Superego looked down at the food on the plate and said, "What you can eat is but a fraction. Of course, Greed and Gluttony are exceptions."
"We've already stated the facts, so now it's time to make some inferences." Shiller took the initiative to open the conversation. He swallowed the food in his mouth then continued, "Where does this power come from?"
"I can confirm that it relates to the original body's owner," Superego stated with certainty, and then continued, "Before we came here, the power already existed in the body. It did not come with us, it was there all along."
"Because its origin is unknown, after solving the initial survival issues, I was reluctant to use it too much. Those who can dine here are primarily personalities with strong traits, ensuring that even if any impurities exist, they cannot control or contaminate you."
Shiller thought carefully and said, "Remember the things in our subconscious? Feathers, scales, perhaps more deeper within. They weren't things we obtained. It's very likely that like this power, they were originally in the body and then infiltrated our consciousness."
"But the clues we currently have are too few. According to the vague memories we possess, there are no leads. The original Shiller's life trajectory wouldn't have allowed him to attain such a strong power. It completely defies logic," Superego said thoughtfully.
"Could it be related to the KGB?" Shiller squinted his eyes and then said, "What we know about the original Shiller's life, the most suspicious point is his time in the KGB."
By this time, Superego had already put down his utensils, started unfastening the buckles on Shiller and said to him, "Therefore, you must return to your conscious state. Do you know who caused the previous explosion?"
"Was it the KGB?"
"Congratulations, you're correct. And you're the most polite of the dinner guests I've invited. It would be even better if you could just keep quiet from start to finish."
Shiller tilted his head, revealing his neck for Superego to unbuckle. He spoke with his head turned to the side, "Greed doesn't have time to talk when he comes here. If you prefer silence, I can relay your message."
"No need." Superego undid the last buckle, but Shiller did not rise from his chair. Instead, he picked up the napkin next to him, wiped his mouth, meticulously arranged the dishes and cutlery on the table in front of him, then stood up.
As he headed towards the door, he said, "You should know that my courtesy relies on the electric shock function of the buckles. I appreciate your restraint in not activating it."
Superego watched Shiller leave and said, "You have to know, when dealing with some overly violent personalities, an appropriate measure is needed or what you might see on that wound wouldn't just be a bite mark."
After Shiller left, he ascended via the elevator to his conscious state. Upon awakening, he found himself lying on a soft bed, and the ceiling above was the familiar hotel ceiling.
He turned his head and saw an unfamiliar face. Brown hair, gray-blue eyes in deep sockets, creating a mysterious look in the shadows. Or one could say, this particular look is often found in a certain type of person.
"Who are you?" Shiller had barely opened his mouth when he found his voice incredibly hoarse. So, he lay in bed coughing for a moment, accepted a glass of water from the man's hand and drank some of it, then leaned against the pillow that the man had just set up.
"Soviet National Security Committee." The man sat in the chair next to the bed, looked at Shiller, and said, "Andropovlevsky, you can call me Andro."
Shiller coughed again, using his dry voice with difficulty to ask, "Are you guys KGB? Why did you kidnap me?"
"Mr. Shiller, we heard that you, as a revolutionary mentor in Central America, were arrested and went missing by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. We would never abandon any comrade, so we sent people into Gotham to search for you and finally brought you here."
"I think you've got the wrong person. I'm just a regular university professor. I've got two papers to publish, can you take me back?" Shiller said with an expressionless face.
Andro lowered his head and flashed a smile, then he said, "Professor Shearer, let's not beat about the bush. The moment you didn't contact Moscow on time and went missing, you were already on the KGB's most-wanted list."
"And this time, regardless of your motives for impersonating the identity of the leader of the revolution in Central America, Moscow will not easily trust you again."
"Therefore, I need to warn you in advance that during this trip back to Moscow, you will certainly be interrogated. You were once our comrade, but you know that every one of our comrades who have undergone a long period of undercover work, or who have been a double agent, can't avoid this process. Especially since you had gone missing for a long period."
Shiller turned to look at him. Andro's face was calm, as if he had said these words several times before, but Shiller similarly maintained an emotionless face. He said, "As I said, you've got the wrong person. I have no connection with that country across the ocean and have never joined any KGB. If you take me back to Moscow, it's just a brutal kidnapping. If I can escape, I won't hesitate to tell this to the press."
Andro ignored what Shiller was saying. He just walked to the door and opened it. A female agent glanced at him and said, "The plane is ready. We will move out in ten minutes. Keep an eye on the target. After all, this is Gotham."
Andro turned to look at Shiller, was about to speak when he heard a commotion downstairs. The two of them simultaneously pulled out their guns from their waists, and the female agent rushed out. Andro took a step back, watching Shiller.
Intense gunfire echoed from downstairs. Andro swiftly aimed his weapon at Shiller, intending to use him as a hostage. However, the next second, the window glass shattered with a "snap".
Shiller turned to look at the person who stormed into the room, but it was neither Batman nor Superman as he had expected. It was another unfamiliar face.
The intruder knocked Andro down from behind, and another team stormed in from the door. The man with the gun put the gun back into the pocket of his windbreaker and turned to look at Shiller and said,
"I'm sorry, we're late, Chief."