Amanda, pacing behind him, let out a scornful laugh and sneered,"Yes, this is the final struggle of these fragile lambs. So weak and feeble that it's laughable."
Then, Amanda heard from behind a deep laughter the shook her to her core, more so than a chill wind from Hell.
"What are you laughing at?" Amanda stopped behind Shiller's chair, her voice raising in question.
"I am...happy," Shiller replied.
Without waiting for Amanda to reply, Shiller continues in his deep-tone:
"In recent years, I met a child. Like you, he harbors a deep hatred towards criminals, even more so than you."
"He displays toughness, aloofness, concealing his confusion and suffering with strong physique and advanced equipment."
"He is not baffled by his own hatred," Shiller shook his head gently, "but by his talent. The talent that aligns perfectly with that of serial killers, and is even stronger, causes him immense pain."
"He does not want to become a criminal. So much so that he refuses to take their lives in his fight against them."
"He wants to show his strength, but ironically, he locks away his greatest strength, never letting it see the light of day."
"But now, I unlocked that chest. He now understands that… only a criminal can deal with other criminals."
Just as Amanda was about to respond, the door was kicked open with a bang. Davis rushed in, his face still flushed with panic. He took a deep breath, looked at Amanda and said, "William Dennys Jetter is dead."
Amanda frowned deeply. Her gaze darted towards Shiller like a flash but quickly realized. Shiller had been in her sight all this time, impossible for him to have the time to commit a crime.
So, she glared at Davis displeasedly and said, "He wasn't one of ours anyway. So what if he's dead? What are you panicking for?"
"But he died at the Metropolitan Area Federal Bureau of Investigation's base!" Davis glanced at Shiller. Amanda immediately realized that Davis was talking about the base where Shiller was questioned.
Davis gritted his teeth, walked over to Amanda and whispered, "William's manner of death was terrifying. He was stuffed alive into a transparent box less than half a cubic meter, dying from internal organ failure due to compression. And he was... shoved in there while still alive."
Looking around, Davis lowered his voice further, "We all know who William and Talya worked for. I know you resent them giving orders and using these brutal criminals to get rid of them."
"But there's no way the Federal Bureau of Investigation could tolerate such a horrific homicide at its own base! It's a slap in the face to all American law enforcement agencies!"
"I didn't do it!" Amanda ground her teeth and said, "The experiment had finally landed successfully. Why would I go looking for trouble?!"
Davis took a deep breath, hands on hips, and looking at Amanda said,"The problem is, without results from your experiment, those lunatics had become this brutal. Do you think others would still believe in the success of your experiments?"
"A bunch of rats, already crazy enough to pull teeth from the mouth of a cat. Who would still believe that we can tame them?!" Davis's voice raised in indignation.
"Moreover, the identities of William and Talya are quite special in their own right. Don't forget that the Assassin's Union, the assassin organization, has contributed significantly to the apprehension of these brutal murderers!"
"Of course I know! Otherwise, why would I have let them take direction in my plan?!" Amanda spoke angrily.
She cast her eyes to the side, speaking with venomous undertones, "They call themselves the world's deadliest assassins, yet they can't evade a bunch of murderers? They lack competence, and they are blaming us?"
"Amanda! Now is not the time to be argumentative!" Davis looked at her and pleaded, "We must identify the killer as soon as possible. Whether we eliminate him or toss him in jail, we need to provide an explanation quickly and demonstrate our expertise to keep the plan going!"
Amanda took a deep breath, as if she made a significant decision. She looked into Davis's eyes and said, "Begin phase two earlier than planned. I will show these lunatics that they should cherish their freedom rather than repeatedly provoking me."
Davis gazed at her with bulging eyes. "Are you insane?! The first phase of the plan isn't even halfway done, and the most insane serial killers you've gathered from around the world are not yet tamed. And you're actually thinking of letting them loose??!!"
Amanda kept her composure throughout, the muscles around her nose tense. She declared with a determined tone, "The sensory deprivation of a week has already driven most of them to insanity, they've begun to feel pain."
"Besides, we're not completely doing away with physical constraints. Where is Dr. FitzGibbon? How prepared are the micro-bombs that were supposed to be used in phase two?"
Seeing Amanda's determination, Davis knew she had made up her mind. He took a deep breath and said, "Dr. FitzGibbon's research was completed a year ago, yet without cooperation in mind control, we cannot guarantee the safety of the experiment."
Amanda slowly closed her eyes. After a moment of silence, she briskly walked around the table and rested her hands on it, staring at Shiller's eyes, "Professor, it's your turn."
"What do you plan to threaten me with?" Shiller asked calmly.
"I've no intention of threatening you. This is what you owe me. You must pay for stopping your student from avenging in the past," Amanda responded.
"This is what you owe me," Shiller tilted his head slightly, "I was stopping you from walking towards your death."
Amanda slowly stood up from the table, slightly raised her head, adjusting her angle to look at Shiller. She said, "I knew it. I can't expect any sense of guilt from you madmen."
"Your most valued student is Batman, also known as Bruce Wayne's adopted son, Dick Grayson. Dick Grayson's grandfather was murdered. The next target of the killer is the Grayson couple of Brude Haven."
Amanda gently lowered herself until her eyes were level with Shiller's and told him, "The culprit who wants their lives is not a simple one. Ordinary people are extremely vulnerable. If you don't help me, accidents will happen sooner than tomorrow. Your valued student may never become a father."
Shiller looked straight into Amanda's eyes for the first time, dropping his gaze. From above his eyes, he saw Amanda. His usually gentle and calm gaze vanished, revealing a hint of indifference for the first time.
Amanda held his gaze for a moment, then turned around with a cold expression and spoke with the same icy tone,
"Ask Dr. FitzGibbon to come over. If we want the eminent professor to cooperate, we'll need some extraordinary methods."
She went behind Shiller, laid one hand on the back of his chair, bent forward, turned her head, and whispered in his ear,
"Professor, you're not afraid of pain, are you?"