Gotham City, one month later.
The streets were deserted; Gotham had fallen completely silent.
Batman stood on the corner of a building, looking at this city that felt somewhat unfamiliar to him.
No longer did the sounds of crime pierce the night's tranquility, no longer did sudden gunshots awaken children from their sleep, no longer did wails echo through the darkness.
No longer did police cars chase desperate men and women through narrow alleys, accompanied by the screech of brakes and the wail of sirens.
From a certain perspective, this should have been the Gotham of Batman's dreams.
But he knew this was a twisted pathology, a terror born of silence.
Soldiers wearing black Gendarmerie uniforms, tactical helmets, and weapons patrolled the streets.
Batman looked at this group of Gendarmerie, unique to Homelander, who had appeared a month ago, took a deep breath, and fired his grappling gun, pulling himself away from the location.
Evading the Gendarmerie's gaze, Batman arrived at a secluded area and pressed a few numbers on an iron gate.
"Clang!"
As he entered the correct password, the iron gate slowly opened, and Batman quickly moved inside.
"You shouldn't be here now, Batman. The whole city is hunting you! If they discover your whereabouts, I believe you'll never be able to shake them off!"
Fox, looking somewhat haggard, immediately welcomed Batman in.
"I know, but I found some clues. Perhaps this will help our situation."
Batman pulled a tiny vial from his utility belt and handed it to his former CEO of Wayne Enterprises.
"What is this?"
"A special serum, or perhaps we can call it the Superman serum. I suspect this is what makes those Gendarmerie outside so powerful."
Batman said seriously.
"Is that so?"
Fox took the vial, his gaze complex as he stared at the tiny green liquid inside.
His thoughts returned to the coup a month prior.
After Homelander publicly announced at the United Nations that the United States Government would henceforth be under his control, the entire United States immediately plunged into chaos.
But strangely, only Metropolis remained as usual.
It seemed the citizens there did not resist their leader being replaced by an alien, and most people in Kansas were welcoming of Homelander.
The strangeness of Metropolis was incomprehensible to everyone.
Subsequently, Homelander and his subordinates quickly seized control of important military commands, promoting upper-level military officers who obeyed him and expelling all who opposed him, thereby rapidly gaining control of the military.
Although Superman had appeared to stop him, raising hope among those dissatisfied with Homelander.
But unfortunately, as soon as Superman showed himself, he was directly defeated by Homelander.
After defeating Superman, Homelander began to build his own army.
The "Black Gendarmerie" appeared nationwide and gradually began to suppress the resisting forces.
The United States Government, pushed back repeatedly, had no choice but to retreat further and further, falling back to the northernmost state of Alaska to continue fighting Homelander.
For Gotham, Homelander adopted the strictest method of suppression, imprisoning all criminals in Blackgate Penitentiary or Arkham Asylum.
The harshest punishments were imposed on criminals who attempted to escape.
The shadows of the "Black Gendarmerie" were everywhere on the streets, searching for those who had slipped through the net.
Batman, as Gotham's vigilante, also became a target for capture.
"How did you get this stuff?"
After reflecting on the drastic changes of the past month, Fox composed himself and asked Batman.
"An informant. There are always people secretly resisting Homelander."
Batman whispered, "If we can decipher this, we can find a way to break the deadlock!"
"I will analyze its composition as quickly as possible!"
Fox nodded, placing the serum into a cryogenic safe specifically for important medicines and reagents.
"You also need to watch your own safety, Bruce."
"I will."
"Sigh!"
Fox sighed, saying, "I don't understand why it turned out this way. Homelander was protecting us at first. He even fought General Zod for humanity."
Batman was silent for a moment, then said, "Everything started with a funeral!"
"Perhaps for him, loss was like uncorking a bottle, and a devil was released!"
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