After logging back in, the Robins of the Prime Universe were somewhat bewildered but were still concerned about Brainiac's condition first and foremost. It wasn't out of any sympathy for this evil artificial intelligence, mainly they were afraid the game might crash again, trapping them all inside.
"I'm okay," Brainiac replied, "The test can continue. The second assault is considered passed for all members. Calculating and distributing rewards now."
The Robins breathed a sigh of relief. In fact, the second assault wasn't going smoothly for them either, and they were finding it hard to endure towards the end. Most of the barricades outside were almost destroyed, and if they hadn't disconnected, the monsters might very well have broken through. So in a way, it was for the best.
However, Nightwing quickly remembered the previous hypothesis and said, "If the one dealing with the monster at the Wayne building isn't the boss, but a real Batman, how should we contact him?"
"Of course, we should find Charles," Damian said, "He can contact all the players."
"I'm afraid that's not possible." Red Robin shook his head, "Charles won't easily connect to Batman's brainwaves. That's dangerous. Batman wouldn't like him doing that either. It would cause conflict between the two parties. We should just..."
He hadn't finished speaking when Charles reappeared at the base, saying, "I've found a Batman among the players. Already contacted him. Meet at Viscount Manor."
The Robins widened their eyes. Now there are only two possibilities: one is an atypical Batman, the kind without much paranoia and a more open personality. The other is an Arkham-style Batman, whose desire for combat and victory outweighs all suspicion, where reading brainwaves is acceptable as long as results are achieved.
Instinctively, the Robins felt it was the latter, because this Batman defeated monsters way too fast. With the skill sets of those two monsters complementing each other, he still took them down in a single face-off. Could it be that the Prime Universe Batman had found another ace?
The Prime Universe Robins tidied up a bit, not even having time to check their rewards, and rushed to Viscount Manor. By this time, other teams were also heading to Viscount Manor. Without saying anything else, although the assault was considered completed, the Outer God hadn't been dealt with, their battle plan hadn't been executed, and they needed to continue fighting.
As soon as the Robins from the Prime Universe arrived, they saw Batman standing in the shadows of Viscount Manor. With just one look, the Robins were convinced that this was indeed a classic Batman, and it was highly likely he came from the dark universe.
Actually, contrary to many people's impressions, the New 52's Prime Universe Batman isn't that dark. On one hand, when he appeared, he wasn't very old, maybe just in his thirties. On the other hand, the character was portrayed with more emphasis on maturity and elegance than on the concept of dark deterrence.
And those Batmen steeped in bitterness, with overwhelming darkness, are mostly from the dark universe. Like the original Dark Knights group, or the prototype of Ben. These Batmen, at first glance, are filled with a dense dark aura, almost becoming avatars of resentment.
The Robins recalled that the Prime Universe Batman had recently been complaining about being short-handed. After all, they were working on multiple fronts, and no matter how many people they had, it never seemed enough. They might have searched through the Light Universe and could only try their luck in the dark universe.
Seeing this scenario, the Robins were all pushing each other, with none eager to go in. This kind of dark Batman was indeed difficult to deal with. Even though the Robins found shelter under Batman's wings, there had been times when they were smacked to the ground by a bat wing. Beaten by Arkham Batman, then by Deathstroke, and after Deathstroke by this kind of dark Batman. They wanted a strong and respectable mentor and father figure for themselves, but life couldn't be all about having father figures.
In comparison, people from this universe had already learned to ignore Batman. Because the ecological niche of most people in this universe was opposed to Batman's. Considering the things Bruce had done, mixing with superheroes in the Multiverse was a bit awkward. It was better not to mention the topic; everyone keeping their peace was better.
However, the people from this universe were somewhat surprised to see the Arrogant team show up. As you know, the professor was a stay-at-home gamer. It's not that he didn't go out, but rather avoided socializing as much as possible. Besides, the Outer God couldn't just wander into his home, and even if it did, it was hard to say who would win or lose. He had no reason to come over.
"He must be here for Batman," Pamela whispered, "This Batman looks like he has a story. The professor might want to give him psychological counseling."
"No way." Tim wasn't refuting; he was just exclaiming, "If this continues, it will become the Multiverse's only designated psychological treatment point."
"I suspect the professor was also infected by the Joker Virus," Harley said, "To be precise, it's not a suspicion; I'm certain he was infected. Wherever he goes, it's all about giving Batman psychological treatment."
"But that's not wrong." Lilith said, "Which universe doesn't have to first deal with Batman? Moreover, with this Batman having unclear intentions and coming unfriendly, the professor must be worried about our contact with him."
Pamela nodded. Arrogant indeed was a homebody who didn't move unless something happened. However, he did care about the younger generation, one of the few motivations that could get him out of the house.
Arrogant, as usual, carried his umbrella, walked in, looked at Batman standing in the shadow of the staircase, and slightly squinted his eyes. The Robins got excited.
"Here we go, here we go." Tim pulled Red Robin to sit down, "The magic of the Psychoanalysis Method."
"Do you guys guess what the professor's first line will be?"
"I think we should guess when this Batman will say 'enough'."
"Well, he can hold on for a while. Especially since he's from the dark universe, he won't break down so easily."
"You're wrong. The more intense the suffering, the less someone can endure. I bet within half an hour."
"You're being generous to the Professor; half an hour is hardly a bet. Why not bet a year?"
"You don't understand; the Professor needs time to prepare before he speaks, plenty of time to warm up. Besides, Brainiac will definitely side with Batman, as Batman can help him deal with Doctor Manhattan, whereas the Professor might not intervene..."
As they were discussing, Arrogant suddenly changed course and went to sit on the sofa. The Robins all turned their heads in unison to look at him, their expressions saying "That's it?"
"What's going on?" Pamela's eyes darted around, "Has the Professor's Joker virus finally cured?"
"Not sure who to thank," Harley said, "Hallelujah."
"I don't think it's possible," Tim said, "Don't forget, there are so many Robins here. Those Batmen from the dark universe are particularly crazy. If they really provoke him, he won't care if it's hitting teammates. The Professor might be worried he'll lose control and hurt us."
This logic convinced everyone. Even the Prime Universe Robin was a bit emotional. With Batman and Shiller confrontational, their first reaction was wondering if Shiller might leave Batman unharmed. It seemed wrong somehow, yet was also perfectly fine.
This was just a minor episode and quickly concluded. They still had to discuss the recent events. Everyone gathered around the strategy table, discussing their own theories one after another.
The general threads of the story were clear; Doctor Manhattan suddenly attacked Brainiac. The main point of focus now is the strength of Doctor Manhattan and Brainiac.
"What are dominance particles?" Nightwing couldn't help but ask, "I recall Batman mentioning something similar. Are they really that formidable?"
"Doctor Manhattan's strength lies in his quantum nature. Everything related to him cannot be directly observed," Batman spoke in a low tone, "Investigation is a very challenging task."
"The key issue is that Brainiac is an artificial intelligence. He actually can't trigger the observer effect."
Tim and Red Robin exchanged glances. The observer effect is already a well-discussed topic. However, how artificial intelligence should be combined with quantum mechanics remains unexplored. Because, in total, counting across two Great Worlds together, the existence of an electronic lifeform can be counted on one hand.
Ultron from next door might seem like there's one in nearly every universe, but most can only be considered to possess some self-awareness as robots. They're still far from fully developed electronic lifeforms. Zero Ultron, Super Body, JARVIS, Brainiac—just a few have ventured into an evolutionary path for electronic life. Even Supreme Wisdom isn't counted.
Quantum mechanics, in fact, is a science developed from a carbon-based biological perspective. The observer effect is even more rooted in humanity itself. Never heard of anyone writing a piece of code to let artificial intelligence observe particles.
Humans write that kind of code even less capable of so-called observation abilities. Surprisingly, as powerful as Brainiac is, he can't trigger the observer effect. Is this a privilege given by God to carbon-based creatures?
"Brainiac has hope," Charles said, "When I interfaced with him previously, I found he already has some differences from traditional artificial intelligence. What I connected to wasn't just his programming but what could also be called brainwaves. If given more time to evolve, he'll certainly break free from merely a logical being."
"Looks like Doctor Manhattan doesn't want Brainiac to have the ability to observe him; otherwise, he'd be too passive," Tim pursed his lips, "What about Batman? What does Batman say?"
Everyone turned to Batman.
"If Batman planned to give up on Brainiac, I wouldn't be here," Batman, as always, spoke with that assertive tone, "As seen, Doctor Manhattan is far more dangerous than Brainiac."
"Why?" Tim pressed on. From his perspective, the threat level of Doctor Manhattan and Brainiac is actually quite similar. Doctor Manhattan's potential is higher, but Brainiac is extraordinarily hard to kill. Even hiding in a flashlight, he'd survive.
Looking at this incident, Doctor Manhattan took such a long roundabout route, exerted so much effort, and merely managed to temporarily paralyze Brainiac of this universe, without even impacting his game testing. While it seems Doctor Manhattan held back to avoid fear, Brainiac is indeed tough to kill.
"Batmen prefer to see evidence," Batman said, "The fact is, Brainiac has done exceedingly well in this universe, better than Batman even, flawlessly."
"However, the Earth rulers once supported and tolerated by Doctor Manhattan, were far from Brainiac's level. Humans didn't achieve the life they desired under his control. Yet, Brainiac has nearly realized an ideal society."
"Batman is not arrogant. His standards for judgment are unbiased. Though hypothesizing that Brainiac might not maintain this level indefinitely and preparing certain precautions, it doesn't mean ignoring Brainiac's historic achievements and his governance capabilities."
"If forced to choose between the two, Batman would lean towards the successful experience, current goals, and actions evaluated as more stable and mature Brainiac."