Chương 24: Switcheroo
(Bruce POV)
"Status?"
[Earth Coat stable. Universal Programmer functions with 100% efficiency. Universal Locator has pinned the corresponding Earth. All systems are a go.]
"Well, then I guess we can start this show. Show me the pin on Earth 6969."
[Affirmative]
I saw the pin blink on one of the screens and nodded. It seemed to be working fine. Now time for the Wormhole 9000 to do his thing. That was a piece of technology that I had to build in another location. But I had to connect it to Earth so that nothing unforeseen happened. The actual wormhole will spawn in space though and then pull both Earths in.
I will then ready the program I wrote on the Universal Programmer and load it at the right moment, effectively switching both Earths. The momentum we have gained by getting sucked in will then shoot us out again and we will come to a stop at the exact spot where Earth was a few moments ago.
The best part is that due to arriving at the exact spot where the Earth were a moment ago, we travel back in time for a few minutes. This also allows me to just go through with it and not worry about someone remembering this afterwards.
.
"All right then let's do it.", I say and then activate all systems. I watch as everything begins to do its work. I watch on a separate monitor as a dark hole begins to open up.
"How is it?"
[Wormhole 9000 working as intended. Opening created. Ready for launch.]
"Good. Activate."
[Affirmative]
The Earth is moving! The Earth is being sucked into the wormhole right now and I am very excited. Because if this doesn't work ... well I'll wake up in my lab on Mars but that's beside the point. Slowly time begins to slow down as Earth is sucked further and further in. We begin to gain speed and time is being stretched.
I can't see Earth 69 just yet, but I know that it's also being sucked in right now. ALFRED has already shot off as no satellite or connection works right now. I made sure to take the Satellites with us and have the Earth Coat surround them. The only reason why I am still conscious is because I am inside the Batsuit. I have upgraded, so that I can stay conscious and start the Universal Programmer at the correct time.
I can see everything beginning to warp and lose its shape. I still hold on and then just when I feel can see the Universal Programmer blinking green, I press the button and launch the code.
.
.
.
"Ohh, what a ride that was. ALFRED are you up?", I say to my AI.
[.. ... ... ..]
"Hmm ... seems like there might be something wrong. Let me have a look here."
I walk over and check the Universal Programmer. Nothing seems to be wrong right now. Everything works fine and we are officially no longer Earth (-69) but Earth 69. History also checks out and no one is the wiser about what just happened.
Am I a piece of shit? ... Nah, It'll be fine.
.
.
(3rd Person POV)
Well, that was how Bruce Wayne used universal sleight of hand and swapped two Earths from different Multiverses like it was a normal Thursday. He checked everything two and then three times and then even a fourth time and found that everything seemed to have worked as he calculated.
He was fascinated by how his brain functioned. He had just created a f*cking hack and used the Universal laws like they were building blocks. Why did he go through with all of this useless stuff? Why do all of that?
Just because he could? Yes, but only partially. He knew that when the Darkest Knight came ... and he would come, he would be ready. Perpetua and the laughing Knight will be surprised when they come. No one f*cks with him. No one. And he will prove that in the future. But for now, we are going to concentrate on smaller-scaled things.
Like the Red Hood Gang and the Curse of Gotham.
.
"ALFRED show me the progress on the Red Hood Gang and what happened in my week of absence."
[As you wish. Here are the reports and the data gathered through different channels.], the AI said and began to play videos of his hidden cameras all over Gotham as well as show reports on other screens.
Bruce had made progress with his mind. He had never trained his mind and body. It was a ritual almost. His routine was important to him as it cleared his head. There have been some changes. He began to create a new language that he used to think in. He made it so that no Telepath could read his thoughts. J'onn the Martian was powerful and he couldn't afford him getting his most prized thoughts.
He improved and added new security features to his mind just in case. And he was always training to create more parallel thoughts. He did not believe that there was a limit. He was at three right now and counting.
.
In terms of martial arts, Bruce has reached the stage of 'Mushin'. "Mushin" is a concept in martial arts that originates from Japanese martial traditions, particularly in Zen Buddhism. The term "Mushin" is often translated as "no-mind" or "empty mind." It refers to a mental state where the martial artist is free from distractions, preconceived notions, and conscious thought. In Mushin, the mind is clear, focused, and responsive to the present moment.
It was basically Ultra Instinct.
Bruce did it. He managed to reach that stage and surpass all of his trainers. Well, he had already surpassed them but none of his trainers had reached this stage. His reaction was so over the top that he was almost surprised when he tested it. The force of his blows and his speed had increased as well. He was now a true monster in the art of martial arts. Armed and unarmed.
.
Bruce saw that Red Hood One had begun to get more extreme and it was time to end this charade. The Batman had been absent too long. He donned his suit and jumped into the Batmobile. It was 10:42 right now so the Batman could come out.
"BOB prepare a few CCs of Serum #01-0018 and load them into the gas tanks."
[Ok]
BOB who was Bruce's Galvanic Mechamorph had changed his way of talking. It was now more like an organic being than an AI. That was alright as the mind was his anyway. it only meant that BOB was learning and growing. That was good.
Serum #01-0018 was an anti-agression drug that made people very cooperative. It wasn't a truth serum, he created that separately. Why did he want to use this serum now? Well, he didn't want to use the serum, so he told BOB to prepare the serum and load it into the gas tanks. What this means is that the serum was loaded into a special compartment in the Batmobile that turned his fluids into a gaseous state.
Batman was about to gas all the members of the Red Hood Gang. And not a moment too soon. Because something very important was happening. It was almost ironic how the Anti-Crisis Energy acted. It seemed to lead history on a 'predetermined' path. But not with this Batman. He was different.
.
.
At the same time, Bruce Wayne called a press conference outside the ACE Chemical plant to expose the Red Hood Gang's plans to the media.
"Greetings everyone and thank you for coming. I wanted to talk about the Red Hood Gang today. This city has been overrun by the gangs and by Red Hood, telling everyone that our lives mean nothing.
This building behind me ... the ACE Chemicals is the location of the Red Hood Gang's next job. They intend to make a chemical cocktail, a radioactive poison that will corrode someone's flesh. They want to explode this cocktail in different locations across different locations across Gotham."
Jim Gordon watches the press conference from the side and is smoking. He finds it a bit hard to believe that Bruce Wayne would know something like that. He looks up and sees multiple men with red masks taking positions in the ACE chemicals facility. Gordon watches as the Red Hood Gang launches some Rockets at the News Crews and Bruce Wayne.
"EVERYONE GET DOWN!!!", Gordon screams and manages to push Bruce out of the way of the explosion. The surroundings explode but no one has died. Panic begins to set in as the GCPD tries to get into the ACE Chemicals building.
.
Bruce has made his way into the building and watches the Red Hood Gang loading trucks with bombs full of the acid they have prepared. However, before he can do anything a gun is pointed at his head from the back and the voice of Red Hood One is heard.
"How sweet of you Bruce to throw us a party. I'm glad you get to see this from a front-row seat, Bruce. Everyone! Lock the doors, we wouldn't want uninvited guests at our party, right Bruce~?", Red Hood One says.
The Red Hood Gang is just finishing up loading up the trucks with the chemicals. Red Hood One talks to Bruce and shows everything to him.
"A circle that opened 11 years ago with your parent's death and now closes with yours, here tonight. Tomorrow we will start over with a new night, a new Gotham.", Red Hood One says.
"You're so full of shit. You don't stand for any truth at the heart of anything. You only pretend that you do, while talking randomness of life and the meaningless. But it's all a scam. My parent's death might have been meaningless but their lives weren't.", Bruce tells him.
"Oh is that so? Well too bad that you-", Red Hood One says as the lights go out in the entire building.
.
Outside the GCPD is also in the dark and Gordon asks what is going on.
"What is going on here? Can anyone tell me? What happened to the lights?"
"The lights went out, but not in all of Gotham. It looks like ... oh god ... the lights went off ... in the shape of a bat!", they hear from the chopper.
[Picture]
"The shape of a bat? ... Batman! Everyone try to get the power back on, we have to find this vigilante!", Gordon screams orders into his mic.
.
Inside the ACE Chemicals building, the Red Hood Gang has taken out their night vision to see what is going on. They look around and find nothing. Red Hood One also looks around and then sees ... Batman standing there behind Bruce Wayne who is still blind and doesn't see anything.
Batman looks at Red Hood One and then grabs Bruce Wayne and just ... disappears.
"It's the vigilante! SHOOT HIM!!", Red Hood One screams. All around the gang members take out their guns and firearms and search for Batman. But he is the Batman, he is one with the night.
Batman appears behind a gang member and quickly taps him on multiple points on his temple and arm. The man can't move or talk and Batman then knocks him out and then disappears again. After two seconds the man loses his balance and falls to the ground making a crashing sound.
*Crash*
*Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang *
Every gang member that is near shoots the place where Batman just was. They don't see him but they don't care. They are afraid. And they should be. Batman appears behind another member and breaks his arm. He does a quick combo of punches and taps and then leaves again.
He is like a ghost, he comes, f*cks you up and then leaves again. No one sees anything. But the members realise that their numbers are dwindling. Batman has started to take them away instead of just leaving them there. It adds to the fear theme he has going on.
"LOAD THE TRUCKS, THEY'RE READY!", Red Hood One shouts but the members aren't listening. They are far too tense and scared to get anything done right now.
"What is go-"
In that moment the lights go back on, blinding everyone that is still in the building ... that means only one. Red Hood One is the only one still there as everyone else has been taken down by Batman. Red Hood One takes off his mask to adjust his eyesight, but then puts it back on when he sees the scene around him.
Multiple bodies are lying there and some are hanging from the walls or the ceiling. Red Hood One tries to make sense of what is going on when he bumps into something. He turns around and sees ... Batman standing there with his eerie suit and his faceless helmet.
"Where are you going?"
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