Support Me: https://ko-fi.com/arcaneyes123
Bat Base.
The guards at the base finally saw Stephen and his companions return. Besides the three of them, there was also a tall, cold-looking man. His limbs were bound with black shackles, but just standing there, his muscular build revealed his violent and dangerous nature.
"Is this Darkseid? How are you going to deal with him?" Wonder Woman Diana looked at the man. She instinctively sensed a divine power similar to that of Steppenwolf, thus confirming his identity.
"We should take him back and give him to Luke. He has a prison specifically for these dangerous individuals, whether they're vicious criminals or dimensional demons." Stephen said without hiding anything. However, as he spoke, his gaze lingered for a moment on the silent Bruce Wayne.
"That's fine. What about Steppenwolf? Are you taking him with you?" Diana felt a strange sense of relief. It wasn't that she objected to taking on the responsibility of guarding them, but if there was a better, more appropriate, and safer way, she wouldn't forcefully demand the right to guard these two dangerous men.
Diana felt safer without the captives being guarded by their captors. For a moment, she even considered throwing Steppenwolf in with them. While Lex Luthor, who was studying Steppenwolf's body, might not be pleased, a decision had to be made. Diana was fed up with the mischief the brilliant minds on her team were capable of, and any mishap could have the power to upend the planet and disrupt the balance of the universe.
"Of course." Stephen nodded again.
"Do you need me to bring him here now? Or?" Diana asked bluntly, so blunt that even the crude Thor could understand the meaning behind her words. After all, becoming the King of Asgard meant he had grown in this area to some extent.
Bringing them here now is to ask them whether they want to leave immediately?
Or? This one is asking if you want to take a break, have a party, or something.
"Don't worry, we still have some unfinished business. At least it will take time to unlock the data dimension." Stephen replied.
"Are you going to have a party? This is my hobby! I can help with the barbecue." Thor put his hammer on the ground, rubbed his hands, and couldn't help but want to show off his skills.
"Come on, let's go. I can make some arrangements for you. It will take some time for them to get here." Diana was referring to the members of other alliances.
"You guys go over there, let me and Bruce be alone for a while." Stephen waved his hand in response to Diana's invitation and spoke unexpectedly.
Diana and Thor immediately looked at Stephen, then their eyes swept over to the silent Bruce. After a moment, Diana seemed to have figured something out and walked out of the room with Thor, Becky, and the others, leaving Bruce and Stephen with some private space to talk.
With only two people left in the surveillance room, Stephen waved his finger like a baton, and a chair came to life, clattering behind him and Bruce. Stephen bent down and sat down, shifting his hips to find a comfortable position. Bruce, standing across from him, seemed somewhat bewildered by the chair behind him. His indifference irritated the chair behind him, and it lunged forward, striking Bruce right at the knee, forcing him to sit down. As he sat down, the chair behind him instantly fell silent, becoming a dead object once again.
"Very exciting, magic?" Bruce wasn't wearing his Batsuit, which he never seemed to take off, but there were at least three Batsuits hidden in the surveillance room, ready for his call. He crossed his legs, folded his hands on his thighs, and looked at Stephen curiously.
"Of course you can think so. Tell me about your situation." Stephen opened two more portals, reached in, took out a cup of hot coffee, and motioned for Bruce to choose.
Bruce looked at the portal that appeared beside him. Inside the portal were several cups filled with everything from drinks and tea to wine. Bruce thought for a moment and took out a teacup.
"What do you want to know? Why should I crack and tap into that kind of power?" Bruce took a sip of the tea in the cup and asked Stephen.
"No, no, no, we can talk about this issue later. What I want to say is, let's talk about your physical condition, or to go further, let's talk about your mental problems." Stephen put the coffee cup on the armrest of the chair on the right, supported his chin with his arm, and shook his head.
"My mental problems?" Bruce was shocked, but his face remained expressionless. "I think I'm in good condition now, both physically and mentally."
"You know, you're a bit like someone I know. He's also incredibly intelligent, a wealthy superhero, and just as stubborn. He always relies on his own strength or his brilliant brain to solve problems. He also had serious mental issues, but they weren't as severe as yours." Stephen sneered, unconcerned with Bruce's concealment. Even though Bruce's tone and expression were perfectly normal, there were some things Stephen didn't need to see or judge with his eyes.
He was certain Bruce was experiencing serious mental issues, and that they were linked to hidden powers. Anyone else might not have realized their own abnormalities, but he believed Bruce, with his unhealthy and demanding self-esteem, and his meticulous approach to matters, would undoubtedly have noticed. He was communicating with Bruce to determine his current state. Only with this certainty would Stephen be able to intervene and attempt to resolve his problems.
"Tony Stark? I know a few things about him. He's different from me!" Bruce shook his head and said solemnly, "Completely different!"
"Then do you know that you are in a very dangerous situation now? There is a bottomless cliff in front of you. If you take a wrong step, you will face a disaster that you absolutely don't want to see. And this disaster is caused by you." Faced with Bruce's avoidance, Stephen seemed a little aggressive and pressed on step by step.
"What did you see?" Bruce remained silent, finally opening his hands. He was now certain that Stephen had seen something. He had been tempted to solve the problem on his own, but suddenly changed his mind and tried to work with Stephen. But he had to know what Stephen had seen.
"The power of the dark dimension! This power is so strong that it's impossible for me to ignore it. It's like an opened can of herrings, the smell is particularly pungent." Stephen said, fanning his nose with his hands. "I've dealt with these dark forces too many times, and I've even eaten a lot of them. So I'm particularly sensitive to them.
Of course, the dark dimensional power I'm familiar with is not the same as the one that's parasitic on you, but the [smell] is just as pungent. If you can't resolve it, then over time, your entire soul will be tainted and taken over."
"It sounds like you understand this power very well, even the consequences?" Bruce felt relieved. Considering his own situation, he was still willing to trust Stephen's judgment to some extent. At least it gave him some reference information.
"You should know where I come from and which organization I work for." Stephen sighed lightly.
"Energy bank?" Bruce rarely showed a smile in his eyes.
"Oh, you're not wrong. But strictly speaking, I work for a wizard organization called Kamar-Taj. I inherited it from my teacher, and also inherited the position of the Energy Bank. What kind of wizard organization is Kamar-Taj?" Stephen asked and answered himself briskly, "It's a wizard organization established in ancient times to protect our world from the invasion of dimensional demons.
The details are complex, and a detailed explanation would take far too long. If you're interested, I can leave you with some historical information about Kamar-Taj later. But for now, all you need to know is the scope of this organization's responsibilities.
At the time, mages borrowed their power from other demons and dimensional worlds. Therefore, some, seeking power or seeking to compensate for their inner shortcomings, sought the more dangerous, powerful, and uncontrollable powers of the dark dimension. These powers were so chaotic and dark that few were suitable for human mages to master. Therefore, mages who attempted to tread the forbidden path often met a disastrous end.
The demons of the dark dimension will respond to them, but this response cannot fill their true inner void, nor can it fulfill their desired wishes. However, the price must be paid! And what the demons desire is to invade and devour the world. The only price their followers can pay is their souls, their freedom, and a chance to open the door to their masters, who are ready to feast on them.
Fortunately, the Supreme Mage possessed the power to foresee the future, allowing him to choose the future he desired and minimize losses. But you know, even if you can foresee the future, some things can only be mitigated, not prevented.
I've seen many futures of depravity and darkness! I'm also well aware of the signs and changes my companions experience after falling prey to the forces of darkness. Do you consider yourself rational and calm? Do you think your current thoughts and actions are entirely your own, and haven't changed in the past?"
Bruce was stunned, and a terrifying fear suddenly arose in his heart.
"It seems you've realized something's wrong, right?" Stephen smiled. "In the early stages of the dark dimension's plans for you, it will subtly influence your judgment and thinking. The simplest and most common method is to solidify a certain obsession of yours and allow it to take root, suppressing all other thoughts and emotions. Like a fanatic, you focus and earnestly pursue a single task. And you won't realize anything is wrong. Even if you know you've been contaminated, even if you know this betrays your former bottom line and responsibilities, you will still move forward! Because your obsession will brainwash you, it will give you a reason and excuse to convince yourself. You are awake, but also obsessed. Until the moment that ultimately determines your value arrives. This is the influence and erosion of the dark dimension's power."
"Do you think that I've been contaminated by the power of the dark dimension you mentioned?" Bruce suppressed his inner emotions and asked back with a calm expression.
"The power of the dark dimension is also divided into many types. For example, psionic energy? Its dark dimension power is divided into multiple layers, and the deepest layer is the Abyss. Generally speaking, in the material universe, we only use the [shadow] of the Abyss, not daring to let its true power descend. But even the shadow, the pollution and danger are enough to solve all problems. However, if there is no countermeasure, this solution is like cutting your finger to heal the wound.
"The dark dimensional power entwined within you doesn't yet reach the level of the Abyss, though it's dense and dark enough. I apologize for the hasty and direct nature of this communication, but if I had waited longer to discover this, I would have been forced to consider drastic measures against you. This could have led to conflict and misunderstandings between us and your group, leading to confrontation and hostility. This is not what I want," Stephen replied seriously.
"When did you first discover my problem? Today? Or even earlier?" Bruce suddenly became aware of another problem.
"I knew you would realize this. Yes, I noticed something abnormal in your body last time, but it was hidden very deeply, so deep that I couldn't be sure, I just had a suspicion. So in order to be sure, I did some things, which may have stimulated it." Stephen smiled implicitly, looking embarrassed.
"So, it suddenly exposed itself these days because it felt the pressure from you?" Bruce was speechless.
"Don't worry about it! It's just a little intimidation. If the judgment fails, you won't have any problems. But if the judgment succeeds, it will create a sense of urgency. If you can't prepare perfectly, you must expose it in advance. Although it will still be troublesome to deal with it this way, it at least buys time and gives you hope of recovering as normal.
"I wanted to have a serious talk with you back then, but things have to be dealt with one by one. Darkseid, you, the Data Dimension. Believe me, we're experts when it comes to dimensional invasions and dark encroachments!" Stephen said with a brisk and confident tone. This confidence even infected Bruce.
Bruce knew things couldn't be as simple as Stephen said. He was probably just trying to appease him. He certainly wouldn't give up on saving himself and leave his life in someone else's hands; that didn't go against his principles. But he didn't resist Stephen's help. At least, as he said, he was the expert in this kind of thing! Even if he didn't succeed, it would still be helpful to have some intelligence and information.
So, Bruce calmly asked: "How are you going to solve my problem?"