Clearly, Laughing Man had met a crushing defeat this time.
If they had to review the reasons for his failure, Schiller believed there were two. First, insufficient intelligence. Second, Laughing Man's Character Design as someone who predicted predictions had made him place far too much importance on foresight.
There was not much to say about the first point. This plan seemed to have been merely an attempt by Laughing Man, because anyone could tell that the information in his hands was insufficient. Whether it was information about Schiller or Marvel, he knew far too little. At most, this had been a blind shot.
The second point was something Schiller had gradually discovered after coming to this universe. Since fate trajectories and the Time Stream truly existed, as did magic and prophecy, then events in a future anchored by precognition were not impossible.
Yet every character Schiller had encountered who was established as possessing the ability to foresee the future—or who had simply come from the future—had displayed an ambiguous attitude toward it.
First there was future Barry, who had returned to the present through the Speed Force. He seemed quite familiar with Schiller and might even have owed Schiller some papers at some point in time.
But he had never launched straight into an explanation of what the future was like. Even when someone curiously asked, he generally answered vaguely, giving only a rough direction.
The Time Variance Authority and Supreme Kang were the same, especially Kang. Since they both worked at the Sanctum Sanctorum, Schiller had spoken with him quite often. Whenever the subject turned to the future, Kang merely shook his head and said things that were not particularly certain.
What Schiller found most obvious were David and Franklin, whom he had met this time. On paper, both