Batman understood, he had previously figured that the organizer capable of creating such a commotion wouldn't overlook the need for many teams to contact him separately.
For instance, some might want to voluntarily withdraw from the competition, some might be inquiring about the rules, some, like himself, would want to figure out who the organizer really is, or some people simply had nothing better to do and wanted to chat. After hosting such a grand event, would it hurt to set up some customer service?
The group placed their diamond-patterned hands onto the round platform. Bruce called out 'Transcendent' and a purple figure appeared at the center of the platform.
"What, you again?" Owen exclaimed, rolling his eyes. He continued, "You and your master are cut from the same cloth. I've just come from his place. He wasn't satisfied with how i fixed his car and demanded a totally new interior that prioritized comfort. I spent half a day stitching seat cushions."
"We hope to change teams." Bruce quickly changed the subject. He said, "This Batman wants to join my original team."
"What are you up to?" Owen frowned at Bruce then glanced at Batman, sounding somewhat unhappy. "Just one game crashed and you're making such a big deal. When are you going to quit?"
"I believe that's a rather reasonable compensation. If your game hadn't crashed, I wouldn't be sitting here chatting with them. I would be using the points I won to participate in the next game."
"If that's the case, you should take responsibility for all the choices I made within the gaming time interval. After all, you are the creator of the game, aren't you?"
Owen seemed hesitant but quickly spoke, "Fine, I'll give you some information first. They were actually planning to launch team communication soon, but only to team members who have played together. Member exchanges will also be allowed, but points are required."
"We're not going to give any points." Bruce shook his head, "This information can hardly be considered compensation, because eventually we would have known. Help me out, unless you want Shiller to find you later and demand compensation for a new sporty interior."
Owen slapped himself in the forehead.
"Pulling both of you into this was my biggest mistake. I don't want to stitch seat cushions anymore... alright, alright, you bunch of penny-pinchers, this time, it's for free, but there won't be a next time!"
Owen disappeared after speaking. The mark on Batman's hand lit up, as did the mark on the round platform.
After a quick glance, Bruce said, "You should be able to just place your hand on it. Once you're there, let Clark know you're safe."
Just as Batman was raising his hand, Bruce added, "Remember: if he asks for your help farming, don't agree to it no matter what. You have no idea how big that field is."
Before Bruce could finish, Batman had disappeared. Bruce wasn't sure if Batman had heard his last sentence, but since he was already gone, there was nothing else he could do.
Meanwhile, Owen and the purple figure on the platform were saying something to Clark and Diana from the Bruce Universe, presumably about Batman's arrival.
As they spoke, a flash of light to the side of the round table signaled Batman's arrival - now dressed in a bat suit - before Clark and Diana.
"Oh, goodness, a brand-new Bruce," Clark said quickly, stepping forward to shake Batman's hand. "You should have let us know you were coming sooner. At least we could have prepared a hearty dinner for you."
"Welcome." Diana went up to Batman and gave him a hug. She said, "Is Bruce okay over there? I hope he hasn't caused any trouble for you. Thanks for taking care of him."
Batman stood frozen as he accepted Clark's handshake and Diana's embrace. After a while, he managed to say, "I don't think he needs taking care of."
"That's modest of you, sir." Clark led Batman into their house. Their base was a tree house attached to a gigantic tree. Crafted into a cylinder around the tree trunk, it was connected to the smaller houses on the neighboring trees by wooden bridges.
Stepping out of the largest tree house, Batman observed the primitive forest. Clark made an apologetic smile and said,
"The conditions here might not be as great as back at your place, but we are lucky. The natural environment here is excellent and the soil is fertile. Diana and I were thinking about getting some game."
"You guys are going hunting?"
"There's a river nearby that should be full of fish." Diana nodded and said, "I was very good at hunting and fishing back on Amazon Island, so I plan to go fishing. If we come across any animals drinking water, we'll have meat for dinner. Clark can do something else."
With a furrowed brow, Batman was a bit confused. Considering Superman could fly and use heat vision for instant BBQ, shouldn't he have been the best candidate for hunting?
But from what it sounded like, Diana was in charge of hunting. So, what was Clark supposed to do?
Two minutes later, Batman found out.
Clark stood on the soft, fertile ground of the primeval forest, eyes shining as he addressed Batman, "The soil here is extremely fertile and untouched. It has a lot of nutrients. I think we can cut down these woods and burn them. Just a little tilling and we will have a high-quality field."
"I've looked around earlier. There's no potato here but a similar plant with sweet roots which turns into grains when you chew - they must contain starch. They are a good staple food. There are some berry bushes that are in season at the moment; we can transplant them here. That way we will also get our vitamins."
"Wait." Batman interrupted him, "Are you planning to live primitively here?"
"No, we're not exactly talking about survival. After all, we can live without eating." Clark shook his head. Just as Batman was about to heave a sigh of relief, he heard Clark's words, "But it would be a waste, don't you think, not cultivating such great land?"
"We've experimented before. When we're participating in the game, time here still flows normally. With so many teams in play, it'll take a few months at the very least to determine the final winner. That's enough time for at least one harvest season."
Looking into Clark's passionate eyes, Batman vaguely remembered Bruce saying something about farming, but he had left in a hurry and hadn't paid much attention.
After a moment of deliberation, Batman thought Clark's idea was reasonable. While Clark and Diana did not need to eat, Batman did. To maintain optimal health, he needed a balance of nutrients; nutritional injections wouldn't last very long.
As soon as Batman nodded, Clark flew up into the air and grabbed him by the arm, lifting him up. They flew up to around 500 meters above ground level.
Batman watched as Clark used his heat vision to draw a circle around an area of at least 100 square kilometers in the forest below. Excitedly, Clark announced,
"This will be our Phase One experimental field. Let's get started!"