Chapter 24: Speak Now, or Face Torture

Chapter 24: Speak Now, or Face Torture

"Allen, calm down. The citizens of Gotham are innocent."

Edward patiently tried to persuade him. For the first time, he felt like he still had a shred of kindness in him.

Allen said seriously, "Edward, you always said in Arkham that Batboy is smarter than you. This is your chance to prove otherwise. Batboy fell into a trap and got kidnapped. If we can rescue him, it indirectly proves one thing—you're smarter than him. You'll still hold onto your title as Gotham's second-smartest man."

Edward froze. That… actually made sense. He had no rebuttal.

"I disagree. Batman is the enemy of Gotham's criminals," Cobblepot shook his head in refusal. He had no intention of living under Batman's fear again.

"Think about it. Every time you fight Batman, don't you improve? Without Batman, you'd stagnate, eventually getting swept away by the tide of crime. Face it."

"I still disagree—"

BANG!

Allen had been trying to reason with him, but Penguin refused to budge.

If logic didn't work, physics would.

Without hesitation, Allen punched straight through a solid brick wall, his entire arm buried in it. Still, he maintained a friendly tone. "This punch took me twenty years to master. Can you block it?"

"I— I don't agree with hurting Batman. Any dangerous elements must be dealt with!" Cobblepot declared righteously.

"Good awareness."

Allen nodded in satisfaction. Turns out, physics was the foundation of justice.

Edward asked, "What do we do next?"

"First, we kidnap the mayor."

"...Huh!?"

—

The rain stopped. Dawn broke.

Inside an abandoned warehouse, a group of masked kidnappers had tied up an elderly man nearing retirement.

Disaster came out of nowhere.

Hamilton had been sleeping soundly at home when a group of masked men broke in, knocked him out with a club, and dragged him away.

When they ripped off his hood, he saw the three men before him—plus over a dozen masked kidnappers.

Mmmph…

He wanted to plead for his life, but his mouth was stuffed with a sock. Deep inside, he could only hope it was his own. That would be slightly less disgusting.

One man stepped forward and removed the gag. The moment he could speak, Hamilton shouted, "Batman! Penguin! Scarecrow! I am the mayor! Do you have any idea what you're doing!?"

"Release me immediately! Otherwise, the entire Gotham PD will be after you!" Hamilton threatened, trying to appear composed.

Cobblepot pressed the tip of his umbrella against the mayor's nose and grinned. "Quit playing dumb. Tell us where the real Batman is."

"I don't understand what you're talking about."

A flash of panic flickered across Hamilton's face.

Of course, he knew the man before him wasn't the real Batman. But he couldn't reveal the secret behind it.

"Let me handle the torture."

Allen stepped forward, holding a gecko in his hand, approaching the stubborn Hamilton.

"What are you doing!? Stop! Don't do that!"

Horrified, Hamilton watched as Allen stuffed the large gecko into his pants. His body writhed in fear as he shouted, "Take it out! Take it out! Don't do this! Ahh—Hmm~"

Hmm?

Allen tilted his head, suddenly feeling awkward. "I think I… made the old man enjoy it."

Hamilton bit his lip, his entire body tensed up. His face didn't show whether he was in pain or pleasure, leaving the kidnappers looking at him with disgust.

"Shit! We're supposed to be torturing him, not giving him a good time!"

Allen snapped, "Take off his shirt! It's time to show him the true authority of the Minister of Justice!"

The kidnappers weren't gentle about it. Instead of unbuttoning the shirt, they simply ripped it off.

Allen then pulled out two thick glass tubes filled with wasps. He handed them to Edward. "Press them against his chest."

"...Fine."

Edward hesitantly complied.

Wasps stinging the chest—instant breast augmentation.

It didn't take long before Hamilton started begging. "I'll talk! Please, stop!"

"No, you don't want to talk," Allen said, pulling out a large eel and waving it in front of Hamilton. "This is my wild pet Pokémon. It's very… friendly."

Allen then pressed the half-dead eel against his ear, pretending to have a conversation.

"Hmm, hmm… Oh? You think this is too cruel?"

"What? You say people who lie should experience the Ten Tortures of the Justice Department?"

"You know what? You're right. But I'm afraid the old man might not survive it."

...

The others watched Allen talking to himself, suddenly feeling a deep sense of dread.

This guy wasn't just crazy. He was beyond saving. The only cure was elimination.

"The real Batman's whereabouts—I swear, I don't know! The masterminds behind all this are Gotham's wealthy elite! They're having a banquet tonight at 8:30 PM at the Imperial Hotel, celebrating something big!"

Hamilton blurted out the information, desperate to escape whatever horror awaited him next.

"Got what we needed. Time to leave."

As Allen and the others departed, Hamilton remained tied up in the warehouse.

That evening, police sirens drew closer.

Hope swelled in his heart—until he looked down at his chest.

Tears streamed down his face uncontrollably.

"Don't come in! Don't come in! I can't live like this! I don't want to live anymore!"

BANG!

The warehouse door burst open.

Commissioner Gordon led the team inside. The moment they saw the mayor, their faces turned bright red.

—

Imperial Hotel.

The top venue for Gotham's elite.

Luxury cars lined the entrance as doormen rushed to open doors, greeting the arriving guests.

The men wore custom-tailored, label-free suits. The women donned high-fashion evening gowns. The cheapest thing on them was probably their underwear.

Tonight, Gotham's wealthiest and most powerful figures had all gathered.

They controlled 60% of the city's wealth. And if you ignored the assets of ordinary people, the rest belonged to the Wayne family.

As the guests arrived, the banquet hall grew crowded.

People naturally formed small circles, raising glasses and conversing. After all, only those with common ground could truly connect.

At that moment, a man stepped onto the stage, tapping the microphone with his finger.

Tap, tap, tap…

The room fell silent, all eyes turning toward him.

Behind him hung a large clock.

The next second, the clock struck 9:00 PM.

DONG, DONG, DONG…

The chimes echoed.

"Ladies and gentlemen, in nine minutes, we will witness a moment of greatness. Each of you present is a witness to history. When that day arrives, every one of you will be rewarded accordingly!"

The speaker's passionate speech ignited excitement among the crowd.

They didn't just want wealth. They craved power. Some even sought immortality.

"Heh heh heh…!"

A sinister, bone-chilling laughter echoed through the hall.

From above, a figure clad in a punk-style Batsuit dropped onto the stage.

To be precise, it was the Batman Who Laughs.

"The feast of madness begins now."

"Heh heh heh…!"

The crazed laughter filled the air, but instead of fear, it only thrilled the guests further.

Their eyes burned with fanaticism.

Because they were members of the Court of Owls.

And the Batman Who Laughs… was their ancestor.

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