"Arrow"

Chapter 1

Gotham City: the city that never sleeps from crime, or anything else for that matter. Criminals are constantly coming in and out of Gotham but always being defeated by the notorious Batman. It seemed like tonight would be one of those rare occasions however as Batman patrolled around the city in his jet. For once, nothing seemed out of the ordinary and there was no movement.

"See anything?" Bruce asked Batman over the intercom in his suit.

"Nothing; seems like the criminals are taking a break for once."

"Then head on back. It's getting late anyways and you have a test tomorrow." Bruce smirked from inside his cave, knowing Terry would rather be on patrol then studying for a stupid Chemistry test.

Batman sighed. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll head on back in a few after I circle the city one more time."

"Hurry back." Bruce urged.

Batman turned the intercom off and sighed again. He hated tests, especially ones he didn't study for.

He circled the city one more time and was about to head back when a screeching and penetrating alarm came from Gotham City Bank. Smoke was coming from the windows; an obvious sign there was a robbery in progress.

Batman smirked. "I knew this city couldn't go a night without causing some kind of trouble." He quickly turned the jet back and headed towards the bank.

He quickly landed the jet on the roof and barged the roof door opened. Running as silent as a mouse, he hid behind a pillar and could hear several men talking about the robbery.

"Man this was too easy!" A bulky man wearing a ski mask with a New York accent said as he whiffed the smoke away. He grabbed a laser gun and pointed it at a random wall. It hit the wall and quickly ate it away. A safe appeared behind it and the bulky man smiled.

"Hey, Smith! I found it." He called to one of his friends.

One of the robbers, wearing a black ensemble and ski mask nodded at the bulky man and then nodded at the rest of the men behind him. "Let's go." He said. The remaining six men obeyed and followed the other two men towards the safe.

Batman jumped from the top of the roof to the middle of the building and landed in the middle of a hallway. He never made a sound.

As the men got closer and hooked a small device to unlock the safe, Batman took one of his Batarangs from his utility belt to toss at the men.

Before he had a chance to throw it however, a light crash from the lower floor window echoed throughout the entire bank.

"What the-?" Batman asked. Was it another villain literally crashing the party or someone else?

All eight men turned towards the thing that crashed into the bank with their guns ready to shoot. This was not part of their plan.

A young woman, probably around the age of her early twenties, slowly got up from the crash and brushed off the glass from her body. She wore black combat boots, red tights, a short, black leather skit, and a black corset topped off with red, fingerless gloves that came up all the way to her elbows. A black mask that resembled a light, transparent blindfold masked this stranger's true identity. She smirked at them and retrieved a simple arrow from behind her back in her pouch.

The men immediately charged at her but the woman was faster than they anticipated. She shot six arrows at the six men who charged at her and each of them were pinned to the wall, instantly being shocked from the arrow's tip. They yelled in pain as the shock waves penetrated their bodies and then fell into uncounsionsness.

Batman gasped; this stranger was faster than he had anticipated too!

Smith and the bulky man bit down on their lips. In a matter of seconds their entire 'army' was defeated by the hands of this young woman and they were growing very frantic.

"Cashing in early, are we boys?" She asked slyly.

"You little-" Smith started to say as he shot his gun. But the woman dodged his bullets with ease and then shot an arrow at him. It also stuck him to the wall with his fellow villains and then shocked him.

The bulky man wasn't as ignorant as his other partners, but he might as well be. He threw the gun down and ran towards the safe. There was a nearby window before he actually reached the safe and he was going to jump through it.

Both Batman and the young woman ran after the man, but Batman was closest to him and reached him first. He threw his Bat-lasso which then tied the bulky man's feet and made him fall. He tried to escape and wiggled like a fish out of water.

"I don't think so." Batman replied, folding his arms.

The young woman approached Batman and the man and smirked. Her job was done, and she was satisfied. "Next time, think before you act." The man gave her a death glare.

Batman held out his hand. "Uh, thanks for helping me out." He smiled, always happy to know a fellow heroine. Then he studied her complexion. Her porcelain face was like a child's own; but with a thick, black scar over her right eye. Her dark, brown hair reminded him of silk, too delicate to touch.

The young woman shook his hand. "I didn't know the great Batman was still around."

Batman chuckled. "He isn't, well, not in the suit at least. I'm the new Batman."

She nodded, not as impressed anymore. "I was wondering why you looked so young."

The young woman picked the bulky man up and put him on top of her shoulders, carrying him outside.

"So, who are you?" Batman asked as he followed her outside.

"Arrow." She smiled at him and stood right outside the bank. "Which way to jail?" she asked. Batman pointed to the right and before he could ask her anything else, she was gone.

"…Nice to meet you." He said in the distance.