The Dawn Trail in the World of American Comics

"Is this your city? Hmm, it seems quite nice."

The quartet from the Pirates of the Caribbean world stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows of a dark, icy bar at the top floor, admiring Gotham City at dawn.

Dressed in vintage pirate attire, Captain Jack marveled at the "concrete jungle" that stretched as far as the eye could see. The visible but indescribable "prosperity" made him believe that his life in this world would be quite interesting, and certainly more comfortable than he had imagined.

The other three shared the same astonishment.

After all, they were more than three hundred years apart from the era they lived in.

The world might still be the same, but everything had changed.

Mason didn't disturb his new team members as they took in the new world. He glanced at the slowly closing World Gate behind him.

Zachary had just driven the pirates from the Black Pearl to the Forbidden Forest in the Hogwarts world. Those rowdy guys were hard to discipline, but fortunately, the dark wizard had enough means and deterrence to subdue them.

"Take our new members around the city in the next few days, teach them some common sense about living in Gotham, or arrange a few clever subordinates for them."

The captain glanced at the curious Henry Turner and said to Kite Man, "This kid should be going to school. Maybe you could arrange for him to go to your son's school and introduce him to your son?"

"He doesn't even have a registered identity."

Charles sighed.

Although he was an old villain in Gotham, he was not like the Penguin, a mafia boss with connections everywhere. He didn't have enough connections to arrange new identities for four strangers.

Although in the chaotic city of Gotham, it didn't make much difference whether you had that or not.

"I'll handle it."

Catwoman ruffled Henry's hair and turned to Mason and Kite Man, "Because of Batman's special 'Robin adoption habit', Alfred has a special 'liaison' in the city government department who is responsible for handling these matters for Batman.

Just a call to that guy can get Jack and the others a complete set of clean new identities.

Of course, this 'private service' is expensive."

"Isn't it just money?"

Mason said in a Versailles manner.

He casually tossed the Bat Black Card that Bruce had given him to Kite Man, who grinned and pocketed it without any hesitation.

"Come on, guys, stop staring! I'll take you to take a bath and change your clothes first. Jack's hairstyle also needs a change. Later, I'll take you out for a meal as a welcome."

Charles opened his arms and called Jack and the others to follow him. A few days should be enough for these guys to adapt to the new place.

They were all talented individuals from the Caribbean world, with strong adaptability.

After Jack, Angelina, Elizabeth, and Henry left the office, Catwoman, who was standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, turned to Mason, who was changing his clothes, and asked, "Is it really okay to leave Jason and Barbara there?"

"That's what they asked for, Selina."

Mason, with his back to Catwoman, was taking off his battle suit and changing into his casual clothes, "Jason and Barbara both need time to adapt to their new identities, and to deal with the shadows left in their hearts by what happened in Gotham.

Don't worry, they can take care of themselves in that world.

K Squad also needs to leave a liaison officer there. If we lose contact, the cooperation system we've worked so hard to establish will fall apart."

At this point, Mason smiled and said, "I've asked a 'friend' to look after them. They won't be in danger."

"'Jason'? What a strange nickname."

Catwoman asked in surprise, "Can't you just call him Jason?"

"Don't you think his Red Knight helmet really looks like a bucket?"

Mason gestured with his finger on his head and shrugged, "I also call Grayson 'Young Master'. He didn't object to the nickname. You know, among men, giving each other nicknames signifies a closer relationship.

Speaking of which, are you going straight back to Wayne Manor to see your adopted son?"

"Don't mention him! Annoying!"

Selina unzipped her battle suit nonchalantly, stretching her body and pouting, "The trade fair will be held in seven days, right? I'll be back on time. Don't call me in these seven days. I'm going on a vacation in Europe to reward myself."

"Can't you change in the changing room?"

Mason turned around to see Catwoman's tight battle suit sliding off her smooth skin. Under the rising sun outside the floor-to-ceiling window, a ripe body was exposed to his eyes.

Selina was still combing her short hair, displaying her exquisite figure in the sunlight, like a statue embodying sexiness and temptation."It's indeed beautiful, showcasing the beauty of a healthy woman, but Mason didn't linger for more than a few seconds before turning his head to complain:

"If the master sees this, I won't be able to explain! Can you be a little more considerate?"

"Oh, little Mason is still so shy."

The Catwoman, who once again casually completed her daily task of "teasing the little boy," covered her mouth and chuckled lightly, saying:

"I'm not naked... Alright, don't go, I won't tease you anymore. Here, this is the key to my apartment, it's in the largest house on Seventh Street in Otisburg.

I've collected a lot of beautiful but not expensive jewelry there, you wanted to use them to make some accessories, right?

Feel free to use them."

Mason took the key, glanced back at the Catwoman who was dressing, and shook his head, marveling at how powerful the master was to have such a woman devoted to him.

At the same time, he felt a bit sour.

When could he have such a "fairy-tale romance"?

About ten minutes later, Mason rode his beloved motorcycle back to his small shop.

It was early morning, and the two girls who lived here were still asleep. The young man didn't disturb them and went into the basement to start his busy work...

The research on the enhancement potion for the commander of the Cleaners Legion was far from complete.

Although the first batch of experimental products had been given to the testers, Mason knew that he still had a long way to go to get the perfect enhancement potion, and he didn't want to waste any more time.

However, in the afternoon, Mason didn't continue practicing alchemy, but sat at the counter and opened a notebook, writing and drawing on it, occasionally frowning as if he was thinking about important matters.

Poison Ivy and Harley, who had just woken up, decided to go out for a meal after washing up. Before leaving, Dr. Harley curiously looked at the paper full of words in front of Mason and asked:

"What are you doing?"

"Work report."

Mason replied without looking up:

"It's for my superiors."

"Ah? You have to write this even when you're a nurse in a clinic?"

Harley asked in surprise:

"Is Dr. Leslie so strict?"

"Yeah, she's always been a very strict person."

Mason didn't explain, but looked up at the girl in front of him wearing a tracksuit, and asked:

"How have you been feeling these days? You're not suddenly irritable, are you?"

"I'm fine."

Dr. Harley rubbed her hair and said:

"I've been very comfortable here without any pressure. Not thinking about those troublesome problems and taking my medication on time has made me much more stable.

Oh, by the way, Mason, Arkham called me. The director hopes that I can return to work there after the asylum is rebuilt. Do you think I should accept?"

"You have such serious mental problems yourself, and you still want to treat others? Aren't you afraid that spending too much time with a bunch of genuine lunatics will make your condition worse?"

Mason said, squinting:

"I think you should focus on getting better first."

"That's true."

Dr. Harley, who had been full of anticipation just now, visibly deflated.

Mason wanted to comfort her, but he didn't know what to say. Harley's problem was quite tricky and couldn't be solved with a few warm words.

A few minutes later, Poison Ivy came down, dressed in a trench coat that covered her body and wearing a scarf and sunglasses to cover her face.

She took her best friend's arm and glanced at Mason, then, with the nervousness of a "student handing in homework," she placed several bottles of strangely colored potions in front of Mason for him to taste.

"Did you make this?"

The young man took the bottles and looked at them, then uncorked them and sniffed the scent. He shook his head and said:

"Although it's indeed in the category of 'magic potions,' the effect is much weaker than the real thing. It seems you still need to practice basic skills. I'll teach you more when you come back tonight.

Now, Ivy, take Harley out for some fun. Keeping her in a good mood is more important than anything else."

At this point, Mason suddenly blinked and said to the two girls in front of him:

"Actually, I have a few friends who just arrived in Gotham and need a guide to familiarize them with the wild style of this city. If you're not busy, you can help.

Just contact Charles, Ivy, you should have his contact information...

But I have to warn you."

Mason lowered his voice and said mysteriously:

"Those guys are all fringe figures in the 'magic circle,' belonging to the kind of hermit sect that hasn't been involved in the outside world for hundreds of years. Their understanding of the world is still stuck in the 18th century...

So, if they do something strange, don't laugh at them."

"Guests from the magic circle, this sounds really interesting! The way of thinking and perspective of 18th-century people is a great research topic."

Dr. Harley's beautiful blue eyes lit up.

She excitedly pulled her best friend Ivy towards the door, and Mason casually threw the car keys to them, saying:

"Drive my car, be careful not to scratch it, and don't show off by flying around. The flight mode is only for emergencies!"

"Thanks, Mason, you're a great boss."

Harley whistled, put on her helmet, and rode Mason's motorcycle with her best friend, disappearing on the road outside the door.

Mason watched them leave and frowned.

Harley may not have noticed it herself, but Mason, as an outsider, could clearly see that her condition was deteriorating. The most obvious manifestation was her increasingly "lively" personality and changing habits.

A former psychiatrist and expert in psychology had abandoned the disciplined habits he had developed over twenty-seven years and started actively trying a more lazy and carefree lifestyle.

This was an external manifestation of a personality shift.

Mason's sedatives and euphorics could keep her in a happy state of mind, but they couldn't reverse these deep-seated changes in her thinking and psyche.

Could Harley Quinzel really never escape her fate of becoming the "Harlequin" in her lifetime?

"If only I had Professor X's abilities."

Mason sighed and, while lowering his head to complete his work report, whispered:

"Not only Harley, but I could probably cure Zhou Kuo'er's illness too."

He no longer pondered these unsolvable problems and focused his attention on the work report at hand.

This thing was certainly not meant for Dr. Leslie.

Mason was summarizing the work of Team K for the past month and planned to send this report to Mr. Hunter through the internal postal network of the Star Society.

In addition to demonstrating his formal and proactive work attitude to his superiors, he also had a probing mindset.

After meeting "Old J" Edward Tigg in the Caribbean world and being reminded by that mysterious old pirate, Mason realized that his biggest crisis at the moment was with Mr. Hunter.

That guy already knew that Old K died at his hands but did nothing, instead incorporating Mason's Team K into his own direct exploration team. This behavior undoubtedly served some purpose.

Mason had already thought it through.

There were only two possibilities.

If Mr. Hunter was a member of that small team symbolized by the Gwent card, then this behavior was likely due to discreet protection and observation.

After all, when Old K left his Gwent card to Mason, it was equivalent to acknowledging Mason's "inheritance"...

But if she wasn't one of them...

Then Team K's current situation would be very dangerous.

Previously, he learned from Mr. Sandstorm that the casualty rate of Mr. Hunter's direct team was astonishingly high, coupled with the upcoming mandatory exploration mission in a month.

The combination of these two factors could very well result in Mason and his team members being used as cannon fodder, like poor mice caught by a vicious cat.

The cat didn't eat them because of kindness, but because it wanted to play a little longer.

But probing also required a method.

Mason squinted his eyes, writing furiously with his pen while carefully handling some details in the work report. He included everything that happened in Gotham City.

Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original.

He even didn't hide his role in this matter or the process of helping Mr. Sandstorm escape.

Of course, betraying the Star Society was something that couldn't be written.

But anyone with sharp thinking, after reading the report, could guess some unconfirmed clues.

Mason intentionally left behind this small "hint."

He wanted to see Mr. Hunter's reaction to this matter, and perhaps from her reaction, he could deduce whether that mysterious exploration mentor was a friend or not.

This was a very risky behavior.

Sending this letter could very well lead to the appearance of the Star Society's "execution force" causing trouble for Team K in Gotham. But the young man was not unprepared.

He had already made a decision.

If the Star Society reacted strongly to this, then he would simply tear off the mask!

Zachary had already confirmed that the soul curse was only for secrecy and not for forced control, so as long as Team K didn't leak any secrets about the Star Society, even if they betrayed, they wouldn't die on the spot.

What's more, in this A-level world that had just thwarted the Star Society's major operation, Mason already had a powerful "ally."

The young man glanced at the flip phone placed beside him, which not only stored Batman's emergency contact number but also the personal phone number of the fastest speedster in this world.

He had already integrated into the circle of superheroes.

And he had the entire Justice League of superheroes as his backing. If the Star Society's execution force dared to come, Mason could guarantee that they would have no way to return alive.

It seemed that refusing Mr. Hunter's proposal and resolutely choosing this world as the base world was indeed a wise decision!

"So, mysterious Ms. Hunter..."

Mason folded the envelope neatly and took out an ancient wax seal to seal it.

He looked at the work report in his hand and whispered softly:

"Now let me see, whether you are a friend or not."