After Wang Ya and his team finalized their tactics, the Clown Doll seemed to sense danger. Its ten fingers twitched, pulling back the two Clown Dolls it was controlling to defend, no longer fully attacking Wang Ya.
Only the Rag Doll Clown, which had the strongest attack but weakest defense, continued its assault.
It was clear that the wooden Clown Doll's body was its weakness; after all, wood doesn't offer much defense, as evidenced by its evasion of the bullets fired by everyone.
But they still needed to find a way to get close to it.
"This is so troublesome!"
Wang Ya said helplessly, "This Clown Doll doesn't play by the rules at all, always giving us a little 'surprise'."
"But this time, it has to end!"
Wang Ya took a deep breath, and suddenly a large amount of black liquid emanated from his hands. He then slammed them onto the ground and whispered,
"Earth Style — Swamp of the Underworld… Earth Style — Earthquake… Combined Magic Activated…"
Wang Ya had thought a lot just now, but he still decided not to hold back. Unlike the Terror Elder himself, Wang Ya, as a human, possessed the ability to think, and this allowed him to develop many new ways to use the Terror Elder's abilities, just like now!
Gurgle!
A large amount of black liquid spread from Wang Ya's hands, infecting the ground beneath his feet, including a large area of the surrounding geology, and extending towards the various Clown Dolls.
"This…"
"The Captain is unleashing his dark magic, it's terrifying, giving off such a dangerous feeling!"
"Anyone who touches this dark liquid will suffer a terrible fate!"
Although Wang Ya tried his best to control it, he had only recently acquired the Terror Elder's abilities and was developing new ways to use them, so his control was still a bit weak, causing the five-person reserve team and Landon Fury to panic and retreat.
Wang Ya panted heavily, a smile on his face, and said somewhat wearily, "Domain Expansion, Unlimited Void… No, it's Source of Fear."
The large amount of black liquid spreading out also rapidly drained Wang Ya's stamina, but fortunately, he had finally completed it.
Now, the entire underground platform, wherever Wang Ya was in front, most of the geological area had become a black, surging liquid. The wooden Clown Doll retreated again and again, and when it could retreat no further, it chose to manipulate the Iron Doll to carry itself into the air, while the other two controlled dolls hung from the Iron Doll's feet.
Wang Ya still had a smile on his face. Even if these Clown Dolls flew, don't forget the Terror Elder's abilities, there's a space option!
Wherever the black liquid covered, Wang Ya could penetrate it and instantly arrive. This was the Source of Fear, under his control.
"This time, it's truly over, Pennywise!"
Wang Ya said softly. The next moment, he suddenly vanished from his original spot, merging into the black liquid.
Wang Ya's figure completely disappeared from the entire platform, causing the wooden Clown Doll's two eerie eyes to spin constantly, trying to find Wang Ya's trace.
Gurgle!
But besides the surging, rolling black liquid, there was nothing else to be found.
"This isn't fun at all, come out and play with the Clown Doll!!!"
The wooden Clown Doll said with a somewhat distorted face, its smile no longer present.
"Alright, as you wish!"
A low voice echoed in the Clown Doll's ear. The next moment, a figure suddenly emerged from a stone pillar after the Iron Doll had floated in mid-air. Somehow, that stone pillar had also become covered in much black liquid.
"Sage Art, Inorganic Reincarnation!"
Wang Ya said with a smile, speaking words unrelated to his actions, as he plunged his hands, covered in black liquid, into the wooden Clown Doll's heart, and then pulled them out.
"This time, it's truly completely over…"
Everyone watched this historic moment, a symbol of the SCP Foundation's first containment operation.
They succeeded in completely containing the Clown.
Landon Fury's face flushed with excitement, his gaze fixed on Wang Ya, who was displaying immense power.
This was the power of the Great Wizard, the might of Great Lord Wang Ya.
The five members of the Special Reserve Team also looked at Wang Ya with admiration.
"Clown, everything is finally over.
You will pay for your evil deeds, and the Foundation's containment cell will be your future home," Wang Ya said expressionlessly.
At this moment, even his skin was secreting a black, viscous liquid, allowing him to move through the rock without getting stuck.
Crack!
As the Clown's heart was completely grasped, it seemed to lose its power, and its once lively pupils became dull and lifeless.
Wang Ya completely pulled out the heart, and the flying Steel Clown lost its power, falling directly to the ground.
The Plush Clown and Rock Clown tumbled to the ground, losing all momentum.
"Do you want to play with the Clown...?"
The weak, powerless words echoed throughout the entire underground platform for the last time.
No sound came from the Wooden Clown, and it fell into a dead silence.
Looking at it this way, it really was completely over.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and a few people went up and collected the four Clown Dolls, putting them into the compression bags they carried and slinging them over their backs.
This time, it was a complete success, overcoming all obstacles, but both their minds and bodies were extremely exhausted.
"That girl, she fainted! What should we do?"
Number Two arrived where Anna was; she was lying on the ground for some unknown reason.
He placed his fingers on her neck to check.
Wang Ya's expression did not change in the slightest.
He immediately said, "Number Four, you carry her.
Let's leave here now!"
The matter was not over yet, as there were two missions: to deal with the space-time distorter Clown and the newly arrived space-time distorter.
For some unknown reason, the two guys were mixed together.
Only one had been dealt with, and Wang Ya had a premonition that Pennywise was not dead, a belief reinforced by the current state of the four Clown Dolls.
The heart is the core of all power.
Is there some special connection or correlation between this wooden heart, the core of the human-headed spider in the sewer, and the heart core of the Clown in its dead-light state?
All of this remained unknown for now, because although Wang Ya understood Pennywise very well, he was not Pennywise itself.
There were still many hidden things he did not know, and he had never learned them from his memories of his past life.
Landon Fury's slightly tired face was filled with smiles.
This containment operation could be said to have been successfully completed with some thrills but no real danger.
He also learned more about the other world and trusted Wang Ya even more.
The development and future of the SCP Foundation would surely have broad prospects.
Wang Ya knew that they needed to handle the aftermath of the events that occurred in this community, and it was an extremely tricky mess.
The impact was immense, and too many people had died.
If this were in a place like New York, it would probably have made international news long ago!
But being in Gotham City, the city itself had some unique characteristics, more like an autonomous region.
And Wang Ya had made a shocking discovery...
Moreover, Wang Ya had an astonishing discovery: this world was not just a fusion of DC and Marvel, but rather DC's world had merged into Marvel's. Some cities belonged to DC, but many more DC cities simply didn't exist. The majority of the world's framework belonged to Marvel.
It was as if two timelines had become chaotic or had merged, but there was a paradox within it.
For example, there was Gotham City, there was Metropolis, but there might not be Mister Mxyzptlk, or Golden Age Superman, or Thought Robot…
Some existed, others didn't. These things were clearly illogical, yet upon closer examination, they felt very reasonable, as if they had been perfected by the world's spontaneous revision.
If he could, Wang Ya wanted to give a certain Mr. O the middle finger.
In short, Wang Ya's mind was a mess, and he also thought of these space-time distorters. He decided to take things one step at a time. Although the more he thought about it, the more terrifying it became, Wang Ya still had confidence in developing the SCP Foundation.
Compared to the difficult entry, the evacuation was very swift and quick. Soon, everyone returned to Anna's house.
Number Five was responsible for carrying Anna, laying her flat on the ground. He looked at Wang Ya, asking what to do next and whether this eyewitness needed some physical memory erasure.
Wang Ya gently shook his head, signaling for them to leave the room, leaving just him and Anna together.
After everyone had left, Wang Ya came to Anna's side, squatted down, and gently stroked Anna's skin with his hand.
Suddenly, Wang Ya grabbed Anna's neck with great force. He said coldly, "Are you still pretending now? I've long felt that something was very wrong with you. You must be another space-time distorter, the Puppeteer Mary Shaw!"
Wang Ya's face was cold, and as his hand tightened, black liquid gradually secreted, beginning to corrode Anna's skin. The power of decay was incredibly terrifying, something humans could not resist.
At this moment, Anna finally woke up. No, it should be said that she no longer hid herself, actively opening her eyes and smiling at Wang Ya. She said, "You're really something. As expected of their leader, you probably noticed something was off about me from the very beginning, and even guessed my identity. I am very curious!"
"You should know something, or rather, you should know more secrets. For example, what exactly is this place, and what is that cunning Dancing Clown…"
Anna looked at Wang Ya with a strange expression. There was no hint of panic in her words despite being exposed; instead, she remained calm, even as her neck was rapidly being dissolved by the corrosive power.
"You are very mysterious, extremely mysterious. I'm very curious. Since you already know my identity, you should also know my abilities. From your performance on the way here, you know a lot about that Dancing Clown and many of his methods, otherwise you wouldn't have dealt with most of him so easily."
"But I'm not that simple. Even if you kill me, it's useless. This is just one of my bodies. I have many other bodies scattered in every corner of this city,"
Anna said confidently, "Then, goodbye. I look forward to a pleasant meeting with you next time, you lovely little brat. I wonder what your tongue tastes like. I can't wait to hear you scream and shriek!"
Pfft!
The viscous black liquid was about to completely corrode Anna's body, and Anna's life fluctuations also began to weaken…
The atmosphere in the room was extremely solemn. Wang Ya expressionlessly watched Anna, whose body had long been taken over by another. He heard Anna's threat, but still did not stop his actions. The viscous black liquid flowed into Anna's flesh and blood, reaching deeper, corrupting everything. Her muscles withered, her blood turned foul, her bone marrow aged, and gradually, as time passed, Anna completely became a puddle of black viscous liquid.
Wang Ya watched all of this indifferently, the black liquid on his hands gradually receding.
"You might have misunderstood one thing. Do you really think I have no way to deal with you, Puppet Master Mary Shaw? If I couldn't deal with you, wouldn't the tens of thousands of TV shows and movies I watched in my previous life have been for nothing? Even if Desolate Heaven Emperor came, I would have a countermeasure."
Wang Ya's face held a cold sneer.
Outside the room,
The five members of the Special Reserve Team and Landon Fury were waiting for Wang Ya.
Seeing him walk out, and with no sign of Anna, they seemed to have guessed something.
"Our containment plan was not fully completed; only half of it was. There is still one entity that needs to be contained, and she is at large in Gotham City, causing an extremely detrimental impact. That fellow is called Puppet Master Mary Shaw, an evil spirit of the utmost malevolence."
Wang Ya then explained Mary Shaw's existence and some of her characteristics to everyone, allowing them to fully understand and know how to deal with Mary Shaw, so that subsequent actions could be carried out.
"Let's go, we don't have much time left. There are only three hours until dawn. It's time to activate our backup plan."
Wang Ya looked at Landon Fury, who naturally nodded in understanding.
The Landon Group's influence was not simple. During the time they had been searching Gotham City, some unusual occurrences had been reported.
For example, dolls being stolen from certain toy stores, then suddenly found again, or more appearing, and certain customers ordering large quantities of dolls.
With a phone call from Landon Fury, the Landon Group's influence continued to be exerted. Various personnel and funds began to mobilize. The owners of certain toy stores couldn't stop smiling, as a big customer had bought all the dolls in their shops.
Furthermore, a large number of personnel began to publicize an issue throughout Gotham City: a factory manufacturing Gotham City dolls had experienced a serious material toxicity incident. They hoped that all Gotham City residents would quickly turn in any toxic dolls for unified destruction, and that social welfare agencies would provide compensation.
Now, they just needed to wait for the situation to continue to develop.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
On the school rooftop, Mr. Joker was confronting a masked hero in black nightwear. Nearby, a group of Officers lay on the ground, all tied up. However, Joker's subordinates were also mostly dead, and the Officers had suffered considerable injuries.
The chilling wind swept through, bringing the unique cold of the night.
"Joker, I'm here!"
Batman stared intently at Joker. His strong body and special protective suit made him unafraid of the night's cold and allowed him to focus his mind, preventing the troublesome fellow in front of him from making any other moves.
"You should be in prison, Joker. Now I will bring you to justice."
Joker laughed in an exaggerated tone: "Enough, Batman, we are the same kind of people, kindred spirits. Why can't we just sit down and share a cup of cappuccino?"
Joker laughed heartily, his posture twisted, the curve of his mouth incredibly exaggerated.
"Also, it's time to tell you something. Do you think there's only one Joker in all of Gotham City?"
"That would be completely wrong. Look behind you!!"
Batman turned to look, only to see the Officers on the ground screaming in pain, their faces displaying the same expression as Joker, their mouths opening into a terrifying grin as they burst into laughter.
"This is impossible, Joker was right beside me!!"
To be continued…
On the school rooftop, Batman confronted the Joker, but what was happening now was absolutely beyond his expectations. His good friend, Commissioner Gordon, had bloodshot eyes, a twisted and familiar expression, and a wide grin. All these characteristics clearly belonged to his archenemy, the Joker.
But how could this be?!
Batman's eyes were fierce and stern, even carrying an unprecedented killing intent.
He stared intently at the Joker. It was the Joker; what had he done to make this happen?
"Yes, that's the look, my dear friend Batman. We are the true kindred spirits, hahahaha..."
"Joker, what exactly have you done? Quickly hand over the method to turn them back to normal."
Batman said with a cold voice. The Joker's actions had already touched his bottom line. He tried his best not to let anyone die, but he would not tolerate any friend's personality and life being treated this way.
"Ah hahaha... nothing, just some fun little toys, some things extracted from my genes. This is all thanks to the arrival of another me; otherwise, I would never have discovered that I also harbored such a wonderful secret."
The Joker said with a playful grin, simultaneously pulling out a small bottle from his pocket. It had a Joker's smiling face painted on it, and inside was a strange green liquid, filling one with a creepy sensation.
"This is the Laughing Gas Virus, allowing everyone to become the Joker. Gotham City has been silent for too long, and too corrupt. If every resident of Gotham City turned into the Joker, don't you think that would be a particularly beautiful scene, hahahaha..."
"So, my friend, Batman, there is now a plane parked above Wayne Enterprises in Gotham City, and someone has also installed artificial rain devices on the tallest building in Gotham City. And what will fall, of course, is my little darling, the Laughing Gas Virus."
"There are still thirty minutes until the official rainfall. You can still make it if you rush now. So, Batman, will you go and stop it, to save all of Gotham City?"
The Joker smiled eerily: "Oh, I forgot to tell you, Commissioner Gordon's Laughing Gas Virus can be extracted! Since I can extract the Laughing Gas Virus, I can naturally cure it, making him the same Commissioner Gordon as before. And the antidote is on me; do you want to come and find it? Hahahaha..."
"But if you keep entangled with me, the Laughing Gas Virus will break out throughout Gotham City in half an hour. Do you want to see that result? So, which is more important, Batman's good friend Commissioner Gordon, or all the residents of Gotham City?"
The Joker stretched, saying leisurely: "Also, let me tell you one more thing, Batman, our current scene is being broadcast live to every household in Gotham City, and once infected, the Laughing Gas Virus can only be completely resolved within half an hour. What is your answer and choice?"
The atmosphere in the arena instantly became awkward. Indeed, Batman didn't have much time left. He could certainly stop the artificial rain in half an hour, but what about Commissioner Gordon?
Seeing Commissioner Gordon's unfamiliar appearance, he absolutely did not want to see his good friend completely transform into this state. He absolutely did not want to.
The guardian of Gotham City, the great hero Batman, was lost for the first time.
So, what would his choice be? This was what all the residents of Gotham City wanted to know.
They all stared intently at the screen, motionless, because this could very well concern their lives and deaths.
Tick-tock, tick-tock!
Batman's sweat dripped from his forehead. It was a foregone conclusion from the start: Commissioner Gordon's value clearly couldn't compare to that of all Gotham City's residents.
Given the current choice, the best option for Batman was to abandon Commissioner Gordon and save all of Gotham City.
After all, he was Gotham City's hero, not Commissioner Gordon's hero. There's give and take, and now it was his turn to make a sacrifice. Continuing this stalemate would only make things worse for Batman.
The hesitant Batman finally made his choice in the shortest possible time. Batman's eyes became incredibly firm; his choice was to abandon neither side. He was Batman, and he would not abandon any person worthy of help.
There was never anything that should be sacrificed, and quantity certainly did not determine value. Whether it was the residents of Gotham City or Commissioner Gordon, he would save them, and he must save them.
[Batman: I'm saving Gotham City's residents and Gordon. Thanos won't stop me. I said so.]
The only way was to interrogate the Joker for the antidote as quickly as possible, have Commissioner Gordon detoxify, and then rush to the top of Wayne Tower at maximum speed to deal with the group of villains the Joker had arranged to create artificial rain.
The Batwing could reach Wayne Tower at top speed, and it would only take twenty minutes from here. That meant Batman had ten minutes to solve Commissioner Gordon's problem.
But Batman still had a doubt: was this the Joker's trick, a trap deliberately set? But whether it was a trap or not, it was like a true open conspiracy, impossible to judge right or wrong without actually trying it.
Seeing the determination in Batman's eyes, the Joker became excited, laughing loudly, "It seems our Batman has made the right choice in his heart. So what will his choice be? Hahahahaha..."
"So tell us quickly, great Dark Knight, protector of Gotham City, Mr. Batman, I don't think you would disappoint the residents of Gotham City, would you?"
The Joker even playfully winked at Batman, seemingly implying something else.
But Batman's heart was filled with urgency to save lives, so he didn't notice the Joker's change. He directly threw out his Bat-grapple, tying up the Joker. He was even incredibly surprised that he had taken down the Joker so easily.
Batman had fought the Joker countless times before, and the Joker was not so easy to deal with. Frowning, Batman began to interrogate the Joker.
"Where is the method to completely eradicate the Laughing Gas Virus? You said you had it hidden on you. Take it out quickly."
However, the Joker completely ignored Batman, simply laughing to himself, "It seems our Mr. Batman has made his choice! He didn't choose to help all of us in Gotham City; instead, he stayed here for one Commissioner Gordon."
The Joker actually began to sob, though his face held a bizarre smile: "What an incredibly envious friendship! Why can't the great Batman and the Joker be such good friends? The Joker wants friendship too, especially a friendship where one can abandon all of Gotham City for a friend."
Something was wrong, very wrong; this was a feeling from deep within Batman's own heart.
But now the arrow was on the string, and it had to be fired. Although what the Joker said had discrepancies, his current behavior seemed to truly match what the Joker had described.
At least, that's what the audience on TV saw and understood.
"Joker, where is the antidote? Hand it over now!"
Batman pressed, one hand on the Joker's chest, his eyes stern.
The Joker laughed eerily: "Didn't I just say? The antidote is on me, it's hidden on me!"
Batman's eyes narrowed. Although he still had some doubts, he tore at the Joker's clothes, shaking out some hidden items.
Seven or eight bottles and jars rolled onto the ground. Some were granular pills, some were solidified gel-like substances, and some were colorful bottled liquids. Batman couldn't tell which bottle was the real antidote for the Laughing Gas Virus.
And the time left for him was getting shorter and shorter. The Batwing traveling between here and the top floor of Wayne Tower would take at least 20 minutes. Now, Batman only had five minutes left.
If he still couldn't find the antidote within these five minutes, that would be Batman's true moment of despair!
Commissioner Gordon, he didn't want to give up, and similarly, he didn't want to give up on the residents of Gotham City.
The broadcast footage continued, but every resident watching the TV broadcast gradually changed their attitude towards Batman. They were no longer as trusting and adoring, but instead, there was more suspicion, and more anger and resentment.
Human nature is fragile, but when one's life is in danger, if the being who can save them doesn't, if they don't choose to save them, that is the true reason for hostility.
The string in Batman's heart, pulled taut, seemed about to snap completely. His eyes also grew fiercer and fiercer. Looking at Commissioner Gordon, who was constantly struggling in pain and whose facial expression was becoming increasingly distorted, Batman forcefully gripped the Joker's neck.
His bloodshot pupils stared intensely at the Joker: "Tell me, Joker, where is the antidote?"
The Joker was choked breathless by the immense force, but a strange smile still clearly appeared on his face. This made Batman even angrier, and the strength in his hand increased a few more points.
"Cough, cough..."
The Joker couldn't help but cough. Batman's somewhat ferocious expression gradually subsided, and the strength in his hand also slowly relaxed.
"Joker, what exactly do you want to do? I've made my choice, so where's the antidote?"
Batman suppressed his anger, asking in a cold voice.
Facing the Joker, he actually chose to temporarily yield. For Commissioner Gordon, Batman had no choice but to do so.
"Oh, what a touching friendship! I'm so moved, my friend, Batman, your friendship has moved me. I will point out the true antidote to you!"
The Joker's tears fell, and he spoke with a somewhat wavering tone.
Then, from the array of bottles and jars on the ground, he picked up a glass bottle containing purple liquid.
"This is the antidote for the Laughing Gas Virus, my dear friend, Batman. Go quickly and use it on our esteemed Commissioner Gordon!"
Batman's eyes narrowed. He suddenly acted again, taking out his Bat-rope to tie up the Joker once more to prevent his escape, then took the bottle of antidote and walked towards Commissioner Gordon.
And the Joker watched his departing back...
As the Joker watched Batman's retreating figure, his sorrowful expression suddenly transformed into a smile, then he turned his head in a direction, seemingly addressing his hidden camera.
"Okay, okay, your dear Mr. Joker has aimed the camera, and now we will broadcast live to you, with the latest intelligence and footage!"
The Joker said with a smirk, "The latest situation is that our esteemed Mr. Batman has chosen his good friend Commissioner Gordon. Congratulations to the residents of Gotham City, you have been perfectly abandoned!"
Batman approached Commissioner Gordon with the antidote. Although he also heard the Joker's words and frowned, now was not the time to dwell on them.
He forcibly restrained the struggling Commissioner Gordon, pried open his mouth, and poured in the antidote.
Sure enough, Commissioner Gordon quickly stopped struggling, and a rare flush appeared on his face. It seemed he had truly returned to normal.
However, he still looked dazed, head bowed. Batman didn't pay attention; his mind was entirely focused on the criminals who were carrying out the Laughing Gas Virus artificial rainfall on the top floor of Wayne Tower.
However, when he heard the Joker on camera recounting some exaggerated and baseless accusations, Batman still couldn't help but cast a stern glance.
The Joker, out of the corner of his eye, glanced at Batman. Even though his hands, feet, and entire body were bound, his neck and head could still move, and he grinned at Batman.
"It seems our Mr. Batman is getting angry again, seemingly because the righteous, kind, and selfless Joker exposed his despicable actions. What to do, what to do? The despicable Batman is already walking towards the Joker. What does he want to do..."
The Joker, with an incredibly excited expression, narrated, and then met the approaching Batman's solid punch.
The sound of fist meeting flesh was like a muffled grunt. The Joker smiled, spitting out the broken tooth from his mouth, along with some blood.
Batman felt a pang of regret. He should have gagged the Joker when he bound him.
The night clouds churned, as if something unusual was breaking through them and flying over. Soon, Batman's Batplane appeared, opening its hatch. A strong gust of wind blew, making Batman's cape flutter.
Next, he had to quickly head towards Wayne Tower to stop their artificial rainfall plan and save the residents of Gotham City.
But before that, this troublesome Joker also needed to be brought along.
There were still 22 minutes left, which was completely sufficient.
Just as Batman was about to act, a figure had unknowingly approached him.
Batman had already noticed, but didn't pay attention, because he knew it was Commissioner Gordon's figure.
The next moment, a sharp, needle-like object pierced Batman's lower back. Even with the bulletproof material of his suit, it was easily penetrated by this needle.
The liquid inside was directly injected into Batman's body.
A never-before-felt sensation occurred within Batman's body, causing him to sway. At this, the Joker could no longer hold back his laughter.
"Only the person you trust most can get close to you, and leave you defenseless and willing, hahahaha..."
Batman trembled as he turned around, only to see Commissioner Gordon's blank face, still holding the syringe that had been plunged into him, its liquid already injected.
Batman's pupils were filled with disbelief, as if to say, 'I considered you a brother, and you stabbed me in the back...'
Then Batman felt an unprecedented weakness!
Finally, in all...
Finally, under the gaze of all Gotham City residents, the Dark Knight Batman collapsed. No, to be precise, he fell into a state of mental influence.
Batman curled up, his vision gradually blurring, yet he could still clearly perceive all sensory information around him.
However, all these sensory perceptions were wrong, insane!
What exactly did Commissioner Gordon inject him with?
He didn't know; he was incredibly uncomfortable now. All the colors in his eyes seemed blurred, filled with a kaleidoscopic array.
"Look, what's wrong with our Mr. Batman? How did he suddenly become so weak..."
The Joker had already been untied from the Bat-ropes by Gordon, gaining his freedom, and skipped over to Batman's side.
"Do you want power, my dear Mr. Batman? Don't forget, there's another one of my arrangements on the top floor of Wayne Tower. Can you even stand up now?"
The Joker's voice was like a devil from hell, luring and enticing Batman step by step.
"Do you want power? The power to support you, to stand up again!!"
From Batman's perspective, the Joker's face was also twisted, insane, as if countless Jokers were superimposed, his bright red lipstick and upturned smile seemed to be etched into his heart.
No...
I absolutely cannot admit my weakness!!
Batman remained resolute. He possessed the determination and perseverance to rival gods as a mortal. This kind of mental setback and blow could not completely break him.
"Joker... don't dream... I still..."
However, before Batman could finish his sentence, he completely froze. His pupils suddenly constricted because the Joker's face had, at some point, transformed into his own.
It was his own face!
Twisted, hideous, an insane smile, a gaping mouth, vivid red.
This is impossible...
The Joker was me all along...
He absolutely could not admit it, could not accept this fact.
The Joker's voice gradually changed into his own, whispering in his ear.
"Do you want power?"
"Look, look at your pathetic state. You definitely need power, don't you? Why don't you accept it? Accept yourself!!"
Until the last sentence completely shattered Batman's heart.
"The face beneath the mask is actually you; you are the Joker!"
Splash!
Rain poured down again. For some reason, Gotham City, just as dawn was approaching, started raining again tonight.
The Strange Circus's encampment was a mess, fires burning everywhere, many tents damaged, and black smoke rising.
The battle had subsided, but the destroyed buildings and the traces of eggshell explosions on the ground hinted at the intensity of the fight.
Most conspicuous was the body of Crocodile Man lying on the ground. The top lane Crocodile Man ultimately couldn't defeat the Winter Soldier. The outcome of this battle was his loss, dying on the cold ground.
Under Pig-Face Dr.'s mask was anger. His camp had been destroyed to such an extent, something he had absolutely not anticipated, causing him to lose his original composure.
"No matter who it is, Pig-Face Dr. will make him pay the price!!"
A gloomy voice echoed through the wind and rain of Gotham City.
Wang Ya led the members of the Special Reserve Team, and with the cooperation of the Landon Group, successfully swept all the toy stores clean.
They were then centrally destroyed, and to prevent any oversight, a large sum of money was even spent to broadcast the toxic issue of doll raw materials on daily newspapers and television programs.
It indeed had a great effect, but a small interlude disrupted Wang Ya's plan, which also caused the doll toxicity incident to not make it to the television headlines, and the promotional effect was not as good as originally intended.
However, with the passage of time, a complete resolution was only a matter of days away.
SCP Building
Wang Ya lay on his sofa, watching television, a rerun from last night about the connection between Batman and the Joker.
"I never expected such a thing to happen; Batman turned into the Joker, and the Joker actually became a hero…"
"Such a dramatic scene, it's truly a pity not to have been there."
Regarding the positions of the Joker and Batman, Wang Ya remained neutral; of course, the Joker was too chaotic and evil, and if necessary, he would still need to be detained.
Batman could potentially hinder the development of the SCP Foundation, but so far, he had not shown clear hostility.
So, if he had been there, Wang Ya would probably have saved Batman.
What a pity!
"The Laughing Batman, huh… I always feel Gotham City will become more and more chaotic."
Wang Ya shook his head, no longer paying attention to these matters, but instead prepared to claim his mission rewards.
"Randomly selecting two members of the Mobile Task Force; selection successful, members: Fingal, Angers… affiliated Task Force: Codename—Nine-Tailed Fox."
Wang Ya was stunned, then a smile appeared on his face; it was actually members of the Nine-Tailed Fox Task Force, but that was good, the true combat power belonging to the SCP Foundation was about to arrive.
Both of these were veterans of the Nine-Tailed Fox squad and could serve to train new members; he believed that with the help of these two, a team for the SCP Foundation could soon be established.
Of course, given the current situation of the SCP Foundation, the two would have to be inconvenienced, needing to frequently enter coffins for a period of time to clone some elites.
Wang Ya arrived in front of the fountain and coincidentally met Landon Fury, who had just returned from outside.
"You're back just in time; I need to take you to meet two new, very important members of the SCP Foundation."
Landon Fury was a little surprised internally, but his interest was piqued; important members of the SCP Foundation, he wasn't aware of this, having received no notification. It seemed Wizard still had many things he hadn't told him.
However, he had no dissatisfaction; trust isn't built in a moment but accumulated through daily bits and pieces. He believed he could show Wizard his sincerity.
He could guarantee that his conscience was truly good, and he was wholeheartedly dedicated to the development of the SCP Foundation.
Through the teleporter, the two arrived at the underground base located beneath the river, the most secretive base of the SCP Foundation.
The patrolling security guards saluted the two, and Wang Ya and Landon Fury also nodded slightly in response.
In a more private room, the two waited for something, and soon two figures knocked and walked in.
Wang Ya looked at the two with a smile; both were about 1.8 meters tall, with straight backs. One was older, around fifty, with white hair, while the other had blond hair and was around twenty.
"Welcome home, members Angers and Fingal…"
A few days prior, after completing the containment operation for the space-time distorter Mary Shaw, the mission rewards had been received, and the system had developed new functions.
For Mary Shaw's containment, all the rag dolls were destroyed, and a few confirmed to be her puppets were placed in the containment chamber.
Several of the Dancing Clown's dolls were also placed in his exclusive containment chamber.
The Dancing Clown's state was very unusual; although his heart hadn't moved since Wang Ya crushed it, Wang Ya didn't believe the Dancing Clown had died just like that. He had a feeling there were still some trump cards that hadn't been triggered, that the Dancing Clown was still alive and hadn't been locked up.
The incomplete mission clearly indicated this.
Pennywise was indeed cunning. The only way was to interrogate his companion, the old woman who only played with dolls.
The system's new function was to collect and organize information. For example, from Wang Ya's current perspective, he could clearly and precisely see the information of Angers and Fingal.
Angers: Member of the Nine-Tailed Fox Task Force, humorous, experienced, battle-hardened, known as a jack-of-all-trades. He can perfectly operate and utilize all kinds of machinery, equipment, and firearms. He is even proficient in astronomy, geography, knowledge of various item encoding, and languages. The most important point is that he is bound to an unclassified SCP.
SCP: Heart Blood of a Mysterious Creature (Dragon Blood)
Effect: Reacts with the bound person, creating a similar bloodline, changing genes and physique, manifesting the Golden Eyes, and potentially developing reality-bending abilities.
Fingal: Member of the Nine-Tailed Fox Task Force, uninhibited, experienced, but not unlucky. While teamed with Angers, he participated in an incident to subjugate a mysterious creature. Compared to records in ancient books, that mysterious creature was revered as a Dragon King. Afterward, he was contaminated by dragon blood, infecting his body and developing the same physical characteristics as Angers.
"Sir, Angers, member of the Nine-Tailed Fox Task Force, reporting!"
"Sir, Fingal, member of the Nine-Tailed Fox Task Force, reporting!"
Wang Ya smiled and said, "Come, let me introduce you to each other."
Soon, Landon Fury also gradually got to know and became familiar with Angers and Fingal.
After some conversation, Wang Ya spoke about the Special Reserve Team and instructed the two to lead this team well. "From now on, we will be the captain and vice-captain of this small team, responsible for handling all space-time distorter containment issues."
Angers reined in his smile and said with utmost seriousness, "Sir, I guarantee the order will be completed."
Fingal also became serious, no longer flippant, and replied with a solemn expression, "Everything is for humanity."
To lighten the mood and make the office less serious, Wang Ya quipped, "Fingal, I remember your nickname, wasn't it something like 'Flame Dragon Slayer'...?"
Fingal awkwardly rubbed the back of his head, "No, no, that's just industry hype, nonsense..."
...
Wang Ya
Identity: Chairman of the SCP Foundation.
Abilities: The Luckiest Man in the World, Corruption of the Fear Elder.
After a simple conversation and understanding the situation, Wang Ya led the two Nine-Tailed Fox Special Task Force members on a tour of the underground base, explaining the current status of the SCP Foundation.
"This is the specific situation. For the common development of the SCP Foundation and to protect humanity, everyone still needs to work together."
Wang Ya spoke as he walked, and the overall atmosphere was very harmonious.
Due to the system, both Nine-Tailed Fox members were 100% unconditionally loyal and trustworthy.
Landon Fury also accepted the two's join in, despite not having heard anything about it beforehand.
Angers hesitated, but eventually couldn't help but speak, "Councilor Wang Ya, everything else is fine, but I've discovered a very serious problem, one that could potentially affect the fundamental development of our SCP Foundation."
Wang Ya's expression subtly changed; he chose to listen, motioning for Angers to continue.
Angers continued, "We lack a method for handling logistics. What I mean is, when witnesses discover contained objects or our existence, what about the subsequent memory erasure methods?"
At this point, Angers' expression was a bit strange: "Up until now, the SCP Foundation's recent handling of this aspect seems to only involve physical memory erasure."
"While this method is still effective, there are too many unstable factors. So, Councilor, I suggest the SCP Foundation must quickly develop a comprehensive memory erasure protocol."
Wang Ya's eyes lit up. As expected of a veteran of the Nine-Tailed Fox squad, his words were truly incisive.
The SCP Foundation currently indeed lacked memory erasure methods.
Even Landon Fury, who was beside him, looked thoughtful and nodded in agreement.
Wang Ya said, "I've considered this aspect for a long time, but there hasn't been a suitable opportunity. Currently, SCP Technology Co., Ltd. is also researching this, but it will probably take some time before results are achieved."
Wang Ya looked at Landon Fury, who smiled and began introducing other industries, and also started conversing with the two Nine-Tailed Fox squad members.
He comprehensively informed them about the outside situation and the many industries of SCP.
Taking this opportunity, Wang Ya had some alone time and went into his private office, where the familiar system panel appeared in the void before him.
Wang Ya's thoughts moved, and he directly listed the SCP contained objects that could be exchanged. His current points seemed to be enough to exchange for some decent items.
Especially after this containment plan, Wang Ya also gained an additional chance to randomly draw an SCP contained object, though he didn't know what kind of entity he would draw.
So be it!
Wang Ya prepared to proceed with the SCP contained object draw first. As his thoughts moved, the system's prompt sounded in his ear.
[Random draw complete, obtained SCP-795 – Reality-Bending Cat]
Wang Ya's brows subtly shifted. This fellow was not simple; his reputation and his abilities were equally abnormal, but it seemed he had acquired a rather significant SCP contained object.
Wang Ya spoke with an amused tone, "Wizards should be paired with black cats, shouldn't they?!"
[SCP-795 – Reality-Bending Cat]
[Description: SCP-795 is a large, long-haired black domestic cat.]
[Abilities: 1 It can alter the physical form of any living creature within its observable 30-meter radius.
2 It can transmit telepathic messages to humans. (Messages consist of several typical feline desires — more/better food, a softer bed, toys, and release from its confinement.)
Note: SCP-795 can transfer its abilities to other cats within its effective range, but the effects obtained by other cats are temporary and will disappear three hours after leaving SCP-795.
Other than this, SCP-795 does not exhibit any unusual physical or mental abilities. Typically, it will transform subjects it considers friendly into another cat (to play with it). Any subjects it considers unfriendly or dangerous will be transformed into prey and subsequently killed and eaten.]
Wang Ya directly summoned this adorable little guy; he was already impatient to pet him, as this one was much cuter than Orange Cat.
Meow...
A cat's meow, as if capable of melting any tough man's warm heart, echoed in the room.
Wang Ya saw a sleek, jet-black cat crawl over, its vertical pupils full of dependence on Wang Ya, and it even transmitted a telepathic message wanting to be petted.
With a single leap, it jumped from its spot into Wang Ya's open arms, and Wang Ya gently stroked its fluid-shaped body, smoothing its fur.
Perhaps it was also fulfilling a dream, as in his previous life, when he played that SCP Foundation game, he had always wanted an SCP-795 pet and wondered what it felt like to cuddle one; he wanted to try it.
"What an adorable little guy!"
Wang Ya smiled and brought his face close to the little guy, causing it to stick out its tiny tongue and lick him.
"That tickles, little guy! How about I call you Little Black from now on!"
Wang Ya said with a beaming smile, "Since you're not speaking, that means you agree."
Alright! Forgive Wang Ya's terrible naming skills!
The fact that he could come up with a relatively normal name like Little Black was already quite good.
After playing with Little Black in the room for a while, Wang Ya knew he still had a lot of unfinished business, so he placed Little Black on his shoulder and prepared to return to the SCP Technology Co., Ltd. office to deal with some accumulated important documents.
After all, he was now the true boss of the company!
Even though Landon Fury had already helped resolve many issues, Wang Ya still needed to learn to solve them independently.
This was also a form of self-training!
...
Gotham City was once again a rather gloomy, rainy day, though it was only a light drizzle.
Raindrops hit the ground, and a layer of water, guided by a reasonably designed curve, flowed from the road into the sewer grates beside it.
A rain boot stepped into a small puddle, and next to a dark streetlamp, a trash can overflowed with garbage, its top adorned with a broken piece of a one-way mirror, reflecting a tall man in a raincoat, his hood up and a mask covering his face.
The entire street was deserted; indeed, not many people were willing to go out in this weather, and combined with the area's geography and Gotham City's recent tumultuous situation, truly smart people wouldn't casually venture out.
Zeta was out for a transaction, or more accurately, to assist their boss, Blood Axe Seven of the Green Skin Gang, with a personal deal, not a transaction for the entire Green Skin Gang.
Although he was very unwilling, this world wasn't a place where one could simply avoid doing something they didn't want to; he certainly didn't want to become another corpse split in half by his boss.
Blood Axe Seven's name was well-known among the gangs in this area; even some truly important figures had to pay a little attention and respect to their boss.
He didn't know what was inside!
Zeta was slightly curious; tucked near his waist inside his trench coat was a rectangular box, and who knew what was in it.
But curiosity kills, so Zeta chose to stick to his usual cautious demeanor, only needing to wait ten more minutes to complete the transaction.
The other party was a thin man, about one meter seventy tall, dressed in a suit.
Zeta suppressed a hint of impatience and unease, continuing to wait; for some reason, he had a bad feeling about this transaction today.
As if something was about to happen!
May God bless me, I promise I'll take good care of your nuns!
Even with his hat, some of the damp rain still hit Zeta's face, adding to his annoyance.
He wondered who came up with the idea of making a deal in such an open-air spot, and such a conspicuous one at that. Did they want to make sure everyone saw them?
It was no wonder Zeta was complaining so much, because where he was standing was, quite frankly, the most noticeable garbage dumping area on the entire street; every passerby would take a second look.
The trash cans were overflowing with garbage and no one had bothered to clean them.
"Damn it! After I finish this job today, I'm definitely going to enjoy the women at the Blackbeard Bar."
"But it seems something has happened to Blackbeard's old man, Whitebeard, recently. It's like he's not well. Makes sense, he took too many injuries when he was young, so it's natural he's failing in his old age. What a pity, Gotham City is about to lose another formidable figure!"
As Zeta was lost in thought, a footsteps gradually approached.
He's here!
Zeta looked in the direction of the footsteps. A scrawny man in a suit walked over, smiling and greeting him.
What's wrong with this guy? His smile is really ugly. Wait, he thinks he knows who this is.
It's one of the freaks from the Smile Gang!
Do all members of the Smile Gang have to smile when they meet?!
Zeta suppressed his internal complaints and directly handed the box in his hand to the other party.
Just as the transaction was proceeding smoothly, a subtle sound instantly made them tense up. The sound was coming from inside the trash can.
What's going on?
The two exchanged glances, both noticing the confusion in the other's eyes. They resisted the urge to draw their guns and walked together towards the trash can, preparing to see what was happening.
The trash can was completely full, with no extra space whatsoever, but at that moment, the garbage began to tremble.
The next moment, a hand reached out from inside, startling both men. But upon seeing it was a dirty, disheveled man with an Asian face climbing out, their worries instantly vanished.
So it was just a homeless man. He probably got thrown into the trash can by some people while he was sleeping last night and was only now waking up.
However, the man's eyes were very strange, cold and devoid of any emotion, and the way he looked at them made them extremely uncomfortable.
Zeta was about to react, but the smiling man from the Smile Gang couldn't hold back first. He pulled out his pistol, the dark muzzle pointing at the man, and said menacingly,
"Hey, kid, do you want to experience death?"
However, the man completely ignored him. He only looked around with a puzzled expression, carefully surveying his surroundings.
He seemed to be wondering why he was here.
This angered the man in the suit, who immediately said with a twisted face: "I think you're looking for death. I, Ito Makoto - Yabo, am a noble combination of the bloodlines of the Land of Cherry Blossoms and the Land of the Eagle. How dare you ignore me? Are you looking for death...?"
Click!
The pistol's safety was off, ready to fire at any moment. This also caught the man's attention, and his cold gaze instantly fixed on him. The next moment, the skin on his forehead began to wriggle, and a strange, blood-red eye suddenly opened, staring intently at the man in the suit.
Pfft!
The man in the suit was directly split in half, as if cut by some force.
Zeta looked as if he had seen a ghost at the guy who had jumped out of the trash can, then ran away like a madman. However, the man didn't seem to care, merely saying something strange.
"The power of the Ghost Eye can be used, and the Ghost Domain is also fine, but why am I here?"
The Asian youth with a cold expression muttered to himself, "Isn't this Dachang City anymore?"
This cold-faced man was about eighteen years old, seemingly still in his school days, but his aura was incredibly oppressive, as if he had long dealt with terrifying things, keeping him constantly vigilant and highly stressed.
"The time and place don't match, and the environment here completely lacks the oppressiveness of Dachang City; it's as if the whole world is different."
The man calmly observed and compared the environmental differences.
"It's like going from one pond to another!"
Hiss! Hiss!
Under his pale skin, something seemed to be stirring, and the man's expression was a little grim. His Ghost Eyes were becoming increasingly difficult to control; those stirring places under his skin were his internal Ghost Eyes about to open.
If enough of them opened, he would no longer be himself, but rather the complete revival of the entity within him!
However, thankfully, another terrifying entity in his body was suppressing the Ghost Eyes, achieving a balance that caused both to be deadlocked. This shouldn't be happening now. What was the reason for the Ghost Eyes' riot?
The man's expression was very unsettled, perhaps related to this different environment.
This city was definitely not Dachang City. It felt like an unshakeable darkness, viscous and disgusting, adhering to people in a way that couldn't be shaken off.
A distorted shadow gradually emerged from under his feet, slowly forming into a headless ghost figure behind him, eerie and terrifying.
The man suddenly smiled: "However, this darkness allows me to relax for a long time. Compared to Dachang City, it's simply a paradise on earth!"
He had many thoughts. Suddenly, he remembered something: the rope wrapped around his waist was gone. Logically, if he appeared in this strange place, his rope should have appeared with him, but now it was missing.
Was it lost somewhere?
The man was vaguely worried. After all, his rope was no ordinary item; it was very dangerous. If it were lost somewhere in this city, it would likely cause unimaginable terrifying disasters. It could lead to the rope losing control, reaching an unimaginable state. Normally, he controlled it, so he could naturally suppress it.
But in this city, where would he find another Ghost Wielder like him to suppress his rope?!
He hoped he could find his rope as soon as possible!
The man decided to first investigate this city, to find out where he was and why he appeared here!
The most important thing was to find his rope!
Ignoring the bloody, mangled corpse torn in half at his feet, the man walked directly into the drizzling rain, gradually moving away!
Two minutes later, the man returned, opened the box left on the ground, which was filled with franklins. A long-lost smile appeared on the man's face; it was currency similar to that of the West.
How interesting!
Three days had passed since the last Gotham City riot, but it had already caused a huge uproar, plunging the entire Gotham City into absolute turmoil.
Although the Joker's plot did not succeed, the heavy losses of the Gotham City Police Department were an absolute fact. Most importantly, the change in the Dark Knight, Batman, was a terrifying change that all of Gotham City was watching!
To be continued!
This was indeed a very cruel fact: Batman, under the watchful eyes of all Gotham City residents, personally killed his good friend, Commissioner Gordon of the Gotham City Police Department.
No matter what the reason, this was indeed a fact!
He was even a vicious, clown-like replica, even more terrifying than the Joker himself; in comparison, the Joker seemed more normal.
But his identity as Batman remained unknown; they only knew that after that rainy night, he completely disappeared.
He never appeared again, and Gotham City plunged into unprecedented chaos!
Various villains with ulterior motives, for their own interests, stepped into the open, engaging in gunfights and gang wars.
It was chaos, almost completely out of control!
Gotham City had almost become synonymous with a city of sin, a city of crime!
The most prominent major forces and gang leaders included Poison Ivy, Professor Pyg, the Riddler, Mr. Freeze, Firefly… and a series of other super villains.
Conversely, the originally infamous Joker had vanished without a trace, seemingly connected to the disappearance of Batman.
The Penguin stayed in his own territory, seemingly making no moves!
…
SCP Technology Co., Ltd.
"Wizard, the chaos in Gotham City is a bit too exaggerated right now, and it came too suddenly. I always feel like something isn't right!"
Landon handed the latest investigation report to Wang Ya, who was sitting in his office chair.
"You seem to think that Gotham City shouldn't be this chaotic, even without Batman's suppression and the Joker's presence… and with many key organizations overseeing all aspects of Gotham City."
Wang Ya said this with deep meaning.
"Are you saying…"
Wang Ya said indifferently, "Looking at the entire structure of Gotham City, it's not hard to find that it was indeed suppressed by Batman and the Joker, in all aspects!"
"The Joker's chaos and madness suppressed Gotham City's dark side, while Batman's order suppressed Gotham City's foul side."
"Without the two of them, do you think Gotham City wouldn't be chaotic? The most important thing is that Commissioner Gordon, a crucial link, also died, and he died at Batman's hands!"
Wang Ya's eyes were incredibly profound: "This already represents a signal!"
Wang Ya did not elaborate further but added a thought internally.
That is, Batman's other identity, Bruce Wayne, was the crucial force suppressing the greatest extent of the foul side.
Does the current Bruce Wayne still have that possibility and ability to continue suppressing it…
However, Wang Ya also decided to clean up Gotham City at this moment; this was the best opportunity!
With the SCP Foundation able to intervene, the pressure was also greatly reduced!
But it still needed a few days to plan. Wang Ya's determination was to make Gotham City cease crime, and he also had things to be wary of, such as that thing!
The Owls…
Similarly, some matters concerning the Dancing Clown had not been fully resolved and posed a great hidden danger.
Wang Ya was almost certain that it was definitely related to another Joker!
After subtle clue analysis, besides another space-time distorter, Mary Shaw, who had contact with Pennywise, only Gotham City's Joker had the highest degree of suspicion!
Pennywise was not dead, and even the part of Pennywise they possessed was incomplete!
The mission was not completed; this is the most direct proof!
Mary Shaw was confined in her containment cell, and relevant personnel and experts went in to interrogate her.
Under the interrogation of two experienced Nine-Tailed Fox members, Mary Shaw went from initial silence to full confession.
Because the dragon blood power possessed by Angers and Fingal could even harm her, despite her being an ethereal spirit!
This also allowed Wang Ya to learn much deeper information!
Pennywise's body was divided into many parts; as a super life form from outer space, Pennywise possessed astonishing vitality, and each fragmented part of its body could grow into a complete Pennywise.
Its subjective consciousness was one, but its memories could be shared!
So now, even if Wang Ya and his team had collected most of Pennywise's body and killed many of its bodies, the remaining crucial part was still in the shadows.
It was very likely with the Joker in Gotham City, and due to shared memories, some information about the SCP Foundation had probably already been obtained by it.
Identities have been swapped; now the enemy is in the dark, and we are in the open!
The worst-case scenario is that the Joker in Gotham City also knows some information about the SCP Foundation!
However, it shouldn't know much; its perception was blocked throughout the process, and that part of Pennywise's body was directly placed into a containment cell, made of special materials to prevent its escape.
But it probably couldn't sever the connection between the body parts, and it's likely that the location of the underground base has now been pinpointed!
Wang Ya's expression was a bit grim; this containment plan could be said to be both a success and a failure.
But there was still a chance to mend the situation!
Wang Ya pondered internally, reasoning that Pennywise shouldn't be so cunning and difficult to deal with, nor possess such deep schemes, even in calculating human hearts!
It was probably calculating them from the very beginning!
Wang Ya recalled every detail of the containment process, wondering where that extremely odd part was!
It was simply too smooth, unbelievably smooth, directly eliminating the body parts in the sewers.
Then there was the strangeness of the witness family, discovering the underground cave, overcoming numerous obstacles, and killing and capturing other body parts.
Everyone worked together to jointly eliminate the main body of the Deadlight!
Looking at it now, it's incredibly ironic!
It wasn't like a hero fighting a dragon; how could it be so easy? Pennywise was calculating them from the very beginning.
Its goal was likely to obtain information about Wang Ya and his team in reverse!
"This, I'm afraid, must also be related to the Joker in Gotham City. The Dancing Clown and the Mad Clown… something unimaginable must have happened between the two!"
Wang Ya's thoughts were heavy, and he felt increasingly exhausted!
This was a huge blow to him!
Containment was not so easy, especially when facing various space-time distorters!
Landon Fury noticed the change in Wang Ya's expression and, understanding the situation, remained silent, standing quietly at his side, waiting!
Now he had an increasingly clear and qualified self-positioning!
That was as an indispensable and crucial assistant!
Landon Fury knew he didn't have much inherent appeal; Wizard valued him mostly due to luck, but he had to create his own value.
Whether it was the Landon Group or various other influential factors, Landon Fury's greatest strengths were his experience and understanding.
An understanding of Gotham City, both in its grand aspects and its minute details!
Silence fell in the room, and after an unknown period, Landon Fury was the first to break the somewhat oppressive atmosphere.
He brought a cup of hot tea, placed it in front of Wang Ya, and then said, "Without Batman and the Joker, Gotham City seems to have exposed its true nature now, a mix of darkness and chaos."
"But this isn't what I want to see. I must end all of this as soon as possible. Gotham City cannot continue to be in such disorder," Wang Ya said.
Landon Fury suddenly remembered something: "Is there a possibility that Batman and the Joker will return to quell the chaos in Gotham City?"
"No, even the whereabouts of Batman and the Joker are a mystery now. I estimate that many people are looking for them!"
On the top floor of a tall building, a somewhat portly figure, through the floor-to-ceiling window, watched Gotham City as the chaos gradually arose, a hint of sorrow inexplicably appearing on his face. He was very corpulent, holding an umbrella, and wearing a hat that was too deep and black.
He said gloomily, "This kind of Gotham City is truly unlikable. Some foolish, dirty, and savage monkeys are trying to become kings!"
"Hehe... it's truly very interesting..."
This last sentence was almost gritted through his teeth.
...
Many people wanted to know the whereabouts of Batman.
In fact, one person knew where Batman was: his old friend, the Joker, or perhaps his dear, ever-loyal butler.
Water rushed and flowed in the dark and damp cave, the hidden Batcave, which held Gotham City's biggest secret—everything about Batman!
Just as no one understood Pennywise the Dancing Clown better than Wang Ya, only the Joker, his old friend, truly understood Batman; the Joker knew everything about him.
Hoo-ha!
A violent gasp, as if his heart was about to explode with pain, Bruce Wayne stumbled and fell to the ground, trembling all over, his skin as red as a boiled shrimp.
"Why did I kill my dear friend, Commissioner Gordon? Why?"
Bruce Wayne fell into deep self-reproach. At that moment, he clearly saw the face of another monster, a monster that had everything of his, his Batman suit, but with a grotesque, Joker-like mouth, and it was trying to attack him. He was merely defending himself, to protect himself.
He was merely defending himself.
But why was it Commissioner Gordon's corpse!?
Bruce Wayne suddenly grabbed his throat, squeezing tightly, yet he couldn't help but cough.
"No, you can't come out, you are not me, you are not me at all!"
Bruce Wayne's voice even became somewhat sharp. He seemed to be afraid of something. What could make this tenacious warrior fearful?
Unless it was a vulnerability deep within his heart that he couldn't face, or perhaps some... demon!
"What are you resisting? Don't you admit that I am you? In fact, you know very well that I am you, I was born because of you!"
In Bruce Wayne's ears, that hoarse, dry voice suddenly echoed, like tree bark rubbing, or metal being ground.
"No... I will absolutely not admit it! I will absolutely not!"
He denied it, staggering to the railing of the pool, and then looked at himself in the water.
Instantly, his pupils contracted again...
In the center of the water's surface, the reflection of a monster's figure was clearly visible.
It was him, covered in blood, with a twisted smile, bloodshot eyes, and a terrifyingly sinister expression.
His open mouth was speaking words!
The meaning seemed to be: I am you, you cannot escape, you will never escape the nightmare of being the origin of the Laughing Gas Virus.
Bruce Wayne covered his eyes with both hands, forcing himself not to look at the monster in the water; that was not him, not him.
Tap, tap!
Footsteps approached; it was Alfred, the butler, in a suit, with a meticulously slicked-back hairstyle and an eternally serious, reliable expression. [Referencing the highly capable Alfred from the Gotham spin-off series]
"You are lost!!"
"You shouldn't be lost. Since when did even Bruce Wayne stop believing in himself!"
Although Butler Alfred was over 60 years old, his voice was still strong and resonant. The wrinkles on his face were marks of time, and his hair was somewhat graying.
"I feel that the demon within me is about to emerge. I'm losing control of him. That will plunge all of Gotham City into absolute darkness, chaos, and fear!"
Bruce Wayne spoke these words with a trembling voice.
Butler Alfred smiled, "How can you, who exercises regularly, who possesses the strongest human physique, who has returned from the darkness, still be unable to fight and suppress a demon that exists within your heart!"
"You must remember that you are Batman, the Knight of the Night. Even if a demon lurks within you, you can defeat it and transform it into your own belief and strength."
...
Somewhere in an abandoned factory
Gurgle, gurgle!
In the industrial waste pool, the temperature gradually rose, causing it to bubble.
"I'm starting to miss my old friend!!"
"But we have more secrets to uncover, such as that mysterious organization that has been secretly targeting me; they seem to know a lot!"
Two voices were conversing in this abandoned factory.
It was Pennywise, or rather, two Pennywise. They coexisted in one body, dressed in a purple suit with a large hole ripped in the chest, revealing a yellow clown face with thick makeup, whose mouth opened and closed as it spoke.
"Who knows, but it seems one of your friends was deceived by you and then captured by them!"
Pennywise laughed strangely, thinking of some amusing scene. The potion he was mixing also failed, emitting an unpleasant odor.
Pennywise's sharp voice echoed, "Friends, perhaps, but aren't Dancing Clown's friends meant to be betrayed? Rather, they are just a somewhat dangerous food, though I don't know what it tastes like."
"What? You want to go after that mysterious organization!"
"Forget it. I can feel where my body is, and I also know what my bodies have experienced. That mysterious organization gives me a very bad feeling, especially the two new people who appeared. They gave me a sense of mortal danger, a type of existential oppression, like some kind of higher beings similar to me!!"
Pennywise thought for a moment and said solemnly.
Pennywise said, "Oh, does that mysterious organization also have aliens like you? How interesting, hahaha..."
"I need to fully integrate my complete Laughing Gas Virus, as well as the Dionysian factor within me. Its influence on Batman is not as absolute as it could be; I need a deeper influence."
Pennywise: "Only now does Gotham City show a little resemblance to a city of chaos, but it's not enough, hahaha. The chaos and madness I want are not this kind, but the most insane, the most interesting!"
SCP Technology Co., Ltd.
Wang Ya's mood was a bit heavy; just now, the system's prompt came again.
And it was about a space-time distorter, which came a bit too quickly, so fast that he was almost losing control.
"Prompt: A new space-time distorter has arrived, and everything is unknown. This time, the reward received will be: a random SCP containment object draw."
However, if left unchecked, the resulting space-time fluctuations would likely be even more severe.
Knock knock knock!
A knock sounded at the door.
"Come in!"
Angers and Fingal walked in, their expressions solemn, seemingly with something important to report.
"Reporting, Council President, the Nine-Tailed Fox Special Action Squad has been fully assembled. Its members are drawn from the original Special Reserve Team, with a total of seven members. I am the captain, and Fingal is the vice-captain. Initial training has been completed, and everyone has performed quite well, but subsequent training will require some other factors."
Wang Ya pondered, "You mean to conduct a real containment mission to build cohesion, to make the entire Nine-Tailed Fox Squad a true unified entity?"
"This is worth doing. Coincidentally, I need to trouble you to complete a very important task recently: there is a new containment object wandering in Gotham City. Its specific information and abilities are still unknown, but it will certainly cause great chaos and must be contained as quickly as possible."
Wang Ya continued, "I have already used the company's resources to search for anomalies in Gotham City, but the current Gotham City is at its most chaotic, making the search progress very difficult. However, some areas have already been roughly pinpointed."
Then Wang Ya told them the relevant locations.
"We guarantee to complete this mission!"
Angers and Fingal nodded solemnly.
…
Recently, Gotham City has been inexplicably shrouded in continuous drizzle and overcast skies.
Birus walked through the somewhat damp park as usual. The misty air made him a bit uncomfortable, but he had no choice. For his livelihood, he could only come to Hancock Park early in the morning and leave late at night.
He wore a very thick, but tattered, overcoat. Inside his clothes, it was packed with contraband, the white powder most loved by addicts.
He knew the harm of this stuff and the consequences of being caught by the police, but what could he do? He was just an ordinary homeless man, at least on the surface. In front of the gang forces, he could only obey.
"This is the last time. That boss promised me that after this, I can take a sum of money and leave Gotham City, live the rich life I want, and become a good person."
Birus followed the path deeper into the park. Here, there were many more weeds, an unkempt section. A dilapidated warehouse with lights on surprisingly stood out in the park.
And Birus's destination was precisely there!
Pushing open the half-closed door, Birus shouted, "Gentlemen, come out and enjoy!"
This was a hidden collective drug den, specifically for those in need, and it had already developed into a membership-based establishment.
But what surprised Birus was that today, those addicts did not rush out like madmen, which was quite strange.
The abandoned warehouse was very dark and damp inside, as its location was deep within a relatively secluded park.
Birus was extremely uneasy. Looking at the deep darkness in the room, he tentatively called out again, "Gentlemen, I've brought what you asked for."
There was still no response. The darkness was incredibly deep and oppressive, as if hiding something terrifying, gripping one's heart and not letting go until it was crushed to pieces.
Birus turned on the light, but as he fumbled around, he seemed to touch something strange, like a rope. Who would hang a rope here for no reason?
The dim light instantly illuminated the entire dark space, though only vaguely. What first came into view were blurry ropes hanging from the ceiling, their other ends wrapped around who-knew-what, just dangling down.
Most horrifyingly, Birus covered his mouth, trembling inside, speechless at the things hanging upside down, bound by those ropes.
They were cold corpses, their protruding tongues seemingly still showing the struggle they put up to survive before death.
Dead, all dead!
Those addicts who should have been consuming their dose on time were, for unknown reasons, hung in this room by ropes by some fellows, suffocated to death!
Birus's face was pale, and he retreated step by step. The room was full of ropes everywhere, triggering intense trypophobia.
Just as he was about to escape, many ropes suddenly appeared behind him, blocking the exit door.
"Damn it, how could this happen? These strange ropes weren't here a moment ago!"
Birus felt an immense chill; these ropes gave him a very bad feeling.
A rope had, at some unknown point, slipped around his neck. By the time he noticed, it was already too late. An inexplicable force pulled the rope, hoisting Birus up into the same position as the other corpses.
No... no... I don't want to die yet!
Birus desperately grabbed the rope, trying to break free, but it was useless. An irresistible force above was relentlessly squeezing his neck, preventing him from breathing, and his windpipe was being crushed.
Time slowly passed, and his life gradually faded away, becoming one of the corpses present, his tongue protruding, his face purple, utterly dead!
Creak!
The door was closed!
And the light that had been on was, at some unknown point, turned off.
Time passed, and the park once again welcomed some uninvited guests.
This time, many people arrived, fierce and menacing, dressed in rough clothes, carrying firearms or knives.
The leader was a Black man with a scar on his face. He spat on the ground and loudly declared, "The Titan gang is truly insatiable, running such a massively profitable business on our Avatar gang's territory, and even indirectly making us provide convenience and cover for them. No one can tolerate this!"
"Today, we, the Avatar gang, will go and seize the Titan gang's clients. Let's see what the Titan gang has to say. If I don't make them spit out what they've taken from us, then I'm not Pharaoh."
Soon, they arrived at the abandoned warehouse deep within the park.
"Someone, kick that door open for me. Tell them Pharaoh of the Avatar gang has arrived. Tell them to surrender and wait for the Titan gang to come for them. Hmph, if anyone dares to make a fuss, just kill one or two of them directly."
A volunteer henchman swaggered up and kicked the door open.
"Everyone inside listen up, Pharaoh is outside right now… "
The henchman's voice gradually trailed off, and his expression subtly grew strange.
"What's going on? What are you spacing out for, kid!"
Pharaoh walked over, directly holding his silver Desert Eagle, and slapped the henchman's head.
"Boss, why is it so dark in there? There's no sign of life at all, and there's a smell like that of a dead person coming out."
Hearing this, Pharaoh also observed carefully; the situation inside the door was indeed a bit off.
Don't think they're brainless; anyone who's been in the underworld for a long time is smart, and naturally, they can spot these subtle tricks.
The profound darkness inside truly made Pharaoh feel an extreme sense of unease. Something was wrong, very wrong.
A ruthless look flashed across Pharaoh's face.
"People inside, come out! I'll count to three!!"
As Pharaoh finished counting to three, the next moment, he directly fired his Desert Eagle into the room.
Shot after shot, he emptied the entire clip.
However, it remained deadly silent inside!!
Time slowly passed, and the atmosphere on the scene gradually became oppressive.
Pharaoh began to retreat step by step. He felt a profound panic in his heart. This feeling came very suddenly, but it enveloped his heart and couldn't be shaken off!!!
Chirp! Chirp!
The environment suddenly changed, the light became dim, and ropes descended from the sky, densely covering the surroundings.
"What's going on? Boss, where did these ropes come from? We didn't see them just now!"
A henchman said in terror.
"Boss, I have ropes here too, they're everywhere, oh my god."
"These ropes look so scary, Boss, did we run into a ghost?!"
The current situation made Pharaoh a bit flustered too. This was too sudden; where did these ropes come from?
However, the most correct course of action should be to leave here first.
"Brothers, charge! Let's rush out of here together, don't mind those ropes."
Pharaoh took the lead and ran towards where they came from. Staying here made him genuinely uneasy and panicked; those ropes also made his hair stand on end.
Crack!
But he hadn't run far when he heard a sound—the sound of a cervical spine being snapped.
Pharaoh looked over in horror and saw that two of his henchmen had, at some point, been ensnared by two ropes around their necks, and then were forcefully pulled upwards by an unknown power.
They no longer had any life signs, having been strangled to death, even their cervical spines snapped.
"Oh my god, there's a ghost!!"
Pharaoh immediately screamed frantically, his speed on his feet suddenly increasing by an unknown amount.
But he despairingly found that no matter how he ran, there were always those hanging ropes in front of him, densely everywhere. This place had become a kingdom of ropes, and he simply couldn't escape.
The final outcome was already determined; a rope had, at some point, descended from the sky and was now around Pharaoh's neck.
The next moment!
Crack….
Days passed one after another, and the SCP Foundation's development steadily improved, but the chaos in Gotham City persisted, with no way to improve it at all.
This was unavoidable, as the two most crucial individuals had mysteriously disappeared.
Furthermore, leveraging the influence of SCP Technology Co., Ltd., some clues regarding the latest space-time distorter had been discovered in Gotham City, information that was almost certainly confirmed.
At the building of SCP Technology Co., Ltd.
The drizzling rain gave the black building an exceptionally solemn feel, and the unique SCP Foundation logo was very eye-catching and made people feel particularly serious.
Landon Fury quickly ascended the stairs; he did not use the slower elevator to deliver this message.
Knock knock knock!
Inside the personal office, the most striking feature was the very clear floor-to-ceiling window that offered a view of most of the Slums.
A small black cat played with a ball of yarn on the floor, rolling around, accompanied by the somewhat timid Orange Cat.
Jiedun watched the two little masters play, kneeling with his legs folded; from originally one little master, there were now two.
Landon Fury's gaze fell on the figure in the swivel chair, and he said with some surprise, "Reporting to Wizard, our research has achieved a breakthrough in memory-erasing medication."
"Oh!"
Wang Ya looked at the small bottle Landon Fury placed on the table with some interest, similar to an asthma inhaler spray, but according to the information Landon Fury provided, what was inside should be a drug capable of blocking and erasing human memory.
Acting solely on the brain, it could erase about 2 hours of memory; this was the current limit of development, and subsequent medications were still under research.
However, Wang Ya was already very pleasantly surprised that a finished product could be produced so quickly.
Even if the effect was not very strong and could not work in some special situations, it could adapt to most containment situations and ordinary humans who needed memory erasure.
"You have indeed given me a great surprise, Mr. Landon Fury; you are truly worthy of being the General Manager of SCP Technology Co., Ltd. Furthermore, your authority within the SCP Foundation can now be implemented. I hope you will continue to strive for even greater achievements!"
Wang Ya smiled and said, "Then I will trouble you to be the director of this memory erasure project, responsible for the research and development in this area. If you achieve groundbreaking progress and research, you will receive a reward from the Foundation, as well as access to more authority. I hope you will continue to work hard."
"I will certainly not betray the trust given by Wizard!"
Landon Fury was incredibly serious and solemn!
...
Gotham City's wealthy district
This was a bar that was often frequented, but naturally, it also had members of some gang forces.
The Causeway Bay Gang was responsible for managing this establishment, and they were very famous among the underground gang forces; even some powerful figures who were prominent in Gotham City had to take them seriously, especially Haonan, Shanji, and Wuya from the Causeway Bay Gang.
They were famously skilled fighters in the underground!
Since their boss was so capable, their subordinates were naturally also tough characters, and other gang forces rarely came to cause trouble.
And the Causeway Bay Gang had always only guarded their own territory, never expanding, so their status was tacitly acknowledged.
As evening approached, the bar's business gradually picked up, and the stage in the center became filled with many women swaying and dancing.
Stage lights flashed, revealing glimpses of fair skin beneath their almost sheer, thin clothing. Men and women alike bobbed their heads, and the clinking of glasses filled the air, a scene of drunken revelry.
"Come, come... drink, drink, drink..."
A group of gang members was drinking heartily when one of them, perhaps due to too much alcohol, mysteriously said, "You absolutely won't believe what I saw, it was terrifying."
Another high-spirited gang member quipped, "What great terror could you possibly see, kid? Could it be more terrifying than the boss's bullets?"
Fear flashed in the man's eyes as he seemed to recall the terrifying scene he had witnessed. He stammered, "Perhaps it really is much more terrifying than the boss's bullets. At least with bullets, you know how you're going to die. Those dreadful ropes are simply the stuff of devils from hell."
"What in the world are you talking about, kid? So weird!"
All of this was overheard by an Asian youth quietly drinking in the shadows of a neighboring booth. His normally indifferent expression showed a hint of emotion, and his brows furrowed slightly.
Ropes, huh?
Perhaps it was related to his ropes. Something alive seemed to be wriggling under the skin of his forehead, as if trying to break free, but ultimately it did not.
Time passed, and finally, it was almost closing time!
Several drunken gang members stumbled out of the hotel, and the Asian youth followed them.
In a dark street corner, the Asian youth obtained the information he wanted and then walked directly in one direction.
Nighttime.
"This is where the information records showed an anomaly!"
Angers took a drag from his cigarette, then tossed it to the ground and stomped it out with his foot.
Behind him were the members of the Nine-Tailed Fox Squad and Fingal, that somewhat unreliable fellow.
Of course, when it came to important matters, he was an incredibly dependable person.
This was an entrance to a street district. Due to the chaos in Gotham City, almost no one dared to venture out at night, especially since there were also very unsettling rumors circulating here, making it even more deserted and gradually falling into a desolate silence.
"Let's go, we're going in. This time, we can almost certainly conclude that the containment object we must contain is here."
Angers's expression was blank, but his eyes were incredibly solemn.
"We've done it so many times, but every time we face a containment object, we still feel an unknown fear."
Fingal said with some depth.
In fact, this was inevitable. The unknown truly was humanity's greatest fear. Would they conquer it, bravely face the unknown, or would they be afraid, and fail?!
All of this stemmed from humanity's own choices.
Hiss, hiss!
After checking their equipment and ensuring all their prepared measures were intact, the group, led by Angers, directly entered the somewhat eerie district.
Their ultimate destination was far beyond the inhabited areas on the outside; it was deeper inside, Hancock Park.
This was the border between two gangs, or it could be said to belong to the Titan gang. However, both gangs were currently in their most difficult period and were already too preoccupied to care about each other.
The Titan gang was almost a name in name only, having lost too many members.
The other gang, under pressure from Landon Fury, was helping him deal with some of his major problems.
This created a window of opportunity for them to investigate what exactly had happened inside Hancock Park during this time.