"You!"
Batman planted his foot against the wooden door Brad had nearly shut and grabbed Brad's collar with both hands.
"I heard some of that conversation outside! What did you trade?! What did you sell him?!"
"Come on, man!"
Brad clutched Batman's armored forearms and shouted, struggling to breathe.
"You're a businessman too! You understand the rules of doing business, right? How could I disclose a customer's information without permission? Even if we serve different customers, integrity is still integrity!"
"Huh? A businessman? Boss! You know Batman's identity?"
Crane excitedly poked half his body out from behind Brad. Just standing behind Brad made him feel utterly secure now. God! Even Joker could only obediently do business with him, instead of bringing the entire Joker Gang to rob him blind, as they had nearly done to Crane.
In that case, surely Boss Brad could protect him from Batman too. Crane could hardly wait to see Batman taken down a peg.
Thud!
Batman shot a precise punch over Brad's shoulder, striking Crane squarely between the eyebrows. Crane couldn't even cry out before he toppled backward, stiff as a board.
Brad glanced back in disgust at Crane, who was now sleeping like a baby. He looked at him as though he were trash and silently mouthed, "Useless."
"Enough! Do you realize the products you sold Joker will endanger all of Gotham?! Countless people will die because of your weapons, because you sold Joker those damned, dangerous products that don't belong in this universe!"
Batman roared, yanking Brad's turned head back toward him. Filtered through his voice modulator, the roar sounded especially grating. Brad felt as though it would shake the earwax right out of his ears.
"Hold on."
Brad pressed both hands against Batman's chest and pushed him away. Naturally, Batman refused to