But if there was even a slightly more reliable way to save her, Rick would never let it slip by.

Right now, nothing mattered more to him than rescuing his girlfriend safely.

"What do I know?" Raymond suddenly stood up, walking step by step toward Rick with a smile. "I know everything I should know… and even a bit of what I shouldn't."

"Stop right there!" Rick shouted, seeing Raymond actually coming closer.

If this had been before Raymond mentioned June, Rick would've pressed the detonation button without hesitation.

He didn't care about the lives of these criminals, and he had never agreed with the Suicide Squad plan in the first place. He thought it was reckless and unreliable.

But it was Amanda's order, and he had no choice but to follow.

Refusal wasn't really an option—if he resisted, Amanda could simply remove him from the operation.

Even so, accepting the mission was one thing; agreeing with it was another.

Rick had his own code and had already been ready to teach these villains a hard lesson.

But Raymond's unexpected words had thrown him off rhythm, leaving him hesitant and uncertain.

"Go on then, press it. Show me…" Raymond ignored his command, continuing to close the distance.

"Stop!!"

The nearby soldiers couldn't hold back anymore. They all raised their guns and aimed at the advancing Raymond.

"Put your guns down!"

Before Raymond could react, Rick shouted at his men, ordering them to lower their weapons.

He was afraid that one of them might really shoot and kill Raymond, which would lower June's already slim chances of survival.

Yes—he didn't dare to gamble.

Even if Raymond was bluffing, Rick wasn't willing to throw away this sudden glimmer of hope.

For the sake of saving his girlfriend, he was ready to risk everything.

But just as he was struggling to decide his next move, light suddenly flared from Raymond's body!

"Not good!"

The blinding glow made everyone in the cabin shut their eyes on reflex.

When they opened them again, the remote was already in Raymond's hand, no one knew how.

Rick's face tightened, but he still half-warned, half-threatened: "It's useless even if you take it. This isn't the only controller. If you act recklessly, you'll all still end up dead!"

Hearing that, the squad members who had been itching to make a move could only grit their teeth and hold back.

It made sense—if there were really only one controller, that would've been far too stupid. A single mistake could turn the tables on ARGUS.

"Of course I know this isn't the only one." Raymond toyed with the controller, smiling faintly. "I just saw you didn't dare to press it, so I thought I'd help you."

As he spoke, his finger pressed down on the button marked with Deadshot's icon.

"What are you doing? Don't—!" Rick shouted, panicked.

Right now, he wanted Raymond alive more than anyone else—because his girlfriend's survival might depend on him.

But his cry came too late.

Raymond had already pressed it.

Pfft!

A muffled thud. In an instant, Raymond's head exploded, blown apart by the nano bomb!

The soldiers nearby trembled at the sight, some unable to look and turning their heads away.

The villains, on the other hand, weren't surprised at all. They had seen scenes just as cruel, if not worse, more than once before.

The only one pretending to be shocked was Harley Quinn, who covered her eyes with her hands—though she was clearly peeking through her fingers.

Rick, however, was the most shaken.

He had just seen a spark of hope for saving his girlfriend, only to watch that hope get blown apart in front of him. It nearly broke him.

But once again, things turned out differently than he expected.

After the nano bomb went off, Deadshot didn't fall. He was still standing, the controller still in his grip.

And where his head should have been nothing but blood and gore, there was no flesh at all—only a glowing layer of light covering his neck.

"This is…"

Rick's eyes widened. Shock turned into suspicion. This was no reaction a dead man should have.

Shhh!

Another light flared, and a head formed out of pure energy above Deadshot's neck, gradually becoming solid.

As the glow faded, a perfectly intact Deadshot stood before them once more.

"Surprised? Didn't see that coming, did you?" Raymond asked with a smile, watching Rick's stunned face.

Of course, it was his switch to the Kizaru sub-personality that had neutralized the nano bomb.

But to Rick and the others, it was beyond comprehension.

Someone whose head had just been blown off had simply regrown a new one, as if he were immortal.

Even among the many super-powered beings recorded by ARGUS, such an ability was nearly unheard of.

Rick couldn't help but be shaken.

"Who exactly are you?" he asked, wary and uncertain.

"I'm me. Don't overthink it." Raymond dismissed the question. "Your goal is saving your girlfriend. My goal is to eliminate this threat and become the savior of this city."

"Our goals don't clash. And if you behave, I don't mind helping you save your girlfriend along the way. How about it?"

Rick was still hesitating when Harley Quinn suddenly giggled.

"Hee-hee, Floyd, haven't you given up on that silly dream yet?"

"Oh? You know what I want?" Raymond looked at her with interest.

"He told me. You've always wanted to be the second Batman. But you never made it."

"The Joker, huh…" Raymond muttered, neither confirming nor denying.

Obviously, the "he" Harley mentioned was her Joker.

Raymond wasn't surprised the Joker would know Deadshot's secret wish.

But he didn't like the way Harley acted—like she had everything figured out, like he was nothing in her eyes.

He stepped closer to her, leaned to her ear, and whispered, "I suddenly find you interesting, Miss Quinn. Want to be my woman?"

"You serious?"

Harley's reaction was unexpectedly calm. She still smiled, cheerful as ever. "He really holds grudges, you know. If you go after his girl, he'll never let you go."

"You think I can't beat him?" Raymond asked back.

"No one can beat him," Harley said, her admiration for Joker plain as day.

"And if I get lucky and win?" Raymond pressed.

"Then I'll be yours," Harley giggled.

Clearly, she didn't think such a thing could ever happen—so she made the promise carelessly, without a shred of concern.

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