A third-generation disciple of Saw thought he could punish and reform the Joker, but he never imagined the tables would turn and he'd end up threatened instead.
The Joker's game of chance was even crueler than Saw's games of punishment. At least Saw's deadly games still left a way out—you grit your teeth, pay the price, cut off a leg or lose an eye, but you lived. The pain forced survival instincts awake, giving players a chance. But the Joker's "two bottles" game was pure chance. Choose wrong and you die. Choose right… well, who knew how to know what was right?
Two bottles, exactly the same, and Ellen felt as if the weight of the world was pressing down on him.
If one of those bottles held an eyeball, and swallowing it guaranteed survival, Ellen would have done it without hesitation. But this was different. This wasn't about willpower or self-hatred. It was random, impossible to read. Which bottle? Which one?!
His breath came in shallow gasps. He didn't want to die—why else had he once cut off six of his fingers just for a chance to live? Yet death was still there, clinging to him, waiting.
The Joker's grin stretched wider as Ellen broke down. It didn't matter which he picked—there was always a fifty-fifty chance of death.
"You're hesitating? Do you want a hint?" the Joker teased. He pointed at the bottle on the right. "That one's poison."
Ellen froze. His heartbeat spiked. His dilemma shifted from 'which do I choose' to 'is the Joker lying or not?' But nothing changed.
Could you ever trust a killer like him? The Joker's reputation was infamous. But… what if he was telling the truth this time? His head spun. His thoughts tangled until his mind nearly cracked. There was no answer.
Only luck.
The Joker saw Ellen's face set and knew he had chosen. "So then… say it out loud."
"I pick the bottle on the right."
"Oh? So you didn't believe me. I'm hurt." The Joker's face flipped in an instant into manic joy. "Hahaha! Well, time for the best part—taste test! Let's see, is it poison? Honestly, I don't even know!"
He popped the cork and shoved the mouth of the bottle against Ellen's lips, forcing him to drink.
The liquid slid down smooth. No burn, no pain. Water. Relief washed over him. He'd won. The Joker had lied. Ellen smiled through ragged breaths, drained the bottle, and felt strength returning.
"I did it. It's water," he gasped, smiling like a survivor.
The Joker smacked his lips. "Yep, water. You're lucky. But…"
Bang!
A bullet tore through Ellen's forehead. His head snapped back, blood and brain spraying as the Joker's smoking gun hovered in his hand.
"But you went over time. So—game over!" The Joker laughed.
Ellen's eyes froze wide, the relief still etched on his face, disbelief lingering even in death. He had never understood the Joker.
"Hahahaha! Hahahaha! Wonderful! This game is too much fun!" The Joker decided then he needed to seek out more Saw disciples. Their little games needed improvement, and he was more than happy to teach them.
Meanwhile, at the Interstellar Academy, Liu A'dou taught for two days before leaving again. Fans who had been waiting a whole year for his next movie were disappointed—no films this year. But Liu A'dou had no choice.
The first half of the year, he'd been jumping through worlds. The second half, crises kept piling up—ancient beings, wormholes, then the Black Lantern Corps invasion. He had been running nonstop. On top of all that, he was still designing a spaceship. There was no way he could spare the time to shoot a movie this year.
Liu A'dou went to Themyscira. These days, there were many training their microcosmos there, and quite a few had already reached Silver rank, though none had awakened the Seventh Sense yet. Watching the women train, Liu A'dou thought it was time to finally act on something he'd been considering—taking Harry Osborn as a disciple and starting the spaceship project. His money was flowing out like water, so he needed a financial backer. Since he had some free time now, it was the perfect chance.
Seeing his daughter already babbling words, Liu A'dou thanked the Queen over and over.
"I took care of Nono too," Kara said proudly. She really had spent a lot of time with Nono, though she would soon return to Metropolis. Her training was complete, and she had learned how to control her powers. It was time for her to live with her cousin again.
"Thank you," Liu A'dou said, holding Nono.
"Jie-jie~" Nono called out.
"I taught her that!" Kara exclaimed, thrilled. "Nono's the sweetest."
Liu A'dou was surprised. His daughter hadn't called him Papa or Mama yet, but she had already learned "sister." He couldn't help but admit to himself he had been neglecting her. Still, with Earth in constant chaos, what could he do?
Hippolyta smiled at him. "You look tired."
"That obvious?" Liu A'dou asked curiously.
"Very obvious," the Queen said. "Before, as Kaitou Kid, you came and went like the wind. You never needed to worry much. But now the things you've done are piling up. Kaitou Kid has become a hero, and with fame comes burdens. Again and again, you've had to step forward."
Her words struck home. It wasn't that his body was exhausted—it was his heart. Too many things needed doing, yet every time, something unexpected cut in and broke his rhythm. Most of what he wanted to do never went smoothly. That was the price of being a superhero. To fight for justice meant giving up his own life plans. Even caring for his daughter had become a luxury.
Was he becoming a workaholic? The respect felt good, sure, but the cost was enormous. Time, money, energy, even his life. Liu A'dou couldn't help wondering—was there a way to protect Earth and still live freely? Was there a way to have both?
But looking around at all the other heroes, none of them were models of ease. All of them were just as worn down.
Liu A'dou knew he wasn't the type to sit back and watch. That meant being tired was unavoidable. Maybe it was all in the mindset. He told himself he needed to lighten up, stop holding back so much, maybe even live a little recklessly. With his current strength, even if a final boss appeared, he could always run if he couldn't win. Finding his own joy in the villains' misery—that thought made things easier.
"It's fine," he said with a smile. "Compared to Superman or Batman, I'm not tired at all. Really, I should be thanking you for taking care of my daughter."
"It's nothing. Nono is already Diana's future disciple. To me, that makes her like a granddaughter. Taking care of her is only natural."
Since the Queen was being so polite, Liu A'dou couldn't leave it at that. "I've noticed many here have learned to use the microcosmos, but you still lack Cloths. Why don't I teach you how to forge Bronze Cloths?"
Right now, he only had the method for Bronze Cloths in his mind. The forging was simple—just pounding the armor while pouring the microcosmos into it, embedding that power inside. It was the most basic method, but for Themyscira, it was the best choice. With it, they could mass-produce Cloths.
Sure enough, being friends with Liu A'dou was no mistake. The microcosmos and Bronze Cloths had already boosted Themyscira's power several times over. And with their magic and technology, their military strength was now no weaker than that of England or Germany in Europe.