(AN: This is the Sequel to Hunter of the Question. I want to thank The Lady Isis for the use of the following Characters: Rachel Grayson, Tia Drake, Benjamin Gordon, and Olivia Queen-Lance. I also want to thank my co-author JanaGirl123.) Reflections: Through the Looking Glass
Chapter Introduction
(Earth 12- Metropolis)
Gotham. The mere name made most flinch or shake their heads in a frightening acknowledgement. It was the city that made every other crime-ridden city look like a playground. Some even went so far as to venture it was more dangerous than the Hub.
In cities such as this, citizens more often than not donned masks and capes to protect their cities; defending their homes with everything they have.
One of these heroes known as the Hunter, a Gotham-based vigilante hell-bent on taking down the Mafia, was currently trying to avoid being shot.
Hunter, otherwise known as Halen Bertinelli, jumped out of the way of the small arms fire. What had started as a simple infraction between two criminal organizations had become a war in seconds. "Remind me not to harass Batwoman for not using serious weapons; they're nothing but a pain in the ass!"
"Hurm, I suppose that excludes your crossbow for some odd reason, correct?" A female voice teased.
Halen looked towards his wife, Victoria Charlene Bertinelli AKA the Question, carelessly throwing a kick into the face of a mob member.
"You got that right." Hunter laughed, throwing a punch at one of the Mafios.
Minutes later all laughter from the couple had ceased as the war became far bloodier than expected. "How you holding up, Q?"
Victoria looked up from wrapping her arm where a stray bullet had grazed her. "Fine, but I don't like where we are."
"Why?" Halen asked, ducking behind a dumpster and looking around. "It's just Metropolis." As per request from the League they were helping with the rising crime in the 'City of Tomorrow', no matter how disgustingly clean it was.
"This-This is Star Labs, they're connected to CADMUS and Luthor." She explained unhappily as she looked around their surroundings. "Nothing to be worried about. Anything CADMUS related makes me nervous."
Hunter felt a pang of sympathy as he remembered Q being captured and tortured by CADMUS, "Star Labs... Isn't that where Hamilton worked before she switched to CADMUS? I remember Clara telling me something about it. "
"Yes, although she'd been a double agent for the Cadre long before." Victoria nodded.
"Fuck!" Halen swore as they were forced to back up farther into the building. "Babe, how much longer until our back-up arrives?"
"It should have been here already." Question admitted, stepping back and raising her fists, "I don't know how much longer we can hold them off."
"Maybe if we-Gah!" Hunter grimaced as a beer bottle collided with his shoulder. Taking a few deep breaths, he looked up at his attacker and muttered, "You're dead."
"Says you!" The Mafio rebutted, whipping out his pistol in a flash and aiming it towards the leather-clad vigilante. "Die, freak!"
Hunter avoided the bullet and darted to the side, rolling on the ground and under a covered area as the man continued to fire at him. He searched aimlessly for Victoria, beginning to feel worry creep up in his veins.
"Swear they get better with every fight." Question panted as she slipped into the blind spot next to her husband, "Maybe they're part of the Conspiracy."
"Maybe." Halen nodded, deciding it was best to allow her to simply ramble on then try to explain how out there her theories were, "Shit, here they come. Ready for round two?"
She nodded and cracked her knuckles, "Always."
The couple leaped up and began to fend off the attackers; Hunter shooting them in the leg to wound but not kill them as Victoria turned into a blue blur of pain.
"Hey, we might actually win this." Hunter laughed as his arrow connected with one of the gang members shoulders, "Go figure."
Victoria opened her mouth to agree when she realized they'd been cornered against a control panel at the back of the room. Damn it!
"Maybe not." Halen muttered, taking a step back and placing a hand on the control panel behind them.
"Gateway activated, portal opening, warning... no set universe, warning... no set universe!" A robotic voice suddenly spoke from the walls.
"What the hell is that?" Halen yelled, grabbing Q and pulling her towards him protectively as the voice continued to warn them of an unknown danger.
"Well, factoring in the warning the speaker is giving and the design of the machine, I'd say that-" A bright light suddenly flooded the small space, cutting her off and pulling them closer to the wormhole in the center of the room.
Then they were gone without a trace.
(Earth 1 – Gotham – Narrows)
The sound of an explosion echoed through the alley as both Victoria and Halen fell onto the hard cement below them.
"Mm, Halen...?" Victoria groaned, blinking open her eyes and searching for her husband.
"Over here." He scowled, pushing over a garbage can and standing up. "What the hell just happened?" He asked, offering her his hand, "One minute we're in Metropolis and now we're in, uh..."
"Gotham, by the looks of it." Victoria explained, taking his hand and pulling herself off the ground.
"Gotham? How'd we get here?"
"While we were fighting off the mob in Star Labs you must have hit a button on the console behind us, thus transporting us out of our home universe and into another."
"Another universe?" Halen frowned, looking around, "It looks exactly the same as it always does. You sure it's not just another one of your theories?"
"Almost positive." Victoria nodded. She touched her communication device and heard static for a moment before faintly making out Nightwing's voice.
"Question! Hunter! Please respond!" Rachel Grayson yelled.
Victoria placed a finger on her COM-link and said, "We're alright, Nightwing. We seem to be in Gotham, but we're not sure if it's the right Gotham... Take care of Isabella, Franco, and Renee for us while we're-" The line suddenly died as static flooded through the small communication device.
"Perfect, just perfect." Halen growled, "Look, this place looks exactly the same as our Gotham. Let's look around first and make sure we're not home."
"Sounds good." Question agreed, gesturing for him to follow her, "It does look rather similar now that you mention it."
"There you are, Q! I-Huh?"
The couple turned to see where the voice had come from, searching in vain for the speaker.
The sultry voice began to speak once more from behind them, "Okay... You're not Q, so who are you?"
Question turned around to see Halen standing behind her, but it wasn't quite Halen. This Halen wore a different costume, a different mask, and more importantly was a different gender.
It was Halen if he was a woman.
"No... " Victoria murmured, staring at the other Halen, "Not the right Gotham..."
