Jason tossed and turned in bed, stretched out his arms, and lay there, staring blankly for a moment before sitting up.
To his surprise, his head no longer hurt, the vague illusions had disappeared, and the intermittent memories had become a blur, making him feel like an ordinary person.
As he sat up, he questioned himself if he had been dreaming. He concluded that he hadn't, or perhaps he had just forgotten.
Jason scooped up the small pill bag that he had thrown onto the floor and pocketed it, planning to test its components with the most advanced equipment available in the Batcave once he returned. He hoped it wasn't a placebo.
Upon reaching the top of the stairs, a strong aroma reached his nose. It didn't contain butter, hence it wasn't greasy, but it was sure to stimulate one's appetite.
When he descended the stairs, he discovered Shiller sitting at the table. He was sketching something on paper, with a sandwich next to him. This mouthwatering aroma was likely due to the fried eggs cooked in olive oil.
Jason swallowed reflexively. Perhaps it was a side effect of the strange parasite, he wasn't hungry, but human appetites are hard to control.
"You're awake? It seems I've controlled the dosage of the medication quite well. There's another sandwich in the heat-preserving box, and some scrambled eggs in the pot with the green lid."
Shiller moved his chair forward to make writing easier on his arm. He said, "I have lots of work to do, so I wanted something light to eat. If you feel it's not enough, there are ingredients in the refrigerator. You can cook for yourself."
"I'm not hungry." Jason said, but he still retrieved the sandwich. It appeared to be a semi-finished product from a high-end restaurant, made with high-quality ham and fresh slices of tomato.
The moment he lifted the lid of the pot, the delicious aroma of the freshly fried eggs filled the air. Jason could hardly imagine how high-quality the chicken had to be to lay such fragrant eggs.
He quickly served the eggs and sandwiched them between the bread slices. As he placed the sandwich into the microwave, he asked, "I saw that the door to the basement is locked."
"Yes, I have stored some miscellaneous items there that could trip you. So, don't go in there for now."
"Is this one of those warnings where if I violate them, I will definitely pay a price?"
When Jason turned to look at Shiller, Shiller returned his gaze. He shook his head, "Firstly, this isn't a warning, but advice. And secondly, I never said that you would pay a price for defying some advice. My wording was... "
"You just sugar-coated your intentions, you all are very good at this." Jason sat across Shiller with his sandwich and said, "You think Batman and I always argue? In fact, it's quite the opposite. Many times, he's moderate and even quite gentle. This is the real reason why I'm not liked in the Batman Family. It seems like I've let him down."
"After all these years, none of you have changed." After taking a bite of his sandwich, Jason locked eyes with Shiller and said, "Just because the fence is woven with soft, expensive silk ribbons doesn't mean it's not a fence. We've compromised to the point of living within the fence, don't ask for too much."
"Has anyone ever told you this?" Shiller lowered his head and resumed writing, "The biggest reason you don't fit in with them is because you have an astonishing air of rebellion about you."
"I don't think I need to be rebellious." Jason took another big bite of sandwich and said, "I've made my choice. I'm not leading, I'm not breaking down the fence, I'm running out on my own, and if I get carried off by wolves, I deserve it."
Shiller shook his head helplessly, seemingly uninterested in commenting on Jason's words. Yet Jason intentionally provoked him, "You know I'm going to check out the basement, right? Tonight."
"You can't get in."
"You think I can't break the door down?"
Much to Jason's surprise, Shiller actually thought quite seriously for a few minutes before responding.
"Alright, the door to the basement probably won't stop you. Perhaps I should rethink my approach."
"If I say I want to know the real nature of your work..."
"I can't tell you now," Shiller rejected him outright, "later. It's not a bad thing."
Jason deeply furrowed his brows, feeling that Shiller was lying to him, yet he couldn't spot any signs of deception.
However, he still found this to be unlikely. Shiller was too strange. Batman couldn't possibly choose such a person to work with, let alone entrust him with any important tasks.
Especially not on a remote, uninhabited, almost unmonitored, and irretrievable island, while also bringing him along.
Jason felt his head was clearing up a bit, but he still couldn't figure out the root of the problem. But he knew that if Shiller wouldn't tell him, he would have to find another way.
"What can I do here?" Jason asked.
Shiller considered for a moment before replying, "As you can see, the accommodation here is really quite rudimentary... at my standards, extremely so. There are no books or newspapers to read, nor any discs or video games to pass the time."
"I can leave..."
"You know you can't, and I can't either." At some point, Shiller had moved to Jason's side and placed a cup of coffee in front of him, "Clearly all this is dependent on Batman."
"If Batman thinks so, he's making a huge mistake," Jason picked up the cup and said in a deep voice, "You let him think so, but you have your own intentions."
"He thought that the mindset of a sheep was easy to understand and missed some important parts, which would be fatal."
"It's not that serious, Jason." Shiller sat back down and said, "You worry too much. Even the claws that you installed the day after can easily puncture my defenses, can't they?"
"You let everyone believe that you're strong, learned, gentle, and specially important, harmless."
"But you're not really harmless." Jason looked intently at Shiller, "You have an exquisite control, capable of precisely showing certain sides of you to certain people."
"I guess there must have been some poor sucker who thought you were a wolf in sheep's clothing. He carefully uncovered your disguise, only to find no demonic claws beneath."
"Then you became the widely recognized victim. With your modest and easy-going nature, being treated with such suspicion, coupled with your social status, you can easily expel certain people from the center of the circle and brand them as unbearable."
"But I know that's only half of you. Even if that half is true, reasonable, rigorous, and immaculate from bone to skin, it doesn't mean you don't have another half."
"And so, an invincible you was created." Jason placed his hands on the table, stood up his knife and fork, and said, "If they try to expose you, they'll only end up being humiliated. If they use violence to break the facade, you'll have a feast."
"Stupendous." Shiller praised sincerely from his heart.