Jason Todd, known to the underworld of Gotham as Red Hood, cursed like the thugs who were shooting at him. Their bullets hit the ground only inches at his feet and old stonework and tile shattered on both sides of him where bullets struck in the walls of the subway station. A few bullets bounced of his costume but, like Batman's, the suit could take more than its share of bullets. They still hurt like the devil though, and Red Hood felt a stitch in his side as he ran, ducked, dodged, kicked, punched, hammered, shot, stunned, immobilized, and beat down Penguin's goons.

He had planned to take down the gang once he had discovered Penguin had chosen to ignore his last warnings. Unlike Batman, Red Hood did not believe that crime could be one day expelled from Gotham, it was symbiotic to her now, part and parcel of the Gotham way. Some people romanticized it, some people hated it, and some people bore it but Gotham and crime went together like peanut butter and jelly or Batman and Robin.

After being resurrected in a Lazarus Pit, Jason had seen the folly of Batman's thinking; you couldn't save Gotham, you couldn't abolish crime and make Gotham a safe place to live, you had to draw a line and tell the thugs and gang lords and pimps and drug dealers where that line was and not to cross it.

And if they did, you killed them.

At least occasionally.

His new stance on killing had been a severing knife between him and the Batman. He had all but been excommunicated from the Batfamily, and on their last meeting, a dead rapist at Jason's feet, Batman had vowed to stop him.

So, technically, Jason was both avoiding Batman and dealing with the crime scum of Gotham but so what, he liked a challenge.

And currently, Penguin was giving him one.

"Three million dollars to the man that stops this red cowled buffoon!" Penguin yelled as he stayed back and shot at Red Hood from time to time. The thugs were all around Red Hood and Penguin, never the best of fighters, was keeping his distance and looking desperately for an escape.

Red Hood dropped to a crouch, avoiding a wide haymaker swing from a burly thug then sprang up with both arms extended, catching the man in the gut with dual fists and making him fly back into a knot of other gang bangers who all went sprawling to the ground.

Effortlessly pivoting his body to the left he lifted up his right leg in a side-kick catching a shorter thug in the face with the bottom of his boot while he laughed at Penguin. "Just three million? Penguin, I'm hurt. I heard Batgirl's head goes for at least two-hundred million these days."

"You're not a Bat!" Penguin snarled.

Jason winced. Penguin would never know how much that comment had actually hurt.

But, he did have a point.

"Wisely said, Cobblepot," Red Hood retorted as he finally leapt over the heads of the last standing thugs. He spun gracefully in the air and landed right in front of the Penguin. One hand grabbed the Penguin's umbrella gun, turning the barrel up to the sky while he smoothly unholster a gun with the other and jammed the muzzle under Penguin's double-chin. "I'm not a Bat so I'm not against blowing your bird-brains out and plastering them all over the wall."

Fear danced in Penguin's hateful little eyes. He tried to back away but his back was against the wall already and Red Hood's grip was iron on his gun, making it impossible to get out of his grip even if he could get away. The goons behind Red Hood all stood frozen, knowing well that they didn't dare charge in with a gun ready to shoot Penguin.

"Don't," Penguin gasped, the word almost a choked gargle with the cold muzzle of the gun against his neck.

"Don't worry Oswald, it was only a flight of fancy. I'm not really going to kill you," Red Hood assured him. "You're too valuable a pawn in this shit-hole of a town. A thousand other worse people than you will be trying to take your name and reputation. I'm giving you one more chance, but I'm scrapping this gang. Maybe your new thugs will listen better. And, while I'm at it, let's see how well you remember what I say next time after I shoot your knee cap off and–

Red Hood got no further as something, or someone, hit him from his right, taking him off his feet.

Red Hood yelped in genuine surprise and the gun went off just as he went falling, making the bullet fly by Penguin's head, missing him by inches. Defensively, Jason tossed back an elbow, instinctively going for a soft spot but the elbow was almost superhumanly avoided and the momentum kept going backwards, pushing him onto his back until his elbow hit the ground. Once he was on his back, he could see clearly just what had it him like a truck.

On top of him, hands pushing him to the ground, was the woman from the pit. After she had slain Angelo Marco in such a brutal fashion, Red Hood had left her to her escape. She seemed like she could take care of herself and he had provided suitable exit instructions while he took care of Penguin's goons. He had lost sight of her, thinking she had left after she had executed her foe Angelo Marco. He hadn't blamed her for the killing and knew that Angelo had had it coming. As much as he hadn't wanted him dead, he had thought that the woman was just trying to get back at the world that had done her wrong and would have run off after.

His mistake.

"Lady, I'm on your side!" Red Hood screamed as he tried to push her off but to no avail. She may have looked like a runway model but it felt like Killer Croc was holding him down. "I told you to run!"

The woman looked down at him, not with anger but with a hapless determination. It was then Jason realized his error. She hadn't been captured and she hadn't killed Angelo Marco out of terror for what he had been going to do to her. She had come down here willingly. Whatever he had seen with Penguin pointing the gun at her hadn't been what he thought it was. She was no damsel in distress.

"Excellent work, my dear," Penguin panted as he waddled up, his face and bulk looming into Jason's view. He had a scented handkerchief on his neck where Jason had pressed the muzzle of the gun hard against his skin and his umbrella gun was in the other hand.

More thugs were surrounding him now, their guns all pointed at him. His suit could take some bullets but not this many, this close range.

Penguin put the muzzle of his umbrella gun to Red Hood's covered forehead and smiled nastily down at him. "Three million, I said? Well, since I'll be doing the actual shooting, I suppose I'll keep a million for myself so I guess it's just two. Not that you'll care in moment. Farewell, Red Hood. I would say you've been a worthy adversary but that would be a gross overstatement of your abilities. You're no Batman, hell, you're not even Robin."

Penguin closed his un-monocled eye as if taking careful aim at Red Hood then began to pull the trigger.

Then the world exploded.

On the furthest side of the subway tunnel, the wall burst outwards, showering the old subway station with rock and debris. In the grimy lights, a figure moved towards them, his red and blue costume unmistakable.

Just as the figure was moving through the hole in the wall, a roar echoed down the abandoned tracks and the Batmobile zoomed into view, stopping just inches from the dead-end wall. Even though they weren't turned upon them, the bright lights of the Batmobile was enough to daze the closet thugs and all were left gaping in awe of the two who had suddenly appeared.

From the belly of Gotham had come Batman and from the wall had come Superman.

Jason managed to snap his head aside just in time for the bullet from Penguin's already unsteady hold on his umbrella-gun to miss him. It grazed his armored headpiece for which he was named but the shot hadn't killed him. He hadn't even heard the shot because of the noise, the sensors and scanners in the hood had told him of the grazing shot, warning him also that he could not sustain another of its like again.

"It's the Bat!" one thug cried out in horror.

"It's Superman!" another yelled out.

Penguin and his thugs looked from Superman to the Batmobile their frightened minds unable to decide which to focus on first. The girl on top of Jason looked only at Superman and her face had gone decidedly pale. The weight of her hands holding him down had lifted in the shock. To Jason, it looked like she was trying to decide if she could run and if so where too.

Using the moment of uncertainty and panic to his advantage, Jason wriggled from under the woman and scrambled to his feet. He quickly popped free his spare gun and pointed it at the Penguin. "I don't know what you two are doing here but I got this handled. Penguin is mine."

"We didn't come here for Penguin," Batman answered grimly. Jason hadn't seen how Batman had gotten out of the Batmobile but people rarely saw Batman when they didn't want him to.

Red Hood dared to turn a little to the Batman, only keeping Penguin in the corner of his eye. "What? Me? All of this because I kill bad guys?"

"We didn't come here for you either, son," Superman said, his voice disapproving and stern. Floating above the rubble, the subway trench, and over to the other platform, the man of steel passed by the thugs unmolested as he came to his feet in front of Kara. His arms were crossed and he slightly hovered above her, looking down disapprovingly.

No, that wasn't it, Jason corrected. He looked sad, distraught almost though he was trying to hide it.

"Are you hurt?" Superman asked the girl in Kryptonian.

Though Jason couldn't normally understand the language, he had stolen more than a little tech from the Batcave before he and Batman had fallen out. Some of it had come from JLA headquarters and he'd fitted the hood with the language translator chip that was Batman's own design. With the hood in place and connected with his brain stem, he could hear them as if they were speaking plain English.

"Not hurt," the girl replied in the same language. "Fine. All is good."

"It's not good," Superman said gravely, his eyes darting once to the Penguin before flashing back over to Kara. "These are bad people."

The girl tapped her chest with her hand. "My people. Saw your world, I did not understand. Found this one. Like mine."

"It's not yours," responded Superman, his voice nearly fringed with desperation. "This is a world of criminals. Those we fight against. I know new things are frightening but this isn't the world we strive to keep. I'll show you the world I see, I'll explain everything. Please, come with me. The authorities are on their way to deal with Penguin and his thugs. Let's get you back to the Watchtower."

The word "Watchtower" made the girl back away. She shook her head, fear and determination all dancing in her eyes. "No. I stay here. Not go back."

Superman paused, then said, "Fine, then we'll go to Metropolis. You don't have to go back to the Watchtower but we can't stay here."

"No," growled the woman. "I stay."

Though the woman had killed a man, a man who had actually deserved it, and she had nearly gotten Red Hood killed, something about this felt wrong to Jason. She was obviously scared of Superman and Batman was not taking control of the situation. Hell, Penguin wasn't even cuffed yet and while Superman wasn't treating the woman like a criminal it was obvious that he wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"The lady said she didn't want to go," Red Hood finally spoke up in English. Despite them being on opposing teams only minutes before he levered and arm out in front of the Kara and got between her and Superman.

Superman frowned at Jason, and he got the distinct feeling of disappointment from the man of steel. "This is a sensitive situation. We're not going to talk about it here." The man of steel looked over Red Hood's shoulder, back at Kara. "Please come quietly, I promise all this can be explained in a way that will make sense."

"No!" the girl shot back in Kryptonian.

Though only Superman, Red Hood, and Batman could understand her the meaning was clear.

Genuine pain lanced across Superman's face, a thing that Jason dreaded to see. Superman obviously didn't want to be doing this, but whatever or whoever the girl was was leaving him no choice. Jason had the urge to hug the man of steel, he seemed to be in a situation where he was damned if he did and he was damned if he didn't. Still, he couldn't simply let Superman take a girl who looked so frightened without explanation. Something still wasn't right here.

Red Hood stepped fully in front of Kara, blocking her from Superman. He knew he couldn't take him but it was the principle of the matter. Now that he had stuck up for her, he didn't feel like he could un-stick himself though he wished he could.

Superman responded by flying higher, easily going over Red Hood and landing in front of Kara. "I'm sorry it has to be this way," he replied sadly.

Jason turned just in time to see Superman put a hand on her shoulder to guide her away and just in time to see the thug Enzo bring up one of the fallen guns. You had to hand it too Gotham thugs, Jason thought, as Enzo pulled the trigger, they were stupid and couldn't fight for crap but they were loyal to their own.

The bullet was meant to be aimed straight for Superman's head but the shot was piss poor and glanced off of Superman's shoulders. It slid right across his impenetrable skin, moving along the length of his shoulders and struck itself into the mass of gasoline generators powering the lights of the subway station.

For the second time, the world in the abandoned subway station exploded.

Hot flames took Jason's breath away as each generator went up in a chain reaction. The heat was unbearable and Jason and the others of mere flesh and blood were thrown back by the force of the collective blasts. The ground heaved beneath them and stone fell like murderous hail from above.

Superman threw himself over as many people as he could to shield them from the bricks while Batman covered those closer with his heat proof cape to shield them from the inferno.

One blast then another and another and another rattled the subway until Jason felt as if the world was all heat and would never stop shaking.

But nothing lasts forever and when the explosions finally stopped and all the gas was eaten away by the flames, there was barely anything left of the subway station. Only two of the tiled pillars still stood, the stairs were buried in rubble, and the trench of the old tracks was filled with debris. In his dazed state, Jason wondered how he could see all the destruction with the lights no longer working, the he realized that the whole top the subway's roof was gone and bright morning sun was washing over them all.

"No…," Batman said from somewhere in the wreckage, making Jason's blood run cold. He could tell by Batman's voice alone when something was very, very wrong.

As Jason climbed to his feet from the wreckage, he saw Penguin and the thugs Superman had saved only a few steps away on another mound of rubble. They were shaken but unhurt.

Wondering where Superman was, Jason finally spotted him even further away, walking towards the girl. He wondered how she had managed to get out of there and not be in the same group as Penguin but the question was answered when, as Superman raised a hand to touch her arm, she punched him so hard he went flying halfway back to Metropolis.

In the dazzling Gotham sun, the girl was almost glowing until Jason realized that she was. For a moment her skin was a beautiful gold like her hair then went back to its regular color. Her eyes flashed brightly for a moment then they too went back to blue. The woman looked at her hands, as if unable to believe she had punched Superman so hard. Jason could understand her shock, he couldn't believe it. The only person he had ever seen punch Superman so hard had been Doomsday.

"Red Hood, get these people clear!" Batman's voice suddenly came to life unbidden in his hood. He hadn't given Batman the frequency for his radio but if anyone could gain access it would be Batman. "After that, get to Nightwing and help evacuate the city."

Years of training made Jason want to obey without question but he reminded himself that Batman had cut him off from the family and he was no longer Robin. He didn't have to take orders from Batman. "I'm not one of your blind sheep anymore, Batman," Red Hood snarled. "Don't bark orders at me. What's going on?"

"I'm initiating JLA code alpha."

Jason felt his heart rate quicken. Code alpha always meant a planetary threat.

Slowly, Jason's eyes narrowed on the girl still marveling at what she had done. "Who is she?"

There was silence.

"Batman, we're not playing this game. Fill me in so I know what's going on."

"You're not privy to that information," Batman replied grimly.

"You want me to leave these people here and go learn it from Batgirl, then? You know I will, Batman. I'll leave every one of them to rot," he threatened. They weren't exactly kids on a school bus. All of them were hardened criminals.

He knew things were bad when Batman didn't even attempt to call his bluff. "She's Superman's cousin," he replied quickly. "Been imprisoned in the Phantom Zone since she was born. Her abilities are incalculable at this moment."

Jason reeled at the revelation just as Superman came flying back. This time, there was no reasoning with her. This time he scooped her up and tried to fly her away. The girl, knowing what power she had now hit him again, breaking his grip.

Now she hovered in the air while Superman was sent flying a mile deep into the debris. The ground trembled as if Gotham was getting hit with a magnitude three quake.

"Jason, get moving!" Batman yelled in the hood.

This time, Jason dove into action in getting the thugs away. He didn't need any more explanation and didn't need to be told twice. He knew from experience what kind of emotions went through someone had when they had been let down, forgotten, and discarded. He knew from experience that when all the power came back, when helpless was no longer a reality, when you didn't have to be afraid anymore, what kind of damage a person could do. It warped you and twisted you and made you angry, and the girl floating in the sky just waiting for Superman to come out of the ground looked very, very, very angry.