At the bottom of the World Forge, more than half of Barbatos's draconic body had escaped. The Batman Who Laughs had shaped some of the dark universes under his control into a realm of darkness capable of holding Barbatos's body, and the escaped half appeared simultaneously across those dark universes in a superposed state.
A fragment of Barbatos's scales and claws took the form of a half-dragon figure in a black robe. He greedily inhaled the air of the dark universes, intoxicated by this fleeting taste of freedom.
"Soon. So very soon."
The black-robed figure raised both arms, a pair of pitch-black dragon claws emerging from his sleeves as though trying to grasp something.
"Batman Who Laughs, come before me! You stupid, depraved Batman!"
Above a black stone slab, sinister black-and-purple mist swirled into a vortex, drawing over The Batman Who Laughs as he prowled through the darkness.
The Batman Who Laughs could not resist Barbatos's summons. Barbatos dragged him over as though calling a dog.
Now, Barbatos did not even bother pretending. The Batman Who Laughs's suspicions had been entirely correct: Barbatos would never share the DC universe with him once the deed was done. All that talk of making him Master of the Universe had been nothing but empty promises.
But The Batman Who Laughs revealed none of these thoughts. He knelt on the ground, letting the darkness conceal his face, his voice devoid of any other emotion.
"Great Barbatos, I await your commands."
"Pick up the pace! You useless piece of trash! How many years have I given you, yet you still haven't conquered every universe!"
Barbatos did not even look directly at The Batman Who Laughs. Instead, he admired his own dragon claws, his tone brimming with impatience.
"We're actually ready, great Barbatos."
The Batman Who