Chapter 206: Mainly Wanting to Win

The only lesson humanity learns from history is that humanity learns no lessons.

Three times, oh three times.

When Ma Ma Zhaodi completed the mission by sacrificing his teammates for the third time, the Riddler finally understood that this guy was unsuitable to appear on the battlefield as a combatant.

At least, he couldn't appear on a battlefield with Batman.

His many previous attempts, placing the Perverted Bicycle Man on field duty again and again, were not to prove the other was not a waste; in fact, during the first time, he had already learned of the other's ability to flee at the sight of danger; and from the second time onward, using the Perverted Bicycle Man and then losing Slade, the nature of the matter had already changed.

Whether this guy could be effective no longer mattered; what mattered was that the Riddler's desire for victory had been stirred up.

I simply don't believe it; I only recruited a waste, could it be I recruited a jinx instead?

At most, he is useless; he certainly couldn't have cursed me out of existence, could he? On what grounds? I, the Riddler, with my famous name, would I fall to the hands of such a fool?

Therefore, the Riddler used him a third time, and on the third time, the Scarecrow was gone.

After three times, the Riddler finally realized that although he had turned a disadvantageous situation into an advantageous one while bearing the Perverted Bicycle Man's debuff, if he truly treated the other as a combat unit for deployment, the advantageous situation would quickly become a balanced one.

Fortunately, Batman's fighting style up to now has been very fair, basically striking both sides equally; the super-villains under the Riddler and the Joker were basically wiped out in one sweep, except for the fast-running Ma Ma Zhaodi; the super-villains dispatched by both sides were directly wiped out by Batman in one sweep.

In the study, Nygma gave separate instructions to Two-Face Harvey Dent and Killer Croc Waylon Jones.

"I no longer expect the Perverted Bicycle Man, that waste, to fight at all," the Riddler said bluntly: "Harvey, Waylon, I place high hopes on you two; the Joker's cards are running low. According to intelligence, three blocks in the Upper West District are controlled solely by the Ventriloquist; his combat ability is not strong, so the two of you fighting one will not be a problem. Even if you encounter Batman, you can escape; the Perverted Bicycle Man will follow you, he counts only as communications personnel."

"Remember, when the Perverted Bicycle Man starts running, do not linger any longer—if necessary, there is no problem treating him as cannon fodder; he has no function in our team."

"Then why persist in sending him out?"

The Riddler sneered: "This is no longer a matter of judgment; this is a matter of my dignity."

In other words, mainly wanting to win.

Thus, Two-Face and Killer Croc took their orders and departed.

"By the way, Waylon, how did you become like this?"

"What's it to you?"

On the streets of Gotham City, the Crocodile Man, Two-Face, and Ma Ma Zhaodi walked together toward the Upper West District; according to Ma Ma Zhaodi's description, he was like a giant lizard that had gained sentience, big, green, covered entirely in green scales, with beastly vertical pupils and fangs on his face.

With a body length nearing two point three meters and a weight of three hundred kilograms, his single bulk surpassed the combined size of the two people beside him.

"Wow, don't be so cold," Ma Ma Zhaodi handed him the extra-large roasted lamb leg: "After all, I've been cooking these past few days; have you ever seen a better cook than me?"

The Crocodile Man rolled his eyes, the beastly pupils rolling upward, looking a bit fierce, but also a bit funny.

"I can eat anything; whether what you make is tasty isn't that important."

"Waylon, you only look like a crocodile; you aren't a real crocodile—only real crocodiles eat raw flesh and blood; humans can certainly tell good from bad."

Hearing Ma Ma Zhaodi's reply, Waylon's eyes turned toward him, the vertical pupils gazing deeply at that black robe.

"What if I tell you I once ate people?"

"Really? I don't believe it."

"You should believe it."

In the midst of conversation, a huge claw rested on Ma Ma Zhaodi's shoulder: "Do you feel it? Kid—this isn't human skin; it's crocodile scales; this isn't human strength; it's beastly brute force."

"Ouch, that hurts, hurts, hurts—"

As Ma Ma Zhaodi cried out in pain, Killer Croc withdrew his hand and continued gnawing the lamb leg; two rows of Bai Bai Sensen teeth, like a meat grinder, crushed the fragrant roasted lamb leg along with the bones, crunching crunching, all swallowed into the belly: "Seeing how I eat now, you should know that a lamb leg and a human hand make no difference to me."

"But you are still a warm-blooded animal, with human body temperature." Ma Ma Zhaodi rubbed his shoulder, then put a disposable dining glove on his left hand, took a steak and a bottle of red wine from the paper bag; although there were no silver forks and wine glasses, he wasn't some upper-class noble anyway; matters of decorum were only observed when visiting others' homes; usually, he did whatever made him comfortable.

"Having beast-like abilities and having a beast-like mindset are two different things—at least in these half a month, I haven't seen you eat people; I have seen you read books."

"I highly doubt he can understand them." Two-Face played with a coin and suddenly spoke: "A former wrestler with a crocodile tail and a gang boss reading philosophical theory books; the absurdity made me once suspect I had developed a mental illness."

"No need to doubt." Killer Croc sneered: "You are the mad one; the one speaking to me now is Harvey Dent; the next second, he might become Two-Face; I am the beast, and you are the madman."

Ma Ma Zhaodi looked curiously at Killer Croc: "You were also a former wrestler? In an underground boxing ring? By the way, what am I?"

"You are a cowardly fool." Two-Face's eyeball rolled on his half-skinless face, looking at Ma Ma Zhaodi, appearing somewhat horrifying: "If Harvey hadn't stopped me, I would have killed you directly; you bring shame to all super-villains; you are even less courageous than that Kite Man."

"Hey! I also fought Deathstroke alongside Slade, you know?"

And Killer Croc, hearing Ma Ma Zhaodi's question, subconsciously thought of his days in the boxing ring.

"That was my first legal job, and the only one, in a circus, called Harley."

"A circus?"

"What, did you think a freak with a crocodile appearance could find work elsewhere?"

"What about your family?"

"I have no family."

He certainly had family.

His mother died in childbirth, and his father loathed this monster-like infant; he would rather never have had such a child.

And now, Waylon Jones could hardly remember the faces of his mother and father.

(End of this chapter)