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Chapter 446: Blizzard Prelude (2)

Batman didn't walk over; instead, he threw a Batarang towards the pile of things. As expected, there was no explosion, and the items just scattered on the ground with a clatter. Among the objects was a round plush toy that rolled a few times before coming to rest against the wall. There was also a bat-shaped lollipop wrapped in colorful paper, making a crisp sound as it hit the floor and sparkled under the light.

Even Batman couldn't fully comprehend this bizarre scene. However, having faced Joker several times before, he knew that the best defense against this madman was not to overthink things. Despite his rationality, asking Batman not to think too much was like asking the impossible. In the end, he still approached and picked up one of the plush toys. It didn't contain a bomb; it was just an ordinary stuffed toy with a round bat-shaped body and two cute bat wings. The other two toys were Batman-shaped figures, one in regular attire and the other one laughing heartily.

After inspecting all these items, Batman didn't find any useful clues. It just provided him with a new understanding of Joker's madness. He then checked the chair and sat in it. From this angle, he could see all the surveillance screens. Batman understood that previously, Joker had been sitting here, using the telephone to inform the agents of their locations.

One by one, Batman examined the screens on the three walls, each corresponding to one of Manor's main buildings. The screen directly in front of him showed the central building, where the banquet hall was located. Suddenly, his gaze caught something on the screen. It was the surveillance feed from the banquet hall's skylight. Since the hall was on the first floor, the overhead wasn't a ceiling but an atrium. Thus, the camera was positioned higher up.

In the feed, Batman could see two people tied back-to-back and hanging from the center of the atrium. They were Clark and Lex. Seeing this unexpected scene, Batman's fingers stiffened. It wasn't surprising that Joker had captured Lex, as he was young and physically weak, even more so than an average person, which made him vulnerable despite his intelligence. Batman knew that the Joker, despite his appearance, wasn't as simple as he seemed. Moreover, Joker had the advantage of information and could easily capture Lex when he was alone. But Clark... Batman held his chin in thought, squinting at the screen. He noticed a green stone tied to Clark's chest, and Clark appeared to be in great pain, weak and pale, struggling to breathe.

The green stone emitted a faint light, triggering a troubling association in Batman's mind—radiation source, Clark's previous weakness, and his current suffering. It seemed that the so-called Kryptonite could cause cancer not only in ordinary people but also in someone like Clark with special abilities. Just as Batman was about to delve deeper into the nature of Kryptonite, the scene on the screen changed.

A figure walked into the frame, dressed in a long suit, with green hair, and Joker makeup on his face. What made Batman feel strange was that this person didn't walk with a limp or stagger but rather like a stage actor, taking exaggerated strides, moving towards the center of the banquet hall. At the center of the hall, there was a peculiarly shaped gift box, seemingly assembled from various pieces of trash. The box had two sides made of cardboard and the other two of plastic, and the ribbon on it was crumpled and seemed to have been torn off from somewhere.

However, Joker approached the gift box with great solemnity. He untied the bow on the top, revealing a bomb inside. Joker lit the fuse, then quickly ran to a corner, covering his ears. A loud "boom" filled the room with an intense explosion. Batman was nervous for a moment, but as the smoke cleared slowly, he realized that the bomb in the gift box had been placed at a low position, far away from Clark and Lex, and the explosion didn't harm them.

The explosion didn't destroy anything, and no debris flew out. It only resulted in a loud noise and billowing smoke. As a consequence, all the doors on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floors opened. Many people cautiously peered out of their rooms, wondering what had happened. Soon, those who looked towards the corridor exit noticed two individuals hanging in the atrium's center. Most of them hesitated, standing at their doorways, not eager to venture out, unsure if there would be another explosion.

At this moment, a passionate voice echoed from the center of the banquet hall: "Ladies and gentlemen! Tonight is a night of terrible blizzard! Though the blizzard is cold, our hearts are tightly connected... Hello, everyone! I am a comedian from Gotham!" Just as the figure in the middle was saying this, everyone turned and rushed back into their rooms, slamming the doors shut one after another, cutting off Joker's subsequent words. He waved his hand dismissively and said, "Well, I knew you bunch of tasteless cowards would retreat to your rooms. Go ahead..."

"You'll never understand how great of a comedian Jack is! But regardless, I still have one last audience member..." In the surveillance room, Batman saw Joker slowly turn his head, making eye contact with him through the screen. At that moment, Joker, like a celebrity, took out a handkerchief from his pocket, glanced at it with disdain, and tossed it aside. Then, he retrieved a bat-shaped lollipop from his pocket, unwrapped it, noisily bit into it, and swallowed it with a satisfied exhale.

Suddenly, as if he had remembered something, Joker shook his finger, quickly ran out of view, and came back with a telephone, placing it on the ground. Now, he really looked like a Joker performing a mime act, using exaggerated gestures and expressions to guide his audience's gaze. However, as he had said, there was only one audience member – Batman.

After placing the telephone on the ground, Joker picked up the receiver and dialed a number. Suddenly, jarring telephone rings echoed from each guest room. Apparently, he had repurposed the peculiar-looking telephone from the surveillance room. Batman turned his head slightly, noticing the messy disassembled telephone console nearby.

"Listen up! If you don't want to be an audience member, then become actors! Cowards!" Joker proclaimed. "Now, there's a bomb hanging above the atrium. It's not too powerful, but it's just enough to blow someone's head into pieces. As you can see, there are two ropes hanging, each with one of our main actors, and the rest of you are supporting roles..."

"Next, I will tell you the background story of these two individuals. After hearing their stories, you can use the service buttons on your room telephones to vote! Press the yellow 'call service' for Lex Luthor, and press the blue 'do not disturb' for Clark Kent! Every time someone gets a vote, I will raise their rope a bit higher. The first person to touch the bomb – BOOM!!" Joker hesitated for a moment, then threw the receiver on the ground and stood up, bending down to place his head near the receiver, saying, "Oh, I forgot! This is a comedy performance, not a conference call! So, please take your telephones and sit at your tables, maybe pour yourselves a drink..."

"Of course, I know what you're thinking. You don't want to be a mere audience member, and you feel that participating in my show deserves some compensation. You just want to cover your head with a blanket and fall asleep..." Joker continued. "But I won't let you do that!" He sprawled on the floor, propping himself up with his forearm, and exaggeratedly mouthed the words: "I won't! Let you!! Do that!!" He then placed his hand behind his ear, pressing his ear against the telephone's receiver, and said, "Let me hear it. Who's laughing? Do you think my threat is not intimidating?!"

Joker stood up again, ran out of view, and returned with a peculiar button. Pointing at the telephone's receiver with his finger, he asked, "You see, what's this? Yes, it's a switch, a switch that can release deadly radiation... Underneath this old Manor, there's a huge secret base. Some people might think they've explored it all, but that's only a small part..."

"Behind that door is a massive extraterrestrial meteorite, and the entire mayorManor is built on top of it. Once I press the button and open the door, deadly radiation will leak out! Anyone exposed to this radiation will suffer from incurable cancer, struggling on their sickbeds as cancer cells devour their bodies! And the radiation's range is... everyone inside this Manor!" In mid-air, Clark lowered his head as he saw the Joker with his makeup closed his eyes. He spread his arms, spinning slowly in the empty banquet hall like a solitary dancer, dancing with the snow and cold wind. Soon, he stopped and stood still, speaking in a low and solemn tone, as if reciting an opening poem.

"The blizzard will never stop, and there's no god here to save you... Now, get ready to make your choice."

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THIS CHAPTER UPLOAD FIRST AT NOVELBIN.COM