mtl008 Chapter 4097 MU Superbody Major Event (174)
Chapter 4097 MU Superbody Major Event (174)
Chapter 4097 MU: The Superbody Incident (174)
Watching Bruce walk out the door, Jack sighed. That unlucky kid, he'd been bought off with just a car.
“You’re going too,” said the main universe Batman. “I’ll also send you one, with a Joker-themed paint job.”
Jack went there promptly.
Of course, that wasn't enough. The main universe's Batman had already keenly sensed that this matter might still be related to the Infinity Stones, so he summoned another Joker—the Joker from Earth-3.
This time, the other person wasn't wearing a police uniform; instead, he was wearing a dark-colored windbreaker, the kind of jacket often worn by special agents, and he walked in with a cigarette in his mouth.
“Go find Night Owl,” the main universe Batman said. “If possible, send him back to Battleworld.”
"That guy's caused trouble again?" Joker asked without looking up as he lit a cigarette. "He really knows how to mess everything up."
"There's an emergency now, and I can't let him ruin my plans any longer. Do you need help?"
"No need, just give me a tracking device."
The main universe's Batman picked up a tracker and said, "His counter-surveillance technology is very advanced; ordinary tracking devices might be detected by him. I'm using a more covert one, but the downside is that it only transmits its location once an hour."
“That’s enough.” Joker took the tracker and left. The main universe Batman didn’t even have time to ask if he wanted any equipment or the Batmobile. But then he thought about it, and realized that Joker was a legitimate police officer, a regular officer, the kind who gets a pension if he dies, and he could drive a police car to and from get off work. What would he need a modified car for?
Batman and his agents from Arkham returned to Alpha Centauri. Although the Gathering Planet was gone, the black market would simply relocate, not disappear. They were there to gather intelligence as well.
The universe is so vast that finding something specific is incredibly difficult. However, those Nightmare Shadows are extremely powerful and attack indiscriminately; they'll likely cause chaos soon. The black market is well-informed; they can detect suspected attacks immediately and rush to the scene.
Most of the black market has moved to a smaller planet not too far from the gathering planet, and it's still bustling with activity. Unfortunately, the landmark central tower is gone, and the giant octopus is probably stewed by someone.
They found another inn, the same one where the previous owner had moved. Schiller pulled out two more gold bars and booked two rooms. He expected news soon, but three days passed.
After three days without a single word, the two quickly realized something was wrong. If the Nightmare Dream Shadows had truly arrived in the real world, there would be no trace of them. They had fought those guys before and knew how dangerous they were.
If it were just ordinary morbidity, it wouldn't be so bad, but these phantoms possess superpowers, and many of them don't attack in isolation. For example, they can manipulate emotions like guilt, and if this were to appear in a certain region, it could drive people on several planets insane. Such a massive event, which even the three great empires couldn't suppress, would immediately spread through the black market; how could there be no reaction at all?
“Those guys probably didn’t come to the real dimension,” Arkham Batman said. “If nothing unexpected happens, they’ve probably gone to the dimension where the Infinity Stones are located. There must be something going on behind the scenes.”
Judging from his tone, Schiller knew that Batman from Arkham had already suspected something. He stayed on the black market only because, if he had indeed gone to the dimension where the Infinity Stones resided, there was still Batman from the main universe. He stayed here to wait for another possibility. Now that there was no news on the black market, it meant that this possibility did not exist.
The two hurriedly returned to the Dark Quadrant and met the main universe's Batman with a solemn expression.
"How's the team you sent doing?" Arkham Batman asked.
“No news at all,” said the main universe Batman. His serious expression stemmed from this very matter.
Three days, a full three days, and not a single word came back.
It's important to understand that the Batman of the Dark Multiverse is significantly stronger than the Batman of the Light Multiverse, at least in terms of physical strength. Whether it's because adversity breeds cunning or because hardship tempers the will, their overall qualities are undeniably superior. More importantly, they possess both intelligence and martial prowess.
Superman is indeed incredibly strong, but his brilliant mind sometimes fails him, forcing Batman to remotely command them. Green Lantern is also quite capable overall, but lacks strategic thinking. The Flash and his allies are even less so; every superhero has a weakness, otherwise they wouldn't need to form an alliance.
However, the Batmen of the Dark Multiverse compensate for Batman's lack of physical strength with various mutations. When weapons and command centers are integrated into one body, combat efficiency will be unprecedented. It is precisely because the war for the last Infinity Stone could be dangerous that the main universe's Batman sends these intelligent and courageous Dark Multiverse Batmen there.
However, to his utter surprise, these Batmen never returned.
The initial estimated combat time was around 12 hours, but considering the different time flows in the two dimensions, it wouldn't exceed 20 hours at the latest. After all, even these Batmen get tired; 20 hours of high-intensity combat is basically their limit. If it exceeds that time, they'll have to temporarily retreat for rest.
The Batman of the main universe knows very well that if it were someone else, they might linger, feeling they were so close to getting it, and decide to give it another shot. But the Batmen would never do that. Batman's discipline is extremely high, which is the biggest reason why they are always walking on the edge of a cliff yet always manage to keep themselves safe.
Once the objective is determined, they will leave once it is achieved; if it is not achieved, they will retreat immediately upon reaching the estimated time. Even if the objective is just one meter in front of them, they will choose to retreat rather than rush forward.
Now, nearly 50 hours have passed since the expected evacuation time, and there has been no news of deaths from the Battle Realm. Therefore, they may be trapped.
This is actually more troublesome than if they were dead, because after they died, they could send messages to the Battle Realm, at least we would know how they died. Now they're trapped, and we can't even get a message out about what's happening in that dimension. The main universe Batman has to consider whether it's necessary to send more people in.
“There’s been no word from the black market,” Arkham Batman said. “We suspect Nightmare may have gone to the dimension where the Infinity Stones are located.”
“That’s not surprising,” the main universe Batman said, tapping the table with his fingertips. “At first, I thought they were doing this on purpose to prevent us from getting the last Infinity Stone. But in the past three days, I’ve investigated the situation at the entrance and found that they are also on high alert, constantly patrolling, seemingly afraid that something from another dimension might escape. This may have exceeded their expectations.”
"Of course, these things attack indiscriminately; they shoot anyone who goes in. We can't get the Infinity Stones, and neither can they. This is definitely not what they want," the agent sighed. "So, are we going to fight them head-on?"
The main universe Batman pondered for a moment, then said, "Yes, we're in a better position than them right now, and we can handle another large-scale battle. I'll go arrange the manpower."
Earth's command center quickly received news that the DC army was on its way. Meanwhile, in Asgard, the Annihilation Zerg were being released at an even faster pace, pushing the mechanical armies of the two great empires to the edge of the Nine Realms. Although Asgard was now swarming with giant insects, these creatures weren't directly attacking the Protoss, and Franklin and the Swarm were still controlling the situation. Some of the reinforcements sent to support Asgard could be withdrawn.
Therefore, the Avengers and some mutants withdrew from Asgard and headed towards the dimensional portal. This time, both sides mobilized a large number of troops, making it arguably the largest and most powerful battle since the start of the war.
Moreover, this is a direct confrontation, with no issues of offense or defense, and no tricks or schemes to be used. It is simply a battle in which the two sides attack each other's lines from two different directions, making it arguably the most challenging battle in terms of raw strength.
On Batman's side, Hal and the Green Lanterns came out in full force, along with Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Cyborg, Superman, and other Justice League members. There were also second-generation heroes, such as Singularity Lilith, Blue Beetle, and Teen Titans. Everyone who came participated.
Marvel's side is equally impressive, with Captain America, Iron Man, and other Avengers heroes all present, along with Magneto, Professor X, Scarlet Witch, and other mutants. The New Warriors, West Coast Avengers, Spider-Legion, and many more are also in attendance.
Overall, Marvel has a stronger force because they suffered fewer losses, have more manpower, and a large robot army.
However, DC has Lucy and Batman from Manhattan, giving them a stronger high-end fighting force. But even with their equally outlandish characters like Franklin, they could still get there. Overall, Marvel has a slight advantage, but the difference isn't significant.
With the battle lines drawn, both sides were eager to fight. Logically, there should have been a pre-battle trash-talking session, but Batman clearly wasn't one for verbal sparring, and the command center, having nothing more to say, simultaneously ordered: "Just grab the other side and beat them up!"
At first, the fighting was relatively organized. Melee heroes went first, with Captain America, Iron Fist, Wolverine, and others rushing in first. Wonder Woman and others were not to be outdone, each choosing their opponents and wrestling together, occasionally supporting each other or exchanging opponents, resulting in a chaotic melee.
Ranged heroes provided cover from the rear, while also unleashing their own attacks on the enemy mage. Martian Manhunter used X-rays, and Magneto retaliated with an electromagnetic storm; Raven used Demonic Power, and Scarlet Witch countered with Scarlet Power, making the battle resemble a turn-based system.
But this kind of battle is not that simple. The two mages got carried away and stopped caring where their front-line troops were, stopped controlling the distance, and stopped turning off friendly fire. They just kept pouring out their power.
The melee heroes in the front row can't just stand there and take friendly fire, so of course they have to dodge quickly. But if they dodge, they end up crowding into other people's areas, turning small-team battles into large-scale melees. In the end, they can no longer choose their opponents; they just attack whoever they can reach.
Once our assassin-type heroes entered the fray, the situation became even more chaotic. Squishy mages like Professor X had to quickly hide behind other heroes, but the assassins, of course, wouldn't give up and kept chasing. Then, the mages who were getting carried away in the fight saw their base on fire and quickly turned back to attack the assassins, resulting in another wave of friendly fire that disrupted the formation behind them as well.
In the end, it didn't matter who was in the front, middle, or back row anymore. Everyone was just shooting at anyone they saw. If you couldn't dodge, you were just unlucky. It was all about who could react faster and who had the best luck.
The main universe's Batman couldn't help but cover his forehead; he knew it—that's how superhero fights are. Because of the varying individual qualities and abilities, there's no way to expect any discipline from them; it always ends in chaos.
Fortunately, thanks to Batman's presence, they were able to maintain some semblance of order, allowing Batman to make minor adjustments, such as "shifting the X-ray five centimeters to the left." The Justice League reflexively obeyed Batman's commands, giving them a slightly better formation than the opposing team.
But the opposing side also has a trump card: the Spider-Legion's spider-sense is practically made for this kind of chaotic battle. No one can hit them, and they can also alert others, which has significantly reduced the casualty rate on Marvel's side.
After the battle began, the main universe Batman wasn't idle either. He hadn't forgotten that the Batman of the Dark Multiverse was still trapped in a dimension, and he had to find a way to rescue them. He immediately sent Injustice Superman and the remaining Supermen into the dimension where the Infinity Stones were located to search for them.
Unbeknownst to him, Reed Richards, the main universe's Mr. Fantastic who had been defending this place, was quietly approaching the dimensional entrance together with Doom from the central universe.