"But doing so will also have problems," Big Adventure Batman said with a frown, "when we focus all our strength in one place, other universes will inevitably be slaughtered by him. Can we accept such losses?"
The other Batmen were somewhat silent. Obviously, no one was willing to accept it, especially since many of their universes' Robins had already been harmed. Batman absolutely cannot accept the death of Robin.
If they confront the behind-the-scenes manipulator in this manner, leaving their own universe behind, it could very likely lead to disastrous consequences. This is something Batman has to worry about.
Then it might become a situation where people go to the prime universe, but their minds are still on their own universes. They rush back as soon as they receive bad news. In the end, neither the prime universe nor their own universes are taken care of.
"There's another way," Primary Universe Batman said, "we can focus our strength on seizing a universe he absolutely cannot give up. This way, we gather our strength, and he also has to concentrate his forces, likely unable to care for other universes."
The Batmen discussed quietly again. They of course knew which universe Primary Universe Batman was referring to. They had long realized the differences of the prime universe. What made them feel a bit uneasy was: Would the behind-the-scenes manipulator realize this point?
If the manipulator could see the importance of the prime universe, it absolutely wouldn't give up this territory. To avoid being driven out by the united Batmen, it would try every means, utilize all computational power, mobilize every thread, and ensure its arrangements in this universe.
Because once the prime universe becomes thoroughly secure, any multiverse-level disaster would be mostly eliminated. The invaders wouldn't want to see this happen, so they would have no choice but to engage the Batmen in the prime universe.
But if the opposite side doesn't realize this at all and continues with a strategy of widespread attack, then although they could make the prime universe safe during this opportunity, some other universe would inevitably suffer.
"We could try to make it aware, but actually we have no evidence," Mechanical Batman said, "We can't possibly say it's just our intuition, right? Electronic life probably wouldn't believe that."
"Do you all think there should be an absolutely safe universe in the world?" Big Adventure Batman said, "Or maybe two."
At first, the Batmen didn't react because it seemed a bit of a leap. But as soon as Big Adventure Batman mentioned "two", they immediately thought of it: In their world, there were also two people who successfully defeated the behind-the-scenes manipulator and left it with psychological scars. The universes where these two people are must be safe.
One is Super Brainiac, the other is the Batman whose existence is uncertain. These two had long ago defeated the manipulator and thwarted its invasion. Their universes are naturally safe. If they want a safe base camp, this is the best choice.
"Which universe do you think it might be?" Big Adventure Batman asked.
"Obviously it's not from among us, otherwise, we wouldn't be here," a Batman sighed.
"We are almost all present," Arkham Batman said while looking around, "The fact that Super Brainiac isn't in our universe is bad news, but also good news. And that Batman who might have defeated the manipulator is probably not one of us either."
As he spoke, all the Batmen's hearts sank. Neither Super Brainiac nor the possible Batman are among them, which means they either belong to the evil faction or the neutral faction. No matter which faction, they wouldn't listen to them.
Actually, the Justice Camp led by Primary Universe Batman and the evil faction led by Night Owl have relatively few numbers. Most belong to the neutral faction. After all, most Batmen, although part of the orderly camp, are very cautious and prefer to observe quietly when the situation is unclear, rather than take sides quickly.
The problem now is, if it falls into the neutral faction, it might be slightly better. But if it lands in the evil faction, then it's really hitting the jackpot.
But the thing is, if this Super Brainiac truly exists, Batman is unlikely to exist. To be precise, it's hard to imagine Batman surviving in a world ruled by a super artificial intelligence, and if he does, he probably isn't the most righteous type. More likely, he would ally with Super Brainiac, making it more likely he'd join the evil faction.
And once the safe house in this multiverse falls into the hands of Night Owl and his group, don't expect them to use it as a base to fight against the invaders. They will definitely try to negotiate with the invaders, cooperate with them to deal with the people on Primary Universe Batman's side.
If this is the case, that would be the worst-case scenario.
"We really need to probe a little," Batwoman straightened up and said seriously, "What's really happening over at Night Owl's place?"
"Do you think sending him a message would work?" Big Adventure Batman hesitantly suggested, "He shouldn't leave us on read, right?"
"No way," Arkham Batman immediately denied, "If their progress is slow and they haven't united yet, as soon as we send this message, he will realize we're all together, which would only expose the multiverse invasion, providing him with information and speeding up his progress. And if we mention Super Brainiac, he might look for it based on this info, which would be disadvantageous for us."
"But we need information from their side too. Even if we don't send a message and quietly check, it would be hard not to get caught by him, leading to information leakage. You can't catch a wolf without risking the lamb," Big Adventure Batman said.
A disagreement arose between the two, so they both looked at Primary Universe Batman. Primary Universe Batman was also pondering. This is essentially a decision about trade-offs.
Sneaking around to gather information from the evil faction would inherently leak some information to them, but they would also receive intel from their side, which could be considered a fair exchange. Big Adventure Batman prefers stability and leans towards this approach.
But if they try to find a way, perhaps they could sneak in and investigate. There is indeed a risk of being discovered, but if they remain unnoticed, it would be an excellent opportunity. Arkham Batman prefers direct action, naturally favoring this method.
"I'm confident I won't be detected," Arkham Batman said, "and I can provide results in as little as a day. What do you think?"
Primary Universe Batman was clearly tempted. He knows Arkham Batman's abilities are formidable even without magic enhancement. Known as the strongest assassin, he was the FMVP in the Mad Laugh event.
Now with magic support, it's truly extraordinary. Driving the Batmobile as if no one is around, opening a teleportation portal without a sound. Night Owl, being misled in the magical school, definitely hasn't studied magic as deeply as Arkham Batman. With this move, Arkham Batman is likely to gather quite a bit of intelligence.
Moreover, they have Lightning Batman, a perfect complement to Batman's slightly slower speed and The Flash's lack of intellect, making him almost the perfect Batman, naturally skilled at intelligence-gathering. It would be a waste not to use such resources.
Even if Doomsday Batman and God of War Batman went to fight Night Owl, not only could they gain a lot of intelligence, but they could also give him a good beating.
Just as Primary Universe Batman was about to speak, Batwoman interrupted: "I don't think it's necessary to go to such trouble. We can ask others in their camp instead of going directly to Night Owl."
"You're saying..."
"Each of those guys has their own agenda; how could they really be loyal to anyone? Their biggest common interest is disliking us, but that doesn't mean they like their teammates. Especially since Night Owl has been performing poorly at the magical school and has done nothing significant since returning, I suspect many have started to waver."
The other Batmen nodded. The so-called evil camp is essentially a group with flexible ethics. They can unite against the Justice Camp, but they can also abandon an underperforming Night Owl and join the side of justice. Ultimately, it's all about interests.
Night Owl himself isn't very competitive; first, he was outmaneuvered by Arkham Batman at the magical school, and after returning, he became engrossed in researching complex yet useless black magic, remaining inactive for a long time.
The battle in the Multiverse is like rowing against the current; you either advance or fall back. Night Owl's behavior is, of course, disappointing, and many in his camp may have already wavered, while he himself might not even realize it yet.
And Primary Universe Batman's camp, their Batmen can just utilize this point to extract some intelligence from those who are wavering. The other side would be happy to sell a favor at this juncture, making it easier for them to be fence-sitters without being troubled in the future, providing themselves with an extra way out.
"Who do you think is suitable?" Primary Universe Batman asked.
"Injustice Batman." Almost all the Batmen replied in unison.
Primary Universe Batman thought of this answer too. From the magical school, it's obvious that Injustice Batman is not so much from the evil camp as he is from the camp of provocation, characterized by sarcasm and meddling.
Did he help Night Owl? It seems not. Although he followed Night Owl, he didn't contribute much. When Night Owl got into trouble, he was quick to run away. But calling him an undercover agent isn't quite right either; he seems more like a fun person.
Such people can be won over, and if not, they can temporarily cooperate to gather information from them, making it the best choice currently available.
"I'll send him a message," Big Adventure Batman said, "...Forget it, I'll just call him on speaker. After all, he can guess we're together anyway."
The call was quickly connected. Injustice Batman's lazy voice came through: "Hello? What's up?"
"It's me," Big Adventure Batman said, "Has there been any action from Night Owl lately?"
"You mean him? He hasn't left his universe recently, not sure what he's up to. Why?"
The Batmen exchanged glances, knowing their guess was correct. Night Owl seemed completely oblivious to the disaster unfolding in the Multiverse, still buried in his own matters.
"Have you seen any strange electronic beings recently?" Big Adventure Batman asked bluntly.
"Yes, but don't tell me you're planning to help me out of goodwill. Just say what you intend to do."
"We want to know if there are any special universes on your side, like one with a super artificial intelligence."
"You shouldn't ask me about that; I haven't been to many universes," Injustice Batman said. "Sorry, I can't help."
The call was quickly disconnected. But all the Batmen realized that there was more to Injustice Batman's words. He was telling the truth; he really hadn't visited many universes, since he entered Battleworld relatively late and lacked Multiverse traveling methods, so he genuinely couldn't help.
But he was clearly implying: to find a particular universe in the Multiverse, you need to find someone who's been to many different universes, what we call a universe street prowler.
Most Batmen have responsibilities and aren't dedicating all their time to Battleworld. Multiverse travelers are even fewer, as visiting different universes entails risks, and most Batmen aren't willing to do that—except for one person.
Arkham Batman and Primary Universe Batman exchanged glances.
"Looks like we have to find him."
"Yeah, it's come to this."
"It's really annoying."
"I don't want to go either."
Batwoman was a bit puzzled. She looked at the two of them and asked, "What are you guys talking about? Who do you need to find?"
Primary Universe Batman looked at her intently and then uttered a name: "——YOU KNOW WHO (Unnamed Batman)."