Chapter 44: The Demon Cop
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The series of catastrophic events set in motion by Groudon and Manaphy had finally reached their conclusion. However, for Dean, the ordeal was far from over—his true challenges were only just beginning.
Three days had passed since the devastating earthquake struck Gotham. The city, still reeling from the destruction, was beginning its slow and painful recovery. Citizens were allowed to return to their homes, but many found little solace in their shattered dwellings. After a brief visit, a significant portion of the population chose to return to the shelters, where at least food, medical supplies, and—most importantly—order were maintained.
Yet, the chaos that had initially erupted in the shelters now seemed trivial compared to the anarchy that followed. The scum of Gotham, those who had slithered into the shadows to avoid the disaster, had finally resurfaced. Like vultures circling a dying beast, they emerged from their hiding places, preying upon the ruins and looting whatever precious items remained. These scavengers, as they had come to be called, scoured the wreckage with merciless efficiency.
Due to the increasing influence of Gotham's supervillains in recent years, many criminal gangs had expanded their operations to include scavenging. However, their interests lay not in money or common valuables but in something far more dangerous—advanced technology, magical artifacts, and anything of power left behind in the aftermath of battles.
From a high vantage point, Damian observed the scavengers below with a look of disdain. His voice carried an air of disgust as he commented, "Look at these lowlifes. They're no better than hyenas, sniffing out the remains of a fresh kill."
Beside him, Dean stood with exhaustion evident in his face, dark circles under his eyes betraying his lack of sleep. His voice was laced with irritation as he shot back, "Keep your voice down. This building barely has three floors left standing—sound travels. I've been tracking these guys for three days straight. If I lose the trail because you can't keep quiet, I'll make sure Batman hears about it."
As one of the most brilliant minds within the Justice League, Batman was burdened with a mountain of responsibilities. While he would normally handle situations like this personally, the current crisis forced him to delegate. And though Robin was expected to step up in times like these, Batman still refused to trust Damian to work alone. That was why he had ordered Dean to accompany him.
Meanwhile, Nightwing and the rest of Gotham's heroes had already been "invited" out of the city by Batman himself. Gotham was his domain, and he had little patience for outside interference. Unlike other heroes who viewed crime through a black-and-white lens, Batman knew Gotham's brand of insanity required a different approach. Outsiders, with their rigid sense of justice, had a habit of making things worse.
Suddenly, Damian gestured towards the ground, signaling for Dean to look below.
A small group of individuals had gathered amidst the ruins. Dressed in hard hats and rescue gear, they appeared, at first glance, to be emergency workers. But as they dug feverishly with their tools, it became clear that they were searching for something far more sinister.
Dean narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the scene before muttering, "You were right. These guys really are scavengers."
What they were digging for, however, was neither weapons nor valuables—it was the corpses of the Trench tribe.
Damian raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. "Why the hell would they want the bodies? It's not like you can use them like weapons. And even if they planned to sell them, who would actually buy something like that?"
Dean let out a weary sigh, rubbing his temples as exhaustion weighed heavily on him. He had been on duty for seventy-two consecutive hours, and the strain of his relentless work was starting to take its toll. The side effects of using his Bankai were far worse than he had anticipated; even three days later, his body felt drained.
"You're not wrong," Dean admitted. "Moving corpses is way harder than smuggling weapons. And the market for this kind of thing isn't exactly huge. But the fact that they're putting in this much effort means someone is buying—and they're paying good money for it."
Without hesitation, Dean leaped from the third floor, landing with precision. His wooden sword, Hoshikudaki, pressed against the neck of one of the men carrying a corpse. He spoke with a calm yet unmistakably sharp tone.
"Citizen of Gotham," he addressed the man with mock politeness, "care to explain why you're hauling around a dead fish? And don't try telling me you're taking it to the seafood market—rotten seafood is a serious health code violation."
The scavengers froze, momentarily stunned by his sudden appearance. They may not have fully understood what he was saying, but they recognized his uniform—and that was enough.
"Shit, it's the cops! We've been spotted! Take him out and get the hell out of here!"
Rather than running, the scavengers immediately shifted into a combat stance. Caught red-handed, they chose violence over surrender.
The man standing closest to Dean sneered, tightening his grip on the corpse. "You think you're some kind of 'Demon Cop' just because you're carrying around a wooden sword?"
Dean raised an eyebrow at the title. "Demon Cop? I don't recall ever going by that name. Sounds more like a dirty cop than a hero."
His words barely had time to settle before the scavenger raised his fist, intending to slap some sense into him. But before his hand could even move, Dean struck first, knocking the man unconscious with a swift and decisive blow from Hoshikudaki.
As the rest of the scavengers lunged forward, Dean remained unfazed. He raised a single hand and motioned towards them. "I don't have time for this. Let's get this over with—come at me all at once."
Above, Damian observed the scene with mild amusement. He had grown accustomed to Dean's reckless fighting style—a direct and overwhelming approach that often left his enemies without a chance to react. In fact, Dean's sheer audacity had once led Damian to encourage him to work behind Batman's back, an act that nearly got him sent to the Teen Titans as punishment.
But despite his brashness, Dean had a habit of turning the tide in critical moments, proving himself against foes even Superman had struggled with. And that was something Damian found difficult to accept.
Their strength wasn't that different—so why had Dean been the one fighting alongside the Justice League while he had been left behind? If their positions had been reversed, would he have made the same impact?
Superman had once described the power of the Three Palaces, stating that, under normal circumstances, someone like Dean should have been killed in an instant. Yet somehow, Dean had defied the odds. And for that, Superman had praised his courage.
"Maybe…" Damian muttered to himself, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "Maybe I should take a page from Dean's book. Maybe I should be a little more reckless."
Unaware of the effect he was having on Damian, Dean continued his work with brutal efficiency. After subduing the scavengers, he shoved all six of them into the police car, making no effort to ensure they fit comfortably.
[Six criminals arrested, Six points earned]
Hearing the notification, Dean suddenly remembered something—he had been so caught up in the chaos that he hadn't taken a moment to review the rewards he had accumulated from this entire ordeal.
With that in mind, he opened his personal panel.
[Name: Dean]
[Title: Humanoid Pokémon]
[Points: 1104]
[Abilities: Sword Dance, Iai Slash]
[Items Held: Wooden Sword (Hoshikudaki), Multi-Functional Pokémon Navigator (Pro Version), Secret Learning Device (Sword Dance), Broken Omnitrix]
After everything he had endured, the system had rewarded him with a thousand points in one go—more than enough for ten consecutive draws. The remaining 104 points had been earned through arrests and rescues over the past few days.
As he reviewed his status, one detail caught his eye.
"Humanoid Pokémon?"
Curious, he clicked to see a more detailed description.
[Title: Humanoid Pokémon]
[Effect: All items that are effective on Pokémon have the same effect.]
[Description: Everything represents not only positives, but also negatives. In addition, a warm reminder that Pokémon and humans are reproductively isolated.]
Dean sighed. "Of course, I know. A Poké Ball can capture me, but I don't even know what my attributes are.
And what does this strange description mean? Am I some kind of pervert who would attack Pokémon? That's simply ridiculous…"
He trailed off, his thoughts suddenly halting. The sentence, when spoken alone, sounded like a joke. But when placed within the description of [Humanoid Pokémon], it carried a completely different meaning.
Maybe it really was meant as a serious warning.
Dean felt his vision darken slightly as an unpleasant realization crept into his mind. He forcefully pushed away any further thoughts on the matter, exhaling sharply before stepping on the accelerator and driving the criminals back to the police station for interrogation.
After receiving a severe beating from Dean, the scavengers finally acknowledged him as the so-called "Demon Cop". The arrogance they had displayed earlier crumbled entirely, and before Dean even had to say a word, they started their confessions the moment they sat in the interrogation chair.
"We're just low-level scavengers, working for the boss. The boss is the one responsible for selling the goods, while we're only responsible for retrieving them. The profits from the sales are split—thirty percent and seventy percent."
Dean scoffed. "Let me guess—three percent for you, seventy percent for your boss?"
The scavenger shook his head blankly. "No, we don't get a share. The thirty percent belongs to the boss."
Dean's eyes narrowed. "Then why is it only thirty percent?"
"Because seventy percent belongs to the boss's boss…"
Dean sighed. It was just as he expected. A classic case of layered outsourcing. He gave up any hope of extracting truly valuable information from them.
Still, there were other things worth asking.
For example…
"Why do you all call me 'Demon Cop'? Where did that name come from?"
The scavenger hesitated, clearly surprised that Dean himself didn't know.
"Uh… Gotham Daily reported on your deeds two days ago. They said that you teamed up with the Penguin, captured Roman alive, scared the Scarecrow so badly that he pissed himself, and took down Black Mask."
The man paused before adding cautiously, "And… that was just in the first three days after you arrived in Gotham. No one even dares to think about what you'll do next. So, they started calling you 'The Demon Cop.'"
The scavenger stammered as he spoke, his words dripping with fear.
In Gotham's underground world, there was only one way for someone to gain rapid notoriety—by taking down infamous figures. And as far as they were concerned, that was exactly what Dean had done. He had entered Gotham and almost immediately crushed two of its major crime bosses, even killing one of them. And each one was more infamous than the last.
Roman Falcone—the underground emperor of Gotham's past. Among all the city's major players, aside from the Joker, there were few who hadn't once served under him.
Dean frowned, deep in thought. "Strange. After the Justice League and I did that exclusive interview with Lois, I don't recall speaking with any other reporters."
The man started sweating profusely. The tall, 1.9-meter figure was now trembling as though standing before a judge ready to pass a death sentence.
"Officer, I swear I'm telling the truth! I have nothing to do with the name—I swear! Please, don't feed me to your Demon!"
Dean's gaze darkened. "Demon? Is that something the newspaper wrote too?"
The man forced a nervous smile. "I, uh… heard it through rumors."
Gotham's gangsters were no fools. Those who managed to survive in this city were all sharp enough to be bosses anywhere else. And yet, despite their street smarts, this man was shaking in his seat.
Dean didn't believe for a second that it was just from fear. There had to be an element of acting involved.
Moreover, very few people knew about the the Demon, Trigon the Terrible, being locked inside the Omnitrix. And those who did certainly wouldn't spread such information recklessly.
That meant only one thing—someone had been watching him that day.
The thought was unsettling.
DC's magic world was anything but peaceful. If there were spellcasters keeping an eye on him, that meant potential threats could emerge at any moment. If he had to constantly stay on guard against attacks from the followers of the Three Palaces, his mental state would never fully recover.
After locking the man in detention, Dean systematically interrogated the remaining five scavengers. He knew the chances of learning anything new were slim, but as an officer, procedure had to be followed.
Even if he was now infamous in Gotham, the rules remained the same.
The scavenger network that illegally sells weapons… The unknown organization purchasing the corpses of the Trench tribe… The mysterious spellcaster spying on the power of Trigon…
They never got a moment's rest.
Dean sighed, finally understanding why Commissioner Gordon had developed such a strong drinking habit. The pressure really was overwhelming.
But…
"All of it is worth it."
Dean's gaze shifted to the television inside the police station. The screen was broadcasting an interview with Superman.
[The Justice League has once again prevented a major crisis and saved 30 million Gotham citizens. Truly, they are Earth's guardian angels.]
Public relations was one of the many responsibilities the Justice League had to handle. Giving interviews and shaping public perception was just as important as fighting crime—because if they didn't control the narrative, someone else would. And that someone could easily turn public sentiment against them.
Batman had delegated this particular task to the most approachable member of the League—Superman. And as for which reporter got the exclusive interview… that had been entirely Superman's choice.
[Now that we've covered the major events, let's move on to our usual fan Q&A segment.]
Lois took out her phone, reading from the submitted questions.
[Which Justice League member made the biggest contribution during this crisis?]
Superman pretended to think. It wasn't the first time he had been interviewed by his wife, and he knew exactly how to build suspense.
[Well, that's a tough one. Aquaman resolved the conflict between Atlantis and humanity, preventing a war. Wonder Woman defied the gods of Olympus and fought for the 30 million citizens of Gotham. Cyborg and The Flash helped evacuate hundreds of thousands of people. Batman orchestrated the entire operation, leading the battle and—despite being just a mortal—daring to dance with the gods.]
Lois pressed him further. [That's all well and good, but what about you, Superman?]
[Me? To be honest, I was practically useless this time.]
[So… is the biggest contributor Batman?]
[No.]
Superman denied it without hesitation.
[Then Wonder Woman? Aquaman?]
Lois was intrigued. She had been on the front lines herself but had blacked out before the earthquake struck, meaning she had missed most of the action.
Superman's expression softened. [If we're talking about the greatest contribution within the Justice League, then yes, Batman. But the person who made the biggest impact wasn't in the Justice League.]
Lois was caught off guard.
[He's a Gotham police officer. A small-time patrolman who had only been on the job for three days. He didn't have my strength, Batman's intellect, The Flash's speed, or Wonder Woman's arsenal.]
[But he had something else—a brave and fearless heart. And with that courage, he managed to weaken our enemies. Without him, the Justice League might have lost.]
Lois was speechless. Superman rarely gave such high praise, especially to a police officer.
She couldn't help but ask: [Uh, Superman, are you just being polite?]
Superman smiled. [Not at all. I'm just telling the truth.]
[His name is…]
—Snap. The video cut off.
Snap, turn off the video. Green Lantern Hal, who missed the entire event due to a business trip, looked at Superman who had just returned to the Hall of Justice.
"Superman, is it necessary to praise a policeman so much…
"It's necessary." Superman responded with a smile.
Wonder Woman also echoed: "Hal, if the Green Lantern Corps has extra lantern rings, you can introduce Dean to them."
Hal directly rejected: "No, sector 2814 only needs one Green Lantern. Is it really good to bring a young man into the spotlight? I mean safety."
Superman explained: "Hal, he is a policeman. A policeman registered with his real name. When he goes on the street to investigate a case, he must show his police number and ID first. He does not need to conceal his identity like us. And Gotham also needs such a famous policeman. I heard them here calling him the second generation 'Dark Knight'. "
"That's not a good name." Batman didn't even raise his head, staring at the screen in front of him.
Superman had a strange expression: "If you knew his other name, you would think this is a good one."
"If you knew who's the "Dark Knight", you wouldn't say that."
Batman shared his screen information with others: "I'm keeping an eye on Dean's safety. Don't worry, Hal. Let's focus on what's in front of us now.
[How to deal with Groudon.|
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A/N: The protagonist's name is because the protagonist's father's surname is Qin and his mother's surname is Su, and there is a follow-up plot in the setting…
In addition, let's take a guess without prizes. Red and blue correspond to Groudon and Manaphy, and reflect Harley and Harleen. So what are the dragons and tigers in this volume?
(T/N: i decided not to remove this)
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