Multiverse: Deathstroke

Chapter 95: Ch.94 Nightmare Batcave

After bidding farewell to Hephaestus, a thoroughly overheated Barry sped across the ocean with Su Ming in tow. This volcanic island seemed like a place only gods and their followers could endure.

Day in and day out, it was all about forging, eating, and sleeping, all in the scorching heat. Without strong faith, it would be impossible to persevere.

The island was located off the coast of Italy, and it was another mission involving crossing the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. Barry was already well-practiced at this.

"We're going to deal with the Merciless. Do you have a plan?" Barry asked as they sprinted across the vast ocean.

Su Ming looked at the endless sea, rubbing his chest where his injury had almost healed, though it still itched a bit. "He's the Batman from Earth -12. At his core, he's still human. His power source is the Helm of Ares on his head. It burned his mind, turning him into a War God obsessed with slaughter and battle."

In that world, Batman and Wonder Woman were a couple, but after he lost his mind, Wonder Woman died at his hands.

"So... should I just run up and take off the helmet?" Barry tilted his head, testing the waters with his suggestion.

Su Ming shook his head. "That won't work. It's a divine artifact. Unless he willingly removes it, it's impossible to take off."

"Then what should we do?"

"My strength is no match for his, but martial skill isn't just about brute force. Even though he's Bruce and trained by his world's Wonder Woman, I believe I can hold him off for a while. With Diana's help, we can defeat him... Here, take this."

Su Ming handed Barry the divine metal grenade that Barry had stealthily given him earlier. It was still warm from being hidden in his hand.

"No, I can't kill anyone."

"You won't need to kill. The Merciless has another trump card—a giant coin." Su Ming pushed the grenade back into Barry's hand.

"A coin?"

"Yes. How much do you know about Greek mythology?"

"Uh... a little bit."

"In mythology, every believer in Olympus who dies goes to the Underworld to await Hades' judgment. They must cross the River Styx, and souls have to pay a coin for the ferry ride, or they'll be condemned to sink in the river."

Barry nodded and pocketed the grenade. "I've heard of that. Even now, some people place a coin in the mouth or on the forehead of the deceased. But putting in pennies or dimes isn't quite right, is it?"

"Exactly. According to legend, the ferryman on the Styx only accepts a specific ancient Greek currency—the Drachma. Besides its monetary value, it has special magical properties. It can house souls as a residence in the Underworld. Those who can't afford a place are thrown into the Styx. The ferryman charges a fare for providing this service." Su Ming draped his arm over Barry's shoulder as the scenery around them blurred.

"So what do you need me to do?"

"The Merciless destroyed his world. After he killed all the people and gods, he went to the Underworld and took Hades' treasure. He melted down all the Amazons' ferry coins and reforged them into a giant coin, about two meters in diameter and this thick." Su Ming gestured with his hands, indicating the coin's thickness of several dozen centimeters.

"Uh... that Bruce is really strapped for cash?" Barry was baffled. He had witnessed countless versions of the multiverse but had never seen a penniless Batman. Robbing other people's gold reserves?

"No, it's a magical artifact." Su Ming sighed, feeling his earlier explanation of the mythology had gone over Barry's head. "It contains natural dark energy and can house the souls of the dead. Inside that coin is an entire army of Amazonian ghosts from Earth -12."

"So, you want me to blow it up?" Barry slowly nodded, understanding. He knew how to use grenades and had no issues destroying artifacts, as long as it didn't involve him having to kill anyone. As for the spirits inside, they were already dead. Destroying the coin to let them rest would be doing them a favor.

"Exactly. If you don't want us to be surrounded by thousands of ghosts, you have to destroy it." Su Ming patted his shoulder, encouraging him. "You're the key to success. Diana and I are counting on you."

"Alright... I'll do it."

The East Coast of the United States loomed in the distance, and in the blink of an eye, they were standing on the shore.

"Oh my God..." Barry exclaimed as he looked at the ruins of Washington, D.C., involuntarily blurting out the words. All around were broken walls and ruins, some buildings reduced to dust, with smoke and flames enveloping the city. Mangled bodies lay buried under the rubble.

"That's the power of the War God. God may be strong, but He's clearly not involved in this matter. Let's keep moving. Don't dwell on it." Su Ming cast a brief glance at the scene before regaining his composure. The past was beyond saving.

"Sigh..."

A.R.G.U.S.'s underground secret vault, 1,200 meters below.

The Merciless had transformed it into a massive exhibition hall, displaying various monster specimens and all the divine artifacts he had acquired through his god-slaying.

But unlike a typical exhibition hall, all the exhibits were arranged along the walls, leaving a vast open space in the center, covered with luxurious carpeting like an indoor ballroom.

A towering figure clad in medieval armor stood there, facing a much smaller woman.

The heavy armor was blue, not forged from divine metal, but taken from the Ares of his world.

On his chest was a white, winged bat symbol. However, unlike the Batman symbol of the primary world, this one was overlaid with Wonder Woman's emblem, the double-W resembling a soaring eagle.

The War God's helmet had a massive skull-like faceplate, with batwing-like earrings extending from both sides. His eyes glowed red.

"Diana, do you like the Batcave I've remade for you?" His muffled voice echoed from beneath the helmet, like the roar of the dead from the depths of Hell. "In my universe, I once hoped we could have a home together."

Wonder Woman stood across from him, maintaining her distance. After leaving the Oblivion Bar, the Justice League had gone their separate ways for their respective missions. But Barbatos' immense dark energy soon located them. Mysterious dark magic created portals, sweeping them up and scattering them across the world into various Nightmare Batcaves.

Each Nightmare Batman awaited them inside.

Diana knew this was a tactic to divide the Justice League, a signature Batman move. The Nightmare Batmen had clearly inherited this trait.

"That just means the me from your world had terrible taste, in every way." Diana sneered, showing disdain and fearlessness as she raised her sword and shield defensively.

"It must have been our most intimate time." The Merciless turned around and selected a weapon radiating golden light from a nearby rack, then pointed it at Diana in challenge. "These are all the weapons of the gods I've slain. Come, my dear, choose one. No god can dictate our fate anymore."

Diana's gaze sharpened. She recognized the weapon, a blade that was both a sword and a dagger—the God Killer. Hephaestus had forged a similar one in the primary world. He had used it to lure Deathstroke into working for him, hoping Deathstroke would use it to kill the Titan Lapetus imprisoned beneath Themyscira.

The Titans were enemies of Olympus, and Zeus wanted him dead. Hephaestus was merely the errand boy.

But things never go smoothly. Deathstroke had caused a huge mess on Themyscira with that dangerous weapon, and the God Killer had been reclaimed by Hephaestus.

The sword connected to the wielder's mind, incredibly powerful, capable of changing into any weapon at will. But that was all in the past. The current problem was the most pressing. In this entire room, there was no weapon capable of standing against the God Killer.

Diana thought for a moment, then threw down her Sword of Ares and Amazonian shield. The two divine metal weapons hit the carpet with a dull thud.