Days as a Spiritual Mentor in American Comics

Chapter 5915: Chapter 4936: No Batman Here (24)

So, the topic shifted to how to make a super sniper rifle—one that could fire into the air but have the bullet land precisely on someone’s head. It needs a large caliber, long range, and a base with a launch button would be even better.

When this topic was brought up, the atmosphere lightened, and there was no more distance between them. The Robins were as close as if they were brothers who had grown up together. Even "Harley Quinn" and "Poison Ivy" seamlessly joined in, thankfully one was blonde and the other a redhead, so neither was black-haired with blue eyes.

"We lack large machine tools," Damian said. "No matter what, with just those hand-cranked machines, we can’t produce anything decent."

"Energy is also a problem," Nightwing added. "Even if we can obtain blueprints and materials through completing tasks, supporting such a production task is impossible with regular energy sources. Not even Gotham’s power plants might be able to sustain it."

"And even if we’re not making radioactive stuff, just where to get such a large amount of explosives is an issue," Red Robin said. "I’m sure Brainiac doesn’t have a hobby of stockpiling explosives, right?"

"A precise electronic guidance system isn’t easy to make, either," Red Hood added. "The opponent is an Outer God, and we can’t guide it manually, even superpower users would find it difficult. The best method would be to rely on an electronic system, but it’s a very complex algorithm, and I doubt anyone here is an expert."

But unexpectedly, the members of the Viscount Manor team exchanged glances. Tim sighed lightly and said, "Follow me."

The others looked at each other, but still followed Tim to the backyard. There was a door leading to a cellar. Once they went down, it was a whole different world.

Rodriguez Manor’s underground had an Ark Reactor.

It was a large-scale Ark Reactor that Bruce had previously produced. It was initially intended as a backup power source for Gotham, but as Gotham’s situation improved, there wasn’t any disaster to necessitate its use, so it became just a display item. Until the Young Avengers took over Viscount Manor, did it find a use.

Brainiac, considering human mental health, doesn’t like using robots. But with the Gotham Police Department armed by him, they can solve practically all of Gotham’s issues, leaving little need for the Young Avengers’ intervention.

However, occasionally there were times when they still needed to act, as the inevitable forces of nature in neighboring Metropolis weren’t few. For some minor internal human conflicts, Brainiac would let humans handle it unless things got really out of hand before he intervened. At times like this, a place to train or manufacture and maintain equipment was necessary.

The underground space of Viscount Manor was sizable, so they built a multifunctional underground base around the Ark Reactor.

Once the Prime Universe’s Robins came down, they immediately felt at home—isn’t this the Batcave?

Familiar large energy devices, familiar underground training grounds, familiar Batmobiles and planes—the legacy of Batman had been inherited by Tim and the others—even the familiar bat suits were there.

"Don’t you guys not have a Batman here?" Damian asked.

"It’s not like only Batman can make this stuff," Tim walked down nonchalantly and said, "Most of Batman’s belongings here are just decorations. The Batmobile severely violates the noise ordinances for vehicles operating in the city set by Brainiac and is not allowed on the road. Private planes, even more so, don’t have approved flight paths, and it’s illegal to fly them out of here. Though you can wear the bat suits, walking around in them might lead to people asking for your photo, and causing a commotion could get you arrested..."

"Hold on," Nightwing raised a hand and said, "First of all, how does the Batmobile have noise?"

At this, Arkham Knight was the first to look over. His expression seemed to say, "How could the Batmobile not have noise?"

Indeed, the Batmobile of Arkham Batman was noisy, and quite significantly so. In its settings, the Batmobile is designed to intimidate thugs, so that anyone with nefarious intentions would be scared out of their wits upon hearing its roar. It was a means to establish the Dark Knight’s authority.

The Batmobile of Prime Universe Batman wasn’t very noisy, and for a reason. After all, most of his work involved investigations, much like how an agent dislikes using Diana’s blessing—a person engaged in stealth and investigative work can’t drive a car that sounds like it could cause an earthquake with a foot on the pedal. Although it can be switched to roaring mode, most of the time it glides silently like a bat.

As for the reason Bruce’s Batmobile was very loud, it’s rather peculiar. It goes back to when Aisha wouldn’t sleep. When Aisha was newly born, she was a real crybaby at night, never quiet. Later, Bruce and Selina found that as long as they drove her around Gotham, she’d fall soundly asleep.

Moreover, it had to be in a loud roaring sports car. So Bruce modified his Batmobile into one of those loud cars. So it was actually a car specifically for lulling Aisha to sleep.

In those days, this car also disturbed the residents. But back then, Gotham was controlled by mobs, and it disturbed the mobs, not civilians, and they couldn’t do anything about it even if they tried.

Bruce’s driving skills weren’t something he started practicing after becoming Batman; he had begun back then. His initial sparring partners weren’t the Four Heavenly Kings of the Gotham Police Department, but the drift masters of the Twelve Families.

Back then, when Bruce floored the gas pedal, he sounded the horn for the night of battle. He’d be speeding ahead, with at least a dozen sports cars chasing behind. By the time he drifted onto Qiuming Mountain, practically all of Gotham’s mobs were awake, and the main activity for the latter half of the night was calling each other to curse over the phone.

The mob that blocked Bruce from driving a truck into Falcone Manor back then wasn’t entirely because of business; it was somewhat personal. They didn’t think Bruce intended to ram the truck into the Godfather, but rather, they felt this kid was so arrogant that he was ready to drift around a corner in front of the Godfather to prove that he was Gotham’s top driver. If they hadn’t stopped him, it would seem the Twelve Families were powerless.

Fate works in mysterious ways. Bruce’s driving skills didn’t even start with trying to coax Aisha, or rather, he came up with that idea to coax Aisha because, back in the Gotham slum, he took a truck-driving job and saw many truck drivers taking their kids on delivery runs.

Coincidences don’t get much bigger than this. Alongside him in the truck were Jason and a bunch of kids from the Tail Gang. And their supposed arch-nemesis, Joker Jack, was also a truck driver.

In the end, this Batmobile was not just Bruce’s vehicle; it was more like a destiny he wrote himself, like salt and a salt shaker, except this time, it was his own hand holding the shaker.

Soon the Bat Equipment couldn’t grab their attention anymore, as every structure of that gigantic Ark Reactor in the center screamed extraordinary.

"I can’t imagine what kind of mood the Batman of your universe was in when he made this thing," Red Robin hesitated, "If you just look at it, I’d think you’re on the brink of life and death. Batman might not even care about safety anymore, or maybe he just wants to go down with the enemy, that’s why he made such a huge bomb."

To most people, the Ark Reactor just looks like an enormous bomb, with nothing redeemable about it. The one on Stark’s chest, being smaller, doesn’t have such an impact to the untrained eye, and Stark, being the show-off he is, designed it to look like armor decoration, hiding its lethality. Bruce has none of this nonsense; he made a pure industrial monster. When Brainiac discovered this thing for the first time, he almost wanted to surrender with a cyber white flag.

"I have another question," Red Hood extended a finger, "He built this thing and then placed it under his teacher’s basement, what’s their relationship?"

"That’s a long story," Tim was about to begin, but Brainiac interrupted him, "The Ark Reactor must only use the lowest power level; I haven’t made the adaptation for higher."

"What’s your deal?" Harley shouted dissatisfied, "This can’t adapt, that can’t adapt, what’s with the promise of no power limits?!"

"I’m already the least restrictive game system in the entire multiverse; if you don’t like it, don’t play," Brainiac retorted firmly.

Unfortunately, he was telling the truth. Whether it’s Doctor Manhattan’s playground or Battleworld, few offer such unlimited power playstyles with real-world settings.

Most of Battleworld’s unrestricted Chapters are fictional, where the "I’m strong, but the world’s power system is stronger" theme lacks immersion.

Brainiac’s model, although with formidable monsters, takes place in the familiar Gotham, offering an exhilarating feeling of unleashing power in reality. The monsters being strong not only didn’t diminish the excitement but rather provided a balanced thrill. The absence of civilian measures allows them to unleash their full potential.

Harley sighed. "I’m just trying to push you. It’s okay if most people don’t understand superpowers, but why can’t we use the Ark Reactor?"

"That’s something from another universe," Brainiac patiently explained, "with restrictions from other universe rules you don’t understand. Even if I figured out the principles, issues could still arise."

"And I advise you to use items from other worlds sparingly, especially iconic ones like Captain America’s shield, Iron Man’s battle armor, or mutant symbols."

"Then why do they have no issues using our stuff?" Nightwing asked.

"Have they shown the Bat Light?"

The question stopped everyone in their tracks. Why would the other universe randomly show the Bat Light? It can’t cross universes. If there’s a super villain, calling Batman makes sense, but calling Batman for a big airport fight? Might as well bring Robin along, with one main referee, two side referees, and a fourth official to make sure no bad deeds go unpunished.

"Okay, okay," Tim waved his hand, "Better than nothing. The minimum output should be enough to start the production line. Do you have the blueprints?"

"I have a bullet machine," Damian replied, "but from the blueprint’s design, it doesn’t seem capable of producing bullets; not sure if it’s useful."

"To avoid the suspicion of ’inciting murder’ and ’illegal arms manufacture and trade,’ all system-provided production lines are visually modified, but their functions are intact," Brainiac stated, "In simple terms, you can’t learn how to make machinery by observing and dismantling it."

"Wow," Tim rubbed his hands, "This means there must be some explosive blueprints later, maybe even a spaceship?"

Everyone got excited. Such restrictions must be for something beyond just bullet machinery, certainly due to bigger production lines that could create heavy equipment. Brainiac was guarding against them learning and taking it home. If Robins were to produce a Thunder Nuke back in the Prime Universe, Primary Universe Batman wouldn’t hesitate to give them a red card and send it off.