"Ding!"
The sound of the elevator reaching the top floor drew the attention of almost all the guards. Could it be that Mr. Wayne planned to watch the sunrise today? But the clouds outside completely obscured the sky, and today might be even darker than night.
However, when the elevator doors opened, a row of a dozen Bat Darts flew out, looking different than before.
If previous Bat Darts resembled a crescent moon, these now looked like double-bladed axes without handles, heavier and deadlier.
The guards hadn't even reacted before a dozen of them fell instantly, followed by a dark figure flying out of the elevator with a burst of laughter.
The backup power facilities of Wayne Tower had been activated, but only for the elevator and the most basic dim lighting. Bruce didn't want Wayne Tower to shine like a beacon in the darkness when the entire globe was experiencing a blackout; this would cause numerous problems.
And this consideration just gave another Bruce Wayne an opportunity.
In the hazy darkness, only a row of white teeth could be seen, forming a laughing shape.
There were also two bright long knives used for deboning cows, controlled by a terrifying martial art, quickly harvesting heads.
Heads and blood flew everywhere, but the laughter quickly stopped.
"Just this many people? So boring..." Laughing Bat wiped his blades on a corpse and then cleaned his shoes: "Hmm, almost there, 3, 2, 1..."
"Ding ding ding ding..." Laughing Bat suddenly turned around, his dual blades spinning like a meat grinder, blocking over a dozen black arrows with dazzling knife light.
Seeing Green Arrow who suddenly appeared behind him, Laughing Bat shook his head, suddenly ducking down to avoid a white beam of light, clipping at Green Arrow with his dual blades while rolling in the opposite direction, disappearing swiftly into the darkness.
"The same trick can't be used twice on Batman, whether it's arrows from behind or the Energy Cannon of the Ten Rings. Once used, they're ineffective."
His voice seemed to come from every corner of the room as Laughing Bat deployed mini microphones unnoticed.
Su Ming and others just arrived, attacking as soon as they came out of the teleportation gate, yet somehow Laughing Bat timed everything perfectly, completely avoiding the surprise attack.
And he was right; Green Arrow's flashing backstab had been anticipated, even Su Ming's Ten Rings were countered.
Previously, the Ten Rings United beam was as thick as a skyscraper, but now it seemed like water spraying from a toy water gun.
"Lights Out protocol, am I right?"
Su Ming secretly tossed his cloak while signaling Strangulation to find the target, as he stood still observing and conversing with Laughing Bat to buy some time.
"Ah, hehe... Although Dawn Deceit Lantern is useless, the Lights Out ability of the Deceitful Lantern Ring did inspire me. The Lantern Ring's usage of energy might transcend human understanding and be hard to replicate, but I'm the exception. Guess why?"
Su Ming signaled Diana and Sea King to draw closer, protecting Green Arrow who had just flashed back, not allowing Laughing Bat to take them out one by one.
As for Laughing Bat's question, Su Ming decided not to take the bait.
"Because I'm Batman!" Laughing Bat shouted with laughter. At that moment, the cloak returned to Su Ming's back, swinging twice to indicate it found nothing.
Strangulation also flowed back to the host's body from the ground. The room was about 200 square meters, yet not a trace of Bat scent was detected.
"How did you do it?" Su Ming raised his alertness, realizing that Laughing Bat had become much trickier. The Madman Bat who should have targeted Batman was now executing plans aimed solely at him.
Laughing Bat's voice still echoed inside the room: "Ah, I must thank my bald ally for allowing me to install a backdoor program in his mini army's computers. He's concerned about you, so I just borrowed your data for a moment."
"Heh, not just a moment ago, but a long time ago, right?" The God Eater in Su Ming's hand rapidly extended, forming a giant soft sword: "Before the Cruel Knight diverted our attention, you had already sent others to prepare tools against me."
"What others?" Laughing Bat's voice was startled, quickly turning into a chuckling laugh: "We're all Bruce, we're all good friends. I'm saddened by the death of the Cruel Knight, boo hoo hoo, but... Batman always finds a way to resurrect others, doesn't he? Just like your Batman, who I guess is planning to resurrect Catwoman?"
The enemy was Batman, and a prepared Batman at that, lurking in the dark while Su Ming was in the open. It was likely a trap.
But retreating immediately wasn't an option either. Laughing Bat was here for the 'Final Laugh' system. If Su Ming backed off now, it would mean handing over all initiative.
Squinting his eyes, Su Ming shouted: "Come out and face me one-on-one, sing, dance, or play basketball, your choice."
"Hmm?" Laughing Bat's voice paused, seemingly speechless in anger, taking a while to respond: "Do you think I'd forget how we had a dance-off and you tricked me last time? Despite just testing whether you were a traditional, sworn warrior back then."
"Oh? And the conclusion?"
Su Ming signaled tactical gestures, directing Green Arrow and the others to stand behind him.
Laughing Bat had clearly fallen for it last time and now stubbornly retained his pride?
"You're just a mercenary, like a vulture or a hyena; you only like to take advantage of others, feasting on carrion or attacking the wounded." Mad Laughing replied loudly with a grin.
"Tsk, sounds really unpleasant." Su Ming was indifferent; he wouldn't get angry just because of this level of verbal attack.
"Or do you prefer Luthor's description? He said you're merely a scavenging RPG gamer, and he's still unwilling to confront reality and engage with you. He thinks you're going to take the benefits and run away, leaving everyone behind at the most dangerous moment. By the way, do your friends know you have a way to get away from the confines of the Transcendence Origin Wall?"
Laughing Bat probed Su Ming with another suggestion, his tone full of sarcasm.
"Nonsense!" Diana protested first. If Deathstroke were that kind of person, he wouldn't come forward in such dangerous times.
Arthur agreed with her; they all witnessed Deathstroke saving the world.
"That depends on whether they believe you or me!"
Su Ming swung his weapon fiercely; the Godslayer, extended to its limit, was wielded like a whip, causing a golden plane to suddenly appear.
With tremendous force, everything blocking this path of light was neatly sliced in half, and those nearby ducked in time, allowing the circle of light to cut through the complete 360-degree space.
The top floor of the building paused for a moment, followed by a rattling sound as it slid slowly in the direction of the force applied.
Just like slicing through bamboo with a knife, the severed segment slipped downward with the heavy rain falling to the ground. Fortunately, the surroundings were merely a parking lot, and there were no pedestrians today.
But even so, it kicked up a large clump of dirt and a towering splash of water.
"Heh heh heh... splendid strike, like a samurai slicing a roll mat. Whether you are angered in embarrassment or something else, I thank you for helping me achieve my goal. So, farewell? Hee hee hee hee..."
"The Final Smile has been activated, detecting final conditions."
Before the few could recover from the thunderous boom of the roof's aerial descent or wipe the rain off their faces, Mad Laugh's voice echoed nearly simultaneously with a cold computer voice in the building.
"Oh, my Final Smile system is identical. I'm not intending to use this system to spread any gas; I just want to ensure you have no means to antidote, haha... Originally, disarming the Final Smile requires numerous complicated steps, but there's a simpler way—if Wayne Tower or Batman himself faces an irresistible doom, like now, well, irreversible external destruction."
And the main control computer of Wayne Tower timely emitted a sound.
"Self-destruct countdown, 10, 9, 8..."
"Originally, the self-destruct system should only activate when the building is empty, but besides the old blind man, everyone else helped you kill, no need to thank me; this time I'm really leaving, goodbye, hahahaha..."
Su Ming took a deep breath; this time, Laughing Bat had successfully schemed. When the opponent's intelligence mastery was almost equal to his own side, the problem became complex.
This guy is a cold-blooded madman; Joker's toxin compensates for most of his psychological flaws.
For most Batmen, 'My mom is called Martha' or reenacting 'the tragic scene', etc., doesn't affect Laughing Bat.
The Joker within his soul makes Laughing Bat face all this with no inner ripples, possibly even amusement.
Last time, cutting off Laughing's head was partly because he lacked awareness of Su Ming, and also because he knew he wouldn't die.
This time is different; not only does Su Ming take him more seriously, but conversely, the opponent also places greater importance on this Otherworldly Deathstroke.
But now's not the time to think about these things; Su Ming raised his hand and released a Teleportation Gate: "You go!"
With that, he charged toward a broken window and leapt straight out.
The cloak carried him in a rapid descent, crashing through a door straight to the elevator's bottom. Su Ming grabbed the blind old man, then kicked off the wall mid-air for a rebound and rushed out.
Finally, at the last second, Su Ming vaulted the old man out of the flames.
The entire Wayne Tower exploded fiercely in the rain, but this was directional explosive. The explosion's direction had long been calculated by Batman, directed skyward.
Thus, the reunited group could see the once mighty structure, akin to a towering pillar, spew a mass of debris skyward like a gun barrel, then with a terrifying boom, it transformed into a heap of ruins...
"Tsk, if you count the systems inside the building, it lost less than three hundred million US Dollars; it's just pocket change to him." Arthur patted Su Ming on the shoulder, comforting him, thinking this tower was busted by Deathstroke.
Green Arrow brushed off his hand; this was pure nonsense.
Even if the group hadn't come to deal with Laughing or Deathstroke hadn't swung his strike, wouldn't Laughing have detonated Wayne Tower?
To shut down the Final Smile system, exploiting Deathstroke's hand at the critical moment indicates he'd long planned to ignite it.
Green Arrow saw clearly, but now they could only watch from the nearby rooftop as the flames were gradually extinguished by the rain, and the thick smoke blended with the clouds above, making the sky murky.