Slicker

Gotham International Airport

The commercial jet from Tokyo landed twenty minutes earlier and the passengers were making their way to their bags and through customs. The modern concourse was mostly steel and glass, with off-white concrete as its décor. Large Art Deco posters of city scenes were scattered along the hallways. Masami was dressed conservatively in all black and it made a striking contrast with her pale skin. Her hair was piled upon her head, ornamental chopsticks holding it in place. More than a few passengers eyed the small, stylish woman as she pulled her wheeled bag, disdaining the motorized walkway. Behind the dark wraparound glasses, her coal black eyes took it all in, but her expression gave away nothing.

Arriving as customs, she allowed the employee to lift her bag and put it on the conveyor belt of the scanner. As she went through the medal detector, suddenly the alarms went off. She looked at the security guard, as if she didn't understand. He gestured for her to step to the side and she complied. He waved the wand over her and the signal went off at her midsection. She opened her coat to show a rather ornate, steel belt. It was expertly crafted into a series of interlocking flowers. They looked so thin and delicate, only someone with her small waist would be able to wear them.

'Could you remove that, please,' the man asked.

She nodded and took the belt off, putting it in the plastic bin. He waved the wand again and everything was okay, until he reached her head. He gestured towards her chopsticks, but at first she didn't seem to understand. He spoke slower and louder, as if that would help her understand the language suddenly. Finally, she nodded and reached up to take the ceremonial chopsticks from her hair. Her silky, black hair tumbled down alluringly around her face and shoulders. As she handed him the chopsticks, she slipped her glasses off and smiled at the man.

"How you say, decoration,' she offered in stilted English. The man smiled back at her and only gave the chopsticks a cursory look, before dropping them into the plastic bin. She stepped through the scanner again; this time it was all clear.

"Thank you, ma'am, you're free to go,' the man said with a big, sheepish smile.

"Thank you."

She smoothly redid her hair and attached her belt. As she reached for her bag, the man rushed forward and helped her take it off the conveyor belt. She gave him another smile as she put on her dark glasses and walked away. He watched for longer that he probable should have, before the next passenger coughed to get his attention.

At customs, she presented her passport. The older woman behind the window looked at it with disinterest.

"Reason for your trip, business or pleasure?"

"Business,' she replied. The halting, stilted accent had disappointed.

"Do you have anything to declare?'

"No.'

"Welcome to Gotham,' the older woman said. She pulled out a large metal stamp and marked Masami's passport, before handing it back to her. "Next."

Themyscira

Hippolyta knelt in the Sanctuary. She did the ritual washing of her hands and face and lit candles for the Gods. This was a sacred place and a hush reverence was always observed. By custom, it was the one place she knew she would not be disturbed. She had deliberately come here for two reasons. One was to avoid Diana. She had no answers to give her daughter, at least none she wanted to give. The second reason was to ask, no, to plead with the Gods to help Diana in what would come. Hippolyta knew her daughter very well, so she knew Diana would not be satisfied until she had answers to all her questions.

If the dreams and omens were correct, Hippolyta realized she probably had little time left. She would take up the mantel of Wonder Woman, but knew the prophecy would come soon. She would make the necessary sacrifice. She would give her life so her daughter would live.

Hippolyta hoped Diana would forgive her afterwards and not blame herself. The Amazons were heading towards a new phase and they needed someone that could guide them. They needed Diana to be a strong, forward-looking leader. Hippolyta knew Diana had it in her. It wasn't just motherly pride either; she had watched Diana grew into a wise and brilliant young woman. That was what made Hippolyta's sacrifice so necessary. The old must one day give way to the young. If it meant her death, than Hippolyta was willing to pay that price so that Diana would be there for their sisters and the future.

Hippolyta's only request for herself of the Gods was that it be an honorable, quick death.

Gotham

The city had become a hub of international business. Much of this was due to Wayne Industries, but other Gotham corporations were not far behind. This meant an influx of foreign capital and foreign businessmen, many from China and Japan.

There is an old adage; business goes where the money is. This holds true for both large and small businesses. Clustered around Gotham's central business district, a series of chic, upscale restaurants and bars that catered to the visiting businessmen had sprung up.

Kenzo Wakai was an enforcer for the Makuda Yakuza. He'd worked his way up through the ranks through loyalty and a rather vicious streak. He had just finished his rendition of Elvis Presley's Teddy Bear on the Karaoke stage and was making his way back to the bar, signaling for another round. The bosses were back at the hotel getting set up for their meetings, so that meant Kenzo had some free time. He was a horrible singer, but no one had ever let him in on this fact.

As he slugged back his eighth vodka on the rocks, he saw her. He guessed she was a businesswoman from her well tailor outfit. She sat alone, sipping a martini and occasionally checking her Tag Heuer chronometer. It was an expensive timepiece she had on her wrist and Kenzo thought she was perhaps the most beautiful woman he'd seen in years. He had no lack of confidence and the vodka only reinforced this. He was out of his seat and weaving his way towards her.

She seemed a little flustered by him at first, but managed to smile. He liked that, she's shy, he thought. He did most of the talking, asking about her business while talking himself up as a bigwig in the industry. She blushed a little as she said she was a jeweler. She showed him a sample of her work, the metal belt she had on. He said it was lovely, but his eyes were on the hint of cleavage that she gave him as she bent to show the belt.

He put a move on, but she resisted. She suddenly said she had to get back to her hotel and started to leave. Kenzo wasn't easily put off. He followed her out the front door and took her arm once they were out on the street. He said a woman shouldn't walk alone at night in Gotham it was too dangerous. She tried to disagree, but he wasn't taking no for an answer. Reluctantly, she allowed him to walk her back to her hotel. Kenzo held her close, letting his hand slip down her slender back and roughly caress her body. She protested, but he just laughed.

He wanted her and he wanted her now. He saw an alley up ahead and started pulling her towards it. She protested, but he backhanded her, shutting her up. She didn't resist him after that. He pulled and carried her off the street and deep into the shadows. Pressing her against the hard brick wall, he roughly pulled open her blouse. The bit of the dragon tattoo he found surprised him. Opening her blouse all the way to her waist, he took a longer look at it. Maybe it was the drinks or an illusion of the light, but he could have sworn the dragon tattoo moved.

He looked up at her face to say something, but her hand was already moving towards him. She had reached up and pulled one of the chopsticks from her hair. In one fluid movement she had brought it violently down and jammed it into his ear, continuing on into his brain. His eyes went wide with surprise and shock, but it was a killing blow. His body jerked and spasmed, but it was already too late. He slumped to the ground with a muffled sound. She stood looking down at him expressionless. Taking the other chopstick out, she let her hair cascade down around her slim shoulders. Expertly, she frisked him, taking his wallet, hotel key card and gaudy Rolex watch.

Glancing around, she made sure no one had seen them. She picked him up from the ground, his dead weight of no consequences to her. She tossed him against the wall and then deliberately kicked and punched him, making sure to leave marks. It took only a few moments, but once she was satisfied, she calmly walked back out of the alley and headed back to her hotel.

"Blood for Blood,' she whispered to no one but herself.

The Watchtower

"No."

Superman had just filled everyone at the meeting in on what had happened on Themyscira. They sat in stunned silence for the most part as they listened to him relay what Diana had said. When the subject of Hippolyta winning the tournament and becoming Champion came up, it was Bruce that finally spoke up.

"No."

It's such a simple word, yet no matter how many times you hear it, it still has the same impact. It's the ultimate rejection, the ultimate refusal and denial. It doesn't allow you the luxury of wiggle room, as it means exactly what it says, no. All eyes turned to Batman.

"She's not Wonder Woman, Diana is,' he said simply, yet forcefully. "This chair is for Diana, no one else."

"I think they have the right to decided who they want as champion," Clark offered. "We might not like it, but it's their country and customs."

A few others unhappily agreed with this.

"Yes, it's their country and they can do what they want, but this isn't their country, it's the Justice League,' Bruce said. 'Who is a member and who isn't, is up to us. We chose Diana, not someone else."

"So are you saying you want to deny Hippolyta membership?' Dinah asked.

"No, but she will be like any other new member,' Bruce continued. "She doesn't automatically get a seat at the table. This isn't a hereditary organization where a member is just replaced by the new one. If Clark disappears again, we're not just going to move to the next Kryptonian with Super in their name and give them his place, so we shouldn't do it now.'"

"Kara's not going to like hearing that,' Wally whispered to Zatanna. She smirked, but didn't speak up.

"This is a rather different case, Bruce,' Clark offered. "Hippolyta not exactly a novice."

"You might be a little bias, don't you think, Clark?" Bruce pointedly said.

"No,' Clark answered. His voice was cold and his eyes unblinking.

"Be that as it may, this seat is Diana's. No one else,' Bruce continued. He looked each member in the eye and they could tell he wasn't going to waver on this.

"So what? We treat the Queen of the Amazons like she's Star Girl or Supergirl,' John asked. "She did beat Diana and win the tournament."

"A tournament none of us saw, so we don't know how she did it,' Bruce replied. "As far as how we treat her, essentially yes, we treat her like any other new member."

"I don't know about that one," Dinah said.

"Look, I know it sounds harsh, but I would say the same thing if it was me that was replaced,' Bruce stated. "Every person at this table has earned their place. Hippolyta might be nearly as good as Diana, but we don't know that. I think she should have to prove herself just like everyone else has."

"Hippolyta has already proven herself, Bruce,' Clark offered. "Look, I'm not happy about this either believe me. Diana's my friend, but she wasn't just Wonder Woman; she is a representative of her people. They are an ally of ours, so to treat Hippolyta like she's some novice doesn't make sense."

"So you wouldn't have a problem with Kara taking your place, or Dick taking mine,' Bruce asked. "Or is this only about Hippolyta?"

Clark was starting to get angry. Bruce was making barely veiled hints about something Clark had told him in confidence. He didn't like him using it to make his point.

"Yes, Bruce, if Kara or Dick were ready, I would have no problem with them replacing either of us,' Clark finally replied. "Hal Jordan was the first Lantern, does that mean we shouldn't accept John?"

"He has a point, Bruce,' Dinah spoke up. "I wasn't an original member, yet I'm sitting here, so is Zatanna."

"True, but you both proved yourself here before you moved into your current positions. The same goes for John, the Lanterns had already trained him and he was ready,' Bruce replied.

"Aren't the Amazons just as trained as the Lantern, "Jonn asked. "Hippolyta surely has as much training as anyone here, if not more."

"To battle mythical beasts and demi-Gods, perhaps, but the world has changed since she was last in it. She's been Queen for a long time, I doubt she's been training like Diana or any of the other Amazons,' Bruce replied. "We all agreed when this was started that we would each have a veto. I'm using mine now. This seat is for Diana, no one else. If you can't accept that, or want to disregard what we all agreed on, then you can have my resignation, today.'

The room went into an uproar at this. They were shocked by his ultimatum. The arguments went back and forth, with everyone voicing their opinion except Bruce and Clark. It was finally agreed that they would abide by the rules and honor Bruce's veto. Dinah was just about to call the meeting to a close, when Clark finally spoke up.

"I disagree, but I will accept the vote,' he started. "Since we are using vetoes, I'm going to have to use mine. We cannot treat Hippolyta like she's some complete novice or junior member of the League. That would be an insult to her and the Amazons. She will be treated like a full member, even if she isn't sitting at the table. She's going to be Wonder Woman, whether we like it or not."

"She's not Wonder Woman,' Bruce immediately fired back. "But I'll accept that she can be a full member, just not Wonder Woman and she doesn't sit in Diana's seat."

Everyone agreed quickly and the tense meeting ended. Bruce as usual was the first out the door, followed by the others. Superman was the last to get up and leave. He was going to have a conversation with Batman and he wanted to get his temper under control first.

Washington

Diana stood in Steve Trevor's apartment. The two of them had been dating off and on for several months. Steve and Diana had met when his plane crashed on Themyscira and had reconnected when he took over the MetaHuman Affairs Bureau. She'd just told him about what had happened and was waiting for his reaction. He stood on the balcony looking out at the city.

"So you've already made your decision, haven't you,' he asked, not turning to look at her.

"Yes, I don't see what else I can do,' Diana replied.

"So this is really just a courtesy call to inform me, isn't it?"

"What do you mean, Steve?"

"You didn't come here to ask my opinion or what I thought about it,' he said, still not looking at her. "The thought that we might discuss this never occurred to you, did it? You made the decision and now you're letting me know."

"It wasn't like that,' Diana protested.

"Wasn't it?' He said. "You did discuss it with someone, didn't you? Was it him?'

Diana stiffened at this. "Who?'

"Don't play innocent, Diana, you know who I'm talking about, Batman,' Steve replied. "You wanted his advice and opinion, didn't you?"

"No, Steve, I didn't talk to Batman,' she said firmly, but then had to admit she did speak with someone else. "I spoke to Kal."

"Ah, the Man of the Future,' he said with a sad chuckle. "I probably should have guessed."

"What do you mean?"

He finally turned and looked at her. Steve couldn't help being astonished by how beautiful Diana was. He always was, every time he saw her. He knew what this was and he knew if he answered her how it would end. He'd always believed this wouldn't last between them for many reasons, but he'd entered this relationship anyway. He wasn't going to end it with a fight, though. He looked away from Diana and took out his gun from its holster. He made a show of checking it, as he turned back to look at the city.

"So when are you leaving?' He asked. "I'm going to be away, I have a mission so I'll probably be out of town for awhile."

"Soon,' she said, a little surprised by his offhanded manner. "I didn't want this to happen, Steve, you know that, don't you?"

"Sure, Diana, it's just one of those things,' he replied. He didn't turn to look at her and she didn't move to him either.

Metropolis

Clark stood in his apartment looking out over the city. His mind had been rolling over everything. His emotions seemed to be all over the place tonight. The confrontation with Bruce was just the tip of it. He wished he could talk about everything going on with someone, but who was the question. His thoughts were filled with Amazons, two in particular.

Diana.

She was his friend, in many ways, his best friend. They seemed to have a natural rapport from early on, yet what was troubling him tonight was outside of their usual conversations. They usually could talk about anything with each other, yet the one area that stayed off limits was their personal relationships. Oh, they offered the casual 'how are things going', but never let it stray too deep into details. It was an invisible line they seemed to have drawn and neither was sure what would happen if they crossed it.

Clark knew she was dating Steve Trevor, but he didn't know how serious it was between them. He frankly thought Steve, while a good man, was all wrong for Diana. To his mind, Clark thought Diana needed someone that could really appreciate just how unique and extraordinary she was. She needed someone that put no claims on her and understood how her past and people had shaped her and were constantly part of her. She needed a man that would love her as Diana, just Diana.

Maybe Steve was that man, Clark thought, he didn't know. Maybe they were already deeply in love and this new crisis would only deepen their bonds. If that was the case, Clark would be happy for them, but he had his doubts. His wish was only that she finds happiness, whoever it was with.

He was hardly the one to say anything. She was his friend, yet he had betrayed her friendship in the most personal way. Part of him just wanted to tell her, to get it off his chest and accept whatever came of it. That was his guilt talking though. If she was his friend and he still believed she was, he knew she had enough on her plate already. Clark didn't need to add to it just so he could assuage his own guilty feelings. One day he would admit to her what happened, but not today.

Hippolyta.

What was going on with her, Clark wondered? He didn't pretend to understand her. Her life had stretched for millennium and involved so many things he hadn't experienced. In many ways he was still in awe of her, yet he'd seen another side that night. She was a beautiful, passionate woman, with all the wants and desires of anyone else. Why she had picked him and that night to let them out, he still didn't know.

Yes, the wine had a lot to do with it and they had both been willing, but that didn't lessen the dilemma he felt. Thinking back on their night together, it felt wrong on so many levels, yet right of others. She was his friend's mother. While neither of them was with others and Diana was dating Steve, it still ate away at Clark. It felt like one of those ethical borders one shouldn't cross at least out of respect for Diana and their friendship.

But he'd crossed it.

He'd slept with Hippolyta. He'd made love to Hippolyta several times that night and that was the reality. He couldn't pretend it didn't happen, that was a lie. To deny it also diminished that night and what they'd experienced together. It had been an extraordinary encounter, unlike anything he'd ever experienced. He had seen the woman behind the crown and responsibilities. He'd been with Hippolyta, a beautiful, intelligent and passionate woman.

The guilt was there, though. He felt he'd let Diana down and Hippolyta in a way too. Something bigger than his sleeping with the Queen of the Amazons was going on and he'd missed it. He'd noticed something was off with Hippolyta that night, but hadn't pressed her. Now with the tournament and her winning the role of Champion, he was totally confused.

He certainly didn't think she'd done it just because she slept with him. He didn't have that big an ego. The more Clark thought about it, the more he believed that night they shared was just a part of something bigger going on. Hippolyta had lied to Diana about her reasons for the tournament and then secretly entered it herself.

Why?

He'd heard the confusion and anger in Diana's voice when she told him. She wanted to know why, too. Clark had witnessed the deep love and bond mother and daughter shared and that only made Hippolyta's actions a bigger mystery. His first instinct was to try and help, but he didn't know what the problem was. He was an outsider as far as Themyscira went. It was such a radically different culture than any he was used to. It wasn't that it was an island of immortal women, but more that it was a land out of time.

It was a society ruled by worship of ancient Gods, where prophecy, magic and omens were very real to them. They believed the Fates had a hand in their everyday lives and made offerings in hopes of swaying them. Elaborate rituals and caste systems dominated; yet at the same time they were trying to emerge into the modern world. It was such a delicate balance they were trying to achieve and few had made it before.

So here he stood, looking out over the city, confused, racked by guilt and not sure what he should do. Clark knew answers weren't going to come and it would be a long, long sleepless night.

One other woman was on his mind tonight, Dinah. He frankly wasn't sure what to think of her. She was beautiful, intelligent, and smart, yet he'd seen only too well just how cautious she was. In a way it belied the woman he thought he knew. Before they had gone on a date, he'd always seen her as more of an aggressive, no holds bar, live life to the fullest type of woman. She had a little bit of a wild child in her and while it was something he lacked, it was appealing. Yet on their date he saw another side of her, a vulnerable side and that was equally appealing.

He knew her history with Ollie and saw the change come over her face when his name came up in conversation. While Clark was attracted to her, he found himself hesitant, worried that those two weren't quite as finished as she implied. He wasn't close to Ollie, but he respected him. He had already crossed too many borders and didn't want to cross another. He was sure Ollie had his reasons for ending things with Dinah, but Clark really didn't see it. From his own limited experience, Clark knew how difficult it was to find someone. What they did only made that process more difficult.

The age difference had been Ollie's reason. It was something Clark hadn't dealt with and the whole subject of age affected him differently that just about every one of his teammates. Yes, he could die tomorrow as the saying goes, but barring that he would outlive all of them by probably centuries. That part of it was something he'd been dealing with since he was young, the knowledge that time would slowly take everyone away from him. At first it had brought overwhelming sadness and an almost paralyzing fear of getting close to anyone. The thought of watching them slip away was almost too much to bear.

Slowly as he grew into a man though, he realized that no matter what he did it was going to happen anyway. He could isolate himself from everyone, but in the end that wasn't living at all. Ma and Pa Kent were gone, but the time he'd spent with them he would never regret. Clark realized that if he always worried about what might happen, he'd miss what could be happening. The future would get here anyway, so he might as well try and live in the present.

Which brought him back to Dinah. He wasn't foolish enough to think they were destined to be together. Destiny and fates change all the time. The randomness of her being in that elevator when he was and noticing him checking her out spoke to how fluid life was. On a space station the size of the Watchtower, it could have been anyone that got on, but this time it was Dinah. A moment happened and a chance was taken. Now a different set of choices were presenting themselves.

She was cautious, yet she'd made the first move. Now it was his turn. He would take it slow, but he had felt something when they were together. It was a gamble, but then life is always a gamble. Sometimes those gambles pay off though.

The Watchtower

Dinah had finished her shift and was sitting in the cafeteria having a cup of coffee. For once her friends weren't with her and she had time to herself to think. Several things were rolling through her mind. The news about Diana and her mother was still a bit of a shock, but there was really little she or any of the League could do about it. It was an internal Themysciran matter and they would just have to go with the flow.

The primary thoughts that seemed to dominant her thinking was something she had control over. Men. Two in particular, Ollie and Clark. Ollie had been such a big part of her life; it was difficult to think of that not being the case. Part of her rebellious youth was actually dating him against her mother's wishes. She had met him when she was 17 and they'd had an on again off again relationship ever since. In fact he was her first serious relationship. She'd had a few others, but overarching all of them was Ollie.

He'd been so easy to fall in love with. His disarming charm and devil make care attitude spoke to her from the moment she met him. She had felt so grown up when they started dating. Their age difference had just added to that. He was the man she'd grown up with. Now that seemed to be the problem. She wasn't the 17 year old with stars in her eyes, but an adult woman with a much more realistic understanding of the world.

The age difference seemed to become more of a problem as they both got older and changed. In many ways Ollie had been a mentor as well as a lover. They were roles they both accepted, but as time when on they didn't fit quite as well. Through trials and difficulty Dinah had ground up and was now a leader in her own right. She needed a mentor less and a lover more. It changed the very nature of their relationship. She wasn't Robin to his Batman, but an equal now. She wanted to believe they could move on to the new stage of their relationship but with each step it seemed they moved further away from each other.

Now it was over. It felt different than their previous breakups, as the underlying problems weren't the type that would go away. As sad as this was, Dinah was tired of fighting to keep them together. Some things aren't meant to be forever, it seemed. For the last month she'd been dealing with it, trying to decide what she would do in her life. Professionally she was coming into her own, a leader not only with the League but the Birds of Prey as well. Where did she go from here, she'd been wondering?

Clark.

It was such a small moment, but it had shifted everything. The realization he might be interested was such a surprise. They'd known each other for several years, yet there had never been any hint before the elevator. Frankly, she hadn't really given it much thought either. Yes, she had realized he was handsome just like many of the women in the League, but as she had told him most people just thought of him with Lois or Diana. It was such a given that that when the subject of men came up, he was rarely mentioned. That, added to his amazing powers had made him seem almost like he was beyond reach or off limits.

Catching him looking in the elevator had changed that. Suddenly he was very real, intensely so. He stopped being Superman and became a man to her. A handsome, interesting man nearly the same age as she was. He became Clark and suddenly those barriers seemed to vanish. Surprisingly he became even more attractive to her then. Some of her old boldness came out and she confronted him about checking her out. Their brief encounter in the elevator was between Dinah and Clark, not Black Canary and Superman.

It had been such a rush to flirt and made a date with him. Afterwards though, as she thought about it, those old feelings came back. Why was his going on a date with her, she wondered? It was Lois or Diana; everyone knew that, so how did Dinah Lance suddenly fit into the picture? As the date approached these thoughts seemed to dominant her mind. Could it really be as simple as he found her attractive and wanted to go out with her? Dinah wanted to believe that, but past history kept nagging at her. Lois or Diana, it was what everyone assumed as if it were destined or written in stone somewhere. That picture had been so thoroughly imprinted in everyone's mind; the concept that he might be interested in someone else seemed unthinkable. That he might be interested in her made it even more difficult for Dinah.

It was as if there was this template that everyone was going off of. Bruce and Selina or Talia or so many other women it was hard to count, Clark and Lois or Diana, Ollie and her, John and Shayera or Mari, even Question and Helena were the pairings that everyone expected and just assumed was the way it would always be. It seemed hard to imagine shuffling those up and switching who was with whom. Yet a tiny moment in an elevator had changed things. As much as it was a struggle to imagine, once they were on their date and the subject was brought up, it suddenly became real to Dinah. The idea of her and Clark together didn't seem too strange or foreign. It scared her just a bit how easily she could see it now.

Maybe what everyone thought was inevitable actually wasn't, she thought. Maybe because everyone thinks about things a certain way doesn't mean they always have to be that way. Maybe as scary as the thought is their lives weren't destined for only one path. Maybe all it took was something as small as that moment in the elevator and suddenly that single path splits apart and becomes many paths each with a completely different outcome.

Maybe there was no such thing as fate and if there was, maybe fates change.

Gotham

The sound of police sirens got closer every minute, but he wasn't going to rush this. The body lay on the ground in front of Batman. He would make his own crime scene investigation before the boys in blue arrived. His eyes moved over the scene, taking in every detail. The man was a foreign national, Japanese he surmised. Batman scanned him, immediately noticing the man was missing part of his one finger. Yakuza, that was obvious by the finger and the tattoo that peaked out from under his shirt. He examined the man's hands, noticing that his knuckles were flat and calluses had built up, as if the man had used them often.

An enforcer for the Yakuza was dead in an alley in Gotham. By the hair on his wrist, Batman could tell his watch had been removed. A quick check showed his wallet was gone too. A robbery, Batman thought, that's what this is supposed to look like. The police would certainly think that, he knew. His eyes scanned the entrance of the alley. There were no signs of a struggle or drag marks, so the man came down here willingly. He knew or wanted to know the person that did this. Leaning in, he ran his eyes over the man's face and head. There were bruises all over, but they wouldn't have killed him. The blows to his body wouldn't have either. Turning the man's head to the side, first right and then left, he saw a small trickle of blood coming from his ear.

Examining it closer, he realized what had killed him. It was a classic Mob hit. An ice pick or some other long straight instrument thrust into the ear and into the brain. There was no marks around the ear channel so whoever did this, was very good. A professional. That didn't explain why they tried to make it look like a random robbery, though. Batman did a further check and realized the man's hotel key card wasn't on the body. He would have been staying in the business district, where most of the visiting foreigners stay.

He moved away from the body and examined the rest of the alley. He found a few small hair samples and fibers on the walls where the man must have been thrown against it. Batman looked at the man's hands again. There was no bruising or blood on them. He didn't struggle, so he was dead before he was smashed into the walls.

The sirens were almost on top of him now. Batman took one more inspection of the scene and then shot his line up into the night. There was a professional killer in Gotham.

Someone was hunting in his city.

As he disappeared into the darkness, Batman knew this wouldn't be the last killing. This was his city and he wasn't going to allow it.