Ch.128 Current State of Batman Who Laughs

Su Ming had to put in some effort to find Barry, eventually discovering him hiding in the very tunnel Su Ming had dug out earlier. Barry had somehow found a bag of cookies and was munching on them, crumbs falling everywhere.

"Had a good rest?" Su Ming asked calmly, leaning on his greatsword, with black blood still dripping from the blade.

"*Cough, cough*, these cookies are too dry. Some water would be nice," Barry stretched his neck, swallowing a mouthful of cookies with difficulty. He looked a bit embarrassed at the pile of empty cookie bags beside him. "Want some? I just got some chocolate-filled Oreos from J'onn."

Although Su Ming was now clean, the lingering nausea from being surrounded by the weird dark energy inside Barbatos still clung to him, leaving him with no appetite.

Besides, he wasn't a speedster, so he didn't get hungry that quickly. On the contrary, thanks to the X-Metal enhancement, his body was filled with energy, making him feel somewhat bloated.

"No thanks. Speaking of which, Martian Manhunter really has a thing for chocolate Oreos. He should ask the company for an endorsement deal; that way, he could eat as many as he wants without paying."

"Uh, J'onn isn't like you. He's... a very low-key person. He doesn't like being in the spotlight," Barry said, stuffing another cookie into his mouth, his words muffled.

Su Ming suddenly had the urge to grab Martian Manhunter and ask him if he knew the four ways to... no, to *eat* Oreos.

Endorsing a product is perfectly legal and legitimate, and he's a loyal customer of the brand. Yet, Martian Manhunter refuses to leverage that for his benefit because he's worried about misleading consumers in their choice of cookies. After all, his taste doesn't represent everyone's.

This kind of morality is almost too rigid, overly considerate.

If Su Ming had his powers, he'd turn the Justice League into a cash cow, endorsing products, filming commercials, and counting money while sitting at home—how great would that be?

Su Ming felt like J'onn was missing out on a fortune.

"What kind of product do you think I should endorse if I wanted to make some money?" Su Ming suddenly asked Barry.

"Uh...???" Barry was taken aback, puzzled. Was product endorsement part of mercenary work? Surely no reputable company would want Deathstroke as their spokesperson, right?

"Never mind, just kidding. Let's go, take me to find the Batman Who Laughs and Diana."

Su Ming was indeed just teasing Barry. Filming commercials wasn't as fun as fighting. A mercenary should be on the most action-packed battlefield.

Barry wiped his mouth, feeling a bit lightheaded from the sudden sugar rush. He usually preferred pizza over sweets.

"Where are they?"

"The Batman Who Laughs probably has his Batcave under Challenger Mountain, but Diana hasn't returned yet, and we haven't noticed any signs of battle beneath our feet." Su Ming looked around at the bustling crowd, feeling out of place just standing there. "So, what part of Gotham would attract a deranged Batman from another world?"

Barry caught on quickly—he was always smart, and Su Ming had practically spelled it out for him.

"I get it. The Batcave of our world's Batman."

"Exactly, take me there."

Under Wayne Manor.

The Batman Who Laughs sat in Bruce's chair, resting his chin in his hand as if deep in thought, though his occasional maniacal laughter suggested he wasn't entirely serious.

Not far from him, an old man was tied to a machine, surrounded by strange devices connected to his body.

This old man, dressed in a white tank top with severe balding, looking somewhat like the villain from *Kung Fu Hustle*, was actually the Monitor, a major figure in the DC Universe.

Unfortunately, he was no match for Barbatos and had been tortured in a nightmare until he lost his powers.

If you gave him two birdcages and a set of iron balls to play with, he would perfectly resemble an elderly man from Su Ming's neighborhood.

The Batman Who Laughs had removed the top of his skull, exposing his brain, and modified Batman's Final Machine operating table. With the press of a button, the brains of the Monitor and Anti-Monitor would collide, and given the current state of the main universe's Earth stuck between the realms of blood, all universes would be destroyed.

However, the Batman Who Laughs hadn't done this yet. Instead, he paused, continually cracking jokes with his Robins, as if waiting for someone.

The Monitor had regained consciousness after being taken down from the Tuning Fork, but his powers hadn't returned. He couldn't break free from the Promethium restraints and could only watch as the Batman Who Laughs performed increasingly irrational acts, anxiously awaiting his fate.

He had once thought he could control destiny, but the Anti-Monitor had taught him a lesson—he wasn't nearly as powerful as he believed.

As he kept a low profile, integrating into human society and enjoying life, Barbatos had given him another harsh reality check—he was far weaker than he thought.

Not long ago, the Batman Who Laughs had secretly brought him here, telling him a bunch of things beyond his comprehension. Even he, who had believed he was watching over the entire universe, couldn't accept the insane reality.

He realized that this laughing man was completely insane, and his plan was truly terrifying.

The Batman Who Laughs told him that they were all fictional characters, existing in some ridiculous comic books, with their destinies controlled like puppets on strings.

Only his plan could change everything, giving everyone true freedom.

His plan was to kill all Batmen, including himself, to forever eliminate this so-called "hope" of the DC Universe.

But before that, he wanted a good talk with the Batman of the main universe. He wanted to show this Batman that he was the greatest Batman, the truest Bruce.

He was the one who would ultimately save everyone, freeing them from their manipulated, laughable fates.

Time passed quickly amid his laughter and the huffing of the Robins. The Monitor felt the Batman Who Laughs was waiting for an audience—madmen always loved a crowd.

The Batman Who Laughs had long anticipated Barbatos' inevitable failure. Power isn't everything; it's the mind that matters. He had been playing along for so long, all for this moment.

He wanted the Batman of the main universe. Batman was the key. However, the first to arrive was Wonder Woman, which greatly displeased him.

Using his imitation of the main universe Bruce's voice, combined with his fingerprints, retinal patterns, and technology, the Batman Who Laughs had long since gained access to the Thrasher Armor.

In a battle of completely different styles, he used Joker-like tactics to engage Wonder Woman. Although the Hellbat armor was destroyed, Wonder Woman still fell victim to his potent hypnosis needle and passed out.

He didn't kill Wonder Woman, instead opting to keep her alive a bit longer. He tied her to a stone pillar with the Lasso of Truth, making her a spectator.

The Batman Who Laughs returned to the computer, using the cameras that Batman had installed all over Gotham to monitor the situation on Challenger Mountain. He watched as Barbatos was defeated, knocked off the Tuning Fork and frozen by a group of heroes.

"Gah, gah, gah, soon, very soon, Bruce... the other me is coming," he said, raising his hands and dancing excitedly in the air.

"Aren't you excited?" he suddenly asked, jogging over to the Monitor, his grin disappearing as he noticed the old man's sullen face, which greatly annoyed him.

The Monitor couldn't be excited. If Bruce arrived, the Batman Who Laughs would activate the device, and everyone would be obliterated. Only the Batman Who Laughs could be happy in such a situation.

What the Batman Who Laughs said was so outlandish that the Monitor couldn't believe it—or rather, didn't dare to believe it.

But before the Monitor could think of a response, the Batman Who Laughs suddenly raised a finger, laughing wildly as he placed it on the old man's thick lips.

"Shhh, you don't need to say anything, I understand! Hahahahaha! We've all grown tired of this fake world, and soon, everyone will truly be free!"