Crimson Revenge

Chapter 1

"We should be safe here! There's no way she tracked us!" A man spoke between heavy pants, leaning back against the brick wall of the alleyway building. A metal case was pulled against his chest. His partner, another man, had his hands on his knees and was breathing just as heavily.

"You know, I actually miss Gotham when it was just Robin and Batman you had to watch out for." The partner said between pants.

"Tell me about it. Even Batgirl and Nightwing as a pair was better than this." The man scowled.

"Yeah, but I heard Nightwing returned back to Bludhaven in mere days afterward Robin died," His partner said, straightening up his torso as his breath began to calm down.

"Which was a relief until Batgirl upgraded and the Bat got a new sidekick," The man grumbled, pushing off from the wall, "Well, let's get going. Penguin is going to have our asses if we're late delivering the product."

"Right, and we're already behind by ten minutes." His partner groaned. The two began to make their way forward, when a batarang embedded into the ground in front of them.

"Long time no see, boys." A feminine voice rang out, and a figure melted out of the shadows.

Her suite was black and skintight, though a red bat was plastered on her chest. A red belt hung at an angle around her hips, and a black and red cape swept behind her. Her mask covered the majority of her face except for the lower half. Her long light brown hair was left unattended as it came down to about the middle of her back. The most intimidating part about her was the two whips that hung at her waist. The two men took a wary step back, cussing under their breath. How she had gotten past their group of men quickly enough to follow them, they had no idea. In fact, it had seemed rather impossible that she would have been able to.

"Batwoman…what a pleasant surprise." The man spoke, his hand slowly travelling to his gun and she seemed to peer at him before a thin smile curved on her lips.

"I'm sure it is. Now, I believe you have something of interest. You can either hand it over to me, or you can choose to take an alternative path, and trust me boys, you won't like the alternative." She said calmly, though her voice had an undertone of warning in it.

"Hmm…what do you say Rodney?" The man asked, looking at his partner with a light smile, who snickered and met his eyes.

"I say we make a third path." He spoke, and the two immediately drew their guns and aimed it at Batwoman…only for her to already be gone.

"W-What?! Where the hell did she go?" The man burst out, his eyes scanning the area in front of him feverishly for any sign of the vigilante. Rodney, his partner, did the same. They had only looked away for a second, and now she was gone.

"Now that was rather rude." A voice came from behind them, and just as they spun around, her fist made contact with Rodney's temple, making him crumple to the ground. The man backed away, raising his gun at her.

"Stay back!" He spoke sharply and she sighed, starting to walk towards him anyways.

"We both know that's a futile and cliché line to say." Batwoman said in a bored tone. The man grits his teeth then fires his gun at her three times. Almost immediately, his attacker had drawn her cape up over herself, and the bullets hit the cape…then pinged to the ground lightly. Her eyes peered at the man from over the cape before she struck forwards, closing her black gloved hand around his throat and shoving him back against the wall.

"Tell me the information I want to know, and I'll spare you the hospital visit." She said lowly and he scowled at her. His action only made her tighten her hand around his throat and he gasped for a breath that didn't come, dropping the metal case and clawing at her hand. Her grip eventually loosened and he sucked in a deep breath, filling his oxygen deprived lungs and collapsed to the ground as she let him go. Glancing at her from the corner of his eyes, he saw Batwomen pick up the case, seeming to study it and he smirked.

"Bombs away," He snarled hoarsely, pulling a little remote from his pocket and pressed a red button.

Batwoman glanced at him, only for the case to begin beeping and she cussed, dropping it then quickly drawing her cloak around herself just as the thing exploded. The impact of the blast caused her to fly to the side and the man staggered to his feet and began to run off. Sure, he had to destroy the product, but Penguin would be more pissed if he had let it fall into Batwoman's hands. His boss had big plans, and he didn't need some bitch dressed as a bat to meddle in his affairs.

As the man disappeared from the alleyway, Batwoman let out a small groan as she slowly rose to her feet, using the wall as support for a moment. That definitely had not gone as planned. Thankfully, her cape was not only made of a strong enough material that stopped most bullets, but was also fireproof. The dangerous part of the bomb hadn't even touched her. Now, the force of the explosion was what had made her fly back, and really, she would have been fine if her head hadn't hit the ground before she rolled across the ground. She was a little discombobulated at first, but slowly regained her focus back to its full capacity. *Good. I shouldn't have a concussion then.*

Looking to where the man had run, she sighed lightly before pulling her tracker out, seeing the red dot making its way through the slums and getting closer and closer to Penguin's club. When she had him pinned to the wall, she placed the small tracking device on the inside of his jacket. Of course, he had been more focused on the fact that he couldn't breathe to realize she had placed it there. Before making her way after Penguin's man, she walked over to the one she had knocked out and rolled to the balls of her feet as she crouched down before him. She rolled him over, spotting one of her little trackers on the hood of his jacket. She took it back then deactivated it before placing it back into her utility belt. It was always good to recycle weapons if possible. Quickly binding the guy, she then dragged him over to the entrance of the alleyway so he could easily be spotted by police before running off towards Penguin's nightclub.

It had been a while since the fat oaf had really done anything worth investigating. Batwoman hadn't even bothered to look in the case, since the explosion had torn apart the top of it, and the contents, from what she had seen, were completely undistinguishable at this point. Plus, she didn't have the time to check it thoroughly. She needed to listen in on Penguin if she could. Whatever he was planning, it seemed like it was going to be rather extravagant.

The nightclub soon came into view, and Batwoman paused in the shadows before pulling her batclaw out and used it to shoot herself up to the roof. She landed on the edge in a crouch before silent making her way to the hatch in the roof. Quickly, but also quietly, she opened it and peered down. Faint jazz music came from the opening. It exited out onto a small balcony. It seemed there wasn't anyone there or around it. The only residents were in the center, gathered around a large table with guns resting on top of it. Penguin was there, two of his henchmen at his sides. Before him sat someone that Batwoman didn't know. He seemed laidback, as he was leaning in his chair. A brown leather jacket was settled over his shoulders with a black shirt beneath it. He wore black cargo pants and black combat boots as well. He twirled a gun around his finger in a bored, careless manner. What really distinguished him was the full red helmet he wore.

Batwoman silently slipped down and landed in a low crouch on the balcony, her feet not even making a sound. However, the red helmeted man slowly tilted his head straight in her direction, and the gun twirling around his finger came to an abrupt stop. Her eyes widened a little and she frowned deeply. Could he have…seen her? His head hadn't been turned towards her, and she didn't make a sound. Even the roof hatch shouldn't have drawn attention.

"What is it, Red Hood?" Penguin demanded, turning his head in the direction Batwoman was hiding, though his eyes skimmed over her location, telling her that he didn't spot her location.

"Nothing at all. Everything is going as planned." The man called Red Hood spoke before sitting up more in the chair. "You have come into contact with Blockbuster in Bludhaven, correct?" He spoke, turning his attention back to Penguin and resumed twirling the gun around his finger. His voice was altered by the helmet, making it untraceable.

"Everything except that my men haven't arrived." Penguin said in annoyance, then smirked slightly, "Of course I have. He seemed interested."

"Good. As long as he remains to be manipulated, Nightwing will believe him to be the true opponent, giving one less vigilante to worry about. Gotham and Bludhaven should be yours in the endgame if it plays out as I have planned." He spoke simply, only for the doors to swing open, making the two men look over. The man from earlier burst into the room, and Batwoman smirked slightly. She beat him here and he even had a head start. How amusing.

"Where is the product?" Penguin demanded, and Red Hood tapped his fingers on the table slowly.

"I-I had to destroy it. Batwoman…she came and intercepted us." He said between breaths and Red Hood could be heard sighing.

"Bummer." He spoke, only to raise the gun and shoot the man in the head. He collapsed to the ground lifelessly and Penguin shot to his feet angrily.

"You don't have the power to kill my men! Remember who is paying you for your services, Hood!" Penguin barked and the shooter turned to him rather lazily before spreading his hands innocently.

"Trust me, you're going to be glad that I shot him." He spoke, soon rising to his feet and walking to the dead man. He bent down then pulled Batwoman's tracking device from the inside of his coat and held it up, "The idiot led Batwoman here."

Penguin muttered angrily to himself before crossing his arms over his chest, "When should the pest arrive?" He demanded and Red Hood tilted his head to the side slightly before pushing his hands in his pockets.

"Hell if I know. She could be on her way, or already be here." He spoke in a calm voice, his head tilting up and Batwoman could swear he was staring right at her, even though she couldn't see his eyes.

"You aren't worried?! If the bitch overheard anything-" Penguin began to say but Red Hood cut him off.

"I told you, Cobblepot. I know how to defeat the vigilantes of this city. They hardly pose a threat." He said sharply, and Batwoman smirked humorlessly. *That's what he thinks. Just wait till he meets me.*

"I'm putting my bets on you, Red Hood. You better be right about that." Penguin spoke lowly and Red Hood let out a laugh and turned to him.

"Or else what? You aren't exactly in the position to be making the threats. I'm the one with the plans and the guns. If I were you, I'd be more careful in what you say around me." He said, his tone taking a dark and amused tone as he slowly took a step towards Penguin, "You and this plan are nothing without my services."

Batwoman watched as Penguin took a step away as Red Hood advanced before straightening up and clearing his throat, as though trying to recover the pride he had most likely lost from the small interaction. "Search around the building for Batwoman." He ordered his henchmen.

"No need. I already found her." Red Hood, spoke then rose both guns lightning fast, aimed directly at her.

Batwoman cussed under her breath and quickly grabbed her cloak and drew it in front of her as two shots rang out. Both hit the cloak, and her eyes widened. Two small holes were put into the fabric…which meant that the guns were not only extremely powerful, but the bullets were crafted excellently as well. Rising to her feet, she quickly threw a batarang at Penguin and Red Hood, which embedded in the ground between them before dispelling black smoke. Batwoman didn't waste any time using her batclaw to escaping through the roof hatch once more, then ran across buildings, sticking to the shadows. When no advances made themselves known after a few blocks of running, she came to a stop before turning around and gazing the way she had come. No one seemed to be following her, which raised suspicion all in itself. Speaking of suspicion…

*That Red Hood guy…how did he find my spot so quickly? No one is able to find me that fast except for possibly Bruce. Then when he shot at me…he only shot twice. It seemed like a lack of effort.* She thought to herself with a deep frown before shaking her head.

*I can ponder this later. Right now, I need to take care of business. Penguin and Red Hood mentioned targeting Bludhaven. That means I need to contact…* Batwoman's thoughts trailed off and crossed her arms over her chest. He was the last person she wanted to contact, but in a situation such as this, it would be stupid to keep the information she knew from him. At least, the part concerning him. Pressing a button, her motorcycle pulled up and she hoped down from the roof then swung her leg over the vehicle and placed her black helmet on.

"Call Nightwing." She instructed, since the helmet had its own connecting device, and she took off towards the Batcave. The call kept ringing until it timed out and she scowled. *Typical.*

"Call Dick Grayson." She spoke, annoyance sparking in her voice. Once again, the phone rang but had no answer.

"That bastard. Looks like I have to do this the long way." She grumbled angrily to herself, speeding through the streets of Gotham then all the way to the Batcave, where she parked the motorcycle then got off, pulling the helmet off her head and setting it on the seat. Batwoman then pulled her mask off.

Jasmine Quinn ran her fingers through her hair as she walked to the elevator leading back up to the manor. Being 20 years old, going on to 21 in October, which was only a month away, she still looked the same as she had the year before except for the length of her hair and the coldness of her eyes and personality. Her height remained 5'4, and if anything, she had gotten even more in shape than she had been being Batwoman. Bruce had given her the new alias after she completed a large case against Two-Face without any assistance, and had actually saved Bruce from being killed himself. The new suit was a lot more upgraded that the Batgirl suit, which came in handy when people were shooting at her and for gliding across large rooftop gaps since the cape acted as makeshift wings, much like Batman's did.

Once the elevator reached the manor, Jasmine stepped out and made her way to her room, which she immediately entered. The room itself was orderly, with the note-stocked books placed in neat piles on a desk and in a bookshelf. She began to undress from her suit before pulling on dark blue skinny jeans and nice wine red shirt. To finish off the outfit, she drew a black leather jacket over her shoulders before pulling on a pair of black boots. Of course, her whips were immediately attached to her waist. Deciding she looked acceptable, she walked to her desk where she opened a drawer and sighed quietly, gazing down at the contents.

All the objects stashed inside were small little memories of her first month as Batgirl, every single one more painful than the last. A few pictures here and there were placed on the bottom, her first batarang rested on top of the pictures along with the pill bottle she had obtained from the dead drug addict on her first solo mission. A solo mission that ended up never being completed. Now that she thought about it, she never did use the key Catwoman gave her. Dick had found another alternative in when he saved her from being tortured. *It wasn't like he actually wanted to save me though. It probably would have made him happy if Joker had decided to kill me.* She thought to herself bitterly before her eyes rested on the two objects that were laying on top of the small pile. They were a key and a note saying Just in case you ever stop by.

Sighing lightly, Jasmine picked up the key and looked at it as the cool metal rested on the palm of her hand. Her eyes narrowed as a small prick of pain burst in her chest, causing her to grit her teeth and clench the key into her first tightly until it dug into her skin painfully. She hardened her composure and shoved the key into her pocket, the small little shred of pain slowly dissipating into the coldness she had built within herself. It was the sound of footsteps that cause her to turn her head slightly.

"You're going out again, aren't you?"

Jasmine shifted her eyes over, her gaze resting on a boy with a buzzcut and sky blue eyes. "Yes," She spoke shortly, turning and started to slowly walk to the door. However, the boy stepped into the doorway, blocking her path. A small shred of annoyance ran through her, and she looked down at him coldly.

"Get out of my way."

"Where are you going?"

"Out," She snapped, shoving him back. The boy stumbled backwards enough to open up the doorway before he regained his balance, but it was enough. Jasmine stepped outside of her room and began to walk down the hallway.

"Jasmine, stop this. You need to stop disappearing every night! Everyone worries-" He began and she paused midstep before cutting him off, turning her head to the side only slightly.

"I very much doubt that anyone worries, Tim. Besides, I don't remember asking for your permission, let alone needing it." She spoke thinly before resuming walking down the hallway, though this time; Tim didn't call out to her.

Tim Drake was the newest Robin. He had replaced Jason in a whopping five months of him being declared dead. As of now, he has been training under Bruce for a year, and already, Jasmine would admit, he has grown strong. The seventeen year old showed true potential for not having been trained in fighting for all his life until he was accepted as Robin. The kid was also wicked smart, and had detective skills that were coming close to being on par with Bruce's. In fact, he had figured out Batman and Robin's identities at a young age when Bruce and Dick had still been the dynamic duo. It had been Dick who brought Tim forward in recommendation to be the new Robin in one of his rare visits. While both Jasmine and Bruce had been skeptical, Bruce had eventually agreed to let him undergo training, though it had taken a lot of convincing on Dick's part. Jasmine had been a different story, and had expressed her dislike in taking a new Robin only five months after Jason had perished, though what she thought hadn't really contributed. Of course, that had been a year ago, and during that time, Jasmine has learned to accept the boy as Robin, though that didn't mean she had to be friendly with him.

Jasmine made her way down to the actual garage of Wayne Manor. It wasn't every day that she actually came down there. Typically when she wanted or needed to go somewhere, it was during the night and her identity was Batwoman, not Jasmine Quinn. Now, during her stay, it was practically impossible to hide that she was living there. So, Bruce had made a story and changed her name to reference her in public, since they didn't need Harley to even suspect him of being Batman. He was able to keep her face off of the press, so she never appeared in pictures. In a way, Jasmine supposed she was living three different lives, but she didn't care all that much. As long as she was able to continue fighting for the good of the people, then she could deal with whatever came her way.

Jasmine walked to an actual motorcycle and picked up the helmet that was resting on the seat. Bruce would probably be pissed she left and took one of his vehicles without permission, but it wasn't like she was going to crash it. Besides, she needed it. Getting to Bludhaven using the Batwing would be rather annoying, and if it was needed during the time she was gone, well, then it was required to be here. Pulling the helmet on, Jasmine swung her leg over the side of the motorcycle and kick started it, making the engine roar to life.

"Where are you headed, Jasmine?"

*That seems like the question of the day.*

Sighing, Jasmine turned the engine off then leaned back a little as she crossed her arms over her chest, looking over to see Barbara Gordon at the entrance of the garage. She was sitting in her wheelchair and couldn't enter due to the steps before her, but that didn't make her presence any less noticeable. Since the time of Jason's death, Jasmine and Barbara became rather close, well, closer than they had been. Jasmine pushed everyone away nowadays, and it was rare to get her to have an actual decent conversation. She kept to herself, and she barely spoke or hung around anyone. The teasing and almost arrogant light she used to have seemed to be completely gone with coldness replacing it.

"Bludhaven. Drake told you I was on my way out, didn't he?" Jasmine spoke with a light frown and Barbara narrowed her eyes questioningly at her response of Bludhaven before sighing.

"I'd be lying if I said he didn't. Jasmine, Bruce told you no more sneaking out without telling someone your location." She spoke and Jasmine scowled.

"Yeah. He did. Big deal. I need to get going, Barbara. I'd rather you end my interrogation than having me rudely just cut it short." She said coldly.

"Jasmine! You worry him when you sneak out, especially after Jason-"

"I got it!" Jasmine snapped, cutting her off since she didn't want to hear this talk again when she knew it wasn't true. At least, not concerning her.

"I don't think you do," Barbara sighed before shaking her head, "Why are you going to Bludhaven of all places? I thought you and Dick-"

"Still aren't on good terms, and trust me, I wouldn't be going if I didn't have to," She finished Barbara's sentence, "However, since he refuses to answer his communication device and his cell phone, I have to speak with him in person." She responded, clearly annoyed with the boy.

"Something came up tonight then?" Barbara asked seriously and Jasmine nodded gravely.

"Yeah, and I think it's going to be big. It affects not only Gotham, but Bludhaven too. That's the only reason I'm going."

"Okay, I understand. Good luck with your…meeting then." Barbara said. Jasmine simply nodded before starting up the motorcycle once more.

"Oh, and Jasmine?" Jasmine glanced up at Barbara, who was looking at her with these concerned green eyes, "Please tell us where you're going next time instead of having Tim stumble across you."

Jasmine looked down for a moment before she sped out of the garage. *Sorry Barbara, but I guess bad habits die hard.* She thought to herself with a small shake of her head. It wasn't as though Bruce actually cared whether she was missing or not. At least, not for the reasons Barbara thought it was. Even in the beginning, all she had been was a weapon for them to use. In the end, he was more scared of losing her to the criminals than actually losing her as if she were part of his family. She never had been, and never will be. Dick had made then crystal clear back in his room the day they received Jason's death video. Jasmine wasn't going to let her be confined to a domain like her parents had kept her. She was twenty years old, and turning twenty-one. She had the right to make her own decisions and go where she wanted to go, and no one was going to control her. She was her own self, and refused to be under anyone's thumb, let alone rely on someone else. Reliance and trust meant dependency, and there was no way in hell Jasmine was going to let herself become stupid enough to rely or trust someone completely ever again. Not after Dick's betrayal. She wasn't sure she could handle someone else she trusted to twist a knife in her back, so it was easier to just keep the majority of her faith and trust in herself.

She sped through the streets, though kept within the speed limit, since getting stopped by a police officer would be inconvenient, and she simply wanted to get this meeting done. Now that she thought about it, Jasmine hadn't seen Dick for ten months. Whenever she heard he was coming back to Gotham, she made sure to make her avoid any confrontations, and she was damn good at it too. The only reason they saw each other in November was because Alfred said that having a Thanksgiving dinner was mandatory. For everyone, even Bruce. That was the last time she ever saw him. A part of Jasmine wondered if Dick had changed at all in the ten months. While she didn't like to admit it, as much as she hated him now, she still had a few painful feelings for him. She supposed it was hard to redirect feelings like the ones she had expressed for him so long ago, and she wished they would disappear. It would make things, like seeing him, much easier that way.

Since Bludhaven truly wasn't that far from Gotham, thirty to forty-five minutes give or take, it didn't take her too long to make it. The address was already etched in her mind, though finding the apartment would be the problem. She had never been in the city before, let alone in any city or town other than Gotham. Being outside of the boundaries of the place she has lived in all of her life for the first time was thrilling, but it also made her wary. She had no idea where she was going, or where anything was for the first time since she learned the streets and building positions of her home city.

Jasmine searched the downtown area, eventually spotting what seemed to be a welcome center. That place should be able to direct her to where the apartment was. She parked the motorcycle then got off before walking in. It was nice…being able to walk out in the open without the fear of her face getting to her mother, who had gone even more insane after her father's death. The last time she saw her mother…Jasmine pushed the thoughts of it away. She didn't like to think back on that day.

Once she had entered the building, Jasmine had approached a woman behind a desk, who had brought out a map and showed her where to go to get to the location of the apartment. Thanking the lady, Jasmine then left, taking her own little map of Bludhaven just in case, before sitting on the motorcycle once more and started it off. Using the directions she had received, Jasmine soon found herself stopped before an apartment building. It wasn't anything grand, but it wasn't run down or anything either. The place easily blended in, and didn't draw any attention to itself, which was what she had expected it to be like.

Parking then turning the motorcycle off, Jasmine dismounted and pulled the helmet off of her head before placing it on the seat. The visit wouldn't take that long, and she would be gone within a few minutes. With the apartment key in hand, Jasmine walked up to the front door and paused before it, her heart starting to race even though she hated the very fact that it did. *After all this time, why do I keep reacting like this? It's not like I actually like him anyways.* She thought to herself in a kind of bitter defeat. Taking a deep breath, Jasmine pushed the key into the lock and turned it, hearing a small click. She then pushed the door open and stepped into the apartment.