A Love Letter to Batman

"Heh... You think I'm afraid of pain?" Victor Zsasz said with disdain.

"Those scars tell me you aren't. But pain isn't the only way to torment someone," Roland said evenly. "You can wait right here."

"Hahaha... You really don't seem like a priest."

"I hope you can still laugh later." Roland took a cigar case from his pocket, pulled out a cigar, then picked up a cutter and trimmed it without haste.

Roland took a drag, exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, and left the basement.

Gotham City Police Department

"What? Victor Zsasz escaped?" Police Commissioner Gilliam B. Loeb frowned at the document in his hands.

"Yes. He dug a tunnel out of Arkham Asylum and slipped away. But from what we found at the scene, he must have finished the tunnel some time ago."

"Then those recent unsolved cases... Looks like he did it. I thought we had a copycat killer," Commissioner Rob said after a moment's thought.

"That's our theory. Victor Zsasz was watched during the day, then snuck out through the tunnel at night to kill. Afterward, he returned to his room. We don't know why he didn't come back this time..."

"Hmph... What a lunatic. At least he only killed poor people, so he hasn't caused us too much trouble." Commissioner Rob rapped his knuckles on the desk. "But if the media finds out, it'll still be a headache..."

"After the Gotham Gazette headquarters was bombed, a lot of smaller papers sprang up. They came swarming in like flies to shit almost as soon as Victor Zsasz's escape was discovered."

"And if we can't catch him, that'll make us look bad..." Commissioner Rob frowned, then said, "In that case... Go get our department's 'star' captain."

"Got it. Brilliant thinking, Commissioner!"

Before long, Gordon, who had been