This action triggered all of Jason's self-defense mechanisms, and he shuddered on the spot, nearly leaping out like a mongoose.
But he quickly looked at Shiller with a mixture of trust and doubt because he didn't detect any sympathy in Shiller's body language or eyes.
He often felt this type of emotion from people like Shiller, including the Wayne Family's private doctor, Batman's technical consultant, and occasionally Alfred.
It's weird, thought Jason. Shiller is not here to hurt him, nor is he here to treat him out of sympathy, then what is he here for?
So he stood still in the stairwell, and Shiller pulled out a small square plastic bag from his pocket, containing two round little pills.
"Calming medication, you're going to need it."
"Don't joke, Batman wouldn't allow me to take drugs."
"It's not any kind from the market, harmless to the body." Shiller explained: "It provides almost no euphoria, so it doesn't cause addiction."
"Are you kidding me?!!" Jason was nearly roaring, "You even convinced Batman to isolate me on a deserted island, and your first measure is to seduce me into numbing my brain with drugs like the worst drug dealer?!"
"It seems I must inform you why it is necessary." Shiller sighed and took out a syringe from his pocket.
Jason sharp-eyed spotted the Scarecrow's mark on the syringe, he widened his eyes at the syringe and said, "Fear gas?"
"Its concentrated solution, which I smeared on my handkerchief."
Jason instinctively stepped back.
"Not for you," Shiller shook his head, "I told you, I had a reason to do this. The reason is not you. You should know that I had many chances to stick you directly."
"Am I surprised you didn't do it?"
"Not funny, Jason." Shiller shook his head with a slight hint of helplessness, "If I wanted to torture you with fear gas, I wouldn't have needed Batman's permission. There are always opportunities, right?"
Jason couldn't rebut because by now the whole world probably knew he was kidnapped by the Joker and held captive for a year.
He cautiously leaned his body onto the handrail, grasping the other handrail with his other arm, twisting his body to take the small bag of pills with his free hand.
"God, if Batman saw this, he would definitely throw me into rehab." Jason still took the pills.
"Out of caution, may I ask, do you have a history of similar medication use?"
"I don't do drugs!!!" Jason yelled again.
Shiller chuckled, apparently another tease, but he emphasized, "This is actually a compound, it contains some sedatives, but not much, primarily to complement other ingredients."
"What is the effect?"
"It can temporarily immunize you from fear gas, and it won't affect your cognition and judgment," Shiller reassured the gray mist in his heart, then continued, "A resistance enzyme secreted by a peculiar creature that drinks fear gas like alcohol, some sedatives, and a very small amount of anesthetic to neutralize."
Jason appeared hesitant, and asked, "Can I trust you?"
"Your excellent talent for sensing collective emotion can be used on me too, what does it tell you?"
"That's why I find it strange." Jason seemed very confused, and took a deep breath, saying, "It tells me you're a sheep, more dressed up than the average person, usually leading the flock, strong, knowledgeable, gentle, an excellent savior."
"Am I not?"
"Usually people like that can't convince Batman, how can you crawl to him on all fours and communicate with him in a bleating voice, and make him believe what you say?"
Shiller finally showed his first genuine smile of the day and looked at Jason with a grin, saying, "I can do it, do you want to learn?"
Jason's Adam's apple was moving forcefully.
He stood on the second step of the stairs, watching Shiller's back, wool, wool, wool, sheepskin, meat, ribs, seamlessly perfect. How did he do it?
It wasn't until Shiller's figure disappeared from his sight that Jason reluctantly turned his head to go upstairs, pinching the two little pills in his hand.
Returning to the attic, Jason found it was unusually cramped. Half the room was engulfed under the sloping roof, hardly suitable for his tall body.
So he lay down on the bed, with the similarly sloping skylight upfront, which made him feel a bit better.
He held the two pills in front of him, examining them through the bag. The dosage was not written, but "2" couldn't be a coincidence, either two at once or twice a day.
Jason couldn't stand being affected by fear gas, so he decided to risk trying. He knew that even if this was some type of drug, the dose of these two pills was insufficient to become addictive, and Shiller should have no need to poison him to death with poison.
So Jason opened the bag and swallowed both pills at once, lying on the bed, recalling the long night.
He didn't know when he fell asleep, but when he woke up, the glow of the sunset on the coastline was shimmering, peaceful, serene, and comfortable, unlike Gotham.