Chapter 11: Black Mask

"It seems lively here, Harley. Do you remember this truck? I lent it to you and even provided enough funds for fireworks. More importantly, I gave you crucial information about his return—"

"Enough! Black Mask!"

Harley loudly interrupted Black Mask, grim-faced, approaching him with a baseball bat.

"We were planning to find you, but never expected you'd show up on your own. That's just perfect."

"Heh heh heh."

This harsh, raspy laughter Jekyll thought only existed in stories, yet here was Black Mask, emitting this classic villainous chuckle.

"This truly disappoints me, Miss Harley Quinn. I'm a businessman; integrity matters most to me. We had an agreement: regardless of what you brought back, you were to report to me and repay the debt. But you blatantly defaulted. So now, I have to claim a hefty penalty from you."

Harley Quinn furrowed her brows, emitting a cold hum.

"You gave me false information. I found nothing there. And now you've damaged our base's gate. We haven't even settled that score."

At this point, Harley Quinn looked around, noticing the Joker-clad individuals closing in, revealing a confident, radiant smile.

"This is a democracy now, Mr. Roman Sionis. I believe who's right or wrong should be determined by the majority—sound fair? Those who think this guy with the black mask should die, please raise your hand."

Harley and Dinah confidently raised their hands, but their smiles quickly faded.

They realized none of the Joker-clad individuals nearby raised their hands. Instead, they looked at them with eerie gazes, grinning wickedly.

They were the ones surrounded.

Clap, clap, clap.

Black Mask applauded and then walked to a former Joker's Gang member, casually draping his arm over the person's shoulder.

"You're absolutely right, Miss Harley Quinn—just as you said, the situation should be decided by the side with more people. But, it seems my side has the numerical advantage now."

Harley furrowed her brows, casting a sharp and angry gaze at the surrounding former Joker's Gang members.

"You guys have all been bought by Black Mask, betrayed me, no, betrayed your former leader, Joker?!"

"Tsk tsk tsk, you're being too harsh. What do you mean 'bought' or 'betrayed'? It should be said that compared to someone like you, who only knows how to show off and play house, they can clearly see that I, Roman Sionis, am the true heir to the throne of Gotham's crime!"

As Black Mask spoke, the surrounding former Joker's Gang members began drawing knives, iron rods, and other weapons, inching closer to Harley Quinn and Dinah.

Facing the encroaching former Joker's Gang members, Dinah had a confident smile on her face. Her deep blue, beautiful eyes even flashed with excitement and anticipation.

"Harley, can I go a little harder on these guys?"

"Of course, dear—since the vote seems a bit unfavorable, let's use our hands to even the odds."

Seeing the calm demeanor of the two women, Black Mask's eyes flashed with a chill. Just as he raised his hand to strike, suddenly a bark came from behind him.

"Ah!!! You fucking animal! Let go of me!"

Harley's pet hyena, Bud, lunged forward, fiercely biting Black Mask's foot. While the other former Joker's Gang members' attention was briefly diverted, Harley and Diana acted simultaneously.

Bang! Bang! Clatter clatter!

Harley's baseball bat packed a punch with each swing, targeting either the head or the most vulnerable part of the men. Caught off guard, several strong men were instantly knocked down.

Diana's fighting style was more elegant and precise. She skillfully evaded the attackers' weapons, counterattacking by seizing their arms. In the crisp sound of bones breaking, these men writhed in pain on the ground, unable to stand up.

"Never mind them! Come help me deal with this animal!"

Black Mask's high-end trousers were now soaked in blood from Bud's bite. And this hyena seemed quite smart; upon seeing other former Joker's Gang members rushing to Black Mask's side, it immediately let go and deftly maneuvered between the members' legs, returning to Harley Quinn's side.

"You did great, good boy. You'll get an extra meal tonight."

Harley fondly rubbed the hyena's head before standing up and looking at Black Mask and the visibly panicked former Joker's Gang members surrounding him, flashing a brilliant smile.

Initially about twenty former Joker's Gang members who had turned on them, in the brief skirmish of less than a minute, had already been taken down by Harley and Diana, leaving barely ten standing around the limping Black Mask.

Watching from a distance, observing the situation while lying on the ground, Jekyll couldn't help but feel amazed. Was this the gap between superheroes/villains and ordinary people in this world? Moreover, Harley Quinn and Dinah—or Dinah specifically—hadn't even used any superpowers; their martial arts alone were enough to overpower regular individuals.

From this perspective, his Shaco skillset seemed somewhat inadequate, to be honest.

It seemed clear to Jekyll that the victors of this battle were Harley Quinn and Dinah. After assessing this, he quietly began to crawl towards the door, ready to employ deceptive magic to escape if discovered.

'You lots can play amongst yourselves; I'm just a regular guy who wants a peaceful life and doesn't intend to get involved.'

At this moment, no one noticed Jekyll's movements. Black Mask, panting heavily from the wounds on his legs, scanned the two standing women haughtily and the former Joker's Gang members lying around them. Suddenly, he let out two chilling laughs.

"No wonder you were the old bitch of the Joker, quite formidable. But, I came prepared for this."

As Black Mask spoke, he reached into his suit—joining him, the other former Joker's Gang members exchanged glances and simultaneously reached into their pockets or behind their backs.

Harley and Diana both turned serious, adopting a vigilant stance in preparation for the imminent confrontation. However, what Black Mask and his men produced wasn't weapons but rather small breathing filters.

"Alright, Harley—you mentioned before that I stole the Joker gas formula and that you wanted me to pay patent fees?"

Upon hearing Black Mask's words, Harley's pupils contracted instantly, her face drastically changing.

"Oh no, Dinah, we need to find—"

"Well then, experience it firsthand—my newly produced gas, not the kind of child's play the Joker indulged in!"

Ssshhh—

With Black Mask's words, several holes suddenly opened on both sides of the truck compartment behind him, emitting a strong green gas that swiftly filled the entire abandoned warehouse.

°°°

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