PFC Chapter 3833 The Nameless Bat (3)
Chapter 3833 The Nameless Bat (3)
Chapter 3833 The Nameless Bat (Part 3)
Schiller sat on the sofa next to them, watching their interaction. He found it quite amusing.
Actually, Jason had grown a lot before, and because Arkham Batman always felt guilty, Jason could even subtly overpower him. But now, Jason clearly doesn't dare to talk back to Arkham Batman at all, probably because he's been getting beaten up quite a bit lately. More importantly, Arkham Batman, now president, has also evolved; even without resorting to violence, he can keep those around him firmly under his control.
Before arriving, Schiller had learned about the situation in this universe from him, mainly the situation of the Justice League. Their universe's Justice League was also quite young, having not been formed for long, but it already had all the necessary personnel.
Currently, of the three giants, Superman has been largely won over, not through violence, but through policies such as lowering agricultural taxes, providing subsidies for agricultural machinery purchases and maintenance, and improving healthcare in rural agricultural states. Superman's trust has been secured. While he won't be expected to act unilaterally, he's unlikely to oppose Batman's decisions.
Wonder Woman is in a bit more trouble. The Arkham Batman deliberately diminished Amazon's diplomatic standing in the US, missed two routine visits, and even refused to let their private plane use the flight path—essentially putting pressure on them diplomatically. Wonder Woman is quite annoyed by this.
Wonder Woman's status as an Amazonian princess is public knowledge. Because of her princess status and her appearance and temperament, she is widely recognized in the international community, and her every move sparks a wide range of discussions.
Her diplomatic standing is intertwined with that of Amazon: the United States previously placed great importance on Amazon, which is why Wonder Woman has a high international standing; and because Wonder Woman is popular, Amazon's status has risen accordingly, and it has gained even more attention from the United States.
However, since Batman Arkham took office, he has been rather cold towards his loyal henchman, or more accurately, he hasn't treated his former henchmen very well, while frequently associating with some of his former adversaries and competitors. This has already caused dissatisfaction in many countries.
Wonder Woman would definitely feel wronged. After all, Amazon has worked diligently and faithfully for so many years, and she herself is unaware of how much international support she has garnered for the United States. Yet, Arkham Batman, upon taking office, discarded her like a used tool, something Wonder Woman would never accept.
After all, it wouldn't matter if it were a completely unfamiliar president, but the Justice League members all consider Batman one of their own. Why wouldn't they protect their own people if one of their own came to power? Even if they didn't protect him, they shouldn't have suppressed him!
However, Batman Arkham has consistently adhered to the principle of "keeping quiet" on this issue. Whenever anyone in the Justice League asks him about matters related to the president, he always replies with "no comment," which has indeed led to some discontent within the league.
Schiller knew that introducing himself as a variable was simply a way to buy time. More precisely, it was to divert the Justice League's attention and firepower to him, giving Arkham Batman time to do more important things. While being a target certainly wasn't pleasant, and even Superman, who had a good relationship with Batman, wouldn't be too welcoming of this newcomer, Arkham Batman offered him so much.
Besides, given their unfriendly attitude, is Schiller some kind of good guy? He's not one to stand idly by and not fight back. Rather than bringing the Justice League to Gotham and having the Bat-Family keep an eye on them, it's more accurate to say the Bat-Family is keeping an eye on Schiller, making sure he doesn't actually tear the Justice League apart.
Schiller stood up and shook hands with the Arkham Knight. Feeling the real touch on his hand, the Arkham Knight breathed a sigh of relief. His experience on the rooftop had indeed been rather strange; he had even begun to wonder if what he had encountered was truly human.
Then the Arkham Knight looked at Schiller, seemingly unable to discern his true strength, and turned his gaze to the Arkham Batman.
“Alright, once the Justice League members arrive, we’ll throw a welcome party. Make sure you and the other Gotham locals are dressed to the nines. And if that lady comes to talk to you about anything, don’t agree or refuse, just gloss over it,” Arkham Batman said.
This puzzled Arkham Knight, who stared at Arkham Batman and said, "What the hell are you doing? Wonder Woman, she..."
“Don’t ask so many questions, you’ll find out soon enough,” said Arkham Batman.
Although he had doubts, the Arkham Knight didn't press the matter. He knew in his heart that Dick was right: what Batman wanted you to know, you would know sooner or later, but if he didn't want you to know, you wouldn't get it no matter how much you asked.
The welcome banquet was scheduled for the evening of the following day. As the helicopter landed on the roof of Wayne Tower, the Justice League superheroes gradually disembarked. Even those who could fly disembarked and walked down the stairs.
Schiller watched this scene from a distance on the rooftop. He thought, "Arkham Batman is really having a blast as president. All fifty states of the Union are under his command, and the Justice League is behaving incredibly well." Regardless of what he really thought, at least he's putting on a very good show.
The Justice League members all seemed a bit nervous, and none of them noticed the bright moon hanging high in the Gotham sky until Batman from Arkham began to introduce Moon Knight.
Batman Arkham raised his glass, stepped forward, and said, “Since I took office, you have all contributed a great deal to the security of the Union. Even so, there are times when we feel we are not strong enough. Fortunately, a friend of mine was willing to come and help, and I introduced him to the Justice League. Today, I would like to formally introduce him to you all.”
He said this, but there was no one around him. Superman looked around frantically, while Wonder Woman seemed to realize something and turned to look out the window.
Just then, a sliver of moonlight shone in through the window, making the entire banquet hall excessively bright. The hazy white light blurred their vision, and a tall, slender figure suddenly appeared beside Batman, yet it seemed as if he had been standing there all along.
Superman paused for a moment, then took the initiative to express goodwill. He stepped forward, shook hands with Moon Knight, and said, "Hello, welcome."
Schiller nodded slightly to him. Wonder Woman frowned, seemingly not opposed, but with a hint of suspicion. However, after glancing at Batman Arkham and deciding not to cause trouble in this situation, she nodded to Schiller, who returned the nod.
The others were all rather outspoken. The Flash went straight to Arkham Batman and asked, "When did this guy join? What does he do?"
“Just yesterday,” Arkham Batman said. “I added him to the roster. He does whatever you guys do.”
Mentioning this, not only the Flash, but also Green Lantern sighed.
Originally, the Justice League was supposed to be a self-organized superhero community, completely independent of the federal government. However, since Batman Arkham ascended to the throne, it has become an official organization.
It's not that they wanted to change, but the key is that if you don't, it's illegal. Before, if the people didn't report it, the officials wouldn't investigate; now, regardless of whether anyone reports it, Batman will pursue it. So, besides accepting amnesty, what other options are there?
Of course, you could just give up and quit the club altogether. But Batman is just too generous.
Since it's an official organization, it definitely receives government funding, and because it's a security organization, it uses military funds. The military funding approved by Arkham Batman is particularly substantial; they receive a percentage of that funding—who can afford that?
It's fine if it's all about money, after all, they're not maintaining order for the money. But when it comes to "power," very few people can resist.
Everyone in the Justice League became a "Federal Sheriff's Advisor" for the city he was protecting. Don't let the name fool you; this position may sound insignificant, but it actually wields immense power: not only can it mobilize the city police department, but also the state police, federal guards, and even the military; the municipal and military systems cooperate unconditionally in handling cases, giving it virtually unlimited law enforcement authority.
For example, if Superman wants to investigate a criminal, both the police department and the state troopers must share information with him unconditionally; after the investigation, if he wants to make an arrest, the mayor must cooperate with him to close roads and evacuate the public; once the person is arrested, the trial and imprisonment have the highest priority, and they are basically sentenced on the same day they are arrested; and all the trouble that follows is cleaned up by organizations like the FBI.
Before I experienced these benefits, I didn't think much of it. But once you've enjoyed them, you can never go back to the way things were before.
Superman is the kind of all-around superhero who handles investigations and arrests with ease. For someone like Green Arrow, who doesn't have superpowers but still wants to uphold justice, this kind of authorization from the government is extremely important; it's like having a command to execute whoever he wants.
Furthermore, the logistical support the Justice League receives is phenomenal. They currently have six bases scattered across the United States. Besides their headquarters in Washington, D.C., they have branches in major cities on both the East and West coasts; if the Gotham base is built, there will be seven.
Despite having many bases, they each have different functions: some are specifically responsible for providing them with information and intelligence assistance, some are for providing them with research equipment, some are responsible for coordinating and planning resources, and some are responsible for providing them with living conveniences. In short, they make clear arrangements for everyone in the Justice League, from their lives to their work.
In short, the entire Justice League is currently funded by the president. So even if they have some complaints about the president, they don't dare to say anything, since they're beholden to him.
Take the issue of membership, for example. Normally, welcoming a new member would require a vote by all members. But here, it's Batman's decision: whoever he registers as a full member is a full member, and no one else can interfere. After all, Batman pays the salaries, and if he wants to pay extra and provide extra employee benefits, there's nothing you can do about it. Other companies couldn't afford that, so it has to be this way.
Although they had never heard of Moon Knight before, Schiller's entrance and appearance were certainly quite impressive. Besides, humans on Earth still held many romantic fantasies about the moon. The party hadn't been going on for long when the Flash approached and began chatting with Schiller.
"Hello, I'm The Flash. I'm from Central City, where are you from?"
“I’m from New York.” Schiller didn’t hide it, after all, there is a New York in this universe, just a smaller one.
"Oh, I know, that's the headquarters of the Justice Society. I heard the security there is pretty good."
"It can't compare to Central City," Schiller said sincerely. Central City's security was simply too good; the level of open-door policy at night was almost on par with Asian countries.
Hearing someone praise his hometown pleased Flash. He chatted with Schiller for a bit, but quickly noticed Wonder Woman's glance. Clearly, the woman was also interested in the newcomer and eager to talk.
Let's begin!