Figuring out which universe they were currently in counted as some progress. Though it was a little strange not to see Kick-Ass in the "Kick-Ass" universe, and he had no idea why Hit-Girl was working solo again, it was not a big problem.
This was a world without superpowers, yet one where superheroes existed. Here, superheroes were generally regarded as mentally ill because they really were.
Simply put, this world was too dark. After suffering oppression, many people chose to fight back, putting on tights and becoming Masked Vigilantes.
People living in this world had their destinies shrouded in absurd black humor. For example, some people's parents might be shot dozens of times in the back in an alley and die, only for the official investigation to rule it a suicide.
That was still comparatively lucky. More often, even if someone died here, nobody investigated, just like Gotham before Gordon took office and before Batman appeared.
And it was not limited to one city. There was no Batman here, and darkness spread everywhere. The entire world was black.
Going by this world's usual bullshit, that escaped serial killer mentioned in the newspaper earlier? There was a high chance the police had not caught him at all. Rather, a rival gang had captured him and deliberately sent him to prison to humiliate the Hounds Gang.
It was all a game played in the darkness. When people joined gangs, aside from money, all they sought was face. Black and mexican gangsters' gangs especially hated being looked down upon, while the italian gangsters were more traditional, like dogs that did not bark.
In the current New York City, aside from Mindy's stepfather, who could still be considered a good cop, all the other police officers were either crooked cops bought by gangs or