Bruce glanced back at Schiller, who was resting with his eyes closed in the back seat. He guessed that a message had come through Battleworld's Communication System, most likely from Main Universe Batman.
He had gone to all that trouble precisely to send Main Universe Batman, Green Lantern, and Superman into the Dark Multiverse under Barbatos's jurisdiction with a legitimate excuse. It was connected to his later plans.
The situation in the Dark Multiverse was indeed complicated, and direct communication was nearly impossible. Perhaps they had run into some trouble and were seeking Schiller's advice.
Bruce mentally considered the possibilities as the car slowly came to a stop. It was already deep into the night, so the traffic had eased along the latter half of the route. By the time the three of them got out, a cool misty rain had begun drifting down again.
Schiller sighed inwardly. This city's atmosphere was always like this. After every burst of noise and excitement, the emptiness and desolation left behind were enough to hollow out a person's heart.
There was a motel not far from the crime scene. Its enormous sign blurred into wavering light through the rain and mist, and every breath carried the mingled smells of tire rubber, smoke, and the rot of abandoned fishing boats in the nearby harbor.
"Play something cheerful," Schiller said to Gray Mist in his mind. "This atmosphere is unbearable. Other than Pride, I doubt anyone could stand staying in a place like this for long."
Schiller pulled his suit jacket tighter around himself and quickened his pace, becoming the first to enter the crime scene. The body was still where it had been, but the blood had long since clotted black, as though it had punched a great hole into the floor.
Schiller surveyed