Chapter 1658: No Time to Die (21)_2

"You're called Joker, right? Listen, Mister Joker, who seems to have run away from some circus. First, put down that broken gun in your hand. Don't point it at anyone, it's very dangerous."

"Second, let that boy throw away the button he's holding. A kid should not be doing such dangerous things. Lastly, hello, cool hairstyle, where did you get it trimmed and what color number is your hair dye?"

"Ahh…" The Joker drawled, lifting his chin and glaring at Spider Man with his bloodshot eyes. "Are you trying to divert my attention with your words? You know it's not going to work, right? Because this poor boy is about to suffer the pain you and Batman have suffered, and he will forever lose his parents."

"Where did you hide his parents?" Spider Man asked, staring.

"Of course, in a big bomb, hahahaha!" The Joker burst into a manic laughter.

"Later, I will let him press that button in front of Batman and blow his parents to pieces. Then what will Batman do? Will he take this poor boy home?"

"But he could not save that poor child's parents. How would the child view him? Is his aid out of pity or compensation? Does he really think he can replace the child's parents?"

Spider Man shifted his focus to the kidnapped boy. The boy was a lovely white kid, wearing suspenders and a beret, traces of tears on his face and holding a big button in his hand. At that moment, he was bound to a chair, only his fingers could move, and there was a flash of fear in his eyes.

Out of sympathy, Spider Man instinctively took a step forward, but stopped in his tracks a second later.

Then, he sprung from where he was, leaped back two or three meters, quickly stretched out an arm, and the spider silk once again stuck to the ceiling. With an agile stance, he swung to the second floor, blocking Batman, who was about to jump down.

"Don't go." Spider Man glanced back at the scene on stage and said, "The kid is in cahoots with him!"

Joker and Batman were both taken aback.

"Just now, my Spider-sense informed me that there's a huge danger coming from this boy." Spider Man lowered his voice and said to Batman, "This might be a play they have staged together. If you really save him and bring him home, you'd essentially be bringing a bomb back home."

Batman squinted his eyes. He had been distracted by Joker previously, but when he looked at the young boy, he immediately knew something was amiss.

The rope was tied tightly and the skin of the boy's wrists was very tender. But when the rope rubbed against the skin and left a mark, the wound disappeared almost instantly.

"Clayface!" Batman angrily called out the villain's name.

Before Batman can finish his phrase, a "bang" is heard, a huge flower pot flew in a perfectly calculated parabola and smashed directly onto center stage. Just as the dust from the pot began to rise, a figure quickly dropped onto the stage, landing soundlessly.

"Bang!"

Spider Man threw a punch at Joker's chin, followed by a backfall, smashing him to the stage floor.

The seemingly helpless boy finally showed his true identity. Just as Batman had predicted, he was Clayface — one of Gotham's infamous super-villains, who had the ability to take on the appearance of anyone.

Spider Man knocked out Joker, turned around, jumped, and kicked Clayface in the back. But Clayface took the shape of a lumpy mound of wet clay. Although he was soaking wet from being kicked, he rigidly remained on the ground, neither being knocked away nor falling.

Seeing his plot exposed, Clayface quickly fled, leaving Joker to fend for himself. Like a lump of gel, he escaped quickly along the ceiling. Spider Man shot two rounds of webbing but missed. Clayface escaped through a window and disappeared into the night of Gotham.

Spider Man turned back to check on Joker, but by that time, Batman was already standing in front of him. Batman picked up the unconscious Joker from the ground, speaking to Spider Man, "You look around here to see if they really have placed a bomb. I'll take him to Gordon and get him locked up in the asylum."

Spider Man nodded and turned to go about his task.

Batman looked at Spider Man's back. He thought that this boy called Spider Man was like an impeccable assistant who fell from the sky.

Kind, immeasurably strong, agile, and powerful. More importantly, he has a warning ability and wouldn't fall into the criminals' traps easily. Moreover, his principles towards dealing with criminals don't conflict with Batman's. He was just like a natural-born Robin. Batman pondered while getting on the police car with the Joker. He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't notice the pale Joker, supposedly unconscious, with a particularly cruel smile on his face.

Arriving at Arkham Asylum, Batman tossed Joker on the floor of the special care ward. Just as Batman was about to turn and leave, a weak laughter came from behind him.

"Hahahaha ... Batman, Batman! I've said it before. The Batman family and your birds are nothing but a liability to you. Soon you will understand, without them, how free and how great you would be!"

Batman paused and turned around, staring at Joker with a deep gaze. "Joker, What are you planning?"

"Planning? No, no, no, everything is happening naturally, starting with that new little bird you brought back. He will fall into an endless trap, and sooner than you, he will embrace the boundless darkness inherent in human nature."

Batman quickly walked back, breaking Joker's shoulder bone with his elbow, picked up Joker by the collar, and started searching him. Joker struggled fiercely. In the ensuing scuffle, a needle fell out of Joker's clothes.

"What's this?" Batman asked.

Joker was rolling on the floor, laughing as if he was running out of breath, occasionally spitting out a few incoherent words. Batman only heard Joker say, "It's you! You! Batman! You are the darkness of Gotham City! The unshakable darkness!"

"Batman, Batman!" Joker started gasping for breath, it seemed like he was laughing largely or crying bitterly. He bellowed Batman's name, then said, "Those birds under your wings can enjoy a brightness others cannot. That's not justice as you say. In that case, I will let them all share–the darkness!"

"What did you inject into him?" Batman stepped on Joker's leg bone, breaking it. The Joker let out a sharp cry, followed by continuous panting.

"Condensed Gotham rainwater... the real source of pure darkness. Batman, your child will soon become your enemy. Hahahahahahaha!"