novelnext Chapter 105 There is only one kind of heroism
Chapter 105 There is only one kind of heroism
Chapter 105 There is only one kind of heroism
See, this is why you shouldn't be friends with a shady character like Batman. These kinds of people have absolutely no sense of boundaries and always want to find out about secrets they don't have.
People like Batman often have a significant psychological problem: an extreme lack of security, and a feeling that there are always villains in the world trying to harm them.
Joey had always had a vague feeling that Starfire was hiding something from him, but Joey would neither use his super senses to spy on him nor ask him unless he felt the situation was urgent.
He also knew that Aquaman was currently spending a great deal of effort suppressing radical extremists within his kingdom, some of whom were trying to recreate a superweapon capable of threatening land dwellers.
There's also the Shazam group of six who have reverted to their original forms, especially Billy, who has a long history of truancy and was called in and made to stand as punishment by the disapproving principal for skipping class.
The old bat is undergoing its annual psychological assessment with a psychologist named Harley Quinn...:
Although Joey had overheard and seen all of this by accident, he now felt that he clearly didn't have the nerve to criticize Batman in this way.
This is a crazy and dangerous universe.
Aquaman's Atlantis is too vast, and the people there are not united, so it needs to be monitored from time to time.
After Shazam's transformation ends, the six members are just six defenseless children, extremely vulnerable, and their safety needs to be monitored.
Thomas Wayne, that old man Bitden, goes without saying; he's a pure dangerous element. He previously directly targeted Barry Allen.
The source of the Speed Force was put into the Dionysian Factor, which attracted Barbatos, almost sending the entire universe to its doom.
Once you decide to do this, you can always find countless plausible excuses.
Since Batman had asked so earnestly, Joey mercifully told him:
"Yes, but no."
Joey didn't know whether, by definition, he came from another universe.
His physical body comes from the present universe, but his soul comes from ordinary Earth. After being reborn, he grew up in a third universe.
"I do come from the current universe, but I grew up in another universe, in one of which you are just characters in a comic book."
After hearing Joey's explanation, Batman gave him a look of no surprise: "That does make sense."
He was a seasoned veteran who had seen it all, so the concept of parallel universes was not unfamiliar to him.
It would be very impolite to talk about other things at the solemn funeral of a highly respected hero, but just as the funeral at this moment is a simplified version, they are running out of time.
"Is there any way?"
Joey asked Batman.
Batman assumed Joey was asking about the Kryptonian invasion. He had already heard Kara's advice to Joey in the surveillance video, and his view was quite pragmatic:
"We must surrender to your father for now; only by doing so can the Earth have any chance of survival."
The Kryptonians clearly have a vision that spans the entire universe. As long as they can persuade Jor-El to leave and keep Earth, such a marginal planet, out of the picture, then there will be no future to discuss whether to choose confrontation or cooperation.
"No, Batman, the problem is not that simple now."
Batman was unaware of Joey's in-depth conversation with Starfire, causing him to fall behind in the game's updates. Joey had to explain to Starfire:
"The spirit of existence is hidden in a dimensional rift somewhere on Earth, buried by the guardians of the universe, Oa. Guess what the arrival of the Kryptonians means to those guardians, and what consequences it will bring?"
Batman knew what the Spirit of Being was; he had inadvertently glimpsed a glimpse of that great being while fighting Wanda Savage, an immortal being, for a White Lantern Ring in his own universe.
At this moment, he finally felt a chill run down his spine; the speed at which things were spiraling out of control on Earth in this universe was far beyond his imagination.
"This means that in a few days, the entire Green Lantern Corps from across the universe will be coming to the solar system to fight the Kryptonians to the death."
"You'll get used to it; this is our universe."
The secrets about the Dark Multiverse had always been buried deep in Joey's heart, and he didn't think this was a good time to reveal the truth, but Batman had clearly understood the implication in Joey's words.
Batman's pointed bat ears seemed to stand even straighter: "What does 'our universe' mean?"
"I can't explain this to you right now."
Joey sighed and turned to Batman, asking, "How long have you been in this world? Two days, or three?"
"Your skill at changing the subject is just as poor as your fighting skills."
Batman recalled how, under his guidance, the other party had gone from being evenly matched to being pinned to the ground and beaten by that Kryptonian girl. That moment was one of the few moments of ease he had experienced since coming into this world.
I used to give Clark and Diana the same pointers.
Clark and Diana...: ...
Even through the lead-lined bat mask, Joey could see that the Batman in front of him was visibly depressed.
"You look a little down."
Batman, who usually keeps his emotions hidden, revealed his grief and sorrow, clearly indicating that the other person was feeling extremely bad at that moment.
Does the fact that you didn't want to tell the other person this cruel thing have such a big impact on him?
"You might need a break, Bruce."
Joey felt that the other party must have been tense for too long, and he was the same way. Ever since the old bat created Barbatos, he had spent the last two days in continuous battles.
Batman, meanwhile, was busy rebuilding the Watchtower and arranging funerals for his comrades.
The remains of Green Lantern John Stewart have been returned to Detroit for burial, his birthplace in another universe;
In another universe, Nora Allen, the Flash's deceased mother, weeps at Barry Allen's grave in Central City, unaware that her own grave holds the remains of two equally great heroes:
The Martian manhunter's ashes were sent to be buried in an Egyptian pyramid—those pyramids were indeed built with the help of Martians who passed through Earth in ancient times, and now they were being put to good use.
As the flames rose, Wonder Woman's funeral, drawing to a close, marked the final curtain call for these otherworldly heroes.
Superman's body remains in the watchtower, and no one knows whether he is truly dead.
So Joey decided to give himself and Batman a break:
"Since you've already decided to continue living in this world, why not spend some time with your family first?"
Batman stared at Superman in front of him with utter disapproval.
Since the other party knows that his Batman is Bruce Wayne, he naturally also knows other things about Bruce Wayne.
If he were still in his universe, only a madman like the Joker, with no moral compass, could say such utterly absurd things to Batman face-to-face.
However, Bruce Wayne knew at this moment that the other party was talking about something else entirely.
In this universe, Bruce Wayne did not survive, but his father, Thomas Wayne, is still alive.
Batman almost instinctively resisted interacting with anything in this world related to Bruce Wayne; he rejected Yang Yi's offer without a second thought.
"We should be more rational. You should know that he is not my father, and I am not his son."
Joey knew Batman was just being stubborn; his resistance stemmed from fear of the unknown, not from reason.
"If that's really what you think, then why bury Green Lantern, Flash, and Martian Manhunter in their corresponding places in another world?"
Moreover, if Batman wants to know the truth about Joey and his own universe, he should first see just how different this world's Gotham is from his own:
"Go, Bruce, you're the world's best detective. The truth about our two worlds lies within Gotham."
"You can see and hear every corner of this world."
Batman is supposed to be the one who controls fear, but at this moment he stands still:
"You can just tell me directly."
Joey can indeed hear everything, but there are many things he can only let the Batman in front of him discover for himself.
However, there is one thing he can tell Batman right now:
"I can hear your father's heartbeat. Old Thomas's heart has developed serious problems due to years of alcoholism. If he continues to work hard day and night as Batman, I'm afraid he won't live past this year."
Upon hearing this, Bruce bowed slightly to Wonder Woman at the burial site, then turned to reconnect to the watchtower's communication system.
"Steelbow, teleport me to 30,000 feet above the Watchtower!"
The observation tower overlooks the skies above Gotham City.
"One last piece of advice."
Joey pressed down on Batman's shoulder as he prepared to leave, while simultaneously scanning the entire city of Gotham with a keen eye. This city would likely bring Bruce endless "surprises":
"You will encounter many unimaginable things, but I believe you can get through them."
Joey had no doubt that Batman could uncover the truth about Gotham City in one night, something that would be much easier than doing it in normal Gotham City.
After all, Gotham City is far from being a place of outstanding people, and Arkham Asylum is not known for producing a wealth of talent, because the ruthless old bat had biologically ended the criminal careers of many people many years ago.
But one crucial element was deliberately omitted.
Because of this person's existence, this alternate world Gotham will probably be even harder for Batman, who lives in normal Gotham City, to accept.
If this Batman is a true hero, then only after witnessing Gotham's devastation and persevering can Joey share with him the truth that the Dark Multiverse is infinitely inclined towards self-destruction.
There is only one kind of heroism in this world: to see life as it is and still love it.