"I suspect I'm not the first to see through your actions. Where did the others go?"
"They are all alive well, Jason. You know I don't need to make everyone my enemy. What difference does it make that you've noticed?"
Jason sighed, saying, "See, you know that nobody can hold you accountable. I hate that smug tone, but I know I can't either."
"You're still worried about Batman making a slip, about not really seeing through me, and being fooled by me. Hence, you've chosen to come here to hold me in check. What makes you think I'm interested in you?"
"Because you seem like that type of person," Jason retorted, with a complex expression on his face. "Are you really not at all interested in psychological trauma under extreme conditions?"
"So you admit to your trauma?"
Jason took a deep breath, as if trying to swallow his anger, and said in a calm voice: "We're not discussing that. Don't play games with me. I'm saying, I won't just stand by doing nothing."
Just as Jason was about to speak, his eyes fell on the pile of papers by Shiller's side. He hesitated for a moment before asking, "Can I see those?"
Shiller raised an eyebrow as Jason fixed his gaze on the paper filled with words, adding, "I don't necessarily need to know what you're up to, but I think I could get some entertainment from reading."
Much to Jason's surprise, Shiller pushed the pile of papers toward him. He couldn't believe his luck, expecting it to take at least another 200 rounds before he could find anything resembling a clue.
"Are you upset that your detective skills lie dormant?" Shiller chuckled. "There's indeed nothing mysterious about me. Feel free to look through my stuff. However, this academic material might be rather dull."
"Or perhaps you could wait patiently till evening. You might get the answer you seek."
Shiller stood up and left the table. Jason, engrossed in the pile of documents, did not even notice his departure.
But much to Jason's disappointment, these were pure medical documents. They were filled with terminology he couldn't comprehend, and all he could make of them was that they related to the neurological symptoms of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease.
The final document in the pile featured a hand-drawn diagram of the lymphatic system. Despite being hastily drawn and thus somewhat messy, it was clear that the diagram was accurate, even to Jason, who was not particularly skilled in anatomy.
As Shiller had pointed out, reading this purely academic material was not simply dull; it was torturous. Even for Jason who loved to read and was adept at it, he could hardly deal with it after the first page.
All he could glean from the documents was that Shiller was indeed studying something, as he had said. Jason could not help but surmise that the research was being conducted in the basement.
So, what did this have to do with Batman?
Jason doubted that Shiller had been hired by Batman to conduct research because there was simply no need for it.
Batman did have some technical consultants who helped him build weapons and equipment. But Batman himself handled all the research and design. This might sound astounding, but it was a matter-of-fact for Batman.
If Batman wanted to research something, he had no need to commission others, especially not on this desolate island. Wouldn't it be better to do it in the fully-equipped Batcave?
The most confusing part was: what was his role in all this? Surely, Batman knew that he was far from being a scientist.
Jason, lost in thought on the sofa, didn't realize when he fell asleep. When he woke up, it was completely dark and the fire in the fireplace was burning brightly.
Shiller, who had previously claimed to be busy, was now sitting across from him on the sofa. "Do you have a moment to talk, Jason?" he asked.
"Doesn't that depend on you? Are you done with your work?"
"I suppose so." Shiller nodded. "It's time to fulfil some of the responsibilities of being a psychologist."
"Glad you remembered," Jason retorted sarcastically. "If this is your ploy, it worked. You've managed to get a man who's convinced he doesn't have a problem and doesn't need treatment to wait an entire day just to talk to you."
"I'm sorry. But I've been considering something more important – something related to myself," Shiller admitted candidly.
This made Jason somewhat apprehensive. It was clear from Shiller's interactions with the Batman Family that the doctor was from another cosmos. So what could have happened in this cosmos that made him think of himself?
"Do you want to talk about yourself?" Jason decided to take a gamble, a proposal that would be irresistible to any verbose maniac.
It could affect him, but he might also keep his cool and extract more information from Shiller during the conversation.
"Which part would you like to hear?"
Jason had to admit that he was somewhat interested, so he responded, "About how you turned yourself into a sheep."
Shiller tilted his head back slightly, leaning back and said, "I can't say I'm surprised. Anyone who discovers this tends to be very curious."
"So, did you tell them?"
"Jason," Shiller began, being very cautious with his words, "some didn't have the patience to listen till the end; others didn't dare to."