Hunters of Justice (RWBY/DC)

Chapter 32: Home Is Where the Heart Is

November 15th, 12:30 P.M. (Eastern Standard Time)

Gotham City, New Jersey, United States of America

There was a somber, quiet atmosphere when RWBY and JNPR teleported down from the Watchtower back to Wayne Manor. Alfred was already waiting for them, knowing what was about to happen and fully prepared as always.

"Young Masters," Alfred greeted with a quick, polite nod. "I will have your belongings packed momentarily."

"Oh no, Alfred. You don't need to do that," Ruby replied, but Alfred shook his head.

"I insist," Alfred said, his tone final. "Please make yourselves at home. I know you will not be staying here much longer, but even then, you all may call Wayne Manor yours."

With that, Alfred turned around and walked back towards RWBY's and JNPR's rooms. The two teams of Huntsmen and Huntresses watched sadly as he disappeared into an adjacent hallway. All of them could tell just how disappointed Alfred was about their departure. Not at them, but towards their former host. In the corners of the main lobby, sending the two teams various looks were the rest of Bruce's adoptive family. None of them said a thing, mostly out of a sense of awkwardness. Not that RWBY or JNPR could blame them. What was there to say? 'Sorry our father figure betrayed your trust?' Besides, they weren't the ones who did it.

Bruce was standing next to them, utterly silent as the room's atmosphere became heavy and almost unbearable. Next to him was Ace the Bat-Hound, sitting upright and looking them over. Bruce was forcing himself to look at them all, his face utterly stoic. It was clear to both teams that, although he didn't regret making those nanites, and they doubted he ever would, he was sad to see them leave. Part of them felt the same, but right now they all knew that leaving was for the best.

They stayed in silence for the next thirty minutes, the only sound being heard was the whirling of fan blades accompanied by soft breathing. Finally, the monotony was broken by Alfred's return. He was pushing a cart containing all of RWBY and JNPR's belongings neatly packed away into luggage. It was clear that he was already working on packing up their things even before they got back to the manor, and when he stopped before them they looked at each other in the eyes.

"I will put your belongings into the car. If I may, this might be the best time to air any final words," Alfred suggested. Before anyone could say anything else, he continued pushing the cart out of the front door, which was helpfully opened by Ren and Nora. They closed it behind them, and once again the main lobby of Wayne Manor fell silent as the two groups stared at each other. No one knew what to say, and the silence was growing more and more unbearable with each passing second.

Then Ruby cleared her throat, and said, "I'm sad it came to this."

"As am I," Bruce replied, his eyes going soft for a second. "I'm sorry for any pain I caused."

"We know," Weiss confirmed, "just as we know you'll do it again without a second thought. For what it's worth, up until now I've enjoyed my time here, and I'm immensely grateful for everything you've done for us."

"If you guys ever need any help, just give us a call," Tim called out from the upper floor. "Gotham's just across the river from Metropolis."

"Don't be fooled by its shiny appearance, either. Metropolis is just as dangerous as Gotham. Just a different kind of dangerous," Stephanie added.

"Well, when your hometown hero is Superman, the threats scale accordingly," Yang figured. "At least I won't have to hold back as much."

"There is that," Jason chuckled, shaking his head. "You guys are badasses, though, so I know you'll be fine. Who knows? Perhaps within a week you guys will also cut off the heads of Metropolis' underworld?"

"Probably not. We plan on just resting this week," Nora corrected. "Gonna stop bumming around and finally get jobs, too."

"Any ideas on what?" Damian asked, and Blake nodded.

"A few," she admitted, then noticed that Nora was subtly moving towards the back of the manor. Nora caught her gaze and waved her off.

"Don't worry, just gotta do something really quick," she said, then walked out of the manor and towards the small animal enclosure at the back. There were multitudes of animals grazing among the grass, but she was focused on one bovine in particular. The cow noticed her arrival and dumbly stared at her, chewing on long strands of grass while letting Nora gently grab her head and pet her.

"Sorry we have to leave, Bat-Cow," Nora gently soothed the creature while handing her a carrot to chew on as she normally did every day since arriving at Wayne Manor. Bat-Cow eagerly took the treat and chewed, at the same time rubbing her head affectionately against Nora. "But don't worry, we'll come and visit sometime, and I'll be sure to get you some of Weiss' hair to chew on."

Bat-Cow mooed approvingly, giving Nora a lick to the side of her face that caused her to laugh. She gave Bat-Cow one final pat and rub on the head, then turned around and walked back into Wayne Manor. She arrived in the middle of a conversation the others were having regarding their plans, how the Titans were meeting them in Metropolis to help set up their new apartment and a few options of employment they've been looking at. Nora already knew where she was going to apply at, so she didn't feel the need to add anything. It was then that Alfred opened the door and reentered the manor, holding the door open and revealing a parked limo in the driveway.

"Children, this way, please. I will be driving you to your new home," Alfred revealed. The two teams shared one final look with each other, exchanged a scattering of goodbyes, then one by one the Remnantians turned around and left. They walked down the stairs to the limousine waiting for them. Alfred opened the car door for them, and they entered and sat down along the sideways seats. When they were secured, he closed their door and walked around to enter the driver's seat, then turned the ignition and started the vehicle. As they slowly drove out of the driveway and away from Wayne Manor, Ruby looked out the back window and saw Bruce Wayne watching out from the open front door. They stared at each other, not breaking eye contact until the limo turned past the front gates, leaving Wayne Manor behind.

"So, Alfred. What's Metropolis like?" Jaune asked, taking a sip from a can of Coca-Cola provided from a built-in cooler.

"It's a wonderful city, although I must admit I haven't had the pleasure of actually living there," Alfred admitted as he carefully drove through Gotham's busy streets. "From my brief visits over the years, though, I've been able to see its character. Much like Gotham, Metropolis is alive in ways few other cities can match. The people there claim that Metropolis is the greatest city in the world, and there's plenty of evidence to support that claim."

"On Remnant, many said the same thing about Vale," Ruby pointed out. "Metropolis sounds like an amazing place."

"It is. I'm certain you all will enjoy it immensely," Alfred stated, glancing in their direction through the rear-view mirror. "Still, I am sad to see you all go. After so many years of Wayne Manor being quiet, it was a nice change of pace to have you around. You gave it a new sense of life."

RWBY and JNPR softly smiled at Alfred's words, and Blake said, "We'll miss you too, Alfred."

A comfortable silence fell over the group as they continued to travel through the dirty Gotham streets. Bits of trash carried by the wind rolled across the pavement, and the citizens kept a close, distrustful eye on each other. At the same time, however, RWBY and JNPR couldn't help but notice that there was a slight twinge of hope present on many of the Gothamites' faces. It was faint, yet noticeable. Perhaps, despite the short time they were there, their efforts might have helped to alleviate the grueling pressure Gotham City forced onto its citizens? It was a comforting thought, one that kept them going as they drove through one of the many bridges that connected Gotham City, New Jersey, to Metropolis, New York.

Almost immediately, they were able to notice a stark difference between Gotham and Metropolis. It was almost night and day. Whereas Gotham was dirty, cramped, and dark, Metropolis was clean, open, and vibrant. People were smiling and waving towards each other, not keeping them at arm's length and openly afraid of potential harm.

"Wow…" Jaune murmured with open awe as they drove past the glistening glass skyscrapers of the Metropolis skyline. They all looked crisp and modern, decidingly different from the unique Gothic look of Gotham City. A few stood out in particular, dominating the entire skyline. Sitting atop a large skyscraper was a bronze globe, the worlds 'Daily Planet' circling around its equator on a bronze banner.

"I'm going to take a wild guess and say that's where Lois Lane works," Yang joked, causing the other to chuckle.

"You don't say?" Blake rhetorically asked, keeping an eye on the building as they drove past. They soon entered sight of another famous Metropolis landmark, one that caused them to frown. It was a twin-towered building shaped to look like two Ls, with a green hexagon logo containing an L emblazoned in the center.

"So, that's LexCorp Tower," Weiss mused. She had to admit, as much as she despised the man who ran LexCorp, the tower itself looked very impressive. Alfred nodded but didn't say anything else, as there wasn't any need to.

They continued their drive towards their new home, passing by Centennial Park where they saw a large golden statue of a smiling Superman holding up a bald eagle on his raised arm. Crowds of people were surrounding it, taking pictures or simply admiring it from afar. A sense of hope bubbled up from within all of RWBY and JNPR, as it did any time they interacted with Superman. Judging by their time in Gotham, it was likely that sooner or later they would work with Superman in his home turf much more directly.

Finally, after nearly an hour of driving, Alfred stopped before a tall skyscraper overlooking Centennial Park. Standing against the outer wall, wearing their civilian attire, were the Titans who were already making their way towards them once the limo stopped.

"Here we are," Alfred declared, stepping out of the driver's seat and opening the door for RWBY and JNPR. The Remnantians stepped out and greeted their friends from Jump City as Alfred closed the door behind them and opened the trunk to grab their belongings.

"Oh, Alfred, you don't need to do that," Dick Grayson insisted, moving forward to help the butler, but Alfred Pennyworth shook his head.

"No, Master Richard. This is my responsibility, and I will not have you take it away from me," he said, giving Dick a stern look. Dick sighed, apparently used to how stubborn Alfred could be, then stepped back while raising his hands in defeat.

"Fine, have it your way," Dick relented, stepping back. He glanced towards RWBY and JNPR, the looks on their faces telling him they, too, had the exact same conversation. He sighed and shook his head, then followed the elderly butler into the building and towards one of the many elevators. Alfred pressed a button to summon the car, handing each of RWBY and JNPR a specially tailored keycard that both matched their preferred color pallet while at the same time sporting their individual logos.

"Ooh, these are nice. Thank you, Alfred," Nora thanked the butler, who politely smiled and nodded towards the young girl just as the elevator doors opened. A small group of people stepped out, so the Titans, RWBY, JNPR, and Alfred patiently waited for them all to step off before they hopped on. Alfred then pressed the top button on the car, scanning his own keycard when the prompt came on.

"This entire building is owned by Master Bruce," Alfred explained as they rode the car upward. "Publicly, he bought it on a whim after the previous owner insulted him."

"What was the actual reason?" Yang asked, cocking an eyebrow while she silently smirked at how petty that sounded. Garfield and Victor, on the other hand, were openly chuckling.

"He needed a secondary base-of-operations just in case Wayne Manor got destroyed again," Alfred clarified. "Luckily, he's never had to use it for any extensive period of time, and while it hasn't been redesigned to defend against 'non-civilian' activity yet, it will be quite suitable for all your needs,"

Then the car stopped, and the doors opened with a ping to reveal the large, spacious apartment on the other side. The young heroes were in open awe as they entered the room, gazing along the wall-mounted waterfalls, glass railings, hardwood flooring and matching carpet, polished stone countertops, and more. Unlike Wayne Manor, the apartment was much more colorful, with reds and blacks a predominant theme among the carpet and drapes.

"Holy…" Jaune muttered, turning his gaze upward as he counted three floors, including the one he was currently on, that overlooked a central living area containing a large couch, chairs, and a flatscreen tv embedded into the wall.

"Is that a pool?" Blake pointed out, looking out past the glass wall to the exterior patio. True to her word, there was a large and deep infinity pool, with attached hot tub, overlooking Metropolis, and already they were thinking about when they were going to jump in.

"Dude, your house is better than ours. Can I move in?" Garfield asked, looking around in open wonder.

"Garfield," Raven chastised, scanning a nearby bookshelf with Blake. Garfield moaned and dropped his head, and a smiling Yang patted him on the shoulder.

"Children, may I give you a tour of your new home?" Alfred offered. RWBY and JNPR eagerly nodded, and together they and the Titans followed the butler around the house.

"As you all have surely noticed, this entire apartment is quite substantial in size. Four stories, to be specific," Alfred explained. "The bottom floor is a workshop. This particular floor is the common area. Here you will find the outside pool, the kitchen and dining rooms, a personal gym, and the living room where you will be able to enjoy yourselves."

"How extensive is the gym?" Yang asked, feeling that it wasn't properly equipped for superpowered inhabitants.

"Quite well stocked, however I will admit it wasn't designed with metahumans in mind," Alfred replied.

"Give me a week, and I'll have it handled," Victor declared, scanning the entire apartment for vulnerabilities. He already identified quite a few areas for improvement, and was mentally drawing the schematics and writing the personalized code for his friends' security.

"I'm sure you will," Alfred said, meaning every word. "Please, this way upstairs."

They followed Alfred up a flight of metal stairs onto the second floor, where they were greeted by eight doors lining the walls of a central hallway.

"Here are the guest rooms. Or, I suppose in your case, your rooms," Alfred explained, opening the doors to allow RWBY and JNPR to peer inside. Much like their Wayne Manor rooms, they were luxuriously adorned, each with a single large and comfortable bed and their own connecting bathroom. Other than the fact that each of them would have their own room, there wasn't anything of particular note to look at on the second floor, and soon they walked up another flight of metal stairs onto the top floor. There they found two rooms across from each other.

"Here is the master bedroom," Alfred announced as he opened a door to reveal perhaps the single largest bedroom they had ever seen. It was so large, if they so desired, they could easily fit eight twin-sized beds inside and still have enough room to hang around. Windows lined the side walls, allowing the occupants to look outside where they saw both LexCorp Tower and the Daily Planet building. After closely inspecting the room and all it had to offer, including a bed large enough to house all of RWBY and JNPR together, they followed Alfred into the adjacent room.

"This is the media room," Alfred explained, revealing a dark, windowless room with an overhead projector. The entire room felt like walking into a movie theater, and already the teenagers were thinking of the various activities they could have there.

"Oh, we're totally having a movie night in here," Ruby insisted, stars in her eyes as Nora played with the dimming lights along the sides of the room. Alfred then directed them to follow him back down the stairs, where they went below the main floor and emerged into a concrete workshop with industrial lights along the walls and ceiling. Racks lined the back wall and part of the sides, meant to house various tools and equipment, and already they knew what this room was meant to be used for.

"Finally, we have the workshop. You will be pleased to note that these walls are completely soundproof, bulletproof, and heat resistant," Alfred explained. "Your weapons and equipment can be tested in here without needing to worry about alerting your neighbors."

"That's great to hear," Weiss admitted, relief in her voice. One of the biggest worries she had moving into this new apartment was the potential of disturbing others during their personal superhero endeavors, but the fact that wasn't an issue lifted a burden off her shoulders.

"Do I even want to know how much this apartment costs each month?" Ren rhetorically asked, feeling like he already knew the answer.

"No, no you do not," Dick answered for Alfred, likely knowing the exact dollar value. Ren accepted it with a curt nod, once again grateful that Bruce would be handling their expenses while they lived here. It might not make up for betraying their trust, but it was a nice gesture regardless.

Of course, they were still going to search for any bugs he might have planted around the apartment. They all figured he was paranoid enough to put them in beforehand.

"I'll go ahead and unpack your things. In the meantime, might I suggest relaxing upstairs? The past couple of days have been long for all of you," Alfred suggested. Everyone nodded approvingly, and they walked upstairs. As before, the heroes attempted to intervene and assist the butler, but once again Alfred refused their assistance. If this was to be the last time he served them, he said, then he would do so proudly. Weiss was once again reminded of Klein and wondered how he was doing, but forced herself not to think about that as she and her friends sat around the various couches and chairs in the living room.

"Dude, this place is awesome," Garfield declared.

"I must admit, it is nice," Donna added, poking at the sofa she was currently sitting on. "It's giving me some ideas for Titans Tower."

"Within reason," Dick cut in, knowing that he would likely have to pay for any luxury items his friends wanted. The heroes all laughed at his apparent miserly demeanor, and Dick flashed a smile before Alfred finished unpacking all of RWBY's and JNPR's things. The Titans went silent as the somber atmosphere from before returned with a vengeance, and both teams of Huntsmen and Huntresses stepped before Alfred Pennyworth with frowns on their faces.

"It has been a pleasure," Alfred announced, giving the young heroes a polite bow of his balding head.

Ruby felt herself tear up, then gently wrapped Alfred in a hug. For a moment he was surprised, then he softly smiled and returned the affectionate gesture. The others weren't so openly affectionate, merely giving him a quick hug or shake of his hand in goodbye before he turned around and entered the elevator they entered from. With one final smile, the doors closed on Alfred Pennyworth, cutting him off from view.

Everyone was silent, letting the somber atmosphere clear before any of them felt comfortable enough to speak. Finally, Kori cleared her throat and stood up.

"I believe that, on Earth, there is a custom that we must partake in," she announced, crossing her hands in front of her waist.

"What would that be, Kori?" Jaune asked. The Tamaranean looked at him for a moment, then smiled.

"We must now partake in the party of the pool!" she announced, thrusting her arm towards the pool in question. Garfield cheered and prepared to jump in, but M'gann stopped her brother with a quick cough.

"Not until we help them settle in," M'gann reminded her friends and teammates.

"Oh, yes! First, we settle. Then we party in the pool."

"That's better."

November 18th, 2:00 P.M. (Eastern Standard Time)

New York City, New York, United States of America

United Nations Headquarters

Wonder Woman watched in patient silence as the assembled nations' representatives bombarded her with question after question. She had been doing so for the past several hours, not to mention the past decade, and by now she had grown used to it.

"The Grimm are running amok in my country!" the delegate of Afghanistan shouted angrily towards the front podium, where Wonder Woman and the UN Security Council were seated. "Kabul has already had to evacuate over a dozen villages, and our military is stretched thin! What is being done to deal with them?"

"Representative, I assure you that the Justice League is doing everything in our power to contain the Grimm threat," Wonder Woman gently insisted, raising her hand towards Afghanistan's seat placatingly. "As we speak, my teammates are trying to find and eliminate their primary source."

"Has any progress been made?" Ukraine's delegate asked. "And what of the incursions in Crimea? Afghanistan and the Middle East are not the only countries dealing with the Grimm, might I remind you."

Wonder Woman knew all too well what Ukraine's representative was referring to. Every continent, except for Antarctica, had been dealing with at least some form of Grimm threat in the past few weeks. The problem was getting worse and worse by the day, and the nations' concerns were well warranted. Before she could say anything, however, Russia's representative spoke up.

"The Red Rocket Brigade is currently being reassigned to protect Crimea," Russia revealed, folding his hand together and resting his elbows on the table. "Rest assured that they will handle the matter and protect the populace."

Rather than be soothed by this declaration, Ukraine merely scowled and hissed, "If what we know is true, the Grimm wouldn't even be threatening my country had Russia not tried to annex it years ago."

Russia's representative frowned, saying, "Russia had nothing do with the Grimm. They are threatening us just as much as you."

"The Grimm, from everything we have seen, only show up in regions of the world currently in conflict," Ukraine shot back. "Which is exactly what your country did to mine when yours invaded!"

Several nations began to shout at each other, some in agreement while others in protest. The entire chamber threatened to descend into yet another round of pointless arguing and blaming, but before it could get to that point, Wonder Woman slammed her fist into her podium and caught everyone's attention.

"That's enough! We are here to find ways to fight the Grimm, not each other!" Wonder Woman forcibly interjected. Silence reigned as the Amazon princess seized the assembly's attention. After a moment of silence, they grumbled and sat back down, allowing her to take control once again. Nodding to them, Wonder Woman continued speaking.

"Yes, the Grimm are thus far attracted to regions of the world currently experiencing conflict. That makes it all the more imperative that we find ways to cooperate, not bicker like children," she declared. "The Grimm do not care about nationality, ethnicity, religion, age, or gender. All they care about is destroying us and everything we've built. Our only chance of stopping them before they grow out of hand is to unite our forces and take them as one. The world has done it before against Darkseid, the Imperium, and the Thanagarians. We can do it again."

The General Assembly nodded, and once again allowed calm to take over. Wonder Woman smiled, pleased that the assembly was getting back on track, and when a large hairy hand shot into the air, she pointed at it to allow the representative to speak.

"The Grimm are not only attacking humans," the delegate of Gorilla City, a bulky silver-back, pointed out. "They have been attacking my people as well. Which begs the question: do we know what their parameters are? Why do they attack the gorillas of Gorilla City but not, from what we can see, wild populations of gorillas?"

"We believe it is due to sapience," Wonder Woman answered. "The Grimm, for whatever reason, specifically target creatures that are comparable to humans in intelligence. Such as Remnantians, Tamaraneans, Thanagarians, Martians, and the gorillas of Gorilla City. Otherwise, they only attack other animals during territorial disputes. Luckily, the Grimm threat hasn't progressed to that point, and most of this information was gathered from the Remnantians under our care."

"I see," Gorilla City said, bringing his hand to chin and nodding. "Thank you, Wonder Woman. Rest assured that, despite us not being human, Gorilla City will stand with our brothers and sisters in destroying these abominations."

"You may count Atlantis among them as well," Atlantis' permanent delegate to the UN Security Council proclaimed. "Our naval forces have been safeguarding shipping routes from Grimm attacks, and we are fully prepared to engage them on sight."

"Thank you," Wonder Woman replied with a sincere smile. "Likewise, you may count on Themyscira's assistance. For too long my people have remained isolated from the world, and now that we are part of it, we fully intend to do our part in its protection. Are there any further questions?"

Dozens of hands shot into the air, one by one Wonder Woman began pointing to them and answering them as best as she could. As she did, watching through a secure feed, Amanda Waller sat at her desk, deep in thought.

"The Justice League could not have chosen a better representative to the United Nations," she begrudgingly admitted. If she had it her way, the Justice League would outright be under government jurisdiction, specifically the United States', but she had to work with what she could get. Besides, operating out in the open was never her preference, which the Justice League was all about doing. She then turned her attention to the other men in her office, staring them down and silently demanding a status report which they promptly gave.

"American forces are currently being mobilized to deal with Grimm threats," General Wade Eiling revealed, "but so far we haven't had much direct experience. Only isolated incidents with little to no survivors. I do not know how our troops would fare against a full-frontal assault."

"We need to know that, General," Waller insisted. "Thanks to Task Force X, we know which of our weapons actually work against the Grimm, but that information is useless without large-scale implementation. Do whatever you need to do to get that done."

"I've already deployed three brigades to hot zones in Syria and Afghanistan on 'peacekeeping duties,'" Eiling replied with a small nod. "We'll find out soon enough."

"You're putting American soldiers at risk?" Rick Flagg asked, clearly uncomfortable with the entire scenario. "Just for a test?"

"It's what they signed up for," General Eiling shot back with a deep frown. "They want to protect and serve their country, and that's what I'm allowing them to do. Besides, the more we know how to best combat the Grimm, the better our chances will be at defeating them. Plus, we'll be denying the metahumans another threat they can take control over. What's a few soldiers to that?"

Rick Flagg frowned and clenched his fist, but before he could speak up, Waller coughed. Taking the signal for what it was, Flagg bit his tongue and remained silent, the scowl on his face not going away while Eiling remained as smug as ever. A quick look from Waller, however, wiped the smug grin from Eiling's face as he was once again reminded of who was in charge. Both men looked at Waller, who after a moment nodded and folded her hands in front of her face.

"I want those brigades outfitted with different weapons," Waller demanded. "We just received a shipment from LexCorp on anti-Grimm weaponry, but I'm not willing to hand them out to all of our soldiers solely on the words of a businessman. I want one brigade outfitted normally, another a mixture, and the last solely outfitted with LexCorp's newest weapons."

"I'll get on that immediately," Eiling replied. "Is there anything else?"

"Not right now, General. You may go."

General Wade Eiling nodded, then stood up and walked out of Waller's office. Colonel Rick Flagg stayed seated, however, both knowing that Waller still wanted to talk to him as well as having a few things to say on his own.

"Colonel, what have you found?" Waller asked, and Flagg nodded before leaning forward.

"Luthor's dirty, we both know that," Flagg stated. "The fact that he has anti-Grimm weapons so quickly is only further evidence of it."

"Is that enough to convict him?" Waller asked, raising an eyebrow. After a moment, Flagg sighed and shook his head.

"No; clever bastard covered his tracks well," Flagg admitted, then glanced at the closed door that Eiling walked out of. Lowering his voice, he whispered, "General Eiling's pretty chummy with him, though. He's been communicating with one of his intermediaries again."

"I'm aware," Waller revealed. Flagg wasn't surprised she already knew, Waller always appeared to know everything, so he continued without skipping a beat.

"That means keeping him around is a liability. The last thing we need is someone trying to play both sides, especially when American lives are at risk."

"Eiling may be a liability, but he's not as clever as he thinks he is. Should he move too far, we'll cut him loose."

"And he'll take the fall," Flagg finished. Waller nodded, and Flagg nodded back before saying, "I still don't like putting American lives at unnecessary risk. It feels wrong."

"You oversee supervillains sent on suicide missions frequently," Waller pointed out. "Missions that are vital to national security. This is no different, just on a larger scale."

"The difference is that Task Force X is made up of some of the worst people on the planet. If any of them die, I won't lose any sleep over it," Flagg countered. "These are loyal American soldiers you're throwing into the meat grinder. Forgive me if I don't feel comfortable about that."

Waller remained silent, her face impassive, then said, "Keep in mind, Colonel, that unless we know how to fight the Grimm, even more Americans will die. I think three battalions are worth the sacrifice."

Flagg stayed silent, then slowly nodded in reluctant agreement. Waller nodded back, then ushered him away. He quickly left, leaving Waller alone to once again focus on the still ongoing emergency special session of the United Nations. She watched as Wonder Woman fielded question after question, quelling any arguments that sprung up like a gardener uprooting weeds. It was obvious to everyone who was in charge right now, but if Waller had her way, that wouldn't be the case forever.

November 19th, 11:25 A.M. (Eastern Standard Time)

Metropolis, New York, United States of America

Blake Belladonna sat uncomfortably in the chair, holding a small stack of papers on her lap as she gazed around the room. There were dozens of people sitting in offices, typing away at computers or talking on landline phones as they jotted down notes on pieces of paper. Her feline ears, obscured by the bow atop her head, twitched slightly from nervousness, and she hoped that she'd be able to make a good first impression.

"Blake Belladonna," a dark-skinned brunette called out to her as an office door was opened. Almost a bit too quickly, Blake stood up, but she was able to catch herself in time.

"Yes, I'm here," she announced, flattening the creases on her pants. She looked at the woman, who wore a nametag around her neck on a lanyard with the name "Cat Grant" underneath a picture of herself, and tried to give a welcoming smile. Cat merely chuckled at the gesture and beckoned her forward.

"Perry will see you now," Cat revealed. Blake nodded, then almost too quickly walked into Perry White's office. Sitting behind a large wooden desk was the man himself, a middle-aged man with dark skin and greying hair, slightly overweight and with his face partially covered in a trimmed beard and moustache. At the moment, he was busy tidying up his desk, seemingly not noticing her presence. Blake faintly heard Cat whisper "Good luck" as she closed the door, but soon it was only herself and Perry. For a moment, Blake said nothing, waiting for Perry to make the first move. After a few moments watching him continue to tidy up his desk, she was about to speak only for Perry to suddenly start speaking without even looking at her.

"Take a seat," Perry said, catching Blake slightly off-guard. Nodding, she walked over and sat in one of the large leather chairs opposite Perry. Once she sat down, Perry finished tidying up his desk and turned to face her, holding up a copy of her provided resume.

"Blake Belladonna, right?" he asked. Blake nodded, then he continued. "Currently a student at Gotham University, undeclared major. No prior work history, yet references include Lucius Fox and Bruce Wayne."

"Mr. Fox and Mr. Wayne are friends," Blake answered the unasked question. Perry regarded her for a moment, then nodded.

"Right," he said, slightly disbelieving the Faunus, then he put the resume aside and leaned towards Blake. "Listen, kid. The Daily Planet is one of the most prestigious newspapers in the world. We don't hire just about anyone, so before I even think about hiring you, a person who on paper appears to have no qualifications for this job, I need to ask this: why do you want to join the Planet's staff?"

Blake nodded, having expected this question. He was correct, on paper she wasn't qualified. She supposed that, had she delved into more detail on her past, she would have more qualifications, but that posed its own issues that she'd rather not have. She swallowed, then began to speak.

"I've only recently immigrated to the United States," she admitted. "The country I came from was very much like the United States, a supposedly egalitarian, democratic society with universal rights afforded to its citizens. But, unfortunately, my home wasn't as egalitarian as they proclaimed to be. There was a minority subjected to systemic racism and, in many cases, outright racism and prejudice. A minority I am a part of. My father attempted to right this wrongdoing, forming a peaceful civil rights organization that aimed to form a peaceful dialogue that would finally end this discrimination. Progress was being made, but for many, including myself, it wasn't fast enough."

Blake frowned and looked at her feet, adding, "Eventually, my father lost support and was forced to resign. Rather than stay with him and my mother, I went willingly with the people that advocated for the use of force to get what we wanted. I thought this was the way to finally bring about equality, and at first the change in approach worked. We ransacked businesses that refused to serve us, attacked corrupt officials that oppressed us, and raided the corporations that exploited our people."

Blake's frown deepened, and she looked at Perry while saying, "Our rights improved, but it wasn't because of respect. They didn't view us as equals. They feared us, and only in the end did I recognize that. While many of my friends felt this fear was justified and even applaudable, I knew it was wrong. I also noticed that the organization my father founded was slowly becoming more and more radical, prone to lashing out in unjustified violence that put innocent people at risk. We were no longer civil rights activists, or even freedom fighters. We had become little more than terrorists. Eventually, I could no longer stomach it, so I left. I left everything behind and tried to do my best to make up for the wrongs I committed and prove to others that my people should be respected, not feared."

Perry was silent as Blake paused to look at her lap, where she clenched her jeans. "I recently had to move to Metropolis. But, even though I now live in an entirely different country, I still see the same problems that I once had to deal with. I can't just sit back and do nothing, and with the Daily Planet I know I can make a difference. I have read dozens of your paper's articles and columns on civil rights issues across the world. Articles on racial profiling that led to company heads and even chiefs of police resigning in a sea of public outrage, exposés on human rights abuses that led to laws being passed to safeguard them."

Blake looked up at Perry and pointed at him. "Your paper is one of the reasons why superheroes are so accepted. The Daily Planet has worldwide reach that few other news outlets can match, and I want to be part of it. I know that by joining the Daily Planet, I can do the most amount of good that I can do. That's why I want to join, Mr. White."

A heavy silence fell over the office as Perry stared at Blake. The Faunus was boring her eyes into Perry's, showing no signs of wavering. He could tell that she wasn't telling him everything, but at the same time she was telling the truth. There was anger, regret, and sorrow in those eyes to such an extent that it was impossible to fake. In a way, he was reminded of Lois. It must have been the black hair. That seemed to be a defining trait.

Which gave him an idea. Perry nodded to himself, then dialed a number on his desk's phone. He didn't even need to say anything, as the person in question got up from her desk and walked over to his office. She opened the door, and to Blake's surprise it turned out to be Lois Lane herself. The reporter briefly locked eyes with Blake, immediately recognizing her, but stayed professional and remained focused on Perry.

"You wanted to see me, Perry?" she asked, and Perry White nodded.

"I did. Meet Blake Belladonna," Perry announced, prompting Blake to give a small wave and awkward smile. "She's your new understudy. Where you go, she follows. Understand?"

Lois understood immediately and nodded, a slight smile on her face, and said, "Of course, Perry."

"Good. Now get out of here," Perry ordered. "I want that exposé on my desk tomorrow. As for her, do whatever you need to do to get her acclimated. Have Kent help you with that. He's a people person."

Lois laughed and shook her head. "That he is. I'll get you that article, Perry. Come on, Blake."

"Oh, of course," Blake replied, nodding towards Perry White with a smile on her face. "Thank you, Mr. White. You won't regret this."

"I won't, because then you'll be fired," Perry nonchalantly retorted, going back to his computer and waving them off. Blake gave Lois a questioning look, who gave a careless shrug as though saying this was typical. Together, the two of them walked out of Perry's office and into a nearby break room. There they leaned against a counter, looking at each other as a few other employees of the Daily Planet filtered in and out of the room.

"I have to admit, I thought the next time I'd see you would be from another interview," Lois admitted though an amused chuckle. "But part of me felt I might find you here, too. Welcome to the Planet, Blake."

Blake smiled, and nodded.

November 20th, 4:00 P.M. (Eastern Standard Time)

Metropolis, New York, United States of America

"And here…we…go," Victor Stone declared as he pressed a holographic button projected on his arm. The lights around the apartment flickered, followed a few seconds later by a resounding chime. Victor smiled proudly as he dissipated the hologram and threw his arms wide while declaring, "There we have it! One state of the art home security system now online!"

"Thanks, Cy!" Yang called out from the kitchen where she and the others waited for Ruby, Weiss, and Jaune to return from their jobs. It wouldn't be too long now, and once they did they could finally get something to eat.

"You guys sure you have to head out tonight?" Nora asked, sitting at the kitchen table alongside Ren.

"Sorry, Nora. It's been a blast being with you guys again, but we gotta get back to Jump City," Garfield somberly stated.

"We understand," Ren said with a nod. "You guys are all welcome here anytime."

"You guys as well," Dick replied, nursing a glass of water in his hand, then asked, "So, Blake? Any interesting developments at the Daily Planet?"

Blake remained silent for a moment, thinking over her answer, then nodded. "You could say that."

"So, Lois? Who's this?" Clark Kent asked as Lois walked up to his desk, Blake right behind her.

"This is Blake Belladonna. She's our newest understudy," Lois announced. "Blake, this is Clark Kent."

"Pleasure to meet you, Clark," Blake greeted, offering her hand which Clark gladly took. She couldn't help but note that his grip was fairly strong, even for an Earth human.

"Likewise. Welcome to the Planet, Blake," Clark replied, smiling warmly. Blake smiled back, then tilted her head.

"I'm sorry, but have we met before? You look familiar."

"Hmm, I don't think so," Clark answered, pursing his lips in thought and tapping his chin. "I've written plenty of articles over the years, though. A lot of them have my picture next to them. Maybe you saw that?"

"Maybe, it's just… I swear, remove the glasses and you look just like someone else I know," Blake admitted, then shrugged. "Probably just seeing things. Sorry for saying anything."

"Don't worry about it," Clark insisted while waving her off. "You'd be surprised at how many times that happens."

Clark smiled warmly at Blake, who was about to say something else when Perry White's booming voice echoed from his office, "Kent! Where's that sports column on the Metropolis-Gotham game?!"

"Finishing it up now, Perry!" Clark replied, turning back to his computer and typing fairly fast. Blake perked an eyebrow, slightly impressed, then Clark emailed the document to Perry White. Perry didn't say anything to acknowledge its arrival, and Clark chuckled while turning back to Blake and awkwardly rubbing the back of his head.

"Sorry about that. Perry's a bit of a hardcase, and works you to the bone, but he's a good man," Clark insisted, then stood up and prepared to walk away. "Well, I'm off to lunch. Lois, you want anything?"

"I'm good, Smallville. Gonna hang around Blake for a bit. Show her the ropes, you know? We're still on for 7:30 dinner, though. Try not to be late again," Lois requested, and Clark smiled awkwardly.

"I won't, don't worry. Well, see you in—" Clark started, turning around while looking behind his shoulder, only to accidentally walk straight into a young man with freckles dotted across his face and short red hair. The cups of water the man was carrying was knocked straight onto his chest, causing the liquid to splash all over his green-colored clothes.

"Ah! Are you kidding me?!" the man shouted as he was drenched, and Clark adopted a look of horror as he quickly grabbed the nearest napkin he could reach.

"Jimmy, I am so sorry!" Clark proclaimed as he tried to dry Jimmy Olsen off.

"How can you be such a good reporter and so clumsy at the same time?!"

As Clark Kent hastily tried to dry his friend and coworker off, Blake raised her eyebrow and looked at Lois, silently asking a question that Lois already had the answer to.

"Clark can be a bit of a klutz at times. Part of his small town charm, I guess," Lois revealed, beckoning Blake to walk after her. Blake did so, giving Clark a questioning look as she just could not shake the feeling that she knew him.

"Why'd you call him 'Smallville?'" Blake asked once they reached Lois' desk.

"It's where he grew up," Lois answered. "On a farm, believe it or not. Heh, you should have seen what he looked like when he first got here. Imagine every story of a kid from a small town trying to make it big in the big city, and all the fumbling that includes, and dial it up to ten. I call him Smallville to tease him about it."

Blake nodded at the answer, seeing how one could make that connection, then froze as she sat down. She thought back to the first time she ever went down to Earth's surface, how Superman took them to a seemingly random farm that he grew up in to experience the world in flight. It was one of the most exhilarating experiences in her life, one that she vividly remembered. As she slowly creaked her head around to look at Clark, she also remembered the strength of his grip, the speed at which he typed, and the unshakable feeling that she knew him personally from before, not just because of a few of his articles. She then imagined what he would look like if Clark wasn't slightly hunched over and took off his glasses, and her eyes widened in realization.

"Oh," she murmured to herself.

For the rest of her day at the Daily Planet, while she assisted Lois with whatever tasks she needed, she kept stealing glances towards Clark after he returned from lunch. Lois and a few of the others noticed after a while, and eventually Cat Grant pulled Lois aside for some privacy. Blake, thanks to her obscured feline ears, heard them as though they were right next to her.

"Don't look now, but I think your understudy has a crush on your boyfriend. She's been looking at him all day," Cat declared. Blake's ears twitched slightly, but she kept her attention focused on the seemingly oblivious Clark Kent. From the corner of her eye, she saw Lois glance at her, then shake her head.

"Cat, I don't think that's a crush."

"Clark Kent is Superman?" Nora asked in surprise as Blake finished her tale. When Blake nodded, Nora snapped her fingers. "I knew that guy looked familiar!"

"How the hell has he managed to stay secret all this time? He doesn't wear a mask!" Victor asked loudly. "I have to use holograms to walk around in public, and this guy just puts on a pair of glasses?!"

"Well, it worked on us," Raven pointed out, not caring about the revelation all that much.

"That's what makes it even worse!" Victor retorted, then saw Dick roll his eyes. "Oh, don't give me that look. You already knew, didn't you?!"

"Yes, I did," Dick answered with a shrug, leaning against a wall.

"Then why didn't you tell us, man?" Garfield asked, not hurt but genuinely curious. Dick just stared at him, and after a moment, Garfield nodded. "Right, right. Superhero etiquette. Don't reveal another superhero's secret identity without their permission. All that jazz."

Dick nodded silently, answering Garfield's question, while Blake rubbed her hands through her hair.

"What do I do? Do I talk to Clark, do I not? He's dating Lois, should I say something to her?" Blake asked, then planted her face against the table. "When I joined the Daily Planet, I didn't think I'd get this."

"There, there, Blake. There, there," Yang soothed her partner, rubbing Blake's back to relieve the stress. "I'm sure at least some of our jobs won't end up being connected to our superhero lives."

"Huh, Clark's written articles about himself," M'gann noted, reading from a data pad. "Pretty critical ones, too, highlighting his every mistake. Probably still isn't ethical, though."

"I guarantee he was forced to write those," Donna pointed out. "Probably why he's his biggest critic."

"True."

It was then that the elevator doors opened, allowing Ruby and Weiss to enter the apartment. They were holding bags of groceries, not intended for use that night but over the next few days, while Weiss at the same time talked on her scroll that was being pinned to her shoulder by her cheek.

"I don't care if their offer is cheaper, they're currently under review. Until that is finalized, Mr. Fox has made it abundantly clear that we will not deal with them." She paused, placing her bags on the table. "Yes, you can tell them I told you that. Good day, sir."

She hung up and groaned. "Gods, some of these people. Always trying to find ways to save a buck, damn the consequences."

"Rough day?" Koriand'r asked, and Weiss shrugged.

"Not really, just a couple of dunces who don't know any better. Other than that, my day was fantastic," Weiss revealed, sitting down on the sofa. "Mr. Fox made me his direct liaison with the Dust Research Group. With any luck, we might eventually be able to find a way to turn them back on."

"That would be nice," Yang admitted. "Have to admit, I've missed my Dust shells."

"And my grenades. The ones here just don't have the same oomph," Nora added.

"Same here. I liked being able to fly around thanks to my gun's recoil, but it's going to be really, really hard to get that back," Ruby said. "Like, all of my time has been spent designing a centrifuge chamber that we think might work. Do you know what it's like to have to crawl inside of a metal tube to carefully attach wires and power conduits, keep the plasma cores from breaching, and keep it fed with enough power for ten city blocks?"

Everyone was silent as Ruby paused, then she added, "A lot of fun, actually, but it's still very difficult. It's so nice just to talk engineering with people, you know? And my coworkers love me!"

Yang laughed, saying, "I'm not surprised. From the way you've been describing things, it's like you're their mascot. Guess I'll be seeing that in person soon enough, though."

"You got the job?!"

"Yep! You're looking at the newest WayneTech engineer. I may not like Bruce that much right now, but I'll gladly take his money."

"Yay! We're working together!"

Weiss rolled her eyes at Ruby's jubilant display of sisterly affection as she and Yang hugged, then looked at the clock hanging on the wall. She asked, "When's Jaune getting back?"

"He said he's on his way up," Pyrrha revealed, drinking from a bottle of water as her body recovered from yet another day's work as a fitness trainer. She got the job earlier in the week, and had been working with her clients exactly as she did with Jaune: with patience, gentle encouragement, and working with them for their own individual needs.

Nora also became a fitness trainer, but unlike her, Nora was much more gung-ho about it.

"Come on! Lift those tires! You want thunder thighs, don't you?!" Nora exclaimed to her client as a large, muscular man strained himself to force a tire bigger than him off the ground and onto its other side.

"Yes!" he shouted back at the top of his lungs as he finally finished flipping the tire. Nora promptly made him do it again, all the while Pyrrha, working in the same gymnasium, encouraged a much skinnier boy to lift a barbell.

"Come on, just a few more reps. You can do it!" she encouraged. The boy strained himself, his face turning red as he forced the weight high above him, then gently brought it back down to continue his set. Pyrrha smiled warmly, offering words of encouragement all the way even as Nora's voice drowned out nearly everyone else's.

Ren, meanwhile, calmly continued teaching his yoga class, ignoring all outside distractions despite the shouting his girlfriend was making.

"Now we rise to the sun."

"You know what's funny?" Nora asked. "Our teams basically got the exact same thing. Three of us work at the same place, but one doesn't. Isn't that weird?"

"Not really," Weiss replied. "It just happened to work out like that."

"I know, but still. Fun to think about."

It was then that their elevator descended, and the teams knew that Jaune finally returned from his job. They sighed in relief, happy that they'd finally be able to go out and get dinner. Part of it would be a somber affair, given that the Titans would be leaving right afterwards, but it would be a fun time regardless.

"Yo, Jaune! How was your-?" Garfield asked as the doors opened, only to stop as he and the others saw Jaune walk in with three steaming hot tubs of food stacked on top of each other. His face was passive as he calmly walked over to the table and sat it down, trying not to look his friends in the eyes. Yang peeked over to look at the contents, then shot Jaune a look.

"Jaune?" she asked.

"Yes, Yang?" Jaune replied, still avoiding eye contact.

"Why do you have three casseroles?"

Jaune didn't answer, instead hunching up his shoulders and blushing slightly as Nora opened up one of them. Ren was at her side in an instant, and immediately saw that the casseroles were not store bought.

"This is homemade. Did you make this?" Ren inquired, but Jaune shook his head.

"No, I did not," Jaune admitted.

"Didn't you just come back from your job at that daycare? Where did you get this?" Blake asked, taking in the scent of the food. They smelled nice, admittedly, but she was more focused on their confusing origin as well as Jaune's reaction to them. Dick then raised an eyebrow in suspicion and leaned forward.

"Jaune, who gave this to you?" he asked. Jaune didn't answer, instead his blush merely got brighter, and Dick slowly turned to face Pyrrha. "Pyrrha, what can you tell me about the daycare Jaune works at?"

"Pretty standard place. All the kids are Pre-K, mostly younger parents…" Pyrrha revealed, beginning to put together the pieces. "A lot of single parents, too."

"Is this a phone number?" Weiss suddenly asked as she pulled off a sticky note attached to the side of one of the tubs. Everyone looked at her, then Garfield gasped as he finally figured it out.

"Wait, wait, wait," he said, then shakily walked over to Jaune and asked, "Please, for the love of God, tell me this is what I think it is."

The others, outside of Pyrrha and Dick who had already figured it out, finally did so as well. Almost immediately, Victor and Yang shot over to grab Jaune by the shoulders, both of them trying desperately to hold themselves together as they silently shook Jaune for confirmation. Weiss adopted a look of bewildered shock while Ruby was holding her hands to her face. Pyrrha didn't seem to know what to think about the situation, her expression flickering between exasperation and amusement. Ren remained passive, but even he was smirking. Koriand'r was beaming, floating slightly off the ground, while Donna and M'gann were already laughing. Raven, meanwhile, rolled her eyes and continued reading.

Nora simply looked proud, giving Jaune a thumbs up and approving nod.

Finally, with everyone staring him down as he looked at his feet, Jaune nodded. "Some of the moms gave those to me. All independently, when it was time to pick up the kids at the end of the day. I tried to turn them down, but they were very…insistent. It…felt kinda nice, actually."

Everyone except for Raven, Blake, Weiss, Pyrrha and Nora exploded into laughter. Yang, Victor and Garfield immediately fell onto the ground, clutching their sides and rolling about, already trying to call out dirty jokes over each other, only to burst into fresh snickers before they could finish any. Ruby pointed and giggled at Jaune's embarrassment, eventually falling over onto her back with her legs rising straight up into the air. Donna and M'gann were openly laughing now, the former resting her head on the table and pounding her fist against it, while Koriand'r was now floating near the ceiling, curled up in boisterous laughter.

"This is never going away, is it?" Jaune asked as Pyrrha and Dick walked over, the latter patting his shoulder.

"No, I don't think it will," Pyrrha confirmed. Jaune could only sigh, just knowing that Yang alone was never going to let him live this down. Pyrrha fidgeted uncertainly while scratching her cheek, before speaking up again, "Jaune, I know I said I'd support you if you ever find yourself in a relationship, but I feel I must insist that you at least make sure they aren't currently married before going any further."

"Bwhat?!" Jaune sputtered at Pyrrha's seemingly earnest declaration, not seeing the corner of her mouth twitching as he flailed his arms in denial, "I- That's not- I mean I would never-!"

"Don't worry," Dick interrupted with a smile on his face. "Just take solace and pride in the fact that you're a source of…admiration for a very specific demographic now. I'm sure a lot of guys your age wish they could be in your place."

"Isn't that a comfort…"

[~][~]

Hello, everyone! Here is the latest chapter of Hunters of Justice. Special thanks to Jesse K and NaanContributor for all their help in bringing this story to life.

RWBY and JNPR have officially moved out of Wayne Manor and into their new luxury apartment. Not to mention finally got civilian jobs of their own. It was a lot of fun coming up with the jobs everyone would get, and I tried to remain as in character with all of them as possible. Plus, you still have developments with the Grimm getting worse, which is important as they are the primary threat of the arc.

Now, onto the Q&A:

Drake G. Reaper: Salem is not Grail, that I can confirm. She is her own unique person.

GunGunMissile: Don't worry, RWBY and JNPR will not be getting any powers native to DC to add onto their own. They have their Aura and Semblances, and there's no need to add more powers onto that. Besides, they also use guns, tools, and other weapons, so it makes sense that new additions come from added training to the powers they already have and upgraded equipment. Don't expect any of the main cast to start becoming Green Lanterns or get Amazon powers, for example.

gordhanx: Last chapter was a lot of fun for me to write as well. I know it was a lot of exposition, but I tried to keep it as entertaining as possible. Glad to see that it largely succeeded. As for Earth-3 and the Crime Syndicate, you will have to wait and see on that front. And yes, Batman's actions, while partly justifiable, do have consequences. Consequences we wanted to show the proper gravitas towards. Since the teams are moving into Metropolis, you can expect them to start coming into conflict with some of Superman's villains, but as previously stated, the prime focus is on the Grimm for this arc. And yes, the Green Lantern Corp. is about to take the fight to Brainiac. What happens then, you guys will have to wait and see.

KRUSA1: I grew up on the DCAU, so I'm a John Stewart kind of guy. Funnily enough, originally they were going to use Hal Jordan for the spot of Green Lantern in the Justice League cartoon, then they noticed that choice accidentally gave the wrong image so they swapped him out. Do I think Hal should have shown up in a more substantial way? Yes, but I'm happy with what we got regardless.

Haxorus knight: You will have to wait and see on that front.

Guest: Expect a lot of team ups this arc.

GoodBad13: Yeah, the Multiverse is prime material to give little references to that kind of stuff. Glad you picked up on it.

RandomName3064: Thank you, I'm glad you feel that way. One of the things we wanted to do was give agency to both sides of the crossover, and Flashpoint seemed like a perfect way to do it. Or at least imply, nothing is confirmed yet.

Knight of Fate: Oh yeah, this was by far the most meta chapter I have ever written. It was a blast. On a more serious note, yes. Or at the very least, Batman has a pretty good idea of what happened. As for the Joker, he'll come into play in due time. I just couldn't really fit him into the plot just yet.

bowswer3000000: Can't really say anything on that front right now.

Caste48: That is a crossover with Marvel, so no. Do not expect any references to that fanfic.

Which brings up a good point. As you all have certainly noticed last chapter, there was a bunch of references to other media due to the multiverse. The TMNT got the most focus, but there are others. This is because DC has had numerous official crossovers with other franchises over the years. Batman/Spawn, Batman vs TMNT, Batman vs Predator (there was a lot of Batman crossovers), Superman/Alien, and more. Heck, there were even a series of comics that crossed over DC superheroes with Hanna-Barbara properties, including Scooby-Doo. Plus, there's been an Injustice/Masters of the Universe crossover comic set after the Superman ending of Injustice 2. As such, when it comes to the Multiverse, if it had an official crossover with DC in some form of official media, whether it be movies, comics, video games, or tv shows, it is fair game for this story should I so desire.

With one exception: Marvel. Back in the 90s and early 2000s, and a couple times across the previous decades, there were official crossovers between Marvel and DC. This culminated in Avengers vs Justice Justice, which resulted in the short-lived Amalgam universe and the subsequent official separation of the two franchises. I will be respecting that barrier, as trying to bring Marvel into this opens up far too many cans of worms than I care to. At most, expect a mention of a corner of the omniverse that they know is there and has things in it similar to them, but they can't physically see it or go into it.

triscythe59: Salem is not on Earth yet, no.

TheOkWriter: I went with Earth-1 as it wouldn't make sense for someone to name their Earth as Earth-0. Plus, it implies that their Earth is Earth Prime, which the Justice League is fairly certain isn't the case.

captaindickscratcher: Yep, more Grimm are emerging. What that entails will be revealed in due time. As for Summer Rose, unless she turns out to be alive in the canon story, she will remain dead here.

Luffy L Deathwalker: Glad to hear it. As for Lex' creation, yeah it is a little disturbing.

Flames the Pyrokinetic: Yes it is. Yes it is.

Chaldea: Superboy, yes. As for Powergirl/Supergirl, that will be revealed in due time.

Saramus92: Thank you, I'm glad you felt that way. As for a potential Crisis on Infinite Earths arc, I cannot answer that at this time.

mastergamer14: You are more than welcome to write one and submit it via Spacebattles, but I am not taking submissions. If I write an Elseworlds, it's because I want to write one.

Dracus6: Romance is not a primary focus of this story, but it will play a part in some capacity. Who RWBY and JNPR end up dating, if at all, will be revealed in due time.

edinosaur25: Can't say at this time.

D. : Oh yes, Salem is most certainly a threat. But her biggest strength is not her magic or immortality. No, those are tools. Her biggest strength is her ability to manipulate people, a skill she has mastered.

Ultrasonic215: Yep, Superboy is coming. As for the Justice League/Power Rangers comic, I wanted to reference it, but the main antagonist of that arc was Brainiac, and since the Justice League in my story haven't encountered him yet, I unfortunately could not reference it without creating a plot hole.

TheSilverUmbreon: Yep, that was Spawn.

I Am The Prophet: Potentially, but it was also the best available option.

MadTitan9: The status of Scout Ship 0344 will be revealed in due time.

That's it for this chapter. I hope you all enjoy and let us know what you think. See you next time!