236-240

Chapter 236: Premeditated Punch! 

"So, this is it?" 

Riddler glanced over at Batman and Catwoman, who were already tangled up with a few other supervillains, and at Joker, pinned down by Two-Face. He calmly walked towards Poison Ivy, reaching out to get his hat and cane back from her. 

"The war's over just like that? How boring..." 

"Nah... not over yet, you bastard." 

"Hm?" 

Hearing Kite Man's voice, the Riddler turned his head, looking surprised. 

The man who had been briefly knocked out was finally awake. Gritting his teeth, he used every ounce of strength to pull himself up off the ground. Through eyes blurred by blood, the world was a gory red mess. 

Blood was still streaming from his nose and mouth, his brain ringing. Right now, his limbs felt heavy as lead, taking every bit of his willpower just to get back on his feet. 

But he wasn't afraid of being knocked down. When he was saving people in the war zone, he'd taken bullets too, had bones broken by soldiers ordered to take him alive, only to be saved later by Batman, who showed up late. But no matter how badly he was hurt, 

no matter how hard the punches were, he'd always pop a candy, get back up, and keep flying the next day to save those who desperately needed saving. 

Because he was Kite Man. Even if folks laughed at him, he'd smile and laugh right along with them. 

He could be used, he could be knocked down, he could be scared, but he had things he stood for. 

And right now, for his son, who'd almost died, Chuck was determined to beat the crap out of the Riddler. 

He stumbled forward unsteadily, swinging his fists at the Riddler again. The Riddler scoffed and threw another punch right at his face. 

Wham! 

Chuck took another heavy hit to the face. It sent blood and teeth flying from his mouth, his consciousness blurring again. He staggered backward, top-heavy. 

Could he get up after this one? 

'Yeah,' Chuck answered himself instinctively. Of course, I'll get up again, but I'm not just gonna stand there. 

I'm gonna beat the Riddler until his own mother wouldn't recognize him. 

"Beat his damn ass, Chuck!" 

Just then, the Freak Biker off to the side suddenly yelled out to Chuck. Instantly, Zsasz off to the side, Firefly in the air, and the Joker on the ground all looked over at him, their eyes wide with shock. 

The sound was practically deafening and snapped Chuck awake. His vision blurred for a second, then refocused. In that split second as he was falling backward, he finally snapped back to consciousness. He shot out his hands like lightning, grabbing the arm the Riddler had punched with, locking it tight with his left arm. 

"Let's see you dodge this, punk!" 

Chuck, roaring in anger, raised his right hand and punched the Riddler, who was locked in his left arm. The Riddler, shocked by Cody's actions, looked at Chuck with utter contempt again. He tensed his abdominal muscles and raised his left fist, ready to trade punches with Chuck. 

Time for you to hit the dirt, bug. 

Wham! 

Crunch! 

Chuck's fist hit the Riddler's gut. The Riddler's fist hit Chuck's head. 

But the instant Chuck connected, the Riddler realized he'd made a mistake. 

"Gah!" 

A mouthful of dark red blood spewed from his mouth. The terrifying force of the punch was like a whirlwind tearing through the Riddler's body. The moment he was hit, he felt like he wasn't trading punches with Chuck, but with a freight train. 

"Ugh! Cough, cough!" He looked at Chuck in disbelief, completely unable to understand what had just happened. 

"Cough, cough. Your... punch, why--" 

"Cut the crap!" 

Chuck, his head spinning, wasn't in the mood to listen to him. He swung back and slammed another punch into his face. 

Wham! 

This punch was lighter than the last, but still incredibly strong. Six or seven of the Riddler's teeth rattled out of his mouth. His jawbone completely twisted and dropped – his jaw was dislocated. 

The Riddler, his face covered in blood, now knew how Chuck felt. The punch left him dazed and disoriented. He stood rooted to the spot, swaying for a few moments. Just as he looked about to fall, Chuck yanked him back up. 

"Not done yet, you bastard." He cursed, taking off his gloves and a ring. 

These two things weren't his. The night before, the Freak Biker had come to see him. 

The night before the big fight, in Chuck's living room. 

"Look, I know you're not much of a brawler, Chuck." The Freak Biker, in his black gear, clapped him on the shoulder. "So tomorrow, when things kick off, you bail right away. No fighting." 

Chuck looked at Cody. He knew his friend was worried about him, so he smiled and gave him a hug. 

"I appreciate it, pal, really. Never had many truly solid friends in my life," Chuck said. "You're pretty much the only one." 

"But I can't promise that. 'Cause I still gotta go find the Riddler." 

He said seriously to Cody, "I gotta find him, then beat his face in 'til his own mother wouldn't know him, and tell him he shouldn't have messed with my family." 

"Come on, you're not exactly some big shot," Cody sighed. "Talking tough like that... anyone who didn't know better would think you were some kind of mob boss." 

He paused here. Looking at Chuck's serious eyes, he thought, 'Guess I can't talk this guy out of it.' So, Cody pulled a pair of gloves and a ring from his black gear and put them in Chuck's hand. 

"Forget it," he said. "When it comes to your family, you're basically a stubborn mule. No point trying to talk you out of it— take these two things." 

"What are these for?" 

"Remember that lollipop? These two things are like that – they've got some special effects." 

Hearing that, Chuck instinctively looked at the ring and gloves in his hand. 

[Boxer's Gloves] Price: 10,000 Asset Points Note: +10 Unarmed Combat Damage Note 2: Setting aside the stats, don't these pieces of gear have any collectible value? 

[Beast Ring] Price: 80,000 Asset Points Note: +20 Unarmed Combat Damage, +100 Health Limit Note 2: Kinda useful, but not much. You and the gloves should sit at the same table. 

If you use the stats system for these two pieces of gear to explain their effects, then the unarmed damage for a normal person is about four points, and health is maybe a few dozen points. But these two together can boost a normal person's unarmed punch strength to over eight times the original, and health can be boosted to over double – which is also why Chuck wasn't knocked out cold by the Riddler right away. 

"Chuck, I gotta warn you," Cody said seriously. "I know you're just an average guy, maybe even a bit of a scrawny chicken. Your single-hand strength is maybe fifty kilos. But you gotta understand, with these two things on, you're not an average guy anymore." 

"Let me put it another way. When you punch someone, hold back a little. You can beat his face to a pulp, but don't kill him." 

Chapter 237: Gotham's Madness: Too Close to Call 

Thud! 

The sound of a fist connecting with a gut was dull and loud. 

"Ugh!" 

Riddler's nearly limp body twitched slightly. This hit made him spit up blood again. Everyone could see how much that one hurt. 

Even without the boost from a ring or gloves, for the Riddler, who was already half-dead, every punch Chuck landed now reopened old wounds, causing internal bleeding. 

"This punch is for kidnapping me!" 

Wham! 

"This punch is for my ex-wife!" 

Wham! 

"This punch is for my son!" 

Wham! 

"This punch is for Kane!" 

Wham! 

"This punch is for Jessica!" 

Kite Man kept raining punches down on Riddler. Zsasz, watching, looked a little confused. He quietly asked Poison Ivy, "Who's Kane?" 

Poison Ivy didn't answer, but Batman, standing nearby, knew what Chuck was talking about – Kane was the kid in the red shirt Kite Man rescued that day, the one who lost his father; and Jessica was his mother. 

"Mercy! Mercy! Stop hitting me! Please! Have mercy!" 

Riddler was practically begging for his life on the ground, but Chuck didn't stop. 

Monty Paul, Silas Freeman, Steve Horwood... With every name Chuck said, his rage grew. Because these weren't the people he'd saved. They were the ones he couldn't save. Men and women, young and old. Each name represented a life. And now? Their lives had been cut short, reduced to nothing more than names on a stone, with nothing else left. 

When Chuck had flown into the war zone to save people, he'd seen lives vanish before his eyes. He thought about his son, who was near death, thought about the bodies he'd buried with his own hands. The rage in his heart was a grinding torment, and his fists rained down punches like a storm, unable to stop. Punch after punch, making blood spray, beating the Riddler until he was almost unrecognizable. 

"Enough, Chuck." Batman suddenly spoke up. "Keep going like this, and you'll kill him." 

But Chuck didn't hear him. He'd completely lost it now, his mind focused only on swinging his fists at the guy responsible for all this. 

"I said, enough." 

Batman moved in a flash, blurring past a few of the super-villains to get to Chuck – partly because they weren't blocking him anymore, of course. He leaned down, grabbed Chuck's fists, finally stopping him from throwing any more punches. "You're a good man, Chuck. An honest man. You're not cut out for killing. You shouldn't have that on your conscience." 

Chuck, held back, blinked blankly, looking around. In that moment, his mind finally started to clear. He saw Batman shaking his head at him, saw the bloody, battered mess of the Riddler below him, saw the Joker lying on the ground, watching the brutal scene with keen interest, saw his own hands, covered in blood... 

He let his hands drop, stood there in silence for a moment, then finally got to his feet and moved away. 

Batman knelt down beside Riddler. While checking his pulse and heartbeat, he secretly slipped him a quarter of a fruit drop. Riddler couldn't die, and it was best not to let anyone see the fruit drop. He had to keep an eye on Chuck, Cody, and Riddler. 

"Alright." He turned to Firefly and Zsasz, who were nearby. "There's no reason for you guys to keep fighting. Riddler and Joker are both done for now. If I were you, I'd head back to Arkham quietly." 

"What are you kidding?" Zsasz sneered. "There are only three of you, maybe four if you count that crazy turncoat bike freak. What makes you think you can take down like fifteen of us?" 

"..." 

Whoosh! 

Batman was about to reply when he suddenly felt a rush of air behind his head. He dropped into a crouch, dodging a sneak punch from the Riddler, then spun around and knocked the Riddler, who'd just started to get up, back down onto the ground. 

"You're tough, Nygma." He said. "But if you don't want another beating, you'd better stay down." 

"No!" Riddler swung his fists, but he wasn't looking at Batman. He was looking behind him. "Batman, get out of the way! Don't block me! I need to see the Joker's face! Is he laughing? He is laughing, right?!" 

Batman frowned and stepped aside, revealing the Joker behind him. "I'm not sure – see for yourself." 

So Two-Face also stepped aside, though the gun in his hand was still pointed at the Joker. And the Joker, who'd been held down, just pursed his lips, got to his feet, and dusted off his suit. Right now, he still had that same glum expression. 

At that, Riddler let out a hysterical roar of fury. 

"No!" 

"You idiot! Why aren't you laughing?! Why aren't you laughing?! You should be laughing!" 

"Why? This should... this should have been enough! I started a war, took you, took Batman, took all of Gotham City out of the picture, and then I lost to... lost to what's-his-name?!" 

"Kite Man!" 

"I was beaten! Beaten up right in front of you! All because of a nobody, a loser named Kite Man! Do you have any idea how much effort I put into creating this failure?!" 

"I had to research him beforehand! I had to drag him into this! Turn him into an informant! I had to kill his kid! I had to get Batman to bring him to fight me!" 

"I also had to know you'd be here! I had to know your backup plan... And then I had to be defeated by somebody – Batman or Kite Man, either one! And then I had to beg him for mercy! And I had to make it look real!" 

"This should... this should have been hilarious!" Riddler grabbed Joker by the lapels, screaming at him in a fury. "You! Should! Be laughing!" 

But Joker just looked at the raging Riddler with a long face and let out a bored "Mmhmm." 

"That's enough." 

Batman's voice was icy cold behind Nygma. At this moment, the rage in his own heart began to burn fiercely, no less intense than Chuck's had been. 

"This has nothing to do with you, you imbecile!" Riddler roared back at Batman. "You're never the main character in this story – not everything has to revolve around you!" 

"You think I can't handle you? You think you're really a problem for me? I could kill you easily! Kill everyone you care about! If I wanted to, they'd all be in a gutter tomorrow!" 

"I have my reasons for letting you live! You were my very first opponent when I was starting out, like a child's first riddle. But it's been a year now! The child has grown up! Riddles like that are no challenge anymore – and you? You're no challenge for me anymore!" 

"I kept you around just because you were the first riddle that stumped me. You were... interesting." Riddler sneered, then turned back to the Joker. "But you! You, the guy who laughs at everything! You can't laugh now! This is my chance." 

"I can solve the Joker's mind! I can figure out everything about you!" 

Chapter 238: The Joker Laughs 

"You're a guy who can be predicted and understood! You're a riddle I want to solve, and can solve! I should have solved you already!" 

"I started this war, then lost it! And you – you should be laughing!" 

While the Riddler was ranting at the Joker, Batman's thoughts scattered. 

He thought about Little Charlie. 

'I was there,' he thought. 'Nygma poisoned him, nearly killed him, just to tell a joke.' 

Meanwhile, Nygma kept babbling at the Joker, "Do you want me to spell it out for you?! Are you really that stupid? Do I need to spoon-feed you all of this?!" 

Batman thought about that kid's tears. As he was dying, he asked his dad if he was going to a bad place because he said a bad word. 

That was almost the last thing he ever said. 

Nygma's voice was still buzzing in Batman's ears. 

Right then, rage surged from the Bat's brain into every corner of his body; yet, at the same moment, his mind remained utterly cold and rational; right then, these two emotions converged and merged in his body – an icy mask, a burning heart. 

He didn't want to listen to the Riddler anymore. 

His steps were steady and quick. In just a second, he darted to the office desk, grabbed the knife from the table, and ran towards the Riddler. 

At this moment, the Riddler turned back, his face showing shock. He saw Batman's eyes, saw the hand holding the knife, saw his clenched jaw. 

He was angry, but that wasn't strange. Batman always got angry. And whenever he got angry, he would break your bones even more brutally. The Riddler was used to this routine. 

But this time seemed different. 

He's going to kill me, the Riddler thought. He had no solid proof, but looking at Batman's face, the thought just popped into his head instinctively – he's going to kill me. 

That's impossible. Batman never kills. The Joker had proven that countless times over the past year. No matter how the Joker tempted him, even using himself as bait, Batman always refused to take that step. It had become an almost ingrained belief in everyone's minds. 

Like an unstoppable wave meeting an unmovable reef – that's why Batman seemed so out of place in Gotham. Batman was a lunatic who fantasized about having limits. He wouldn't kill. 

And now, that reef seemed to be shaking. 

In the instant the Riddler assessed the situation, he instinctively rejected the possibility. To him, Batman was a riddle already solved, and this action was utterly unexpected. 

But his body was more honest. Even as he denied it internally, his cry for help was already out. 

"What are you doi-- No!" 

You're going to kill me?!! 

"Damn right I am!" Batman roared, echoing what Little Charlie had once said, thrusting the short knife towards the Riddler's face. 

I'm going to kill you. 

This isn't an accident. I don't think I'll miss. I'm not out of control or crazy. I know who I am, I know what I'm doing. I made my choice. 

I thrust the knife – precisely to kill you. 

Shk! 

A bloom of blood erupted. 

The Riddler kept his expression of utter shock, looking in front of him – the knife hadn't pierced his face, but a hand. 

A hand wearing a purple glove. 

The Joker's hand. 

The pale-faced lunatic looked at the knife-wielding lunatic, then turned to look at the lunatic who started this war. His downturned lips slowly began to curve upward. 

An accident, he thought. An absurd, utterly ridiculous accident. An accident neither the clever Riddler nor Batman saw coming. It let him do something I could never manage. 

He showed me that Batman wasn't really an 'unmovable reef' after all. Just one bad day, and he could become a killer, just like me! 

After realizing that, the Joker couldn't help but grin. 

Life had meaning now, life had hope, the goal was achievable! Realizing this, he suddenly saw that today's situation was truly a brilliant accident – and hilarious too. 

The Riddler, who'd calculated everything, didn't calculate that he'd die here because of an insignificant nobody, or that he'd be saved by the Joker. Because of this, he'd utterly failed – aside from winning the war, all his goals had fallen apart. 

Batman didn't realize the Riddler had actually calculated everything, didn't realize he'd started this Gotham war just to make the Joker laugh, and certainly didn't realize he himself would swing a knife, breaking his no-kill rule – only to be saved by the Joker. 

He hadn't expected to see a Batman who wanted to kill today. Just one little Chuck could turn these two into the biggest losers at the same time. And the best part was – he could save him. 

Batman, saved by the Joker from breaking his no-kill rule. 

This was hilarious! The Joker couldn't imagine a funnier joke in the world. 

"So now," he said, his eyes gleaming, his familiar, insane, chaotic grin returned to his face. "Now, this is interesting!" 

"Hahahahehe--" 

The Joker's mad laughter grew louder and louder, echoing through the entire building. Amidst this mad laughter, Batman slumped his head low. The Riddler's expression slowly twisted. On the scene, while the Joker couldn't beat anyone right now, he seemed like the biggest winner. 

But the Riddler didn't want to admit defeat. 

He looked at everyone in the room, his face becoming twisted and vicious. He could lose the war, but he couldn't accept losing the one thing he was always most confident about – solving riddles. 

He had misjudged the Joker, and he had misjudged Batman. 

"I'll kill you," he growled low. "I'll kill both of you!" 

"Everyone, get 'em! Kill them! Kill them!" 

Firefly and Zsasz immediately charged forward. But quickly, they realized something was wrong. 

"Why are you guys just standing there?" Zsasz asked. "You don't actually think the two of us can take on Batman, Catwoman, and Kite Man, do you?" 

"Nah, not really," Mazhaodi chuckled from the side. "I know you guys definitely can't beat those two – but I'm a double-crosser! I was just rooting for Kite Man!" 

"?" 

"I knew all along a chicken-hearted coward couldn't be relied on," Firefly spat. "Whether you're a mole for Batman or the Joker, you're done now – everyone, kill him too!" 

However, the Riddler off to the side stayed silent. 

He looked at the other supervillains silently standing around, a terrible premonition suddenly welled up in his heart. 

Chapter 239: Boss, It Was All the Biker Freak! 

Seventy-three stories up, the Riddler's face was grim as he scanned the circle of supervillains around him. 

Solomon Grundy, Mr. Freeze, Killer Croc, Two-Face, Deadshot, Deathstroke, Man-Bat, Poison Ivy, Biker Freak... 

Aside from Firefly and Mr. Zsasz, who had charged forward, all the others just stood there, not moving an inch. 

"I told you guys to kill them," he said coldly. "Are you deaf?" 

"Boss, you know me," Cody shrugged. "I'm the important insurance policy that makes sure we don't get wiped out as a group, and I don't exactly have much in the way of combat power." 

"Nygma, you know me," Two-Face flipped his black-and-white coin. "Only the result of the coin toss decides my actions, and this time, fate dictates I stay put." 

"Riddler, you know me," Poison Ivy sighed. "I'm only helping you to prevent a 'scorched earth' policy. Now that the Joker isn't a threat anymore, I don't see the need to put in any more effort." 

"Friend, you know me," Deathstroke said casually, playing with his twin swords. "Our employment ended the moment my mission failed. I'm just here to keep things under control this time, consider it after-sales service for a failed job." 

"Don't look at me," Man-Bat's voice was hoarse. "I never wanted to be a bad guy in the first place, and I definitely don't like killing. I'm just here to make up the numbers." 

"Solomon Grundy, born on a Monday," Grundy stood rooted to the spot, scratching his head as if trying to figure out what the Riddler meant. 

With every word they spoke, the Riddler's face grew a shade darker. He knew these guys probably wouldn't follow his orders anymore. 

"You're betraying me?" 

"Let's not use such harsh words," Deadshot raised his gun, aiming it at Zsasz nearby. "I'm a mercenary, I just do jobs for money – too bad you were a step too late. But don't worry, I'll give you back the money you paid this time." 

The Riddler was so angry he laughed. "Alright, alright, I see it now. You've all got quite the hidden talents, huh?" 

"Don't blame us," Mr. Freeze also pointed his freeze gun at Firefly. "His offer was better than yours." 

"Better than a billion? Better than all of Gotham?" 

Killer Croc took two steps forward, showing off his sharp claws. "Some things are more important than a billion and all of Gotham." 

Nygma didn't look at them anymore. He turned his head to Cody. 

"Mr. Saul," he said. "Tell me, tell me who bribed you, who are you working for? At this point, there's no need to hide it anymore, right?" 

"Sorry, Boss, but I'm a professional supervillain, I would never betray..." 

"Stop playing dumb, Mr. Saul." 

The Riddler ground his teeth, cutting off Cody. "Haven't you already sold out plenty of my intel?" 

"Huh? You knew?" 

"I figured it out from the start. A small fry like you, so useless you had to seek protection from supervillains like Two-Face, yet greedy enough to sell information to the Joker. I originally thought someone as worthless as you could only serve as a backup for passing along false information, and maybe be more useful if Batman caught you." 

"Later, I realized I was right. You're a very useful guy. Your connection with Batman was actually beneficial to me, even helping me trade out the supervillains under the Joker. That's why, in the final battle, I sent you over to the Joker's side – without my intel, Batman naturally couldn't catch my people. From that moment on, my victory over the Joker was a sure thing." 

"But what?" 

"But, the night I sent out Firefly and Poison Ivy, Batman still got to the scene in time." 

The Riddler stared coldly at Poison Ivy. "I didn't expect that with only three subordinates left, there'd still be a mole among them. What I expected even less was that the mole would be Poison Ivy." 

"So, Mr. Saul, tell me," he said. "Maybe they won't be willing to talk, but a greedy type like you can definitely sell out anything for money – half of Bruce Wayne's billion is still left, and at this point, it's useless to me." 

"Now, tell me that name." 

What a clumsy plan, Kite Man shook his head. He could see that Cody was a good guy with ideals, and pretty smart too. The Riddler was completely wrong about him. He wasn't some idiot who would sell himself out for money. Five hundred million dollars might be a lot, but there's no way he'd expose himself for it— 

"It was the Biker Freak! Boss, the Biker Freak bribed the others!" 

Kite Man: ? 

Meanwhile, Cody was ecstatic. He'd only thought this gig might earn him a nice chunk of change, but he never expected it to be this huge. 

And upon hearing his answer, the Riddler's reaction was the same as Kite Man's. 

The Riddler: ? 

"You? It was YOU?! No way! Impossible!" 

Though he said that, when the Riddler looked at the others around him, saw the expressions on their faces, saw them tacitly agreeing with Cody's answer, he suddenly understood. This was the truth. 

In other words, you're the main culprit behind my betrayal, and you're coming to me now to collect a reward for that information? 

The Riddler suddenly felt dizzy. He clenched his fists, his murderous intent surging. It took him a while to control himself. 

"Impressive, Mr. Biker Freak," his venomous gaze fixed on Cody. "I know you talked to quite a few people – Two-Face, Killer Croc, Deathstroke... But I never imagined your persuasion skills were this good. Looks like your disguise goes even deeper than I thought." 

"But I don't get it. You and Poison Ivy clearly had no connection, you barely talked. Why would she betray me too?" he asked. 

Poison Ivy smiled from the side. 

Actually, Cody had talked to her the most, but no one could understand because the language of plants is silent – aside from holders of plant magic like "The Green," who could possibly understand what a seed relayed? 

From the very beginning, after she got that seed from the lighter, Cody's communication with her had already started. So, in reality, Poison Ivy was the first one to be turned. 

"What I understood even less was that you could hire Deathstroke, Deadshot, and even turn Mr. Freeze... This isn't just about the price tag. Who exactly are you?" 

"Boss, I think it's best if you don't know," Cody answered seriously. "Sometimes, knowing too much just makes you unhappy." 

Chapter 240: Awesome! Hysterical! 

"Boss, knowing too much won't make you happy." 

"Like a pig who accidentally wanders from the pigsty into the slaughterhouse?" The Riddler scoffed in response, "Of course, a pig who knows its fate is to be butchered won't be happy. But I'm not some pig just living for the moment. I'll be damned if I die a complete idiot who knew nothing." 

"I can't accept this. I've been planning for so long, only to lose to some inexplicable guy like you—and you are definitely not Thor. I investigated that guy thoroughly; he's a classic drunk and an addict. There's no way he'd have this kind of capability for turning people or planning, and even less likely to have the financial means to hire Deathstroke and Deadshot." 

"Uh, actually, I didn't pay for it. A lot of people wanted to stop this war..." 

"Now, tell me." The Riddler ignored Cody's defense, his deep gaze fixed intently on the black-robed figure's ghastly mask, as if trying to pierce through it to see the face beneath. "Tell me, who are you?" 

"I'm your little bro, Boss." 

"Get lost!" 

Hearing that term again, the one that physically repulsed him, the Riddler, who had just regained a bit of his composure and swagger, completely blew up. 

He quickly drew the gun from his waist and pressed it against his chin. "Tell me who you are, or say goodbye to that five hundred million dollars!" 

Cody scratched his head. 

"Uh, is there anyone here who has a beef with Nygma?" he asked. "Venmo me five hundred million, and I'll avenge you right here, right now. Cash for a life, completely trustworthy business." 

Seriously, this guy has such a business mind. If someone actually made an offer, wouldn't he just clean up? 

The anger in the Riddler's heart gradually surged. Now he was starting to seriously want to put a couple of bullets into this jerk in front of him. 

"Three seconds," he said coldly. "When the time's up, I pull the trigger." 

Catwoman glanced over. Batman was still in a downcast state at the moment, probably unable to stop the Riddler from shooting. 

Who else? Who's fast enough? Who's confident they can save Nygma? 

"Three, two—" 

"Alright, alright, Boss, don't, uh, croak just yet." Cody sighed. "At least transfer the money to me first, and then, you know, croak." 

"One!" 

Cody immediately took off his black robe, revealing his—huh? Where's the beer belly? 

? 

At this moment, almost all the supervillains in the living room widened their eyes. 

"This isn't right," Killer Croc shook his head. "He had a big belly when he talked to me before." 

"Is this some new diet pill?" Poison Ivy chuckled. "Looks like it works well, maybe I should buy some?" 

But the Riddler didn't say a word. He looked at the figure under the black robe and suddenly felt a sense of familiarity, as if he had seen this person somewhere before... 

"Bellies can be faked, and people can be swapped out, you know." 

A young man's voice came from under the mask. Hearing this voice, the Joker suddenly narrowed his eyes. He also looked at the man in front of him. 

The voice felt somewhat familiar. 

So Cody took off his mask, and then they saw the Riddler's face turn yellowish, then pale, and finally red. 

It was a deep, thorough red, like the color of a monkey's rear end. 

"Ma—Zha—odi—" 

"You still remember me, Boss." 

The Riddler's teeth ground together, gnashing loudly. He finally understood why he felt a sense of familiarity with this person. Ever since he broke out of Arkham, this jinx-like guy had appeared in his plans like a nightmare, constantly. 

You internet café scrub, how could I possibly forget you? 

"I've really been dying to see you..." the Riddler replied through clenched teeth. "I wish I could slice you up a thousand times every single day, you bastard." 

At the same time, he finally had an epiphany. Of course, it was Cody. Why wouldn't it be Cody? 

This style of humiliation... 

"Muttering what? Can't understand." 

—In prison, a helmeted cop completely ruined the perfect escape plan. 

The bones in the Riddler's hand began to throb faintly. 

"I followed you after I saw the Joker wipe out—I wanted to ask earlier, what happened to your hand? Why does it look like a chicken foot?" 

—In the building, a cop with a fake gun mocked Nygma's intelligence with his sheer luck. 

Veins started bulging on the Riddler's forehead. 

"What's your name?" 

"The Perverted Biker." 

"Real name." 

"Occuhoric Thor." 

—Half a month ago, the Riddler angrily tore off the Peppa Pig mask, revealing the middle-aged face beneath. 

"Is it weird for a middle-aged man to like Peppa Pig?" 

"Since you ran into the Bat, just getting out is a success, but what about the patrol squad?" 

"How do you think I got away?" 

"Boss, Slade got grabbed by Batman too." 

"Boss, Jonathan plus three other supervillains got grabbed by Batman!" 

"Boss, the Perverted Biker is back, and Two-Face and Killer Croc are gone..." 

"Boss, I'm back again, and again, and AGAIN." 

—The Riddler's obsession with winning clouded his mind, Cody's five-time teammate-selling plan was a complete success. 

All the past events surfaced in his mind and quickly connected into a single thread. At this very moment, all questions were finally answered. 

"I should have known all along, you are no different from him. This familiar feeling, this shameless vibe—I should have known! I should have known!" 

At this moment, it was as if something snapped in the Riddler's brain. 

Perhaps it was his sanity. 

"Who the hell told you to come back?!" 

He was utterly furious, turning the muzzle of the gun and aiming it at Cody. "Who the hell! TOLD YOU! TO COME BACK!" 

"You deserve to die! You deserve to die! You bastard!" 

"I'm gonna kill you!" 

"Hahaha hahahaha hee hee hee—" 

The Joker, watching the Riddler's reaction from the side, couldn't help but burst out laughing. 

"So that's it, it's you! Brilliant! Brilliant! Hysterical! Hahahaha... Gotham's new rookie cop, messing with Nygma and sending him in circles? Hahahahahahaha—" 

The Joker's laughter grew louder and louder, almost making him unable to stand upright. Finally, he clutched his stomach and rolled on the ground. 

"Riddler, you suck!" 

Listening to the Joker's mockery, Nygma completely lost it. Fury clouded his reason, and he subconsciously roared. 

"Who'll kill him! I'll give him the five hundred million!" 

Bang! 

As the Riddler's shot rang out, Firefly and Zsasz immediately pounced towards Cody. Although the outcome was already decided, they didn't mind making some quick cash—especially since Cody was also a turncoat. 

It was at this moment that all the surrounding supervillains moved in unison, protecting Cody behind them like stars surrounding the moon. 

"Sorry, no further!"