Days as a Spiritual Mentor in American Comics-Chapter 4424 - 3512: Research on Cats and Dogs (23)

"This Mr. Kent has not only had his brainwaves disturbed, but his memories have also been altered," Charles remarked. "Presumably, this was a cover-up tactic employed by the mastermind to obscure their tracks."

"However, the other party doesn't understand his brain well enough. The memory modifications and reconstructions were rather crude. You could think of it like a poorly done Photoshop edit, leaving behind many jagged edges. From these fragmented pieces, I managed to uncover some suspicious details."

As soon as Charles finished speaking, everyone suddenly found themselves sitting in a dimly lit room. Lex was the first to recognize it—it was the safe house beneath the Luther Group headquarters.

Lex was sitting on a chair, and an overwhelming influx of information poured into his mind: nearby breathing and heartbeats, distant whispers, footsteps even farther away, the sound of ocean waves at the horizon, voices from the other side of Earth, and the roaring energy surges originating from the Sun's core...

These were sensations no human senses could ever achieve. With Charles' assistance, everyone experienced a taste of Kryptonian perception. The overwhelming sensory input was "overclocked" to such an extent that it left Lex with a splitting headache.

But at that moment, he noticed a shadow approaching him, staring directly into his eyes.

The silhouette was utterly vague and indistinct, like the blurry memory of a stranger one might have brushed past years ago, devoid of any recognizable details.

Yet considering how recently they'd met and the proximity between them, combined with Superman's extraordinary brain and photographic memory, this was clearly illogical. Someone must have tampered with his memory of this encounter—most likely the "human" standing before him.

No, not right. The heightened perception provided Lex with another answer—his heartbeat rhythm was off, his blood flow velocity was abnormal, and even the structure of his muscles, the placement of his internal organs, and the vibration pattern of his vocal cords were all wrong.

He was not human.

The instant this conclusion hit him, Lex snapped wide awake, drenched in cold sweat. Looking around, he noticed that apart from the two additional Kryptonians present, everyone else seemed equally struck.

Oliver was the first to recover. "It looks like this guy only erased Superman's visual memory of the encounter but forgot to wipe the memories of his other senses," he said.

Clark chuckled, saying, "It seems he's truly unfamiliar with us. Our sensory systems are far more complex than humans'. Erasing just the visual system is futile."

"What if he erases all of your sensory systems' memories?" someone asked.

"Our brains host more than one system," Clark explained. "At least, mine does. Besides the system currently controlling my body and actions, there's also a virtual system. In the virtual system, there are approximately 11 primary systems and 5 backup systems. They are nested and cross-verify one another, making us nearly impervious to illusions."

"That's indeed a brilliant structure," Charles remarked with admiration.

Lex couldn't help but glance at Charles. If Clark had seen the same things they all had, it implied that Charles had created the illusion within the Kryptonians' minds, effectively nullifying the supposedly inviolable systems of Superman's super-brain.

Well, it was no surprise—after all, the Superman lying next to them had just undergone a treatment courtesy of Charles.

Despite bracing himself, Lex couldn't help but wonder: what kind of lives do the people in the neighboring universe live every day?

Injustice Batman apparently shared a similar train of thought, only his question was: what kind of lives do the people in *this* universe live every day?

Thank goodness there isn't a Batman in this universe, he mused. Otherwise, just how many contingency plans would he need to prepare to deal with a mind power user like this?

For the first time, Batman himself experienced what it meant when others said, "Just thinking on his behalf is exhausting." In the past, this sentiment only came from the mouths of fellow Justice League members, and the "he" in question was always Batman.

"The Eleventh Bureau has some leads; they're preparing a capture operation," Oliver said with a shake of his head. "Since it's an independent system, we can't meddle too much. But honestly, I think their chances of success are slim. If the opponent possesses psychic abilities, escaping will be child's play."

"Shouldn't we help them?" Diana frowned slightly. "With Professor Xavier's assistance, the odds of success would significantly increase."

"No," Oliver replied after pausing to think. "While that's true, there's no guarantee only one person has been replaced. If there are other deeply embedded operatives, revealing Professor Xavier's involvement means we've just lost a key card."

"The Eleventh Bureau's work may be crucial," Oliver continued, "but our *first* priority must always be the Justice League's interests. Their lack of understanding about us is our greatest advantage—we can't expose any information prematurely."

Hal flew in through the large hall's window at Luthor Manor, nodding at Lex and then addressing Oliver. "It's chaos over there—they've already opened fire, but it doesn't look like they've caught anyone."

"As expected," Oliver replied with a knowing nod. "For now, let's stay out of it. Let them handle it themselves. If they really can't manage, their director will surely reach out."

"Who would've thought the issue would emerge within the Eleventh Bureau," Diana sighed lightly, sitting down on a nearby sofa. "And here we thought the external intruder, who seemed poised to cause a significant problem, ended up being a victim instead."

"The adversary planned this well. Such events are no surprise," Oliver replied. Then, looking toward Injustice Batman, he added:

"I owe you an apology, Batman. Allowing Superman to face danger while staying in the safe house was a lapse on our part. But since the situation has already developed this way, we might as well discuss our next steps."

"That's not something I can decide," Injustice Batman responded. "You should already realize that my relationship with Superman from my universe isn't good. Besides, it's clear you all don't need a Batman."

"Still, having one more ally is always beneficial," Oliver said. "As for your conflict with your universe's Superman, we'll find a way to resolve it."

Oliver turned to Charles. Charles remarked, "They merely lack an opportunity for proper communication. But now, clearly, isn't the time to sit and have heart-to-heart talks."

"Moreover..." Charles adjusted his glasses and looked at Injustice Batman. "Have you noticed anything off about your universe's Wonder Woman?"

Injustice Batman furrowed his brows. Judging by his reaction, Oliver could tell he'd already suspected something but hadn't found evidence yet.

"She's been incessantly driving a wedge between you and Superman, making him increasingly extreme. Many times, you would've had opportunities for reconciliation if not for her covert manipulations."

Injustice Batman remained silent, primarily because he saw that the Injustice Superman sitting on the sofa had already gotten up. His icy blue-almost-white eyes radiated an even colder glint—just glancing at them felt like one had been caught in the effects of frost breath.

Charles shot a quick glance over his shoulder but seemed utterly unfazed. With an "I've said all I needed to" expression, he strolled away.

The atmosphere between Injustice Superman and Injustice Batman became slightly awkward. Injustice Batman was clearly searching for a task to occupy himself with, but in just the span of seconds, this universe's Justice League members had already dispersed completely.

It was truly hard to imagine how this universe's Justice League possessed such exceptionally high emotional intelligence and such keen observational skills.

Most strikingly, their sympathy and concern for Batman seemed utterly lacking. It was as if they didn't spare a single worry over the very real possibility that this visibly irate Injustice Superman might punch him to death.

"Bruce, I think we need to talk," said Injustice Superman.

Most of the Justice League members had moved to the lounge adjacent to the main hall. The sunken seating area featured a lowered central floor encircled by sofas, with a large table in the middle. At the table's center was a fireplace, perfect for gatherings.

Paris had arranged the snacks they'd purchased over the tabletop, and everyone casually helped themselves, chatting as they ate.

"How's the overall screening in Metropolis going?" Oliver asked Lex.

"No suspicious individuals found," Lex replied. "I suspect their spaceship didn't directly land in Metropolis."

"My guess is, Earth's extraterrestrial defense measures probably deterred them from opting for a frontal assault," Hal speculated. "They know if they appeared directly above Metropolis to begin indiscriminate carnage against Earthlings, I could immediately summon the Green Lantern Corps main forces. Then, they'd be the ones caught like rats in a trap."

"Quite likely," Lex agreed, adding, "instead, they're working in the shadows, aiming to divide the Justice League. Once we're exhausted from infighting, they'll seize the opportunity to strike."

"The key is discerning their objective," Clark said. "I doubt they intend to fight a war and then rule Earth. Even if that was their initial plan, seeing our defense capabilities would probably change their minds."

"If their goal isn't ruling Earth, then their target must be the Justice League," Diana suggested. "After breaking us apart, they'd at least secure America, then methodically conquer Earth. It's a feasible strategy."

"Cowards," Bruce commented tersely.

He glanced at his watch, then at the adjacent television screen. "It's about time for my TV show. Anyone sticking around to watch with me?"

In the end, only Clark and Diana stayed—after all, neither ground-level screenings nor extraterrestrial defenses fell under their remits. They needed to conserve energy for any forthcoming direct confrontations.

As Bruce flipped through channels, he suddenly seemed to remember something and asked, "What day is it today?"

"Friday. Why?"

Bruce slapped his thigh. "There's a major show airing tonight!"

"What major show?" Clark perked up. "Don't tell me it's the Gigi Pippi Comedy Show? That show's been getting worse—word is it's on the brink of cancellation..."

"That show was canceled ages ago," Diana chimed in. "For a time, they aired the Stunt Motorcycle Show in its place, but ratings were poor as well." She turned to Bruce. "Are you into stunt motorcycles?"

Bruce waved her off and pulled out his phone, showing them a poster. The poster read "Ace Talk Show," with a large image of the Joker's grinning face at its center.

"Mister Joker's TV debut!" Bruce announced.

"Joker? Oh, I remember now—he's that stand-up comedian, right? I caught one of his live shows during a music festival," Clark said, scooting closer to Bruce. Diana also leaned in, and the three were soon staring intently at the screen together.

Bruce finally found the right channel, and the moment he switched over, that iconic hysterical laughter filled the room.

Injustice Batman, who was walking towards the lounge, froze in place. Injustice Superman was just a step behind him, and in that instant, he was certain he was within the range of frost breath.

"Thud!"

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The three in the lounge rushed over at the sound, just in time to see Injustice Batman—now frozen into an ice sculpture—collapse to the ground.