Days as a Spiritual Mentor in American Comics-Chapter 4412 - 3501: Research on Cats and Dogs (12)

The furious anger of Injustice Superman was evidently related to the "church". Clearly, this was an alternative universe Superman version of the "alley" joke, but Injustice Superman would really turn the person who told such a joke into a joke.

"Okay, I shouldn't have joked about you two. But the rest of it, I'm serious. You should know how good Batman is at lying. Just a single sentence, whether he's telling the truth or lying, you can't do anything about it." Bruce said.

"So what?"

"He can plainly tell you he spent most of the day, rummaging through a pile of junk in the warehouse to find this broken table, just to make you remember the good old times, to soothe your emotions, making the subsequent negotiations smoother."

"He can do this because, even if he tells you, you'll still reminisce. You yourself have thought about what he wants to do, yet don't you still reminisce?"

"So he says he's forgotten." Injustice Superman's voice grew colder, "Because he knows, no matter what he says, he's already succeeded, mocking me as if I'm a pitiful wet dog wagging its tail at a former bone."

"Then he's really bad." Bruce said, "But clearly, you're not much better. If you showed some spirit, he wouldn't have had the chance."

Injustice Superman looked at him again, and his expression became somewhat strange.

"You don't think I'm trying to persuade you two to reconcile, do you? You should understand that by now, it's irreparable. You can't go back to the past... It's no use glaring at me, I'm just telling the truth."

Bruce adjusted himself in the chair, seemingly speaking only after careful thought and judgment: "I think your current state is probably that you could kill him, but you can never beat him, so you're very unwilling."

"In the dynamics between you two, Batman is always the leader. He knows how to make you unable to refuse. Your emotions are always under his manipulation, pulling out the Justice League table would cause you inner turmoil, pulling you into the pain of self-conflict, which is just a reenactment of numerous everyday fragments."

Injustice Superman couldn't help but think of when Batman called him "Karl", a short word that not only tugged at his emotions but even triggered a somatic reaction.

"If you killed him just like that, those arenas could never be reclaimed. So every time you think of killing him, think of Batman dying by your hand, it doesn't seem very joyful, which is why you've dragged it out until now without killing him."

At this point, Bruce noticed that Injustice Superman was drawing closer. Injustice Superman leaned down, hands propped on the armrests of the chair, looking at Bruce with eyes so pale they could almost be colorless.

"Makes some sense, keep going."

"Since you want to reclaim the arenas, you must do to him what he did to you. It sounds simple, but implementing it is difficult because Batman isn't someone easily manipulated, unless you use some coercive methods."

"Coercive methods?"

"Like mind control, do you know how to do that?"

Injustice Superman straightened up, his hands clasped together, one hand clutching the tail ring on the other, seemingly lost in thought.

"This is the simplest method you can take, but it seems to have a certain technical difficulty in execution. If not this, you'll have to take a slightly more complex approach."

"Like what?"

"The enemy is the best teacher, learn to manipulate him as he manipulates you."

"You said, he's not easily controlled."

"Can Batman control Batman?" Bruce posed a question, "It's like a showdown between the sharpest spear and the sharpest shield in the world. Can Batman's manipulation skills defeat himself?"

"Do you think he can defeat you?" Injustice Superman asked.

"This question is meaningless, because he never needs to defeat me. Even if a breakthrough must be chosen, perhaps it will be my universe's Superman."

"Would he manipulate him?"

"Maybe he would just use similar methods to understand the situation of this universe from him, or to achieve some goals, isn't this your goal for coming here?"

After thinking for a moment, Bruce said: "Your universe has fallen into straits, so you've come to the new universe looking for opportunities. The opportunities in the new universe are naturally inseparable from the locals."

"You're also clear about this, which is why you chose to kidnap me. While you kidnapped me, he's probably trying every means to contact the Superman of my universe, trying to get some information from him."

"Will he succeed?"

"No."

Bruce answered so straightforwardly that Injustice Superman couldn't even determine if he was putting on a brave face.

"Compared to Batman, Superman is indeed easier to manipulate, so Batman from your universe would make such a choice. But if he encounters my Superman, he'll realize he made the wrong choice."

"You mean, he might fail?" Injustice Superman's tone slightly rose, sounding like something submerged suddenly surfaced.

"Not might, but certainly." Bruce continued with confidence, "He will inevitably fail, he might even be humiliated by Clark."

Then he adjusted his posture again and said, "I know you want to see Batman lose, and I happen to want to see my partner win. If you're not busy, how about we go for pizza?"

Injustice Superman gave him a deep look.

Twenty minutes later, Injustice Superman and Bruce landed in a small alley behind Museum Street.

The aroma of pizza wafted over from afar. Clark, carrying a freshly baked pizza, walked out. As he reached the street, a car slowly approached; the window rolled down, revealing a familiar face.

Injustice Superman's super vision allowed him to see clearly, it was Batman from his universe.

Clark shot him a cold glance, bypassing the car with the pizza in hand while Injustice Batman opened the door and followed him. He wasn't wearing a hat or mask, just appearing on the street like that.

Museum Street is a tourist hotspot in Metropolis, and this pizza place is famous. Bruce Wayne's appearance here immediately attracted a lot of attention.

This left Clark unable to fly away from the crowd, having to slowly walk towards the end of the street with a heap of things in hand.

"Clark, wait for me." Injustice Batman followed him.

Clark sighed, turned around to face Injustice Batman, and said, "What do you want? If you're not busy, don't follow me."

"I just want to talk to you. Metropolis might face danger soon, do you have a contingency plan?"

"We're not all here yet, we'll have to wait until tomorrow morning to start discussions. If you want to attend, you can go directly to the Luther Group. If not, feel free to do something else, just don't cause trouble."

Injustice Batman was clearly not expecting Clark to say this, but he reacted quickly, saying, "I'm willing to help, but I need to understand what's going on in your universe first."

"Everything as you see it." Clark replied.

"No, I'm afraid it's more complicated than that." Injustice Batman said, "Why did you hit Batman that day?"

"He was drunk, I was afraid he'd cause trouble, so I had to knock him out."

"I see." Injustice Batman paused before saying, "To be honest, I have some conflicts with my companion, he might be... a threat in the conventional sense. Although I know this isn't his intention, he's just blinded, I'm afraid you need to be prepared."

"You know you sound like one of those high schoolers talking behind people's backs while desperately showing how objective they are?" Clark looked at him and said, "You shouldn't have come to me with this."

Injustice Batman didn't feel embarrassed, he just said, "In fact, I'm looking to find the Batman of your universe."

"There is no Batman in our universe anymore."

"Do you mean there used to be?"

"Yes, but he stopped being Batman later."

"Can I ask why?"

"Because he got better." Clark said, "Sorry, but if I don't leave now, the pizza will get cold."

Injustice Batman glanced at the surrounding crowd, seemingly confirming that Clark wouldn't reveal his superhuman side under these circumstances.

But clearly, he didn't know how strong Lex Luthor's control over this city was, even if Superman plastered his name on his chest, he could still remain an anonymous hero.

Clark took two steps back and shot into the sky.

"He's not often thrown aside like this, is he?" Bruce turned back to Injustice Superman and asked, "Feeling better now?"

Injustice Superman didn't reply, just stared coldly at him.

"Aren't you going out to mock him?" Bruce's intent to enjoy the spectacle was almost written on his face.

"No need." Injustice Superman said, "What kind of failure would this count as?"

"If this doesn't count, the next one will."

Somehow, the street had turned quiet, the crowd gradually disappeared, walking away naturally as if their travel plans had all reached their end at the same time.

As Injustice Batman turned around on the street, both sides of the street were already sealed, two black cars approaching from each direction, Injustice Batman instinctively stepped back two steps.

"... Did he report it to the police?" Injustice Superman found it hard to believe his own guess, but found it very possible, yet upon careful consideration, still ridiculous.

The more ridiculous thing was, it wasn't the police getting out of the cars, but Lex Luthor.

Lex approached and shook hands with Injustice Batman, "Long time no see, Bruce. What brings you here?"

Injustice Batman lowered his gaze and said, "You should know I'm not the Bruce Wayne you know."

"But you are Bruce Wayne, if you still want to operate under this identity, come with me." Lex's tone carried an implied threat, and the strong men in black behind him closed in on Bruce.

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Lex brought a lot of people, at least over twenty, with over ten cars, blocking off the entire entrance to the street, and snipers on the rooftops, clearly coming prepared.

Injustice Batman knew he couldn't leave, he didn't resist too intensely, being pressed onto the car and his hands were cuffed behind his back.

He felt he might have gotten caught up, as Luthor was targeting Lex and found him in the process. But does he intend to use these cars and ordinary people against Clark?

Injustice Batman instinctively sensed something was amiss.

"You're thinking of saving him?" Bruce, with a single sentence and a "You wouldn't be a sycophant, would you?" look, successfully extinguished Injustice Superman's desire to make a move.

And just like that, Injustice Batman was taken away.

"Let him go!" A voice suddenly came from behind, Bruce and Injustice Superman simultaneously turned their heads, seeing a red and blue figure appear at the end of the alley, Superman appeared behind them.

Injustice Superman instinctively reached for Bruce, who dexterously slipped away.

Leaving behind a brilliant smile, under the gaze of two Supermen, Bruce "whisked" away in a flash.