Face-Off with the Joker

Harvey glanced at his freed hands, then turned around, only to find no one behind him. All that remained was a bat-shaped throwing dart, wings extended in a sharp "V," and a handgun placed silently on the floor.

"Batman?" he murmured in confusion. Realizing what had happened, he quickly picked up the gun and the dart before making his way out.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the building, Avery had just finished securing Harvey and made his way to Bruce's location. Unlike Harvey, who had been handcuffed, Bruce was in a slightly better position—Joker hadn't tied him up.

Using the cover of smoke, Bruce had already slipped out of the main room when Avery appeared. Spotting him, Bruce didn't seem too surprised. "Why'd you go with smoke grenades? I thought you'd—"

Avery shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, nothing special. Just thought I'd try something new. Never used these before—pretty fun, actually."

Bruce stared at him, momentarily speechless. Fun? Having been half-choked by the smoke twice now, Bruce wasn't entirely amused. He raised an eyebrow, surprised at Avery's rare display of playful enthusiasm.

"Where's my gear?" he asked, deadpan. "Don't tell me you came here just to mess around with smoke grenades."

Avery smirked. "I've got everything you need. See this?" He gestured to the door on his right and opened it, revealing an abandoned storage room. In the center, a full Batsuit was laid out alongside an arsenal of equipment—all meticulously prepared.

Bruce didn't have time to complain about his suit being placed in a pile of dusty clutter. He simply nodded, signaling for Avery to guard the door while he changed swiftly into the Batsuit, attaching each piece of gear with practiced precision.

As Batman moved to depart, Avery passed by him, offering a quick warning: "I saw Joker slip away in the chaos just now."

Batman paused, but he figured Joker couldn't have gotten far in such a short time.

The priority now was to find Joker and uncover any clues about the bomb. Batman didn't fully trust Joker's words—while the bomb might be real, its exact nature was anyone's guess. Joker loved to toy with people's minds, so it was impossible to believe him entirely, but too risky to ignore him.

Time was slipping away, and Batman had to act fast.

Meanwhile, just after Batman left, Joker and Avery came face-to-face for the first time.

The sunlight streamed through the windows as they stared each other down, both with eyes as cold as steel. A moment passed before Joker broke the silence, laughing.

"Haha, I thought you might be similar to my dear Bat—but I just arranged this meeting to see for myself. Seems I was wrong—you're no different from me," Joker sneered, his grin widening. "I can tell. Like me, you scorn the concept of 'justice' and see no worth in human lives. So, what exactly is your purpose in staying by his side?"

Joker's lips twisted with a mockingly curious smile. "Or rather, why does someone like him keep someone like you around? I'm genuinely intrigued. You two don't seem like the same kind of people."

Avery appeared unmoved by Joker's assessment. "Whether we're alike or not is hardly your call," he replied evenly. "You think too highly of yourself."

He wore his usual dark attire—a black trench coat, tall and imposing—but today his face was obscured by a blank, featureless mask, hiding any trace of his expression. He stared down Joker, and in a flash of insight, he understood what Joker's real intention was.

"You wanted to meet me?" Avery's tone held a hint of surprise. He couldn't fathom why Joker would go to such lengths just to see him, but then it struck him. After all, he'd stood in for Bruce on patrol more than once. And each time Joker managed to break free, Bruce was itching to personally bring him back. This urge had left Avery filling in often, which meant Joker and he had yet to truly meet face-to-face.

If Joker was aware of his existence, it was natural he'd be curious—especially given his obsession with Batman.

"Looks like Bat's found himself a double," Joker sneered. "And as his most devoted friend, it's only fair I meet his new companion. But now that I've seen you… poor Bat's got himself some lousy friends, doesn't he? Hahaha."

Behind his mask, Avery raised an eyebrow.

He wasn't the type to take offense at Joker's barbs. While being equated to a madman might have insulted most, Avery's self-control was impeccable. He either ignored such comments or, if necessary, took a more… decisive approach. Losing his temper simply wasn't in his nature.

Still, killing Joker wasn't an option—Bruce wouldn't approve.

But something about today struck him as off. Was Joker starting to suspect Bruce's true identity?

His gaze darkened as he replied calmly, "Whether or not he chose well isn't your call, either."

Avery had no interest in prolonging an exchange with a lunatic. Joker, it seemed, wasn't all that interested in him either, finding much more enjoyment in playing his twisted games with Batman.

Avery took a step back, allowing Batman to take the stage.

In an instant, a shadowy figure rushed into the scene and landed a powerful punch on Joker, knocking him to the ground with ruthless efficiency.

It was Batman.

After searching the area and taking down Joker's henchmen, Batman had finally tracked down Joker. He didn't waste time with pleasantries.

"Where's the bomb?" he demanded, gripping Joker firmly.

Joker was reeling from the blow. Few could endure a punch from Batman—he wasn't just strong, he knew exactly where to hit to maximize pain. Joker, for all his cunning, had a fragile body, weakened from years of drug abuse. Though he could still cause chaos, his physical resilience was laughable compared to Batman's other foes, like the Penguin, who had a layer of bulk to absorb the hits.

But Joker's mind was as twisted as ever. What terrified other criminals was a joke to him. Though he let out a yelp when Batman first struck, he quickly devolved into delighted laughter, his pale face contorting with glee.