What bad thoughts can Batman have?

Chapter 983 Let your Batman Dragon friend teach you how to write a script!
While the Void Hand and Dr. Manhattan are still locked in a tug-of-war in the Watchers universe, Chen Tao is now facing a very serious problem.

The threat from Papetua.

When our evil witch was driven out of the fortress by the dragon, she transformed back into the Mother of the Multiverse. The power of stories surrounding her gradually dissipated, and she immediately turned her attention to corrupting Chen Tao's newly reconstructed and still fragile Ultimate Watcher.

"Our game is over."

Papetua said this, and Chen Tao himself was fully aware of all of this.

“We’re about to be overwhelmed.” Chen Tao heard the World Forger’s voice echoing in his ears. He took a deep breath and replied, “Yes, I know.”

“But we still have three chances to start over, and right now, we’ve only used our first one,” Chen Tao told all those who had come together to form the Ultimate Monitor. “Everything is still under control according to the plan.”

As he spoke, Perpetua broke through the Ultimate Monitor's defenses! She grabbed the Ultimate Monitor by the neck, completely severing its ability to resist. Immediately afterward, Perpetua swiftly drained the Ultimate Monitor's energy…

The super-time flow is rapidly rewriting reality, swiftly erasing everything that exists. Papetua stands behind the curtain of time, watching with icy eyes as Chen Tao and his three offspring narrowly escape death.

Her golden eyes were like those of an eagle, and all the experiences of the Ultimate Watcher were shared by all—everyone could clearly feel the bone-chilling coldness of having their throats tightly gripped by those icy hands.

“Yes, you have two more chances, indeed, two more,” Papetua said.

The next moment, her figure vanished from behind the Ultimate Monitor, and the power that had been absorbed began to rapidly reverse under the influence of the hypertime flow, returning to the Ultimate Monitor's control. The surviving characters who were on the verge of extinction in this game were now fully healed, but was this the opportunity to reverse the situation, or the beginning of another long and torturous ordeal?

……

……

……

The unexpected appearance of the Essence Society members brought a glimmer of hope to the Void Hand, which had been completely suppressed by Dr. Manhattan—a variable that even Dr. Manhattan himself had not anticipated.

Even a quantum god would be unable to see and hear when the very existence of the DC multiverse is directly threatened.

Just as at the end of Doomsday, Doctor Manhattan could not foresee what the future would be like if Superman punched him.

So, when the Void Hand, having discerned this group of unexpected pawns, turned to gather its newfound power, it was astonished to find the King already standing silently at the entrance to the lounge.

The blue-haired bald king's face had lost its usual gentleness, replaced by a deep worry and solemnity.

"Child, stop." The king's voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable authority, as if the weight of the entire castle was concentrated in his words.

The Void Hand intends to construct the story; he must speak first—this is the law of storytelling, and in this respect, even Doctor Manhattan cannot surpass him. In this story, the one who speaks first gains more…

Before he could react, a loud bang was heard, and a meteorite the size of a basketball suddenly fell from the sky, hitting the Warrior Void Hand squarely on the head. The impact made him see stars, and the words he was about to say were forced back into his stomach.

"Ouch! How did you get hit by a rock?" The blue-haired bald King Dr. Manhattan hurriedly helped the warrior Void Hand up.

"This must be the world's warning to you! I hear the horns of conquest, and I see the flames of your journey in your eyes. But please think about it, what was the purpose of raising the sword in your hand in the first place? It was to protect this land and its people, not for pointless conquest and expansion."

Void Hand: ? ? ?
Yes, Doctor Manhattan simply cannot outdo him in the ability to construct a story. If the Void Hand wants to do something to Doctor Manhattan, such as manipulating his behavior, then Doctor Manhattan can naturally resist. But in other matters, whatever the Void Hand wants to do, Doctor Manhattan can only intervene through his own actions.

And then this is what he did. Miracles happen with brute force; although he couldn't stop the Void Hand from speaking, he could physically render it speechless.

The Void Hand wanted to speak, but the king stepped forward, stuffed a fist into his mouth, and looked at him earnestly:
"Power is like sweet star wine, but excessive consumption will blind you and make you forget your original intentions. Watcher's Castle needs your protection, and its people regard you as a guiding star. Stay and fulfill your duties and promises as a lord. True greatness lies not in how many worlds you conquer, but in whether you have protected the one you promised to protect."

The Hand of the Void struggled violently. The king's words and relentless fists were like cool spring water, trying to extinguish the burning fire of ambition within him.

The king pressed his hand behind his head, forcing him to see the tranquil lights of the castle outside the window and hear the faint, steady breathing of the people as they slept peacefully.

Responsibility, commitment, and the heavy weight of Dr. King Manhattan's hand pressed on his heart.

The Hand of the Void's heart sank deeper and deeper; this time, he was likely doomed. In truth, these unexpected pawns could play a far greater role than they appeared. In the story, even a squirrel can be crucial. But without the story, the opponent was nothing more than an ant, not even a squirrel.

The power of the story is equivalent to forcibly creating a set of rules that both sides must abide by, and then the Void Hand will use its numerous NPCs to defeat the other side, which is why it needs so many malevolent nobles.

These malevolent nobles could serve as his pawns, filling various roles in the story, and they were also useful characters who could harm the enemy. However, his invasion of the DC multiverse came too quickly and too suddenly, and he did not bring those large numbers of malevolent nobles with him.

These elite members filled the void created by the evil nobles in the power rules of the Void Hand, but even with so many members, couldn't they help him turn the tide after he lost the initiative?
However, at that moment, the Void Hand was surprised to find that the blue portals that brought the essence had suddenly opened again and appeared right in front of him. This was a huge opportunity, and the Void Hand would not let it go.

He was both surprised and delighted, and immediately began to construct a new story:
The unknown aura emanating from the rainbow portal, the fervent anticipation in the eyes of the powerful legion, and the adventurous soul deep within their hearts yearning for a wider world—all converged into an even greater force. Ah, the great warrior, Void Hand, took a deep breath, avoiding the king's gaze, filled with disappointment and heartache.

“Your Majesty,” his voice hardened, resolute, “you taught me courage and responsibility, which I will never forget. But my destiny should not be confined to the walls of this castle. The universe is so vast, and I need to pursue my own… greater legend. I’m sorry, but this time, I cannot heed your advice.”

The Void Hand was prepared for Dr. Manhattan's planned counterattack, but now that the portal was right in front of him, his options had greatly increased.

A warrior's desire to leave may vanish after a few words of persuasion from the king, but if the door is right in front of him, wouldn't he be more likely to prepare to leave?
The logic of the story overrides reality. Dr. Manhattan’s attempt to rebel against the logic of the story is to rebel against the story itself. This is a completely different realm from time-travel replication and power, and the Void Hand is the best among them.

Dr. Manhattan could no longer stop him. Even if he tried to stop him with a few words, it would only be a war of words, adding length to the story but not changing the outcome.

The Void Hand was prepared to prolong the story, but Dr. Manhattan didn't retaliate as he had planned, which saved him the trouble.

Having said that, the warrior Void Hand no longer hesitated. He turned abruptly, drew his long-untouched sword, and pointed it at the dazzling rainbow vortex. He leaped onto the outstretched hand of the leading crystal giant.

"The Elite Legion!" he shouted, his voice echoing throughout the castle. "Follow me! Our destination—the new world!"

A deafening cheer erupted from the legion, and the harpy warriors took to the air first, flames igniting beneath their mechanical hooves. The entire legion, like a flood bursting its banks, followed their new masters into the ever-rotating rainbow portal.

Dr. Manhattan watched silently, knowing he couldn't stop it. Whether it was Void Hand's prior preparations or Batman Dragon's help, Void Hand's escape seemed inevitable.

But what's the point? Batman Dragon deliberately forced Void Hand to come to his Watchers universe, but Void Hand failed to complete his mission and successfully deserted again. He simply took a trip to the Watchers universe and accomplished nothing.

How could Batman Dragon possibly tolerate such an outcome?

Dr. Manhattan tried to stop it, but in an instant he read the future and realized it was too late, so he gave up.

He just stood there waiting, waiting for Batman Dragon to surprise him.

And Batman: Dragon did indeed bring him a surprise.

Look, this is the most wonderful part. The so-called experiment is to get such results. When the multiverse is in crisis, and the beings in the main universe are unable to perform the duties of immune cells, how will the multiverse strengthen the actions of other immune cells when they use other immune cells to complete the immune work that should be done?
What will become of the DC multiverse? Only by pushing the DC multiverse to its limits can Dr. Manhattan see the truth behind its operation, and then…

Completely understand, thoroughly grasp, and make it your own.

Is that the end of the story?
No, the Void Hand immediately realized that it could not leave directly through the portal.

This is a portal that forces Void Hand to leave. In doing so, Void Hand must forcefully pull another character into the Watchmen universe to replace his "Warrior" identity. Void Hand suddenly realizes that this thing must be Batman's doing. He gives himself a choice: either pull the character behind the portal into the story, or...

The portal that would allow him to immediately leave the Watchers universe will close immediately.

If it were a different time, the Void Hand would still have time and opportunity to find other ways, but now... if he can't escape through this portal now, Dr. Manhattan won't give him another chance to escape.

The next moment, a new story entered the Void Hand's mind from the Rainbow Gate.

Come on, you can't write a script, I'll write one for you.

The Void Hand finally realized what Batman Dragon had done: he had created a future he had written himself and then overwrote it onto the Void Hand.

This is an absolutely brilliant bug!

Dr. Manhattan opened his eyes. Before the story was even told, it had already become reality. The power of storytelling and the ability to rewrite time were working together so perfectly that the simple method of Dr. Manhattan covering the Void Hand's mouth immediately failed. The Void Hand only needed to nod, and this future about him could be copied onto him.

And the Hand of the Void did just that immediately.

Time slips away silently, like golden sand flowing between the gears of the Watcher's Castle. The Hand of the Void has been the lord for some time now. He handles state affairs skillfully, the people adore him, and even the King of Manhattan considers him a capable right-hand man. The castle operates in an orderly fashion, like a finely tuned pocket watch.

However, a vague sense of melancholy gradually grew in the heart of the Hand of the Void. Standing on the high balcony, gazing at the ever-changing, infinitely possible multiverse outside the castle, and comparing it to the beautiful yet almost eternal order within the castle, a thought quietly coiled around his heart like a vine: "Why must the castle be an isolated island? Why can't more starlight shine in, and the sound of the castle's gears travel to a wider world?"

This idea grew stronger day by day. Finally, filled with fervor, he presented his grand vision to the king: "Your Majesty! Watcher's Castle should not merely be an exquisite piece of amber, freezing time within it. It should become a beating heart, connected to the lifeblood of all the universes! Ah, let us open the barrier, let the castle's gears intertwine with the roots of the forest, let our clock tower resonate with the stars of another world!"

The voice, like an aria, transformed into a story, and like a sharp sword, pointed directly at Dr. Manhattan.

We will no longer be merely watchmen; we will become the center connecting all worlds!

(End of this chapter)