The fireplace at Wayne Manor was still burning warmly. The cold wind outside couldn't penetrate here, but when Bruce Wayne sat there, it was as if all the darkness in the world descended upon him; one person was like an entire city's snowy night.
Shiller walked in through the front door, shook the snow off his scarf, handed his cold coat to Alfred, exhaled the last breath of cold air, walked to the sofa, and sat across from Bruce.
"What do you need me for?"
"There's a job I need you to take on."
"Don't joke around, I'm not an agent, and I don't love working that much," Shiller said, looking away.
"This is a good job for you to be a behind-the-scenes manipulator," Bruce said calmly, "The head of A.R.G.U.S., a position where you manipulate superheroes."
Shiller narrowed his eyes at him. Bruce said, "Isn't this the kind of thing you like to do? Attracting attention, manipulating emotions, watching them squirm like fish on a hook, completely under your control. Amanda's position is tailor-made for you."
"Are you trying to anger me? Why? What do you gain from this?" Shiller asked.
"No, I'm praising you," Bruce said. "You're completely different from Amanda. She hates superheroes, hates all superpower users. But you're different; you love them."
Bruce leaned forward to pick up the cup on the table, then said, "You have a higher-dimensional, unknown-origin fondness for them. Have you heard their legends, or maybe superheroes from some universe appeared in literary works that you deeply admired?"
Shiller's hand paused slightly. He looked at Bruce, but the graying man appeared as usual.
This was the first aging Batman Shiller encountered. Currently, whether it was the Primary Universe Batman, Big Adventure Batman, or Arkham Batman, they were all around forty years old, some not even hitting forty. Yet the Batman before him now was already fifty.
A decade, a long enough time for Batman to evolve into a different entity. If this isn't obvious enough, perhaps compare Batman at twenty and thirty. The twenty-year-old Batman was just starting out, still battling the mob; by thirty, he had already ascended to Apocalypse Star.
The same goes for forty and fifty. When Shiller first met the Primary Universe Batman, he was already strong. But in just a few short years, the Primary Universe Batman had gone from Gotham's superhero to the leader of the Multiverse. Given another decade, who knows what he might become.
Even if the Bruce before him hadn't encountered the Battleworld nor the Multiverse to accelerate his growth, his decade of experience was still significant. He was the first to discern Shiller's "high-dimensional perspective."
Of course, there had been people before who noticed that Shiller had some understanding beyond the average for superheroes, and some heroes knew Shiller was not a local, but came from somewhere far away.
But no one ever pointed out that his understanding of superheroes didn't seem like he was cognizant of real-world individuals; much of the information sounded more like he was describing a character.
Despite Shiller trying his best not to impose the character information from his mind onto real people, certain "God's perspectives" and the judgments these perspectives brought were unavoidable. He first knew them from comic books, which was a God's perspective.
If it was just this, it wouldn't be much. Perhaps the Primary Universe Batman also noticed but chose not to say. Because Shiller was already strange enough, was knowing others from a God's perspective more bizarre than psychoanalysis? If not, then there wasn't anything particular to single out.
However, this aging Batman spotted the most crucial point — Shiller loved these characters.
You could say no Batman dared guarantee this. First, they weren't interested in the inner world of the mentally ill; secondly, Shiller didn't seem to be one of those friendly mentally ill; lastly, some of Shiller's crazy actions looked more like pure hatred than love born from hatred, equally towards everyone.
The Primary Universe Batman understood arrogance best, so he particularly refrained from making judgments on this. Any emotion driving arrogance to do certain things seemed more reasonable than love.
"Are you waiting for me to praise your intelligence?" Shiller smiled, looking at Bruce, "Unfortunately, I'm just one among many personality traits, representing only one side of me..."
"You are the most special one," Bruce continued, "You are the prime motive."
Shiller wasn't surprised Bruce knew his form of existence. The same body story could fool others, but not Batman. They had their intelligence network; any manifested personality traits would be listed. Perhaps they even had a team specifically researching the differences among these traits and when they could be useful, otherwise, it was hard to explain why Batman always wanted to recruit agents.
"How did you know?" Shiller asked, "If I love them, why would I think about manipulating and deceiving them?"
"Because you're a personality-inverted psychopath," Bruce said calmly, "At least when you first got to know the superheroes, you hadn't perfectly covered your mental problems. So, you'd fantasize about handling them in some morbid way. Even though now you act more like a person, those thoughts occasionally surface, just like those more dangerous and crazy personality traits do at times."
"I must admit, your understanding is correct. But unlike most people, you aren't one to completely avoid morbidity."
"Everyone has a morbid side. If you think only you can face it frankly, then you're too arrogant."
"Are you saying you can too?"
"Not just that," Bruce gently shook his head and said, "Just as you would use your morbidity, I would too; and just as you would use others' morbidities, I would too. That's why I'm here to see you now."
"What do you want to use me for?" Shiller asked.
"Do what you're best at," Bruce said, "I need a Justice League united around me."
"That means they must detach from and oppose the society they are currently in to join the society you're building."
"Saying it like that makes us seem ruthless," Bruce shook his head and said, "I'd rather call it showing them the truth of the society they're now in, then letting them choose voluntarily."
"The truth? What truth? The homeless struggling to survive in the tent area, or the happy family living in the big house?"
"Both are truths," Bruce admitted frankly, "It's just that they have often seen the latter."
"You want to show them the former, make them think the society they are in now is too indifferent, so they will voluntarily break away and come to your embrace."
But Bruce shook his head again and said, "I'm not trying to use the plight of the lower strata to provoke them. When they see the plight of those at the bottom, they will also see their courage and love, their kindness and the shine of humanity. That's why they must step out and save those people, because they are heroes."
Shiller took a sip of coffee and said, "That is indeed clever. Sympathy for the victim and hatred for the perpetrator are not enough to establish a firm belief. Only truly realizing that those struggling to survive in the abyss have strength and character deserving of a better life can build a great cause worth fighting for life."
"Unfortunately, you are not a hero, nor am I. So, in this journey, we two are the ones who throw cold water." Bruce leaned back, resting against the back of the chair, then said, "Leading A.R.G.U.S., dragging them out of their warm houses and throwing them into the snow. Only then will they build new shelters. They will realize how difficult it is and then find ways to join me."
"Have you thought about what if they really build a new shelter and completely leave you out..."
"Then I can truly retire." Bruce crossed his legs and placed his hands on his knees, saying, "I thought you wouldn't have such daydreams."
Shiller also stayed silent, because he understood this indeed was a daydream. Currently, the members of this universe's Justice League could not possibly do without Batman. It's not that they're not strong enough, but that this Batman is just too cunning.
A Batman who sees through Shiller's morbidity and intends to actively use it, the word "cunning" is no longer sufficient to describe him. You should know, having come to this universe for so long, those classic Gotham villains haven't made any move at all, quiet as if they are dead, which is more terrifying than if they were actually dead.
"Very good, I find this quite interesting." Shiller laughed, "Letting them find their way to you is not difficult, but making them unite around you is no easy task. The members of your universe's Justice League are exceptionally independent."
Shiller had long noticed that the characters in this Movie Universe indeed were different from those in the comics, especially in this universe. Maybe Batman's heyday just missed them. They seem unaware of how strong Batman is and have no dependency mindset on him; whenever something happens, they only think of solving it themselves.
Although entering the Battleworld can make them vaguely sense that Batman is not some aging second-rate hero, but a key figure in the Multiverse, but that is only hearsay, without actual experience, it's likely hard to believe.
"Haven't you already done it?" Bruce said.
Shiller thought for a moment, then he understood. Bruce was referring to the things he had done to Superman.
Still, the saying goes, to create a god, you can raise the god high, but actually, the most efficient method is to dig three feet into the ground, making the god seem taller.
When Shiller created the god of Superman, he did just that. Using a mysterious "Frenes Snake" from Ancient Egypt, he involved the British Royal Family, the Federal Government, the military, Superman, Wonder Woman, Martian Manhunter, Louise Lane, and so on, turning the entire situation into a mess. When it became unmanageable, naturally Superman had to come out and settle it once and for all.
And Batman, wanting to transition from a retired and aging Gotham Superhero with an unremarkable reputation to become the absolute core of the Superpower Organization Justice League, needs to use the same god-creating method.
As long as he finds a way to make the situation into something that no one but him can resolve, then it's all his stage.
"The plan is good, but you need someone to invite you onto the stage. Who do you think will be the first to buckle under the pressure?"
"Diana."
"Why?"
"She has the most pressure. Besides protecting Metropolis, she also has to protect the Amazon. She knows the most and can first realize the enemy's strength and feel the pressure. She also knows Batman the best, having heard their names in the Battleworld, knowing how strong they are. She is also mature enough, having participated in wars, and understands it's not disgraceful to call in reinforcements..."
"Of course, that's not the main reason." Bruce paused for a moment, then continued, "It has to be her, only her, because I need the Golden Apple."