DC: My Name Is Not Billy Batson

Clark looked at the restaurant on the news and felt as if he had seen it somewhere before.

When he saw the police officer who had been arrested for intentional homicide, he suddenly remembered that it was Officer Owens. And that restaurant is "Pauli's Diner". It was also where Clark met Jason Todd.

The Scarecrow's terror campaign has plunged Gotham City into chaos. Panicked citizens have gathered at the entrance of the Gotham Police Station, demanding severe punishment for the criminals responsible.

Their outcry is harsh, but it's not the Gotham Police Department that instills fear—it lacks the power to do so. Except for Chief Gordon and a handful of dedicated officers, most of the department is barely competent, with some unable to do even the simplest tasks.

It feels as though an invisible hand is operating in the shadows of Gotham, obstructing the police and shielding the Scarecrow.

Despite their best efforts, capturing the Scarecrow has yielded no results.

As the 24-hour deadline approached with no progress from the police, many citizens began fleeing Gotham.

Ordinary people couldn't bear this dangerous city anymore. They packed up their families and left, searching for safety elsewhere.

Meanwhile, the villains—wicked to their core—saw Gotham as a paradise. They celebrated, throwing wild parties fueled by destruction. Smashing windows, looting stores, and wreaking havoc across the city, they roamed fearlessly.

Nobody worried about Batman showing up; he hadn't been seen in ages. "He must be dead!" they emboldened by the thought. With that belief, they carried on their crimes unchecked.

Yesterday, Gotham was home to 6.3 million people. Today, it's much emptier.

The streets were now ruled by criminals, thugs, and the worst kind of opportunists. Almost all the good people were gone, and there weren't enough left to fight back.

For 24 hours, three members of the Justice League watched Gotham crumble. In just one day, the city fell from uneasy peace to utter chaos.

"I never thought order could collapse this fast," Clark said, his voice filled with shock.

"Even I have rarely seen such a rotten situation. Is there truly a need to save this city?"

Wonder Woman, despite her vast experience, had rarely encountered a crisis as dire as this. The chaos caused by the Wishing Stone of the God of Lies had been devastating, but that disaster was driven by a divine manipulator.

 This, however, was a catastrophe unleashed by one man alone, and for the first time, she felt the weight of its enormity.

They all turned their attention to Bruce Wayne, the Dark Knight of Gotham.

In fact, after Scarecrow released a threatening livestream, Clark proposed that the three of them arrest the criminals, but Bruce refused.

His deep distrust of outsiders was ingrained in him, and he harbored a particular unease toward Dane's methods. Bruce feared that if they intervened, Dane might bypass due process entirely and, so Dane killed the Scarecrow on the spot.

Bruce has not yet given up on his "procedural justice." Dane, perhaps sensing Bruce's resolve, chose not to intervene directly but observed from the sidelines. He was ready to step in if Bruce failed, ensuring the situation didn't spiral further out of control.

The Justice League is headed by Dane, so neither Clark nor Wonder Woman objected to his decision.

Dane made it clear to Bruce: if he couldn't stop the Scarecrow in time, especially before the Scarecrow unleashed poison gas en masse.

Then the three of them will took action, and they can't just sit back and watch a city become a dead city, right?

In the past 24 hours, Bruce had been tirelessly tracking Scarecrow's movements while the police conducted their own desperate search.

Soon, with the help of the "oracle", he found the clues of the scarecrow.

The "Oracle" was Barbara Gordon, formerly Batgirl and the daughter of Commissioner Gordon.

Years ago, Barbara was shot by the Joker, leaving her paralyzed from the waist down. Since then, she had dedicated herself to supporting Batman from behind the scenes, using her skills and intellect to become an invaluable ally.

Commissioner Gordon had no idea about her secret work as Oracle. He carried a deep sense of guilt, believing her injury was a direct consequence of criminals seeking revenge against him.

"Bruce, Dad just called and asked me to leave Gotham…" Barbara's voice broke the silence over the comm.

Bruce paused mid-motion, his usually steady hands faltering. He didn't know what to say.

If he had any choice in the matter, Barbara wouldn't be anywhere near danger—especially given her current physical state. But before he could formulate a response, Barbara continued.

"I promised him I'd leave, but I won't. Gotham still needs me. And you… you need my help."

Without waiting for a reply, she ended the call. Bruce stood silently for a moment before returning to his preparations.

From a distance, Dane watched the exchange intently, his face unreadable. Clark and Diana, on the other hand, were visibly moved by Barbara's unyielding determination.

At that moment, Alfred approached the trio, holding three steaming cups of coffee on a tray.

"Coffee?" he offered, his voice calm and polite as ever.

"Thank you, Alfred," Dane replied with a nod, taking a cup.

Alfred had rushed back to Wayne Manor as soon as the Scarecrow's livestream ended. He knew Bruce—despite his exhaustion confusion—would standup when Gotham needed him.

It was during this return that Alfred met Dane, Clark, and Diana.

Unlike Bruce, Alfred welcomed them with warmth and hospitality, discerning their noble intentions.

 His charming demeanor and gentlemanly nature made him a stark contrast to Bruce's often guarded and somber personality. Dane think that Alfred was far easier—and more pleasant—to deal with than the Dark Knight himself.

"Would you like something to eat tonight?" Alfred asked, his tone as polite as ever.

Diana was about to decline with a courteous smile when Dane's voice chimed in from beside her.

"Meat. Lots of meat. Any kind of meat. Just… more meat."

Diana rolled her eyes silently and decided to drop her politeness. "Something simple will do. No need to go overboard."

Clark, meanwhile, gave a nonchalant order, though he hesitated. He wanted a cheeseburger but wondered if it might seem too plain. Alfred, ever the professional, noted everything with a smile and left to prepare.

"A great butler like Alfred—why is he sticking with Bruce Wayne?" Dane mused aloud. "We should recruit him for the Justice League."

As if on cue, a sudden chill ran down Dane's spine. Turning around, he found Batman delivering his signature death stare. Wearing the full cowl, it was especially intimidating.

"Are you going out?" Dane casually changed the subject.

Batman held his gaze for a moment longer before replying, "Someone's calling me."

Dane followed his line of sight and saw the Bat-Signal shining in the sky—a summons from Commissioner Gordon.

"Good luck," Dane said with a smirk, flopping onto the sofa and grabbing his phone as if he owned the place. "We'll be here rooting for you."

Bruce's eyelids twitched in irritation, feeling his usual aura of authority erode under Dane's nonchalance. Taking a deep breath, he ignored the trio entirely and headed to the Batcave.

As Bruce disappeared, Diana chuckled. "Why do you always wind him up?"

"Me? I respect him!" Dane said with mock sincerity.

Diana shook her head, heading into the study to find a book, leaving Clark and Dane in the living room.

Clark sat across from Dane, frowning slightly. "Are we really doing nothing?"

"Yes, for now," Dane replied. "We agreed to let him handle it. But…"

"But what?" Clark asked, leaning forward in curiosity.

Dane smirked, clearly enjoying the suspense. "We're not Gotham's folks, are we? So the Bat get to boss us around. But we can get Gotham's folks involved."

Clark raised an eyebrow, confused. "What do you mean?"

Without replying directly, Dane turned his phone screen toward Clark. It displayed a Feixun chat—one of Pioneer Technology's social media platforms.

Clark noticed the username immediately. "Jason?"

"Yep," Dane said with a grin. "He's learned a lot and wants to come back to Gotham. He plans to teach the criminals here a very profound lesson."

Clark nodded, momentarily reassured. "Jason's strong. I trust him."

Dane raised an eyebrow, amused by Clark's naivety. Jason had trained in the League of Assassins, mastering things far removed from traditional law enforcement.

Ignoring the moral implications, Dane typed into the chat: Come back soon. Your gear is ready. Time to clean up Gotham.

Jason's response: Thanks, Mr. Dane. By the way, prepare an extra set of gear—I'm bringing someone with me.

Dane's curiosity piqued. "Bringing someone? Who?" he typed. "Send me their height, size, and measurements."

Jason replied almost immediately: His stats are xxx. His name is Damian. And... he's Bruce's son.

Dane paused, re-reading the message. Then, with a wry smile, he muttered, "Oh, this just got interesting."