14 Chapter 14: Against Black Mask

These former Joker gang members betrayed Harley Quinn to work for the Black Mask, driven solely by self-interest rather than any ideals or loyalty.

In situations where they had the upper hand, they might rush forward to claim victory. However, faced with Jekyll's blatant threat of death, they visibly hesitated.

Though outnumbered, they considered that if someone could hold Jekyll back, others could attack from behind. Yet, no one wanted to stand out and become Jekyll's next target, paving the way for someone else's downfall.

Jekyll silently let out a breath, observing the hesitant former Joker gang members as they quietly stepped back, knowing his intimidation had succeeded.

"Enough!"

The hoarse voice of the Black Mask echoed in the abandoned warehouse.

"You came out to save this woman, right? Stop, or else, this lovely lady might lose some parts of her adorable head. Maybe an ear, perhaps a nose, or even her eyes."

The Black Mask rudely grabbed Harley Quinn's hair and, with his other hand, pulled out the knife Jekyll had embedded in his shoulder, pressing it against Harley's cheek.

Initially silent, Jekyll stared at the Black Mask, silently counting down in his mind.

Seeing Jekyll's expression, the Black Mask believed he had surrendered, a hint of joy glinting in his eyes behind the mask.

"Quick, subdue him now!"

Hearing the Black Mask's command, the other former Joker gang members hesitated briefly but still, two daring individuals approached Jekyll from both sides.

"Phew, cooldown time is finally over..."

Jekyll suddenly murmured quietly. In the next moment, he sprang into action.

Swish! Swish!

The silvery-white glint of the blade flashed. The former Joker gang members who had intended to grab him clutched their throats, fear and despair in their eyes as crimson blood oozed through their fingers.

"I already warned you. Blame your own greed."

Jekyll flicked the blood off the knife, took a deep breath, and charged at the Black Mask with all his might.

"What?! Weren't you afraid that this woman— the knife?!"

The Black Mask stood dumbfounded, staring in disbelief at his empty palm where the knife had been. He couldn't comprehend why the knife he had held just moments ago had vanished without a trace.

Suddenly, he looked up, a chill running down his spine. The Jekyll who had charged toward him moments ago was also nowhere to be seen.

This ability to appear and disappear, is he truly a clone of the Joker, rather than the Joker's ghost? This thought flashed through the Black Mask's mind.

There seemed to be a faint sound of footsteps behind him. In that moment, the Black Mask immediately followed his instincts— he released Harley Quinn and swiftly turned around to defend himself.

Clang!

The knife that Jekyll had aimed at the Black Mask's neck was deflected by the Black Mask's arm in the nick of time. The knife ended up stabbing the Black Mask's face, producing a sharp sound of metal clashing.

"Ahh!!!"

The Black Mask let out a piercing scream. Although he narrowly avoided being fatally stabbed in the throat by Jekyll, the knife plunged halfway into the mask, piercing his left eye.

Gritting his teeth, Jekyll exerted all his strength to push the knife deeper. He knew he couldn't afford to give the Black Mask a chance to catch his breath at this moment, or else in close combat, he wouldn't stand a chance against a master combatant like the Black Mask.

Bang!

However, a gunshot shattered Jekyll's plan.

'Are you fucking kidding me?'

Clutching the gunshot wound in his abdomen, Jekyll half-knelt on the ground, feeling powerless. He had never expected the Black Mask to pull out such a deadly weapon at this moment.

He now realized how absurd those movie scenes were— where people get shot multiple times and still fight on. The impact and pain from the bullets hitting his body almost made him instantly dizzy, rendering him incapable of making any other moves.

Coupled with the aftermath of the earlier short-term power surge from inhaling the toxic fumes through deep breathing, Jekyll could only be at the mercy of others now.

As the Black Mask gasped for air, his hand trembling slightly as he held the gun, a sense of relief swept over him.

Naturally, the Black Mask always carried a gun as a precaution. He hadn't drawn it earlier because he had believed that his advantage in numbers would secure his victory. Plus, he didn't want to attract too much attention from the Gotham Police Department. After all, a street brawl was one thing, but involving firearms would escalate the situation entirely.

However, his carelessness almost cost him his life and an eye. The Black Mask looked at Jekyll resentfully with his remaining eye, then aimed the gun at Jekyll's forehead, slowly placing his finger on the trigger.

"Finally, it's over. Whether you are a clone, a ghost, or a demon, there's no way—"

Heh heh heh hee hee hee—

A harsh, unpleasant laughter suddenly echoed at the Black Mask's feet. A strange box appeared out of nowhere and opened. From within, a bizarre Joker doll shot out a mildly corrosive liquid towards the Black Mask.

"What the hell is this? Ahh! My face!"

Panic-stricken, the Black Mask covered his face, wildly waving the hand with the gun. Seizing this precious opportunity, enduring the pain in his abdomen, Jekyll forcefully knocked the gun out of the Black Mask's now-unsteady grip.

"Retreat! Retreat! Get out of here!"

The Black Mask, completely deterred from continuing the fight with Jekyll after the consecutive use of Jekyll's bizarre abilities, was now shattered psychologically. Furthermore, the terror of the Fright Box ability and inhaling a small amount of the poison due to the mask's damage had made him terrified. Under these dual effects, all the Black Mask wanted now was to escape from this eerie man.

Assisted by the remaining few former Joker gang members, the Black Mask got back into the truck. They didn't even dare to glance at Jekyll again, and as they didn't know about his cooldown timer, they're afraid he might reappear mysteriously and take their lives.

Vroom!

The engine roared, and the truck, still emitting a steady stream of gas, vanished from Jekyll's sight into the pitch-black night at an astonishing speed.

Finally, it's over.

Jekyll breathed a sigh of relief, holding his gunshot wound, staggering to stand up.

Since he had already rescued them, it was time to leave this place now and find somewhere to hide.

However, Jekyll's consciousness began to blur. The combined effects of excessive blood loss and the weakening of the poison's concentration hit him simultaneously. He had only taken two steps before his legs gave way, and he collapsed backward.

Thud.

But Jekyll didn't hit the hard ground. He felt something soft, warm, catching him from behind.

"I knew it was you, or rather, you could become him."

A gentle and sweet voice resonated by his ear. Yet, Jekyll was already losing his ability to think, gradually losing consciousness.

"I won't give up, no matter how long it takes. Just like he turned me from Harleen Quinzel into Harley Quinn, I'll turn you into my ideal Joker. My ideal hero."

Something moist and soft seemed to imprint on his lips. This was the last sensation Jekyll felt before slipping into unconsciousness.

°°°

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