"Ten years ago, I didn't know you, and you didn't know me, we..."
In the night rain, a demonic, raspy voice processed through a voice changer echoed out, chilling enough to raise goosebumps when heard in this hellish tone during such weather.
Diana touched her arm. She could understand Chinese without any problems, but why did Deathstroke bring up ten years?
Su Ming was just humming a song, squatting at the edge of a rooftop, watching the embers in the direction of Wayne Tower gradually extinguish, the entire city returning to calm.
About these missing ten years, only Dr. Manhattan knows where they went. But in terms of relative theory, the Flashpoint reset all the worlds, making all Earths enter the N52 era simultaneously, while Rebirth meant Manhattan took away ten years, causing the Main World to advance ten years faster than other worlds.
Adding the two years of story differences caused by the time turning point, it means twelve years' worth of events happened in the Main World that the Laughing Bat knows nothing about.
Only Manhattan probably knows the stories of those ten years. Su Ming can't find him now. After using the Jester Badge, that eerie space is still empty.
He knows Manhattan is there. He is Quantum, omnipresent.
Death said he was long dead, but perhaps the Manhattan they knew is dead, while Quantum still exists.
Su Ming is not a physics expert. It's not that he couldn't research these theories but the input and output are disproportionate; his talents do not lie in this area.
Professionals should do professional things, like Batman should be solving cases, and Deathstroke should just find a way to kill the enemy and then collect the reward.
A lot has happened over these two years, excluding what the Laughing Bat might have seen after bypassing walls...
Su Ming could deduce some hidden things through inference and chose the most hidden ones from them to serve as the backbone of his plan.
Now with Arthur in the team, he ensures Gotham is constantly submerged in minor floods. No matter what plan the Laughing Bat intends to play, before he removes the World Barrier and drains the flood, he will be constrained.
As for the trick where the Laughing Bat suddenly disappeared in front of everyone, Su Ming views it more calmly, he is also Batman.
When he intends to vanish, even Barry couldn't see his escape, let alone others.
Speaking of Barry, Su Ming has a plan, one definitely beyond what the Laughing Bat could imagine...
"Don't mind my singing now. We still have a little time, at least before the Laughing Bat initiates his plan. Could someone notify Barry for me? I need someone faster than time."
"I can find him, moving quietly in the shadows," said Green Arrow, nodding, with a thin slice of X Metal sticking to the side of his temple, ensuring he wouldn't be spotted by Ron.
"But why are you looking for Barry? I asked him how fast he could run, and he only said not faster than time; otherwise, something bad will happen."
Diana looked seriously at Su Ming. She wasn't clear what exactly the bad thing might be, but it sounded like Deathstroke intended to play with fire, just like Batman.
Raindrops with a pungent smell splashed into blossoms on his pauldron, and in the darkness, Su Ming lowered his head, taking off the blood-stained yellow badge from his chest.
"It's all about this. I now need the 'Medusa' mask of the Psychological Pirate, Divine Speed, a High-Energy Particle Generator, and a speech about family, persuading a father to return to his son... Given that I have no family, I can't comprehend what it feels like to have one."
Hearing this, Diana immediately felt a pain in her heart: "Don't say that; we are all your family. I don't know what you plan to do with that speech, but I'll help you write it. I have received ruler education since childhood, so writing speeches is not a problem. Which language do you need?"
Su Ming's red lens flickered: "English will do, thank you, Diana."
"I will help you retrieve the Psychological Pirate's mask. I initially thought it had something to do with the sea and collected it. It should be in the lighthouse at Ci'en Port now; I'll go get it."
Arthur said, patting his chest about solving the mask issue, and Su Ming opened a Teleportation Gate for him.
Sea King shook his head, wondering why Su Ming said thank you to Diana and not even a nod in his direction. Was he really so undervalued?
Psychological Pirate could be said to be a genius psychologist, born in New York, a villain with only the physical fitness of normal humans.
He was the arch-enemy of the Justice Society, later imprisoned, and died of illness in the sixties.
However, his genius lay in mastering the power of emotions, integrating fear, greed, hatred, arrogance, and other emotions into all his actions, making special psychological suggestions to enemies through his every move.
Star Hero was tormented almost to death by him back then, and now would probably tremble at the sight of the second-generation Psychological Pirate.
The second-generation Psychological Pirate was the first generation's student in prison, who traveled the Earth after escaping, and like the first, he confronted the Justice League.
He invented the Medusa Mask, which looks like a golden mirror, but when people see it, it reflects their most vulnerable emotions, directly invading their mind and destroying their sanity.
As for whether he is strong? You should know that he is almost 70 now, yet each time after committing crimes in Star City, he could escape unscathed from Green Arrow, which tells you how strong he is.
Behind him, he still had the support of Chimpanzee Island, and Barry had suffered a loss at the hands of the Psychological Pirate. However, the Justice League still defeated him once and took away the Medusa Mask, this amazing piece of technology.
During the Flashpoint event, some interesting things happened with that mask. Barry accidentally brought it into the Speed Force Space, and then it was squeezed into a new Multiverse from the Divine Speed Plane.
As for how it ended up in Arthur's hands now, no one knows.
Su Ming is currently enjoying the benefits of having teammates. Whenever he wants something, his teammates bring it to him. When it comes to understanding the world, Diana and the others are certainly more knowledgeable.
Once Barry arrives, the ultimate four-protect-one lineup of the Deathstroke Squad will be complete.
The problem now is the High-Energy Particle Generator. It's definitely a big toy, and the few of them can only go look for it; no one can bring it over.
This time, Barry was a bit slow. Su Ming stood in place watching several raindrops ripple and fade before a golden electric light appeared beside him.
The ground was a bit slippery, and Barry couldn't stop in time. Su Ming directly reached out and pulled him out of the Divine Speed.
It seems that things aren't going well on the Justice League's side. Even the usually optimistic Flash looks downcast, with his head hanging down like a tomato baked under the hot sun.
"Hey everyone, sigh..."
Su Ming hooked his arm around Barry's neck, tightened it, and smiled as he ruffled his hair: "Don't sigh, we're dealing with the Laughing Bat here, really have no time to help you guys. Even if you pretend to be sad, it's useless. The Origin Wall blowing up is done, but Papetua probably hasn't awakened so quickly."
Barry, realizing he was seen through, laughed awkwardly: "Is there really no one available? Just lend us Diana and Arthur to Metropolis for a meeting."
"What kind of meeting? You'd rather trust Star Hero, who has half a brain, than ask me." Su Ming shrugged.
Hearing this, Barry pouted and wriggled his way out of Su Ming's grip with a look of disdain on his face: "You have the nerve to talk. You let Cindy impersonate you and follow us. I actually thought it was you. Whatever I asked her, she just nodded. I thought you'd agreed to fix the Origin Wall!"
"She came from Earth -11 and doesn't understand the Main World. What kind of opinion can she give? She'd be exposed the moment she spoke, right? Anyway, I'm not taking the blame for the Origin Wall exploding." Su Ming spread his hands, indicating the whole thing didn't have his influence at all: "I only sent Cindy with my Great Sword just in case. At least the Justice League didn't lose any members, right?"
"No way, you're responsible too. I'm representing the Justice League to hold this against you." Barry grabbed Su Ming's arm, adopting the rascal stance he'd learned from the Rascal Gang.
But it didn't look quite right, making it quite funny.
"Since when could you represent the Justice League? Even if you whine, the threat of the Laughing Bat is above the Destruction Legion. Luthor just made a big move and will definitely plan based on changes. Luthor is a smart guy, but that's his pattern; he likes to have everything calculated."
Su Ming disdainfully pried Barry's hand away, as Flash's power wasn't in the same league as his. He patiently continued to explain to Barry:
"And the Laughing Bat is targeting Batman and the Main World. His plan is underway. You should know what's more urgent, right? If he really kills Batman, who do you guys in the Justice League think you'll win that Big Bald Head with?"
"Heh heh, we still have you...." Barry nudged him twice with his shoulder, speaking ingratiatingly because sweet words were free, unlike money, which he didn't have.
"I've even thought about getting Ron and the others over to deal with the Laughing first. It's really inconvenient to split up now, but I've been holding back. So don't expect me to change the plan. First deal with Laughing, then the Destruction Legion and Papetua, that's the proper order."
Su Ming decisively shattered Barry's fantasies, knowing Super and Ron specifically told him beforehand to bring Deathstroke to discuss future strategies and ask what the fake Deathstroke was planning.
Shortly after returning to Earth, Cindy revealed her identity and calmly left Metropolis's temporary base. Who knows where she went.
Barry's eyes darted around, and his mind spun quickly.
But he still felt unwilling, mainly because they lost so badly in the Origin Wall battle, losing all their allied forces in the universe, and now they truly had to rely on themselves.
"Whine whine whine...."
Su Ming covered Barry's mouth, looked up at the sky, and sighed: "I said not to try if it's useless! It's disgusting! Once we've dealt with the Laughing Bat, I'll go to Metropolis with you, alright?"
"Then about the money.... you surely know, the Hall of Justice was bombed, and the League's a bit tight on funds now." Barry conveyed Ron's opinion, that they were broke and embarrassed to ask Batman.
Ron and Superman were both thin-skinned individuals, feeling awkward whenever Bruce subsidized the Justice League's budget, let alone actively reaching out this time.
If not for their desire to set up the 'real-life superhero' thing and relaxing defenses this time, the Hall of Justice wouldn't have been bombed.
Making others pay for one's mistakes isn't something frontline superheroes should do.
"Embarrassed to ask Batman for money, but okay with shirking my commission? What does Ron plan to exchange for it?"
"He said as long as it's something the Justice League has, it can be negotiated."
Su Ming squinted. What did the Green Hide find out?