The Invasion has begun

Kate had planned to call Orime's office once she got to her office. As soon as she arrived at work her assistant informed her of a meeting with Orime at Wayne Enterprises at ten. Kate did all the work she needed to get done before leaving for the meeting. She arrived outside of Orime's office just as a known Yakuza member left.

Orime poured herself a scotch. "Kate good timing." She offered a glass to Kate but Kate turned it down. "Please turn your attention to the monitor on the wall." Orime pressed a button on a remote. The monitor showed pictures and video from the Atlantean invasion of Japan. "As you know several years ago the Atlanteans under Aquaman's leadership invaded Japan. Aquaman was a member of the Justice League and still is. Aquaman has faced no repercussions for that invasion. During the invasion, the Japanese government along with the local capes were able to fight back to a standstill. It was only a matter of time before the Atlanteans got the upper hand and Japan lost. The Yakuza at the time was more concerned with profits than the people of Japan." The monitor switched to a picture of Orime's stepfather. "This is my stepfather, the man who raised me practically from birth. He is my real father. The only dad I have ever known. During the invasion he was a member of the Yakuza and as a hobby a historian. From his hobby, he knew that the Yakuza when it was founded arose as protectors of the common people during feudal times. During the invasion, he killed the leadership of the Yakuza and turned the Yakuza loose upon the Atlanteans. With the Yakuza's help, Japan was able to repel the Atlanteans. During the final battle of the invasion my father fought Aquaman one one one. Normally such a thing would have been impossible my father is just a normal human like you. He was able because I was his armor and his weapon. The fight ended with my father taking Aquaman's left hand. My father is a national hero. The Yakuza in Japan after my father's reforms is semi-officially sanctioned by the Japanese government. My father has ensured all Yakuza operations around the world follow his reforms or else. Only one or two branches had to be brought in line by force." Orime turned the screen off and finished off her scotch.

"The Gotham branch fell in line six months ago. A new leader had to be installed. The old leader is rotting in Blackgate for a multitude of crimes, last I heard." She poured and finished off another glass of scotch. "A year after my father took over the League of Assassins saw weakness, opportunity. One of the very first things they did was an attack nearly identical to the one at the airport yesterday. My father was the target, his left hand had to be amputated. With the consent of the Japanese government, my father mobilized the entire Yakuza and every local cape to hunt down every member of the League of Assassins, they were either apprehended or executed on the spot. Only one Assassin got away. Talia al Ghul was captured and was to be publically executed until Nyssa al Ghul negotiated a truce. A truce that has gone unbroken until yesterday in my opinion."

"I can't prove that attack was the responsibility of the League of Assassins but it would not surprise me. The one Assassin in Japan who we never found was also responsible for the attack that cost my father his hand." She pointed to the monitor which showed the Assassin.

"You are probably wondering, probably assuming some things about my activities since coming to Gotham. Let me put to bed any doubts you may have. The Silver Nightmare and I are the same person. I have to say the news media here is terrible at giving names. Before my father made his reforms the Yakuza of Gotham entered into an alliance of sorts with all the crime families in Gotham. In my father's opinion that alliance has two options, either the crime families honor the alliance and fall in line with his reforms or they get wiped out. My father sent me to make an example of the Maronis. The Falcones didn't get the message and my driver was murdered. So I sent another message both as the Silver Nightmare and as Orime. The other crime families won't be a problem anymore."

Orime could see Kate was about to say something but Orime stopped her. "No I am not a member of the Yakuza. Have I experienced some of the benefits? Of course, no different than the child of a soldier who lives on base enjoys some of the benefits of their parent being in the military. Have I chosen to help my father out when he needs it? Of course. No this is not what Bruce would have done. Quite frankly Bruce's way is an abysmal failure. I did the math, Bruce's way, your way cost tens of thousands of lives. Only counting the deaths caused by Joker, Killer Croc, etc from their second break out and beyond, there is a total of 10,854 lives lost. If the Batfamily had killed, paralyzed, or in some way permanently incapacitated them those lives could have been saved. It is my opinion that Bruce and the rest of the family are equally complicit in the deaths of 10,854 people. Approximately ten percent of those lives were children. That is not counting the lives lost at the hands of the crime families. If Bruce had chosen to deal with his rogues gallery and the crime families permanently, which didn't have to include killing he could have saved all those lives including his own. So I don't care what Bruce would have done. Bruce failed this city, he failed you, and ultimately himself."

Orime poured herself another scotch. "I don't expect you to change, quite frankly I expect you will be stubborn and refuse to see the light. If the League of Assassins did break the truce yesterday, then there is a war coming to Gotham. Bruce did not prepare you to fight a war like this. You will need the Yakuza. You will need all the help you can get. I expect you to be civil and cooperative with the Yakuza. You may not like it, you may hate it but you need an army. The Batfamily is not an army. Kate, you need to prepare the Crows and the rest of the Bafamily to go to war. As for the GCPD, they are far too corrupt to be counted on."

Orime's phone buzzed. She changed the monitor on the wall. The Arkham Knight was leading his militia down Main Street, killing anyone who got in their way. "The Arkham Knight is here!" There was genuine fear in Orime's voice. "We are fucking screwed."

"How do you know about the Arkham Knight?" Kate asked Orime. "There was a small branch of the Yakuza in Venezuela. I was there to oversee the change in leadership to come in line with my father's wishes. The Arkham Knight personally wiped out every single one of them with a brutal efficiency I have never seen before. There were children there, he killed them all. We tried our hardest to figure out why he calls himself the Arkham Knight, we could find no ties to the Asylum or the family. Beyond the name, we have no information about who or what the Arkham Knight is."