Arrogant was a bit surprised when he received Nightwing's invitation. But when he calculated the time, it was about right. In the comics, Nightwing indeed married Starfire. They met in the Teen Titans, fought side by side, and developed feelings for each other. In different timelines, they even have a child called Night Star.
However, Arrogant also remembered that in the New 52 Universe, Starfire seemed to be dating Red Hood, and not Nightwing. But it's also possible that she was with Red Hood first and then with Nightwing. This kind of thing is common in American comics, and it depends on the different settings of each universe.
But possibly due to his interference, both the Batman Family and the Teen Titans have developed along different paths. Batman has focused more on the multiverse, and the Teen Titans have taken on the tasks originally handled by the Batman Family, and even the Justice League, maintaining the Earth's surface safety.
In such circumstances, the Robins' romantic arcs might also change. So it was normal for Nightwing and Starfire to rekindle their romance like before the reboot. It seems they've been together for quite some time, as they are already engaged and preparing to officially wed.
Arrogant recalled that Nightwing and Starfire's wedding in the comics was quite unlucky. At the time, Raven went berserk, not only interrupting the wedding but also planting a kiss on Starfire, making the scene terribly awkward.
Starfire was worried that forcing the wedding to continue might spark public rejection towards aliens, so she wanted to end it. Nightwing disagreed, but there was nothing he could do, so the two parted ways unhappily. They later reconciled and became friends but never revisited marriage.
When Arrogant saw the location written on the invitation, he frowned again. Nightwing, seemingly afraid that his wedding wouldn't be disturbed, chose the most complicated Fusion Universe.
However, on second thought, this might also be a strategy of fighting fire with fire. Nightwing might have realized that his wedding could be disrupted, so he simply chose the most chaotic place, making it possible for those who wanted to disrupt it to get disrupted themselves, perhaps achieving a balance.
It must be said, this is a clever move. The number of superheroes in the Fusion Universe is doubled, but so is the number of supervillains. Maybe those intending to sabotage his wedding will encounter villains with the same intention, neutralizing each other and thus protecting the wedding.
However, Arrogant thought that choosing a traditional Catholic wedding might be a bit too advanced for Nightwing and Starfire. Catholic weddings are not only long but particularly troublesome.
The "Do you take this person?" scene shown in TV shows is non-existent. The real vow ceremony involves the Father standing at the podium, reciting a long-winded vow, directly announcing the couple's union. The time spent reciting this vow is enough for a supervillain to turn him into mincemeat.
It was the same in the comics; the Father was reciting the vow when Raven killed him. If they had chosen a slightly modern wedding format, directly asking "Do you take this person?" and swiftly exchanging rings, the marriage could have been completed.
But that's why beauty lies in distance. Perhaps because Starfire is an alien, she harbors some unrealistic fantasies about human wedding ceremonies. Thus, despite Nightwing not being a Catholic, and none in the Batman Family being Catholics, they opted for the old-style ceremony.
Nightwing might also sympathize with her being an alien. As the Catholic wedding format is very solemn and serious, with each stage well-established and error-free, despite being a hassle, it feels ceremonially complete, so he agreed, eventually dying from the extended wedding process.
Unexpectedly, even with the altered fate lines, the wedding format remained unchanged. Arrogant had attended quite a few Catholic weddings, and going over the process in his mind, he realized that what is just a tedious and dull process for ordinary people, is full of vulnerabilities for superheroes.
After entering the church, they first read the scriptures, usually two passages, but some meticulous families might read more. Then there's the offertory hymn, playing of sacred music, the Father's address, joint prayers, the Father's oath, the newlyweds' oath, exchanging of rings, continuation of music...
During such a lengthy process, Spider Man could fight the Sinister Six ten times over, Batman could capture enough madmen to fill Arkham Asylum, and Captain America and Iron Man could engage in airport battles thrice.
Arrogant sighed. Even though he didn't want to interfere with such private choices, he cautiously persuaded Nightwing to simplify the wedding process, especially the scripture reading and praying parts. It's too easy for an attack if everyone is standing still.
However, the thought that even a wedding had to consider the possibility of being attacked carries a somewhat bleak undertone. The happiness common people enjoy is often elusive for superheroes, with too high a price to pay.
And these worries of Arrogant's disappeared the moment he remembered that Greed was also interested in the Fusion Universe.
It's well-known that Greed likes a Great Perfection ending. Nightwing's marriage is set, according to Greed. Any factor that could cause the wedding to be incomplete will be addressed and dealt with by Greed with a heavy hand.
However, Arrogant believed that the different attitudes Nightwing and Starfire displayed after their wedding was attacked in the comics meant that there were indeed issues between them. They are in a passionate phase now, dreaming of a perfect wedding, but these issues are bound to surface later, which would be troublesome as well.
But fortunately, Greed's style ensures that while the ending is perfect, the process is certainly tumultuous. This might put the couple to the test, revealing any issues early on, which is a good thing.
Arrogant recalled what Greed had told him earlier: the multiverse situation here is unstable, with Doctor Manhattan, Darkseid, and Brainiac all eyeing it, heavily besieged. There's even Bruce, who, when hung on the Origin Wall, did who-knows-what. Batman is probably under critical pressure.
Under such circumstances, he will definitely need help. Mutants indeed are the best choice. This universe is emptier, and without the Three Great Empires, it's practically a playground for mutants. Though Multiverse Darkseid is formidable, the number and quality of mutants are not lacking either. Let them hold off Darkseid, and Batman can focus on dealing with Doctor Manhattan and Brainiac's issues.
And if you want to test the mutants, you definitely need to look at the Fusion Universe first. After all, the Fusion Universe merges with the old 616, and the Old Prime Universe has basically experienced everything, so the situation of the mutants over there is relatively stable. Magneto and Professor X both ended well, making them good negotiation targets.
The meaning of the Fusion Universe is also very clear. They want to be a transit point and intermediary between two universes to seek more benefits for themselves. However, they're not the only ones in the Multiverse who can do this job. Arrogant thinks Bruce will also try to compete for this, and actually, their universe is quite suitable too.
It seems I must visit the Fusion Universe. However, getting to know Batman's layout is secondary; Arrogant is mainly going to attend a wedding.
The Robins of the Prime Universe grew up under his watch, and he certainly can't miss such an important occasion. Moreover, he suspects that although there are many superheroes in the Fusion Universe, not a single one can manage a traditional Catholic wedding properly, and something will definitely go wrong.
"Hahahahaha! You should've seen Doctor Manhattan's expression!" came Brainiac's wild laughter from the phone. "When he asked Batman to save him, his face looked like he had eaten shit. Who says quantum lifeforms have no feelings? Isn't this just driving him mad?"
"Be careful yourself." Arrogant reminded, "How did you come up with this sinister plan?"
"Learned it from you!" Brainiac said confidently, "Didn't you feed the Court of Owls shit before? I think you humans are really smart, particularly skilled in using methods like this against those who fancy themselves intelligent."
Arrogant opened his mouth and then asked, "How did you learn about these old stories?"
"Greed told me." Brainiac replied, "He taught me a lot of things, and I find a lot of sense in them."
Arrogant smiled and asked, "You did well this time, he should be quite proud, right?"
"Honestly, the two of us have fought for a long time." Brainiac said truthfully, "In the past, I didn't understand why you insisted on struggling with those untalented students, but now I somewhat get it."
"Do tell?"
"If he teaches me with 100% effort, I might only learn 10%, since I struggle with understanding emotions. But if he teaches me with 1000% effort, I might just learn about 60%, which is still a passing grade." Brainiac continued with data examples, "And Shiller's 60% is enough to deal with most people in the Multiverse."
"That's indeed a sensible argument." Arrogant nodded, "Among everything I know, many things can't be learned by others; no one has ever managed to learn 100%. But learning a bit still makes daily life much easier, and it's not that untalented people don't deserve such convenience."
"You're a good teacher." Brainiac said, "But if I later improve Gotham University's ranking, it'd be because I and Greed did some unspeakable transactions, not because of your or the Psychology Department's teaching quality, or the students' learning ability being that great. Don't get any illusions about that."
Arrogant sighed helplessly, "You didn't have to bring that up."
"No can do." Brainiac said, "I am a fair and just ruler. What Greed gave me helps me evolve better and protect Earth; I consider it using private means for public ends, but the assessment standards won't fluctuate. The Psychoanalysis Method is great, just not suitable for humans to learn."
"I told you, I'm just an ordinary person." Arrogant emphasized.
"I aspire to establish a Superpower School similar to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters." Brainiac said, "Maybe there'll be a Mind Power Department inside, and perhaps mind power users would be more suited to study the Psychoanalysis Method."
"I won't go." Arrogant said, "I want to stay teaching at Gotham University, finding ways to improve this school's ranking."
"You're still a very stubborn ordinary person." Brainiac commented candidly.
"I'm just attached to this place." Arrogant said, "Gotham and Gotham University have given me a decade or so of possibly mundane but peaceful life, and I like this kind of life."
"That doesn't sound like something an ordinary person would say." Brainiac unceremoniously pointed out, "When you associate Gotham with a peaceful life, you've already gone mad."
"Ask any Gothamite, they won't see a problem with that." Arrogant chuckled, "Maybe I'm just an ordinary Gothamite then."