Upstairs, Batman figured the timing was about right and was about to end his meaningless argument with Joker when he caught a sly smile in Joker's eyes.
Batman's heart sank, but he had been prepared for this. Compared to Schiller, he was the one who understood Joker better. If Joker dared face him so confidently, he had to have something to rely on.
Usually, this only happened after Joker had successfully pulled off one of his grand pranks and Gotham was on the brink of disaster. Even if Batman wanted to kill the culprit standing before him, he would have to rush off to save the city instead, unable to waste even a second on him.
Though he had encountered this situation often, Joker had miscalculated this time. Batman did need to save the world, but there were plenty of people here who had no intention of letting Joker go.
Batman turned to Bruce and said, "Keep an eye on him. I'm going downstairs to take a look."
Without another glance at Joker, he headed straight downstairs. Joker turned to watch Batman, only to take a kick to the backside the next second. Bruce, who had held himself back for far too long, kicked Joker down the stairs.
Batman stepped over Joker sprawled on the floor. Before Joker could get back up, Bruce hauled him to his feet. Looking up at Pale Rider, Bruce asked, "Do you faint at the sight of blood?"
Pale Rider shook her head, then made an inviting gesture. Her graceful nod and poise made her look as if she were attending a high-society banquet.
"Where did you hide that electric shock device you made before?" Bruce's voice gradually faded into the depths of the corridor.
Once downstairs, Batman quickly deduced what Schiller had done from