How to Wake Someone in a Fairy Tale

"Hiss..." Roland suddenly thought of something. He looked at Batman and drew a sharp breath.

"What is it?"

"I just remembered something. Doctor Hugo thinks Batman has the superior genes he's always dreamed of. What if he..." Roland paused to think. "What if he locked Natalia up here, then disguised himself as her to get his hands on your superior genes?"

"What the fuck, Priest? Why does your imagination have to be so good?" Killer Croc said, stunned. "Is that something a human being would even come up with?"

"I think it's pretty likely." Roland stroked his chin and struck a sage pose.

"...Professor Hugo does have a strange temperament, but he isn't that perverted," Batman said.

"Hard to say."

As the three of them talked, Roland raised a hand for silence, then whispered, "Footsteps."

"I hear them too," Batman said quietly. "Judging by the sound, whoever it is isn't very athletic."

"Right. Let's set an ambush." Roland slipped into the darkness.

Professor Hugo reached the dungeon he had set up, only to find it empty. He cursed the Maroni Family for failing to keep watch over one woman, then began searching the waterway.

But on second thought, he had no underlings left to use. Apart from the experimental subjects he had made from incurable patients transferred out of Arkham Asylum, he didn't have a single lackey.

After all, lackeys cost money. Ever since Gotham State University had fired Professor Hugo for conducting inhumane, illegal genetic experiments in secret, he had lost his income and fallen deep into debt. Where was he supposed to find anyone willing to work for him?

He had finally found a collaborator in the Mad Hatter, only for the man to turn out to be a lunatic who wanted him to find some supposed "Alice." Fortunately, Professor Hugo had prepared in advance and kidnapped Natalia. Now even she had escaped.

At the thought, Professor Hugo couldn't help sighing.

"Ah... Hm?" Professor Hugo spotted a fresh footprint on the path ahead. Judging by its size, it belonged to a woman.

He smiled. "Give yourself up, Ms. Natalia. You can't get away."

"Sure. Come and catch me, then." The shrill voice sent a chill down Professor Hugo's spine.

"Wh-who are you?" Professor Hugo drew his pistol and aimed ahead. "Tell me, or I'll shoot!"

"Oh, ho, ho... Go ahead and shoot. Even if you fire first, I can still kill you first!" A dark figure drew closer.

A gunshot echoed through the Sewers. The next instant, Professor Hugo felt someone grab him by the throat and lift him into the air.

"Told you shooting first wouldn't help." Roland chuckled. He tightened his grip and choked Professor Hugo unconscious.

[Goodwill Value +70]

"Why make such a production out of catching one man?" Killer Croc and Batman came over and looked at Professor Hugo in his hand.

"It really is Professor Hugo Strange." Batman frowned. "I dealt with him back when I was at Arkham. I never imagined he'd end up like this."

"Yeah. Come on, let's question him and find out what he's doing here," Roland said.

Before long, Batman began interrogating Professor Hugo.

Professor Hugo was a scholar, not a fighter. He couldn't withstand Batman's rough interrogation and confessed everything after only a little pressure.

"The Mad Hatter again." When Batman learned that the Mad Hatter was once more searching for that damned Alice, his expression darkened and murderous intent filled his eyes.

"Let's go. We might as well get rid of him while we're at it," Roland said. He had no fondness for the Mad Hatter either.

There were some Gotham City villains Roland was willing to meet, such as the good-looking ones. The Mad Hatter clearly didn't qualify.

The two immediately headed for the Mad Hatter's location, which Professor Hugo had given them. By the time they arrived, the place was as lively as a concert.

A crowd of people wearing hats were acting up. The moment they saw Roland and Batman, they all attacked.

"That hat's Hypnosis is ridiculous," Roland cursed. It was practically on par with a hypnosis app. Was this thing even scientific?

"Agreed." Batman was troubled too. The people in front of them were ordinary citizens under the Mad Hatter's control. He couldn't treat them the way he treated criminals.

"How about this? I'll draw their attention while you sneak in and take out the Mad Hatter. Cut off the head and the rest will fall," Roland suggested.

"No, I'll draw their attention." Batman had been about to agree, but then remembered that Roland didn't always control his strength. Worried Roland might kill or cripple the civilians, Batman changed the plan.

"I'm nowhere near as good at sneaking around as you," Roland said, taken aback.

"It's fine. I'll find a way to keep them occupied."

"All right, then." Roland turned and ran, taking a long detour before reaching the little wooden cabin where the Mad Hatter was hiding.

"Little bunny, little bunny, open up..." Seeing that Batman had lured away the controlled people outside, Roland kicked the wooden door in.

But he had misjudged how sturdy the cabin was. His kick not only knocked down the door but brought the whole cabin apart. Falling boards buried both men.

"What the hell... Who built this shoddy thing?" Roland shoved a few boards aside and climbed out of the wreckage, hauling up the Mad Hatter, whom a board had knocked unconscious.

"Hey, hey. Wake up." Roland slapped the Mad Hatter across the face, but got no response. "...Don't tell me I have to wake this guy the way they do in fairy tales."

And when it came to waking people in fairy tales, the classic example was Sleeping Beauty.

"The prince kissed Sleeping Beauty on the lips, and the princess woke up happy..." Roland looked at the Mad Hatter. "But he barely has any lips."

After thinking it over, Roland caught a frog in the Sewers and made it kiss the Mad Hatter. Somehow, it actually woke him up.

The moment the Mad Hatter woke, he launched into a furious stream of abuse at Roland.

"Cut the crap and release those people outside," Roland said darkly.

"Their brainwaves are linked to mine. As long as I'm alive, they can't be freed," the Mad Hatter said with a sneer. "They'll only be released if I die. Heh, heh, heh... What will you do?"

"Huh?" Roland blinked. Then he grabbed the Mad Hatter by the neck and twisted his head a full 360 degrees. "Then die. Why bother asking me what I'll do?"