The Joker's henchmen on the scene were swiftly taken out by the two Batmen, and the device the Joker had been using to brew his laughing gas was destroyed.
The real mayor was rescued, but Bruce promptly knocked him out so he wouldn't learn things he shouldn't.
Joe Cole was naturally found by Fang Yuan, yet for the same reason Fang Yuan didn't release him.
"What should we do with him?" Fang Yuan asked, pointing at the Joker.
"Kill him?" Thomas suggested matter-of-factly.
Still, both he and Fang Yuan looked toward Bruce; after all, this was his old acquaintance.
Bruce pondered for a moment, then shook his head.
"Perhaps he can be of greater use," Bruce said.
The Joker's eyes lit up. He couldn't wait to shout, "Ha! I knew Batman you—urk!"
With quick eyes and deft hands, Fang Yuan dislocated the Joker's jaw again.
Then, after a second thought, he knocked the Joker out with a precisely controlled blow.
Thomas frowned. "Why didn't you just knock him out in the first place?"
Fang Yuan spread his hands. "It's more fun this way."
Thomas and Bruce's mouths twitched. The Joker, a name that struck terror across Worlds, was nothing more than a play-dough figure in Fang Yuan's hands.
Strictly speaking, that was exactly the case.
Any Justice League hero could find countless ways to kill the Joker; they simply hadn't, bound by the code of superheroes.
But this time the Joker ran into Fang Yuan—and into Bruce and Thomas, two Batmen who had stepped past that moral line.
As always, when Batman refuses to play the Joker's game, the clown's good days are over.
"What do you plan to use him for?" Fang Yuan finally asked Bruce.
"Research," Bruce answered succinctly.
Fang Yuan's eyes bulged.
"That's the kind of research that gets people killed in sci-fi movies."
Studying monsters is a classic death flag; even if Bruce wasn't afraid of Joker infection, everyone else was.
His mind instantly conjured headlines like "Mysterious Virus Spreads in Gotham" or "Why Is the Whole City Laughing?"—and the thought of Joker-Alfred or Joker-Gordon made him shudder.
Bruce didn't need to ask what Fang Yuan was imagining and quickly explained, "I mean research into how he crossed over."
"Oh? That's not so bad."
That topic interested Fang Yuan.
Parallel-World tech was always valuable—just like the time-travel tech of the Avengers 4 Team, which had helped him create an X-Men past-timeline World.
With their plan set, they prepared to withdraw.
"I'll take the Joker to the lab," Bruce said.
His labs weren't limited to the Batcave, and he had no intention of letting the Joker inside the Batcave—precaution against accidents.
Thomas walked over to the Gotham Mayor. "I'll send him back."
"Then I'll go check on my employee," Fang Yuan said with a shrug.
Thomas frowned, worried. "That man… are you sure it's fine?"
They were naturally referring to the youthful version of the Joker—Joe Cole.
Though Joe's life had differed from the Joker's, he was still the clown's original template and had just been in close contact with him; change was hard to predict.
Thomas, at least, was concerned.
"It's fine. Joe's a good guy," Fang Yuan said, waving off the worry. "Besides, I'm here."
Thomas and Bruce exchanged a glance, nearly blurting out—
"It's precisely because you're here that we're so worried."
Fang Yuan clearly valued Joe Cole and obviously had special plans for him.
"Let's leave it at that," Bruce suddenly sided with Fang Yuan. He hoisted the limp, rag-doll Joker off the floor.
Thomas clicked his tongue. "Fine."
They had just taken down the genuine Joker; even if Fang Yuan produced a modified version, it probably wouldn't be a problem.
After all, a ruined World would do Fang Yuan no good either.
The two left one after another, ignoring the criminals still inside the warehouse; the Gotham Police Department could come clean up later.
Fang Yuan also turned and walked toward Joe Cole's cell.
Creeeak!
Joe Cole, who had been locked in the dark listening to the ruckus outside and fretting for ages, finally heard the outcome.
"Don't be Joker, don't be Joker!"
He chanted frantically in his heart, and when the door opened he hurriedly looked over.
"Mr. Fang Yuan!"
Joe Cole was overjoyed; once again Fang Yuan had stepped forward to save him in his darkest hour.
"Looks like it's been an exciting day, Joe," Fang Yuan said with a smile.
His gentle smile sent endless warmth through Joe Cole.
The panic on Joe's face slowly faded, replaced by an unconscious smile.
"Y-yeah," he murmured, embarrassed. "Sorry for the trouble."
"Chin up, Joe!"
Fang Yuan's voice suddenly became firm and powerful.
"You're the protagonist I've got my eye on—how can you hang your head?"
Joe lifted his head in disbelief. "Mr. Fang Yuan, I… I messed up. I'm no good as an actor…"
Fang Yuan undid the restraints and pulled Joe up from the floor.
"Why so serious?"
He patted Joe on the shoulder.
"Keep at it and you'll find the path that suits you!"
Joe etched that gentle smile into his memory.
"Mm!" He nodded hard.
Perhaps only Joe himself knew that his passion for acting was not just to fulfill the promise to his wife, but also to repay Fang Yuan for recognizing his talent.
Fang Yuan was satisfied with Joe Cole's attitude toward him.
Of course, that was exactly what he had engineered.
Mind control can dominate a person, but it also stifles creativity to an extent.
So Fang Yuan adopted a strategy of winning Joe's heart.
Picture a boss who lifts you up in your darkest hour, keeps giving you chances, rushes to save you when you're in danger, and encourages you instead of giving up on you when you fail—wouldn't you work your guts out for him?
Only that way could Joe's full initiative be unleashed.
Just as the two Batmen suspected, Fang Yuan had his own goal: to create a Joker who belonged to him.
The Justice League of this World had Batman watching over it; the villain side naturally needed someone to keep an eye on things for him as well.
Bane was decent, but not enough—adding Joker would let Fang Yuan track most of the World's villain movements.
Knowing every move of your enemies turns them into resources at your disposal.
That was a truth Fang Yuan had long since proven in practice.
You will get 90 chapter ahead for this fanfiction.
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