American comics: Only I know the plot

Chapter 2 Interrogating the Clown

Joker, Gordon, police station—of all the trilogy films, only the scene where the Joker is arrested and interrogated harshly by Batman in the police station interrogation room fits this description.

At this point, Rachel and Harvey are kidnapped, and the Joker deliberately gives the wrong location, leading Batman in the wrong direction.

Finally, Rachel dies, Harvey is disfigured, and Gotham's Knight of Light gradually degenerates into Two-Face, which is the most crucial turning point in the entire trilogy.

If that's the case, he might be able to do something at the police station and probably gain something unexpected.

"Get in." The detective opened the back door. "Consider yourself lucky, kid. This place isn't safe at night."

...

The Gotham Police Department looks more dilapidated than it does in the movies.

The walls were a dirty, beige color, some of the floor tiles were cracked, and the air was filled with the smell of cheap coffee mixed with sweat.

At this moment, everyone was in a hurry, the police officers were talking in hushed tones, and their eyes kept glancing toward the interrogation room at the end of the corridor.

Li Wei was shown to the lounge, where a young police officer gave him a cup of instant coffee.

"Stay here and don't wander off," the officer said. "The chief will see you after he finishes his work."

Li Wei knew that Gordon had no time to care about him right now; the real decision about the fate of the city was about to happen in that interrogation room.

He needs to find a way to intervene, but not now.

Too early and he'd be thrown out as a madman; too late, and he didn't think he could catch the Batmobile.

Li Wei closed his eyes in deep thought; he needed to accurately grasp the crucial moment.

After a while, Li Wei put down the paper cup, got up and walked towards the door, feeling that it was about time.

The young officer tried to stop him, but a commotion suddenly broke out in the corridor.

A figure wearing a green vest and a blue shirt was led past.

His face was painted with pale greasepaint, and his lips curled into an unnatural smile—a clown.

Even from several meters away, Li Wei could feel that pure madness.

When he actually met the Joker, he realized that it wasn't a performance or movie special effects; it was just a madman.

Seemingly sensing his gaze, the clown turned his head and glanced across the lounge.

After scanning over Li Wei and the young police officer, the Joker's gaze lingered on Li Wei for half a second.

In a mere half-second, Li Wei felt a bone-chilling cold.

"Bang!"

The clown was wheeled into the interrogation room, and the door was tightly shut.

Li Wei walked out of the lounge naturally, and by then no one was paying attention to him anymore.

All the officers stared at the door, whispering amongst themselves about whether Batman would come.

Li Wei knew he would definitely come; the script had already been written, and now all that was left was for the actors to take their places.

He walked to the observation room next to the interrogation room and squeezed in with a group of police officers.

It seemed that the interrogation room had captured everyone's attention, and no one noticed him.

Looking through the one-way glass, the clown was handcuffed to a table, his off-key singing blaring from a loudspeaker.

Gordon tried to interrogate the Joker inside, but the Joker just looked at Gordon with a mocking smile.

The interrogation reached a stalemate, and Gordon returned empty-handed.

Just as everyone was feeling discouraged, the sound of breaking glass came from the interrogation room.

A black cape billowed in like the night sky, and Batman slammed his fist on the table, the metal legs groaning under the weight.

What followed was Batman's interrogation, filled with violence and rage.

Li Wei had seen this scene in movies more than ten times, but witnessing it in person was a different story.

Batman's every punch was filled with anger, and the Joker went from being smug at the beginning to becoming somewhat timid later on.

It is obvious that even mentally ill people feel fear when they are beaten.

"Where are Rachel and Harvey?" Batman's deep, thunderous voice boomed from the loudspeaker, and Levi could hear the burning fire within him.

"Oh, they're in a safe place." The clown licked his lips, his eyes once again filled with mockery.

"But time is running out. He's on 52nd Street, and she's on Cicero Avenue X. The problem is... you can only save one."

"This guy's about to start lying," Li Wei couldn't help but think to himself.

In the movie, the Joker deliberately reversed the positions of the two characters.

Tell Batman that Rachel is on Cicero X Avenue and Harvey is on 52nd Street.

Batman rushes to Cicero Avenue to save Rachel, but ends up saving Harvey instead, while Rachel dies in the explosion.

Seeing Batman hurriedly open the interrogation room door, Levi knew that the moment he had been waiting for had arrived.

Taking a deep breath, Li Wei stood in front of the interrogation room door.

"Batman, stop."

His voice wasn't loud, but it immediately drew the attention of both Batman and the Joker.

"Who are you?"

Batman looked at Li Wei, who was blocking the doorway, and spoke in a harsh tone.

"You don't need to know who I am. If you want to save Rachel, just do as I say."

The clown is deliberately telling you the opposite location; if you follow his directions, you can't save Rachel.

As soon as Li Wei finished speaking, the clown's neurotic smile froze on his face for the first time.

After hearing what Li Wei said, Batman turned around and punched the Joker in the chin without saying a word.

Li Wei had reason to suspect that this guy just wanted to punch the clown.

After defeating the Joker, Batman stormed out of the interrogation room.

"You'd better believe it."

Batman looked at Li Wei, his tone cold and hard.

Li Wei didn't answer, and walked directly to the Gotham map on the wall.

That's standard equipment for the police station, marked with the various jurisdictions.

Picking up a red marker, Li Wei drew circles in two completely different locations.

"Rachel is here," the pen tip pointed to a corner of Old Gotham, "the basement of an abandoned textile factory."

"Harvey is at the dock in the opposite direction, in a warehouse. The Joker deliberately reversed their locations."

The entire office was deathly silent.

Upon hearing Li Wei's words, the clown's smile vanished completely.

Through the open iron door of the interrogation room, Levi saw the clown looking at him with curiosity, like a child who had discovered a new toy.

"Ahem... How did you know, my... stranger?"

The clown tilted his head, and his signature smile reappeared on his face:

"Do you think Batman will believe your speculation, or... believe me?"

As if to confirm the Joker's words, Batman took a step closer, and Levi could feel the oppressive aura emanating from beneath the Bat mask.

Give me a reason.

"The Joker's goal was never to kill one of them."

Li Wei's voice was so steady that even he was surprised. "His goal is to destroy Harvey—the Knight of Light, the symbol of hope for Gotham."

Imagine if Batman saved the wrong person—Harvey survived while Rachel died. Who would Harvey blame? Of course, you would—Batman!

Then they blame the entire system, and in the end, Gotham's Knights of Light will only fall into corruption.

After explaining to Batman, Levi looked at the Joker in the interrogation room.

"You want to prove that with enough pressure, even the most upright person can break down."

So you need Harvey to survive, to watch everything he cherishes vanish, and ultimately become your 'work of art'.

After hearing Li Wei's words, the clown remained silent for a full five seconds.

Then he burst into laughter—not the affected laughter of before, but a genuine, unrestrained laugh that erupted from the depths of his chest.

He felt he had found a kindred spirit.