Batman had speculated about the dimensions before, but he now realized it was an endless topic. Beyond the tenth dimension, there might be higher ones, but they were irrelevant to the current situation.
He wisely terminated the topic, while simultaneously raising his evaluation of Otherworldly Deathstroke's intelligence gathering to the highest level in his mind; he knew too much, which was extremely dangerous.
However, now the Earth needed every bit of strength, and it was not the right time for conversations.
"You need to allow me to access the Hell Bat Armor, then I'll use the backdoor left in the operating system to overwrite its command program, making it disassemble automatically."
Batman pointed in the direction of the battlefield. To say it's a battlefield might be an exaggeration, as it was just the Hell Bat standing there, with that skinless monster crawling all over it like a monkey, performing all sorts of obscenely aggressive moves.
Even Batman, who had seen a lot in Gotham, found the monster's actions an eyesore.
Logically, in Gotham's madmen, there are no uglier, more despicable, and more talkative creatures than this monster.
But there was a strange coordination on this skinless monster, as if it combined all these traits perfectly.
If you must use one word to describe this monster, it's 'obscene,' extremely obscene.
Su Ming raised his hand, gesturing, "Though I'm not sure why, Laughing Bat has powered down. Just go and touch the armor yourself."
"...Could you have your monkey keep its distance from me."
Batman finally expressed his request. Deathstroke, being a smart person, surely understood what he implied, yet forced him to say it out loud.
This guy's wicked sense of humor is really annoying.
Su Ming chuckled behind the mask; he enjoyed seeing Batman trying to maintain a dark demeanor, only to be helpless in the end.
"I'm worried that if my cousin leaves the Hell Bat's side, Laughing Bat might come back to his senses. The best approach is to stay put." Su Ming gave a thumbs-up, gauging the distance, "The best method now is to tie a tentacle to the armor. You close your eyes and feel your way along the tentacle."
Humans, when closing their eyes, cannot walk in a straight line, as no one can ensure each step is identical in stride and angle.
Even Batman, the strongest ordinary person, cannot achieve it. Nor can someone like Su Ming, who, despite having been enhanced, still retains a human physique.
So the best way to walk a straight line is to fly.
Batman, hearing Deathstroke's words, had no desire to feel his way across with tentacles.
This guy was being too mischievous, making jokes at such a time, did he really think he was brainless?
"Your cousin...truly gifted..."
At this moment, the Ancient Divine Attendant was licking the red visor of the Hell Bat Armor with his barbed long tongue, not at all worried about Laughing Bat coming back to his senses and using Heat Sight to melt his head.
Batman, seeing this, returned a joke to Su Ming; after all, moving that creature might genuinely be dangerous, so maintaining the status quo was the most reasonable.
He took out his Bat Grapple Gun, firing it towards the Hell Bat Armor, successfully wrapping the grappling hook around one of the armor's arms.
Batman closed his eyes, pressed the button on the grapple gun, and the motor swiftly retracted the rope, allowing him to glide smoothly through the air. The distance was memorized in his mind, and he naturally calculated the time consumed.
So even with his eyes closed, as he flew past the back of the armor, he deftly swept his hand across, attaching a small bat-shaped device, then rolled away in a series of maneuvers.
Even with his eyes closed, just approaching that monster brought a stench that nearly caused him to fall from mid-air.
This monster surely doesn't usually reside in some sewer sludge, does it?
Yet Batman didn't voice his thoughts, and Joker was still clapping for him nearby, prompting him to run along the other wall of the room to get back beside Deathstroke.
Once he was certain he was at a safe distance, he started connecting to the small device he just attached, using the terminal in his hand to hack the mecha through the backdoor he had left.
It wouldn't even be called hacking. Every world's Hell Bat Armor, designed by Steel Bone and his father with circuit and information processors, had Batman thoroughly check them once in hand, adding his own touch—a contingency.
The relationship between the Dark Multiverse and the Main World is like a reflection in water; following his own train of thought a few times, cracking the system was straightforward for Batman.
Su Ming stood by with the Giant Sword resting, "I always felt Laughing Bat was stalling for your arrival. He knew only you could handle this armor. Haven't you considered why he would do this?"
In the dim light, Batman's flying fingers paused slightly, swiftly dismissing Su Ming's interference.
"Now the crisis in Gotham City has been lifted. He should have retreated."
"Retreated?" Su Ming took off his mask, pulling out a cigarette, "You're saying he used a priceless top-tier armor as a decoy to keep me and all of you here, creating an opportunity for him to escape?"
"It's possible. He wants to win against everyone, so his first step is making sure he doesn't lose." Batman continued typing without looking up, "He knows if he loses to you, death is certain."
Su Ming bit down on the cigarette, taking a deep draw, "I've considered that possibility. But given the current state of the Multiverse, his only escape could be to the Dark Multiverse, yet over there, the Batman of Earth -11 is already prepared. Few worlds remain for Laughing Bat to infiltrate. Despite vast unnumbered and shattered universes available for recruitment, any Batman emerging from them would undeniably be inferior."
"Why did he choose Bruce Wayne? This whole operation of his feels like a probe; he now clearly understands your weaknesses and strengths, as well as the shortcomings of the Batmen. Next time, he might bring Laughing Superman, Laughing Heroine, Laughing Shazam..."
Batman voiced his thoughts. After the so-called 'Final Smile' plan was revealed by the Mad Laugh, he was certain it was a probe.
Batman knew himself, especially with the Joker's addition to the 'Brainstorming.' If the Mad Laugh truly intended to decide the outcome in one go, he definitely would have devised a plan that covered the whole world, not just targeted Gotham.
At present, it seems that the Mad Laugh's arrangement is aimed at him first, and whether it's a success does not really matter to the Mad Laugh.
If the plan succeeded and he defeated him, then the subsequent plans would go more smoothly.
If the plan didn't succeed, he would still use this opportunity to prepare a backup move, while also conducting specific research on each person based on the last battle.
And this time, the routine the Mad Laugh prepared for Batman was something that Deathstroke jumped into right from the start.
Did Deathstroke not realize it? Or was it intentional? This is also a question... Also, the few corpses that died in the Main World are key points; after finishing things here, a closer inspection will be needed.
"Eek! Do you know what I thought of? Laughing Sea King, how silly would that look?" Su Ming shivered, rubbing his arm as if he hadn't noticed anything, even cracking a joke.
"Heh heh."
Batman's mind was working so fast that, before he refrained himself through willpower, he actually laughed out loud, his brain involuntarily visualizing the image of a Laughing Sea King, which indeed, as Deathstroke said, looked really...
Meanwhile, the Joker, who had a cheerful expression, suddenly lost it, coldly staring at Deathstroke, breaking the silence by questioning Batman:
"Why did you laugh? Why are you not serious? Was his joke funnier than mine? Why?!"
Batman stopped typing. He didn't want to laugh; it was the toxin that had caused a problem with his facial muscles and nerves.
The Joker was already dead. The presence beside him was just his own imagined reaction of the Joker, not real.
So he ceased typing, pulled out a serum from his belt, and gave himself a few shots.
The shadow of the Joker gradually faded away.
"Ahem, Arthur is overly honest and open. Growing up in a peaceful small town like Ci'en Port shaped his character to be as rugged and bold as a sailor. He may seem silly, but he's not foolish at all. Clark also appears to be simple and honest, but no one doubts Superman's intellect."
Batman, almost as if to cover up his earlier laughter, ended up defending Arthur's character quite a bit.
Su Ming also acknowledged this fact. If someone's intelligence truly didn't measure up, a proud woman like Mera wouldn't look twice at someone incompetent, even if he had half royal blood.
Remember, back then, she chose Arthur over Om, who was the pure-blooded heir and represented public expectation.
So Su Ming was merely making a reference without expecting Batman to laugh.
To be honest, it was a bit terrifying, like watching another Laughing Bat slowly form right in front of him.
Looks like Detective Gorilla will have to be sent to help Batman seek medical advice, at least to keep him stable—not too mad, nor as dark as before.
Detective Gorilla is also seasoned, having once been a member of the All-Star Squadron and served as an off-the-books consultant for the Justice Association on magic realm matters. He should head to the Justice Association Headquarters in New York to consult with the Midnite Strange Doctor.
"So, it seems like the Hellbat Armor I've been fighting is just an empty shell." Su Ming changed the subject, flicking ashes from his cigarette: "Is it remote-controlled? Or was a hypnotized scapegoat used?"
"We just need to open it up to find out."
With that, Batman pressed the final key, and the Hellbat Armor nearby peeled away like an onion, with a pale-skinned figure tumbling out of it, hitting the ground like a sack and remaining motionless.
Su Ming, with a cigarette in his mouth, walked over, waving his hand as if shooing away a fly. The Ancient Divine Attendant dissipated like a shadow, throwing up a middle finger before disappearing completely, never ceasing with the expletives pouring from his mouth.
Su Ming pinched the bridge of his nose, wondering if the Inverted Man had overplayed his hand, or if this was Wade's ultimate complete form?
He flipped the corpse on the ground over with the tip of his shoe, crouching down to observe closely.
Subsequently, the remaining questions were answered. The poor soul captured by the Laughing Bat inside was unidentifiable, but he had been drained of his life force by the Hellbat Armor, his face still etched with a look of horror.
The person, already weakened, was scared to death by an Ancient God.
Su Ming stamped out his cigarette butt; it seemed that just now, not only did the Justice League successfully escape, but the Laughing Bat also slipped away again.
Despite being a mad Batman, he was still an escape master.
Nonetheless, Su Ming managed to interrupt his plan this time, and also gave a level-up to the Batman of the Main World, so it wasn't a loss.
Now, let's focus on dealing with the Legion of Doom.