178-180

Chapter 178: Riddler, the Old Layer Cake 

Late night, outside a bar in East Gotham. 

Chuck Brown walked out of the bar, humming a tune. He seemed pretty sober – after that slip-up when he was drunk with Cody, he hadn't dared to drink too much lately. 

"Oh, I said let's fly, my dear..." 

As he stepped out the door, Chuck's singing paused for a few seconds. Out of the corner of his eye, he'd caught sight of the big guy leaning by the window, smoking a cigarette – orange shirt, jeans. 

It was the muscle who'd gotten rid of Cody. He was there when Chuck went into the bar, so why was he still here? 

Chuck suddenly got a bad feeling. Ever since he'd agreed to cooperate with Batman's plan, he'd been like this, paranoid about every little thing that seemed off. 

At this moment, the big guy seemed to notice Chuck's glance. He immediately glared at him fiercely, as if to say, "What are you looking at? Wanna fight?" 

Chuck quickly turned his head away, while at the same time breathing a sigh of relief. This guy's reaction was normal. He'd really been too paranoid lately. 

"Just scaring myself." 

He started walking towards a nearby alley, humming his tune again. 

"Child, where are you going?" 

"Flying to the sky, my dear..." 

Just then, the big guy behind him suddenly moved. His feet were like mud, the parts that touched the ground became incredibly soft, making his steps completely silent. 

He quickly got behind Chuck, and then his whole body began to stretch and transform. Even his clothes transformed, turned soft, and started to flow, turning into the color and texture of soft mud. 

To be precise, his whole body, and his clothes, were made of mud to begin with. Just looking at that monster-like mud face, you could tell he wasn't human in the first place. 

That large mass of soft mud suddenly opened up, completely enveloped Chuck. He didn't even have time to shout for help; like a little bug, he was 'swallowed' into the mud monster's body. A moment later, the monster's body quickly reformed, turning back into the big guy, the size of two men. 

Because his form was already so big, even though he was now holding Chuck inside, no one could tell anything was wrong. 

Just like that, without anyone noticing, the big guy walked off, away from the bar. 

"Not surprising at all." 

Cody stood on a rooftop in East Gotham, watching with his own eyes as Chuck was 'swallowed' in the alley outside the bar, using his enhanced vision. 

Back at the bar, he'd heard that something was off about the big guy. He faked the rise and fall of breathing, faked the angry expression of a normal person, even the texture of his skin was exactly like a normal person's – his disguise was highly deceptive. 

But he didn't have the smell of sweat a normal person would. There was no sound of a heartbeat in his body. He showed a certain aversion to the drink in his hand and all the liquor in the bar. From the moment I entered the bar until I left, he was trying his best to stay away from all the 'liquids' in the bar. 

So Cody did a little test. 

What should a big guy's reaction be when he's being extorted? Calm reasoning? No, this is Gotham. And I looked like just a regular guy who was easy to push around. He just needed to punch me directly. As long as he didn't pull a gun, even if he knocked me out, the bar owner would just kick us out. 

But he was still wary of the orange juice I was holding. So he didn't just punch me. He even actually gave me a hundred bucks. 

This showed two things. First, the guy really didn't want to get wet. Second, the guy really wanted me gone. 

What in the bar was worth him risking getting wet to stay there? And why didn't he want me to stay? 

"Chuck" was the first thing Cody thought of. 

So, what did this guy want with Chuck? 

Cody had a guess, but he couldn't be sure. So, before leaving the bar, he used "I didn't kill anyone" on the big guy once. 

If he just planned to attack Chuck, he wouldn't succeed. But if he was trying to kidnap him, Cody would follow. If Chuck got into trouble, he could rescue him. 

After grabbing Chuck, the big guy went straight to a car parked by the side of the road. Clearly, he was prepared; this wasn't a spur-of-the-moment thing. 

The car sped away, taking a few twists and turns. You could tell this was a pre-planned route, designed to check for followers and shake them off. 

Finally, the car stopped next to an abandoned theater. The big guy didn't stop for a second, walked straight into the theater. 

He walked through the theater's entryway, stepped over the peacock blue carpet with green question mark icons, and walked down the long, narrow steps all the way to the front of the stage. The set inside was completely revamped, the bright red curtain was spotless, and the stage, unused for years, had been thoroughly cleaned. Bright lights showed the electrical system was in perfect working order, and surveillance cameras were blinking red. There wasn't a single sign that the place was abandoned. 

And in front of the stage, Riddler, wearing a green suit and a green fedora, was leaning against the stage. He asked the big guy casually, "That cop didn't notice you?" 

"No, he just left." 

"Excellent. I'm sick of that meddling idiot." 

When he mentioned Cody, Riddler gritted his teeth a little. 

"Just transferred to Gotham, no father, no mother, no friends, no family, no girlfriend... That damn orphan. Sooner or later, I'm going to find out if he really has no weak spots." 

The big guy thought for a second and asked, "Why not just take him out?" 

"No need to rush. He makes a habit of drinking at that bar. That being the case, we can just put a bullet in him when the plan kicks off." 

As he spoke, a cold smile spread across his face, as if he'd just thought of something. He leaned back against the stage again, his expression relaxing, his posture becoming casual. 

"Also, here's his stuff." 

The big guy threw out a bag. Inside were Chuck's personal belongings: wallet, phone, driver's license, cash, two pieces of candy... and two lighters. 

"Two lighters?" The man raised an eyebrow slightly. "Interesting. Take all this stuff and have someone drive around with it for a while. I don't want to be disturbed, tracked, or bugged while we're talking." 

"Hold on, leave me the lighters." 

Poison Ivy, standing nearby, suddenly reached out and picked up the cheap plastic lighter. "There's a seed inside." 

"You can take the lighter apart and get it out," the man waved his hand. "I'm not interested in that small stuff. Just make sure it's safe." 

So, sure enough, vines tore the lighter apart. And it really was just an ordinary lighter, with no other mechanical devices inside. 

Riddler was pleased with this. 

"Alright," he clapped his hands. "Now that the preparations are done, it's time to bring out our Mr. Chuck." 

Meanwhile, Poison Ivy, standing nearby, was idly playing with the tiny seed, deep in thought. 

Chapter 179: A Heavyweight Bar Packed with Stars 

"Clayface, let's have our Mr. Chuck back out." 

As soon as Riddler finished speaking, the burly man's body, just like when he had "swallowed" Chuck moments ago, immediately began to change again. He transformed back into the brownish-yellow mud figure and "spit" Chuck, who had been trapped inside him, back out. 

Chuck didn't recover right away. He bent over, gasping for air in big gulps. The feeling of being completely confined in darkness, unable to speak or move, was simply too suffocating. Although Clayface had left an air circulation passage inside him so he wouldn't suffocate, the feeling of being smothered came from deep within. 

"Just to confirm first, your son shares your name, Charlie Brown, is that correct?" 

Hearing this, Chuck's attention was finally drawn to the man by the stage. He straightened up, staring blankly at the several people in front of him. 

The man by the stage was dressed all in green, with a hideous question mark-shaped scar across his chest. 

Beside him, a woman wore dark green jeans and a sweater, her hair a fiery red, holding a seed in her hand. 

Behind them, the tall, burly guy rapidly shrank, his entire body turning into a puddle of mud in a human shape. 

Riddler, Poison Ivy, Clayface. 

Chuck wasn't an idiot; he'd worked for Joker and remembered the infamous supervillains of Gotham City one by one. That's why, upon seeing this lineup, he, as a regular guy, couldn't help but tremble. 

"Your son, his name is Charlie Brown, right?" 

Riddler looked at his slightly trembling legs and his timid eyes, a kind smile on his face. "I don't really like repeating questions." 

"Y-yes..." 

"He and his mother live in the Cavalier Row area, right? Apartment G, Number 37?" 

Chuck fell silent for a moment when he heard this, then answered in a low voice, "...Yeah." 

"Excellent." Riddler's smile widened. "Now, tell me about this meeting you arranged – the meeting with Joker." 

"Hey, Cody?" 

The following night, Chuck still ended up at the bar to drown his sorrows. As expected, he saw Cody there. 

"Oh, Chuck." Cody held a glass of orange juice and greeted Chuck. "How've you been?" 

"Not so good..." 

Chuck sat on the stool next to Cody, anxiously checking the time on his watch – it was already half-past seven. 

"Hey, Cody, I gotta tell you something, you need to go home today – seriously, you really gotta go home." 

"Huh? Why?" 

Cody took a bite of the fried chicken in his hand, looking a bit confused. 

"Because..." 

Chuck was restless. The meeting was set for just half an hour later. At that time, Batman would be fighting at least three supervillains in the restaurant, and he really didn't want Cody to stay here; he might get caught in the crossfire. 

In Chuck's eyes, Cody was at least a decent friend. 

"Because I suddenly feel a little hungry. How about we find a restaurant? My treat?" 

"Uh, nah, this is enough." Cody pointed at his fried chicken combo. "Actually, the portion is pretty generous, and it tastes good too. You want some? See, I even brought popcorn." 

"Nah, I'll pass." 

Ding-a-ling- 

Just as Chuck was racking his brain trying to figure out how to get Cody out, his phone rang. 

He took out his phone. It wasn't a phone call, but someone had sent him a text message. 

"Mr. Chuck, time is almost up. We don't want any possibility of the plan going wrong. So, please start drinking now and stop doing anything suspicious that could give away the plot – we are watching you." 

Chuck put his phone back in his pocket. He stopped trying to persuade Cody and instead sighed, ordering a drink. 

"What's up, Chuck?" Cody asked, gnawing on a chicken leg. "Something happen? Need any help?" 

Chuck shook his head, just continuously pouring alcohol down his throat. 

However, by the time he was half-drunk, his mouth couldn't help but start mumbling – this was his habit; when he drank too much, he would talk to himself or find someone to chat with. 

"Hey, Cody... Nine authors are sitting on a boat. One jumps into the river. How many creators are left?" 

"Huh?" 

"You might think there are eight left, but that's wrong. The answer is zero. The rest are plagiarists – but that's not the point. The keyword is, is this a joke, or a riddle, right?" 

Cody thought for a moment. "Back where I'm from, we call that a brain teaser." 

However, Chuck didn't pay attention to his answer and kept drinking cup after cup. 

"I mean, does it make a difference? A joke, or a riddle, they both... Ah, I still prefer thinking about the wind..." 

"Ah, I get it." Cody put down the bone in his hand and wiped his hands. "Whether it's a joke or a riddle, you don't want to choose, right? Actually, you were originally an aerodynamicist, you had your own life, and 'wind' is something you would naturally deal with in your original life." 

"Yeah, yeah, exactly..." 

Nobody noticed that the bar had quieted down by now. 

The young guy playing darts was gone, the burly men gambling at poker around a small table were gone, the scantily clad women had all disappeared, the incoherent drunks, the couples tangled in the corner, or the prostitutes negotiating prices – they had all vanished from the bar. 

Only a group of tattooed thugs remained in the bar, their waistbands bulging, each holding a drink they'd been nursing for half an hour. 

Even Ri'ers was silently pouring drinks, one after another. Usually, he'd chat with Chuck a bit, but today, he didn't say a single extra word. 

Finally, just before Chuck completely drunk himself into a stupor, a thin figure in a suit walked in through the door. His mouth was still turned downwards, looking quite unhappy. 

"Chuck." He came up to the two of them, looking at Chuck, who was half-drunk and half-awake, wearing a cheap suit and looking just like a drunk, completely ignoring Cody who was buried in his meal beside him. "Chuck Brown?" 

"Uh... Mr. Joker? Yes, hic, that's me." 

"Since you're looking for me, you must want something?" 

"Yes, I'd like to, uh, join you..." 

Just as the two began to talk, the bar door creaked open again. 

"Hmm?" 

Joker frowned. He had already instructed his people at the door to keep it secure. Couldn't those guys even handle this simple task? 

"Well, well, Joker, his poor little lackey, and a Gotham City cop all gathered in a small bar. What a lively scene." 

A voice Joker didn't expect rang out from the doorway. Riddler, dressed in a green suit, walked in through the entrance. 

And behind him followed a humanoid crocodile completely covered in green scales, a large guy with grayish-white skin, and a Scarecrow wearing an orange prison uniform. 

"Since it's so lively, how about adding me to the mix?" 

At this moment, the nocturnal creature hidden on the roof also thought things weren't looking good. 

"Damn it, Riddler brought other supervillains who weren't in the plan..." 

Chapter 180: Suddenly, A Wind Blows 

"Oh my god..." 

Now, who do you think let that one slip? 

Option 1: The guy who just showed up for a meeting to recruit a new goon named "Chuck Brown," only to find the bar packed with a rogue's gallery of heavy hitters – Killer Croc, Solomon Grundy, Scarecrow, Riddler, you name it. Then, this crew proceeds to absolutely flatten his dozen-or-so armed bodyguards he'd had lined up early, only for another guy to suddenly show up: Batman – Joker. 

Option 2: The guy who originally planned to use the meeting between Joker and Chuck Brown to off Cody directly. But then Joker shows up with a whole busload of henchmen, Chuck Brown somehow calls freakin' Batman, and even Cody is somehow wearing a bulletproof vest. After finally managing to deal with Joker's people the hard way, he gets targeted for a beatdown by Batman, who's clearly going for the "cut off the head of the snake" approach in this whole mess, and is currently getting his face ground into the floor – Riddler. 

Seriously, who the hell wears a bulletproof vest to a bar? 

Option 3: The guy who thought he only had to deal with a Joker and a Riddler, maybe Poison Ivy thrown in for good measure. Turns out when he got there, the guest list was... slightly longer than expected. To keep Joker from getting pulped by the other supervillains, he's been forced to fight multiple heavyweight, old-school bad guys all at once, only to then discover the bar's rigged with bombs. Oh, and he's now got over a dozen new injuries from tonight's little get-together – Batman. 

Option 4: The guy just trying to run his bar business honestly, who got told by Joker that his gang was taking over the place for a rumble tonight and he had to stay behind the counter pouring drinks and keep his mouth shut. Only then he finds out tonight isn't a rumble, it's a full-blown war. Solomon Grundy tears off half a wall to grab people, Killer Croc rips down a support column to use as a javelin. He just barely managed to escape the hail of gang gunfire outside, only to watch Joker use a bomb to blow the remaining half of the bar straight to kingdom come – Leals. 

Option 5: The guy who personally set this whole disaster in motion, got sobered up real quick by the chaos of the fight, and was finally dragged out of the whole mess by Joker during the explosion, looking completely shell-shocked and pissed off – Chuck. 

Option 6: The guy who started out just chilling in a corner eating popcorn. When things kicked off, he switched his "I didn't kill anyone" ability to work within a twenty-meter radius, making sure nobody died in the whole free-for-all. When Joker left, he used his "I didn't kill anyone" ability a second time to make sure Chuck was safe. And is now currently playing dead, sprawled in the ruins – Cody. 

Option 7: Every single person listed above genuinely let out an "Oh my god." 

Ten minutes later. 

Inside a safe house, Joker and Chuck sat stiffly on a sofa, both completely expressionless, eyes blankly staring at the wall in front of them. 

After a few minutes, Joker, his mouth still turned down, finally twisted his head to look at Chuck sitting next to him with a look of sheer disgust. 

Chuck endured being stared at like that for half a minute before he couldn't take the awkward silence anymore, desperately covering his face with his hands. 

"Batman had me set up this meeting, but Riddler found out about my arrangements, and then he made me tell him all the details. And then, Batman found out that Riddler had found out about our arrangements, and he made me tell him everything about how Riddler planned to show up. And then... everyone showed up..." 

Joker turned his head back, letting out a nasal "Hmph" after a long pause. 

Finally, he crossed his arms, shrugged, and pursed his lips. "That's almost... kinda funny, in a messed-up way." 

Half an hour later, Chuck was let out of the rental place. 

Around midnight that night, Batman and Chuck met again. Seeing that Chuck was okay, Batman let out a sigh of relief. He'd been tied up at the time by Joker's explosion and caught between Solomon Grundy and Killer Croc, completely unable to break free and stop Joker from dragging Chuck away. 

"As I promised, your son has been moved to a secure location. Riddler or Joker won't find him. He's safe," Batman said. "He caught a bit of a cold, but he should be fine soon." 

"Now, you need to tell me – where did Joker take you?" 

But Chuck, looking utterly exhausted, desperate, and resigned, just stood blankly on the rooftop. Hearing Batman's words, he could only manage a bitter smile. 

He could ask Batman to hide his son, but he was helpless when it came to his ex-wife. She was an adult, with her own life, her mortgage, her job. When Chuck wanted her and their son to hide, she only agreed to let their son go. 

"I have to live, Chuck. I can't just hide in some room for weeks, maybe months, like our son can." 

She was right. She needed her job; she needed to earn money to support little Charlie. 

But... 

"Chuck, your ex has to keep going to work like normal, right?" Joker had asked. "I got the intel on her in just half an hour. You hid your kid real good, but what about her?" 

Chuck clutched his suit jacket tighter, as if trying to find some warmth. 

He looked up at the night sky. Gotham rarely had nights this clear; the stars were out everywhere, the moon was bright. The city lights and the outlines of buildings merged into a dark jungle, flickering under the night sky. 

It was strange. He realized he'd never really taken the time to appreciate Gotham's night sky before, or paid attention to the city's sights. 

Thinking this, Chuck closed his eyes, no longer looking at Gotham City or Batman standing before him. He knew in his heart that right now, Joker was also out there in the city, waiting for the brilliant fireworks about to bloom from the top of the tower. 

"If I don't see those fireworks, then your son won't ever see his mom again," Joker had said. 

So Chuck pulled his collar open, revealing the plastic explosive vest underneath. 

"I'm sorry, Batman. I... I'm really sorry." 

"He made me do this—" 

A gust of wind blew by. For a moment, Chuck felt like he was his favorite kite, ready to fly away with the wind. 

This isn't so bad, he thought. 

"Get away, Batman," he said. "Don't get blown up with me. Give that hundred grand to my ex-wife." 

Then, he plunged from the high tower, carried by the wind. 

Click. 

The detonator button was pressed. 

But the bomb didn't explode. Instead, it played a prerecorded electronic sound. 

"What does a 'Ha, ha, BOOM' sound like? A guy laughing his head off!" 

"What does a 'Ha, ha, BOOM' sound like? A guy laughing his head off!" 

A fake bomb? 

Chuck's face went pale. 

Maybe it was just another one of Joker's jokes, but he had really jumped off the tower. 

He opened his eyes in terror, only to see a dark figure plummeting down from the tower right after him. 

The dark bat kept his wings tight against his body, cutting through the wind towards the falling Chuck. The moment he saw the bomb, he shielded himself with his cape, ready for an explosion, which made him jump two seconds later than he otherwise would have. 

With his left hand, he shot his grappling hook upwards, stretching his right hand out as far as he could, trying to reach Chuck's outstretched hands below. But the ground at the base of the tower was getting bigger in his vision way too fast. They were about to hit. 

Too late, the answer flashed in his mind. 

But he still desperately stretched out his hand. In that moment, the usually rational Batman refused to accept the reality that Chuck was about to die. 

Just as Chuck was about to hit the ground, a strong gust of wind suddenly blew upwards from below.