The life of Kaitou Kid didn't involve many lies, of course, his life itself was a huge lie, and one lie was enough. So Liu A'dou always advocated for telling the truth, as long as his identity as Kaitou Kid wasn't exposed. With that in mind, he contacted Harvey Dent, warning him and his girlfriend to stay alert.
However, Harvey didn't take it seriously. He didn't think he would be targeted by the Joker—he didn't even know the Joker. There was no grudge, no conflict between them. What Harvey forgot was that he had a conflict with the gangs, and once the Joker was released, he would use the power of the gangs to his advantage.
The bank robbery was merely to prove the Joker's strength. Then, using Batman as an excuse, the Joker would gain the gangs' support, achieving his goal—destroying Batman or destroying Gotham City to destroy Batman.
It was early October, and the Joker's offensive had begun.
To eliminate Batman, the Joker needed to make the people of Gotham City understand that Batman would be a threat to them. Whether they liked Batman or hated him, as long as they knew that protecting Batman would put them in danger, human nature would push the citizens of Gotham to take sides.
The Joker was convinced that everyone would stand against Batman. He would force Batman to reveal his identity. Once Batman took off his mask, he would no longer be mysterious or terrifying—just a ridiculous, comedic actor.
"You're the Joker. I know you," said a voice in a Gotham alley, where small-time crooks usually loitered. These criminals weren't significant—they only committed petty crimes, like robbing old people in parks.
But the Joker wanted to recruit these insignificant thugs into his "army." These lowlifes had no redeeming qualities, yet they could be transformed into agents of destruction.
"Ah ha ha ha..." With a meaningless laugh, the Joker entered the thugs' sight.
His unique appearance made it hard not to recognize him. The thugs gathered together and whispered among themselves.
"It's the Joker."
"He's that crazy guy."
"What's he doing here?"
They were just petty criminals, and they feared the Joker. So, when he advanced toward them, they backed away. Their cowardice was evident, as they feared the Joker, unlike the elderly people they targeted. They considered themselves no match for him.
"Look, look..." The Joker paused, waving his arms in the air. His shoulders moved, which caused his neck to follow, and his greasy long hair rolled restlessly on his scalp. He seemed to be looking for the right word to describe these scum living in the alley: "Maggots, you're the maggots on Gotham City. Worthless, despised, just look at your expressions. You're like a bunch of pitiful creatures, kicked out of your homes by your parents. Ah ha ha ha~"
The thugs were getting angry. After all, how could they accept a single person mocking them like that? "Joker, what do you want?"
"I want to save you," the Joker said, raising his hands in a gesture that showed he wasn't carrying weapons. "I'm here to save you."
"The Joker, you're the pest of Gotham City," one thug mustered the courage to retort. That was the extent of their bravery. If they had any guts, they would have been in prison by now, not lurking in this alley.
"That's still better than you, because pests attract attention. And look at this city. Everyone wants to get rid of me. Everyone wants to crush me. But here I am, still standing strong. They are powerless. So, even if I'm a pest, I'm still greater than you insignificant maggots," the Joker grinned widely, sending chills down the thugs' spines. But his words were true.
The Joker wanted them to submit to him, but he wouldn't just break them down. He started with a subtle insult, followed by a lure: "But if you follow me, do my bidding, you can go from maggots to pests—pests that Gotham City can do nothing about. Think about it. You won't be hiding in the rotten corners anymore; you could be the ones to overthrow this city."
The thugs struggled, torn between their fear of the Joker and their dissatisfaction with their current state. These conflicting emotions fought within them. Should they become the Joker's minions and wreak havoc, or should they continue to live their pitiful lives? Some of the thugs made their choice.
But some thugs remained calm. "Don't be fooled. Being the Joker's lackey never ends well. Haven't you seen the news? The Joker killed all of his own gang members," one of them said. This statement successfully shook the resolve of most of the thugs.
The Joker continued to laugh, unfazed. "That's a necessary sacrifice. Everyone will die— you will die, and I will die. But when I die, the entire Gotham City will know. When you die, you'll just rot away in places like this. That's the difference between you and me. Ask yourselves: maggots or pests?"
His hands met, fingers interlocking, and his wrists moved left and right. "Maggots, or pests?" On the left were the nameless maggots, and on the right were the despised yet still thriving pests.
The Joker's movements and words were like a mental toxin, beginning to erode the thugs' hearts. Human nature is ugly— for a fleeting goal, people are willing to trample over their companions' bodies. This was the Joker's confidence. With a little temptation, humanity's endless mIselin would emerge.
"Pests, I want to be a pest. I want everyone to know I'm a pest. I want to see the look on their faces when they realize they can't do anything about it," one thug finally spoke up.
This declaration led the others to follow suit. It was like a dam had broken, and the floodwaters surged uncontrollably, impossible to stop. The collapse of their humanity wiped away any remaining sense of reason, leaving the thugs eager to join forces with the madman.
"Good. Soon Gotham City will be in our hands!" The Joker didn't forget to paint a rosy picture.
This was indeed turning into a good day. Maybe they should order a pizza to celebrate. Harley Quinn, hiding in the shadows, watched the Joker's performance, feeling more drawn to him. Yes, the Joker was truly the king of human nature, like the greatest wild card in a deck. Smiling to herself, Harley had already placed an order for ten pizzas.
The Joker took his gang back to their temporary hideout. No sooner had they returned than there was a knock at the door.
"I'll open it! I'll open it!" One of the thugs saw a woman dressed as a circus clown emerge from the dimly lit warehouse. She had the same strange clown makeup on her face.
Harley Quinn bounced to the door to open it, excited. She knew it was the pizza delivery guy. Now, her appearance was unrecognizable from her previous role as a psychiatric expert—she was now as mad as the second Joker.
"Ten large pizzas, extra onions, hold the mustard, with crispy edges," the delivery guy said as he expertly listed the customer's order before handing the pizzas to Harley Quinn. Although he found her outfit odd, he didn't say anything.
But Harley Quinn was the second Joker, and sometimes she was even crazier than the original. The once-disciplined doctor had unearthed her own mIselin, discarded her sanity, and thrown out the legal constraints that once bound her. She had become erratic and unhinged.
"That'll be $120," the delivery guy said, handing over the receipt.
"Okay!" Harley Quinn dropped all ten pizzas onto the floor, then pretended to search for her wallet. Instead, she pulled out a gun from behind her.
In the delivery guy's incredulous gaze, Harley Quinn grinned, her red lips stretching wide. Bang—bang!
She fired two shots without any reason other than wanting to shoot. The poor delivery guy was shot twice in the chest and died immediately on the doorstep.
"No need to look for it!" Harley Quinn laughed as she began to dance in a bizarre way.
The thugs were stunned, but soon a sense of exhilaration washed over them. The thrill of defying the law and doing whatever they wanted was intoxicating. The darkness of human nature was once again magnified, and the thugs became even more convinced that following someone like the Joker, someone driven by his own desires, was the right choice. After all, they too could become "big figures" like this.