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Chapter 82: The Joker in Action
Author: Great Demon Spirit
"Mr. Harvey!"
Just as Harvey, who had been keeping a low profile, made an appearance at the reception and was about to turn and leave, he was stopped by Tony, who had been quietly watching him.
"Is there something I can help you with?" Harvey's expression was grim. He was Gotham City's Knight of Justice, a man whose personal code was to fight criminals and protect civilians. But some of Tony's actions made him very uncomfortable.
What was this? Secretly selling weapons to civilians and then letting them fight to the death with dangerous elements?! Then what had he been doing all this time, cracking down on gangs?
"Tony, I don't care what you're thinking, but you've undoubtedly made a huge mistake! The Falcone Crime Family should be dealt with by us, not by sending innocent civilians from the slums to their deaths! How could they possibly fight against vicious gangsters?" Harvey rebuked him harshly before Tony could even speak.
"Harvey... no wonder Batman thinks so highly of you. Sometimes, you two really seem like you were cut from the same cloth..." Tony wasn't surprised. This was the kind of person Two-Face Harvey was before his Corruption, someone who got along very well with Batman.
"How about a little game?" Tony put down his wine glass and took out a coin. "Heads, I'm right. Tails, you're right. From what I hear, you enjoy using a coin to decide things. Relying on luck?"
"I never rely on luck. I make my own luck!" Harvey glared viciously at Tony. "If you don't stop what you're doing, once I have enough evidence, I will formally press charges against you in court!"
Watching Harvey's departing back, Tony kept a smile on his face.
Harvey, the Knight of Justice, the conscience of Gotham City, the friend of the Dark Knight... all of it would soon turn to dust before the Joker. This man who loved to toss a coin and claimed to make his own luck would soon become extremely crazed, deciding everything with the flip of a coin. In Harvey's eyes, luck would become a million times more useful than any belief or ideal.
After fending off many beautiful women who came up to chat with him along the way, Tony, holding a half-empty wine glass in one hand and another full glass in the other, slowly left the lively reception. The people here were laughing and talking, oblivious to the storm that was about to arrive.
Batman had departed for Hong Kong, leaving a window of opportunity in Gotham City. This gave the Joker his chance. He would use a series of murders to force Batman to take off his mask and turn himself in. Otherwise, he would kill one person a day.
Tony had no intention of interfering with the Joker lightly. The people the Joker killed were almost all from Gotham City's upper echelon—the mayor, the police commissioner, and so on. None of these people were clean. If they died, they died. It didn't matter.
"...I just didn't expect you to actually contact me..." Tony took a light sip from his wine glass and handed the other glass to a gangster who had come to deliver something.
Although the gangster forced himself to remain calm, his slightly trembling legs betrayed his fear. He handed Tony a tablet. It was on and displaying a video call.
"Hee hee hee, Tony, you're a very strange person. I couldn't help but contact you. Hmmm, let's just consider this a 'getting to know you'..." The Joker had just finished applying his grotesque makeup. He fussily straightened his messy hair and waved at Tony through the screen.
"You should have come to see me in person. It would be a better way for the two of us to get familiar," Tony said with a grin, but behind his eyes was a hidden wariness. The Joker had sought him out. He had hypothesized this possibility, but he never thought it would actually happen... For the chaotically-minded Joker to have his sights on him was not a good thing.
Before obtaining the Dionysium, the Joker was just an ordinary person; a kitchen knife would have been enough to kill him. But the Joker was a criminal genius, a master at manipulating people's minds. The Knight of Justice, Harvey, was completely guided into his Corruption by the Joker.
Tony acted without restraint in Gotham City, secretly selling weapons to civilians in the Old City. Although no one knew Tony's true purpose, they were all keeping a close eye on him. What did this Mutant want to get from Gotham City? What was his purpose for coming here? Wasn't taking Crane away enough?
"Ooh ha ha ha... If I went to see you, you'd kill me in the next second. No, no, no, don't even try to deny it. I've studied you seriously. You're a pragmatist, always tirelessly pursuing something... Your purpose is so undisguised. In a way, we're the same type of person."
"Me and you, the same type of person?" Tony chuckled in disbelief, looking at the ridiculous face on the screen. "How could I possibly be the same type of person as you? Don't try to influence me with your ideas."
The Joker held a knife, scratching his scalp with it. "No, no, no, I'm not trying to influence you. The only one who can influence you is yourself. It's too difficult to influence a pragmatist with words... Do you know me? Do you know what I am? Actually, I'm a dog, a dog chasing cars... I'm just chasing cars. As for what to do after catching one, whether to bite someone or wag my tail, I don't know either... Hee hee hee..."
"Sorry, but I'm nothing like you." Tony drained his wine glass. Seeing the gangster holding the tablet just staring blankly, he snatched the glass he had just given him and drank it all, bit by bit. "I don't chase cars. But if I ever did catch one, I would definitely bite down hard!"
The Joker scratched his scalp again, looking very troubled.
"Hee hee hee, talking to you is so annoying... Does that mean our talks have broken down?"
"They were broken before they even started... They were broken the moment you started scheming against me." Tony tilted his head. "I haven't even asked you yet, why did you scheme against me? I don't remember provoking you." Tony was also probing, trying to get some answers, but he immediately smiled wryly. It was pointless. With the Joker's chaotic mind, he might claim he had schemed even if he hadn't. He often just did whatever came to mind.
"Ah... maybe it's because of our Dark Knight..." the Joker mused very seriously. "Such an annoying guy, carrying out what he thinks is Justice. So annoying, right? I really want to tear off that false mask of his and see what that face really looks like."
"Listen, I'm not interested in Batman at all. If you want to deal with him, don't drag me into it. I'll be leaving Gotham City soon, maybe even tomorrow. I have no interest in dealing with Batman. If you scheme against me again, I will actually kill you. I'll find you no matter where you run, to the ends of the earth." Tony snorted. The Joker wanted to pull him in to deal with Batman? What a joke. Why would he do something so thankless? He would need Mr. Wayne to step up and handle many future crises.
Besides, he was about to leave Gotham City anyway.
(end of chapter)
Author: Great Demon Spirit
"Mr. Harvey!"
Just as Harvey, who had been keeping a low profile, made an appearance at the reception and was about to turn and leave, he was stopped by Tony, who had been quietly watching him.
"Is there something I can help you with?" Harvey's expression was grim. He was Gotham City's Knight of Justice, a man whose personal code was to fight criminals and protect civilians. But some of Tony's actions made him very uncomfortable.
What was this? Secretly selling weapons to civilians and then letting them fight to the death with dangerous elements?! Then what had he been doing all this time, cracking down on gangs?
"Tony, I don't care what you're thinking, but you've undoubtedly made a huge mistake! The Falcone Crime Family should be dealt with by us, not by sending innocent civilians from the slums to their deaths! How could they possibly fight against vicious gangsters?" Harvey rebuked him harshly before Tony could even speak.
"Harvey... no wonder Batman thinks so highly of you. Sometimes, you two really seem like you were cut from the same cloth..." Tony wasn't surprised. This was the kind of person Two-Face Harvey was before his Corruption, someone who got along very well with Batman.
"How about a little game?" Tony put down his wine glass and took out a coin. "Heads, I'm right. Tails, you're right. From what I hear, you enjoy using a coin to decide things. Relying on luck?"
"I never rely on luck. I make my own luck!" Harvey glared viciously at Tony. "If you don't stop what you're doing, once I have enough evidence, I will formally press charges against you in court!"
Watching Harvey's departing back, Tony kept a smile on his face.
Harvey, the Knight of Justice, the conscience of Gotham City, the friend of the Dark Knight... all of it would soon turn to dust before the Joker. This man who loved to toss a coin and claimed to make his own luck would soon become extremely crazed, deciding everything with the flip of a coin. In Harvey's eyes, luck would become a million times more useful than any belief or ideal.
After fending off many beautiful women who came up to chat with him along the way, Tony, holding a half-empty wine glass in one hand and another full glass in the other, slowly left the lively reception. The people here were laughing and talking, oblivious to the storm that was about to arrive.
Batman had departed for Hong Kong, leaving a window of opportunity in Gotham City. This gave the Joker his chance. He would use a series of murders to force Batman to take off his mask and turn himself in. Otherwise, he would kill one person a day.
Tony had no intention of interfering with the Joker lightly. The people the Joker killed were almost all from Gotham City's upper echelon—the mayor, the police commissioner, and so on. None of these people were clean. If they died, they died. It didn't matter.
"...I just didn't expect you to actually contact me..." Tony took a light sip from his wine glass and handed the other glass to a gangster who had come to deliver something.
Although the gangster forced himself to remain calm, his slightly trembling legs betrayed his fear. He handed Tony a tablet. It was on and displaying a video call.
"Hee hee hee, Tony, you're a very strange person. I couldn't help but contact you. Hmmm, let's just consider this a 'getting to know you'..." The Joker had just finished applying his grotesque makeup. He fussily straightened his messy hair and waved at Tony through the screen.
"You should have come to see me in person. It would be a better way for the two of us to get familiar," Tony said with a grin, but behind his eyes was a hidden wariness. The Joker had sought him out. He had hypothesized this possibility, but he never thought it would actually happen... For the chaotically-minded Joker to have his sights on him was not a good thing.
Before obtaining the Dionysium, the Joker was just an ordinary person; a kitchen knife would have been enough to kill him. But the Joker was a criminal genius, a master at manipulating people's minds. The Knight of Justice, Harvey, was completely guided into his Corruption by the Joker.
Tony acted without restraint in Gotham City, secretly selling weapons to civilians in the Old City. Although no one knew Tony's true purpose, they were all keeping a close eye on him. What did this Mutant want to get from Gotham City? What was his purpose for coming here? Wasn't taking Crane away enough?
"Ooh ha ha ha... If I went to see you, you'd kill me in the next second. No, no, no, don't even try to deny it. I've studied you seriously. You're a pragmatist, always tirelessly pursuing something... Your purpose is so undisguised. In a way, we're the same type of person."
"Me and you, the same type of person?" Tony chuckled in disbelief, looking at the ridiculous face on the screen. "How could I possibly be the same type of person as you? Don't try to influence me with your ideas."
The Joker held a knife, scratching his scalp with it. "No, no, no, I'm not trying to influence you. The only one who can influence you is yourself. It's too difficult to influence a pragmatist with words... Do you know me? Do you know what I am? Actually, I'm a dog, a dog chasing cars... I'm just chasing cars. As for what to do after catching one, whether to bite someone or wag my tail, I don't know either... Hee hee hee..."
"Sorry, but I'm nothing like you." Tony drained his wine glass. Seeing the gangster holding the tablet just staring blankly, he snatched the glass he had just given him and drank it all, bit by bit. "I don't chase cars. But if I ever did catch one, I would definitely bite down hard!"
The Joker scratched his scalp again, looking very troubled.
"Hee hee hee, talking to you is so annoying... Does that mean our talks have broken down?"
"They were broken before they even started... They were broken the moment you started scheming against me." Tony tilted his head. "I haven't even asked you yet, why did you scheme against me? I don't remember provoking you." Tony was also probing, trying to get some answers, but he immediately smiled wryly. It was pointless. With the Joker's chaotic mind, he might claim he had schemed even if he hadn't. He often just did whatever came to mind.
"Ah... maybe it's because of our Dark Knight..." the Joker mused very seriously. "Such an annoying guy, carrying out what he thinks is Justice. So annoying, right? I really want to tear off that false mask of his and see what that face really looks like."
"Listen, I'm not interested in Batman at all. If you want to deal with him, don't drag me into it. I'll be leaving Gotham City soon, maybe even tomorrow. I have no interest in dealing with Batman. If you scheme against me again, I will actually kill you. I'll find you no matter where you run, to the ends of the earth." Tony snorted. The Joker wanted to pull him in to deal with Batman? What a joke. Why would he do something so thankless? He would need Mr. Wayne to step up and handle many future crises.
Besides, he was about to leave Gotham City anyway.
(end of chapter)
