Nobody: Chapter 1 Simple Folk of Gotham City
Nobody: Chapter 2 Why so serious?
Facing the infamous Joker, the small fry were at a loss, turning their gazes towards the leading 'Boss.'
The stout man quickly threw away the wine bottle and sucked in his large belly, which was almost bursting his belt. 'Uh... this... didn't you say we were a bit short on numbers when we talked before? So I found a way to get one more rookie.'
'Don't worry, he's so poor he's looking for clothes in trash cans; he can't be a police informant.'
After hearing his explanation, the Joker's attitude was noncommittal. He just frowned in confusion.
The other person at the center of the topic was finding it a bit hard to bear.
But Leo didn't dare to voice his opinion. He just wanted to be a mute nobody cared about.
'Alright then, it's all the same anyway.'
After the brief conversation, the Joker walked around the group in circles, again and again.
The tense atmosphere surged as his silence lengthened. These terrorists, whom ordinary people wouldn't dare look directly at, were shrinking back and looking around nervously, as if they were surrounded by him alone.
A few minutes later, the Joker seemed to confirm something and clapped his hands together forcefully twice.
Clap, clap.
The crisp applause broke the silent spell that had enveloped everyone. These people dared to breathe again.
The Joker turned and walked towards the minivan, lightly closing the door. He turned back and waved to the stout man. 'Next is task distribution, one by one.'
Nobody dared to have any opinion on his arrangements.
The Boss stepped forward, while the others retreated a few steps.
After about two minutes, the boss came out triumphantly, holding a brand-new rifle and with a travel bag slung around his waist.
He radiated confidence, as if full of assurance about the upcoming operation.
Immediately after, the second person was called over.
In just fifteen minutes, all eight people besides Leo had finished their private conversation with the Joker, and each of their faces shone with a peculiar look.
They tacitly didn't ask about each other's tasks, silently familiarizing themselves with the new equipment the Joker had distributed.
Finally, under Leo's uneasy gaze, the Joker waved at him.
Leo quickly closed his eyes and looked at the countdown—[01:01:24]
Good news, in one more hour, he can go home.
Bad news: it's uncertain if the bank robbery operation can be delayed that long.
If worst comes to worst, talk to the Joker for a bit longer to delay the time?
In desperation, Leo, holding onto this unreliable idea, walked into the minivan's compartment.
The light dimmed slightly, and the smell of gun oil wafted into his nostrils.
After going in, the Joker was sitting opposite him—leisurely crossing his legs.
'Hello... Mr. Joker.'
Leo lowered his head, hesitated, and sat on the seat, not even daring to look into his eyes.
There was no response from the other side. The minivan was quiet.
Although he really wanted to delay the time, the person opposite him was the craziest of the crazy. He didn't dare bet on what would happen if the standoff continued.
Helpless, Leo could only look up and look at the Joker.
Then he saw—
The Joker had an exaggerated expression. With his two hands, one forward and one back, he made an 'eight' shape, forming a rectangular 'frame,' placing him in the center of the frame and studying him carefully.
Leo was speechless.
As expected of a lunatic, he really couldn't understand this action...
After 'playing' like this for a full five minutes, the Joker put down his hands and let out sounds of amazement.
'I don't understand, but it's very interesting. You're that kind of... a very special person.'
Joker's words made Leo's heart race. Did he see something? Impossible, right?
His vigilance instantly shot up to the highest level. Unexpectedly, Joker changed the subject and directly started talking about the bank robbery arrangements.
"You're new. I can tell from your eyes that you've never even touched a gun. This time, I'll give you the simplest job: guarding the passersby in the lobby."
"Take this." He took an AK from a wooden box at his feet and tossed it to Leo. "If anyone moves around, just scare them. If someone tries to pull out a gun and fight back... just pull the trigger all the way!"
Leo fumbled to catch the AK, his scalp tingling when he heard that. He was just a programmer. Although he had killed countless people in games, in reality, he hadn't even killed a live fish. Now, he was being told to pull the trigger all the way, towards a group of innocent strangers...
If he had a choice, he'd rather shoot Joker first.
Thinking of this, he suddenly noticed Joker sitting casually opposite him, directly facing the AK's muzzle. If he went all out now, wouldn't he get the glorious achievement of killing Joker...?
Just as he was lost in thought, Joker suddenly stood up, sat next to him, and draped his left arm affectionately over his shoulder.
A faint, indescribable smell of cosmetics wafted into his nose.
"Don't be afraid, newbie. Everyone has a first time. I'll teach you how to shoot~"
He clicked the safety off and guided Leo's finger to the trigger.
"Align the sights, shoot a few times, and you'll get the hang of it. Now, shoot—!"
That shout startled Leo, making him tremble. He could have controlled his body, but Joker's right hand covered his own right hand, forcing him to pull the trigger.
Bang—!
No muzzle flash appeared, and the recoil was almost nonexistent.
Leo stared, dumbfounded, at the Stars and Stripes flag that shot out of the AK's barrel.
"Surprise!"
"Hahahahaha—!"
Joker held his shoulder, shaking him back and forth like a madman, emitting a harsh and maniacal laugh.
Leo struggled to maintain balance while resisting the onslaught of the demonic laughter piercing his ears.
Seeing his wide-mouthed, dazed expression, Joker laughed even harder: "Hahaha! I wanted to say it the moment I saw you—"Why so serious?"
He poked two fingers into Leo's mouth, pulling at the corners of his lips to form a smile.
"Ah hahaha!"
"That's it!" Joker's face twisted into an exaggerated grin. "Let's put a smile on that face!"
"Ah haha—ha ah—!"
He was laughing so hard he was almost choking, his pale cheeks buried on Leo's shoulder, providing his old clothes with some free white powder.
As for the latter, besides his mouth being pulled painfully, he also suffered ten thousand points of mental damage.
Leo was defeated, truly defeated.
He knew Joker was crazy, but he didn't expect him to go mad at a stranger on their first meeting.
After this ordeal, his fear of Joker unexpectedly dissipated quite a bit, entirely transforming into an impulse—an urge to smash him to death with the gun stock!
Joker laughed for a long time before taking out a handkerchief and wiping away the tears from the corners of his eyes.
"Ah~~ I hope you like my gift, newbie."
"You know, keeping a smile is the key to turning life into a comedy, haha—"
"Hahaha..." Leo forced out a couple of awkward laughs with him, afraid he would pull another stunt.
A moment later, Joker reined in his laughter, still sitting beside him. "Let's play a game, newbie. You have two choices now."
"One, you can take this toy gun for the mission. It's a very realistic replica; as long as you don't shoot, no one will know it's fake. With this gun, you don't have to worry about hurting anyone, and even if the police arrest you, the penalty will be light."
"But—this gun also can't protect you. If the passersby and security guards resist, you'll be in big trouble."
"Two, I can certainly give you a real gun. As for the consequences... you figure it out yourself."
"How about it? Two options, either way has a 50% chance of being 'right.' Go on~"
Joker spread his hands, making a 'please' gesture, his eyes full of expectation.