John Dee had been fascinated by dreams since he was a child.
He believed that dreams were the most incredible thing in the world. No matter what kind of person you were—poor, weak, or with congenital defects—everyone was equal in dreams.
Dreams were the best gift bestowed upon humans by God. Only in dreams could you be free, cast aside all pressures and troubles, and even escape the frail confines of the human body to become anyone and do anything impossible in the waking world.
He was obsessed with studying dreams and the concept of "lucid dreaming," trying to train his brain to consciously control his dreams. Unfortunately, this process had some side effects, causing unexpected impacts on his mental health.
That was why he ended up in Arkham.
But that turned out to be a new opportunity for him.
The Sensory Enhancement Device was equipment donated by an advanced research institution to Arkham Asylum. Its purpose was to assist in the study of human dreams and to some extent, amplify human senses.
Due to its experimental nature and associated dangers, the research team made an agreement with the asylum to use the inmates as test subjects, avoiding the need for many volunteer subjects.
This was a divine gift for John Dee.
He became fanatically obsessed with the machine. The highlight of his week was the brief moments he got to use it as a volunteer—because of the risks, doctors didn't allow patients to use it for longer periods.
John succeeded. With the aid of the machine, the dream module in his brain became increasingly clear, and he could almost effortlessly control his dreams without any negative effects. Consequently, his initial mental issues that landed him in the asylum were resolved.
"You've recovered remarkably; I think you'll be discharged next month," the doctor said to him with a smile.
At that time, John thought his life was reaching a peak. It was like he entered Arkham, got what he had always dreamed of, and could return to his life's track.
Then he got betrayed.
His girlfriend told him when she learned he'd be discharged next month. She had already been with John's best friend, and they were preparing to get married.
The sudden revelation stunned him. But it didn't take long for him to realize that these two must have had an affair long before, maybe even before he was admitted to Arkham.
Suddenly, his desire to leave faded, giving rise to the boldest idea of his life.
He attacked the doctor, illegally activated the dangerous Sensory Enhancement Device, and cranked it to full power.
He knew it could be dangerous and might fry his brain like toast, but he didn't care.
It was do or die.
And he succeeded. Thus, Doctor Destiny was born—a master of dreams, a god with powers beyond human reach in the realm of dreams!
Using this power, he effortlessly killed his ex-girlfriend and her fiancé in their dreams. He soon realized he could do much more than this.
He would plunge the world into an eternal nightmare and become the god of a new world!
Then he got shot down.
Now he had aftereffects even when he returned to reality.
Every time he closed his eyes, the vision of the giant with those blazing eyes would appear, bringing that filled-up feeling and tearing pain.
Worse, he couldn't create any new dreams without that terrifying figure intruding. This meant every dream turned into his nightmare!
John was on the verge of madness when he sensed someone approaching his hiding place.
The Sensory Enhancement Device not only gave him the ability to control dreams but also heightened his mental and sensory capabilities. He could sense any thinking person within a certain range.
So, he quickly realized who was approaching.
Batman.
Batman was probably the first in the city to notice Doctor Destiny.
Initially, what caught his attention was the news of John's ex-girlfriend and her fiancé dying from nightmares. He kept track of every death in the city, meticulously investigating any that the police might overlook for potential foul play.
Within a day, he connected the deaths to John Dee, who had escaped from Arkham, and the illegally activated Sensory Enhancement Device.
Then the nightmare engulfing Gotham erupted.
Utilizing some mental control techniques he learned during his travels and a bit of bat-willpower, Batman forcefully broke free from the nightmare. Connecting the recent events, he quickly deduced that the superpowered John Dee was the culprit.
With his expertise in traceology, he followed the clues from the escape scene to John Dee—now Doctor Destiny's—hiding place.
But as he pushed open the door, the surroundings began to spin.
The old room disappeared, the scene receding like a tidal wave. The black-and-white visuals resembled an old film reel, and he found himself in a dim alley, the streetlights casting a gloomy glow.
Batman's pupils contracted.
This was a scene he could never forget.
Crime Alley.
A man and a woman, holding a small child's hand, walked into the alley.
They were there because the child had insisted on leaving the movie early.
No, this isn't real.
Batman tried to close his eyes, shaking his head.
At such close range, Doctor Destiny's powers were at their peak. He didn't need dreams to subject his target to his abilities.
Batman ignored everything and kept moving forward.
Then the gunman appeared.
A robber with an old handgun, as if guided by fate, arrived like the Grim Reaper, destined to pull the trigger at this moment.
No, this is just a nightmare. Batman kept telling himself.
Focus on the mission. Alfred was still in the nightmare, as was Gordon, and the entire city was in danger.
You were too late to save them, but you can still save others.
Too late...
Bang.
The gun fired, and two flashes of light pierced the alley's silence.
"No!" He couldn't help but shout.
This was the one scene, the one night he could never ignore.
The man and woman fell, pearls bouncing off the ground.
In a daze, Batman's figure overlapped with that helpless child, kneeling in the blood and pearls.
Beneath his high-tech gear and dark cape, he was still that eight-year-old boy, crying in his parents' blood.
Then the fallen Thomas Wayne moved.
He stood up shakily from the blood, his face pale like a zombie, holding a scythe like the Grim Reaper.
"It's all your fault."
"If you hadn't insisted on watching that damned movie."
"If you hadn't demanded to leave early..."
Batman still knelt, head down, unresponsive.
Thomas Wayne raised the scythe.
"You killed us!"
The scythe swung down.
But in that instant, a hand shot out from beneath the cape, gripping the wrist and stopping the blade.
Batman slowly raised his head, his eyes filled with anger but also determination.
The scene changed again. The blood, pearls, bodies, and the entire Crime Alley vanished.
Including Thomas Wayne, replaced by a shocked John Dee, his hand with the knife held by Batman.
"How... how is this possible?!"
John Dee was beyond shocked.
"You resisted my nightmare?"
"At this distance? While looking into my eyes!?"
He was Doctor Destiny, the master of nightmares! His powers were strong enough to drag an entire city into a hellish nightmare, deciding their fate, making them submit forever!
That giant destroying his dream was one thing—that thing didn't seem human, maybe a god or something else.
But this guy, a regular man in a bat costume...
He could resist his ultimate move at point-blank range!
How!?
John struggled to meet Batman's gaze, squeezing out one last question through clenched teeth.
"Why...?"
The fist struck his face.
Looking at the unconscious John Dee at his feet, Batman's expression remained blank.
"Because I'm Batman."