Chapter 1

There was another bright flash of light, and Azalia found herself in a dark alley. She smiled and looked down at her watch.

"Wow," she whispered, "this thing really works. You rule, Alex. Now…to get this mission started."

The young woman could hear the sounds of fighting nearby and assessed the situation. She knew which villains the members of the Justice League of America were fighting at this exact time and place. This was one of their biggest battles, against a specific group of super villains: Prometheus, Dr. Polaris, Bane, and Deathstroke. The outcome was obvious, of course; the Justice League would win this fight. But Azalia knew why Alex had chosen this time to send her back to: the victory came at a price. Many civilians would be killed before the heroes would be able to stop the four villains. This, in turn, would damage the credibility of heroes, which would eventually lead to the metahuman rebellion that would become Azalia's world. This very battle was the one that would begin what Azalia was trying to put a stop to.

Machine gun fire caught her ears as Deathstroke ran into her field of vision. His weapon was aimed at the rooftops, his back to her. Following his gaze, Azalia caught sight of a shadow running across the roof of a nearby building just ahead of the bullets.

"Batman…"

Deathstroke turned toward her at the sound of her whisper and smirked. He ran over to her, got behind her, restrained her, and pulled a knife from its sheath to hold it to her throat.

"Well, well…look what I've found…" He turned again at the sound of boots hitting the pavement behind him to be met by an icy glare.

"Let her go, Deathstroke. Your fight is with me."

"No, you're mistaken. Your fight's with him."

Before Batman had time to react, he was in Bane's grasp. The huge bulk of a man held him tightly, crushing his bones, and no matter how much Batman struggled, he couldn't break free.

"You remember this, don't you?" Bane laughed, lifting Batman over his head. "Now it's time for the pain."

"I don't think so." Azalia lifted her foot and kicked Deathstroke hard in the shin, causing him to drop his knife, but he held onto her tight. But that was all she really needed. The young woman swung her head back, breaking her captor's nose. He released her to clutch his face, and she hit him square in the chest with a palm strike, shattering his sternum. Deathstroke staggered back and fell to his knees, gasping for breath with one hand clutching his burning chest, the other his bleeding nose.

Without skipping a beat, the girl spun around and used that momentum to deliver a strong side kick to Bane's stomach. The villain doubled over, dropping Batman. But the girl still didn't let up. She delivered several precise blows, hitting pressure points exactly. Bane collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Straightening up and dusting herself off, the young woman turned to where Bane had dropped Batman to find him gone. She looked around, searching the shadows, but couldn't see him anywhere. Then, turning back to Bane, she nearly jumped, finding herself staring at the Dark Knight's chest. She looked up at his face to meet the cold glare that would have caused most criminals to run crying for their mommies.

"Who are you?"

"A friend."

"Right. Well forgive me if I don't throw myself at your feet in gratitude. What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help."

"I don't think so. You're not going to be much help."

Suddenly, she pulled a dagger from its sheath at her side and whipped it out in front of Batman's face. Only when he heard the sound of metal hitting metal did he realize she wasn't trying to hurt him. A small dart dropped to the ground just in front of him after hitting the shiny blade.

"Well, well," a voice said from the shadows. Azalia noticed the glint of light bouncing off metal. "Batman. Who's your resourceful little girlfriend?"

Batman growled. "Prometheus. Surrender now and you won't get hurt."

That elicited a laugh from the villain. "You think you can hurt me? You can't. You may have found a flaw in my system last time, but no more. I'm perfect now."

Azalia listened silently, unnoticed as she pulled a small crossbow from the belt at her waist. She pointed it at Prometheus' neck and fired, the small dart flying at him noiselessly. It connected, easily slicing through the armored lining, and sunk into his flesh. For a moment, he stared at her, wide-eyed, and then toppled over, unconscious. Batman turned to the young woman and glared at her.

"Chloroform dart," she said coolly. "He should be out for a few hours." Returning the crossbow to her belt, she looked at Batman silently, waiting for him to say something.

But he didn't. His eyes narrowed slightly and he turned. Azalia knew that this was how he was, this was his personality, how he treated everyone. But she still secretly hated it. She wished he'd talk to her…

"So, Dr. Polaris is running wild." She'd said it as a statement of fact rather than as a question. She was trying to get some reaction out of him. Still, nothing. She sighed. "I can help you stop him, too."

Finally, the Dark Knight turned to her again. "Get out of here, kid. You're going to get yourself hurt."

Azalia crossed her arms over her chest, matching his glare perfectly. "I'm not going anywhere. Like I said, I'm here to help."

She watched as he set his jaw, his glare growing more intense. But still, she refused to move. Maybe if she showed him she was just as stubborn as he was, then he'd agree to let her stay. Of course, he could get pretty stubborn…

"Look, Batman…" she began again, rolling her eyes, "I'm staying whether you like it or not. You can't make me leave."

His eyes narrowed. "You'd be surprised." His hand flew out to grab her arm, but was blocked by an all-too-familiar back-fist, just the kind he used; motions in a mix of judo, tae kwon do, and jujitsu. Suspicion marked his features.

"I can block anything you can dish out, Batman." Azalia smirked, reveling in the confidence in her own voice. "You're going to need my help."

"This isn't your fight. Stay out of it."

"Look, we can stand around here all day arguing, or we can help your friends with Dr. Polaris," the girl yawned. "Your choice. Personally, I don't care either way." She was trying to play the bored teenager part, but it wasn't going over so well…

Batman stared at her for a few more moments, as if considering her. Then he turned. "I don't have time for this." He pulled out his grappling hook and shot off to the roof of a nearby building, and lifted off the ground. Azalia watched him go, awe-struck.

"Well, Alex was right about one thing," she whispered to herself, reaching into her own belt for a grappling hook. "He's pretty darn stubborn." She shot the line after Batman, landing silently on the roof behind him. He was crouched low, looking out over the city. Azalia would have waited for him, but she wanted to prove herself; she retracted the grappling hook and shot the line to the next building, not waiting for a reaction from the Dark Knight before swinging through the air to land on the roof. She looked out over the city, catching sight of what she was looking for.

Two blocks away, Dr. Polaris was giving the other Leaguers a run for their money. The only thing protecting them was the red ball of plastic around them: Plastic Man. Azalia nodded quickly to herself. When she spotted Dr. Polaris, her hand immediately went for the crossbow attached to her belt while her other hand reached into one of the small slots and pulled out a single small dart. Azalia loaded the dart into the crossbow, aimed carefully, and fired. The miniature missile shot through the air with only the faintest whistling, but it was loud enough that it was practically daring Dr. Polaris to look in its direction and stop it.

And he did look, but too late. The dart found its mark in the side of his neck and emptied its load of enhanced anesthesia. The villain fell to the ground, unconscious.

Plastic Man released the other Leaguers from the protective ball he'd made himself into and looked around. Azalia decided it was as good a time as any to make her first move. She jumped down from the roof she was standing on, catching the air with her cape to slow her descent, and landed with a forward roll to slow her momentum. The young heroine then slowly stood up in front of the Leaguers, standing just behind Dr. Polaris' unconscious body.

"Hey, who's the kid?" Plastic Man asked, looking around at the other Leaguers for an answer. When all they did in reply was shake their heads, they all looked at Azalia again. She opened her mouth to speak, but stopped at a harsh voice behind her.

"That's what I'd like to know." Batman's voice was so close, Azalia judged he was only a few inches away from her. "Who are you?"

She refused to show any weakness, shock, or nervousness when she replied. "My name's Azalia Gabriel. I'm an eighteen-year-old graduate from Harvard University with a degree in modern arts and science. I also majored in martial arts instruction, English, Latin, and Greek." She turned to look at Batman. "Enough information for you, detective?"

His eyes were narrowed, his lips pressed together tightly. She knew she'd gotten to him. Good.

"Hey, thanks for the help, kid," Plastic Man said, breaking the strained silence. "How'd you beat Dr. Polaris like that?"

"A plastic dart with my own sleeping formula in it," she replied, turning back to the Leaguers. "He'll be out for a couple of hours at least. Same with Prometheus. As for Bane and Deathstroke, the former will wake up with quite a headache, and the latter will be in need of medical attention when you get him to prison. They'll both be out for an hour or two."

"You defeated all four of them on your own?" The Flash was obviously quite shocked. When she nodded, he continued. "Gosh, you'd give Batman a run for his money."

The vigilante grunted from behind her, making her smirk. "Thanks, Flash. Anything else I can help you guys with?" She looked around at the faces before her: Superman, the most beloved hero of this time; Wonder Woman, a symbol of truth and women's rights; Plastic Man, the comic relief of the group; the Flash, the fastest man alive; Green Lantern, member of the crime-fighting group of the same name throughout the universe, stationed in Earth's sector; the Martian Manhunter, telepath and detective of sorts, very understanding thanks to his uniqueness on this planet; and finally, the Dark Knight standing behind her, cold, suspicious, and untrusting. These were the ones she had to save. These were the ones she was fighting for.

"What you can do is stop getting in our way." Batman brushed past her and headed for the Batwing, his cape flapping behind him. Azalia marveled at the gracefulness of his movements; he walked to smoothly, it was almost as if he was floating like some sort of black ghost. He slipped into the Batwing and took off, disappearing into the black night sky.

"Ah, don't worry about him," Green Lantern said, approaching Azalia and holding out a hand to shake. "He's like that with everyone. Thanks for your help."

Azalia took his hand and shook it with a smile. "No problem. But Batman's right. I wouldn't want to get in your way. I should get going, anyway." She turned to go, but stopped when a gentle hand touched her shoulder. Looking up at Superman, she couldn't help but be shocked. This was the Man of Steel, arguably the strongest man on Earth, and yet his touch was so gentle, so much like she remembered her dad's to be…and those caring blue eyes…and that understanding smile…

"You don't have to go because of Batman. We'd like to properly thank you."

"I appreciate that, but I've really got to…get back to my hotel. But thanks anyway. Oh, and Green Lantern? Watch yourself tomorrow." With that, she ran into a dark alley, disappearing from their sight.

"Azalia pulled out her grapple and used it to get back to the alley she dropped her pack in. She then made her way to the train station, changed out of her costume and into something casual, and bought a one-way ticket to Gotham City.

The train ride was a relatively short one. Azalia neither drank nor ate, and conversed with no one. She spent her time reading a red, leather-bound book that was actually rather plain-looking, but she was completely wrapped up in it. Only when the train came to a stop did she look up from her book. Standing up, she returned the book to her pack and got off the train.

Within minutes she reached a small grocery store, where she planned to stock up on supplies. But she never got the chance. Outside the store, she saw an elderly man struggling with each arm full of paper grocery bags.

"Excuse me, sir. You seem to be having a bit of trouble with those bags. Want some help?"

"Thank you, miss. I would greatly appreciate your assistance." He had a heavy British accent, and as Azalia got closer to him, she realized he was dressed in a butler's uniform. She took all the bags from him except one; he insisted that she not do all the work. Stopping next to a black Rolls Royce, the man loaded the groceries into it and then turned back to Azalia.

"Wow, nice car," she said with a smile. "Anything else I can do to help?"

"I believe I can handle things from here, miss…?"

"Azalia Gabriel."

"Miss Gabriel. Thank you for your help. Not many young adults would have taken the time to offer a helping hand to an old man."

"It was nothing. I'm glad I could help. And I don't want to be keeping you, so I'll get going. Nice meeting you, mister…hmm. I didn't ever get your name."

"Alfred Pennyworth." He smiled a bit and shook her hand.

"Mr. Pennyworth. That's a true British name if I've ever heard one. Well, it was nice meeting you, Mr. Pennyworth. Take care." She turned to leave, but stopped when Alfred touched her arm.

"Please, Miss Gabriel. Gotham City is a dangerous place after dark. I would be happy to give you a ride to your destination."

"I would, but I'm not exactly sure where I'm going yet. See, I'm from…out of town. I'll have to find a hotel or something."

"That is a rather unwise decision. The hotels here are mostly run by criminals. I'm quite sure Master Bruce would offer you a room at Wayne Manor, if you would care to come with me."

Azalia blinked. "…Wayne Manor? Bruce Wayne? Really?"

"Naturally. Now come along, I insist."

"I…I don't know…I don't want to be any trouble…"

"It's no trouble at all, I assure you." He opened the door for her. "Please, Miss Gabriel."

Azalia chewed her bottom lip uncertainly. What should she do? Yeah, Batman didn't trust her. And yeah, he'd probably get mad when he found out it was her. But she didn't care anymore. She was in this new place, this new world, where no one expected anything of her; shouldn't she get to have a little bit of fun and do what she wanted to do?

"All right, Mr. Pennyworth. If you insist." She got into the Rolls Royce, holding her pack in her lap as she buckled up and waited for the butler. He got in on the driver's side and started the car.

"Alfred, if you please, miss. I would appreciate if you would be slightly less formal. You are, after all, a young adult." He smiled broadly and started the Rolls Royce down the street, on its way outside of the city.

As the car rolled down the road, the two conversed. Azalia felt comfortable around Alfred, even though she had just met him. He was easy to talk to, as she was sure everyone found out. And he was so wise and intelligent…she hoped Alfred would help her when she met Mr. Wayne…

Before Azalia knew it, they had reached Wayne Manor. It was a huge mansion, dark and dismal in the night, but it had a familiarity about it that the young woman liked. In no time, she was helping Alfred carry the groceries to the front door.

"I'm sure Master Bruce will be happy to see you here. He doesn't meet many accomplished young women like yourself."

"Well, I hope you're not suggesting that I date him," Azalia laughed. "I think I'm a bit young."

She was surprised when Alfred laughed, as well. "I suppose you're right, naturally. But he'll be happy to meet you."

"Gosh, I hope so," she muttered under her breath as Alfred opened the door.

"Master Bruce? I have returned with the groceries…"

A tall man with black hair, deep blue eyes, and a five o'clock shadow came down the large staircase in the main hall wearing a bath robe. Even unshaven, it was obvious why he was the most eligible bachelor in the United States.

When Bruce Wayne caught sight of Azalia, he stopped dead in his tracks. For a few moments, he just stared at her, as if disbelieving. Then, his eyes narrowed a bit.

"You……"