When Iron Man’s drone flew into the East End’s sewer system, the Court of Owls erupted in fury. Meanwhile, the Four Horsemen managed to rescue Anthony, who had nearly been rolled away like a hamster in a ball. Wally West, warned against it, stubbornly set foot in Gotham. Clark held Jonathan’s hand as they waited on the street for Lois to buy ice cream. Diana stepped out of a small wooden sculpture shop, noting how pleasant the weather was.

^[1]T/N: Jonathan Kent refers to Clark and Lois’s child. I am still trying to find out who ‘Anthony’ is. If anyone has an idea, pleas let me know

Although the sky hadn’t cleared, there was no heavy rain either. The air carried the freshness of a post-rain city, likely aided by the improved greenery. Amid the steel-gray urban forest and Gothic architecture, there were now scattered patches of green—and splashes of color that, though subtle during the day, were beginning to stand out.

Diana, also known as Wonder Woman, was an Amazon, a demigod, and a member of the Justice League—a powerful and renowned hero. She was the world’s most famous female superhero, admired by countless others. When she wasn’t busy with hero work, Diana typically stayed in Washington, D.C., where she worked on artifact restoration, a task requiring patience and meticulous care.

For an immortal like her, time and precision were never an issue. To Diana, the other members of the Justice League—from Superman to Batman—were “little boys.” The “little boy” Batman, in particular, knew how to collaborate but hated asking for help, especially regarding Gotham. He considered saving Gotham a burden uniquely his own, one he shared only with his tightly knit circle of allies: Robin, Nightwing, Oracle, Orphan, Batwoman, Batgirl, Azrael… the list went on.

Yes, it seemed like quite the long list.

In summary, unless you were a vigilante born and raised in Gotham, you were best off staying in your own city. Otherwise, you risked drawing Batman’s suspicion.

This city seemed to have a peculiar aura, one that embraced its homegrown heroes and villains while rejecting outsiders. Even the Rogues from Central City, who once attempted to establish themselves in Gotham, fled in tears within a day. The mob from Blüdhaven? Chased out by Gotham’s homegrown supervillains as soon as they stepped foot on its soil.

This was why Diana was curious about the new vigilante, Nightwatch—a girl with no past who appeared in Gotham with a pure goal and had somehow earned the “friendship” (or surveillance) of the Bat-family. With Batman, the two often felt synonymous.

Diana wanted to meet this child.

She had some understanding of divine matters and might be able to discern what was unusual about Vivi.

Having just arrived in Gotham, Diana hadn’t yet encountered Vivi White. But she wasn’t in a rush—there was plenty of time.

Diana purchased a fist-sized black sheep mask pendant and a small gargoyle figurine from the wooden sculpture shop. The figurine, in particular, seemed to be selling well recently.

She then visited the Batman statue across from Gotham University and snapped a selfie. The area around the statue had turned into a bustling market, with vendors setting up stalls nearby and people lounging under Batman cape-shaped shades. She sent the photo to Bruce with a message:

[Guess where I am?]

[…Don’t do this, Diana.]

Switching apps, Diana tapped on the “Strange Circus” event and adjusted her route toward the docks.

The docks were teeming with people. Police officers directed foot traffic, guiding vendors to designated areas to prevent roadblocks. Even so, the streets remained crowded, with the occasional shove or scuffle breaking out. Amid the noise, Diana picked up on a snippet of conversation.

“This kind of turnout wasn’t anticipated. It could be considered a failure on the officials’ part.” The speaker was a woman with a soft voice, coughing twice after finishing her sentence.

“So annoying. Why did I even come here with you? Is this the circus show you wanted to see? Well, congratulations—you’ve seen a great monkey performance.” The boy’s voice carried a slight Middle Eastern accent.

Diana turned toward the voices just as she stopped someone from bumping into her. She saw a group of three, not two.

A pale woman in a wheelchair adjusted her monocle. Beside her stood a boy dressed like a cosplayer, his lower face concealed but his green eyes visible. Pushing the wheelchair was a tall, lanky man, over six feet tall yet appearing less capable of a fight than the boy.

A fierce little black panther, a thin and delicate grasshopper, and… Diana couldn’t quite place the wheelchair-bound woman’s “type.” But as if sensing Diana’s gaze, the woman turned her head and met her eyes.

They exchanged a calm look. Diana didn’t avert her gaze, but the woman smiled faintly, breaking the stare.

Vivi had noticed who was nearby.

On the map, amid the clutter of dots representing vendors and tourists, one stood out: the “Wonder Woman” marker in bold red.

Still, Vivi’s current identity had nothing to do with Wonder Woman. She had no reason to interact with her, especially while accompanied by her socially anxious student Cain and the League of Assassins’ young trainee, Damian. Glancing at Diana, Vivi quickly looked away, but her map updated:

Behind her, a dot labeled [Tourist] suddenly shifted to [Thief].

And that thief was perilously close to Cain.

Vivi sighed. “…Oh no.”

Vivi glanced at Damian, who gave her a cold, sharp look. The boy, clearly a trained assassin, had already moved his hand to the blade hidden at his side.

Meanwhile, Wonder Woman, for some reason, stepped closer to them.

Cain, oblivious to it all, was still looking around, unaware that a thief had set their sights on his wallet.

And now, both the assassin and Wonder Woman had their sights set on the thief.

Vivi raised her hand, gently pressing down on Damian’s arm to stop him. Suddenly, someone approached from the side, cheerfully grabbing Cain’s arm and attempting to sling an arm over his broad shoulder. Finding Cain’s 6’3” frame too tall, the newcomer settled for patting his back and, in the process, shoved the thief aside.

“William? Is that you? I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” the stranger exclaimed. Then, noticing Vivi in her wheelchair, he greeted her with an overly friendly wave. “Hi there, I’m William’s friend—”

When his gaze landed on Damian, however, his words faltered.

This stranger was clearly not Cain’s friend. His casual use of “William” was a bluff, meant to defuse the situation after noticing the thief’s actions. While he could pretend Vivi was Cain’s girlfriend, Damian complicated the picture—these three didn’t look like they belonged together at all.

“Uh…” Peter Parker hesitated, lowering his voice. “Someone was trying to pick your pocket just now. Watch yourself, buddy.”

Wonder Woman didn’t come closer, and Damian reluctantly let go of his blade. Cain gave him a sidelong glance but said nothing, instead looking as though he wished he could shrink and disappear. Despite his intimidating height, Cain’s social anxiety often made him seem awkward or impolite.

Peter now found himself in an incredibly awkward position.

He forced a nervous laugh, only for a sharp cry of pain to suddenly erupt behind him.

Peter turned quickly to see a woman pinning the thief to the ground, slapping handcuffs on him before handing him over to approaching police officers. The surrounding crowd instinctively created a wide berth. Peter recognized her—Bettywen, the warden. She’d been present at that high-profile trial, and many people in Gotham recognized her.

The warden nodded curtly, taking a police communicator and assuming command of the scene.

On the other side, Vivi sighed, accepting the inevitability of multitasking even in moments like this. Casually, she asked Peter, “Are you here for the circus show?”

Peter’s eyes lit up. “Yeah! I saw the reviews on the app—they say it’s really fun. Actually, did you know the circus evolved from the Roman Colosseum’s beast fights? Back then, wild animals like lions and tigers were part of the show, but those performances are banned now. Regulations are stricter. I heard this show doesn’t involve animals, which got me curious…”

As they walked and talked, Peter grew animated, gesturing enthusiastically while Vivi’s wheelchair gradually distanced her from the warden’s commanding presence. No one could tell if the two had any connection at all.

Meanwhile, Wonder Woman’s position shifted as well. The circus had a capacity of just 1,000 guests per round. After scanning QR codes on their phones, Vivi’s group received their entry passes. For those uncomfortable with smartphones, an attendant at the front handed out physical tickets. Damian stared suspiciously at the attendant for an uncomfortably long time before wandering off without explanation.

When he returned, his expression was odd, and a few strands of reddish-brown fur clung to his clothes.

“David?” Vivi asked, using the pseudonym Damian had insisted on. He had forbidden her from using his real name in public—likely because, once Vivi’s role as Professor Diamond concluded, Damian expected to eliminate her to tie up loose ends.

Well, that would be Professor Diamond’s problem. What did it have to do with Vivi White?

Damian glared at her, his ears tinged red for some inexplicable reason.

“The main show doesn’t start until 8 p.m.,” he said, analyzing his ticket. “Right now, it’s game time. Guests can queue up to play one free game round.” Surprisingly, he didn’t complain about Professor Diamond slacking off to attend the circus. “Makes sense. What kind of circus has shows in broad daylight?”

The previous group of guests exited the tent, stumbling slightly as if dizzy. Vivi noticed her reward tokens—firework sticks—hadn’t increased significantly.

—If the game involved something like a “pet training competition,” she should have earned rewards from at least 100 participants in a group of 1,000. But judging by the state of the exiting guests, it seemed as though barely ten had participated.

And no one had pets with them. What kind of game were they playing?

Curious, Vivi, Damian, Cain, and Peter entered the tent. At the same time, Diana, Clark and his family, and Wally (dragging Nightwing along) joined the same round.

As the curtain dropped, the tent was plunged into darkness. Vivi looked up to see countless glowing dots shimmering above, like radiant pearls scattered across the night sky. The lights floated midair, eliciting gasps of wonder from the audience.

But Vivi squinted. Were the glowing dots… moving?

Upon closer inspection, they weren’t lights at all but glowing—

Slimes?

Wait. Slimes!?