Days as a Spiritual Mentor in American Comics-Chapter 4438 - 3524: Research on Cats and Dogs (35)_2

"They've never had the time to sit down and talk." Lex said, "Actually, there were a few opportunities, but apparently the Justice League of their universe... I don't know how to put it."

"It seems like my counterpart did something stupid." Diana had already guessed, she said.

"So now that they have a chance to talk, do you think they'll compromise with each other? Or..."

"It's not Superman who's talking to Batman now." Lex interrupted Diana, saying, "It's not a cat and a dog in that lab; it's two cunning cats. They are both skilled manipulators, not ones to give in easily."

"Now this is getting interesting." Bruce said, "In any relationship, if one side is a cat—seemingly harmless but adept at manipulation—the other is a dog, strong but simple-minded. Cats and dogs make for a seamless collaboration."

"But now, this cat—Batman—doesn't yet know that his dog has swapped its soul and still intends to control him. Meanwhile, Professor Xavier, as an equally cunning cat, must disguise himself in the thinking of a dog to avoid being exposed. He needs to seize the upper hand while pretending to be that dog. Who do you think will win?"

"I'm betting on Professor Xavier." Pamela said, "He can read minds, which is a huge advantage. Besides, Superman could almost be considered a victim here—he holds the moral high ground."

"I think it'll be Batman." Harley said after taking a sip of soda, "Seeing through Batman's real thoughts is ridiculously difficult. I'd wager his Psychic_Battlefield is more convoluted than the structure of Earth's core. He might have built an entire cosmos inside his mind but buried the truth deep within a random asteroid. Even Professor Xavier won't figure it out that easily."

"Why do I feel like Batman will realize Superman isn't Superman?" Hal said, "He's bound to notice."

"But he won't expose it." Diana shook her head and said, "If an unknown entity controls Superman, it's essentially a hostage situation. Batman won't recklessly provoke the hostage-taker."

"My head's spinning." Barry said, "Can no one just enjoy a simple, straightforward relationship anymore? Does it always have to be this complicated?"

"Of course not." Clark patted him on the shoulder, saying, "As long as we staunchly support healthy relationships, no amount of psychos or madmen can shake us."

"That's easy for you to say." Barry shrank back his neck, saying, "If someday a madman like that gets attached to me, I don't even know if I could outrun them."

"Physically, of course, you can." Harley chuckled, "But mentally... I'd suggest hiding behind Professor Shearer; he'll protect you."

"Oh, you've given him a splendid idea." Pamela said to Harley, "That reminds me of a joke—someone, trying to avoid a lightning strike, hid in a bear's cave."

Harley burst out laughing. Barry scratched his head, as if he also got what Pamela was hinting at. Only Clark and Diana exchanged a helpless look.

"If you're really intent on entering a morbid relationship, I hope you at least choose wisely." Diana said, "If you're a dog, go find a cat, but definitely not a lion or a tiger."

"Otherwise..."

Both of them turned their eyes to Bruce at the same time.

"I'm definitely not saying you're the one still trying to graduate with a PhD." Receiving Bruce's Death Stare, Diana hastily raised her hands in surrender.

"Nor am I saying you're overestimating yourself; you're just a little unlucky." As Bruce's gaze shifted to Clark, Clark quickly added.

"Yes, you've always been unlucky." Diana chimed in.

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Luckily, at that moment, the Injustice Batman and Injustice Superman on the screen finally ended their long stare-off. Injustice Batman spoke, "We do lack opportunities to talk, but I don't think now is the time. I need to make adjustments to my gear as soon as possible."

Injustice Superman had been standing still with his arms at his sides, but just as Batman turned back to continue his experiment, the circular saw on the table began trembling and then rose into the air.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—"

The saw spun like a blender, swiftly cutting through the cords. Injustice Batman turned to look at Injustice Superman.

"You shouldn't be prioritizing the creation of anti-fall equipment when fighting alongside me. I can catch you."

"That's true." Injustice Batman turned back to look at him and said, "But that was in the past. Should I tell you that whenever I fought alongside you, I always brought one of these?"

"Did you think I wouldn't notice?"

Injustice Batman seemed somewhat at a loss for words. Injustice Superman took two steps forward and said, "Batman, you know, you're a very peculiar person. No one can fully understand you."

"Everyone has their own set of standards to evaluate others. Those who meet the standards fall into the friend category; those who don't are excluded. We can pretty easily identify most people's criteria—like shared ideals or similar interests."

"But you're different. You keep your standards buried too deeply. No one can be entirely sure of where they stand with you. If they are confident about their position, it's just a misdirection you've given them. No one truly knows how you evaluate others."

"No, Clark." Injustice Batman said, "You know I do have a standard. I don't kill, and I hope my friends don't kill either."

"I violated that standard, so you excluded me from your circle of friends. I understand. Outside of friendship is enmity. You've made me your enemy."

"You expect your friends not to kill, but you don't seem to hold your enemies to the same standard. By that logic, being your enemy is better, freer than being your friend. Is that the purpose of your standard?"

"No, of course not." Batman said, "I have expectations for my friends, but none for my enemies."

"Is being the subject of your expectations a good thing?" Injustice Superman tilted his head and looked at him. "If I were still your friend, perhaps I'd feel honored. You think I'm capable of adhering to a principle without wavering, which means you recognize my integrity. Earning Batman's recognition is always an honor."

"But now I'm your enemy. You can't expect your enemies to uphold the same standards as you. Otherwise, we'd have reconciled long ago."

"I just want to ask you." Injustice Superman took another step forward, "Even if I start following your standards again, would you reclassify me as a friend?"

"Those things can't be undone, Clark. Don't be naïve."

"Exactly. So even if I bow to you now, we can't go back to how we were. We'll never go back."

Injustice Batman sensed there was something off in Injustice Superman's tone. He sounded unnervingly calm—too composed to be reasonable, and this was very wrong.

He turned to look at Injustice Superman. Sure enough, there was no anger or disappointment on his face. His eyes had gone utterly cold; they looked genuinely glacial. The part visible above the surface resembled the tip of an iceberg, while the massive bulk of his soul had sunk into the depths below.

This made Injustice Batman feel deeply uneasy because he began to understand what Injustice Superman meant by "standard." Superman's elusive attitude now left Batman equally uncertain of what Superman's standards were.