When entering the underwater tunnel, Bruce knew he had to do something. Ever since entering the game, he hadn't really exerted any initiative. Although he's been trying to implement Batman's various habits, he hadn't done enough in the grand scheme of things.
Many strong Batmans have innate leadership qualities. They always play the role of leader and decision-maker in a team, even naturally becoming the leader of the squad, making everyone follow him and listen to his arrangements.
This aspect is actually the hardest to mimic; Bruce didn't want to overexert himself. He needed a suitable entry point, and entering the underwater tunnel was just the right time.
Everyone knew Brainiac wouldn't be so kind as not to set up any monsters inside the underwater tunnel. Although the tunnel basically had the space for four lanes, it was not as spacious as outside. Moreover, the monsters in the South District had mutated; there was definitely a tough battle to be fought.
Although Bruce hadn't been Batman for long, in the subjects Batman excelled at, he was indeed best at tactical arrangements. His street fighting skills were quite good, and his abilities in car and gun battles were even better than many Batmans.
Bruce stopped at the door and said, "Jason and Dick go ahead, two Tims use guns to cover from the rear side. Polaris, don't act blindly; the dark energy used by the monsters inside is between material and spiritual, neither side can be completely defended against, so you must pay attention to setting up a shield. Pamela, take the flank..."
His arrangements were convincing to everyone. Not just because of his identity as Batman, but because it indeed made sense. Originally, having Polaris seemed like being invincible, but the strange dark energy pervasive in the South District made everyone uncomfortable, even making Polaris a bit constrained.
Even though mutants have strong abilities, the dark tide within Batman's heart is one of the fundamental rules of the cosmos; almost no force can entirely surpass Batman's dark side. This is suppression from the rule level.
They cautiously went in. It was pitch black inside, clearly indicating that energy hadn't been restored. Polaris placed his hand on the wall, lights lit up one by one, but after just forty or fifty meters, darkness swallowed the path ahead. Polaris said, "There's some strange force here, my abilities are being suppressed, and the intensity of light propagation has decreased as well."
"If only Bruce were here," Tim sighed, "The power from Heaven that he uses is precisely the nemesis of this dark power. In the worst case, he also masters the dark power of Barbados, which might be able to unlock this dark energy."
"If he were here, it's not certain we'd all make it safely," Harley shook her head and said, "If he unleashed all those whims, the East District wouldn't have collapsed just now."
Bruce silently gritted his teeth: Is it really necessary to talk bad about whoever's not around?
"Bruce is reliable at critical moments," Pamela remarked. Bruce nodded enthusiastically in his mind, only for Pamela to add, "But gaming obviously doesn't count as a critical moment in his mind, if he came, we'd have a hard time."
Bruce sighed deeply in his heart: Raising you all wasn't worth as much as raising a piece of barbecued pork!
Compared to other Batmans, Bruce and his Robin of this universe are more like an ordinary father and son. Because Bruce doesn't need to teach them survival or combat skills, nor does he need to take them out to fight crime in the middle of the night. Bruce's biggest concern every day is their schoolwork: how well they listen in class, how their homework is written, and how their relationship with teachers and classmates is going…
Moreover, besides Dick, Jason, and Tim, most of the slightly younger children were also raised by him. For a long time, Bruce attended parent meetings at schools more frequently than he went to Wayne Enterprises. Going from one to another, and from another to hers…
Fortunately, most of these teenagers chose to stay local for university studies. As long as they're raised until high school graduation, the remaining part can be left for Shiller to worry about.
As he thought about this, they had already entered the tunnel. Suddenly, Bruce glimpsed that shadow, but when he tried to look closely, it vanished again. In the brief moment he turned his gaze to another spot, Bruce found himself standing in a damp alleyway.
"Come on," Bruce said inwardly, "This routine again? I've seen this cutscene hundreds of times in various scenarios."
Various villains and illusionists are like the budget-strapped game designers of small workshops. A CG animation plays at the beginning, midway, at the end. As long as their enemy is Batman, and they intend to use a mental attack against him, it's always the alley, gunshots, and pearl necklace...
They seem trapped in some weird cycle; if anything involves Batman, this cutscene must play, or the big event won't end. Even villains without such mental attack traits are forced into a flashback plot, playing this animation. It's somewhat akin to the 20th Century Fox intro or the roaring lion in a circle at the start of each movie.
Bruce stood there speechless, prepared to watch a panicked little boy run out, then two bangs, followed by blood seeping out from the alley's entrance. To be honest, Bruce suspected that Batman himself might have become desensitized, and the supposed sadness, grief, and loss of control were purely acted out to deceive the villains.
But unexpectedly, there was no little boy, no gunshots. Bruce felt a shadow cast over his head, he looked up and saw Shiller with a black umbrella, looking slightly pale on a second-floor balcony.
Bruce immediately widened his eyes. The next second, two Batman darts whizzed past Shiller's neck, leaving a faint blood mark on the side of his neck. The next second, an infinite black tide engulfed the entire world.
Bruce awoke with a jolt, almost simultaneously, Tim broke free while gasping for air, saying, "What did you see?"
"Oh, what else can you see?" Tim shook his head self-deprecatingly, "I'm sorry about your parents, my condolence."
Bruce opened his mouth but said nothing. He looked at the people around him and immediately saw Bruce, who was on the verge of collapse, and rushed over to support him.
Charles's eyes were somewhat bloodshot, the gentle mask was completely torn off, and his blue eyes submerged in blood seemed somewhat eerie.
The next moment, a violent Psy-storm swept across all of Gotham. Several people who were lying on the ground regained consciousness and got up with some confusion.
"Did he suppress you?" Bruce asked.
In an instant, Charles took a deep breath: "This kind of power is indeed a bit bizarre, he wants to pollute my spirit by triggering my negative emotions, it's really tough to deal with."
Bruce squinted his eyes. Charles continued: "This is not purely Batman's dark side nor is it pollution from Outer Gods, it seems more like a combination of both."
"Outer God Batman?"
"No," Charles said, "What's dominant is not the Outer God, but that rule-level dark power. This power possesses the pollution ability of Outer Gods, the Court of Owls might have created something incredible."
"It's Brainiac," Bruce said. He slightly tilted his head and shouted in his heart, "Brainiac, what are you up to?"
"I can't see illusions and won't be mentally controlled, but it doesn't mean I can't use this power," Brainiac said, "It's precisely because I'm completely immune to spiritual pollution that these power with polluting nature become my Sharp Blade."
"You're simply nuts," Bruce shook his head and said.
"And that's also being driven mad by Doctor Manhattan," Brainiac did not back down, "You don't know how strong he is, if the power to suppress him cannot be found, everyone will be in danger."
Bruce sighed lightly, he had to admit Brainiac's reasoning was correct. Actually, the best in this world to wield Outer God power, and those dark powers that would trigger people's dark sides, is indeed Brainiac.
Other intelligent beings and Outer Gods would be polluted after prolonged contact, and Evil God Batman is a good example. Their entire cosmos coexists with the Outer God, although rationality remains, their state isn't quite good.
Batman's dark side is even more dangerous. This dark power can awaken the darkest part within a person's heart; anyone who comes into contact with it risks falling.
Ordinary people trying to utilize either of them have to pay a great price. Even Batman can only make a slight probe, but dares not delve deep, let alone combine the two.
Only Electronic Life Brainiac, he is now at a stage where he can understand these powerful forces but isn't affected by their pollution. He is neither rigid like pure Logic life, who wouldn't utilize insensible things, nor like emotional life, who upon touching mysterious polluted powers, often leads to mishaps.
Therefore, he not only contacted Nya, allowing a portion of power to be injected into the game System, he possibly even contacted a Batman, obtaining the dark power within him, then combined these two forces together.
This act is no less than when Shiller created Mad Liquor. Jonathan felt when Shiller mixed fear gas and Joker Virus, the kind of feeling—Bruce watching Brainiac mix these two things is just like the time! There really are times when he would call others mad!
It seems very effective now, even Charles couldn't shield against this. Doctor Manhattan's power is strong, but in terms of Spirit Manipulation, he might not surpass the God of Mind. This intensity should be enough to hit Doctor Manhattan hard.
"Consider carefully," Bruce continued to say in his heart, "Once Batman finds out you're playing this game, he will definitely treat you as his number one enemy. Also, I want to ask, which Batman is so daring, that he would expose his dark side..."
"Laughing Bat."
Bruce fell into total silence.