. How did you find me?"

Bruce Wayne stared blankly at the Joker, a cold smile playing on his lips: "You think company health checks are just a simple perk?"

The clown paused for a second, then suddenly realized. He burst into laughter: "Hahahaha!!! I get it! You shameless bastard, you planted a tracking device on me during the physical exam, didn't you?"

"Arthur, are you crazy? Why are you laughing like that? I also participated in the design of the Joker's character. What are you acting for in front of me?" Bruce Wayne said, somewhat speechless. Could this guy be too immersed in the role to get out of it?

"Arthur is dead. Arthur is no more. The Joker lives on now." The Joker looked at Bruce Wayne and said, "And all of this is thanks to you, Batman, Bruce Wayne. Hahahaha~"

"Looks like he really has gone mad." Bruce Wayne said, looking at the laughing clown. "So he's lost his mind. No wonder he dares to go against me."

"Hehehe~ No, actually, I've never lived as clearly as I am now," the clown chuckled.

"I realized that before I wore the clown mask, I was actually living with a thick mask all along. The mask was so thick that I forgot what I really looked like. But when I put on the clown mask, I took off the mask I had worn my whole life, freed myself from the constraints, and understood what my true self really was."

"This feeling is so pleasant~ It makes you want to laugh out loud from the bottom of your heart~ Hahahaha!!!"

"I'll reserve a good spot for you in Arkham, after your lobotomy, of course," Batman said, looking at the Joker who had fallen into maniacal laughter again.

"Catching me doesn't mean you've won, and it won't do you any good. When the time comes, someone will naturally expose your shameful secrets to other superhero agencies."

Bruce Wayne's expression grew even colder: "Do you think I'd let that happen? Do you know how much media I control? Do you know the value of Wayne Enterprises? Do you know..."

"Stop! Don't say anymore. I know you're powerful, but the people you've offended are also powerful. Tony Stark and Harry Osborn are also billionaires and chairmen of super corporations. I'll send them your dirt, and I'm sure they'll be happy to spread it for you."

The clown narrowed his eyes, his smile turning cunning: "Bruce, since we're both intelligent, instead of hurting each other, how about we make a deal?"

Bruce asked casually, "What deal?"

The Joker held up two fingers: "It's simple. First, release Harley. Second, let me go. In return, I'll keep your secrets. How about that, sounds fair?"

Bruce sneered, "Do you think I'd believe you so easily? I need to know what you actually have, whether you have any concrete evidence. Otherwise, how will I know you're not just bluffing?"

The Joker exaggeratedly feigned a hurt expression: "Oh, Bruce, you've broken my heart! We've worked together for so many years, and you don't trust me?"

Bruce wasn't swayed by the Joker's acting, rolling his eyes and saying, "Don't give me that. Evidence, I want to see evidence."

The Joker's expression suddenly turned serious: "You want to see evidence? Fine, but I, Bruce, believe in mutual respect. You'll have to show me some sincerity first."

Bruce frowned: "What do you mean?"

The Joker raised an eyebrow, feigning thought: "Let me talk to Harley on the phone, is that too much to ask? Just one minute, I promise."

Bruce's expression hardened further: "No. Phone calls leave a trace; others might be able to monitor them."

The Joker curled his lip: "They won't even let me make a phone call, how am I supposed to know if Harley is alright?"

Bruce thought for a moment and said, "I can return Harley's clothes and personal belongings to you. That should be enough proof that she's with me. I can also record snippets of her audio for you to listen to, but of course you can't take them with you. That way, the information won't go through the internet, and there's no risk of leakage."

With Bruce Wayne's skills, AI face-swapping and voice-over would be no problem, but Bruce was worried that the Joker might notice something amiss during a real-time video call, while recording would be much easier.

The Joker narrowed his eyes, seemingly weighing the proposal. He never imagined that Harley had actually been rescued by Xiao Xian after being kidnapped by Bruce. After thinking for a moment, the Joker agreed to Bruce's proposal.

Bruce and the Joker arrived at a private meeting room at Wayne Manor. The room was softly lit and decorated in a low-key yet luxurious style.

Bruce took a pile of clothes and trinkets from an exquisitely crafted box and handed them to the Joker: "These are Harley's things."

The Joker eagerly examined the items, confirming they were indeed Harley's. Bruce then produced an encrypted audio player and played a recording. In the recording, Harley's voice sounded somewhat tired, but her spirits seemed relatively good.

After listening, the Joker nodded in satisfaction: "Good, it seems Harley is indeed with you."

Bruce put away the player and said coldly, "Now it's your turn to keep your promise."

The clown grinned and pulled a USB drive from his pocket: "Of course, of course. I'm a man of my word."

He opened his laptop, inserted the USB drive, and played two videos.

The first video shows Bruce brutally beating a man in a dark alley. The man appears to be incapacitated, but Bruce continues to beat him mercilessly.

The second video shows Bruce having a wild party with several men and women in a luxury villa; the scene is quite chaotic and disorderly.

After reading it, Bruce asked expressionlessly, "That's all?"

The Joker shrugged. "Bruce, you underestimate me. This is just an appetizer." He winked slyly. "The real good stuff will be revealed after our deal is completely finalized. After all, a good story always needs some suspense, doesn't it?"

(End of this chapter)