"Y-you're Mr. Joker from before?"
Spider-Man looked at that familiar smile and asked uncertainly. At the same time, he became wary, because the body Joker was using looked much stronger than his own. Judging by his clothes, he looked more like a member of the Children's Gang, and they were all tough customers.
"Of course I am." The smiling boy nodded. "How could I miss Batman's invitation to play a game? Looks like you're not doing too well, boy."
Spider-Man rubbed his stomach and sat down on the ground. He had not eaten anything all day. The emptiness in his stomach was gradually turning into a burning pain, and the weakness in his limbs left him unable to stand properly.
"I don't know what the hell is wrong with this city. It's worse than the streets in the Bronx full of homeless people." Spider-Man rubbed his face with one hand. "The order brought by the gangs is absolutely terrible. Nobody cares about the weak. Everyone is left to fend for themselves..."
"But what would you think if I told you this was actually Gotham's best era?" Joker asked as he leaned against a utility pole.
"What do you mean?" Spider-Man looked confused.
"This is an era when gang order still exists." Joker lowered his head, idly playing with his fingers. "There are often shootouts on the streets, but no large-scale bombings or robberies. Adults keep dying, but someone quickly takes their place. Plenty of children starve to death, but there are always strong ones who survive and become part of the gangs."
"Isn't that bad enough?" Spider-Man asked.
"Not even close." Joker shook his head. "The worst part is when even the gangs disappear. What comes next is the era of lunatics. Everything then is ten thousand times worse than