"Your universe is in trouble too? What about that Batman? The one who likes to wear metal armor. I sent him a message but he hasn't replied... What? They're also being invaded by electronic lifeforms there? My goodness..."
"No, Batman's fine. I'm calling you because he's busy chasing that guy's tail. Ever since he returned from the Magic Academy, we've been busy dealing with the Underworld God Hades in our universe, draining all the souls he'd accumulated in the Netherworld and refining them into energy. This has kept us occupied for months. By the time we noticed trouble on the East Coast, that guy was already deeply hidden. We've both been overwhelmed recently..."
"So, is the cosmic war on your side still not over? ... Really? It's nearly over? How much did you get? Don't mind me, Batman asked me to inquire."
"What?! You took down Oa Star in one sweep?!! All the Guardians of the Universe are dead?! ... Oh, okay. But almost all dead, right? They had it coming. Yes, I've heard Green Lantern talk about them..."
"Intercepted the Power of Seven Lanterns? Is there really such a thing? Approximately how much? Okay, I'll have Green Lantern keep an eye out. If there's that much, I'll organize an army to attack Oa Star..."
"Where did that metal-armored Batman get the energy from? What?! He raided Mount Olympus?! Wonder Woman didn't mind? He locked up Wonder Woman?! Lao! I dare call him the strongest Batman!"
"Really? Hecate still has power? I knew it, that Owl is always up to those shady tricks. He even bullies the Batman from my universe at school, I'll settle the score with him someday! Anyway, I'll go ask Wonder Woman..."
"New Genesis Star? Did Batman set his sights on them? Injustice League? They certainly have guts. Of course, someone's bound to bother Darkseid. I originally thought you'd help the Lantern Corps deal with Darkseid. Okay, enough talk, I really need to go chat with Batman."
Hanging up the phone, Superman in a white uniform clenched his right hand into a fist and slammed the wall, causing the entire building to shake. He counted silently to three, and a figure flew to the window. Wonder Woman shouted from outside the window, "What's wrong, Karl? The interface of the energy conversion device almost got shaken loose, be careful!"
"Wait, Diana." He turned around, revealing the handsome yet serious face of Lord Superman. He said, "Do you know Hecate?"
"You mean the Magic Goddess? She's been out of sight for a long time. Heard she was sealed away, what's up?"
"She has some energy, right?"
"Uh, maybe. Being a Magic Goddess, it's normal for her to have energy. But whether she still has it after being sealed, nobody knows. What do you plan to do?"
"The energy we got from the Netherworld isn't enough; we need to think of a way from somewhere else." Lord Superman said with a frown.
Wonder Woman flew in, looking at him with some concern. "Didn't you say yesterday that we had plenty of power? Plus Batman also said that the energy we currently have is enough to initially build the Magical Defense Network. What made you change your mind?"
Lord Superman sighed deeply and said, "You know that Batman has already raided Mount Olympus?"
"What?!" Wonder Woman's eyes widened, saying, "Then their universe's Wonder Woman..."
"Don't pretend, Diana. Don't act like you have some deep father-daughter affection with Zeus. As long as Paradise Island is fine, you're not going to worry much. Weren't you also the main force in the assault on the Netherworld this time?"
"I'm not exactly concerned for Zeus. I advise against directly attacking Mount Olympus because there are things sealed there. If you kill the gods, you'll have to oversee the prison. Although the Netherworld also has the firstborn sealed away, as long as you don't kill Hades, you can just grab and go without causing too much trouble. This was the most cost-effective option." Wonder Woman shook her head.
"I know you're on my side." Lord Superman walked up and patted Wonder Woman's shoulder, saying, "But other universe's Batman is progressing too fast. I thought our progress was quite good, but compared to them, it seems we're lagging again."
"Really? They're progressing even faster than us?"
"That's right. I just spoke to the leading Batman on the phone. Guess what? He has already teamed up with Darkseid to take down Oa Star where the Guardians of the Universe are. All the intercepted Power of Seven Lanterns fell into his hands, and I've heard it's enough for three Magical Defense Networks. How can I not be anxious?"
Upon hearing Lord Superman, Wonder Woman also furrowed her brow slightly. She gently shook her head and said, "You know, in other universes, Batman leads the Justice League. I'm not saying you're less capable than Batman, but only a Batman who has the final say in a team can fully exert his strengths. Now he's merely assisting you, unable to fully leverage his wisdom advantage. But you can't have it all; if he leads the Justice Lords, we might end up overly cautious, studying the human rights of those criminals."
Lord Superman stood silently in place. Wonder Woman further advised, "Honestly, I thought you two were about to break up, didn't expect you'd mend fences again. This is the best scenario. As for our slow progress, it's because we started late. At worst, you have Green Lantern investigate Oa Star, while I look for Hecate's traces. We'll catch up eventually."
Lord Superman seemed relieved. He nodded and said, "Yes. Although they made quite a show, the subsequent troubles they'll face are numerous compared to ours. The energy gained this time isn't much, but worry-free and labor-saving. There's no problem with the Netherworld, right?"
"Don't worry. The souls held by Hades in the Netherworld are deceased spirits, impossible to return to the world, only to roam by the river daily until they forget everything and their own existence. By taking these souls away and refining them into energy, we are actually saving them. Hades, though dissatisfied, fears us releasing the firstborn, and wouldn't dare to act against us."
"I need to have a talk with Batman." Lord Superman waved his cape, saying, "As long as we can catch up to other universe's progress, I'm willing to give him some autonomy. The Multiverse situation is about to undergo a revolution, and we must secure a higher position in the new order."
Arkham Batman sat on the private jet, resting with his eyes closed. After a while, he opened his eyes and looked down at the map. The locations of 80% of the temples have been confirmed. To ensure effectiveness, the chosen temple locations are mostly similar to those in the Marvel Universe. Only the Justice League base in Gotham replaced Kamar-Taj and became the headquarters of the Magical Defense Network.
Suddenly, he received a new message from Battleworld. He casually glanced at it, but upon seeing the content, he immediately sat upright. He took a sip from the cup of water handed by the flight attendant and began to attentively read.
"Netherworld souls?" Arkham Batman muttered to himself, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest. He pondered, then picked up a rather vintage phone beside him — the top part looked like a tablet phone, but the bottom part had a box. Pressing the button on the box, the phone emitted a faint magic glow.
"Diana, are you there?" Arkham Batman spoke to the box.
There was some static from the other side, but soon a voice echoed back: "Yes, I'm here. I'm reinforcing the seals on Mount Olympus. What's up?"
"Are there a batch of souls trapped in the Netherworld where Hades resides?" Arkham Batman asked.
"If you're talking about the spirits of Styx, indeed there are. Those are souls that have lingered in the Netherworld over centuries for various reasons, unable to cross the Styx River. Many such souls also lie beneath the Styx. Why do you ask?"
"In the universe of the Justice Lord, Superman and Batman went to the Netherworld and took these souls, extracting them into energy. Do you think we could do that?"
"Uh, isn't the energy from the entire Mount Olympus enough?" Wonder Woman's voice sounded incredulous.
"Just tell me if it's possible." Arkham Batman said decisively.
"Alright. Hades was never a benevolent god; he hardly cares for creatures other than the gods. If you invade his domain to seize something, he might be upset, but probably wouldn't fight to the death over wandering souls that aren't of much use to him. My suggestion is you could directly negotiate with him; maybe he'd be willing to give those things to you."
"Do you have any leverage against him?" Arkham Batman cut straight to the point.
"Not exactly." Wonder Woman paused before saying, "A being prophesied to bring destruction to Mount Olympus is sealed in the Netherworld, called the Firstborn. Hades likely wouldn't be eager to see him break free. You could use this as a bargaining chip. But I've never heard of technology that converts souls into energy; you'd better ensure it's feasible before proceeding."
Arkham Batman ended the communication and turned to his assistant beside him: "Cancel the trip to Bhutan this afternoon. I have personal matters to attend to."
"Alright, Mr. President. Should the plane still land in Washington?"
"No, reroute to Gotham."
Upon disembarking, Arkham Batman returned to the Justice League base. Superman appeared surprised to see him back, saying: "Didn't you say you were unavailable for the next week?"
"Plans changed. I need to build a machine that converts souls into energy, then I'll head to the Netherworld to talk to Hades about getting the wandering souls from the Styx. This way, we can increase the budget for the Magical Defense Network."
"Increase again? But the divine power we've obtained is already enough for two magical defense networks. Wasn't that what you said?"
"Yes, but you can never have too much backup energy." Arkham Batman continued, "Batman has already secured the power of seven lanterns. That's a significant amount of energy, at least a third more than us. It seems the Lantern Corps is indeed wealthy."
"You mean to have Green Lantern..."
"Let him investigate first." Arkham Batman said, "Even if our universe doesn't have intercepted power of seven lanterns, there might be ways to handle things from the Lantern Furnace and Lantern ring. They could somewhat count as input."
"Moreover, the Magic Goddess Hecate also has some energy. I'll have Wonder Woman keep an eye on her. Once her whereabouts are identified, we'll seize the energy."
"Looks like you're preparing to start a race." Superman couldn't help but remark, "Exchange intel and interactions, then butcher the fat sheep scattered across the universe."
"Only by channeling these energies into the Magical Defense Network can we ensure they're not used to harm Earth; instead, they can offer protection to Earth. It's a win-win approach. If it weren't that our current technological level doesn't support large-scale cosmic battles, Darkseid and New Genesis Star would be decent targets."
Arkham Batman paused and then said: "The storm in the Multiverse is gradually forming. To strive to stand out, those gods who idle away must contribute to cosmic development."