Butt Prince

In a spacious lab within the Watchtower, the low hum of machinery was constant, while cold, deep-blue light rendered the entire space increasingly solemn.

Batman stood before a massive holographic console, the hem of his black suit swaying slightly in the air currents.

His sharp eyes were locked onto the molecular model pulsing incessantly on the screen.

It was the microscopic structure of a Viltrumite cell, reconstructed after days of precise calculation.

As his fingertips tapped against the console, the screen instantly split into two sets of comparative data.

On one side was the energy flow trajectory of Superman cells under yellow sun radiation, followed closely by the distribution pattern of magic particles within Shazam cells.

Both exhibited the characteristic of "external energy intervention and reinforcement," with clear and traceable energy paths.

The Viltrumite cell model on the other side was completely different.

Pale golden energy diffused outward from the cell core, expanding and contracting like a breath; there were no external energy anchors, as it was an autonomous eruption from within.

"It provides superpowers by its own nature, rather than being externally reinforced like Superman or Shazam."

Batman's voice was low and gravelly, carrying a hint of solemn confirmation.

For days, he had repeatedly analyzed the blood sample obtained from Shane, and through the High-magnification particle analyzer, he had finally captured those abnormally active microscopic particles deep within the cells.

They were unlike any known atomic structure, possessing extreme autonomy, capable of repairing cellular damage, sustaining energy bursts, and even performing self-optimization during cell division.

He raised his hand to input commands into the console, naming these unknown particles "Viltrumite-Atoms" and logging them into his private encrypted database.

Immediately following this, an elemental interaction report popped up on the screen, with red warning symbols occupying most of the layout.

Of the 118 elements known in the Earth's periodic table, only three could produce significant erosion on Viltrumite-Atoms.

However, these three elements could only be synthesized in small quantities under the extreme heat and pressure of a particle collider, and their decay cycle was less than a second; whether in terms of mass production costs or combat viability, they were virtually useless.

Batman's brow furrowed into a tight knot, his fingertips sliding over the "cosmic elements" search entry on the screen.

Since Earth elements were ineffective, the answer could only be found in the vastness of the universe.

He immediately activated an encrypted communication, contacting Hal, who had just returned to Earth after finishing a cosmic mission, his tone brooking no argument.

"Come to the Watchtower immediately. There is an urgent experiment that requires your cooperation."

Half an hour later, a slightly sluggish set of footsteps echoed at the entrance of the Watchtower.

Hal, wearing his iconic Green Lantern uniform and twirling his Green Lantern ring, couldn't help but exclaim as he stepped into the space station.

"Whoa, this place is way cooler than the Hall of Justice in New York! If I'd known you were hiding such a great spot, I wouldn't have had to endure the United Nations' nagging every time there was a meeting."

He took in the surrounding high-tech facilities while walking briskly toward the experimental area where Batman was located.

"So, tell me, why did you call me here? Do you need me to simulate the energy fluctuations of some monster with my ring again?"

However, before Hal could finish his sentence, Batman suddenly raised his hand to signal him to stop, his gaze abruptly shifting toward a special observation room in the corner of the lab.

Stored there was the purified sample of Viltrumite-Atoms; the pale golden particles that had been floating stably were now wildly agitated, like sparks being ignited, rolling violently within the container, even showing signs of breaking through the energy barrier.

"Don't move."

Batman's tone turned cold in an instant, his brain racing as a bold hypothesis took shape in his mind.

He stared at those restless atoms and then looked at the Green Lantern ring on Hal's finger, saying in a low voice.

"Approach slowly. Do not activate the ring's energy; maintain a steady pace."

Though Hal was full of confusion, he followed instructions and slowed his steps.

As the distance between him and the observation room gradually shortened, the agitation of the Viltrumite-Atoms grew more intense, and ripples began to appear on the energy barrier covering the container.

When he reached a point three meters away from the observation room, Batman suddenly issued an order.

"Activate the ring. Release Green Light energy at varying frequencies, starting from the lowest frequency, and increase it by 10% each time. Record the atomic reaction."

"What's the point of this? This thing is more sensitive than the Green Lantern Corps' energy scanner."

Hal grumbled, but his fingertips tensed, and pale green energy slowly overflowed from the Green Lantern ring, adjusting the frequency according to Batman's requirements.

At first, the Viltrumite-Atoms only accelerated their rotation.

As the frequency of the Green Light gradually increased, those particles suddenly began to aggregate, and the scattered pale golden light spots gradually condensed into more stable energy crystals, with energy fluctuations surging accordingly.

Data on the holographic screen refreshed frantically, and Batman's gaze grew increasingly solemn.

Under the influence of the Green Light, the Viltrumite-Atoms were completing structural evolution at an astonishing speed, and their cellular carrying capacity and energy conversion rate had increased several times over compared to before.

Moreover, the speed of this evolution was still continuously increasing.

"The energy of emotional will..."

He murmured in a low voice, reaching a shocking conclusion.

"Viltrumite-Atoms can be influenced by the subject's emotional will to complete unconventional combat power leaps. The recorded physical data is completely useless as a reference when the subject's emotions fluctuate violently."

He turned to look at Hal, his tone carrying unprecedented seriousness.

"If the owner of these particles were to obtain any one of the emotional Lantern Rings, their abilities would grow exponentially, potentially surpassing any superhuman you or I have ever known."

The playfulness on Hal's face slowly faded, replaced by a touch of doubt.

He knew the power of the emotional Lantern Rings all too well; if some creature were truly capable of catalyzing such a reaction, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Hal wanted to ask a few more questions, but Batman cut him off directly.

Batman raised his hand to activate the Watchtower's teleportation device.

"Come with me to the secret laboratory in Gotham; we need to verify this further."

The moment the teleportation beam enveloped the two of them, he solemnly warned Hal.

"Until I confirm that Shane is relatively harmless, do not meet with him under any circumstances, and certainly do not let your Green Lantern ring get near him, understand?"

"Relax, I have no desire to provoke an alien kid who can be empowered by Green Lantern energy."

Hal shrugged, though his tone clearly showed he wasn't taking it very seriously.

However, the moment they arrived at the secret laboratory in Gotham, the monitor on the console suddenly flashed an alarm.

On the screen, the figure of a black-haired youth appeared on the streets of Gotham.

It was Shane, just after parting ways with Superman.

At this moment, Shane was frowning, rubbing his arm with a look of visible discomfort.

Stepping into Gotham for the second time, he felt that something was wrong with his entire body; an indescribable itch was rising from his bones, spreading through his blood to his entire being.

Moreover, the further he walked in a certain direction, the more intense this itch became, as if something within him was being awakened and was yearning to resonate with external energy.

What he didn't know was that the force pulling him in was coming from the Green Lantern ring on Hal's hand.

On the surveillance footage, Shane's footsteps were gradually drawing closer to the direction of the secret laboratory.

Beside Batman, Hal had already clenched his fists, his Green Lantern ring glowing faintly, a flash of eagerness in his eyes.

As a Green Lantern, he was instinctively curious about such powerful energy resonance and was itching to go forward and test it out.

"Don't move."

Batman shoved Hal against the wall, his arm pressing firmly against his shoulder, his tone extremely stern.

"I will say it again: do not make contact with him, or the consequences will be unimaginable."

While suppressing the restless Hal, he quickly activated an encrypted channel and spoke in a low voice into his headset.

"Who is near Gotham? I can't get away from here right now."

"I'm at the Gotham docks investigating that smuggling case from last week."

Nightwing's voice came through the headset quickly, carrying a hint of lightness.

"What's wrong, Batman? Running into trouble again?"

Batman offered no unnecessary explanation, quickly transmitting some of Shane's basic data to Nightwing, saying only concisely.

"Help him find someone, and keep him away from my location for the time being."

He closed the communication immediately after speaking and turned to stare at Hal.

Perhaps because he rarely saw Batman emphasize something so strongly, Hal's eager look finally faded.

He raised both hands to indicate he wouldn't think or act recklessly anymore.

"Fine, fine, stop staring at me like that, you're giving me goosebumps."

On the other end, Nightwing looked at the data received on his terminal.

A fourteen-year-old alien youth, a Viltrumite... suspected to be currently hunted by his home planet.

"An alien refugee this young?"

Nightwing raised an eyebrow, the tragedy of the Second Robin being killed two and a half years ago flashing involuntarily through his mind.

Over the past two years, Batman had become much darker and more violent than before, often beating petty criminals until even their own mothers wouldn't recognize them.

Nightwing, who had originally left Gotham to work solo in a neighboring city, came back every few days precisely because he was afraid that if Batman kept bottling things up, it would lead to worse results.

Helping out in name, but in reality, he was closely monitoring Batman's state.

"No way... he figured it out just like that without any warning? Is this guy trying to find a new Robin among the alien refugees?"

After thinking for a long time, Nightwing decided to make contact and observe for himself.

Abandoning the idea of hiding his identity, he hopped onto his motorcycle parked by the side of the road and sped off in the direction of Shane.

A few minutes later, Shane frowned as he watched the motorcycle youth perform a sleek drift to block his path.

The other party took off his helmet and flicked his bangs, which had been flattened by the helmet, with a flamboyant air.

"Dick, Dick Grayson. I heard you're looking for someone in Gotham?"

Before Shane could even speak, it took him about two seconds to finally recall this Butt Prince of the Bat-family from his distant memories.

Huh?

Is Batman really this thoughtful?

"You know I'm looking for someone? So, did Batman send you?"

As soon as Dick heard Shane say this, he became even more certain of his own guess.

"Wow, of course! You're really in luck—I'm a private investigator, and I grew up in Gotham!"