In the dim Bat Cave, you could vaguely hear the sound of water and the rustling of small animals. The noises were so faint, yet it felt like some furry skin was wriggling right by your ear.
After Batman spoke, the few members of the Justice League really did slip into "obedient mode" at once. They were far too used to following his orders.
Batman's voice was as calm as ever—you couldn't tell whether he had forgotten the pain, or was just using sheer Willpower to keep himself under control.
But judging from how he looked now, he was back.
Su Ming found a chair and sat down. Right next to him was the hidden staircase leading to the lower level, and the damp air was slowly seeping up from below.
Batman's plan was definitely different from his, but listening to the specifics wouldn't hurt.
Batman glanced at him, then at Green Arrow: "I just checked on Arkham. The Laughing Bat went there once, but Joker slipped away before he arrived."
Oliver looked up at the countless green eyes hanging upside down from the rock ceiling. He stroked his beard: "So… does that count as good news?"
"Yes. Joker cannot die." Batman answered with certainty, drawing his hands back into his cape. "His blood, like his Madness, is a very serious source of contagion—not to mention that other toxin."
Su Ming nodded and toyed with the rose that Strangulation had morphed into on his chest: "Because his blood contains the Dionysus Factor. If it contaminates the drinking water or food, it'll create a Great Group of lunatics with Self-healing Ability. The Laughing Bat wants to kill him second; what he really has his eye on is Joker's blood."
"But Joker killed Selena…" Diana frowned. She was still more inclined toward revenge.
Batman paused for a moment, the muscles in his jaw twitching slightly: "I'll find a way to bring her back. But right now, our top priority is protecting Earth."
Arthur had been listening on the side, half-drowsy. When he saw the conversation starting to drift toward 'protecting Earth' and 'for justice' again, he hurriedly raised his hand to signal that he had something to say.
"Save the speech. I get all that. Just tell me where I can cut off that grinning fake. I came with a super-weapon this time."
He finished, then patted the Poseidon Trident in his hand with pride. The platinum-colored Weapon was emitting a soft blue glow, its light rippling outward like waves.
Seeing him like this, Batman had to divert part of his Willpower merely to stop himself from facepalming—because Deathstroke and Green Arrow had both already done so.
"The Laughing Bat killed the Joker of his world and inhaled the Joker Poison, becoming the new host of the toxin. The moment someone kills him, that Madness will fall upon the killer and turn them into the new Joker."
It looked like Arthur had forgotten that part, so Batman could only remind him again.
That toxin—or rather that Curse—cannot be erased. This world is destined to always have that one share of Madness. No matter how many times the host is killed, it will always turn the killer into the next Joker.
After hearing his explanation, everyone simultaneously shifted their gaze to Deathstroke, questioning him with their eyes.
Su Ming shrugged and lounged back against the chair:
"Don't look at me. Last time I did cut off the Laughing one's head, but it was obvious that kind of injury didn't kill him. Oh, looks like your intel needs a few updates. The Laughing Bat has Self-healing Ability that lets him regenerate even when his limbs are separated. Either the concentration of Dionysus Factor in his body is extremely high, or this world thinks one share of Madness isn't enough and decided to order another delivery…"
"Let's hope it's not the latter. If it is, then things are really bad." Oliver blew at the mustache on his upper lip; that way of putting it didn't sound pleasant at all.
What the world itself "needs" is either world rules or high-level Concepts, and those can't be killed with conventional means.
Maybe Batman had a backup plan? Or maybe Deathstroke knew something? But Oliver himself had no clue in the short term.
"You gave two possible explanations, but that's just a piece of intel. What else do you know?" Batman could tell there was more behind Deathstroke's earlier words.
Su Ming lifted a hand and touched the Jester Badge on his chest, then turned his palm over in a little gesture: "When I fought him last time, I had some suspicions. The Laughing Bat might have some abilities similar to Harley's—like being able to see things beyond the walls."
Batman stared at him expressionlessly: "I disagree with you. Be it Harley or Ambush Insect, their so-called ability to see that they're just comic characters is actually a manifestation of mental illness. Auditory hallucinations, delusions—those need treatment."
"Do you really not believe it, or are you forcing yourself not to?" Su Ming showed a smile.
Batman's expression didn't change at all. He looked away: "If you keep insisting on this Fourth Wall nonsense, I can only schedule you a bed at Arkham."
"You know about the bat spirit and the Troublemaker, and you acknowledge the existence of the Fifth Dimension. How is it that admitting to things beyond the Origin Wall is so hard for you?" Su Ming scratched his face in amusement. He knew Batman was the latter type. "That, to me, is where you and Luthor differ."
"The Fifth Dimension, the Tenth Dimension—none of that helps our current situation. The Wall of Origin has blown apart, and beyond it there are only those blazing eyes. You know more than I do about the things related to that, like the Inverted Man, like Papetua. I'll be waiting for your explanation, in the not-so-distant future."
Batman unilaterally ended the conversation. He turned around together with his chair, then projected some files onto Brother Eye Host's screen:
"For now we deal with the Laughing Bat first. The Wall of Origin has already been destroyed, the Void outside is devouring our Multiverse, some universes have already been wiped out. We don't have much time."
Su Ming's attempt to tease Batman didn't achieve its goal. Batman's mouth was tight; he didn't let slip any real secrets.
If anyone said Batman didn't know, that'd be the kind of lie you use on kids. You could guess a bit of his motive for doing this, but Su Ming still wanted to hear him explain it himself.
"All right, we'll shelve the argument for now and see what the other you is planning to play at."
Batman tilted his head slightly. "He's not me."
"You're Bruce Wayne, he's also Bruce Wayne. He's your Otherworld counterpart..." Oliver held out both hands to illustrate, only missing an apple and a pen as props.
"Because I'm Batman." Batman cut off Oliver's gesturing, turned his head, and pressed a string of buttons. A map of Gotham City was projected onto the screen.
Only his map was more detailed, more precise. Not just the roads and buildings—there were also the three sets of sewer systems, and even some tunnels dug out by illegal immigrants, all clearly marked on the map.
"Oh, not bad. Looks like this time you really are showing a bit of sincerity." Su Ming stared at the map without blinking, his mouth still cracking a joke.
In the past he'd always hidden some of his secrets. Today he actually seemed to be taking an open stance. You have to understand, Gotham is his life; putting the secrets of Gotham's geography on the table is practically entrusting others with his very life.
"Drop that weird accent. You're not Italian. If you want to memorize the map, I'll give you three seconds."
"Done already. You can go on." Su Ming smiled.
Batman switched the display at random, once again masking the buildings and roads on the surface, shifting everyone's focus onto the sewer systems.
He explained at a rapid pace: "If we want to understand what the Laughing Bat plans to do, we first need to understand what the Owl Court has done in this city."
"They built the sewers?" Oliver spread his hands.
"More than that. The map you just saw is only of the locations I know about. Gotham has far more secrets underground. It's like a treasure trove that can be explored without end." Batman emphasized the point, making it clear even his map wasn't complete.
"More like an endless Abyss." Diana folded her arms and gave her opinion. Cities are all gloomy, sure, but compared to this place, London is as clean as a blank sheet of paper.
Batman ignored her snark and continued his topic: "Around 1790, when Gotham's construction was still underway, the Owls had already infiltrated some of the aristocracy. Together with several major families, they used metals mixed with Amber Gold to build houses, and they built the first sewer system underground. It was to facilitate Sharp Claws moving in secret, and to help them choose a location for their main base—the Night Owl Labyrinth."
"You took down the labyrinth. That was last year, right?" Oliver chimed in.
"Yes, but it was only the labyrinth. Zero Claw is still at large, and the members of the Owl Court have gone back underground again. Last time Barbatos invaded, I even ran into a large number of Hawk Priests in Egypt..." Batman added quickly without turning around.
He didn't mind his teammates thinking in all directions—it helped broaden their perspective. Green Arrow might think of something, but the one making the decisions had to be Batman.
"Mm, and then they blindsided you with Magic and handed you over to the Laughing Bat, strapping you to a spire in the Dark Multiverse to suffer endless Nightmares, and I was the one who saved you." Su Ming said with a grin.
Batman shot him a glance. "I paid you. Back to business. Around 1930, the influence of the four great families on the city declined further—or rather, because of a series of internal conflicts, the Owl Court had to go into hibernation. Gotham entered an era governed by the Eight Great Clans formed by incoming immigrants. At the same time, because of the huge profits from bootlegging, they built Gotham's second sewer system. This system is very spacious and hidden—you can even drive a motorboat in it. It was built specifically for transporting bootleg liquor."
"And the third system was built with your money, right?" Su Ming already knew the answer.
"Because when I returned to this city, the street sewage problem was extremely serious. Wayne Enterprises funded the construction of the latest drainage facilities and sewer system to make it easier for people to get around on rainy days."
"But what's the point of all this? Arthur already flooded all three systems." Diana raised an objection.
"Because all three sewer systems are only passageways. They're not the Laughing Bat's destination. If he finds the key locations first, Gotham is finished."
Batman pressed a few buttons, and a complex set of water-supply equipment appeared on the screen—almost every drinking-water pipeline was connected into it.