"Who's in charge of this prison?" Amanda glared into the eyes of the security personnel, "Are you planning to wear your bribery on your faces?"
"Sorry, I'll go immediately."
Amanda went downstairs, quickly reaching the interrogation room.
After pushing open the door, Shiller, sat in the middle of the room, was leaning back while a security officer adjusted his mask.
Shiller was still unable to speak, but Amanda read a sentence from his eyes: "Amanda, we meet again."
Standing in the center of the room, Amanda held the key to Shiller's cell, looking at the prisoner chained with security measures, yet she felt like she was the real prisoner.
Shiller blinked and Amanda read another sentence from his changing gaze: "Are they pressuring you?"
Amanda gently turned her head to one side, her throat was trembling, her arm muscles were tensed, her eyes were red.
"Take off his mask." Amanda said, trying to control her trembling voice.
The security officer removed Shiller's mask. Shiller first let out a soft sigh, and at the end of the sigh, he said in a low voice:
"Foolish girl..."
Amanda could no longer control her emotions. She was like a volcano that had been fermenting for a long time, but had never had the chance to erupt, trembling all over as if electrified.
She staggered a few steps, leaned on the table, and with tearful eyes said to Shiller, "They want to take everything away. Wayne, Davis, the Federal Bureau of Investigation... they are all robbers, damned robbers…"
Shiller looked at Amanda and said, "As a researcher in psychology, you should understand that someone being gentle and kind does not necessarily mean they're on your side, nor does someone being harsh and cutting, inevitably mean that they're your enemy."
Shiller leaned back in his chair, no longer looking at Amanda, but talking to the air besides him, "Miss Vole, in fact, I don't understand, what kind of hatred do we have that would make you so determined to believe that only I am your enemy?"
"What is it that drives you to consider everyone else as allies in opposition to me, without a care for whether they actually share your interests?"
"Did my judgment of you do you wrong?" Shiller looked into Amanda's eyes and said, "If you weren't such a fool, you would know that many people might allow you to propose a plan and make efforts to work towards it, but they would never allow you to reap its benefits."
With constant sighing, Amanda balled her hand on the table into a fist, and the nails dug into the flesh. Shiller glanced at her hand and said, "If you weren't so untalented, you wouldn't have allowed Wayne to snatch away your rights without resistance."
"Indeed, many people in this world work for money, but if you truly had the charisma to be a good leader, would those subordinates who betrayed you feel so justified, with not a shred of guilt?"
"If you hadn't been so emotional, blinded by hatred, would you have only turned to your mentor and lifesaver for help when you were cornered?"
Amanda stood somewhat dazed on the ground for a while, before slowly shifting her gaze towards Shiller, asking, ".... Are you willing to help me?"
"Since the first time we met, there has never been any conflict between us. It was you who unilaterally felt that we were enemies, but I don't think so because I am not a simple-minded and emotional fool."
With pursed lips and a straight posture, Amanda glanced at the collar around Shiller's neck and asked, "Even if I treated you so cruelly?"
"So you know this way is cruel." Shiller blinked again and said, "Because of your ignorance, I was subjected to two weeks of sensory deprivation torture, an extremely inhumane operation, and you let Wayne have control over the switch."
Amanda wiped her eyes, her tone becoming somewhat urgent, "I didn't know, at first you were actually…"
"Let's not talk about the past." Shiller shook his head and said, "I would want to help you only because I have to teach Bruce Wayne a lesson."
Amanda couldn't move her gaze away from Shiller's face, she was unable to make a move, or rather, she dared not move.
Shiller's face in front of her was pale, his eyes sunken into his sockets, gloomy and unclear, but anyone could read the madness and the neuroticism in them.
Every natural born killer in this world is a control freak, a sadist, and a psychopath.
They have always invaded other people's territory, and if anyone dares to offend them, they would pay back ten-fold.
"Do you know? I don't care if Bruce Wayne makes me plead guilty, or locks me up in prison. I don't care if he tortures me, or attempts to control me with some sort of device. I care even less about bleeding, pain and humiliation."
Shiller always behaved incredibly gracefully and never lost his temper. The only thing that revealed his indifference and madness were his gray eyes.
Amanda heard Shiller say in a deep voice:
"But he lost the most basic courtesy. When he saw me again, he didn't even greet me. I despise rude people."
"He must pay for this, and get a harsh lesson."
When Shiller moved his gaze to Amanda, she instinctively stepped back. She lowered her head and covered her mouth with her hand, unable to speak.
In an instant, all expressions on Shiller's face disappeared as well as the terrifying oppressive feeling. He resumed his calm and elegant demeanor, looked at Amanda, and said unhurriedly: "Tell me the current situation."
"The Federal Bureau of Investigation no longer trusts me. They have put a lot of pressure on me, demanding me to explain the murders that occurred in the Laveira County Base. They just want to make me responsible!"
"Davis and most of the security staff are on Wayne's side. He also has the remote for the nano-neural control device. Our chances to resist him are very slim," Amanda said reluctantly.
"That applies to you." Shiller shook his head slightly, "But I'm different. I haven't lived a solitary life for all these years. I still have many friends."
Amanda opened her mouth slightly. She observed Shiller with a complex expression and said: "Bruce Wayne is really your good student. You two are exactly alike... I'm sorry, professor."
"Do you still remember that phone call?" Shiller looked at Amanda.
Amanda frowned deeply as she recalled the scene from that day. "Who is Lucifer?" she asked.
"A son who's had conflicts with his father and been tormented for thousands of years," Shiller summed up succinctly. Before Amanda could speak, Shiller interrupted her, "He can't provide us with any direct help…"
"But precisely because he is also a son and understands me very well, he can bring me the ally I desire the most."
"What should we do?" Amanda asked.
"Do nothing, you leave here, let me stay, until night."
"Why?" Amanda asked puzzledly.
"Because the night belongs to Batman."
The night in Colorado State isn't exceptional. it's similarly deep and dark. The interrogation room, with only a small window, turns completely dark with the advent of night.
Shiller sat quietly in the center of the room, with a calm expression, as if waiting for someone to keep an appointment.
When the clock hand turned to one zero five in the morning, a slight movement emerged in the quiet room. Shiller then said:
"It looks like Lucifer did not disappoint me."
The shadow that had just entered the room paused. When that pair of gray eyes swept over, he knew, he had found the right person.
" It appears you knew I would come." A deep voice sounded.
Shiller didn't answer. He just looked at the shadow who had entered the room. He was tall and strong, with his body enveloped in a long cloak.
The dim light shone on him; his shadow was elongated, covering the entire corner of the room, and most of the ceiling.
At the end of the shadow, what caught the eye the most were two elongated pointed ears.
"Long time no see... or rather, nice to meet you for the first time, Batman."