When it comes to famous supervillains, the Joker is definitely at the top of the list.
He usually doesn't show any special abilities and is as fragile as paper in front of Superheroes, but his methods can always make people feel fear.
The Joker is like the opposite side of Batman; even for the fused version of Batman in front of Fang Yuan, if he had to choose the opponent who influenced him the most, he would most likely choose the Joker.
However, the Joker's origins are very mysterious, as if he appeared out of thin air, and even Bruce Wayne has no clue.
But now, Fang Yuan clearly knows something.
"You mean, this matter is related to the Joker?" Bruce asked.
"Ha, you actually don't know?" Fang Yuan teased.
Bruce shook his head helplessly: "I don't know everything. There are many Batmen in parallel timelines, and I've only experienced the lives of some of them."
Fang Yuan nodded; it was clear that Bruce hadn't experienced The Killing Joke.
There are very few origin stories for the Joker, and The Killing Joke version is quite detailed.
The Joker's real name in this version is Joe Cole, a failed comedian.
The background is a bit like the movie version of Joker, but Joe Cole's situation is slightly better.
He has a wife, Jenny, who loves him, and Jenny is pregnant with his son.
But as mentioned before, Joe Cole is a failed comedian.
When he performed at an amusement park, not a single audience member was amused by him, resulting in no boss being willing to hire him.
Naturally, Joe Cole couldn't support his family at all, let alone the expenses after the baby was born; he couldn't even pay this month's rent.
Of course, people like him are everywhere in today's Gotham.
At this time, Joe Cole met two men who wanted to hire him to lead them to sneak through the ACE Chemicals plant to rob the card factory next to it, promising Joe Cole a large sum of money after the job was done.
They sought out Joe because he was once a research assistant at the chemical plant and was familiar with the positions of the security posts.
That's right, Joe Cole used to have a decent job, a very good one even.
But he dared to quit his job to become a comedian even while his wife was pregnant.
See, what a joke.
Fang Yuan told Bruce what he knew.
The Joker has a famous saying—all it takes is one bad day to drive anyone insane.
Joe Cole experienced that bad day.
The reason he took the risk was to give his wife a better life, but on the morning of the operation, Jenny died of electrocution, causing Joe to instantly lose his pillar of support.
While being forced to lead the two men into the factory that night, they were discovered before long. Because Joe was tricked into wearing the Red Hood, he was pursued by Batman and eventually fell into a chemical vat.
This version of the Joker was born.
Bruce thought for a moment, decisively increased his speed, and simultaneously began searching for Joe Cole's address on the Batmobile's computer.
"If that's the case, we have a chance to prevent the Joker's birth!" Bruce was in a great mood.
If Gotham didn't have the Joker, Batman would laugh in his sleep.
"That's true..." Fang Yuan nodded, but he wasn't as optimistic. "However, Joe Cole himself is somewhat restless and doesn't follow the rules."
"That doesn't matter."
Just then, the computer found Joe Cole's address, and Bruce drove straight there.
"Regardless, it won't be worse than before," he said.
Hearing this, Fang Yuan suddenly became curious about Bruce's attitude toward those who would become supervillains in the original trajectory.
"Naturally, it's to prevent them from becoming criminals."
Bruce just glanced at Fang Yuan and knew what the guy was thinking.
"I'm not going to kill them all in advance!" he said with a sigh.
"I didn't say that," Fang Yuan muttered with a shrug, then continued, "By the way, how are you dealing with the League of Assassins?"
"The League of Assassins in this World isn't that bad; they have their own principles," Bruce replied.
Fang Yuan could understand. From the fact that Talia al Ghul in this World suited Bruce's taste, it was clear that the League of Assassins here wasn't too dark; otherwise, they couldn't have raised a Talia like this.
"Then... ahem, are you planning to let Damian be raised in the League of Assassins?" His eyes shone with gossip.
Bruce immediately went silent. Seeing this, Fang Yuan intentionally said, "If you don't say anything, I'll go to the League of Assassins and see for myself."
"No!" Bruce blurted out.
He sighed again.
Bruce himself had merged the memories of multiple Batmen and could plan ahead, but Fang Yuan also knew the plot, and Bruce knew he couldn't hide it from him.
"Talia has just realized she's pregnant. Once the child is born, whether it's Damian or not, I will give them the care they deserve," Bruce said seriously.
Fang Yuan nodded and stopped asking; any further would be too much of an intrusion into Bruce's privacy.
Anyway, the child hasn't been born yet.
Better to focus on the Joker.
Today clearly wasn't Joe Cole's worst day because it was already night.
But Bruce and Fang Yuan specifically came to Joe Cole's home early the next morning. Sure enough, just as in the plot, not long after Joe Cole left, Jenny accidentally got electrocuted.
Bruce rushed in immediately, performed emergency first aid on Jenny using a pre-prepared plan, and then sent her to the hospital.
Fang Yuan and Bruce both tacitly didn't prevent Jenny from being electrocuted but chose to save her instead.
They both knew how to maximize Joe Cole's gratitude.
Being saved from the brink of Death by electrocution is a completely different level of kindness compared to being saved from a potential safety hazard.
No wonder one of them could unlock Dark Affinity and the other could turn Dark Affinity into an aura skill.
Sure enough, Joe Cole, who was discussing the night's plan with two old scheming men in a bar, was bewildered when the Police came looking for him.
"Jenny was electrocuted?"
He immediately followed the Police to the hospital and saw Batman and Fang Yuan in the ward.
Of course, to hide his identity, Fang Yuan was wearing the Fox mask again.
"Bat... Batman?"
Joe Cole was terrified, and looking back at the two policemen who brought him, they had already slipped out of the ward.
They didn't want anything to do with Batman.
"Joe Cole, right?"
Bruce adopted Batman's classic low, gravelly voice.
"While investigating the Red Hood, we saved your wife, but we discovered you seem to be doing some dangerous things?"
Batman's deterrent power over criminals is unprecedented, not to mention Joe was already somewhat cowardly; he was now too frightened to speak.
"You can say thank you now," Fang Yuan said, giving Joe a way out.
Joe looked at the Smiling Face Mask Fang Yuan was wearing and subconsciously felt a surge of goodwill toward him.
You will get 90 chapter ahead for this fanfiction.
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