"Allen, calm down. The citizens of Gotham City are innocent."
Edward patiently tried to persuade him. For the first time, he felt that he still had a kind side.
Allen said solemnly, "Edward, you kept saying in Arkham Asylum that Batsy was smarter than you. This is your chance to prove yourself. Batsy fell for the trap and got kidnapped. If we can save him, it'll indirectly prove that you're smarter than him and can still firmly hold the title of Gotham's second-greatest mind."
Edward froze. It seemed to make a lot of sense, and he had no way to refute it.
"I disagree. Batman is the enemy of Gotham's criminals."
Cobblepot shook his head in refusal. He had no desire to live under the terror of the bat again.
"When you fought Batsy, weren't you all improving together? Without Batsy, you'd stay stuck where you are and eventually be washed away by the tide of criminals. I hope you recognize yourself for what you are."
"I don't—"
Bang!
Allen had rarely bothered to reason with someone so patiently, yet Penguin showed him no respect and refused to agree.
When reason failed, there was always force.
Allen immediately punched through a solid brick wall, his entire arm sinking into it. Still smiling kindly, he asked, "Can you take twenty years' worth of this fist?"
"I—I oppose anyone hurting Batman. Dangerous elements must be dealt with decisively," Cobblepot said righteously.
"Not bad ideological awareness."
Allen nodded in satisfaction. Sure enough, the foundation of justice was physics.
Edward asked, "What should we do?"
"Kidnap the mayor first."
"Ah!?"
"..."
The rain stopped, and dawn broke.
Inside an abandoned warehouse, a group of masked kidnappers brought in an old man nearing retirement.
He had been sitting peacefully at home when disaster fell from the sky.
Hamilton had been sleeping soundly in the middle of the night when a group of masked burly men broke into his home, knocked him unconscious with a club, and carried him away.
When they pulled off his hood, he saw the three people before him, as well as more than a dozen masked kidnappers.
"Mmph, mmph, mmph..."
He wanted to beg for mercy, but a sock had been stuffed into his mouth. He could only hope it was not someone else's sock. At least if it was his own, he would feel a little better.
One person stepped forward and removed the gag from Hamilton's mouth. He immediately shouted, "Batman, Penguin, Scarecrow, I'm the mayor! Do you know what you're doing?"
"Release me right now, or every police officer in Gotham City will be hunting you down," Hamilton threatened, forcing himself to remain calm.
Cobblepot pressed the tip of his umbrella against the man's nostril and sneered, "Stop playing dumb. Tell me where the real Batman is."
"I don't understand what you're talking about."
A flicker of panic crossed Hamilton's face.
Of course, he knew the Batman before him was not the real one, but he could not reveal that secret.
"Let me administer the torture."
Allen held a gecko in his hand as he walked toward the tight-lipped Hamilton.
"What are you doing? Please stop, don't do that."
In terror, Hamilton watched as the other man stuffed a large gecko into his crotch. He twisted his body in fear and cried, "Take it out! Take it out! Don't do this, ahh, mmh~"
Ah, mmh?
Allen tilted his head and said awkwardly, "I made the old man enjoy it."
Hamilton bit his lip, his body taut. It was impossible to tell whether his face showed pain or pleasure, and the kidnappers all looked at him with disgust.
"Shit, we're torturing you, not servicing you."
Allen said angrily, "Take off his shirt. I'm going to show him the authority of the Minister of Punishment."
The kidnappers were not delicate about it. Rather than undoing the buttons one by one, they simply ripped the shirt off.
Allen then prepared two glass test tubes as thick as arms, each filled with large hornets. He said, "Edward, strap these to both sides of his chest."
"..."
Edward forced himself to do it.
Hornet stings on the chest were the same as breast augmentation.
Hamilton did not hold out for long before begging, "I'll talk. Please stop."
"No, you don't want to talk." Allen took out a large yellow eel and waved it before the old man as he introduced it. "This is a wild Pokémon I caught. Everyone loves it."
Allen held the half-dead eel to his ear and put on a convincing one-man act.
"Mhm, mhm... I'm listening."
"What? Wouldn't that be too cruel?"
"You mean dishonest people should get a taste of the Ministry of Punishment's ten great tortures."
"Maybe we should forget it. I'm afraid a man his age can't take it."
Watching Allen act like he was having an episode, everyone felt a chill run through their hearts.
He was too far gone for treatment. He should just be humanely destroyed.
"I really don't know where Batman is. The people behind this are all wealthy Gotham City residents. There'll be a banquet at Empire Hotel tonight at eight-thirty, supposedly to celebrate some major event."
Hamilton hurriedly gave up the information, terrified that something even more horrifying would happen to him later that night.
"Got the intel. Let's go, let's go."
After Allen left, Hamilton remained alone in the warehouse, tied up.
He waited until evening, when the sound of sirens drew near.
Hope for survival immediately rose in his heart, but the moment he looked down at his chest, tears began streaming uncontrollably down his face.
"Don't come in, don't come in! I have no face left to live! I don't want to live anymore!"
Bang!
The warehouse door was violently forced open.
Commissioner Gordon led the search team inside and spotted the mayor tied to a chair in the center at once.
But the sight before him made the old commissioner blush.
Empire Hotel.
The first choice for the wealthy when holding banquets.
One expensive car after another stopped at the entrance. Bellhops immediately stepped forward to open the doors and welcome the rich guests attending the banquet.
The men wore custom-tailored suits without labels, while the women wore fashionable designer evening gowns. The cheapest things on them were probably the underwear hidden beneath their clothes.
Tonight, Gotham City's wealthy and powerful had all gathered here.
They controlled sixty percent of the entire city's wealth. Excluding the assets owned by ordinary people, everything else belonged to the Wayne family.
As guests continued to arrive, the banquet hall became packed with people.
They formed small circles and raised glasses as they chatted. After all, only those with something in common could get along.
At that moment, a man stepped onto the stage and lightly tapped the microphone with his finger.
Knock, knock, knock...
The entire hall fell silent, and everyone turned their eyes toward the man.
Behind him hung a round clock. In the next second, its hour hand pointed to nine.
Dong, dong, dong...
A series of chimes announced the hour.
"Ladies and gentlemen, in nine minutes, we will welcome a great moment. Every one of you present is a witness. When that day arrives, everyone seated here will have contributed and will surely receive the rewards you deserve."
The man's impassioned speech sent the audience into a frenzy.
They did not merely want wealth. They wanted power as well, and even sought to lay their hands on immortality.
"Kehehehe..."
A sinister, chilling laugh echoed through the banquet hall. A Batman dressed in punk-style combat armor had already descended onto the stage.
More accurately, it was the appearance of The Joker.
"The mad feast begins now."
"Kehehehe..."
The crazed laughter did not frighten those present. Instead, it stimulated every nerve in their bodies, and fanatical expressions involuntarily appeared on their faces.
It was because they were members of The Court of Owls, and The Joker was their ancestor.
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