Endangered World

Crack!

A sharp sound came from nearby. Perhaps a cable had been snapped by the wind, or perhaps rainwater had short-circuited a transformer box. The Wayne Enterprises lightbox above them suddenly spat sparks and a wisp of bluish smoke, then went dark.

The smoke was quickly scattered by the rain and vanished. The two merely looked up at the darkened sign without saying a word.

The surroundings grew dim. Aside from the glowing tips of their cigars, nothing flickered in the darkness.

Su Ming considered for a moment before deciding to speak first. "I'm from a Parallel World. What's the situation in Gotham now?"

She was also Deathstroke. He could tell her this much. When intelligence could not be used in an operation, she would not spread it around or betray him for it.

Just as Batman collected information on the weaknesses of every Superhero on Earth, so he could solve problems immediately if they became Darkened.

This information was a strategic reserve. Su Ming could use it to prove his sincerity without worrying about consequences in the short term.

So long as nobody paid her to kill him, the secret was relatively safe with her.

Deathstroke and Batman knew each other's true identities. Yet because of their respective principles, Batman would not attack Deathstroke when he had committed no crime. And even if Batman knew Deathstroke had done something, he would not show himself without evidence.

Fortunately, Deathstroke always worked cleanly and efficiently.

Likewise, Deathstroke would not make a move against Batman's true identity, Bruce Wayne. Wayne Enterprises was far too wealthy, and Bruce's life was worth a great deal. Without several tens of billions, Deathstroke was willing to leave Bruce's head on his shoulders. Maybe one day, he could cash it in.

Just like the Joker. He actually knew Batman's true identity as well, but he only wanted to play with the Bat, not some boring billionaire.

That did not stop him from kidnapping people around Bruce. From Alfred the butler to Bruce's several girlfriends, all had been kidnapped by the Joker and used to force Batman into playing games with him.

A great many villains knew Batman's identity, including Black Mask, Hush, Bane, and others. But Batman was Gotham's symbol. Only by defeating Batman could they prove they ruled Gotham. Defeating Bruce when he was not dressed as a bat merely meant they had defeated a playboy tycoon.

Deathstroke existed by clinging to the dark side of society, which meant he also had to protect that society's existence.

Whether someone wanted to destroy Earth or refused to play by the rules of darkness, they were Deathstroke's enemies.

Whenever some powerful Aliens invaded Earth in the comics, chaos followed. At times like that, criminals would take the opportunity to rob banks or jewelry stores. Even ordinary people would haul televisions out of roadside shops, since it was free for the taking and the Superheroes were busy.

But Deathstroke would never be among those causing trouble for the Superheroes. On many occasions, he had even helped the heroes deal with invaders from alien worlds and Another Worlds, participating in the resolution of global crises without taking a single cent.

However, once the crisis passed and the world was safe again, Deathstroke would return to his mercenary business. Any Superhero who stood in his way got one answer: fight!

"Hm, I more or less guessed as much. You're capable, but I've never heard of anyone like you."

Cindy held her cigar between her lips. The rushing rain prevented her voice from carrying far, but Su Ming heard every word clearly.

"You've met someone from a Parallel World before?"

He asked her as they stood side by side, both watching the Bat-Signal twisting across the storm clouds in the distance.

"A pitiful man. He wore a cloth hood like a bank robber's and used old-fashioned firearms. He was very old, and his body was deteriorating, but he had come to kill someone."

Cindy spoke indifferently. Even as she called him pitiful, her face showed no expression.

"Did he say why he came to this world? Or how he left?"

Su Ming wanted to leave too. His old life had been boring, but at least his original world—his homeland—was peaceful and stable, its people living and working in contentment. He could find a safe place to rest.

There would be no Alien invasion someday, nor any Super Villains beyond common sense.

"He did. He said a criminal organization called the Crime Syndicate had killed his children. When they traveled between worlds, he found a way to follow them here, hoping for a chance to kill his enemies. Unfortunately, he never got what he wanted. Our world is ruled by the Amazon Council. Highly centralized power means faster reactions and greater strength. The invaders from the Parallel World were quickly driven off. They returned to their own world and shut down the Time-Space Gate, so that old man naturally went back as well."

"The Justice League drove them back? Wait, does your world have a Justice League?"

After thinking for a moment, Su Ming decided to ask. Before he had crossed over, DC had just released a new DC Universe event—Metal. If there was no Justice League, then this was the Dark Multiverse, the reflection of the Light Multiverse.

These were universes made of Dark Matter, like the two sides of a coin. But due to the nature of their worlds, everything here was darker than in ordinary DC Parallel Universes.

If this was Earth-11, then there would be no major problem. His survival environment would be much easier. As long as he did not provoke the Amazon Council or the female Justice League, he could make money comfortably.

But if this was Earth -11, then he was in serious trouble. This was a world with no other Superheroes, only Batwoman and countless villains.

At the same time, it was a world on the brink of destruction. In the future, the entire world would be flooded because of the war between Batwoman and Atlantis. The only survivor would be Batwoman, who had modified herself.

The cause of it all was still the Bat.

Atlantis and the Amazons fought a war between land and sea for supremacy over this world. After gathering intelligence, Bliss believed it was caused by Aquawoman Arthur's excessive ambition. She was an anti-government schemer and a potential threat, so Bliss moved to capture Aquawoman and lock her in Arkham.

The Atlanteans used peace talks as a pretext to launch a surprise attack on the waters near Paradise Island, while Bliss took the opportunity to apprehend Aquawoman.

However, during their fight, Bliss, unfamiliar with underwater combat, accidentally killed her. The Atlanteans naturally chose revenge afterward, immediately triggering a tsunami through some unknown means and utterly destroying Gotham.

With Gotham gone, all of Bliss's family and friends died. She retaliated in madness, specially modifying her body and becoming a demon with water-related superpowers such as underwater breathing, controlling seawater, and high-speed swimming. She renamed herself—The Drowned!

In the comics, she achieved victory in the final war by controlling her infinitely replicating liquid monster pet, Dead Water.

Unfortunately, by then, the disasters caused by years of fighting had wiped out every other living thing on Earth. She made herself a Bat-Signal and shone it from the ocean floor toward the surface. That was the final light of Earth -11.

Batwoman Bliss Wayne was the Child of Destiny in this world, and the only one fated to survive.

No. In truth, Batwoman died on the day Gotham was flooded. The one who survived was no longer her, but the terrifying Super Villain, The Drowned.

After destroying the world, she would heed The Batman Who Laughs's persuasion, join the Dark Knights, travel to the Light Multiverse, and destroy countless worlds.

"What Justice League? That name doesn't sound like a rock band." Cindy laughed disdainfully. "Having the Amazon Council hanging over our heads is annoying enough. You want to form some idol group too?"

Su Ming gave a bitter smile. He had merely held onto a sliver of hope.

He was now in Gotham, the city that should have been flooded first. Even though his physical condition now far surpassed that of an ordinary person, once all land disappeared and the sky was forever covered by storm clouds, without food, fresh water, or sunlight, even he would not survive.

He had to act quickly. Either find a way to leave this world as soon as possible, or find a way to save it. Earth -11 was no place for a leisurely vacation. It was the front line of a war.

Then I can only hope this world hasn't reached that point in time yet. If the time had not come, there should still be room to struggle. He flicked away some ash and questioned Cindy again.

"Can you tell me why you came here? To the rooftop of Wayne Tower."

Cindy flicked the ash from her cigar in the same manner, revealing a strange expression. "A job."

"Mind sharing the job?" Su Ming's heart stirred.

"You should understand, right? I'm Deathstroke. I don't like working with others."

Cindy clenched her cigar between her teeth and wiped rainwater from her hair. The W of Wayne Enterprises clearly did not provide much cover. If it had been the M of the Golden Arches, they might have been better off standing beneath it.

Su Ming smiled and let their single eyes meet. Their excellent vision even allowed him to see his own reflection in Cindy's eye.

"You really don't. But if I remember correctly, there have still been a few times."

Though those memories actually came from the comics, and from Deathstroke of the Main World, Cindy's mouth twitched. Su Ming could not tell whether it was a smile or some other expression.

"Fine, just this once. I'm a little short on leads for this job, but you only get a quarter. Understand?"

"Money doesn't matter. Intelligence is more important."

Su Ming put his cigar between his lips and extended his right hand. It was only a joke. He knew he could not remain here for long. He had appeared in the Dark Multiverse, and its very existence meant the great event had already begun.

If he did not want to die, he had to go to the Light Multiverse. Earth -11 lacked too many things. This was not the Main Plane; some things simply could not be done here.

"Fine. You said it."

She finally smiled and reached out to shake his hand. He could feel that both of their hands were equally strong.

Without hesitation, she immediately began explaining the current mission.

"This is a missing-person job. I didn't really want to accept it, but work has been scarce lately, and I happened to buy a yacht a while ago."

She released his hand and turned to face the rain-soaked city.

"So this job came from an old friend of mine."

"The Joker."

Su Ming also looked out over the dark city. She had come to Wayne Tower to find Batwoman, and in Gotham, the one most obsessed with finding the Bat would naturally be the Joker.

"In your world, she might be called the Joker. But here, she's called the Jester. Of course, we all know who we're talking about."

Cindy rolled her neck and exhaled smoke. The nicotine-scented white mist was scattered by the rain.

"That's it. Batman has disappeared recently, so she's feeling very lonely. She wants Batman to play with her."

"What new trick has she come up with this time? Wait... maybe it's an old trick in my world."

Su Ming took a deep drag on his cigar. If there were clues, he might have read the relevant comic, but he could not be certain about Earth -11.

"Who knows? I'm not interested in her tricks at all. I just need the money. So the job is to find Batman, then pass along a message: tell Batman that the Jester is waiting for her in Arkham, with a big, big piece of good news to tell her."

Cindy pressed out her cigar against the wall and put the remaining stub back into its case.

"Her exact words?" Su Ming raised an eyebrow.

"Of course. Her exact words were 'a big, big piece of good news.' We mercenaries have to relay messages accurately. That's the job."

Cindy shrugged and answered expressionlessly.

"Honestly, I really don't want to work for the Jester. She's completely insane. I'm wondering what this good news could possibly be. Maybe there's some enormous-yield Nuclear Warhead in Gotham."

Su Ming sighed. The Joker's money was still money, but the Joker had never been good at clearly describing a job.

Cindy put on her helmet and fastened the buckles again. "Thinking about it won't help. Better think about where Bliss Wayne went. Before coming here, I went to her home, the Batcave, and the police station rooftop. Couldn't find her anywhere. Now we can rule out the company too."

"When she was the Bat, she loved standing atop the gargoyles on Wayne Tower and looking down over her city." Su Ming continued, putting on his own helmet.

"Yes, and then I found you. Clearly, this isn't my luckiest day."

She picked up a short staff from the ground, tossed it to Su Ming, and took her own.

Su Ming folded the long staff and inserted it into the slot on his back, then rolled his neck to make sure it would not hinder his movements.

"Clearly, it isn't mine either. I came here for no reason. I was in my own world, doing my own thing, and then—whoosh! I ended up here."

"Well, looking at it that way, you seem even more unlucky than I am. You could consider saving some money and hiring me to help you find a way back."

Cindy led the way downstairs, moving quickly.

"That's a good suggestion, but first I need to confirm what the Joker said. If things are really as I think, then we're both in serious trouble."

Su Ming sighed and followed behind her.

"Oh? Is there something I don't know?" She pushed open the door and headed down, her half-smile hidden behind a muffled helmet voice.

"It's not about the job. It's about this world."

This seemingly endless rain and Batman's disappearance looked more like the beginning of an apocalypse to Su Ming. If possible, he still wanted to live. That meant finding Batman quickly.

"Do you know what I hate?" She turned around and poked his chest with a finger. "I want us to be honest with each other. I told you about my job, but you're hiding something now."

"I can't be certain yet, but I can tell you. You can only listen, though. Don't ask questions, because I can't explain how I know."

Su Ming gently moved her finger aside, hurried past her, and took the lead. As they descended the stairs, he roughly explained what would happen to Earth -11.

The news made her stiffen for a moment, but she quickly returned to normal. She held her head and shook it.

"What do we do next?"

"You believe me?" Su Ming was relieved. He had no desire to explain that he knew this intelligence from comics. It would sound insane.

"That's because we're both mercenaries. If someone asked me to cross worlds just to spread such an exaggerated lie, I wouldn't do it for any amount of money. Our abilities determine our place in the mercenary world, and top-tier mercenaries don't do such boring things."

Cindy quickly overtook him and moved ahead. "So the only possibility is that it's real. Our world is heading toward destruction."

Su Ming did not quite understand. The Jester had specifically called for Batman at this time, which meant she knew something. She should also know where Batwoman was. So why go through the trouble of hiring Deathstroke to find her without saying so?

"If you're willing to join me in stopping the destruction of the world, that would be best. If not, I'll have to act alone."

There were few ways to prevent the flood from swallowing Earth. The most effective was to stop Bliss from killing Aquawoman. Going to the Amazon Council was useless—he was an Undocumented Person, and they would not believe him. Going to the Atlanteans would not work either. They hated all land-dwelling life.

Behind this incident stood Batman from Earth -22, infected by the Joker's blood—The Batman Who Laughs—as commander, as well as the true Black Hand, the ultimate dragon of the Dark Multiverse, Barbatos.

They were the true culprits behind everything, and at this moment, they were hiding somewhere unknown and observing how events unfolded.

"How could I not join an effort to save myself? I don't want to die either. I don't know what the Joker in your world is like, but our Jester is a genuinely deranged lunatic. For this job, I received a recording tape. I had to use equipment to analyze it through more than ten minutes of wild laughter and hysterics."

Cindy shook her head and gave him more details.

"The Jester is in Arkham right now, but she's completely mad. She won't see anyone except Batman."

"Looks like the good news is that the Joker I know is exactly the same as your Jester. That's worth a drink. Since she's a dead end, how about we go find her girl?"

Su Ming changed his plan. If anyone else might know Batman's whereabouts, there were several possibilities.

Such as Catwoman, Talia of the League of Assassins, or Harley Quinn.

Of them, Catwoman was a complete stray cat with no fixed home. Who knew where she was now?

As for Talia, the League of Assassins' base was in Nanda Parbat, absurdly far away.

Harley was the easiest to find among them. Though she was crazy enough herself, she could still distinguish right from wrong in certain situations.

Cindy fell silent for a while. "Fine, we'll find Harley. But she isn't her girl. According to Harley, their relationship is called..."

"Gal pals?" Su Ming rolled his eyes beneath his mask.

"Something like that, I suppose. Her exact words are Little Pumpkin and Little Pudding. I've noticed you have a talent for crazy-person language."

Though her voice was made hoarse by the mask, her tone sounded somewhat helpless.

Helplessness was normal. Anyone dealing with the Joker either feared him or worshipped him. People like Deathstroke felt more helplessness toward the Joker than anything else.

The Joker happened to understand that, which was why he preferred provoking other emotions in people—anger, curiosity, and of course, most of all, laughter.

In the comics, he constantly stoked Batman's rage. To outsiders, it looked like he was courting death, but he only wanted to see why Batman was so serious.