Miss Justice is not motivated

“This…” Even Edward understood the seriousness of Gordon’s words, but he still said with reluctance, “But if used properly, it can also be used to benefit others, right? Just like what we’re doing now!”

“This is the bottom line! The bottom line we cannot cross!” Thinking Edward was still too young to even consider solving crime through such a method, Gordon explained. “Initially, this bio-organism would target criminals, then it would target everyday disagreements between people, then religious incompatibilities, and finally political differences! What will humanity's future look like then!”

"As long as we can ensure that this technology isn't misused, isn't that enough?" Edward continued, seemingly unwilling to give up. "As long as we can guarantee and limit the use of this technology to help everyone and benefit humanity, isn't that enough?"

"Who guarantees it? Who limits it? Who determines whether it's beneficial to humanity?" Gordon fired off three questions in one breath, catching Edward off guard. "You? Me? The United Nations? Or the Justice League?"

"This..." Edward's answer faltered, unsure how to respond to this incredibly pointed question.

“No one is without selfish desires, and we have no way to guarantee that this technology will not be abused. If it is, then it is…” Gordon paused here, looking up at the bat-shaped signal lights in the sky.

"Wow, looks like I'm not late." To avoid attracting attention, Nightwing changed into his battle suit after driving to the vicinity of the police station and greeted Gordon and Edward.

Of course, this was to avoid attracting the attention of Beaune and the others. In Batman's plan, Nightwing was also intended to appear as a surprise weapon.

However, Edward is still an immature young man, and it's understandable that his thinking is radical. Nightwing believes that with proper guidance, Steelwrist should be able to become a capable superhero in the future.

"That's great, Nightwing." Gordon breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that Nightwing had recovered. He had thought it would take Nightwing more than a year to recover from his spinal injury, but he hadn't expected him to recover so quickly.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that the recovery was too fast, to an abnormal degree, almost inhuman.

“Well then, let me take a look at the documents first.” Nightwing didn’t mention that he had listened to the entire debate between Edward and Gordon; instead, he asked Gordon for the file folder.

Gordon handed over the file folder and said seriously, "This situation is really quite serious. I think the league needs to intervene..."

Nightwing didn't respond; he took the file and began to read it carefully. When he read the section on exotic organisms, he couldn't help but frown.

The principles of human control employed by this bio-organism are far more rudimentary than the mind control methods used by Martian hunters, and far easier to implement than the pollen control techniques of queen bees. Aside from the lack of clarity regarding its control methods, this bio-organism possesses considerable potential, and the consequences of it falling into the wrong hands would be unimaginable.

Given the technological capabilities of LexCorp or other entities, breaking through the control methods of this biological organism is not an impossible task...

This is troublesome. If this thing leaks out, it could cause terrible trouble. Dick pinched his chin and fell into deep thought. His previous nonchalant expression turned serious, and his brows furrowed tightly.

With this, it's possible to control an organization without bloodshed. It can even be used to hold the lives of others in one's own hands, killing them with a single thought.

"This information should still be under strict control, right?" Nightwing couldn't help but ask, despite having little hope for the Gotham Police Department's secrecy. If this information were leaked, even the Alliance wouldn't have an easy time investigating it.

"We've done everything we can about this," Gordon replied, unable to offer any guarantees.

Understanding Gordon's difficulties, Nightwing did not criticize him excessively, but instead considered the next steps and possible scenarios.

“We’ve taken note of the details, and we’ll handle this as soon as possible.” Nightwing immediately put away the file folder, pondered for a moment, and then called to Edward, “It’s time to go. Let’s go back to the Batcave.”

“Oh, okay.” Edward nodded and thanked Gordon again. “Chief Gordon… thank you for what you just said to me.”

"It's nothing, I just did a little bit of work." Gordon pushed up his black-rimmed glasses and smiled calmly. "Young people like you have a promising future, and the most important thing is that you don't go astray."

Edward nodded vigorously and disappeared into the night with Nightwing. Watching the two leave, Gordon walked to the bat signal light and pulled the switch down hard.

The bat symbol on the night sky vanished instantly, and the bat signal light emitted a buzzing sound. Then, as if it had short-circuited, a loud cracking sound was heard, followed by a plume of black smoke.

"This..." Gordon, completely unprepared for the bat signal light to short-circuit, stared at the scene before him, growing uneasy.

Chapter Fifty-Three: Rest (Part 1)

At the bustling Gotham train station, Talia carried the sleeping Damian off the train, heading to Wayne Manor to find her old flame. Despite having flesh buds implanted, Baiana didn't interfere too much with their mental well-being; after all, they were merely pawns used to mislead Batman.

Just as Talia was about to leave the train station, a black luxury sedan slowly pulled up in front of them. When the window rolled down, a resolute-looking, dark-haired man sat in the driver's seat, though his skin didn't appear to have been exposed to much sun.

They didn't say much, but their brief eye contact felt like they had shared a thousand words. Talia first put Damian in the car before getting in herself.

They were old acquaintances after all. Both Bruce and Talia could tell that the other had a lot to say, so they both tacitly avoided accidentally typing.

There was a moment of silence. Bruce didn't take Talia home directly. Instead, he drove to a dock and parked the car there.

Upon noticing Damian being brought in, Bruce instinctively felt that the child seemed to have some connection to him. However, seeing that Talia didn't seem to have any explicit thoughts, he didn't ask any further questions.

With the sea breeze blowing at night, Bruce and Talia took out two bottles of black tea from the portable refrigerator in the car and started chatting while leaning against the black luxury sedan.

"It was a night like this last time... Why aren't you drinking this time?" Without Baina's mental interference and being an extremely strong-willed woman herself, Talia didn't seem like a daughter who had lost her father. She looked at the black tea in her hand, and her words to Bruce carried a hint of resentment.

That makes sense, considering that for Talia, Batman was not only an irresponsible husband, but also an incompetent father.

"I remember last time we drank together, you put something special in our drinks, didn't you?" Bruce's back injury hadn't healed yet, and his current ability to pick up girls was thanks to the exoskeleton technology provided by Cyborg. With this cutting-edge technology from Apokolips, he could even run faster than before.

"It made you gentler." The events of that night seemed vivid in my mind. Both of us had grown in different ways, one more than the other.

"You made me what you wanted." The events of that night are still etched into my body; I can almost still recall that wonderful sensation.

"Talia...what are you doing in Gotham City?" Batman gently pushed away Talia, who was embracing him, and asked her rationally. As the Dark Knight, he was concerned about the city he needed to protect.

As if Batman's merciless chewing had extinguished the initial warmth, Talia turned away, unwilling to face Bruce, and said, "My father... he's dead..."

"No...it shouldn't be like this..." Bruce immediately sensed something was amiss. He knew Lars had been dying for various reasons. But soon, he would reappear before Batman using the Lazarus Pool, able to be resurrected.

Then comes a series of cat-and-mouse games, even if the other party is an anti-human element.

"Like you? Indestructible? Unbeatable?" Talia shook her head as she looked at the exoskeleton device on Batman's waist.

He didn't respond to the sarcastic remark; he was already used to such sarcasm. The emotion he had felt over Lars's death quickly vanished. Bruce looked at Talia and asked, "Your father's death... didn't seem to cause you much pain?"

“Because my identity dictates it, I have no time for grief.” Talia shook her head, her reply utterly indifferent. “The Assassin’s Guild has fallen into disarray, and I need to unite them and eliminate anyone who wants to take this legacy.”

"Who did this?" Suddenly realizing something was very wrong, Bruce immediately asked.

“It was a mercenary group… Deathstroke… Death Shooter…” Recalling the person who had offered to save her and Damian, Talia hesitated for a moment, not saying his name. “And a girl with long gray hair and a girl with short blue hair.”

It was her! Bruce immediately recognized who it was, his expression turning serious as he quickly began to deduce her thoughts and plans. He then realized that Baiana's intention was to use Lazarus Pool to rescue another blue-haired girl who was traveling with her.

“I don’t know what she’s thinking, or why she’s letting the two of us go, but for our sake… it’s necessary to gather the other members of the Assassin’s Guild.”

"We...?" Bruce, keenly aware of the hidden meaning in Talia's words, couldn't help but ask.

“Don’t misunderstand, it’s me and…” Talia gently opened the car door, looking at Damian who was still fast asleep, a maternal tenderness appearing on her face. “Your son.”

The speeding black luxury sedan created a gust of air, lifting the skirts of both Bai Aina and a woman standing on the roadside. The latter quickly pressed down her skirt, while Bai Aina seemed unconcerned, letting her short skirt billow high in the air.

"By the way? Where were we just talking about?" Distracted by the car, Bai Aina was momentarily at a loss for what to say next.

"Oh, teacher, didn't you just say you'd take me to Disneyland after the mission? Speaking of which, what's Disneyland?"

"Disney is like a rat, excessively and extremely protective of its copyrights, also known as the copyright god, the rights-obsessed 'nacui'. To give you an analogy, if you write a distress signal on a desert island, you might not be discovered. But if you draw the Disney logo on it, someone will immediately arrest you and take you to court for trial!"

"Huh?! Are there really rats like this in the world?! That's terrifying!"

"Here's something you need to know. The more complex people's lifestyles are, the more disagreements they will have. And the more advanced their science and technology, the more effective they are at killing people."

While feeding her a jumble of random ideas, Bai Aina rambled on and on, finding it quite amusing. After all, she hadn't been out and about in a long time, spending most of her time dealing with Gotham City's underworld affairs.

One of the reasons for their departure was to see if they could lure out the Court of Owls's henchmen, the killing weapons infused with the Dionysian factor—Claws. They possess strong physiques capable of fighting those in power armor, enhanced senses and agility, as well as powerful regenerative abilities and vitality.

As a perfect being, Bai Aina was quite interested in the mystical element of the Dionysian Factor, and it would be ideal if she could obtain the modification technology from the Court of Owls. Although this thing seemed to have a very powerful origin and was suspected of involving a powerful figure at the multiverse level... there was no need for Bai Aina to worry about so much for now.

Chapter Fifty-Four: Rest (Part Two)

Perhaps because of the recent unusual commotion in Gotham City, most of the shops on the streets were closed. Bai Aina and Yi Tiao strolled aimlessly, chatting casually as they searched for the best late-night snack tonight.

Soon, they spotted a Japanese ramen shop that was still open on a relatively remote street. Their eyes lit up, and they led Bai Aina inside. Bai Aina was very happy that the girl was so willing to do something like this, so she went along with her and entered the somewhat impressive shop.

The decor was nothing special, and the kitchen was completely transparent, allowing diners to see the cooking process from their seats. However… a Remington shotgun hung prominently in the kitchen, prompting Bai Aina to gasp in surprise.

Is this really Gotham City? Even a restaurant can openly display a shotgun as its prized possession... It's really...

Whether it was the real product used to mark the store's success or a fake to scare people... while Bai Aina was speculating, Yi Tiao excitedly called over the owner, whispered something in his ear, and ordered the dishes under the owner's strange gaze.

Despite being a small shop run by only one person, the food was served quite quickly. A short while later, the polite owner came out with two bowls of ramen, gently placed them in front of Bai Aina and Yi Tiao, and then left.

"Uh... what is this?" Not knowing how to describe the bowl of ramen in front of her, Bai Aina looked at Ichijo with a puzzled expression.

Compared to the uneasy Bai Aina, Ichijo was someone who had ordered this kind of ramen for the first time. She opened the chopsticks and said, "This is cold fried pork cracklings, tofu, and buckwheat noodles. Teacher, please try it. It tastes amazing!"

Since things had come to this point, she might as well eat. After all, she was a perfect being and wouldn't die from eating. This thing looked a bit strange, but it wasn't so disgusting that she couldn't stomach it. Bai Aina didn't ask any more questions and simply started eating the noodles without restraint.

Given her appetite and digestive system, she can eat almost anything, as long as it doesn't make her feel nauseous. She then stores the food as energy for later use.

Suddenly, the sound of slurping noodles filled the shop. Seeing this, the owner was relieved and went back to his room to get back to work.

Before long, Bai Aina and Yi Tiao finished their noodles. They put their hands together to express their gratitude for the meal, left the bill under their bowls, and then left.

Despite being in a modern city, surrounded by towering skyscrapers of reinforced concrete, the streets were lifeless, resembling a desolate wilderness. Looking up at the sky, the heavens resembled a brilliant and beautiful piece of black jade studded with diamonds, while the city below was dark and desolate.

"It seems like nothing has changed since I first arrived." Looking at the deserted streets, Ichijo couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

“These things don’t happen overnight, and besides, the corrective methods we’ve chosen aren’t too extreme.” Baina understood that although her actions seemed very extreme and brutal, they were actually quite mild.

Gotham City's current state is not solely due to supervillains. While Batman's role in allowing them to escape time and again is certainly partly to blame, the incompetent and corrupt judicial system also bears significant responsibility.

But even worse are the legends hidden deep within the city, seemingly existing only in word of mouth. They control this dark city, where anyone who defies their will is annihilated by the talons of owls, in order to maintain the balance they desire.

After those supervillains are killed, the Court of Owls creates a new batch of criminals to maintain the 'balance' of Gotham City. Just like arena spectators watching gladiators fight for entertainment, they have tried more than once to compete with the Wayne family, the light side of Gotham, for control of the city by supporting supervillains.

To be honest, Baina really wanted to meet them... but it seemed they had no intention of contacting her.

“Teacher, sometimes I really can’t understand what you’re thinking…” After spending so much time together, Ichijo could more or less sense something unusual about Bai Aina. “Teacher, would you mind if I said something?”

"I don't mind, please feel free." Bai Aina gestured for him to enter, waiting to hear what shocking statement he would make.

“Teacher, what you did…it wasn’t out of good intentions for others, was it? I’ve always felt that, compared to a cynical extremist, you’re more like someone wearing a mask…” Recalling the awkwardness of their time together, Ichijo couldn’t help but say this, a deep sorrow creeping onto his face. “So sometimes I’m really afraid that you’ll tear off that mask and destroy everything you’ve done.”

"How could I? That would be so annoying, and wouldn't it make me seem incredibly boring? I would never do such a thing."

Chapter 55 Red Justice

Silently lowering his eyelids, Yi Tiao did not immediately answer Bai Aina's question. Instead, he looked up at the starry sky and laughed as he gazed at the countless stars.

Bai Aina didn't press the matter immediately. If she had to put it bluntly, it would be that... Yitiao's life was too rigid and boring. Living in a world with choices is a wonderful thing, but her thoughts and beliefs were too inflexible.

"Well... teacher, would you mind listening to a story that might not be so interesting or pleasant?" After a period of silence, as if she had made up her mind, Ichijo straightened her chest and mustered her courage to speak.

“Sure, it would be wonderful to hear a beautiful girl tell me a story.” Bai Aina responded with a smile, while taking out a bucket of popcorn and a can of drink from her storage card, eagerly awaiting a narration.

Uh… I should say, is this really what a teacher is like? I couldn’t help but chuckle, but Ichijo quickly composed himself and began to narrate in a clear voice: “In the past… there was such a man. He was an official working in the National Tax Service, an agency that uses tax revenue to maintain the normal operation of the country. Therefore, he also believed that… everyone working in the National Tax Service must be a fair person, and he therefore lived more uprightly than anyone else.”

It sounds exhausting. Can't we just be happier? Bai Aina took a sip of her drink but didn't say those words aloud.

"It may sound a bit ridiculous... but that man still cherished a dream he had since childhood: to create a fair and just world where everyone could care for each other, not be blinded by self-interest, and help and support one another... Sounds wonderful, right? For this, he dedicated himself to pursuing justice, and used it to discipline his family, even using it as a creed to educate his daughter."

"But so what? Even though he made many excellent suggestions with justice as an absolute premise. He once argued that a constant tax rate was too heavy for low-income earners and too easy for high-income earners. Therefore, he argued that the tax rate should be adjusted, which caused resentment. But such statements only helped him confirm his position, which was that he was isolated. Although he was not without friends, compared to those who were hostile to him... he had far too few."

Did he not only harm himself, but also his daughter? Bai Aina knew that such people usually lived very tiring lives and were extremely inflexible.

"Although his long-held illusions have been shattered, he is even more just than before. The idea is so simple: if a hundred people other than him are wrong, then he himself will pursue justice for those hundred. He always pursues the right path, opposes laws that prey on the weak, and objects to the actions of the strong profiting and the rich seeking wealth."