Chapter 248 He's in My World, Stealing My People, and Hitting Me!
The birth of Quantum Batman was accidental. Du Wa knew this, and so did The Batman Who Laughs, who had conducted the experiment.
But within this accident, objective rules still existed. The Batman Who Laughs was trying to use meticulous science to verify the possibility of mass-producing Quantum Batmen, but he had clearly failed. To date, only this one Quantum Batman had been born, and no new ones would be born in the future.
But from another perspective, The Batman Who Laughs had already succeeded.
"Doctor Manhattan's movements are very strange, so He's probably noticed how special the Main Universe Superman is."
From the corpse of The Batman Who Laughs, a communication device broadcast his voice: "Superman and Batman are the most important people in every universe. As the one who understands Batman best, it was entirely possible for me to succeed in creating a Quantum Batman."
"You're right, and your achievement now belongs to me, even if this Quantum Batman possesses a physical body, a weakness compared to Doctor Manhattan," Du Wa said.
"Heh, what a shame. But I've prepared a new project that will surely give you a surprise... In my master's words, you have essentially become the greatest obstacle standing in our way. To open up the Main Universe, we must invade your sphere of influence."
"The new project you've prepared is all within my plan," Du Wa replied.
"But I've also formulated a plan for after you've anticipated my plan..."
Du Wa shook his head and cut off the connection with The Batman Who Laughs. Dealing with a guy who engaged in this kind of infinite one-upmanship was somewhat tiresome. The Quantum Batman was more important.
He extended a hand toward the Quantum Batman, who had just managed to coalesce his body, and projected his power into it, launching his takeover while the Quantum Batman was still adapting to his new body.
Yes, a takeover.
Du Wa was no saint, and he never did anything meaningless. At this moment, with his true form attracting all the attention of the Sphere of Gods and the Multiverse, he had specifically arranged for a Xenomorph clone to cross a distance of trillions to come to the Dark Multiverse. He wasn't here to do charity work and act as a savior.
He was here to pick out an enforcer for himself. Now that the opportunity had presented itself, he would strike decisively, leaving no room for error.
The instant the Quantum Batman's form had just been constructed, his brain barely formed, his soul and consciousness beginning to return, and his muddled thoughts trying to function...
Du Wa made his move.
The power of his multiversal authority forcibly invaded. The great power of parasitism broke through the quantum barrier and infiltrated the Quantum Batman's flesh and blood. This parasitism was far more comprehensive and thorough than any before, implanting and modifying him from the level of his nascent thoughts and cognition, adding the content Du Wa desired.
"Without my intervention, The Batman Who Laughs would have struck this guy with a killing blow using Dark Metal the moment he took form. He would have hidden the corpse to use as a container for his own resurrection and to increase his strength."
Du Wa watched the Quantum Batman gradually fall under his manipulation and nodded to himself.
If an ordinary person like The Batman Who Laughs could achieve this, there was no reason a multiversal god like him couldn't.
When was the last time an operation had satisfied him this much? Oh, it seemed to be back in the Marvel Universe, when he successfully parasitized Abomination and obtained his first incomparably powerful and formidable Xenomorph.
Or perhaps it was when he joined forces with Asgard to attack Jotunheim, using the body of Laufey, King of the Frost Giants, to acquire his first Xenomorph with Skyfather-level potential?
These were all wonderful advancements. Each success provided crucial support for Du Wa at a specific stage.
Now, something similar was happening again.
The Quantum Batman opened his eyes. His blank, white eyes, devoid of pupils, stared straight at Du Wa. After a good while, a hint of spirit finally appeared in them.
"How strange. I'm clearly aware that you tampered with my memory and cognition while I was reshaping myself, yet I feel no aversion toward you, nor do I reject the Xenomorph inside me... But I do possess a complete range of emotions, unlike Doctor Manhattan."
The Quantum Batman clenched his fists, feeling his current body, and said to Du Wa, "However, you're in trouble. Barbatos has detected your invasion. He's already here."
Barbatos arrived quickly. Noticing that something was amiss in this unnumbered Dark Multiverse and that The Devastator had died, He rushed over immediately.
Endless darkness and corruption enveloped this world, causing the already fragmented and distorted rules of the universe to descend into an even more chaotic and disorderly state.
Barbatos couldn't care less about this universe's future, recklessly using his power to corrupt and distort all things, tangible and intangible.
"You've crossed the line, Du Wa!! To silently send a Xenomorph into my world and kill my subordinate, damn you!"
Draped in an immense cloak that resembled a tattered rag, Barbatos was as enormous as a mountain, looking down upon the uninvited guest before him.
But size alone couldn't bring the master of the Dark Multiverse a sufficient sense of security.
Even one as ancient as Barbatos wasn't confident He could take out the God of Xenomorphs. That was something even the Spectre and Doctor Manhattan couldn't do. The best outcome would be for Him to expel Du Wa. At the very least, He couldn't let Du Wa spread Xenomorphs wantonly throughout the Dark Multiverse. That would be a disaster.
"Crossed the line? I can go anywhere within the Source Wall. You, or any other god, can't stop me," Du Wa said slowly.
Barbatos glanced at the Quantum Batman. When He realized this being was a quantum deity and recalled the example of Doctor Manhattan, His eyes went wide.
Fuck, another quantum deity? A newborn one at that? And most importantly, he's a Batman??
Barbatos's mind shattered. He felt as if he had missed one of the greatest opportunities of his life, the heartache nearly suffocating him.
"And you're stealing my people!!"
Barbatos roared with fury, truly driven mad with anger.
"Your people?"
"All Batmen in the Dark Multiverse are my people! Just as you, the God of Xenomorphs, can rule all Xenomorphs in all universes, I, as the Bat-God, should manage all Batmen!!" Barbatos bellowed, his terrifying divine power instantly shattering the barrier of this universe and spreading out into the Dark Multiverse.
"No, he's my person."
"Once I kill you, he'll be mine."
Barbatos completely lost it and attacked with bitter hatred.
He might not be able to kill Du Wa, but surely He could kill one of Du Wa's Xenomorph clones? As long as He severed the tentacles Du Wa had extended into the Dark Multiverse, all could be saved. Perhaps He could reclaim the Quantum Batman, strip away Du Wa's control, and nurture him into His most loyal and most capable subordinate...
A loyal Batman with multiverse-level strength!!
Barbatos had also witnessed the confrontation between Du Wa and Doctor Manhattan and had been deeply shocked by the abilities Doctor Manhattan displayed. Not only was His own strength immense, but He also possessed such a terrifying cloning ability, with each clone possessing formidable strength.
If the Quantum Batman could have the same abilities as Doctor Manhattan... No, he didn't need to be as powerful as Doctor Manhattan. Just a fraction of that power would be enough to make Barbatos ecstatic.
"If I had a Quantum Batman as a confidant, why would I bother cultivating the bullshit Dark Knights! And The Batman Who Laughs, that bastard clearly discovered the Quantum Batman but refused to tell me immediately... He probably started his own project to cultivate the Quantum Batman long ago!"
Barbatos seethed with rage. Everything here was originally His. Now, it was gone.
But there was still a chance. He just needed to eliminate this clone of Du Wa.
BOOM!
Barbatos's massive figure cast an endlessly vast shadow in the dimension of reality, obscuring everything. Its immeasurable thickness devoured all, for darkness and corruption were a part of Barbatos.
The entire twisted Dark Multiverse was now resonating with Barbatos, each universe providing him with a massive supply of energy.
Defeating Barbatos in the Dark Multiverse was undoubtedly a technical challenge.
Du Wa had no intention of personally settling this trouble, and now was not the time. Whether he could beat Barbatos wasn't important. What was important was that, at this moment, Barbatos was most likely acting as a chess piece for The Great Darkness.
"Unfortunately, killing you now would be a bit troublesome. It would require a few extra steps. Besides, killing you would be wasteful. You can be put to much better use."
Du Wa immediately retreated. With a tremor of his body, he shattered all surrounding space-time and rules, placing himself in a temporary state of The Void to insulate himself from Barbatos's corrupting power.
He raised a finger. No words were needed. The Quantum Batman, glowing with blue light, had already stepped forward to shield Du Wa. He raised a hand and casually blocked the oncoming tide of darkness. An intense blue light surged forth, erasing all the dark power.
"My power is greater than I imagined, but it's probably not on par with that Doctor Manhattan..." The Quantum Batman's voice also carried a certain transcendence. He was already deeply separated from conventionally formed life and deities. Only because of his body's condition had Du Wa managed to take advantage of him, and he currently maintained a close connection only with Du Wa.
The Quantum Batman had already read about the events unfolding in this world. He saw Du Wa discussing something with Doctor Manhattan in the Multiverse, and even met the gaze of Doctor Manhattan, who suddenly looked up, comprehending the uniqueness they shared as quantum deities. He also saw Du Wa in the Sphere of Gods, negotiating with numerous gods.
This feeling... was indescribably wonderful. A single glance could acquire a massive amount of information; a single thought could produce endless knowledge. It was too beautiful.
"This ugly and broken place is destined to fill all beautiful things with tragedy... The Dark Multiverse. I don't know why a world like this exists, but since I have the power, I must correct it all."
The Quantum Batman attacked Barbatos.
Barbatos engaged in a physical confrontation with the Quantum Batman, blowing away half of his body with one swipe of His claws. "I am the Bat-God! You should naturally be my subordinate! Just like the other Batmen!"
"You were one step too late. I am now a subordinate of the Xenomorph. If you truly are the Bat-God, why haven't you made the Batman from the Main Universe your man? Why do you trust that Batman who was infected with the Joker virus? Besides... does a Bat-God truly exist in this world? And is it really you?"
The Quantum Batman's form flickered erratically. All objective reality seemed non-existent to him. At the same time, as his thoughts continued to branch out, anything he imagined would appear around him according to his will.
Reality-warping was a basic ability of a multiversal god, but to do it so effortlessly at will, like the Quantum Batman—or rather, like quantum deities including Doctor Manhattan—was truly astonishing.
"Doctor Manhattan never displayed this ability from beginning to end... No, His ability to appear anywhere in all of history at will might be a manifestation of this power," the Quantum Batman mused.
He still didn't know what this power was, but it probably wasn't unique to him.
"The Power of Connection. That is the name of this power. The reason that guy doesn't use it is because he doesn't need to, especially when facing me. It's more useful for him to just create a few more clones," Du Wa's voice rang in the Quantum Batman's mind, dispelling the confusion that had arisen within him.
"I am the Bat-God!"
Light that could pierce the universe shot from Barbatos's eyes, shining upon the Quantum Batman. In the process, several already-fragmented dark universes were destroyed, and trillions of lives perished tragically.
His giant form surged forward. He seized the Quantum Batman with His long, sharp claws, tearing him apart piece by piece, trying to find the Xenomorph larva and bring the Quantum Batman under His command.
But the Quantum Batman's next question shattered Barbatos's composure.
"Then why is there no god of Supermen? Superman is more important than Batman. You must know this."
"There are many gods of Supermen! Supreme Superman, Thought Robot Superman..."
"No, those are gods who are Supermen, not a Source God revered by all Supermen. You, a being who isn't even a Batman, dare to call yourself the Bat-God? Did you truly exist first, leading to us Batmen? Why couldn't it be the other way around?"
The Quantum Batman reassembled his body once again. He didn't know how many times his body had been destroyed by Barbatos, but it didn't matter. A quantum deity was difficult to kill.
Even for someone as powerful as Barbatos, killing him would take considerable effort.
The Quantum Batman's curiosity-driven questions had, however, exposed Barbatos's greatest secret.
Yes, he had guessed correctly. Barbatos claimed to be the father of all Batmen, but in reality, his status as "Father" and "Bat-God" came about because he discovered the special nature of Batman, which resembled some of his own traits, and so he began to apply Batman-related labels to himself.
Other than the few labels He had forced upon Himself, He had absolutely no fundamental connection to Batman.
Du Wa simply laughed out loud. He was well-protected by the Quantum Batman and completely unscathed. He then said leisurely, "Barbatos, you wouldn't want this secret, which would make you lose your dominion over all Batmen in an instant, to be exposed, would you? Look, many gods have already noticed we're fighting. What do you suppose they'll think if they learn this secret?"
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