Clap, clap, clap~
Applause.
Obviously, only Joker was applauding. The red paint at the corners of his mouth and the white cream smeared across his face were glaringly eye-catching.
Black Mask was no longer the wealthy Roman, but an unheard-of green-haired freak.
Like a lunatic who had escaped from an asylum.
The Asian man calling himself Toyman looked much more "calm," but the insane grin at the corners of his mouth made it obvious that he was another madman.
Joker stood beside Electrocutioner's corpse.
He tucked the pistol back into his coat, then stuck out his tongue and lightly licked the cream-covered knife, deliberately cutting his tongue until it bled.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Joker laughed even more maniacally, making the other two deeply uncomfortable.
"You know your jobs, don't you? Go kill Batman, or get killed by Batman!!" He roared like a starving wolf in the mountains, and the healed scars at the corners of his mouth nearly split open again.
Firefly hugged his flamethrower and rode the flames through the shattered window, flying into the quiet atmosphere created by snow and the holiday season. He was destined to set this night ablaze as well.
"I'm not interested in this toy brat!"
Bane rose to his feet. He was as strong as a small black mountain, and the silhouette cast by the lights shrouded both Li Zu and Joker.
"But you can't leave!" Bane pointed at Joker, ignoring the knife in his hand and the gun Joker could pull out at any moment.
"Batman is after you. You stay here... be good! Be bait! Wait for him to come!"
A massive hand pressed down on Joker's shoulder. Bane easily lifted him and tossed him into a chair.
"Ha ha ha ha ha!!"
Joker was not angry. He merely sat in the chair and laughed wildly, probably having thought of something amusing again.
Or perhaps he was simply interested in watching Bane fight Batman.
Who wouldn't be interested?
Bane's gaze turned toward Li Zu.
The eyes beneath his mask were like cavalry cleavers on a battlefield, crashing down head-on.
They were full of killing intent.
"You probably won't like a third party... I have something to do~"
Li Zu pointed toward the door.
He tactfully left under Bane's look of wanting to deal with the nuisance first.
"Bye-bye, ha ha ha ha~" Joker sat in the chair, laughing at Li Zu.
Bane had trapped him in the chair, but Li Zu knew very well that Joker was sitting there obediently only because he thought it would be more fun that way.
As for why? Lunatics never needed reasons for their actions.
"But I need a target."
Li Zu looked at the world exploration progress. It had already reached 62%, and his journey of exploration still had to continue.
He walked out of the "conference room," where the defenses outside were tight.
The men pacing back and forth belonged to Black Mask and Bane.
When they saw Li Zu approaching, they automatically split into two lines and made way for him.
"Black Mask" had personally led Li Zu into the conference room earlier. They would not pretend not to see him.
This strange man in a holiday hat, holding a toy gun in one hand and a toy knife in the other, was also one of the "killers"—at least, that was what they assumed.
"So being a villain has its perks too~"
The usually fierce-looking thugs stood obediently to either side and made way for him. One little giant even pressed open the elevator doors and respectfully invited Li Zu inside.
Li Zu entered the elevator with satisfaction. Just as the doors were about to close,
he stuck out his hand and stopped them.
Under the little giant's puzzled gaze, Li Zu leaned out and tilted his head. "Excuse me... how do I get to the Gotham Police Department?"
The full moon.
Falling snow.
Time: 02:04.
A figure in a holiday hat staggered along the sidewalk.
The road was quiet. Aside from the falling snow, only a flock of pigeons fluttered overhead.
Explosions erupting all around had startled them, leaving them nowhere to land.
Ding~
The red light came on, and Li Zu stopped quietly before the crosswalk.
The red light lasted two minutes.
There were no passing cars, yet he still obeyed the traffic rules.
Boom!
An explosion rang out.
Li Zu turned his head and watched a twenty-story building only one block away collapse with a deafening crash.
The building tilted over, and the ground shook violently.
The pressure wave swept down the street and slammed into Li Zu's back, making his clothes flap loudly.
The red holiday hat was blown away by the dust-filled gale.
Li Zu raised a hand, caught the hat, and pressed it back onto his head. "Joker~"
Before leaving City Hall, he had seen a remote control beside Joker, each one marked with a skull.
Once the wind died down,
and the light turned green, Li Zu finally stepped onto the crosswalk.
Gotham Police Department.
The LED sign flickered constantly, dimming and lighting up again.
Even from the entrance, he could hear the cheers inside. They were celebrating the holiday... even though the Blackgate Penitentiary riot had happened not long ago.
Li Zu pushed open the door.
"What a cheerful atmosphere~"
The merriment beyond the door came to an abrupt halt. Officers in uniform, wearing holiday bows and biting red-and-white candy canes, froze and turned to look at the figure standing in the doorway.
A dark-skinned officer with bright white teeth walked over. "Need something, poor yellow-skinned friend?"
They only wanted to deal with this man who had interrupted their holiday as quickly as possible.
"I'm here to report a crime."
Li Zu pointed behind him. "Just one block from City Hall, my apartment building was blown down by explosives."
"Oh, so it was an explosion. I thought it was fireworks~" a voice piped up from the crowd.
"Some bastard must be causing trouble again."
"Can't those bastards settle down for the holidays?"
The officers grumbled irritably.
"Blackgate Penitentiary just rioted, and our reinforcements have only just arrived... I just received word that there's been an explosion. An entire building has collapsed."
A voice came from the stairway, drawing everyone's attention. He wore square-framed glasses and had a thick mustache over his lips.
Commissioner James Gordon.
"We need to move now. I have reason to believe this is a premeditated terrorist attack!"
Commissioner Gordon swept his gaze over everyone. "The party is over!"
"Yes, sir!!"
The officers began rushing about in a panic. They threw aside holiday decorations and red hats, grabbed their guns, yanked on their thick police jackets, and charged outside.
"Slow down, slow down~"
Li Zu stepped aside to avoid the flood of officers pouring out.
"You may need to stay here a little longer." Commissioner Gordon walked over, nodded to the few officers remaining behind, then said to Li Zu, "This night is anything but peaceful, but at least it's safer here."
As he spoke, he studied Li Zu's face carefully.
An unfamiliar Asian face.
Gordon was certain he did not know him.
In Gotham, if someone was not a familiar face, at least it meant they were unlikely to pose much of a threat.
"Yes, sir!" Li Zu nodded. As Gordon walked out through the police department doors, Li Zu called out, "Merry Christmas."
"You too."
Gordon adjusted his glasses and left with a forced smile.
Before you continue