Multiverse: Deathstroke

Chapter 356: Ch.355 Flying Together

The Totality was now in their possession, securely stored deep underground in the Hall of Justice.

At this moment, Batman sat alone, expressionless, in front of the surveillance mainframe. He monitored the situation in major cities while holding a small jar in his only somewhat functional left hand.

The jar looked like the kind used by regular people for homemade jam, but inside his jar was a blue-purple starfish with a single yellow eye.

It was a fragment of Starro the Conqueror.

Starro was a supervillain, also the catalyst for the formation of the Justice League, being their first adversary.

Although it looked like an ordinary starfish, Starro was a powerful cosmic telepathic starfish.

Forget about Gorilla Grodd; even J'onn's telepathic abilities paled in comparison to Starro at its full power.

Starro could read others' thoughts and memories and control anyone using its smaller offspring, like facehugging alien parasites.

That's how Starro earned the title of Conqueror of Worlds, having repeatedly managed to mind-control every living being on an entire planet.

Of course, in the end, it was always thwarted by the Justice League.

So it eventually left Earth, heading to an alien world. This time, it allied itself with the dictator Onimar of Thanagar, where it lived happily.

Thanagar, the main source of Nth metal.

With the amplification of Nth metal, Starro evolved to a point where it could control others just by looking at them.

But when the Omega Four attacked Earth, Starro attempted to use its massive body to control one of the Celestials, only to be ripped to shreds by its overwhelming power.

Batman took the opportunity to collect a small piece of it, which now took the form of a tiny starfish.

Its abilities were significantly weakened compared to before, but its mind was now quite simple, and Batman could use it effectively.

If something happened to J'onn, Starro could act as a communicator for the League. And if someone approached with ill intent, Starro could detect it instantly.

Since it was a fragment of Starro inside a jar, Batman called it "Jarro." To prevent it from parasitizing humans, the jar was completely sealed.

Now Batman's thoughts were occupied with the issue of the Su Ming from the alternate world.

According to Jarro, that man's thoughts were completely impenetrable, let alone controllable.

The account matched what J'onn had said, but Jarro, being more powerful, had seen even more.

Jarro described it as: "White, glowing."

Batman pondered deeply on this.

Meanwhile, Wonder Woman, after spending some time renovating her palace, was feeling uninterested. She wanted to convert it into a prayer room but lacked inspiration.

She lay on her bed, but it reeked of Harley's perfume, which to Diana was a crime; she couldn't sleep at all.

It was already late, and with the rest of the Justice League elsewhere, Batman obviously wasn't the best company for a chat.

She asked the main computer for the date and realized it was the weekend, so she donned a cloak over her armor, intending to head out and explore the city.

Tonight, Zatanna was performing at the Magic Theatre.

Ever since Diana returned from Krypton, Zatanna seemed to have been avoiding her. Even when they met, she avoided making eye contact, acting strangely.

Diana decided to go and find out what was wrong.

She and Zatanna had founded the Justice League Dark together to deal with mystical crises around the world, so checking on a teammate was only right.

Just as Diana left her palace, she saw Su Ming slowly approaching in the hallway.

"Where are you headed tonight, Your Majesty?"

Since he had earned some money and had just spanked a goddess, Su Ming was in a good mood. He was planning to go to Barry's room and borrow his bed for a nap.

"This is not Themyscira, and you are not an Amazon," Diana snapped, glaring at him. "This is the Justice League; call me Wonder Woman."

"Sure thing, Your Majesty. Where are you going?" Su Ming turned, following her steps. He couldn't let her wander off alone. If Athena or one of the other goddesses approached Diana, he could explain if he was there.

Diana sighed. She was heading out for serious matters. Why was Su Ming acting like he was going to supervise her? Was Batman possessing him?

"I'm going to watch Zatanna's show. It's at the theater her father used to perform in."

"Oh, then I'll go with you."

Su Ming remained expressionless, but he felt a premonition inside. Diana getting involved with the magical world now might not be a good idea.

Diana uneasily touched her hair beneath her cloak.

Was this a date?

But wasn't a magic show too dull? Especially since both she and Su Ming knew Zatanna's performance wasn't just magic, but genuine backward incantations?

How about hunting a dragon instead? Diana knew there were plenty of wyverns in Northern Europe.

"You plan to watch Zatanna?" Diana was somewhat pleased but kept her head down, walking quickly.

Why watch Zatanna? Su Ming wasn't close to her. "No, I just don't want you out of my sight."

"..."

Under her cloak, Diana's face flushed red. His words were like strong liquor, igniting her chest. She was flustered, almost tripping herself with the Lasso of Truth.

Su Ming genuinely didn't want her out of his sight. Partly because of the goddesses, and partly because of Earth's survival.

Hera had mentioned sorcery, which Su Ming believed was likely connected to those seven forces. He needed to investigate.

"How are we getting there? You flying the jet?"

Diana shook her head. The magic theater wasn't far from Washington—it was only in Los Angeles. Flying across the country was easy for two people who could fly.

"We'll fly there ourselves. You coming?"

"Of course."

On the way, the two flew across the dark night sky. The moon was less than a quarter full, and Clark had even intentionally arranged the pieces to resemble a bat. It was likely meant to cheer up Batman.

But the side of the moon facing them was white, and Bruce probably wouldn't like a white bat.

Diana and Su Ming chatted while flying, though it was mostly Diana talking, and Su Ming just listening.

He had nothing much worth talking about from his past, and he couldn't share anything about Marvel. So Su Ming simply summarized what he had heard from Hephaestus.

Diana almost fell from the sky.

"You're saying there's a whole bunch of gods targeting you now?" Diana's eyes widened, as if checking to see if Su Ming had suddenly grown multiple arms.

After all, in mythology, those who dared to challenge the gods were usually monstrous, like the hundred-armed Titans—and they ultimately lost.

"That's what Hephaestus said, so it's probably true. Trying to claim four of the most beautiful goddesses in the pantheon—I'm no Zeus, so naturally everyone resents me," Su Ming chuckled, shaking his head.

"You'd better be careful. Gods' methods are sometimes no better than demons," Diana clearly had little affection for Olympus.

"If I kill them, they'll just reincarnate through the Underworld. I need an effective plan," the red goggles on Su Ming's mask left trails in the air as he added, "Conveniently, I have a pretty decent one."