"Besides me, all universes could potentially be duplicates. Does that include your universe as well?" Batman asked.
"Yes, we were prepared before coming here. Without modesty, our universe is now in a better situation than most others. We've basically settled all major and minor forces within it, so external threats hardly make an impact," Shiller replied.
Batman immediately realized that Shiller was referring to another vast world—his universe—but that was not his concern. He said, "I'm talking about the universe where Arrogant resides."
"Oh, you don't need to worry about him," Shiller shook his head and said. "That's actually part of Bruce's plan. It was his idea to mix the competitors' universes as well."
Batman immediately understood and said, "Is the universe where Arrogant is now facing economic or political difficulties?"
He felt that if Bruce had chosen to do so, it could only be for that reason, because only in troubling situations would there be a need for an external threat to unite people.
"Economic crisis," Shiller said. "America is currently facing a depression that's rare in a century, and unfortunately, the Soviet Union and Europe are still kicking. The balance is tipping."
Batman knew better than anyone what America was like, but even without considering it as an American, but from an objective perspective, whether it's the Soviet Union or Europe leading, the end result would be the same.
By that era, there was no difference between the Soviet Union and America anymore; thus, no matter which became the sole superpower, the future of world affairs was visibly tragic. The best scenario would still be a tripartite balance of power, and if possible, the more, the better.
But now America was severely hit, not just impacting the world but also itself. If others were to strike while the iron was hot and totally dismantle America, imbalance was inevitable.
To return to balance, relying on other countries' generosity was impossible, considering America had been moving backward for so many years. If they weren't kicking America while it was down, it would only be because they were powerless to do so.
Thus, the best solution was to divert other countries' attention, allowing America to catch its breath. This way, neither side of the scales would be too heavy, nor would it drive America into a corner, causing a cold war to turn hot.
The external threat was clearly the outsiders from Battleworld.
Bruce's ambitions were not small, Batman thought. He might be using this opportunity to fully integrate all the nations on his Earth, aiming for an Earth Federation, or at least some form of confederation, if not outright unification.
In that case, the selection of the outsiders for this duplicate universe would be meticulously chosen. Too weak, and they posed no threat; too strong, and they could ruin the Earth. Too morally upright, and they wouldn't apply enough pressure; too morally corrupt, and they risked uncontrollable consequences.
Batman pondered silently and quickly realized whom Bruce was targeting. He turned to Shiller and asked tentatively, "Night Owl?"
"He's one of them," Shiller nodded and said. He did not tell Batman that Bruce was actually interested in the entire Crime Syndicate, and Night Owl was just the leader among them.
"That's too risky," Batman seemed to have guessed it himself, he sighed and said, "Is he so confident he can control a half-insane Batman?"
"Not just a half-insane one, even if it's fully insane, he'd still want to try," Shiller lowered his voice. He stared into Batman's eyes and said, "I disagree with his mad plan, as does Arrogant, but you know I can't say it outright."
Batman slightly furrowed his brows. Through prolonged interaction, he'd come to understand the complex relationships between Shiller's various personality traits. Generally, the two that frequently surfaced had the most complicated relationship.
They both disliked interfering with the universes each was responsible for. Each had different views on their universe and varied methods of maintaining it.
On the surface, Greed seemed more aggressive, having nearly settled all major and minor affairs within the universe in the same amount of time.
While Arrogant was more conservative, showing little progress over a long period, exploring the map sparingly, and having minimal contact with most external forces beyond Earth, even Mount Olympus nearby had barely any interaction.
But in reality, Batman could see through appearances; Greed was actually the more conservative one, opting for a gradual and step-by-step approach, improving from all aspects simultaneously.
Arrogant, rather than slowly moving forward, was waiting for an opportunity to turn the tables and burst forward suddenly.
So it was clear that the former was more conservative, while the latter was like a gambler, hoarding all his chips, just waiting for one "all in."
It seemed that the external threat plan Bruce devised was exactly the opening Arrogant had been waiting for. He had invested so much energy in Bruce, just awaiting this transformative moment.
But Batman could fully understand Greed's worries; the risk was too high, essentially putting all their bets on Bruce. If something went wrong with his manipulation, it would be a total loss.
Both emotionally and logically, Batman did not agree with Arrogant's approach, but as the old saying goes, "familiarity breeds fondness." Arrogant's student was Bruce, and if he had such confidence in him, then Batman, even Greed, could not directly interfere.
"Do you want me to check out Bruce's current situation?" Batman also looked at Shiller and said, "Even without probing, I can tell you he's mostly show right now."
"Impossible, he must have a backup plan." Shiller said confidently, "He's not unaware of arrogance. If he fails this time, he can forget about graduating for the rest of his life."
"So he hasn't actually graduated yet?"
"He's far from getting his PhD, but if he succeeds, there might be a good chance."
Batman stroked his chin and said, "If that's the case, he might take it seriously, but I really can't see what his ace card is."
Shiller looked at Batman with a skeptical eye. Batman paused before saying, "I'm not lying to you, and it's not that I don't want to tell, but the first time I met him, he had already completely caught the attention of the Night Owl, appearing very skilled, almost like a master manipulator; but you and I both know that's not enough."
"Using these criminals to unite the Earth he's on is like dancing on a knife's edge. If it were me, I would even consider changing their brains to turn them into puppets."
"It's just some concern. It's far from the effect he wants to achieve, far from any safety line, so perhaps, that's not his strong suit," Batman thought aloud, "If it were me... no, I can't compare myself to him. Arrogance's student isn't a normal Batman; he's crazier than a madman."
Batman closed his mouth and pondered for a few seconds, then suddenly he looked up at Shiller and said, "Does that universe have a Joker?"
Shiller nodded, and Batman mused, "I guess the Joker will be his ace card."
"I haven't seen anything special about Jack," Shiller said, "but if the Joker and Batman's strengths are bound together, then he might actually have some skills we don't know about."
"Have there been any special events in Arrogance's universe recently?"
"Haven't heard of any."
"Then you might need to go back and ask," Batman said. "Jack will not be just an ordinary Joker. If he's Bruce's contingency plan, giving him the confidence to bring a team of criminals to his cosmos, then the power he wields might be more outrageous than you think."
Shiller knew that with limited information, to infer this much was already testament to Batman's exceptional talents.
Tim didn't know what they were discussing, so he just sat there drinking coffee and watching the monitors. Passing the fifth level wasn't very exciting, but it was still thrilling and fun.
"It's time to delve deeper into the plans for this universe," Shiller said. "If Batman from this universe was originally on the invitation list, then he could still go to the Battleworld; we just need to find his invitation."
"Why do you want to bring him out?"
"He'll be useful," Shiller said. "Don't forget the style of this universe. He might usually just add to the chaos, but if it comes down to a do-or-die moment, he'll be the key to breaking through."
"In that case, we might as well bring out the Joker, let him add to the troubles of other pawns," Batman immediately thought, "why not let all the criminals from Arkham Asylum join their respective teams?"
"That would be best," Shiller said. "I'm not sure if this universe's so-called recycling plan was actually implemented or if it's just a cunning misinterpretation. If it's the latter, then Thomas and Martha might still be alive."
"Lego versions?"
"Don't worry about whether they are Lego versions or not, just consider if they are Thomas and Martha," Shiller said. "Moreover, they're better off than your parents. They are minifigures, inherently humorous, virtually immune to all dangers, possessing your parents' souls, and fear no kidnappings or threats."
Batman immediately understood; this might be the price Shiller was willing to pay, but he couldn't help being moved. Shiller's reasoning made sense.
Now, Thomas and Martha are in the Prime Universe. Unless something unexpected happens, during the time in the Battleworld, they would stay there to avoid being caught in another cosmos by outsiders.
This might be the only pair of Batman's parents in the Multiverse; if villains were to kidnap them, it would be a threat to all Batmen.
But if they could find the Lego versions of Thomas and Martha in this universe and bring them back to Batman's base, it could help unify Batmen together even better, including some seemingly evil Batmen who might be persuaded, since all Batmen share the tragic origin of their parents' death.
Furthermore, Lego parents have their advantages—they're essentially immune to physical damage and, even if shattered into pieces, can be rebuilt. Chemical damage might be a bit troublesome, but Batman was confident he could provide a protective coating for them, making them also immune to chemical corrosion. Combined with a slowly regenerating Life Factor, they could be almost immortal.
This way, there wouldn't be worries about someone kidnapping them to threaten the Batmen, and with their inherent comedic traits, they might even turn the tables on the kidnapper.
Watching Shiller's intense gaze, Batman tapped his fingers on the table and said, "Still not enough; I need more information."