12 Enlightenment

Clark did not want to complicate his own backstory. Even if he had to fill in the gaps, he hoped to do so only after Bruce returned, so they could discuss it together.

...Rather than babbling nonsense under the aggressive pressure of Batman, only to rack his brains to clean up the mess once the man had left.

Perhaps because Bruce was not by his side, Clark began to use his super-brain in a rare display of cognitive effort, and suddenly, he had a realization. Why was he being so obedient in front of Batman? Why was he answering every question asked of him? He could simply respond with a counter-question!

Under Batman’s scrutiny, he tried to relax his body, wearing an expression of reminiscence. "Bruce and I... we certainly knew each other long before today. And we have always been people who trust one another implicitly."

He seized the moment of hesitation in Batman’s gaze after those words, shifting to the offensive and pressing back. "Come to think of it, Mr. Batman, I am not a fool—your attitude toward me, or rather, toward Superman, seems a bit off. Are Batman and Superman not friends in your world?"

Caught off guard by the question, the lower half of the man’s face, exposed beneath the cowl, betrayed no emotion. In truth, however, a series of self-interrogations was erupting within his mind. How could Superman and Batman ever be friends? Why were they... not friends, and even hostile toward one another?

Batman was unwilling to admit it, yet he loathed his own weakness in failing to acknowledge his mistakes. He was forced to make himself reflect. The name Clark Kent was not unfamiliar to him—the reporter at Lex Luthor’s banquet who had boldly pressed him with questions about Batman. Back then, he had only remembered the young reporter’s sharp, persistent edge, finding it amusing that he would grill Batman, and dismissing him as an outsider who knew nothing of Gotham.

But he did not dislike Kent. Because in his eyes, there flickered a longing and pursuit of justice—a quality that was, without question, what a reporter needed most, yet what was most lacking in modern society. He had never imagined that beneath the skin of a small-time reporter lay the scrutiny of an alien god. Or, perhaps, that the outsider reporter he didn't dislike—and even somewhat admired—was fundamentally the same person as the alien he detested to his core, the one he had sworn to pull down from his pedestal.

This was too terrifying, so Batman instinctively repelled the thought. If this were true, then hadn't everything he had done previously been an attempt to murder a steady, striving, and potentially world-improving... human?

Humans are always ashamed to admit their mistakes, but Batman had to remain calm amidst his fury and reflect. In fact, he no longer felt that rage that had nearly ignited his soul; a belated sense of dread was now threatening to overwhelm his heart.

"Mr. Batman," Clark sighed. Since coming to this world to play the role of Superman, he spoke with a rare, sincere honesty, devoid of any performance. He admitted that he had not yet managed to finish all the works in the DC Universe, and even for many major events and important characters, he only had a vague, general understanding. But he truly loved the characters of Batman and Superman, and he genuinely believed that the soul-deep rapport between the World's Finest needed no words. Having seen from Batman’s reaction that there was indeed friction between him and his own Superman, he hoped to contribute a little toward fixing it.

"Perhaps I should apologize to you on behalf of that Superman—if he makes Batman so guarded, it is certainly no mere misunderstanding. That Superman must have caused some unfortunate things to happen."

"However, I can assure you that if he is indeed Superman, he would never truly wish for anything that might harm the Earth or humanity." Clark’s voice was solemn and dignified, like a saint recounting his inner faith, radiating a dazzling brilliance even in the humble apartment. "If his power makes you afraid, Batman, I believe you have never fully realized that beneath the mantle of Superman is a soul named Clark. Perhaps you both need to have a good talk, don't you?"

As he said this, he thought with bitter amusement: usually, it’s Batman who says "we need to talk," but this time it was his turn. Which cosplayer could have an experience like this?

Perhaps because Clark’s voice was so gentle, Batman was unable to respond immediately. After a moment of silence, he actually answered. "He approached me unilaterally to talk, to warn me, and to attempt to interfere in Gotham’s affairs."

Clark’s expression turned shocked, as if he couldn't believe his counterpart was such a boorish person. This actually made Batman want to laugh. He seemed to have realized something, let go of something, and for the first time in a while, his heart felt a little lighter.

"I have been quite arbitrary, too." If he were in front of the Superman of his own world, he certainly wouldn't have admitted it so readily. But since this was another world, he didn't mind as much.

"Thinking about it now, Lex Luthor might be the key to both our worlds."

"On my side, I discovered that Luthor seemed to be involved in some unsavory dealings behind the scenes, but all of my attention was drawn to Superman. Now that I think about it, perhaps my reaction and Superman's were exactly what he wanted."

The reports here mentioned that Luthor had begun guiding public opinion against Superman and Batman more than half a month ago. Batman was no fool; he had simply been blinded by rage and suspicion. Now that he reflected, the various trends in his own world’s media did seem strange, as if deliberately stoking the emotions of both sides.

Thinking of this, his mood soured. He had actually walked into Luthor’s trap like a fool, thinking that as long as he killed Superman, everything else was irrelevant. It was truly...

Rage does not disappear; it only shifts. For instance, all the anger he had directed at Superman now transformed into anger at himself and annoyance at Luthor. Batman was already considering how to turn Luthor into a trophy.

Meanwhile, in another world, the golden-haired Luthor suddenly felt a chill down his spine. As a sharp and suspicious man, he immediately began checking the progress of his plans, finding with satisfaction that everything was developing as he had anticipated. The battle between Batman and Superman would likely be screened soon, and he would definitely find a front-row seat to watch the peak confrontation between mortal and god.

At this moment, the triumphant man had no idea that his perfect plan had already collapsed by half.

As for the other half—

When Bruce opened his eyes, he found himself inexplicably in a strange room, and he was certain that just a moment ago, he had been drinking in the cold air in Superman's arms. He sat on the bed, thought calmly for a few seconds, and noticed a letter on the desk nearby. He leaned over to look, his gaze stopping at the name "Thomas Wayne" at the end, and he raised an eyebrow.

He never expected to have come to the world of the "cheap father" he had once accidentally stumbled upon.

So, had the Batman of this world swapped places with him?

He had no interest in the affairs of this world, intent only on returning. He had planned to find the Batcave to see if there was any research on parallel universes, but at that moment, he received a cross-universe transmission from the World Consciousness.

[Return... Superman...]

Whether it was because of the cross-universe transmission or not, the content was a bit blurred, and he could only hear those two words clearly.

Bruce pondered for a moment, thinking the World Consciousness might be saying the key to returning lay with Superman. In other words, he would likely have to meet the Superman of this world.

However, he was not worried about what this seemingly invincible alien from the lore would do to him. Aside from the fact that in his limited knowledge, Superman represented light and hope and would never refuse to help a lost traveler from another world, the most important thing was—

His childhood sweetheart had been whispering about the "World's Finest" in his ear for over a month, and the stories used to prove their unbreakable bond had been repeated until he was practically brainwashed.

Thus, Bruce made a confident deduction: even if he were a counterpart of Batman, Superman would absolutely grant him a certain degree of trust and kindness.

So, he walked out of this strange glass house, came outside, specifically chose an open space, cleared his throat, and spoke with great confidence.

"Batman calling Superman—I need your help."

About three seconds passed.

*Whoosh!*

Staring at the swirling dust before him, Bruce rubbed his ears, which had nearly been deafened by the sonic boom, and looked at the fierce-looking Superman before him with an indescribable expression. He suddenly felt that Clark’s flight talent might exceed his imagination; at the very least, after practicing for only a month, he could control his landing gracefully without causing trouble for the city’s infrastructure.

However, even though the way they landed was so different, Bruce squinted, momentarily confused by a face that was too similar to his own Clark. But his Clark would never look at him with such a fierce expression, not even when acting.

So, out of a certain subtle urge to show off, Bruce tilted his chin at the Superman in front of him.

"Honestly, my Clark’s landing technique is much better than yours—your entrance is a bit too exaggerated; it’s easy to make people nervous. Your Batman must have put a lot of effort into that, right?"

The Superman—a.k.a. Clark Kent—who had been standing with his arms crossed and an unkind expression, froze.

He remained silent for a full few seconds before speaking in a dry voice.

"How do you kn—no, I mean, who is Clark? And what are you doing in the Wayne residence?"

Now it was Bruce’s turn to freeze.

Wait, so you don't even know that Bruce Wayne is Batman?

What happened to the "World's Finest"? How could you not even share your identities? Isn't this relationship a little too superficial?!