Chapter 174 – Allen Begins the Rescue of Batman
High above the ground, Brucie kept spewing seawater in an attempt to break through the green light barrier.
But no matter how much seawater she blasted, it was utterly useless.
Her ability to spit seawater was like a natural disaster to mortals—powerful enough to flood a city. The problem was, that was the extent of its power.
After a few attempts, most of the water just splashed back at her, drenching her own face.
Worse yet, she couldn't summon the Deathwater Legion.
The Deathwater Legion could only function in water and had no flying capabilities.
Once they reached a certain altitude...
The rocket transformed into a hovering aircraft, suspending the three people in midair.
"How do you plan to deal with her?"
Diana couldn't free her hands for combat in midair.
Besides, she didn't have much confidence she could defeat Brucie.
"Your Highness, just stay like this. A little sunbathing should take care of her."
"Sunbathing?"
Diana didn't understand the logic behind that.
Sure, Brucie got weaker out of water, but judging from how she'd manhandled Aquaman when she arrived in Gotham, she still had impressive strength in an oxygen-rich environment.
"So childish."
At that moment, Brucie stopped spitting seawater and said coldly, "You think you've trapped me, but in truth, you've delivered yourselves into my hands."
With that, Brucie clenched the trident in her mouth and began climbing up the Lasso of Truth with both hands.
She wasn't wrong.
The three were hanging high in the air. Unless they released the Lasso's hold, there was no way to avoid Brucie closing in.
"Allen, think of something—fast!"
Watching Brucie steadily climb the rope toward them, Diana felt an oppressive dread like standing at the edge of an abyss watching a vengeful spirit crawl up toward her. She panicked and turned to Allen, the one who always had bizarre ideas.
"Don't be afraid, Your Highness. I have connections on the road to the underworld. We'll reincarnate together when the time comes."
"What kind of nonsense are you spouting!?"
Diana raised her hand to attack using the Green Lantern ring's constructs.
But unfamiliar with the ring, her attack was crude and simplistic. Brucie easily shattered it by simply swinging her trident.
The power of the Green Lantern ring depends on the will of its bearer.
Diana wasn't lacking in willpower, but without proper training, she couldn't fully unleash the ring's potential.
"Feel the fear of death."
Brucie grinned smugly, imagining the gruesome end of her enemies.
Thwip!
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot up from between her legs.
Startled, Brucie turned her head and saw Allen had somehow appeared behind her, with a syringe lodged in her firm backside.
He was flying around her on a Green Lantern ring–created hoverboard, smirking.
"Guess what I injected you with?" Allen said smugly.
When did this happen!?
He was supposed to be on Diana's back. How did he suddenly appear next to Brucie?
That question immediately echoed in both women's minds.
In truth, as they ascended, Allen had secretly slipped out of his armor using the Thief's stealth skill.
He used the Orange Lantern ring's powers to fly on his own.
The so-called aircraft suspending the trio was just a holographic projection, a complete illusion. After all, his armor had its own flight capabilities.
While Diana had been talking to "Allen," it had actually been the suit's AI mimicking him with a blank expression.
"What did you inject me with!?" Brucie demanded, alarmed. She knew it must be a drug targeting her, but she needed to understand its effects to counter it.
"Ultra-strength desiccant," Allen said with a twisted grin. "I'm going to drain you dry. Permanently parched. Mwahaha…"
"…"
Blaaargh!
In the next instant, Brucie violently vomited seawater, like a burst dam.
She tried to close her mouth to stop the water loss, but it was futile—seawater sprayed from her nostrils and ears as her cheeks swelled uncontrollably, unable to stem the flow.
Brucie could never have imagined being defeated like this.
And Diana certainly hadn't expected Allen to beat an enemy in such a bizarre way.
The geyser of seawater lasted for a full hour.
By the end, Brucie's eyes rolled back. Still bound by the Lasso of Truth, she hung in the air, continuously dribbling seawater from her slack mouth, though the stream had lost its initial force.
She was now unconscious, severely dehydrated to the point of near delirium, her body completely limp.
With the final dribble of seawater, the vengeful spirit of the drowned was defeated.
Back in the ocean, the Deathwater Legion, no longer sustained by Brucie's power, instantly disintegrated into black sludge.
—
Hall of Justice
The Justice League headquarters—its counterpart to the Avengers' Stark Tower.
"The invasion threat has been neutralized, but Batman still hasn't returned."
The League's top members and numerous others had gathered to discuss a plan to rescue Bruce.
Meanwhile, Allen was off to the side with his two teams, staging a photoshoot for laughs.
"Make sure the pose looks cool—steady gaze, raise your chin a bit, channel some heroic flair…"
Allen was directing the Midnight Bruisers while Arthur the Joker snapped photos with a camera.
Every superhero team needed publicity shots. If they could create a vague connection to the Justice League, all the better—it made for great buzz and helped ride the hype train.
Honestly, once the Midnight Bruisers left Gotham, nobody knew who they were.
"Allen, do you have any suggestions?" Clark turned to him.
Even with Zatanna and Doctor Fate brought in, no one could divine Bruce's location, which meant he likely wasn't in this universe or dimension.
A scruffy Constantine sat in the corner smoking, occasionally glancing away from the vacant-eyed King Shark.
They had a rather… regrettable history.
"Just ask Barbatos to hand him over," Allen replied bluntly.
"…"
Everyone fell silent.
From interrogating members of the Court of Owls, they had learned just what kind of being the Bat-God Barbatos was. Asking him to return someone? Not exactly likely.
"He might ignore all of you—but he'll definitely listen to me," Allen said, grinning wide. "I raised him to max stars and max level. No way he says no to me."
"…What do you mean by that?" Clark looked more and more confused, feeling like they weren't even having the same conversation.
"Exactly what I said."
In truth, Allen already had a plan—but if he revealed it, it might not work anymore.
"Bring up the Bruces."
Everyone understood that meant the Dark Knights, not their universe's Batman.
Originally, many members didn't even know Batman's true identity. But now, unless you were deaf and blind, it was common knowledge: Gotham's richest man, Bruce Wayne, was the brooding middle-aged cross-dresser who liked to hang out above the city at night.
There were seven Bruces from various Dark Multiverse realities, each contained using different methods.
Brucie was locked in a specially designed desiccation chamber.
The Murder Machine was reduced to a head, outfitted with a signal dampener to prevent network hacking.
The Raveger was confined in a cage of hardened red light glass.
The Red Death was frozen inside a crystalline prison.
The Batman Who Laughs, Dawnbreaker, and Merciless were all restrained like ordinary criminals—electroshock shackles did the trick.
"What do you plan to do with them?" Diana asked casually.
Allen waved a hand and replied, "Strip them and parade them through the streets."
"No way…"
All the heroes objected in unison.