The moment that laughter rang out, the air throughout the surveillance room seemed contaminated by something, and even the blue light from the screens looked a little dirtier.
Batman's body instantly went taut, as though darkness itself had suddenly gained a name and encountered the last thing it ever wanted to meet.
For the first time, Chen Mo saw Batman's entire body seem to enter combat mode without him making a move.
"Joker." Batman's voice was so low it was barely audible.
"Batsy!" Joker spread his arms as though greeting an old friend he hadn't seen in years, the love of his life.
"Oh, my darling bat, you're finally here. And you, Spider-Man, you came too. Red and blue, so talkative, so kind it makes my teeth ache. My God, the two of you standing together make such a picture!"
Chen Mo looked at Joker, then at the real Black Mask struggling wildly in the corner, and suddenly felt that the whole night's affair had reached another level of revolting.
"So Black Mask set all this up, and you tied him up, hijacked his operation, and used his voice to give us sports commentary? Or were you behind it from the beginning?"
Joker tilted his head and gave it a second of serious thought.
"Oh, no, no, no, I didn't get involved that early. And hijacking? This is called artistic refinement. Black Mask had a venue, hostages, ledgers, a cold-storage room, and two adorable guests, but he lacked soul. You can't expect a mob boss who only knows how to sell people, launder money, and scowl to understand dramatic pacing."
The real Black Mask let out furious muffled noises from the corner.
Joker glanced back at him as though looking at a piece of furniture that could make a racket