American Comics: Something's Wrong with This Superhero World

Chapter 257 How could they possibly save him? (Bonus Chapter)

At Poison Ivy's house, in the morning, after a night of fighting, Harley, who was in so much pain that she could barely walk, limped over to turn on the TV and then sat down in her seat.

I switched the channel to Gotham News, and on the TV, a blonde news anchor was passionately reporting on last night's big news:

"Last night, our valiant Dark Knight—Batman—once again thwarted the infamous Joker's evil plan to blow up schools and hospitals."

The scene shifts to the exterior of a school and hospital, with the camera panning across cheering citizens.

Upon hearing this, Harley let out a sorrowful sob, but she couldn't look away, while Poison Ivy reached out and took Harley's hand to comfort her.

Xiao Xian wasn't surprised at all when he saw Poison Ivy holding Harley's hand. Last night, it started as a two-player game, but then it turned into a game of Dou Dizhu, where they took turns being the landlord.

However, there is one difference. When Xiao Xian was the landlord, the two peasants worked together and were still beaten so badly that they couldn't find their way back. When the other two were the landlords, although the two peasants were not of one mind and would fight each other, the landlords were still beaten so badly that they could only beg for mercy.

"However, during this thrilling confrontation, the Joker accidentally fell into a pool of chemicals."

A huge, bubbling pool of potion appeared on the screen, then switched to a disfigured clown dressed in a mental patient's outfit, his eyes clearly vacant.

"It is reported that this accident not only severely disfigured the Joker's appearance but also caused immeasurable damage to his mental health. The Joker has been transferred to Arkham Asylum for treatment and supervision."

"No! No! This isn't real!" Harley screamed, grabbing a beer bottle and smashing it against the television. The bottle shattered on the screen, beer and glass shards flying everywhere, but the television stubbornly continued playing; the screen quality was excellent.

"Many believe this may signify the end of the long-standing feud between Batman and the Joker," the anchor continued. "However, reports indicate that some members of the Joker's gang have vowed to inherit the Joker's mantle and become the new prince of crime. Whether peace has truly arrived in Gotham remains to be seen."

Harley collapsed to the ground, wailing. "Pudding...my Pudding, how could they do this to you?" she sobbed, tears mingling with cheap eyeliner, leaving black streaks on her pale face.

"Oh, Harry, darling," Poison Ivy knelt down and pulled Harry into her arms. Harry immediately hugged Poison Ivy tightly, burying her face in her shoulder and sobbing.

"They hurt Pudding. They locked him up," Harley sobbed.

Poison Ivy gently stroked Harley's back, her voice tinged with helplessness and pity: "Harley, you know that Joker isn't worth it. He's a madman who blew up schools and hospitals. Why don't you just come live happily with us here from now on?"

Harley jerked her head up, a flash of anger in her eyes: "You don't understand! Pudding needs me! I have to save him!"

"The Joker had his brain lobe removed by Bruce, so there's no point in saving him," Xiao Xian said. "The Joker you love is just a supervillain character created by Wayne Enterprises, a fictional being played by Arthur."

"No! You're talking nonsense!" Harley shook her head and said, "From the first moment I saw Pudding, I knew he was the one for me."

"You're a psychologist, can't you even do self-diagnosis? Besides, speaking of true love, I bet Poison Ivy feels the same way, right?"

Xiao Xian looked at Harley, whose makeup was ruined by tears, and said, "Both the Joker and Poison Ivy are Harley's official partners, so the world's will should be affected."

Harley was stunned by what she heard. She looked up at Poison Ivy, who was gazing at her with tender and affectionate eyes. Although she was a little reluctant to admit it, Harley did feel the same way she did when she looked at the Joker.

"No, maybe there's something wrong with my love for Pudding, and I've fallen hopelessly in love with Poison Ivy too, but I can't just watch Pudding be locked up in Arkham Asylum by Bruce like a defeated exhibit. I have to avenge him!"

Harley felt a little embarrassed by Poison Ivy's affectionate gaze, but she still persisted.

Xiao Xian waved his hand, projecting Arkham's image into the air and enlarging the Joker's room.

"Actually, it might not be a bad thing that the Joker is locked up there. Arkham is a great place for enlightenment."

The clown in the projection lay blankly in a wheelchair, with a bloodstained bandage above his head, looking completely dazed.

Meanwhile, water was still dripping from the wall above the room, and the murky droplets landed right on the bandage, making Harley feel a pang of heartache.

"Perhaps it was a coincidence, or perhaps it was destiny, but the Joker, whose brain was lobotomized by Bruce, was destined to be demented for life. But coincidentally, the underground room where the Joker was imprisoned was leaking water, and it wasn't just ordinary water, but groundwater with an extremely high concentration of Dionysus factor."

Xiao Xian pointed at the projection and said, "This world is just so unreasonable. Ordinary people die and that's it, but characters in the story, especially heavyweight supervillains like the Joker, can recover by chance even if their brains are cut out."

Similarly, it's easy for Xiao Xian to make Batman suffer; whether it's sterilizing him or breaking his spine, it's not difficult. But if he were to actually kill Batman, that would be a real problem.

Making Batman suffer only requires dealing with Batman, but killing Batman would mean going against the world. As the saying goes, when fortune smiles, the world lends its strength; when fortune smiles, even heroes are powerless. Even a dimensional lord as powerful as him can easily be defeated if he goes against the will of the world.

Harley frowned. "Dionysus Factor? What's that? Can it help Pudding recover?"

Xiao Xian explained, "The Dionysian Factor is a mysterious substance; all you need to know is that it can cure the clown."

"Great, then let Pudding stay there until he's healed!" Harley nodded. "However, I can't let Bruce Wayne get away with this. How dare he turn my little Pudding into this state? I have to make him pay."

"So why didn't you just finish him off with one strike?" Xiao Xian chimed in from the side. "If you'd just killed Bruce with one strike, none of this would have happened."

"I didn't know what would happen next," Harley said with some self-reproach.

"It's alright. I need to collect some corrupted power from Bruce anyway. Do you want to come and help me, and maybe get revenge on Bruce while we're at it?"

Xiao Xian smiled and invited, "To deal with Batman, the top figure in the DC universe, it would be best to bring in some supervillains to help. That way, I'll lose fewer points. It just so happens that Harley Quinn is also destined to take down Batman."

"No problem! I'm in!" Harley replied immediately without any hesitation.

"I'll help too!" Poison Ivy quickly added. She didn't really hate Batman; she just wanted to help Harley.

(End of this chapter)