Do you ever feel like you're going mad when you think something is not normal, but everyone else thinks it is?
That is the state Batman is in. In his early career, Batman's opponents were just street thugs, robbers, at best someone owing talent like Catwoman or someone powerful and influential mobster like Maroni.
Gotham has yet to reach the stage of the Gotham Grand Stage, thus, the current Batman is still a vigilante with somewhat normal thinking.
But one day, precisely this evening, he suddenly found himself surrounded by lunatics.
A madman shot a TV host dead and then ranted about putting on a show at the Gotham Grand Theater. Everyone around him thinks this is normal. They even bought tickets. This includes his rather mild-mannered psychology professor and Gotham's godfather, Father, Gordon...
It seems like nobody is questioning this ridiculous event, which made Batman wonder if he was the one who's losing his mind.
Humans are herd animals, when everyone else's attitude diverges from your own, very few can stand their ground. Batman hasn't wavered yet, but the unsettling feeling inside him lessens gradually.
Actually, when you think about it, this isn't too absurd because this is Gotham, and Gotham has been insane. It's just getting a little more insane now.
After having their tickets checked and getting their popcorn, the trio officially entered the performance hall of Gotham Grand Theater, where the crowd already seated. Besides those familiar to Shiller, there were quite a few onlookers.
Under the stage were a group of cameramen from the television station, Shiller lit a cigarette and went to chat with their leader.
"Why am I here? Because someone hired me, even if he didn't pay me, I'd be more than happy to lend a hand. After all, he got rid of the most annoying TV host."
The head of the cameramen, a big beard, took the cigarette offered by Shiller and said, "You don't know how annoying he was, constantly making a fuss, so we could never get off work on time."
"The green-haired guy may be crazy, but he doesn't seem to care about money. Many who wanted to buy tickets dumped their cash into the TV station's mailbox. That's several hundred dollars there, enough for us to take a trip abroad."
Shiller thought, it seems this joker is not totally devoid of reason, or maybe, he knows human nature best.
The cameraman pointed backstage and said, "Not just us, he scrounged up a whole troupe's worth of backstage staff, said that Gotham Grand Theater was about to be revived, and there would be countless eyes on it tonight, so they agreed to prepare the performance. Look over there, there's a band too..."
Shiller looked in the direction pointed out, and indeed, people were rehearsing there.
Shiller was not surprised since he had some understanding of the Joker, but not Batman. He began to doubt if he was the one going mad.
Why in such an absurd situation, everyone behaved as usual, without any objections?
Shiller returned to his seat, finding Batman lost in thought. He said, "I told you before, Gotham is an endless story, with new discoveries every day, Gotham, always different."
"Recent calamities have left many people with nothing to do, roads cracking, buildings collapsing. A lot of people made money during the reconstruction, if they don't expend it, what else can they do?"
"I think putting on a performance isn't a bad idea, better than an orgy at a strip club, right, Evans?"
Sitting stiffly in his seat, Evans blurted out, "Professor! How come you didn't tell me my father would be here too? If I knew he was coming, I wouldn't have come! If he sees me holding a tub of popcorn, I'm done for!"
"Rest assured, your father should forgive this minor error of yours. After all, you're still alive, and that's good enough."
Even as he said this, when Falcone turned and glanced at his son, Evans hastily shoved the tub of popcorn in his arms into Batman's.
Suddenly, a loud noise erupted from the stage. A man in a purple tuxedo limped onto the stage. He was holding a megaphone, shouting: "Ladies! Gentlemen! Look at me! Look at my new suit!"
He wriggled like he had lice, swung his shoulders, twisted his waist, and said, "Dammit, the collar is a bit tight, I shouldn't have listened to that salesman, I should have bought a size larger..."
"Alright, that's not important, I'm just a host, you can call me MR. Jack!"
"Let me see... Oh my God! There are so many people! You all came to support me, I'm so moved, wait! Who is that? Is it Batman!! Is it Gotham's big star Batman!! Let's cheer for him!!!"
As he flailed his arms, the orchestra went wild, the people down the stage were even cheering along. Batman sat silently in the audience.
"You should stand up, bow left and right, nod in recognition." Shiller said to him: "This is a necessary interaction between the host and special guests."