"Oh, my God." Nightwing still hadn't come to his senses as he surveyed the hall's decor, wondering if he was still in the game. That's the downside of games being too realistic — after logging out, it can be tough to tell where you actually are.
Red Robin took a deep breath. He realized something but didn't say it. Remembering what Batman had told him before he came, he silently called out in his mind, "Brainiac?"
After calling out, he remembered that he should be in the real world now, so calling out in his mind was useless. So, he picked up his phone and typed a message in the SMS bar: "Brainiac, are you okay?"
The screen flashed, and Brainiac replied with a message. Red Robin collected his expression, showing a thoughtful look. Nightwing also took out his phone and paused for a moment before starting to operate the Battleworld communication panel.
"What's up?" Red Hood looked at Nightwing and asked.
"Nothing, before we left, Koli asked me when I'd be back. I need to tell her the game's over and I'll be back soon." Nightwing shook his head and said, "We've got a lot to handle."
"Is the wedding venue decided?" Red Hood asked, "You're not really going to the West Coast, are you? October is a popular month for weddings."
"We can't agree on a venue." Nightwing sighed, clearly not wanting to talk about it. He looked at Red Robin and asked, "How's Brainiac's side? Can we log into the game now?"
"It'll be a bit longer." Red Robin typed on his phone without looking up, "If you want to be near Victoria Harbor, you'd better book six months in advance."
"I don't want my wedding to be swarming with randomly appearing Hollywood stars." Nightwing waved his hand and said, "You have to admit, it's warm there, similar to the climate in Koli's hometown, so it's natural she likes it there."
"You could wait another six months and have it in Gotham's summer; that'll surely be hot enough," Damian said.
"I'm considering it. But right now, we have more than just that to prepare for. Koli just told me she wants a Catholic wedding..."
"Oh God." Everyone sighed together.
Red Hood couldn't help but tease, "Then let Batman walk you down the aisle and hand you over to her in the church."
"That's actually not a bad idea," Nightwing laughed. "The only problem is there might not be a Father willing to officiate for aliens. But if Batman does it, he can't be both the one walking into the church and standing at the podium..."
"Who says he can't?" Red Robin said while typing, "You just need two Batmans, don't you? There's no shortage of Batmans in the Multiverse... Oh, wait, the game is online now."
When they logged in, they were greeted by kill reports and rewards. After all four bosses were defeated, the game would enter "Fog Mode". In Fog Mode, there wouldn't be active raids, but players could initiate them, divided into 10 levels of difficulty, and the previous bosses would appear in those raids.
It's akin to the late-stage base-building game mode, used to test the upper limits of strength and similar to secret realms in loot games. This means you don't have to run maps anymore, you can just keep grinding happily.
Of course, Brainiac also published their map exploration progress, which was nearly zero. Most side quests were completely untouched, except for the Court of Owls storyline, and even that wasn't explored at all, skipping all possible parts.
After entering the game, Red Robin could finally talk fluently with Brainiac. In his mind, he asked, "Did you trap Doctor Manhattan? What's his current state?"
He also saw the arrival of that blue figure, though very brief, and as someone knowing some inside information, Robin naturally thought Brainiac had set a trap for Doctor Manhattan in the game. But Red Robin wasn't sure about the specifics and needed more intel to assess the situation.
This is actually quite important because Red Robin knows Batman wants to use Doctor Manhattan to save the Dark Multiverse. But unless you push the guy into a corner, he won't cooperate. If Brainiac can succeed, that's good news for Batman.
"He's in big trouble," Brainiac said, "I think Batman will contact you soon."
"...So, I'm thinking about who to send invitations to," Nightwing was still mulling over wedding plans. He and Koliand'r, aka Starfire, had been involved for a while now and were in the pre-marriage stage.
"Counting the Multiverse, you're inviting a lot of people," Damian counted on his fingers. "At least twelve universes' Robins. If you're inviting Robins, you can't not invite Batman, but if you're inviting Batman, you have to invite the Justice League too..."
"Ah," Red Hood said, "I think you should hold the wedding on a warmer alien beach; Earth can't really accommodate that many people."
"I really have thought about that." Nightwing said with interest, "In fact, I don't want too many people from other universes coming over; the security risk is too great. Although I know Batman would definitely agree, I'm really afraid something might go wrong here..."
"So, what's your plan?" Red Robin said while communicating with Brainiac, "The other universes aren't that safe either. If something goes wrong because of your wedding, it's just as troublesome."
"Have you heard of Clarkia?" Damian said, "I hear it's very lively there now. Batman even brought back a kind of medicine, rumored to be a local specialty..."
"Of course, I've considered there too," Nightwing said. "It's a beautiful island with many powerful mutants, generally impervious to threats. But still, it's the same issue: the place is too small, their hosting capacity is limited, and too many people would turn it into chaos."
Red Robin paused, then asked, "Have you been to 'Forward York City'?"
"What?"
"That fusion universe." Red Hood also remembered, "It's the world on our side merged with another Earth next to us. New York and Gotham combined into Forward York City; Spider-Man, Captain America, and Batman are all in the same city."
"What's happening there?" Nightwing asked.
"They released a tourism promotional video," Damian seemed to be holding back laughter, "Anyway, it's like they're inviting all the superheroes to visit and settle there; honestly, it's a bit weird."
"You watched it? I haven't seen it yet." Red Hood instinctively reached for his phone, then realized he was in the game.
"I saw it. Batman posted it in the group; check out the Legion group." Damian said, "Not the Teen Titans' Legion, the one with Batman in it."
"Batman hardly speaks in there. I've muted notifications," Red Hood said, "But where did he get it from?"
"Of course, it was that fusion universe's Batman who shared it in the Multiverse Batman group," Damian said, "What's even funnier is that in that universe, Batman isn't Batman; it's Spider-Man."
So, except for Red Robin, the other three logged off to watch the promotional video.
The video is somewhat like a World War II recruitment ad, or deliberately shot in that retro style. It starts with a large "Forward York City" sign, followed by the Wayne Building, Stark Building, Luthor Building, and Rockson Building appearing on the skyline in succession, leaving viewers overwhelmed.
A figure flies across the skyline, Spider-Man flips in the air and lands on the rooftop of the Wayne Building, stands up, and looks out at the distant skyline with arms crossed.
"This is definitely not Peter Parker," Red Hood said, "If it were Peter, there'd already be 20 lines of dialogue."
"This is Bruce Wayne," Damian said.
The other two looked at him in astonishment, and Damian continued, "You guys didn't know, did you? In this universe, Bruce gained Spider-Man's abilities, so now he's Spider-Man, not Batman. But there's genuinely a Batman in this city."
"Who?"
"Thomas Wayne," Damian said, "He's currently stationed in the fusion universe, managing Wayne Enterprises and helping build the city. You'll see him soon."
Just before he finished speaking, the video transitioned, and a gold-red mecha appeared on the skyline, while another dark figure jumped between buildings. The two silhouettes set each other off, creating a unique scene.
"Iron Man and Batman?" Red Hood raised an eyebrow, "I kinda feel it."
Then, a fiery figure descended from the sky, Wonder Woman Diana, and following her, Black Widow Natasha made a superhero landing, immediately followed by Captain America's shield flying by, caught by a strong silhouette in a stars and stripes uniform.
"It's rare to see a scene like this, right?" Captain America said, "But don't worry, there's more."
The Mutant Brotherhood made their usual stylish entrance, Magneto gently raised his hands, making everything around him levitate. Robins descended from the sky, Teen Titans raced down the street, with the Fantastic Four following behind.
Doctor Strange was hovering cross-legged in the air, taking a cup of tea handed by Superman, gazing far at the coastline. Aquaman and Namor raised waves in the sea, The Flash's figure briefly flashed by the dock, with Quicksilver following closely. Captain America's voice rang again:
"The fusion and collision of two worlds brings to New Earth more than just conflict and strife. This time, we join forces to create a better tomorrow for the human race."
"You're definitely curious to know more about here," Iron Man hovered above the giant city, with a faint electric current in his voice, "Curious how we've improved this city in a few years through collaboration."
"You must be curious," Spider-Man Bruce's voice, cooler and carrying a calm strength, "How we'll present ourselves to the multiverse, and how we'll change tragedies and save the world."
"We don't believe in interventionism," Diana said, wearing her uniform, as she adjusted her glasses while standing before a floor-to-ceiling window, "So now we're inviting you, come here to see this entirely different new world."
"Come," Superman's cape fluttered in the blue sky as he opened his arms, "Leave old grievances behind, come to this broader new world, witness our path, and embrace a better tomorrow."
The video ended. Nightwing sighed, "Seeing these people in the same world is really strange, but I am indeed curious."
"This Earth is huge," Damian said, "I mean it's literally huge, probably twice the size of a regular Earth. The space is much bigger, so you won't worry about not fitting in."
"Moreover, the number of superheroes here has doubled too," Damian continued, "With the combined superheroes from both worlds, there's enough to handle security. And they're just starting promotions; if you go, they'll definitely welcome you strongly and ensure you have a good time, so they can earn a good reputation in the multiverse."
"Makes sense," Nightwing nodded, "I'll check with Koli for her opinion. She said the electronic invitation template is ready, just waiting for the content. Once the location is confirmed, it can be sent immediately."