Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. After Wonder Woman learned about the American system, she wanted to study democracy and freedom. But wherever there are superheroes, supervillains are sure to follow.
Cheetah, Giganta, and the Enchantress all appeared one after another, keeping Wonder Woman so busy that she barely had time to visit Liu A'dou's family in New York. Of course, this also brought her into the public eye, earning her the name Wonder Woman. Her popularity was rising fast, almost catching up to Iron Man, and most of her fans were men.
Diana's graceful figure, striking looks, and straightforward personality made her reputation skyrocket.
That's when the thief showed up. "I thought your hobbies would be pretty unique. Didn't expect your taste to be this good, Wonder Woman," he said.
"Who are you?" Even though Diana had learned how to use a smartphone and surf the web, that didn't mean she wasted time on random things. She didn't recognize Kaitou Kid, which was pretty normal.
Not knowing made her easier to fool.
"I'm Kid, a representative of the Justice League. I'm here to invite you to join one of the greatest organizations on Earth." He left out the 'Kaitou' part in his introduction, just to avoid any misunderstandings.
"A stranger who suddenly appears on my balcony?" Diana replied. "The name of your organization sounds righteous, but I don't have spare time." She still needed to study and deal with villains.
"It won't take up much of your time. We're a volunteer group, at most meeting once a month. When the world is in danger, we'll come together and work as a team. The Justice League will gather the best heroes. You'll like them."
"Sounds pretty good. So who's in this Justice League?" Diana cared more about participating than the actual joining, but she needed to know who else was in.
"Batman, Flash, and me. If you join, next I'm going to invite Superman."
That got her attention, but as soon as she heard Superman's name, Diana made up her mind. "I want to go with you to invite Superman." Everyone on Earth knew about Superman, but few had ever met him. Since arriving in America, Diana had heard about him, but never seen him.
"So you're agreeing to join?"
"I'll join with Superman," Diana said. She really wanted to meet him.
"Of course," Kid agreed. "Let's head out. We've got a long trip to the Arctic ahead."
"I'll go start up my plane."
"I've already got mine." Kid pressed a button, and the Archimedes transport plane dropped its cloaking, appearing just outside the balcony.
It could turn invisible, just like her jet. Diana raised an eyebrow.
"I don't want to travel with a stranger. I'll fly my own plane," Wonder Woman said.
"We're going to the Arctic. If you didn't bring antifreeze fuel, you'd better ride with me," Kid said.
…Alright, Diana got the point. She wasn't some spoiled princess who couldn't be reasoned with. She'd grown a lot since coming out into the world—more independent, and more mature. "Fine, I'll go change," she said.
Wonder Woman changed into her iconic, battle-ready armor. "Let's go."
"Aren't you going to put on more clothes?" Kid asked, even though he knew Wonder Woman didn't need to worry about the cold.
"No need."
They boarded the plane, and Kid set course north at top speed.
"So tell me," Diana asked, "was it the alien invasion last time that made you think about forming a superhero team, like the Avengers?"
Kid switched on the autopilot and started chatting, "No, it's to prepare for things even more dangerous than the alien attack. And people need a group that's not controlled by the government."
"Governments already rule the people. Isn't that enough?" Diana asked, curious. "I thought the Avengers were plenty."
"Then just watch. It won't take long before the Avengers start showing up in other countries, using force at will against whoever they call enemies or terrorists. They'll interfere in other nations' affairs, becoming nothing but muscle for the government."
It's just like what happened in Iraq and Afghanistan—they used the excuse of protecting their homeland to meddle in other countries. If you really want to protect your own land, why not put more effort into your own country instead of sending troops abroad to kill civilians in other lands? In reality, this kind of behavior doesn't protect their homeland at all. Instead, it makes even more people hate America, wishing they could turn into bombs and blow up every American civilian, just like the U.S. military did to them.
And those so-called Avengers? A bunch of problem kids, always claiming to save the world, but actually getting further and further away from peace. They stir up trouble and end up cleaning up their own mess.
Kaitou Kid's words left Diana speechless. As a princess of Themyscira, she really didn't like interfering or being interfered with. Hearing Kid's clear, straightforward analysis, she realized there really was a need for an organization to keep the Avengers in check.
"You're right," Diana agreed.
"Actually, that's Batman's point of view," Liu A'dou said. "Batman believes superheroes shouldn't be controlled by the government—they should follow their own sense of justice for the good of all mankind." He thought about how, years later, when the heroes grew old or died, Superman lost all his friends, got manipulated by public opinion, and joined the government as their weapon. It was the aging Batman, coming back in his armor to fight Superman, who finally woke him up. That's the story of The Dark Knight Returns.
So Kid really did admire Batman. Batman was someone who completely set aside his own desires and gave everything to the cause of heroes.
"That's why the Justice League is supposed to be humanity's guardians, role models, and guides," Kid said. "That's Batman's plan."
"Above human society, huh?" Diana didn't mind. Maybe it sounded a little arrogant, but she'd spent her life on Themyscira, watching her mother rule their people. She thought picking the best people to lead wasn't about being superior, but just natural.
As long as the Justice League respected themselves and others, standing above the rest was the right thing to do. People would always criticize, because people are jealous of those better than them, but the Justice League should be ready to take on that burden. Every member's morals had to be way above the average, raising the standard for all humanity. Even if they got hated and spit on, they had to keep moving forward, not getting too happy or too sad over outside opinions. They needed the spirit to keep going, no matter what. The Justice League was what a true superhero team should be.
And the Justice League's members could never reveal their true identities. When they were heroes, they could only show themselves to the world with their uniforms and masks. Unlike the Avengers, they couldn't let the government know who they really were. Once the government had that info, it was too easy for them to control the heroes.
"Living under a mask and giving up your civilian life—that really does show a person's commitment and just how extraordinary they are." Diana had been in society for a while now. She'd lived a double life—by day, a college student thanks to a fake ID from Liu A'dou; when trouble struck, she was Wonder Woman. That kind of life wasn't easy. "I'm starting to look forward to the Justice League," she admitted.
Kid grinned. "Me too."