Justice

by Black' Victor Cachat

Dealing with villains is all part of being a superhero, the Justice League knows this. So how do they handle the new supervillain gang that can't decide whether they're good or evil? And said gang, the Straw Hat Pirates, are just desperate to get home to fulfil their dreams, whatever it takes. And they have no problems with fighting more believers in 'Justice' along the way

9. The Siege of Gotham

I do not own either One Piece or Justice League Unlimited.

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Beta read by the wonderful rose7anne101 and MasterQwertster. Make sure to check out their own stories!

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Guest Review answers :-D

Creation Teller

In terms of the gaining all the powers of the Lantern Corps, while that does have massive potential, that is also a reason why I am doing my best to rigidly stick to just the DCAU. Too much fun and potential and easy to get distracted. I have 70+ chapters planned and that is just them spending most of their time on Earth! Plus, Will is just part of the Spectrum; Rage, Avarice, Fear, Hope, Compassion, and Love are all separate from each other. That said, the idea of Luffy getting Lord Green Lantern's Ring is an AWESOME idea that I have to very carefully think about. On the one hand, yeah, awesome, and major power-up. On the other hand, while Luffy would not have access to the Power Battery to recharge it, it might make him TOO strong for this story. Hmm, decisions, decisions…

The Straw Hats will be recruiting more, but just because someone is ostracized by society does not automatically mean they would be interested in joining up, or that Luffy would be interested in them in turn. I will not say anything about Tygrus or Baby Doll right now, but Killer Croc is a definite no though. In the DCAU he has had several opportunities to find a home and acceptance, and unapologetically rejected it out of greed. In fact, one such opportunity was with Baby Doll even.

For the Thanagarian Invasion, I will just say not to underestimate thealiens. In canon, they came to Earth well informed, and with weaponry and plans for each member of the Justice League, as well as the various governments. They made some mistakes, but it was Hawkgirl's betrayal that made the difference. Do not expect them to be unaware of the Straw Hats; even now they are already making plans for them . . .

As for the Grand Fleet, the problem with bringing them in is by that point the Straw Hats would be pretty much unstoppable with an army like that at their backs. Although recreating a DC version of that is not impossible.

I was unaware of that detail about Mirror Master, and I definitely will be using that for a plan I have for the Rogues. Thanks! :-D

The Justice League is definitely going to have to start rethinking their policies towards meta-criminals.

Originally I had no plans for 'The Knight of Shadows' episode, but thanks to you I know have *plans*! :-D

I do not intend for the Straw Hats to be in 'Hearts and Minds,' if only because they are trying to stay focused on going home, and getting caught up in space adventures would be too distracting.

Several of the villains would indeed like to go straight, such as Cheetah or Clayface if they ever managed to cure themselves. Harder to go on a crime spree without powers after all :-P

It would indeed be funny for Luffy to beat Giganta in one hit, but I have different plans for her and Grodd right now. You will see them fairly soon though ;-)

While Luffy might be interested in Lobo, the 'Main Man' is not really a team player, and finds his fun elsewhere. I guess my question is why he would want to join the Straw Hats? I have seen stories where he works with the heroes, but for those involve a lot of preparation to make it work, more than I feel willing to commit to with Lobo.

Toyman I was iffy about at first, but now I do have plans for him in the future. I do not have any real plans for Atomic Skull though. In the DCAU he comes off more as just a generic villain, and a fairly weak one as well.

Amazo will definitely make an appearance, and I think it will surprise you all ;-)

Sorry this took so long. Was working on my other stories, including rewriting my Naruto one, and real life kept intervening. Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Really looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your all your reviews and awesome support! I really appreciate how you keep giving me fresh ideas to consider! :-D

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Guest

I have very different plans in mind for the time travel storyline, but I think you will still like it ;-)

I feel that Ally Langford is better off as she is for now. She was able to get help from Wayne Enterprises in the end, and unlike Cheetah or Clayface does not have an extensive criminal record yet. As for Teen Titans, I am trying to keep this confined to the DCAU which does not include that series. Although I readily admit I would love to see Zoro beat on Deathstroke :-P

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Really looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your review and awesome support! :-D

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RockingRobin1234

World of glass really does seem to describe the DCAU universe to the Straw Hats well. Just like if they tried returning to live in the East Blue by this point. Which is extra ironic given how the DCAU is the source of Superman's infamous 'World of Cardboard' speech :-P

I hope Zoro was sufficiently 'wowing' or intimidating in chapter 8 ;-) And yes, Luffy will be indeed cutting lose in the future, although fortunately (for his enemies) no one in the DCAU has reason to know about his brother. As for the Thanagarian Invasion, Wild Cards, and Injustice for All, I have *plans* for those, and yes you can bet the Joker will be involved!

LOL no, I can see the Straw Hats doing their heists in those leather outfits too! Only for extra serious robberies however.

I was honestly planning to skip over 'A Knight of Shadows,' except thanks to Reviewers like you I now have some pretty solid ideas for that chapter ;-)

How the flow of time works between dimensions, and if it is altered or not, is a big issue. Unfortunately for the Straw Hats, they do not know the answer, and are worried sick regarding what is going on back home. Which is unfortunate for the DCAU in their haste…

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Really looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

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Anoneme

Really appreciate hearing how well I am incorporating all the little details, and getting the Straw Hats interactions with the villains done so well :-)

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Really looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

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Anoneme

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Really looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

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DrHeartStealer

Glad that I avoided all those crossover issues, and yeah I have found them annoying myself!

The Straw Hats will indeed be slowly widening their perceptions, it will just take some time. Prejudice can be tricky to shake after all.

As for Amazon, you will have to wait and see… ;-)

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Really looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

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Guest

…I had honestly missed that regarding holidays, and have something for that in later chapters. Thanks for pointing that out!

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Really looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

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Guest

That really does some up the moral differences between the two universes pretty handily. The Justice League are used to fairly black and white stuff because that is what their universe involves. The Straw Hats have been stuck in an entirely different life, and both their experiences are colouring their actions.

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Really looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

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Guest

Yes, Zoro went too long without a fight, and it was fairly easy for him. Problem is that Zoro is too powerful for most foes already, and so the only real challenges would involve a major escalation at a time when the Straw Hats are trying to avoid that. Of course it is only reluctantly on Zoro's part :-P

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Really looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

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Anoneme

Yeah, Armament Haki is not a guaranteed victory, and also that neither side has fully committed yet is definitely true.

Hmm, I had not considered that connection between Shining Knight, the Flash, and universal vibration… Will have to give that some serious thought, and I know for sure Zoro would want a decent fight sooner rather than later ;-)

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Really looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

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Guest

The penal system, and death sentences, are indeed something I will have to look into more.

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Really looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

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nicksad

It is true, the Straw Hats do go on about Freedom, but they tend to overlook the harm their actions do. And in a world with people like Darkseid, the Justice League's efforts and sacrifices deserve more respect. Hoping to go into that more in the next few chapters. And on that note, here is the latest one, and I hope it was worth it! Really looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your review and awesome support! :-D

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Dani1361:

Glad to know I am doing the characters and their powers well, and thanks for the encouragement!

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope it was worth it! Really looking forward to hearing your newest thoughts! :-D

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Guest:

Yeah, the League's powers can slide all over the place at times…

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Arios

Glad you like this so much, and there is a little something here that you inspired I hope you enjoy! ;-) Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your review and support! :-D

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CooCooStomp

You are right that stealing from rich criminals would be profitable, and something they have done like with Steven Mandragora. Banks however are very convenient and (relatively) lightly guarded, and they are rather desperate for funds (expanded upon more next chapter) given how obsessed they are with getting home.

As for the bit about how banks are mostly electronic, that is indeed how it is now. However when the DCAU was filmed, and as portrayed in-universe, that is not the way it is. Robbing a bank in the DCAU will provide you with a nice bundle of cash.

Thank you for your review and support! :-D

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope you enjoy it! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! :-D

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wormrepo

Wow, lots of commentary to respond to, and since you have disabled your PM feature, I will have to address you like a Guest reviewer.

Incidentally, you have also generated reviews responding to your own.

Ch.1

Yeah, Superman does tend to do illegal scans to make sure that everything is safe, and invasive ones at that. However then he went to Batman to discuss things more in-depth, and only then started to get seriously concerned. As for Batman, that is what he regularly does. He breaks and enters and commits blatantly illegal acts like hanging someone off a building to get a confession. I would be honestly surprised if in the DCAU he has ever even been in a court room. As for the illegal construction (which yes, he has done himself) that was more of something to confirm his suspicions, and something to use to try and get a reaction out of anyone. Basically, Batman was using his usual tactics, and they finally backfired on him, badly. Something that is explored more in this chapter.

As for the Straw Hats, they DID attack Batman on sight, and broke a bunch of bones too. At that point, he sent an emergency beacon to Superman, who knows that a) Batman would know if people were in danger and not send the beacon if that was the chaos, and b) that Batman is a prideful, control freak who would only ask for help if it was absolutely necessary.

Huh, I had not considered that about the lead smoke, thanks! Will go fix that :-) Also expanded a bit more on why Superman failed to capture them, but mainly he was worried about his friend (who as I said had been badly hurt).

And yeah, there was no concrete evidence of illegal activity with Cherry Blossom Medical. Just a lot of suspicious details that were adding up, so Batman decided to do an illegal investigation. Which as I said backfired, and will be looked at more here. Neither side is perfect, which is a big part of this.

As for the Amazons, honestly I just forgot to add on that detail. Again, thanks for pointing out something I missed, and I made changes to chapter 1 to address that.

Ch. 2

Yes I did not get into detail with the thefts because frankly that chapter was long enough and wanted to save it more for later.

As for Lex Luthor, his relationship with the Straw Hats comes out more in chapter 11.

Ch. 3

Not trying to be offensive for this part, but a lot of your following concerns are basically answered with "that is how it is in the DC Animated Universe from 1992-2006." While I am making changes or highlighting issues with it, there are only so many I can handle before this become a DCAU dominated story.

For Lois and secret identities, that is how it is in the DCAU, and even then Batman's cowl was literally torn off his face right in front of her.

For why the SHP are so reluctant to involve the JL, also rationales they provide aside, it is basically "we are far too paranoid of any paramilitary group that is going on about 'Justice' to risk trusting them in any way." Plus, a timer would be used but best if no one knows to go look for a dimensional portal and find it at the very last second—which would totally happen in either world :-P Also, the League does not exactly advertise the extent of the fancy toys they possess, and since this is the DCAU they have less than they do at points in the comics.

Batman was clear in chapter 1 that there was no issue with the actual medical products, and that they were indeed revolutionary. It was what was where it was coming from, what was happening behind the scenes, and the suspicious money trails that made him suspicious. And then he got broken bones by people who self-identified as pirates and became extra-suspicious. The medicine still works great though, and perfect for getting back on his feet.

Ch. 4

That is how Batman and the DCAU roll, and while it is something that I am going to address more in this chapter, the fact is that his illegal work is why the JL is able to keep up with the criminals so well.

Something that the JL in the DCAU had to deal with was getting bad press for what they did, but they just saved the world and it was basically all forgotten afterwards. Bad public relations problems were a major strategy of Cadmus in the first two seasons of 'Justice League Unlimited.'

Batman said "one of the most powerful people," but for the rest a Guest reviewer went into more detail on that. For myself, I will just say that since this is the DCAU and where we are in the plot, basically Plastic Man is still not really well known yet. Plus he was never developed to the extent he was in the comics.

Yes, the Justice League, Diana included, are imperfect and still finding their way through Justice.

For the SHP using the media, another Guest responded to you about that. For myself, basically they are just not used to thinking like that.

Ch. 5

Yeah, the JL dropped the ball on how they met the SHP, except the latter are also sending up lots of super-villain vibes (which they technically are). And once you start thinking of people as the enemy (especially after beating on a friend), it is easy to start wondering if the whole medical company was always meant as a front, which would hardly be new for them.

Same earlier comment about using the media.

I am not touching the part about Luffy's intelligence, or possible lack of, with a ten-foot pole. People have been debating that for years, and that will just bog us down.

First, Aresia only managed to infect the USA, and while it would have started spreading globally even without her attempt to accelerate the process, she never got it to that point, so not quite millions dead. A technicality of course since even hundreds would be appalling, but the death-toll was not Holocaust levels yet. Still a war crime of course, and yes there would have be socio-economic repercussions globally. That said, the Justice League get a lot of slack when they save the world, and the Amazons encompass an entire race of people with powers like Wonder Woman, so nations have to think carefully if they really want to start a fight with them. In reality the USA would probably win (barring JL intervention), but they do not know that for sure (for instance in the comics the Amazons continued to advance their technology over the millennia and had some impressive war machines). That Queen Hippolyta helped save the world also helps. And again, in the DCAU, saving the world tends to mean the JL are given a blank cheque in cleaning things up.

No worries, while a lot of your concerns are directly related to just how the DCAU is, you did help me fill in some issues and strengthen other areas which I appreciate :-) Of course, I would like to hear what parts you did enjoy so I know what I am doing right.

Thank you for your review and support! :-D

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope you enjoy it! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! :-D

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Guest

Yeah, Plastic Man has a lot going for him! Pity he does not get expanded more in the DCAU really.

Thank you for your review and support! :-D

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope you enjoy it! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! :-D

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Guest

Glad to see you remembering details like that! :-)

Thank you for your review and support! :-D

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope you enjoy it! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! :-D

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BlantonM

No worries, and glad you are enjoying this :-) And yeah, it only got really good once it got to Unlimited. Also funny how with hindsight you realize that despite how the JL was to uphold the law, they also violated to staggering degrees on a regular basis!

Thank you for your review and support! :-D

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope you enjoy it! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! :-D

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Michael (Guest)

In all honesty, I am surprised at how well this story is going as well. Mind you, I spent a lot of time brainstorming it.

Thank you for your review and support! :-D

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope you enjoy it! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! :-D

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musizlover2008 (Guest)

You know, that really *does* seem to sum up the Justice League. 'Protective Justice,' as they believe, to a degree, each and every life is precious. In the DCAU Darkseid is the exception, but no one is really going to contest that. Will have to see if I can weave that in somewhere! :-D Great work! ;-)

Thank you for your review and support! :-D

Here is the newest chapter, and I hope you enjoy it! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! :-D

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Guest

Thank you, and here is my newest chapter! Hope you enjoy it! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your review and support! :-D

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Evil Reviewer

Sorry for the delay, I got caught up in real life and my other fics. Here is my newest chapter! Hope you enjoy it! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! :-D

Thank you for your review and support! :-D

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Justice

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Chapter 9: The Siege of Gotham

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Previously:

While the rest of the Straw Hats were enjoying a Halloween party (and mutilating the Joker), Zoro, Jinbe, Brook, Franky, and Grundy robbed a bank in Britain. Unfortunately, they were attacked by the hero Shining Knight. Impressed with the man's tenacity, Zoro acknowledged Sir Justin, as well as passing onto him some wisdom, and his name and affiliation, before hospitalizing him.

Afterwards, Batman fruitlessly tried to investigate further. However, he never showed up at the hospital to see Shining Knight when the man woke up . . .

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November 3

Muscles straining, Batgirl decked another thug down as they fought it out in the dark alley, whirling around to handle the two at her back—

"What's up?" Nightwing cheerfully waved, kneeling on the two comatose bodies.

"Doing better now," she grinned at the previous and first Robin. "About time you showed up. We were wondering if you'd forgotten us."

"Sorry, things spilled over into Blüdhaven, if not nearly as bad as here. Took me ages to beat it down to the level the cops could handle again. Where to next in our cheery Gotham City?"

!JUSTICE!

It did not take a genius like Nightwing to know that Batgirl, Barbra, was near the end of her rope. There was a slight shake to her limbs, she had been a little slower than usual from what he had seen of that fight against common gangbangers, and it was taking her longer to regain her breath than usual. Although telling her that would only antagonize her, so he tried a different tact. "If you've got a minute, can you fill me in on some things?"

"What do you want to know?" she asked.

"About the Straw Hats," he answered truthfully. He had his own sources, and while things might remain a little strained between him and Batman, they were both professional enough to keep each other in the loop about any concerns. And yes, they did care about one another. However, there were some details that were seriously starting to concern him.

"Sure," she shrugged, and pulled out her grappling gun to head to a nearby rooftop, as he followed right behind.

"So, anything specific?" she asked once they had settled down.

He snorted. "Just want to know how they're running circles around Bats. It's been two days since they put Shining Knight in the hospital, and people are getting even antsier now. But what's bugging me is why hasn't Bats found out anything concrete about them yet? World's Greatest Detective and all."

On one hand, he was glad to see she was clearly distracted from her exhaustion now. On the other, Batgirl's simultaneous resignation and frustration were ringing fresh alarm bells for Nightwing. As one of Batman's primary partners in Gotham, she was one of the few who would have any real idea what the man was up to, and what he knew. Not everything of course, because he kept a death-grip on secrets, but still enough for an informed opinion.

And she was worried.

"Well," Batgirl deflected with a light tone. "How would you go about it?"

"Alright," Nightwing grinned, "have you checked the various criminal databases?"

Batgirl's raised eyebrow clearly communicated she was unamused.

"Of course you have. I'm guessing Bats went and broke into the Interpol, FBI, CIA, and NPSC files?"

"All that and more," Batgirl nodded. "Although, he had full cooperation from Japan's National Public Safety Commission, who have been doing their own search. They don't like the idea that these new, mystery criminals are going around with Japanese accents. Oh, and used a Japanese term: nakama. So yeah, it looks pretty bad. They'd rather that they'd all be Americans."

"Guess you haven't heard then," Nightwing commented, looking a little grimmer. "The guy who took out Shining Knight? Word out is he used three katana, and follows some kind of honour code. People are thinking bushido."

"Interesting," mused Batgirl as she tapped her chin. "Of course, it could all be an act. And then there's the ethnic variation amongst them, and that story from Nico Robin about her history. If it's even true."

Cocking his head, Nightwing considered her attitude. The way she was assuming this Zoro guy was just pretending to be some sort of criminal samurai –Would that be a rōnin? Guess I should brush up— implied . . . "I've been assuming that there haven't been many clues to go by, but is it the opposite?" he hazarded. "So many hints that they're conflicting and confusing things?"

She grimaced. "Worse actually." Gesturing, she led him across the roof so that they were behind the extension where the door down was. It was an old habit to not be in one place too long, and the shadows here were easier for them to disappear into while having a long conversation.

Taking a deep breath, Batgirl elaborated. "Batman's found seven false trails for the whole group. Fake identities that were supposed to explain their origins, and the deeper he dug, the more fakes he found. Three were in Japan, one in America, one in China, one in Russia, and another in America that was supposed to make him think it was a fake, to lead him to one of the Japanese ones and believe he had found the 'real' one. Plus at least twenty more for the individuals we know about, of similar variety."

"Industrious," Nightwing complimented, although his eyes were narrowed. "I hadn't heard about that."

"Batman's keeping it quiet, even from the League since he doesn't have anything solid," she defended. "Yet."

"Same old Bats," he scowled, a trace of bitter anger leaking into his voice. Then he made a brief gesture to let her know she should just ignore him, and continue.

"The thing is, the biggest mistake they made, was that all the so-called evidence was too new. As in, only put in place a few months ago." Once more she quirked an eyebrow at him, except now as a challenge to figure out the significance.

"Which means they didn't really start anything big until a few months ago, or they would have done it better," he concluded, starting to understand why Bruce was keeping quiet on this. There were so many questions still that it would only confuse the issue. "So were they hiding out so deep before when something changed and forced them out into the open and into crime? Were they model citizens who suddenly got powers and skills to both evade and take on the League in a short period of time? Or," and now he looked concerned, "did they come from somewhere else, and recently?"

"Batman was already considering they might have alien technology as the basis of their medical products," Batgirl softly affirmed. "Focus on herbal remedies aside. Moreover, some of those plant weapons and explosives the long-nosed guy was using to fight Green Lantern? Batman analyzed what was left. Nothing in any botanical database, with enough weird stuff in them to make it clear that if their ancestry was ever terrestrial, they've been heavily altered. Even Poison Ivy's are normal by comparison. Well, on a genetic level at least."

Rubbing his brow, Nightwing nodded as he reached the conclusion she was leading him to. "So more human-like aliens, huh? Usually they just gear up in flashy outfits and head right off to Metropolis to talk to Superman in broad daylight, or mostly fight it out with him. That said, yeah, if they're aliens it would explain a lot.

"Maybe they landed in Japan first? So why are they here in the US now? And—wait." He stopped to consider the series of thefts which, due to a blurted confession and similarity in M.O.'s, the Straw Hats were the major suspects for. "I still don't see a pattern in their thefts," he noted with a touch of respect, "and that's the point, isn't it?"

"Bingo," Batgirl confirmed. "That's what Batman thinks." He bristled a little at the idea that he was only being used to validate an idea, and promptly crushed the petty thought with a self-awareness of that flaw, and knowledge that they were both just working through the same chain. His friend had hesitated briefly as he did that, and then she continued.

"Of course, this is all speculation without any solid evidence, but yeah, them being aliens would really help explain away a lot of questions. If also raising more of them.

"We think they're stealing to get the materials to build something, for some goal, and the rest of the stuff they steal is either a smokescreen, or to be sold off for money to buy legitimate goods through other channels."

"Except we still don't know what they're really after," Nightwing pointed out. "Charming."

His expression turned a shade darker. "And since the first things Bats found were their legitimate sources of income, and shut them down, they've turned to bigger and bigger crimes to make up for it."

"Unfortunately," Batgirl sighed.

"And pushing them further and further into a corner," Nightwing finished. At this rate, the number of non-violent solutions to this mess with these supposed aliens was dropping.

An explosion rent the night a few blocks away, and wordlessly they were both leaping from the rooftop to go investigate.

War had come to Gotham City once more.

!JUSTICE!

Straw Hat Hideout

"What took you so long!?" snapped Nami. "You should've been back days ago! We were worried sick once the news broke out!"

"My apologies," Jinbe exclaimed with a slight bow. "I felt it best for us to be discrete coming back, to ensure there was no pursuit." Brook and Franky nodded.

The redhead sighed, but knew that if Jinbe had urged caution, it was probably a good idea. Especially since, "It was a simple bank robbery, and you had to go and cut down a hero!" she jabbed her finger at Zoro, her teeth suddenly seeming almost like shark fangs. "And worst of all, you not only gave your name, you said you were a Straw Hat! What is WRONG with you!? This was supposed to be A LOW PROFILE theft you MORON! IN and OUT! Now thanks to you, we're international criminals!"

In spite of her burning fury, she still saw he was about to say something along the lines of, "What else is new?" and cut him off. "And that's a bad thing!"

Zoro hesitated and then grimaced. Right, no letting slip that they were from another universe around the locals like Grundy.

Nami give him another menacing scowl, eyes promising future retribution, and faced said zombie.

"Oh, and by the way," Nami grinned at the large zombie in question, "Chopper's looking for you."

"For Grundy?" he asked in confusion at the sudden shift in her mood.

"Yep!" chirped the doctor in question as he skipped into the room, a big paper bag trailing behind him. "Here's the candy I promised you!"

Grundy's massive smile was somehow simultaneously the most heartwarming and most disturbing thing Nami had seen in a while.

!JUSTICE!

Gotham City

Batgirl and Nightwing took it all in while still in motion as they swept down into no less than a five-way battle.

One side was a street gang they recognized, the Pig-Heads, who had broken out their emergency gear: cast-off military grade weapons smuggled to Gotham through the lucrative arms trade. They were also losing, and badly at that.

A group of unknowns were sporting heavy winter gear, and guns shooting beams of ice. They seemed to be amateurs, except most of the Pig-Head casualties still seemed to be from them.

Killer Croc was an enhanced human whose tendency for violence had led him to reject every second chance he had been given. He was also supposed to still be in jail, if not for the unfortunate fact that Blackgate Prison had suffered another major prison break just a few hours ago. Using his monstrous strength, the super-villain was fighting it out with Atomic Skull, a meta-criminal with a flaming green skull who was not from Gotham.

Last but not least, the cops trying to contain the madness while getting innocents to safety. Fortunately their gunfire had forced Atomic Skull to take cover.

Batarangs hammered the group using the ice weapons, stunning them.

A veteran at fighting the Bat Family, Killer Croc immediately turned in the direction the new attack had come from, seeing only shadows. This gave Nightwing and Batgirl the chance to take out the Pig-Heads in a flurry and fury of martial arts that rattled skulls and broken arms.

"No Bat to save yah this time!" growled the supervillain.

"Who needs him?" drawled Nightwing, hefting up a little 'gift' from the gangbangers: a rocket launcher.

"Wait!" gasped Killer Croc in shock. This was not how it worked!

Fire and shockwave hammered into him, bowling him over. Dimly he realized the explosion had only hit in front of him.

"Psych," Batgirl grinned, hitting him with electrified batarangs, taking him out for good.

She kept in motion however, and stuck to the shadows –staying still was too dangerous— as she and Nightwing rushed Atomic Skull. He was so disorientated from the sudden shift that a double kick from the duo was all that was necessary to put him down.

Without taking an extra breath, the Batclan darted back to make sure their first victims were out cold.

Having done this a thousand times, the finishing kicks and punches were really anticlimactic.

"What've we got here?" Nightwing thoughtfully said, as he looked at the advanced tech.

"Looks like some of Dr. Freeze's old toys," noted Batgirl. "Except that Freeze's been gone for a while," maybe for good, "and this," gesturing around at the aftermath of the firefight, "was too shoddy for him. Also, wrong style of winter gear for him."

"They must've found an old cache of his," Nightwing grimly concluded. "Maybe stored out of town?"

"Yeah, yeah, that's all nice, but what's going on with the rest of them!?"

Both vigilantes turned to see Detectives Harvey Bullock and Renee Montoya, and Officer Wilkes coming over. Unsurprisingly, the brusque Bullock was the one demanding answers. "This is as bad as it's ever gotten, including those two weeks when Bats was a no-show!"

That incident the overweight if keen-minded cop was referring to, was an incident when Batman had been under the mind control of Brainiac, albeit without the Kryptonian android knowing who he truly had in thrall. Regardless, for the two weeks Batman had been not appeared, crime had skyrocketed a chilling 15%. At this rate, it might get worse than that.

"All our questions and sources are getting us nowhere," Detective Montoya said more politely. However it was evident that she and all other police present were being worn to the bone. They all showed symptoms of sleep deprivation, and Wilkes' usually pristine uniform had a few small rips and stains.

"Hmhmm," murmured Nightwing. He looked down at one of the downed thugs. "Anything you wanna add? And since you're new, I'd advise you skip the impolite language."

Fear clear on his face, the young man –barely out of his teens— gulped loudly. "Look, alright, jobs are coming apart elsewhere. If it ain't you spandex freaks," Nightwing's foot gave him a warning nudge, "coming after us, it's the super-crooks hogging the good stuff. We're feeling the pinch, see? Hard to make a decent living!"

His audience was neither impressed nor sympathetic.

Hurrying on, "And then we get word that Gotham City's the place to be! That the super-crooks are moving out, and the rest of 'em are staying out now! So we figure that with just the Bat to worry about. . . Yeah, I'll shut up now," he trailed off at the glares.

With a grunt, Bullock turned back to the heroes. "That's pretty much what we've been hearing. Except what's shaken it all up?"

!JUSTICE!

Sliding and gliding through familiar shadows, Batman raced to his destination before his quarry knew he was coming.

Things had always been grim in Gotham City, and now they were even worse than usual. Far worse. Not the usual petty drugs and theft, but something both new and beyond what his contingency plans had accounted for.

For years he had built up a reputation of respect and fear within Gotham, and it had spread from there. Except now and inexplicably, the crooks were streaming to the home of America's darkest pit of violence and sin. Obviously men like Two-Face, Rupert Thorne, and every other criminal in town took exception to intruders on their turf. Especially since said trespassers wanted their own piece of the pie; somehow imagining that there was plenty of profit to go around. Violence had been inevitable. It was amazing it had not blown up sooner.

Of course it was only going to go further downhill at this rate. The local gang leaders were getting increasingly territorial, and the newcomers were escalating as they tried to carve out a piece for themselves. Even the 'special' criminals who were less concerned about money than their individual psychoses, like the Riddler, had to join in, just to keep up. It would take lots of long nights to prune this all back.

At least after Batman's most recent shakedown of Penguin, who was distressed at how this newest crime spree was impacting his legitimate business interests, he had a new lead on the Straw Hats.

Internally he grimaced; clearly they had become a bigger issue than he had imagined when he had first started investigating them. At first they had appeared to be a company too altruistic for there to not be a catch, along with some suspicious finances. Honestly though, that was simply chump-change compared to Lex Corp. He had been committing discrete raids upon Luthor for months now to put all the pieces together, and the man was too quick at hiding the dirty stuff, or ensuring 'plausible deniability.'

Like he had told Clark, Batman had hoped that Cherry Blossom Medical's secrets were relatively benign, and that the League could work with them to spread their ground-breaking medical advances globally.

His father, Doctor Thomas Wayne, MD, would have done no less.

Except he had played it safe, and sent Clark to scout it out along with Lois (who had an undeniably keen mind herself), and the former had come back to him with very concerning reports. That the CEO, 'Sanji Kuroashi,' had a physique comparative to the Flash, one of the most powerful beings on Earth, and that the supposed scientist 'Dr. Mikan' reminded Clark more of an elite soldier, with unidentified yet advanced technology concealed upon her. Plus he had learnt their backgrounds were fraudulent, including Nami Mikan's doctorate. Did that fit the bill of the simple, generous company they portrayed themselves as?

Not to mention the sheer number of super criminals whose powers were the results of shady experiments to enhance people, and here was at least one secret meta-human running the most advanced medical company in the world, along with everything else thrown in?

Honestly, he had investigated people over less, usually discovering nasty surprises that would have cost many lives if allowed to succeed.

So he had gone to discretely investigate. Maybe find some blackmail like that illegal underground hideout while he was at it. To use if necessary.

Instead he had found self-styled pirates, been discovered without his realizing it, and received several broken bones.

Things had gone downhill from there.

Still, he remained confident that if Cherry Blossom Medical really had been as altruistic as they claimed, they would not have been hiding anything on that scale.

Now the evidence pointed towards the possibility that they were actually aliens, which only muddied up their potential motives even further. While he was still unable to find a pattern to their thefts, nor figure out which ones were merely to mislead him, he was confident their intentions were anything but benign. After all, if they were, they could simply just approach Superman, a fellow alien, to get whatever help they needed. Or Green Lantern the space-cop. No, there was definitely something sinister going on.

That aside, during the whole nightmare with the rogue Amazon, Princess Diana and Hawkgirl had worked alongside them, the skeleton Brook, Soul King, had said, 'As per our Captain's orders, we're not even supposed to be in Gotham City.' Why?

Especially since there was so much concentrated here that they had been stealing elsewhere. There were several multi-billionaires who chose to inhabit the city for one. Not to mention the numerous corporations that produced advanced technology, while taking advantage of the desperate labour force, bribable safety inspectors, and other sources of corruption. And finally of course, there was his own Wayne Industries, which managed to be both ethical and cutting edge. Various other international gangs took advantage of this, so why not them?

He had a gut feeling that it was connected to the perception that there was a sudden vacuum in Gotham's underworld. Moreover, some of the local super-criminals were indeed lying disturbingly low, despite how new competition was marching brazenly around, which was out of character for them.

Although they were right about the Joker.

Except it started before he left for New Orleans, he reflected. Is that why he went? Or just to mess with me as I searched through the city for whatever Halloween stunt he was going to pull?

Regardless, he had a mission to complete.

!JUSTICE!

Later

It was almost painful to take the time to do this, while his partners and protégés, and the police force, were out fighting to stop all the widespread robberies and violence, yet Batman knew this could be his best lead.

Something had happened to change the calculus in the underworld, and the only wildcard factors he could imagine responsible for this were the Joker (who would not have been in New Orleans away from the 'fun'), Lex Luthor or Ra's al Ghul (both of whom were too orderly, and too much of a control freak to set off something like this), or the Straw Hats (simply because Batman still had no grasp upon their motives). He was hoping that his target should shed some light on the situation.

Stalking through the 'abandoned' warehouse, he silently snuck up behind a little girl, sitting on a high chair, looking over some maps of Gotham.

"Mary Dahl," he rasped.

Jumping up in shock, the blonde child spun around to face him, hands grasping for a weapon he had already discretely taken from her.

It was her eyes that betrayed the truth of who she was: an adult.

Throughout her life she suffered from systemic hypoplasia, an extremely rare medical condition that prevented her body from physically aging. So while she appeared five years old, she was really in her thirties. Once an actress, the disparity between how old she looked and actually was, had driven her insane, and into a life of crime under the alias 'Baby-Doll.' She had recovered and taken up a regular job. Unfortunately, once more what made her 'different,' how people treated her, made her willingly and violently lash out a society that misunderstood and shunned her.

Worst of all, she was willing to destroy Gotham itself in the process.

"I see you got out of Blackgate Prison. I hope you're behaving yourself," he coldly demanded. She had in fact successfully escaped several weeks ago –her childlike appearance made it harder for people to appreciate how resourceful she truly was— and had laid low ever since. Batman had been searching for her, except she had done a surprisingly good job of staying hidden until now.

"I-I am!" she gasped.

"Then why are you seeking out the Straw Hats?"

Still shaken she tried to answer, and he switched topics to throw her further off, intensifying his aura of menace. "What do you know about them?"

"Uhm, I," she hesitated, before sagging down. "I wanted to join them. That's why I broke out, and learnt all I could about them."

"Anything you want to share?"

Cagey now that she might have an opening, she promptly answered, "They're the reason the crooks are flooding here."

As he had suspected. Still, "Impossible. If they were giving that sort of orders, I'd have heard about it."

Shifting about to make herself look more harmless, she awkwardly looked to the side, trying to make herself look more 'adorable.' "You're not going to like it. At all."

"Try me."

"There's a lot of rumours spreading around about them now, because one of them, or one of the newbies they've recruited, said something to one of their contacts. Next thing you know, everyone's hearing it and passing it on. Until next thing you know people're flooding here."

"With the original rumour changing from person to person," he deduced. "And spreading more and more different rumours in the process."

"Yeah, I tracked down the first one, but the word on the street is that if they've got guys who can take down members of the Justice League, then that means that sooner or later they'll either be trying for world domination, or taking over all the gangs, and they say they don't want the first."

Interesting, if reassuring. If it's accurate, thought the Dark Knight. Outwardly, he maintained his intimidating silence, trusting Dahl to hurry to fill the void.

Sure enough, she gushed out, "And since they've knocked off a few rivals, or the powered crooks who've annoyed them, people are starting to get real antsy."

While he hid any reaction, internally Batman was furious he had failed to consider this. When Killer Frost had been turned in to the authorities by the Straw Hats, he had only considered it in terms of the power displayed to take her down. He had limited himself to the perspective of law enforcement, failing to see how other criminals would see it, particularly meta-criminals. Given how they were all 'freethinkers' who were 'shunned' and 'ostracized' by a society that 'refused to accept them,' as opposed to the fact they preyed on those weaker than them, there was a loose sense of brother and sisterhood to them. Obviously that did not mean there was any 'honour among thieves,' yet they still tended to leave each other alone, unless their interests directly conflicted. After all, the Justice League and law enforcement were after them indiscriminately, so they were in it together. However, if a new player joined the board and showed a willingness to pick them off, then their choices were either fight back against a group who, as Dahl said, could clash with the Justice League better than anyone else had, or head to richer prospects.

'Richer prospects' like Batman's city apparently.

"So once they learnt that the Straw Hats were staying out of Gotham, people started thinking that if they went there it would be better for 'em. So much crime going on that surely there's enough for all, y'know. And once some started doing it, more followed thinking it must be a good idea after all. Of course once they got here, they got caught up in this big ol' gang war."

Yeeesssss. . . It was all coming together nicely now. Except for how the Straw Hats were perceived by the underworld though, there were no big surprises.

The only question . . .

His voice like ice, "The rumour?"

She fidgeted, "Uhm, right."

" . . . "

"Look," Dahl awkwardly said, "I'm not a hundred percent sure I've tracked down the original one. I mean, it's all rumours, y'know? But I found this one guy. . ."

She let out a deep breath.

"Apparently the Straw Hats actually were planning to come here for one of the science labs, and then their boss overheard a guy say he got sick eating spoiled meat in a hot dog he bought in Gotham, and he declared they were to never, ever come here. Yeah. . ."

Batman blinked as his mind rebelled against this answer.

Against the horrific possibilities.

No, there were only two really.

First, this, his city, his home, being torn apart by war, was all just a demonstration. That this new player on the board had let it be known to America's criminal fraternity, "I'm staying out of Gotham City, so it's all yours," and they had come. That despite all his years as a hero and creating a shroud of protective fear, they had still decided it was safer and more profitable to come to his territory to fight it out. That it was better than staying out of Gotham where they would have the Straw Hats as competition.

A simple display meant to showcase how powerless Batman, and by extension the rest of the Justice League, really were.

Or, second, it really was all born from a whim. And if so, if they could set off all this chaos so easily, than how was he to predict them? How was the Justice League's top strategist and detective supposed to get ahead of the Straw Hats?

Then he took a deep breath, clenched his fists one last time, and straightened up.

No, he was not done yet.

!JUSTICE!

Straw Hat Hideout

Luffy's eyes were hard as he watched the news alone.

After the whole incident at Halloween, Monkey D. Luffy had started keeping track of the news for once. Quietly of course, in the room reserved for those who might want to watch their shows alone (like Sanji watching beach volleyball and drooling), because he knew his friends would be concerned by him paying an active interest, as opposed to listening to whatever Nami said as she read the paper if he was around. Concerned because they would know he was upset by something.

Violence had broken out in Bad Meat City, and after asking Robin about it, he knew it was because other criminals were trying to stay out of him and his crew's way.

". . . Why is this happening?" he muttered aloud.

He knew people thought he was overly simple, while he just thought people were trying to make things overly complicated. People lived and then they died, and what mattered in-between was if they believed in something and were willing to strive for it. Being alive and alone was hell, so find those you cared for and cared for you in turn, and protect them with your life. And always strive to eat twice (or even better, three or four times) your body weight in meat. The rest tended to be incidentals that people got all bent out of shape over while insisting that he should care about them.

As if a man should let others dictate what he cares about, or how he should act.

That said, ever since Luffy had set sail and taken upon the responsibilities of Captain, he had been increasingly forced to focus on more issues, and think about those 'incidentals.' Zoro and Rayleigh had worked hard to hammer home that it was his job to be open-minded about that.

Coming to this world had been a BIG issue.

Possibly the biggest.

When they had come here, they had all been in the middle of a war, with so many friends, and their friends' friends, counting on them to come back. To say nothing of his nakama's own dreams that could never be fulfilled here. Plus, it was hard to become the Pirate King without the One Piece.

So the solution was simple:

1) Get back home. By any means necessary.

2) Do not let people from this freaky, complicated world follow them back, or know about it. Nothing good would come from it.

Quickly they had realized they would need vast resources to accomplish their goals, and their robbing had escalated far, far beyond anything they had ever done before. What they ran off with from Skypiea was chump change in comparison. Although in fairness, they had tried doing it legally! Unfortunately those methods were apparently too exposed, and invited unwanted attention. Only a few of those avenues were left now. Besides, pirates used force to take what they wanted.

What was different from all those times before, was now the consequences of their actions were being splayed out on the news for all to see. Back home the World Government tried to pretend everything was perfect, or at least lie that it was not as bad as it sounded. Here, the news guys actually liked to focus on all the yucky stuff for some reason.

A part of him knew stuff like this happened back home, like those rants from obnoxious jailer back in Impel Down who kept getting back up no matter how many times Luffy hit him. About the consequences of releasing so many of the worst prisoners to do whatever they wanted. People got hurt by what the Straw Hats did. People unconnected to the marines or pirates.

He just rarely thought about it because it did not mean he was going to stop being a pirate –not like the government would just let him be by now either. He was not like Vivi who thought she could save the day without anyone getting hurt; that was what a hero tried to do.

He was no hero, he was a pirate.

However, that did not mean he enjoyed knowing people were being hurt by his and his crew's actions. Those who were innocent of doing anything bad to those he cared about. Even if he did not know them.

Most of his nakama had probably figured this would happen, except they had largely kept quiet. It was not like they could just stop trying to get back home. They knew just as well as him that they did not belong here, and they were needed back home! In Wano! Where Traffy and the rest of their friends were gearing up for a war with Kaido!

Sighing, he massaged his forehead which was hurting from all this thinking.

As Captain, his foremost duty was to his crew, so yes, it was not like they could just stop. But . . . maybe they could think up some other ways to get home without any more damage to others? Or at least no more than necessary. Something like Chopper's Cherry Blossom Medical Company, or putting the pant-tents or whatever on the public domain –he had no idea what that meant, only that the others seemed to think it was good news.

Not that he or the others had any idea of how they would go about doing that.

"Luffy?"

He glanced up to see Maureen come in, looking much healthier and well-fed than when he had first met her. "Yeah, Mauri?"

(Ever since she had started getting better, he had felt safe to give her an easier name).

Smiling at the nickname, she glanced at the cup of water beside him. "Do you want some ice cubes?" she eagerly asked.

"Sure!" Luffy grinned back, while muting the TV volume, glad to give her the opportunity.

With a twitch of her fingers, there was now some blobs of ice floating in his drink.

"You're getting good at that!" he complimented, picking up his instantly cooled glass for a sip.

"Thanks!" she giggled back.

Turning her attention to the news, Maureen caught the rolling headline about how Batman was apparently incapable of handling the drastically rising Gotham crime rate.

"Luffy?"

"Yes?"

"Uhm," and she awkwardly looked at her feet, "are Batman and the Justice League bad guys? I mean, I hear Volcana talk about Superman sometimes, and Poison Ivy for Batman, and, uhm, they don't sound like what I always hear on the news. . ."

Her head snapped up as Luffy ruffled her hair. He was only a few years older than her, and could act far more childish, yet right now she felt drawn into the certainty of his expression. The hidden and sometimes weird wisdom he held. With level eyes, he simply said, "Heroes are very important. I love heroes myself. It's up to you however to decide for yourself if someone's a hero or not."

Blushing a little, she nodded resolutely. In that sense, Luffy, Volcana, Nami, Sanji, and the rest were heroes too!

Glancing back at the news, Luffy gave another sigh, and turned it off.

!JUSTICE!

Gotham City

Reasserting himself, Batman narrowed his gaze further at Dahl as she seemed to be inching towards a concealed weapon. As if struck, she snatched back her hand.

"Why were you seeking them out?" he growled, wanting to distract her from his momentary weakness.

Surprisingly, she barked out a harsh laugh. "You have to ask!? They were running the most advanced medical company in the world before your ruined it! What if they can cure me!?"

"Cure you?" and it took considerable will to hide his shock.

"Duh! I mean, I was a little hesitant at first, because if he's calling himself Dr. Chopper, then you just know the odds are even that underneath his fury complexion is a bloody, sadistic surgeon." Dalh stopped for a deep breath. "But I just can't take it anymore! And maybe, just maybe, with people as different as them, I'll find kindred spirits!"

In an instant it all clicked together for Batman.

Baby-Doll, Mary Dahl, had no one in the world. The one time she had tried to find a friend in someone 'different,' also ostracized from society for their criminal background as she was (and in all fairness, hers had begun from a genuine mental breakdown), it had ended in disaster. She had put what remained of her trust in Killer Croc, thinking they had a genuine connection, and he had betrayed her. Unlike her, he was not looking for a place where he belonged.

Something that the Straw Hat Pirates, with all of the powerful misfits they already knew were members, could offer.

Like Volcana who's disappeared? Or Harley Quinn after they crippled the Joker? Who else would be interested?

Not just for a place to belong, but for another chance at life . . .

Moving down that thought-chain, it was also clear he had been too hasty in his earlier conclusion while talking to Dahl.

The meta-criminals don't look at them with just fear, it's respect too!

Power, wealth, protection, they can provide all of that, yet unlike someone like Luthor or most of the rest, they'll promise a place to be part of. To be safe and accepted!

Not universally of course, some like Luthor would conclude they were either overly sentimental, or running a scam. The regular street crooks or gangs would simply not care. Yet running through his mental psychological profiles of every super-powered threat, Batman knew too many of them would still be intrigued. A group who could possibly make 'honour among thieves' work!?

Events were shifting faster than the Justice League could keep up. So far.

While criminals had to pay a penalty in order for there to be both a deterrent and Justice, was it working for super-criminals?

He remembered how he had torn into Clark about his criminally negligent attempt to imprison Volcana, and now wondered what would have happened if he had asked her to join him fighting crime, or suppressing flames for firefighters. A second chance perhaps, while working to publicly rehabilitate her? While risky as she obviously had serious trust issues, if she had been given a strong, genuine, display of it in turn when he did not have to, it probably would have been all that was needed to help give her the necessary push to becoming good. And everyone would know Superman would remain true to his promise.

She would have had the chance to be a hero and live a better life. Whatever she may have chosen in the end, everyone she had dealt with before had never actually given her a choice.

Many other villains would try to abuse this sort of opportunity of course, and others would (briefly?) relapse, but Batman knew what Clark would say:

That if you give people a shot at being better, enough of them will take it to make it worth the effort.

All of this flashed through his mind before the woman before him could notice.

"You're right," he admitted to her. "Maybe they could."

Her eyes brightened with hope. "Are you going to let me go then?"

"There may be an alternative."

Instantly her eyes hardened in suspicion. "What?" she ground out.

"Wayne Enterprises has begun making great strides themselves since the Straw Hat's patents went onto the public domain. But you'll have to find out in prison if they can help you."

She hesitated for a moment, before nodding in acceptance.

This . . . whatever it was he was considering, Batman knew he had to discuss with the others. With the authorities. However it was becoming clear that at the very least, they had to take another good, looooong look at what the current system was doing to rehabilitate the convicts. Maybe some fresh perspectives would help . . .

!JUSTICE!

Later

"Situation," Batman curtly ordered.

"Good to see you too," grinned Nightwing, having sensed the man's approach.

"Oh how I missed the egos," groaned Batgirl melodramatically. Addressing her boss more seriously, "It's only getting worse, we're barely staying ahead of this. Did you get any clues?"

"I confirmed what we already knew, that the word got out that there was less competition in Gotham. Now I know who and how." Before he could elaborate, a bundle of joy joined them.

"Hey guys, guess what?" Beaming, the fifteen-year old Robin, a.k.a. Tim Drake, hopped up to join them.

"What?" Nightwing asked with a grin.

"We've got back-up?"

Batman shot his ward a sharp look. "Who?" All of his protégés were accounted for. Maybe Selina? He had also been hearing rumours about a new vigilante dubbing herself 'Huntress.'

"Me."

Regal and tall, Wonder Woman descended down beside the Bat Family.

.

.

.

Breaking the stunned silence, Nightwing leaned over to Batgirl to sotto whisper, "This is gonna get awkward."

"What. Are. You. Doing. Here?" bit out Batman. His face was stone cold and impassive, except for the slight furrow of his brow over narrowed eyes. The infamous 'Batglare.' "I've told all of you before, I don't need your help in Gotham!" Even Green Lantern had asked for permission to come to here. This place was too much of a powder keg otherwise!

Unimpressed, she crossed her arms. "Have you seen the news reports coming out of your own city? Superman told us to leave it to you, but honestly this is getting ridiculous. Besides, you never showed up to see Sir Justin in the hospital. Not that we were worried, we know you can take care of yourself," she quickly assured him, "except that told us it really was bad if you passed up the chance to interview him more on what happened."

Coughing into her fist, Batgirl took the more diplomatic approach. "Wonder Woman—"

"Call me Diana," she warmly told the younger heroes.

"—Diana, there is a good reason Batman doesn't want super-humans in Gotham. We've got to show the people here that they don't need powers to make a difference; that ordinary people can do it too."

"And most people don't have access to the resources and wealth Batman must have, to be as good as he is!" protested Diana. "Don't get me wrong," she apologized to the increasingly menacing figure, "you're absolutely incredible at what you do, you've accomplished more than any other 'normal' man that I've ever heard of."

"Oh, he's not normal," deadpanned Nightwing. His smirk made it perfectly clear he was enjoying himself.

"Gotham's not like anywhere else," Batman snapped again. "It's a warren of madmen with a diverse array of dangerous weapons. Just rushing in will get even you killed! I don't need any help!"

"Superman said you'd say that too. Unfortunately, there's more to this city than just you. Besides, I'm a princess," she flatly told him. "I go where I want."

"Really," and now there was a mocking tone to his voice. "Is that how it is?"

"When lives are in danger, yes."

"Having a meta-human here will force the villains to escalate!"

"You don't know that!"

"Ahem," Nightwing broke in, stepping in between with a palm facing either of them. "Alright, look, this is getting us nowhere. Bats, she's right. On a long-term basis, letting people think that the heroes will just swoop in and save the day will not fix Gotham. Except it's only getting worse out there, with no sign of improvement. Cops are getting hurt, with some pretty close calls, and even we're all getting worn out. Sooner or later, someone's going to make a mistake. Besides, you said it yourself that whatever is causing this is coming from outside of Gotham. Who is it anyways?"

Recognizing the blatant attempt to change the topic, nonetheless Batman answered. "The Straw Hats. They put out the word that they were uninterested here, and their rising fame spooked gangs into coming here, which made everyone else think it might be a good idea."

"Them again!" barked Diana in frustration. While she might respect the good they had done, the harm the pirates were also causing was swiftly becoming too much.

"Hey, hey, let's worry about Gotham for now," Robin quickly interjected. He had been keeping quiet during this, knowing that they needed the help. Unfortunately he had belatedly realized that his adoptive father was even more upset about this than anticipated.

"Very well then," and Diana relaxed her crossed arms so her fists dropped to her sides. "Are you going to let me help, or am I doing this on my own?"
For over a minute Batman only stared at her, before turning around. "Watch your back, and follow my lead. Do exactly as I tell you."

"Hey, Diana," she turned to look at the man Superman had described as being Batman's oldest protégé, and adoptive son. "He's got too much pride to show people he cares about them, he's a melodramatic brooder like that."

"He doesn't overtly show he cares at least," Batgirl hastily corrected.

"But he does," Robin chipped in.

"So if he keeps trying to push you away," grinned Nightwing, "then that means he's worried he's getting soft by liking you. Just push back."

The man in question refused to respond in any way, while she just smiled. "Thanks for the advice." With that, she flew off after her colleague.

"I like her!" Nightwing grinned, while Batgirl glared at him.

"You do realize with that advice you've guaranteed he'll be insufferable for months, right?" she hissed.

"Eh, he's spending more and more time with the League anyways, and she can take it."

!JUSTICE!

Grinning widely, the Riddler took in the sight of his gang setting down C4 explosives to break open the bank vault. This was one of the few remaining intact ones in Gotham, only the thickness of the doors keeping it protected.

Not for lack of trying though. There had been four other failed attempts these last two weeks, including one that ended with the bank manager and four hostages killed when said manager failed to cough up the combination. Amateurs, those three-bit newcomers had been too sloppy to prevent the alarm going off, sealing up the vault beyond even a mere branch manager's ability to open up. Especially a Gotham branch manager; his head office had been too savvy to make it so he could do that. And equally uncaring about the fate of their employees.

Whistling and twirling his cane, Riddler went over his plan again. The money from the heist would satisfy his men, and fund the rest of his work. Meanwhile, the real prize lay in certain scientific documents he knew were secured within, as well as the perfect opportunity to leave a clue for Batman about his newest criminal masterpiece! A puzzle that would finally stump the man, proving once and for all who was the brightest!

Speaking of which, he casually took in the sight of the front lobby again.

Guards covering the doors with machine guns, while to trip up any nosey Bats, they had littered the floor in front of the doors and windows with marbles painted in the same colour of the floor. A simple trap to ruin a do-gooder's balance when they rushed in and slipped on them, yet also another clue he had generously provided to his true plan.

More of his gang had automatic weapons were trained on the hostages, and small squads were patrolling around the build—

Breaking down through the ceiling, Wonder Woman landed between the hostages and their kidnappers. Guns barked on reflex and she deflected them with her bracelets, the flare of sparks and rebounding bullets making the thugs flinch back and briefly stop shooting.

More than enough.

Her fists hammered them through the air towards Riddler and his bodyguards, knocking them down.

"What is—get her!" cried Riddler in shock. What was she doing here! This was Batman's turf—it clicked together. And my guys on the floor above would've seen her coming! She's a distraction!

Sure enough, the guards by the doors and windows were already silently down, and the rest of the infernal Bats were upon him, leaping a path through the marbles. Doubtless the same thing that had happened to the ones upstairs.

Batman's fist was the last thing Riddler saw for several hours.

!JUSTICE!

As the night continued, Wonder Woman and Batman split off from the rest, and they continued to hunt. Thankfully, things were finally calming down, and according to reports from an 'Agent A,' Commissioner Gordon agreed.

"Nightwing, Batgirl, Robin, head back in to rest," the Dark Knight ordered over his radio.

"Roger," Nightwing answered. "Don't forget you're human too, and follow your own advice though." His tone was not unkind though.

Diana was about to say something when Batman held up a hand for silence. Used to the gesture by now, she stepped back from him for cover to stay low.

Peering down from the rooftop, she saw a couple of young men and women huddled together and briskly walking down the street. Why in Hera's name are they out so late when the city's like this!? Then she registered how they were all wearing the same store uniform, that she was certain provided twenty-four-hour service. They must've just come off shift, and are hoping for safety in numbers. Except . . .

Sure enough, she caught sight of a burly figure lurking in the shadows of an alleyway just ahead of them.

With eerie silence, Batman fired his grappling gun to cross the street overhead, and land on the adjacent roof. Ducking down into the darkness, he disappeared from sight.

Relaxing, Diana knew what was about to happen.

The young men and women, teenagers really, passed by the mouth of the alley . . . and nothing happened. Not a single disturbance. Unaware of their close call, the teens hurried inside one of the apartment buildings that one of them evidently lived in.

They never even knew, she proudly thought. Without witnesses, glory, or reward, because none of those things matter. Because people shouldn't have to live their lives in fear.

Shouldn't grow up thinking it's part of life.

With slightly more noise than her teammate, she floated over to join him, as he was searching through the perp's wallet. "Louis Franz," he said as she arrived. "Fresh from Metropolis. Should've stayed with Superman."

"Apparently," she agreed as she appraised the unconscious thug. Given the presence of a nasty looking knife, she held no sympathy for his condition. That said, she had examined Batman's victims before, and this one seemed more roughed up than normal. More than such a pathetic looking lowlife warranted.

Hmmm . . . It was one more piece to a puzzle that had gradually been starting to concern her and Superman. The other Leaguers did not see it, except now she wondered if she had been missing other hints. He obviously still had it under control, but still. . .

Batman suddenly cocked his head to the side, before stepping out of the alley, dragging Mr. Franz behind him, wrists tied up by his own belt.

As if on cue, a police car pulled up around the corner, and slowed to a stop when they saw their hometown hero.

"Batman," one officer said as he stepped out of the car. "Got someone for us?"
"Attempted mugging," was all he said, before taking back up to the rooftops. Stunned, Diana stared after him for a few seconds before belatedly following him.

Used to this behaviour, the police settled their new 'guest' into the back of the car. They did not even bother switching on handcuffs.

!JUSTICE!

November 4

Early morning

Wayne Manor

"Well, I must say, I'm glad things have settled down," said Alfred. Dick, Tim, and Barbra were all in his little kitchen with their costumes off. The oldest member of their little family was baking them a hearty late dinner/early breakfast.

"Same here," sighed Tim. "Say, what're you cooking? Is that a new book?"

"Why yes, Timothy. It came very highly recommended, and I must say, I am impressed with its recipes. Although I haven't heard of the author before, one 'Zeff Baratie.' No matter, I'm sure you will all enjoy this one; lots of protein, energy, and vitamins."

"Hah!" scoffed Dick. "Make sure to give some to Bruce then, he's gonna need it more than we are!"

"And just what are you implying?" Barbra asked with a light glare.

"Well," grinned Dick, "didn't you see the tension between 'em? C'mon, Princess Diana came all the way here to help out, and even made him listen to reason. I approve."

"Certainly healthier than some of the other women he's been interested in," Tim chipped in.

"Ugh, yeah," agreed Dick. "I sometimes have nightmares of Talia al Ghul showing up at the doorstep with a baby in tow."

"Do you really think Bruce wants a girlfriend?" huffed Barbra.

"Ah, he doesn't want to think he wants one," Dick cheekily replied. "He'll list off all these dumb reasons, like," he lowered his voice in a parody of Batman's, "I have too many issues, and I need to brood all the time."

Despite themselves, Tim and Barbra both quirked a smile. Alfred remained impassive, ready to intervene if necessary.

"Well," mused Tim, "he's probably thinking dating within teams never works out. No fraternization and all. That's kinda reasonable." Neither Dick nor Barbra looked at each other.

Coughing, Dick focused himself, and then sighed, "Or something stupid like his enemies would go after her to get to him, or something equally stupid." Then he started snickering. "Of course, after tonight I bet the crooks won't be going after Batman because they'll be afraid she'll come after them!"

Now both his fellow heroes were definitely amused, and Alfred was happy to see the tension draining away.

"Yeah," Tim nodded. "Now they know Bruce really does have the League at his back. I want to see Superman beat up Bane again!"

They all had a good laugh. It was frankly criminal that Tim had failed to take pictures of that!

Seeing how they were all fully settling down now, Alfred began serving the mouth-watering omelet, while draping it in thick, rich sauce. "What I think," he calmly said, "is that if Master Bruce does harbour feelings for her, for her to reciprocate, he must first work this out on his own."

". . . Whelp, sorry Alfred," Dick sadly said, "no grandchildren for you."

"I daresay, I'd be shipping them off to 'Big Brother Richards' every weekend," the butler dryly rejoined. He was highly tempted to make a comment about great-grandchildren, but there was no reason to frighten the children out of his kitchen.

"I'll be studying abroad during the diaper years," smirked Barbra.

"Mind if I join?" Tim chuckled.

"Hilarious," deadpanned Dick, before grinning again, and serving himself a generous portion. "Well, we've done all we can for Gotham tonight, today, whatever, so let's eat up."

"Hear, hear!"

!JUSTICE!

"So, was my performance . . . satisfactory?" Diana dryly asked.

The two members of the Justice League were standing on an empty roof, looking at the sun slowly poke over the horizon behind thick smog. Things had finally settled down.

"Yes," grunted Batman.

"Good. Hopefully, it'll settle down a bit more now that you've had the chance to cover more ground. When do you think we'll see you on the Watchtower next?"

"Not for a while," he answered. "I've got some things to take care of here still. Investigations I can't put off."

She stared at him for a little bit, before shaking her head. "You've been acting more and more irritable and aloof lately, and not just tonight. I'm sorry if I bruised your pride coming here, but you can't hold yourself responsible for everything. That's why we're a team: we help one another."

"And it was appreciated," he grudgingly acknowledged. "There will be some backlash of course, but nothing I can't handle with a little preparation."

"Thanks heaps," she muttered, before realizing she was getting off topic. "So why the bad attitude then? And I'm serious, Superman's noticed it too. Something's been bothering you lately. What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he said without even facing her. "And even if there was something, it'd be none of your concern."

She glared at him at that. "Why are you being so stubborn about this?"

Silence.

Her fists clenched with the desire to just shake the man until he answered her, except she knew that was not the right way. So she took a quiet breath to cool her emotions, and tried to figure it out. She did it aloud just to provoke him. "It's not just Gotham nearly being torn apart, and me coming to help. If it was, you'd have resisted more. Honestly, it went alright. For all broody you get, the cops here sure are supportive of you—"

He made no visible response, yet still she stopped herself.

"You get the support from the law that we don't have outside of your city," she teased out. "Here, if you show up with a beaten up man and said he was a mugger, they believe you and cart him off to jail. Except that's not how it works elsewhere. Green Lantern and Superman gave me, J'onn, and Shayera a long talk about the legal systems in Man's World, and how important it is that we cooperate with the law, even when they're being stupid about it. Or having different ones for different countries or states. When they should just believe us. So when you go sneaking around for evidence for League cases, you do it discretely, without letting the authorities know.

"And, Nightwing said you try to keep yourself distant from those you care for."

"Those have nothing to do with each other," the Dark Knight disdainfully told her.

He didn't even try to deny it or keep his silence. Maybe he was more tired then he was letting on.

"Don't they?" she grinned. "I think it's why you decided to be a part-timer. So you could do the," she made quotation marks with her fingers, "dirty work," she stopped, "and the League could disavow you if needed."

He twitched, which in any other man would have been a full-blown flinch.

To his dying day he would deny it, yet she still saw it.

Mercilessly she continued. "Most of the time we're dealing with alien invasions, mad scientists, or super criminals. Nice and straightforward, and in public. It's the complicated stuff, with all those annoying 'shades of grey,' as you call them, when we need to present solid evidence. When it has to be admissible in court, procured by legal means, or else the crook could just walk free. I think Superman called it Fruit of the Poisonous Tree, or something like that. When that happens, a certain someone is sneaking around, breaking and entering to steal the clues to lead us to a so-called legitimate trail."

"Don't delude yourself," rasped Batman. "I'm a part-timer because I'm not a team player. Besides, we aren't part of a government organization, so, UN support or not, we're a vigilante organization. Sooner or later, something'll happen, and we'll have to disband anyways. And a self-righteous attitude like yours is guaranteed to bring that about!"

"Lies."

"What?" Now he was truly stunned by her arrogance. For a member of the League. . . Or was it because she was royalty . . . ?

"Oh, stop," Wonder Woman sighed. "I didn't mean you're lying about me maybe being too self-righteous." She hesitated as if remembering another conversation, before plowing on. "And while maybe that's not the right word, that's certainly not what you think about the League."

Walking up to him, the princess tapped the bat symbol on his chest. "You go on about being the night and vengeance, but I know you're really about justice. That you believe in it."

"So you're an expert on Man's World now?" His voice was dry enough to drain a lake.

"No, I just know you. You believe in the League, and are feeling guilty about yourself for all the troubles we've been having lately. That you didn't manage to handle the Straw Hats right. That it led to the PR disaster we're still dealing with, because we can't erase the fact it was a medical company, a helpful one, we took down."

"There was no we," he growled, before cutting himself off.

Gently, she put a hand on his shoulder. "We're in this together."

Shrugging her off, Batman turned away.

"They don't believe in Justice you know."

"The Straw Hats? I heard your debriefing," he said without turning back.

"Uh huh, and what Shayera said is still true. We're doing what we believe in to make the world a better place. And no matter what other people think, what they label us as, that will never change."

"Go too far," he warned, "and we'll be no different than the scum we lock up. If our public image is tarnished enough, then there are those in the government who'll say we should be treated like criminals too—and there are powerful people who already want that!"

She opened her mouth, but he cut her off. "People get a thrill tearing down heroes, proving that they're no better than they are. Vindicating their own failings. And now that we're losing battles, people are starting to question if we really are what they imagine us to be!"

Her bright smile cut him off. What was so funny!?

Honestly, thought Wonder Woman. He talks about us as a group more than anyone, and then in the next breath tries to deny his place in our midst.

Leaning against a nearby gargoyle, she shook her head. "We don't need to prove to the world we're heroes, we know we are."

"It's not that simple!"

She shrugged. "I'm a warrior. I came here to make the world a better place the best way I know how. Whatever people say about me, it's not going to stop me from doing what's right." She stopped to think about his words a bit more, and cocked her eyebrow. "If you're planning to take the sole heat for what happened with Cherry Blossom Industries, don't bother. We won't disavow you, and it's far too late for anyone to believe it anyways." He said nothing to that.

To his surprise, she then took a deep breath, and then sat down to lean against the wall beside him, silently looking up at the stars, faint against the pollution and rising sun.

Realizing she was working through some thoughts of her own now, Batman took a look around for any observers, before sitting down to join her.

Giving a sad smile, Diana softly spoke to him. "Believe it or not, after meeting the Straw Hats, I've been thinking about this stuff a lot."

Looking up to the heavens, Wonder Woman enjoyed a rare break in the clouds over Gotham to see the stars overhead. "'Hero' . . . a word people associate with a pure image. Totally pure. Chivalrous. Perfect. Flawless. Bringing hope. A hero gets it right every time, and always saves the day, while always making the right choices. Every time. An impossible dream some would say. And of course, the definitions of 'hero' and 'villain' depends on where you stand. After all, one of the things I looked into when I first came to Man's World was your take on Greek history and mythology. I found how Hercules is hailed as a legendary hero, while for my people he is our most hated enemy."

Grimacing, Batman knew he had to speak up at that. "Because of the crimes he committed against your sisters." No need to mention the specifics; she had grown up hearing about them. "While Disney made a childish movie about him as a hero."

"That's right."

"He wouldn't be considered a hero today though. Killing monsters and people like that with immense strength, it would only frighten people, not inspire them."

She frowned a little, "Except that's what we did to the Imperium. We exposed them to sunlight, and killed most of them that way."

Once more he was silent, yet his fists and jaw tightened in an alarming loss of control. After a long moment he relaxed with a soulful breath. "We had not choice," he softly said.

"Yes we did," she gently countered. "We could have let them win. Like they did against J'onn's people. That is what they drove us to."

". . . Is there a point to all this?"

"I'm saying I think I understand a little why the Straw Hats are so cynical, if they faced somebody like Hercules. I'm also saying that if we let ourselves get bogged down with doubts, we'll never get anywhere. Keep an open mind, while keep moving forward and supporting each other. We'll make mistakes, but so do even the gods. What matters is that we don't give up trying to make the world a better place."

Now she shot him a knowing look. "And I know you don't care what people think about you."

Smirking back, he gave a nod before his face became a mask again. "So," he neutrally asked, "what do you think we should do next?"

"Well," she mused, tapping her chin, "there's one thing I've been wondering about."

"Oh?"

!JUSTICE!

Later

"Me? Join the Justice League?"

This time, all seven members of the team were present to see Sir Justin as he recovered in the hospital.

For an instant the knight hesitated, before solemnly nodding. "I would be honoured."

"Well then, welcome to the Justice League," Superman grinned, offering his hand to shake. One by one the others did the same.

Off in the corner, Hawkgirl quietly whispered to John, "As much as it seems like a good idea to expand the League to help handle problems like the Straw Hats, some people are going to think we're making an army. And some villains will escalate."

"We know," Green Lantern agreed. "Doesn't mean it's not the right call; we're dealing with another gang that's already proven it can give us a tough fight, so we've got to adapt." He gave her a light frown, "Besides, you agreed to this too!"

"I know, just making sure you understand too," she shot back.

Inwardly however, Lieutenant Shayera Hol of the Thanagarian military, wondered how her superiors would react to this report. Maybe approach the Justice League for an alliance as they proved how capable they were?

"I'll admit," he gruffly said, "that while the Straw Hats don't seem like they want to conquer or destroy the world, we should still take our confrontation with them as a warning that we can't handle every threat. Besides, we're taking on more and more duties now."

"True, although like Flash and Wonder Woman said, having more members might hold us more accountable, help us through tough decisions." Honestly, she was not worried about that herself, yet felt like playing Devil's Advocate.

Green Lantern threw his arms up in the air. "Oh not that again! We're not going to turn into supervillains!"

The rest of the team left the two at it, as they had all hashed that out before without any real progress. Batman of course was listening with half an ear, and memorizing their voiced thoughts to go over later. Right now though he was approaching the bed to be the last to welcome Sir Justin to the 'club.' "Sorry I couldn't make it here before."

"Tis nothing," assured their newest member. "I saw in the news what Gotham's going through. Though from thine presence, might I assume tis eased some?"

"A little. I'll have to head right back to investigate further. If I may offer some advice," and Sir Justin nodded, "I'd recommend spending some time with Diana. Both of you went through some culture shock, seeing how much Earth has changed over the centuries. And it turns out that despite hating men and spending all their time training to fight, they've come up with a lot of philosophy over three thousand years."

"Thank thee, I shall," grinned the knight of Camelot.

"Just helping you settle in more," Batman said without a shift in his expression.

To the side and shamelessly eavesdropping, Superman popped a little smile of his own. Glancing to see that the rest of the League were busy –including John and Shayera getting into an argument over government responses, and Flash was missing, probably flirting with the nurses— he stepped closer to Diana.

"Batman told me what you two talked about," Superman softly said to her.

"Oh?" she murmured in surprise.

"Well, it was not so much as what he said, as what he didn't say, but yes. He can be a softy at times, even if he won't ever admit it. Though the thing is, yes, a lot of people think what we're going against is impossible. That we'll fail. We'll either die as heroes, or live long enough to become the villains we fight.

"Except the thing is, all of us here," Superman jerked with his chin to encompass the expanded Justice League, "are here because deep down we know we can win. And so many people do believe we can succeed. At the end of the day, that's all that matters."

"One day at a time," Wonder Woman smiled. "We will get through this. We will bring Justice to the world. Like heroes."

"You know it," he grinned back.

"Hey!"

Flash zipped back into the room.

"Uhm, how're we going to fit Shining Knight's big horse with wings onto the spaceship?"

"Uh . . ."

!JUSTICE!

Author Notes:

Yes, Nightwing got the bit about rōnin wrong in both regards, but he cannot know everything.

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I will be doing birthdays in the future based upon the dates, and for DC characters it will be based upon the date that the comics with them were first published. By that logic, some day in October (I can only find the month) would have been Grundy's birthday. However given his DCAU origin, and memories, I doubt he would know the day he was 'born,' which is why I did not do something like him revealing October 31st was his birthday.

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The line that Batman attributes to Clark regarding second chances, is actually a quote from O-Chul from the webcomic, 'The Order of the Stick,' in the man's own bonus story.

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For those of you were hoping Batman would promptly begin a new policy more capable of helping supervillains like Baby-Doll reform, he is not going to do it on the spot. Mary Dahl's descent into madness and violence is understandable, but she is still someone who would have been convicted of the attempted murder of an entire city. Lady needs serious help, and that is not something you just jump into, especially without consulting both your team, and the authorities. Besides, if he suddenly acted more sympathetic, she would have been highly and justifiably suspicious.

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Not quite how I wanted to portray Wonder Woman, except I am more used to her in the comics when she is older, wiser, and less emotional.

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And now we see how the Straw Hats are influencing the heroes as well, forcing them to question and grow. As one reviewer, musizlover2008 (Guest), put it, the Justice League follows what is best described as Protective Justice, where they try to save everybody.

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For those of you who want to see more of the Straw Hats and friends, I recommend looking at the title of the next chapter ;-)

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Next Chapter: "Blackbeard"

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Please Review, and I will get back to you!