Bruce Wayne had never felt so awkward. He was a playboy during the day, comfortable socializing with women, but when he transformed into Batman at night, he always kept to himself.
Although today was special—he wore the Bat-Suit to capture the Joker in broad daylight—he still acted alone.
But just moments ago, while he was subduing the Joker, a man and a woman appeared next to him, offering commentary:
"Uppercut! So cool, Batman! Joker, cheer up and seize the chance to counterattack!"
"Paddy, how do you think I performed today? Did I give you a cool enough appearance?"
"Swing punch! Joker, watch out, dodge to the left! Batman is going to hit your right kidney!"
"Paddy, you have to reward me well tonight!"
"Batman, squat! The Joker is taking out his bomb! Wow, what a strong waist!"
"Paddy, I bought a very sexy swimsuit~"
Connors sometimes reminded Batman and sometimes helped the Joker predict danger. Harley Quinn next to him clung to him like a large koala.
The fight should have been intense and furious, but at this point, Batman and the Joker felt like they were performing a stage play.
Yet, they had to listen to what Connors said. Several times, even the Joker or Batman failed to notice the other's actions, but Connors pointed them out and provided reminders.
As a result, the battle that should have been rapidly changing turned into rigid military boxing due to Connors' intervention.
Batman couldn't stand it anymore: "Enough!"
The Joker also felt like he had become a pet in a cage: "Damn it!"
Finally, the Joker and Batman, who were fighting, stopped simultaneously and glared at Connors: "Whose side are you on?"
Connors waved his hands and laughed: "I'm just passing by, a pure bystander. You guys continue."
Batman suppressed the anger in his heart, ready to swiftly overpower the Joker and capture him, then catch the guy who was causing trouble nearby and demand his purpose.
"Another guy who gives Batman a headache. Why have I never heard of this guy in Gotham City? Well, I have to try to see if I can work with him." The Joker's thoughts raced, but the next second he dismissed the idea of "cooperating with Connors."
Because next to him and Batman, a scoreboard made of plants stood up, and Connors himself controlled the plants to grow a chair and sat on it.
Click!
Connors sat on the chair, holding Harley Quinn in his arms, and took a bite of fruit grown by the power of "Green of All Things" beside him.
He looked so comfortable, as if he were a vacationing guest.
"Batman vs. Joker, the score is already 3:1. You have to cheer up, Joker."
After Connors finished speaking, Harley Quinn laughed unusually loudly, infuriating the two combatants, who wanted to kill the two onlookers.
Batman just wanted to end the battle quickly at this point, but the Joker had already thought about escaping. He reached into his waist, pulled out a smoke bomb, and threw it on the ground.
Thick white smoke instantly covered all four people present.
However, the next second, the plants that had grown above their heads began to sprinkle plant juice like rain from a shower.
The Joker's smoke bomb was ineffective.
At this point, the Joker had just turned and taken two steps. Seeing this, he awkwardly turned back. Having exhausted all his means, he could only raise his hands and declare surrender.
Batman tied up the Joker effortlessly with ropes, used the device on his wrist to call the Batwing, and then looked up at where Connors had been.
However, no one was there, and even the plants that had formed chairs had transformed into the words "Joker Over."
"Alfred, please cancel my trip tomorrow. I want to go find Poison Ivy." Batman said in a low voice while sitting in the Batwing's cockpit.
"Master Wayne, you sound a little angry. Did something unexpected happen during the operation to capture the Joker?" The butler on the other end of the intercom, who was with Bruce Wayne day and night, easily detected that something was wrong from his tone.
"I was merely suspicious last night, but today I witnessed firsthand the guy on the 19th floor of Lake Street's ability to control plants. I have to talk to Poison Ivy. This matter may be related to her."
"Okay… let me see, your plan tomorrow is to have dinner with the K-pop star Seol Hee, who is coming to Gotham for a tour…"
"Cancel it, Alfred." Batman just wanted to find out Connors' background as soon as possible. Such an unheard-of character in Gotham City would never be allowed to appear.
In the recent fight with the Joker, his moves were seen through by Connors many times, who then reminded the Joker. This was something he had never experienced since becoming Batman.
—Except for Barry the Flash, but he only achieves this effect with his amazing speed, and Barry is a positive character.
And this Connors, who helped both himself and the Joker simultaneously, left Batman with no idea whether he was good or evil.
[Today's juicy gossip: The Laughing Man incident (ongoing) - Batman catches the Joker]
[Submit?]
The Laughing Man incident wasn't over yet? Was today's "gossip" just part of the event?
Before Batman could free his hands to deal with him, Connors used his Spider-Sense to leave the scene and sat on the edge of a building roof in confusion.
According to the comic book plot, the matter ended after Batman caught the Joker and stopped the laughing gas from spreading throughout the city via the reservoir.
However, the "gossip system" clearly displayed "Laughing Man Incident (In Progress)." This was somewhat confusing to him, but Harley Quinn next to him muttered to herself:
"Batman has caught the Joker again—but this time, where is he going to lock the Joker up?"
"Arkham Asylum was bombed and is being rebuilt, as is the Williams Medical Center. The Gotham Police Department is the only one left to lock up the Joker."
"But as an old rival, Batman must know that the Gotham Police Department has no way of locking up the Joker…"
Connors awoke from his reverie and understood why the "Man Who Laughs" incident had not ended.
Perhaps being caught by Batman was part of the Joker's plan. Even with someone like him joining the fun, the outcome did not change.
As for Batman, with his style of being well-prepared for everything, he might have already included the Joker, those who escaped Arkham Asylum, and even Connors himself in his capture plan.
In the Gotham forest, in a secret space covered by thick plants, "Plant lady" Poison Ivy Pepper lay in a bathtub.
But even the cold water in the bathtub seemed unable to extinguish the increasingly restless heat in her heart.
This was the first time she had experienced such a strange phenomenon since all the blood in her body turned into chlorophyll. Her eyebrows furrowed deeper, and she could not help but snort.