Ch.405 Batman's Offline Tools

"The satellites and the tracker you put on her aren't working. Haven't you tried some primitive methods? Like getting Superman to use his vision and hearing, or maybe that little starfish in your hand, hmm?"

Sitting in the command room of the Hall of Justice, Batman was still firmly secured in his rescue armor. Hearing Deathstroke's words, he couldn't help but squint slightly.

The jar containing Starro was something known to the Justice League, but Deathstroke had never seen it. How did he know about it?

Of course, Su Ming wasn't about to tell him that he'd seen Batman pick up a starfish fragment firsthand in the comic "Justice Not Served."

But that was a side issue. Batman quickly put it aside, also avoiding discussing the tracking devices he'd secretly placed on the rest of the League.

Deathstroke wasn't wrong. He had done it secretly, but the others were unaware, and he wasn't going to admit it.

"That's the strange part. I've tried every method I could think of, and none of them can locate Diana."

Su Ming clicked his tongue, taking a deep drag from his cigarette. "So, someone is simultaneously blocking Diana from magic, technology, and even psychic abilities."

"Though the methods I tried aren't limited to just those, you could put it that way," Batman's voice came through the microphone, still as deep as ever. "Luthor and his crew have been too quiet lately. Something's off. The Justice League's primary mission remains to solve the Totality problem. Our universe is dying."

"Luthor assembled a team. It includes your archenemies: Joker, Cheetah, Black Manta, Grodd, Sinestro. The only ones without a direct counterpart are Ron and Cyborg."

Su Ming spoke into the microphone, slightly regretting that he had used up all the bar's liquor to make Molotov cocktails. His throat was parched.

"So, you think Luthor might get Grid to deal with Cyborg, and find a super White Martian to go after Ron."

"Considering the chaos in the magic world right now, I think things have escalated. Luthor will assemble an army far beyond the Justice League's numbers."

With Luthor's tech prowess and the Mother Box in his possession, he could even traverse time and the multiverse to gather all the villains.

"I'll look into it." Batman cut off the communication.

In truth, Su Ming had begun to see some connections. First, there was the Still Force, then the Invisible Spectrum, and then came the Witching Hour.

All these events had occurred on the same day, within less than ten hours. To say there was no connection between them—that was impossible.

Considering Luthor had orchestrated many large-scale plans in the past, Su Ming was now inclined to believe that the Witching Hour and the War of Original Sin were also part of his scheme to claim the Totality and pursue destruction.

So, what benefit would this bring him? Inner satisfaction? Material gain?

None of these seemed to tempt Luthor, meaning his motivation was still unclear to Su Ming.

But for now, he would treat him as a suspect, at least until Su Ming found evidence that the Witching Hour wasn't connected to Luthor.

Nabu and Circe's reactions were both a bit unusual.

Forget Nabu—he'd taken over Doctor Fate's body, which had never happened before.

And Circe, her reason for lying was equally unknown.

Before, Su Ming had thought Luthor would form a small squad to play a 7v7 match against the Justice League, and he could reap some side benefits.

But now, even the League's secondary heroes had joined the fight. Naturally, Luthor would also form an army, and that army wouldn't be small.

Bobo and Albera were arguing, but the female sorceress's boundless imagination once again defeated the naive chimp, who ran to Su Ming's side for refuge.

Meanwhile, Albera looked smug, proud of once again having outtalked the world's smartest chimp.

She went to comfort the sobbing girls, clearly finding it the perfect opportunity for some lewd jokes.

"What did Batman say?"

Bobo asked Deathstroke. Su Ming just smiled and shook his head. "He said I'm the hope of the magical world, and he trusts me unconditionally."

The chimp's eyes turned flat and lifeless as he glared at Deathstroke, his lower lip curling upward.

"Do you think I'd believe such a ridiculous lie? If he really said that, I'd start suspecting someone was impersonating Batman."

"Anyway, if you want to keep investigating and tag along with my team, don't expect Batman to have any useful suggestions." Su Ming stood up, adjusting his gear. "He won't give me advice, and I wouldn't take it even if he did."

"Alright, I guess this is what they call a clash between tactical masters?" Bobo nodded helplessly. There was nothing he could do. They were only halfway through the case, and walking away now would be impossible for him.

"No, humans generally call this 'tacit understanding.'"

Su Ming greeted the girls, who were obviously cold towards Deathstroke—especially Raven, who had too many traumatic memories involving the Teen Titans and him.

Even though it wasn't Su Ming's fault but rather the fault of the Prime Earth's Slade, as long as he wore this black-and-yellow armor, there was no chance the young girls would be friendly with him.

"Albera, Donna, we're moving out." He called the two women, ordering the team to continue onward.

"Where to?" Albera asked, now acting as their means of transportation.

"First, to Aeaea Island. Circe lied to us, and I want to see if she has a reasonable explanation."

The four bid farewell to the girls, with Bobo specifically reminding Tracy to clean the entire bar thoroughly—especially the charred floor, which needed to be scraped off, re-varnished, and waxed.

Tracy was about to cry again, burying herself into Raven's arms.

First, they exited the bar, arriving in Greece, then flew for a bit before the four of them once again returned to Aeaea Island.

Circe's cave was completely empty, and it seemed she had used magic to take everything she could with her.

"Detective, it's your turn. Let's split up and search for clues." Su Ming put Bobo down, letting him explore with his magnifying glass.

The chimp had an advantage when investigating. His shorter stature and smaller build allowed him to access places that humans couldn't.

The cave was mostly filled with stalactites, but there were also various oddly shaped small openings—perfect for a chimp to explore.

When Bobo got down to business, he was incredibly useful. He found things quickly and didn't miss any clues.

Soon enough, he found evidence of Diana's return.

"Here—Diana's footprints. Since her soles were covered with demon blood and Hell's dust, I deduce that she returned here."

Bobo held up a flashlight, pointing at a series of dense footprints on the ground, indicating there had once been a chair there. After leaving Hell, Diana must have sat for a while.

It wasn't clear what she had talked about with Circe, but she didn't seem at ease. The frequent movement of her footprints suggested inner agitation.

Su Ming patted the chimp's shoulder. "Good job, Bobo. It looks like Diana was tricked by Circe and went somewhere."

Bobo nodded, then pulled out a transparent evidence bag, waving it in front of the others.

"Besides that, I also found something rather troubling."