novelonline Chapter 4297 Body of Steel (2)
Chapter 4297 Body of Steel (2)
Chapter 4297 Body of Steel (Part Two)
"How is it, Schiller?" a deep voice came through the earpiece.
Schiller pressed the earpiece lightly and said, "Not bad."
"Where are we at? Have you found any anomalies?"
"No. But I successfully fooled one fool into going to find a treasure that doesn't exist, and then fooled another fool into buying it."
"What?" The adventurous Batman on the other end of the phone could hardly believe his ears. He said, "You've been in that universe for two days. What have you been doing?"
"I've already told you. I don't want to repeat myself."
“Alright. I just wanted to remind you that as the investigation team in this operation, we need to be more efficient. You must pay attention to every detail and report any anomalies that might be caused by the corruption of dark forces immediately.”
"Don't worry. I know it's my duty."
"You better be."
After hanging up, the Adventurer Batman sighed. The Main Universe Batman turned to look at him. The Adventurer Batman shook his head and said, "I don't think we should contact this Schiller. He doesn't seem serious enough, and doesn't seem to understand the gravity of the situation."
“But he’s all we have left,” said the main universe Batman. “Let’s believe he’ll give us a surprise.”
"How can you be so optimistic?" Batman the Adventurer said, somewhat surprised. "There aren't many universes that have been infiltrated by strange dark forces, and each one is an important sample, with this being the most typical. You're sending such an unreliable person, and you actually think he'll surprise us?"
The main universe's Batman remained silent. He recalled what had happened. After the duel, he returned to his own universe to continue building the magical defense network. Just then, the energy detection device he had installed on the network months earlier reported an anomaly.
Strange energy readings indicated that a peculiar dark force was permeating the universe. It was a deathly power, but even Constantine didn't know what it was.
The Batman of the main universe summoned Batmen from other universes and asked them to take a detection device to monitor energy fluctuations in each universe. Unsurprisingly, darkness was awakening, and this eerie power had spread to every universe.
But perhaps it's too early; these forces are currently insignificant. However, the calm won't last forever. In some universes, he has already revealed his true colors. And in order to continue researching and unraveling the mysteries of this power, Batman in the main universe didn't choose to investigate himself, but instead recruited agents.
Surprisingly, the agent didn't take the job. Instead, he recommended another personality trait to the main universe's Batman. It was Schiller, who was just as young as the agent but had shoulder-length hair.
This personality trait is very mysterious. He seems perfectly ordinary, and his speech is unremarkable, but the danger radar of the main universe's Batman is constantly on. This leads him to believe that whatever the dark force he's tasked with investigating, its owner is likely to suffer greatly at his hands.
This was an inexplicable confidence, but the main universe Batman decided to trust his instincts. Because there wasn't much else to do. The situation was slightly different in that universe where dark energy was most active; Batmen from other universes wouldn't be welcomed there, and might even face resistance and rejection upon arrival. The rest of the Bat-family would be in similar situations. So, let Schiller go. No matter how tough the superheroes were there, Schiller always had a way.
Coming to his senses, the main universe Batman said, "You don't need to keep such a close eye on him. Our investigative methods don't work on him. What did he just tell you he did?"
The adventurous Batman repeated what he had just heard. The main universe Batman sighed. He knew his intuition was right. But he had a feeling that, besides the mastermind behind it all, some of the natives of that universe might also be in big trouble.
Clark returned to his rented apartment. He glanced at the sky outside. The snow had gradually stopped, but the setting sun was still shrouded in gray, creating a strange sense of melancholy.
He sat down at his computer and began searching for everything about Wayne. However, reports about the super-rich man's private life were scarce. In his youth, he had a dissolute past, but no one had come forward to accuse him. And at some point, he seemed to have faded into obscurity, even the tabloids had stopped caring about him. Younger Lex Luthor or some other billionaire were the primary targets of the paparazzi.
Clark sat on the edge of the bed, realizing more clearly than ever before that he and Bruce Wayne were from two different generations. Although he had been working at the newspaper for a long time, he was still relatively young; Bruce Wayne, on the other hand, was already middle-aged.
His previous experience in that cult town hadn't made him realize this. Because Bruce was well-preserved, strong, and quick-witted, the word "aging" would be absurd to be applied to him.
But for some reason, after returning to their universe and having a long talk, Clark became increasingly aware that the monster feared by everyone in Gotham, the man he had never understood and who remained an enigma to this day, was old and looked like he was heading toward death.
Clark couldn't find any information about Bruce Wayne's dead child on the internet, to the point that he even started to resent the tabloids for being unreliable.
Then he began to loathe himself. Knowing a crisis might be imminent, he was still here studying Batman. What magic did he possess that allowed it to take root in his own mind?
The burning fireplace, the warm blankets, the incredibly soft sofa, and the moonlight, like shards of glass cut through the Gothic windowpanes, and that long, intimate conversation always lingered in Clark's mind.
"How will you feel when I die?" he heard Bruce Wayne ask again.
“I find it unbelievable. Batman, you shouldn’t be so vulnerable. You should stand up and take them down. But I understand, you are just that vulnerable, and I failed to protect you. It’s entirely my fault.” Clark heard himself say this. Hearing it again, he also believed it was his true feelings.
My vulnerability is not your fault. It is not your responsibility.
“No, I should have realized you were vulnerable so I could have taken precautions. That way you wouldn’t have been killed by the monster.”
Why didn't you realize that?
"Because you acted so well. I thought you were smart and strong. I thought you didn't need me to protect you. But it turns out I was wrong. My understanding of you was flawed. Maybe I should have gotten to know you better, then none of this would have happened."
“We didn’t give each other that chance,” Bruce Wayne said. “We hated each other from the first moment we met. But unfortunately, it didn’t last.”
"You think that's a waste?" Clark heard a hint of anger in his own voice. "Our prejudices against each other have wasted so much of our time. If we had known each other better before we even got into this instance, we would have performed much better."
“I’m sorry,” Bruce Wayne said. “It’s a good thing that you have a positive view of our relationship.”
"What are you regretting? I'm not the kind of evil superpowered person you imagine, someone who can do whatever they want just because they have great power, and who should be defeated by you as a matter of course? Do you prefer this? Does it make you feel like a hero, a defender of humanity?"
Clark couldn't help but cover his face. He knew he had been too sharp, and he attributed it to his journalistic quirks.
"What I'm trying to say is that sometimes you need to trust your first instinct. If we don't like each other at the beginning, it's a bad sign. It means we might be the kind of people who hate each other."
"But we're not. We've proven in our shared battles that we can be the best of allies, just like Batman and Superman in other universes. There's not that much of a barrier between us. Or is it that my misstep is still causing you some concern?"
“It’s not your mistake that makes me hesitant; it’s precisely because you’ve performed too well. To be specific, you’ve made my safety your responsibility.”
"Isn't this what I should do? You're my teammate. If you get killed by a monster in front of me, I should take at least half the responsibility, or even all of it."
"That's the problem. You're taking on too much responsibility. And I don't think that's the right approach."
“I don’t understand what you mean. You better not be saying I’m meddling, Batman. Even if you don’t actually die in the game, the process of dying is painful. And I just wanted to save you. I really don’t see what’s wrong with that.”
"I know you have the ability to save everyone in the world, but that doesn't mean you have to take them all as your responsibility."
"Why? Why can't I do this even though I have the ability?"
"When you try to carry everyone on your shoulders, you will drift further and further away from them. This urgent desire to take responsibility for them will make you lose your mind and ultimately backfire. The more anxious you are, the faster you will lose them."
“I still stand by my point of view, and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it. If someone who has the ability to help others doesn’t do it and instead stands by and watches tragedy happen, then the world is doomed.”
With a sigh from Batman, Clark suddenly awoke. Looking at the still-lit computer screen and the completely dark sky, he felt as if he had just woken from a dream.
That sigh echoed in his mind. Clark detected a deep sadness in it that he had never noticed before. In that instant, he realized that Batman's words to him came from the depths of his own experience.
(End of this chapter)