"Bruce... Wayne!!!!"
Shiller staggered to his feet, drawing a deep breath only to taste a mouthful of blood.
Lowering his head, he saw the wrinkled prisoner's uniform smeared with blood on the chest, cuffs, and trousers, and the ground, streaked with blood tracks from their scuffle, under his shoes.
Shiller stretched out a hand, using the root of his palm's outer edge to wipe his lips. He clenched his teeth, bared them, and glared at Bruce, who was before him.
Bruce had to admit, after the professor discarded his elegant facade entirely, there was a pitiable desperation of a beast at the end of its tether and a fierce savagery originating from primal instincts.
In this state, Bruce saw Shiller's true nature, as if he had never left the mental institution and the eccentric life from his memories.
Now, Bruce finally understood why Shiller had consistently yearned for an ordinary life.
His claim, the uncurable reality of a lone patient, was not a delusion but the real manifestation when the facade was ripped away, and they were still trapped in their capricious teenage years.
Seeing Shiller in his aggressive stance, Bruce surprisingly felt no fear.
Perhaps that was because fear often comes from the unknown, and once he understood Shiller, he was confident of approaching him calmly.
Bruce turned sideways, taking a large step back to clear the way directly within Shiller's line of sight. Raising the hand nearest to the door, he pointed vehemently towards the corner.
"She did it."
As expected, Shiller followed Bruce's gesture and then saw a confused Amanda, who bore the same expression as him.
Shiller, of course, wouldn't be so easily distracted, but when he saw Amanda, he recognized the face from the original Shiller's memory. From then, he instinctively began recalling facts related to Amanda.
"Were you that stupid girl, who during the chase, recklessly charged forward, almost getting burnt in the newsstand's trap?"
"What did you say?!!"
Both were taken aback, with Amanda additionally incensed. She was still clueless about the situation till now.
Why did Bruce Wayne suddenly draw out his blood? Why was the blood placed in a cup to feed Shiller? Why did Shiller suddenly break free from his restraints in a mysterious way? Why did they start fighting out of nowhere? Why did they hug while fighting? Why did it seem like they would start fighting again after the hug?
For the first time, Amanda felt lost. Since she systematically studied psychology and had excellent grades, she remembered well that mantra, never to show interest in a mental patient's psychic battlefield.
Her tragic past made her despise serial killers, so she never made an effort to understand them.
But now, she felt lost and regretful for the first time because she realized that there were more mental patients around her than she imagined, living in a different world altogether. Amanda couldn't comprehend their actions and words.
It was as if a super cool party was going on but she was the only one not invited. Amanda, like any ordinary person dealing with mental patients regularly, began to doubt if the world or she was going mad.
Shiller's words brought her back to reality. She swiftly walked out from behind the table, staring at Shiller who was in shambles, and raised her voice to ask: "What did you say just now?!!!"
"Are you Amanda Waller?" Shiller asked again. Seeing Amanda's expression, he began to speak: "I think you've misunderstood one thing. The object of your hatred and revenge is not the same person. I am not the Shiller you know."
"Of course, I inherited his memory, and his evaluation of you is not bad - an impulsive and foolish girl clouded by hatred, narrowly escaping death in the trap set by the serial killer, unfit for this line of work. If he hadn't been in such a hurry then, he would've advised you to change your career."
Amanda's lips began quivering. She stared at Shiller in disbelief. Her reason told her, Shiller was completely rambling nonsense, but the seriousness on his face implied otherwise, revealing her erstwhile teacher's full evaluation of her.
What could be more devastating than realizing too late that you almost banged your head against the wall with your iron head skill and should have pivoted?
Shiller inhaled deeply, slowly straightened his body, and glanced at Amanda with a hint of resignation, saying: "The so-called clues to your family's murder you found were purposely left behind by the serial killer."
"He's a typical mental-sadist, merely wanting to see you desperate for answers while being unable to find them. When you got a glimmer of hope, believing victory was near, you'd be burnt alive."
"The newsstand, where you thought held important clues, was actually the execution site he had chosen for you. Once you went in, you'd be trapped inside and die in desperation."
Amanda stared at Shiller blankly for a while before slowly speaking: "So, when you appeared there that day, you were actually trying to save me?"