He didn't want to answer that. No, he was not a sadist, was the indignant response that Bruce was begging to throw out but Batman wouldn't have that. That was pedantic and defensive and too much Bruce Wayne and too little Batman. The line was getting thinner and thinner.

"You bring out the worst in me." That, he was certain, was something the Joker wanted to hear, but it was beginning to look more and more like the truth. "But not even you can make me doubt what I'm doing. I'm going to save this city from the likes of you." He followed this up with another punch aimed at his head, this time followed up quickly with a knee toward his solarplexes, apparently hoping that he'd be too busy blocking his face to dodge the knee.