"Pfft—" Harley covered her mouth and laughed, "His brain has always been a bit faulty, you know."
Homelander turned his head, looking at the Joker, his expression becoming solemn.
"Listen, Mr. Joker."
"Although I have just established the Earth Human Federation, unfortunately, due to time constraints, our civil service system hasn't been set up yet."
"Currently, the only civil servant in the Federation is me."
Homelander pointed at himself.
"So I have to hold multiple positions."
"I am the Police, responsible for catching you."
"I am also the Prosecutor, responsible for indicting you."
"And I am the Judge, responsible for sentencing you."
Then he pointed at the excited Harley behind him.
"And this beautiful and charming lady is our specially invited jury."
"Now." Homelander snapped his fingers, "The Supreme Court of the Human Federation, Kent Farm Circuit Court, is officially in session!"
"What?" The smile on the Joker's face faded slightly; this plot development was a bit outside his script.
He had experienced countless trials in his life and faced countless judges and psychologists.
But he had never seen this kind of approach; it was practically crazier than he was.
"Your Honor the Prosecutor, please read the indictment." Homelander switched roles while talking to himself, then put on a look of deep distress.
"The public prosecutor begins his statement."
Homelander ceremoniously pulled out an imaginary speech.
"Defendant: Jack. Accused of the following crimes:"
"First, crimes against humanity. No explanation needed for this one."
"Second, being ugly and having poor taste—green hair with a purple suit? Are you a moldy eggplant? Suspected of damaging the Federation's image, causing irreparable visual pollution to the spiritual civilization of the New World."
"Pfft—hahaha!" Harley couldn't help but laugh out loud, "A moldy eggplant! That's too accurate!"
"Third, and most importantly..." Homelander's eyes narrowed, revealing a murderous intent.
"...you made my Little Pumpkin sad."
"For the above charges, the evidence is solid and the facts are clear!"
Having finished, Homelander turned to look at Harley, switching back to his majestic judge's face.
"Lady of the Jury, what is your opinion on the aforementioned charges? Do you find the defendant guilty?"
Harley was already doubled over with laughter, banging her baseball bat on the ground like a gavel.
"Guilty! Guilty! Guilty on all counts!"
"Especially the one about fashion taste! That's practically a double crime against humanity!"
"Very good."
Homelander nodded with satisfaction and looked at the Joker as if reading the final verdict.
"In view of the jury's unanimous decision, the charges are upheld!"
"This court now renders the following judgment:"
"The defendant, Jack, is sentenced to death."
"To be executed immediately."
"Executioner: Harley Quinn."
"Yay!!!" Harley cheered, threw down the baseball bat, rushed over to hug Homelander's neck, and gave his handsome face a hard kiss, "I love this law! This is the most just trial in the World!"
The way she looked at Homelander was full of infatuation.
In the past, she chased the Joker because his madness made her feel free.
But that wasn't love.
At this moment, Harley truly felt her soul had found its home.
This was the kind of man she wanted! Powerful, humorous, and... he doted on her.
"Go ahead, darling." Homelander patted Harley's perky rear.
"This is your right, and your farewell ceremony."
Harley gave him a flirtatious look, then bent down to pick up the baseball bat from the ground, weighing it in her hand, and looked at the Joker with unfriendly eyes.
The man who once controlled her, tortured her, and made her love him desperately while hating him to the core.
Now, he just looked like a posturing mental patient.
A sense of liberation suddenly surged in Harley's heart.
"Thank you, My Lord Judge."
She stood on her tiptoes, held Homelander's face, and gave him a deep, fiery, long kiss.
"This is the best gift I've ever received."
Notification! Gained special popularity value +150! (From Harley Quinn)
She turned around, gripping the bat, and walked toward the Joker step by step.
Her eyes were unusually calm.
The Joker watched this scene.
He watched this "pet" who was once completely submissive to him, now coming to kill him.
He watched that self-proclaimed righteous "Homelander" playing this absurd trick.
He wasn't afraid.
On the contrary, he grinned again, his laughter becoming increasingly frantic.
"Hehehe... Hahahaha!"
His body was hunched over like a prawn, laughing until he couldn't breathe.
"Wonderful! Simply wonderful!"
The Joker looked up, a morbid fervor flashing in his eyes.
"Come on! Kill me, Homelander!"
"You think you're judging me? Actually, you're—"
"Zzzzt—!"
A thin, precise beam of red Heat Vision shot out without warning.
It didn't pierce the Joker's head, but instead shot into his open mouth.
"Ugh—Aaaargh!!!" The Joker's speech was interrupted, and his unfinished words turned into a shrill scream.
A smell of burning flesh spread through the air.
He clutched his mouth, rolling on the ground in agony.
Homelander withdrew his gaze and fanned the air in front of him with a look of disgust.
"You know what, Joker?"
"I've read many stories."
"Those so-called villains always die because they talk too much."
"They insist on delivering a long speech before they die, talking about their plans, their philosophy."
"That's just too stupid, really."
Homelander shook his head.
"But you're different."
"I think you're a rare talent, and I don't want you to make that kind of low-level mistake."
"So I decided to give you a hand."
"Look at you now." Homelander pointed at the scorched piece of tongue on the ground, "So quiet, so successful?"
"That's more like it."
"As a clown, you should use body language to amuse the audience, instead of relying on that trashy mouth to blabber on."
"No need to thank me, this is called... career planning optimization."
"Aba! Aba!!"
The Joker couldn't make a complete sound, only able to let out meaningless howls.
But he hadn't given up.
Taking advantage of rolling on the ground, his right hand quietly reached for his chest.
There was a Laughing Gas Bomb compressed with Kryptonite powder there.
Just a twitch of the finger... "Zzzzt—!!"
Another flash of red light.
"Aba aba aba—!!"
The Joker's right hand was severed at the wrist.
"Trying to reach for a toy?"
Homelander shook his head, the red light in his eyes fading.
"I can see every single hair on your body; you're trying these little tricks?"
"Aba, aba aba!"
The Joker wanted to say something, but he couldn't.
This pain of only being able to listen, unable to express, and unable to fight back was more agonizing than killing him.
"I know what you're thinking."
Homelander looked into the Joker's bloodshot eyes.
"You think this is just a physical death, that your spirit will live on, and you'll become a totem of chaos, right?"
"You think that even if you die, the World will remember you, Batman will remember you, and you'll become an eternal nightmare they can never shake off?"
The Joker stopped struggling and stared at Homelander.
"Tsk tsk tsk, so naive."
Homelander smiled like a demon.
"Jack, do you know what's more terrifying than death?"