Batman sighed in relief at Charles' shout.
What trajectory calculation, I have no idea! I can't even use this communicator you made. Which button do I press to start?!
"Polka dots might affect the bomb," Batman said, "We can't let anything touch the bomb, can't risk it going off!"
He stepped forward and said, "Listen, Miss Quinn, we can talk. If you detonate the bomb here, you won't be able to survive either..."
"Nanawei!" Amanda's furious voice bood through the headset, "Bring that damn madman down!"
Batman couldn't stand it anymore, yanking off the headset and smashing it to the ground, shouting at Shark King, "Don't go near! That's a bomb!"
Shark King was already poised to charge. Harley was ready to run, but hearing the word "bomb" seed to remind her of sothing, and she stopped.
", roar roar roar! Bomb, BOOM! We, ah ah ah, right?" Shark King gestured excitedly as he spoke.
"Exactly!" Pala extended a vine to wrap around Shark King's shoulder and handed him a monkey bread tree fruit, patting his head like comforting a child.
"Thank goodness this guy didn't charge in," Pala breathed a sigh of relief, "Harley stands no chance against Shark King. He's uncommunicative and won't hold back like Batman. If he really charged in, Harley would be swallowed whole!"
"Haha! Shark, tree, good!" Shark King grinned broadly, calling out.
But Pala soon realized she relaxed too soon. Amanda's voice sounded again in the earphones:
"El Diablo! Use your powers on her!"
At this, everyone was stunned—you're playing with fire in front of a bomb two stories high?!
Oh no, now it's truly beco the Suicide Squad!
The problem is Harley is panicking too. The bomb under her feet is genuine. To help the Joker with the Diamond Street explosion plan, she made a large purchase of bomb materials from Talya, which Jack made into bombs—the very thing under her feet.
"Joker bombs" aren't just top quality. Let's just say, if these bombs explode here, Gotham River will have a new estuary.
"Wait!" Harley hastily shouted, "If you dare co closer, I'll press the button! I'll flatten the factory district!"
Amanda may not care how many die, but El Diablo clearly didn't want to proceed. He pressed his earphones and said: "My flas could set off the bomb. I think Batman should handle this."
"Exactly!" Harley quickly followed up, "Let Batman co up! He's the only one who knows the Joker's whereabouts! Hurry, let him co up, or I'll press the button!"
"Don't do anything rash. If the bomb explodes, you won't escape." Batman was still trying to negotiate, "I'm coming up right away. Please, don't be impulsive."
"Batman, we don't negotiate with terrorists!!" Amanda's voice rang through soone else's headset.
Batman decided to ignore Amanda's orders, walking alone towards the machine, taking the sa path Harley went up.
Things finally returned to the right track, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. But nobody expected Amanda still had a trick up her sleeve.
When the sirens blared outside the factory doors, everyone was dumbfounded.
Harley now just had one feeling—the sky was falling!
If Jas Gordon saw her dressed like this, she'd definitely be finished!
Harley was initially rescued by Gordon and had worked there a long ti due to the police and hospital being short-staffed. She knew Gordon very well.
Gordon is an old-fashioned sort. To him, non-mainstream makeup and that crazy teenager-like street style are signs of a delinquent. He wouldn't care about strangers dressing like this, but if a friend dared to, he'd surely intervene heavily.
But soon, Harley recalled she was disguised as another cosmos' Harley Quinn. As long as she denied it, Gordon couldn't do anything.
But this raised another issue—if it was only the Task Force, Harley would definitely be caught by them; but if the police ca, she'd be taken to the police station.
Her destination is the X Task Force, not Gotham Police!
Even if Amanda insisted on capturing her, Batman would undoubtedly side with Gordon.
"What's Amanda thinking? How could she call the police at such a ti?" Harley felt she couldn't understand Amanda's thought process.
No wait... she imdiately realized, this police car's sirens sounded a bit off.
The sirens of Gotham Police Departnt's cars are distinct from other cities. To deter the Mob, their sirens are modified to sound incredibly loud, audible across four or five blocks as they pass.
Furthermore, to maintain order, there's usually loud calls accompanying them, practically making them walking noise machines.
But the siren outside the factory was noticeably feebler. In Gothamite's words: "Quiet as a tropolitan."
"State Police..." Pala whispered, "These must be New Jersey State Police cars. Why are they here?"
New Jersey State Police mainly operate in tropolis; they never entered Gotham before and aren't in the habit of enforcing the law here. This ti they clearly ca prepared.
Harley wasn't sure if Amanda and the state police had reached a deal. She wanted to go to a federal prison, not court. If there was no agreent between the two sides, she'd be stuck.
"Maybe I should just run." Harley thought, "This ti I underestimated the strength of the task force. With this lesson, it will be much easier to drag Batman into the sche next ti."
Having made up her mind, Harley prepared to run. But escape wasn't exactly in her plan. She took two steps back and started feeling a bit stuck.
To look cool, she was standing on a huge pile of bombs. This place was quite high, and the exit was blocked by Batman. Now, how was she going to get down?
Thankfully, Jack seed prepared for this. He threw a rope down to Harley from above. Harley grabbed the rope, and Jack pulled her up. It wasn't as stylish as she'd hoped, but at least she escaped successfully.
Before leaving, she didn't forget to taunt from below: "I'll let it go this ti, but next ti you won't get away so easily! Batman!"
This was a performance she had to put on for her character, but the two seconds she wasted allowed the ard police to rush in.
Who knows if they were following Amanda's orders or what, they fired a burst towards the factory's upper level. Harley was frightened and quickly ducked her head back down. She and Jack turned to run.
They were about to head out from the second floor balcony when they saw two helicopters parked outside. The people on them were aiming guns at the windows. The two had no choice but to retreat indoors.
"Looks like we're trapped in here." Harley said, "You go first. I bet Amanda will take back."
But Batman obviously wasn't about to let the two of them go so easily. He used a grapple to zip up to the platform where Jack and Harley were. anwhile, Injustice Batman was already on his way up.
He ca up from the stairs of a nearby ergency exit, flanking Batman and Harley from the left and right.
Now the most panicked were neither Jack and Harley, nor the two Batmans, but those three below.
Boss! My boss! My boss who offered a $500,000 annual salary! You have to be okay!
Deathstroke moved the fastest. Using a grapple paired with jumps, he reached the platform in two leaps, yelling: "Batman! I'm here to help you!"
He actually fired a burst at Batman.
Batman originally had Harley and Jack cornered, but with the interference, and to dodge the bullets, Batman rolled in the opposite direction. Jack's quick reflexes allowed him to slip through the gap.
Harley had no intention of running, but she still shouted madly, imitating Harley Quinn: "No!! Puddin'! You can't leave !!!"
It was Jack's first ti hearing such a declaration in person, and he almost slipped and fell. Luckily, he managed to leap to the back door and escaped swiftly through it.
Harley played the role of heartbroken while keeping an eye on the situation below. Once the police ca in, under Pala's command, they shot out the braking chanism, stopping the descending rope. The hostages were saved.
Harley breathed a sigh of relief. That was when Injustice Batman rushed over and captured Harley, fulfilling her wish to be apprehended.
Batman escorted Harley to the ground and put handcuffs on her. Harley pretended to resist uncomfortably, but was ntally celebrating.
Thinking the matter was over, the freed hostages suddenly started cursing.
"Damn it! Clearly, blowing up that box could've released us, but you left us hanging up there for so long! Damn you, Batman, I'll sue you!"
"Yeah. You never intended to save us! Do you expect us to thank you?! If we had listened to him and blown up that box, we would have been safe long ago!"
They all shouted in a jumble. Harley couldn't help but give Pala a helpless look.
Batman's caution couldn't be considered unnecessary, especially since today's trap was set by Harley. If it were a Harley Quinn from another universe, there'd definitely be bombs inside that box.
But these people didn't care about that. All they saw was that blowing up the box would have made them safe, so they redirected their anger and fear at Batman, who stopped others from blowing up the box.
Batman certainly wouldn't respond to them, but he did pick up his headset from the ground to discuss Harley Quinn with Amanda. Just then, soone with little sense broke past the police and charged toward this side.
The crowd was on the right, and Batman was on the far left. For them to reach this point, they'd have to cross the entire task force, but Shark King stood at the far right end of the task force.
As Shark King turned, he sniffed and, like grabbing a donut, he lifted the person up and stuffed them into his mouth.
"No! Nanawei!" Batman shouted.
But there were still several people between Batman and Shark King. By the ti he got there, two people had already stepped in to intervene—Pala and Victor.
Pala summoned two vines, wrapping them around the unlucky person's legs, seemingly pulling out, actually pushing in. Victor aid his Freeze Gun at Shark King, but the Frozen Bullet perfectly froze the person being stuffed into the mouth, making them easier to swallow.
By the ti Batman rushed over, the entire ice block had already slid into the stomach.
"Quick! Induce vomiting!" Batman said, "The person was frozen, he shouldn't be digested by stomach acid..."
"Too late, the ice should've already lted."
Batman stared at Victor.
"That's what you said," Victor shrugged with an innocent look, "Nothing can avoid heat exchange. It's a law of physics."
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