Avenging Justice:

Two Worlds Collide

Part VIII

Earth, New Jersey, Gotham City

The Gotham City Police were surrounding the Gotham Museum of History. Inside one of the guards stood behind the fallen cage protecting the Heart of Gotham. Laying on the floor, was the shattered case that had been protecting it, and a note in flirty cursive. Beside the writing was an artistic catspaw.

Commissioner Gordon looked around where Batman had told him to expect the real gem to be hidden. Meanwhile at Gotham Harbor, Catwoman pulled the real gem out of her bag. She hadn't wanted to double cross Batman, but she just couldn't take the chance. Trusting Batman was one thing, and she truly wanted to believe in his infallibility. While many criminals believed him an ever-present force of nature, she knew him to be just a man.

She just had to wait. Down below the minions of the Ten Rings swarmed around the dock. Rented by the Mandarin Import Materials and Sundries Corporation, during the day they brought in and traded materials. At night, the more illicit goods would come in, under the eyes of the harbormaster. The harbor agents were of course bribed, at least the ones they needed to. If there was one thing that screamed Gotham City, it was bribable officials.

Inside a cargo container, several girls huddled in the darkness. One special girl was whimpering, wishing she still had her bear from the Bast Youth Home. It was really warm and cuddly, made her think of better times.

Her parents weren't dead, but they weren't present any longer. She wasn't sure why they had turned to the poison that had overtaken them, but soon they had changed. Where once there were loving, but perpetually broke parents, replaced with monsters. What meager things they afforded before, disappeared. Things they had bought for her, vanished, and they had moved from apartment to apartment. Even then, it wasn't till they didn't come back, that she had headed for the streets.

Ms. LeStrange had found her and brought her to the Bast Youth home. There a beautiful woman came by, and it was she who had given her the bear. The woman's green eyes were kind, and the girl really liked this woman. Ms. LeStrange had called her Ms. Kyle.

"It'll be okay," one of the other girls said. She was older, a teenager, probably around fifteen years old. "Just stick close to me, we'll get out of this."

The girl wasn't sure. She liked the yellow long coat the older girl wore. The pinkish sunglasses on her head looked more like a visor, than glasses. Beyond that her black hair was cut short, and she had a tendency to chew bubble gum. Where she kept getting the gum, nobody could figure out.

"Hey, little one, I'm Jubilee," the teenager said. "What's your name?"

"Carrie Kelley," the girl said.

"We're going to get out of this," Jubilee said, putting her most cheerful expression on. She didn't feel the words, but little Carrie needed something to believe in.

Outside several guards stood at their posts. Ones with guns waited impatiently, knowing that if the girls tried to escape, they were to shoot. The Ten Rings would get a fortune for all of them, but only a smaller fortune if some didn't make it. Use of violence would keep them in line, and then there ways if that didn't help.

One bored watcher sat felt his sniper rifle hang by his waist. He could still pull it up and aim before anyone would have a chance. Whether that chance was someone infiltrating or escaping, it didn't matter. He could hit a target the size of a fly from almost any distance. He even bet he could beat Bullseye in a contest.

He wouldn't get that chance, at least not for a while. Before he knew it, the watcher found himself being thrown from his tower. He didn't get to scream as something wrapped around his leg immediately arrested his descent, and with great pain, sent him into the side of the tower. He would wake up later with a dislocated leg, concussion and a temporary sensitivity to light.

Another found herself forced to the ground, and into unconsciousness. Tied up and gagged, when she woke back up, she wouldn't be able to warn anyone. The next two sentries were taken down just as quickly. The Batman had to keep moving, he needed to have things going before those sentries failed to check in.

Inside the cargo container, Carrie and Jubilee heard it when everything became pure chaos. The teen pulled the girl closer, and pushed the other girls into the corner. Outside guns went off, and their captors began to scream in terror. Calls of "the demon" and "It's the Bat!" rang out all around the container.

Jubilee couldn't see the outside, but one of the guards turned their gun onto the container. That guard was flung up into the air as a dark shape descended. Batman took out another guard, then popped a smoke bomb from his belt. Inside the billowy smoke, another five guards went down. Terror had come calling for the members of the Ten Rings.

Catwoman saw her contact, jumped down to the sleazy looking man, "Where is my girl?" To accentuate her point, she pushed the man against the car he was standing by. "If you have hurt her, you will see me in your nightmares!"

"Better let me go, Sweetheart," the sleazy man said. "It would be a shame if something happened to the little girl."

Catwoman reluctantly let him go. She reached into her bag and pulled out the gem. She still felt bad about misleading Batman. He really was a good guy; a scary, haunt you in your nightmares, good guy. She'd make it up to him, some day.

"You just better make sure she isn't harmed," Catwoman growled. She pulled the Heart of Gotham from her bag, "This is what you wanted. Release her now, and I don't want to see you coming after any of my girls again. Do we have an understanding?"

The sleazy man thought he had all the power in these negotiations, "Listen Little Cat, we say when this is over. You did good with this, but we need several other things 'acquired.' You want your little girls' home kept safe, you'll just need to be a good little cat. You can do that, can't you?"

Just as Catwoman was deciding if she wanted to put her fist through his smug face, the fireworks started. The smug man turned just as the gunfire erupted, reached into his coat for his phone. She smiled, knowing that was the signal she had been waiting on.

Before he even got the phone to his head, she struck him thrice with her kicks. The first took his breath away, the second made him see stars, and the third was personal. He fell, clutching between his legs and eyes rolling up into his skull. The driver inside the car got out with his gun out, only for Catwoman's whip to relieve him of it. She struck him again, wrapping the whip around his neck. A quick yank, sent the driver forward and into a well placed punch. He joined the other man as Catwoman hurried toward the gunshots.

Inside the container, Jubilee braced herself as the door lock clanked open. Pulling up her power, she was ready to make fireworks appear in front of whomever stepped through. Behind her, the other girls cried out in terror. This wasn't what she had expected from life, but then again, she hadn't expected to have to flee home. She'd fight though, maybe one of them would get out safely, even if she didn't.

A young man in red and green stepped through the door. Jubilee shot out her power, and the young man raised up his cloak. The underside was yellow, but the outer side was pure black. It did its job of protecting him from her attack, but he didn't immediately go after her. Instead the young man in red tunic and green leg armor, with a golden "R" on his chest, cracked a joke.

"Well that is not the welcome I expected," he said with a grin. "Alright, sparkly fingers, let's get you and the others out of here."

Jubilee wasn't convinced yet, "Who are you?"

"I guess introductions are in order," the young man spoke gently. "I'm Robin, I'm here to rescue you. Now, ladies, if you please. We want to move before the goon squad returns."

"Who?" Jubilee didn't recognize the name.

Robin was already shuffling the girls behind her, "Less talking, more walking. We're here to get you out."

"Who is we?" the teen girl asked again.

Robin gave her his best smirk, "Do you want to ask this here, where people are actively trying to hold you, or risk trusting me?"

As if to argue her point, she inhaled, but let it out. He was right, he was offering her and the others a way out. She still didn't trust him, but at least now they had an out. If he led them astray, she could still fight for the others. However, the other girls seemed more at ease with this, "Robin."

She stepped out to carnage. All around her were the bodies of their captors, and it took a moment to realize they weren't dead. She ran to keep up with the young man, and nearly screamed as a black bat shape flew through the air. She pointed her hands at the shape, only for Robin to stop her.

"He may be scary, but he's on your side," Robin said. "Now come on, we won't have much time."

He led her away, and towards where police lights now illuminated the foreground. All the girls ran harder, reenergized by the thought of safety. As they did, one of the Ten Rings people that Batman hadn't taken care of, went to intercept them. Robin leaped up, flipped in the air and hit the man with a flying side kick.

The man fell, but it took a left hook to take the man out for good. Meanwhile Jubilee led the girls to where the police were setting up. However, she stopped short. She couldn't afford the police putting her into the system, or looking for her in the system. People like her didn't do well with the system.

Next to her, Carrie Kelley had stopped too. Jubilee saw the same fear in the other girl's eyes, that must have been in her own. Was this girl a mutant too, or was there another reason that she was afraid of the police? Well, Jubilee couldn't judge if that was the case. Goodness knows that everyone had their reasons for being who they were.

"Do you have family to go back to?" Jubilee asked.

Robin came up before the girl could speak, "Listen, I am to get everyone to the police. They'll get you warmed up and taken care of."

Jubilee turned and put a finger into the middle of Robin's chest, "You may have gotten out of a scrape, but that don't make you a friend. Leave us alone!"

"You're new," a curious feminine voice said. "I didn't know Batman had partners."

"Catwoman!" Carrie squealed. She instantly ran over to the woman and embraced her hard.

"Well, I'll just be going then," Jubilee said. Turning to Robin, "Thank you for getting us out again."

Before she got three steps away, the dark shape of Batman materialized in her path. Jubilee jumped back, but didn't have time to shoot off her lumikinetic powers. A gloved hand gripped her arm hard, but just enough to stun her into inaction. The stony visage and black cowl didn't help her nerves at all.

"Robin, you did good," Batman said, never letting his eyes leave Jubilee. "Get back to the Cave." He loosened his grip on Jubilee's arm, "You produce lumikinetic emissions, similar to fireworks, interesting. You shouldn't be on the streets in Gotham, it's not safe."

Behind Jubilee, Carrie had found her voice, after a night of being terrorized, "Leave her alone! She helped me."

Catwoman hugged the girl, "Don't worry, she's not in trouble." To Jubilee she said, "Listen, let us take you to the Bast Youth home. There you can get a good meal, and a warm bed for the night."

Jubilee looked back and forth between Batman and Catwoman. She wasn't sure, but it had been a long day. She was tired, and she had to admit her last good meal was a few days ago. All she needed was a place to stop and think about her next move.

"No cops," she said weakly.

Catwoman smiled, "No cops."

"What about the demon man there?" Jubilee asked, only to realize Batman was gone. "What the…"

"You'll get used to that, if you stick around," Catwoman explained.

She led the girls away from police, and towards a nondescript car. Inside was Ms. LeStrange. Carrie ran up to her, and the older woman hugged her tightly. Seeing Jubilee off to the side, she pulled her into the embrace as well. Catwoman left them, but watching from the distance as the three got into the car. Soon the car disappeared, and she was left alone, mostly.

"Gordon told me you stole the real deal," Batman said behind her.

She turned to face him, ready for anything except for his understanding look. Which with only half of his face showing, was impressive. Her protests immediately fell away, and she was left with looking sheepish. Once more, she didn't like how it made her feel. She was used to worrying about only one person's approval, her own.

"I told him where to find it," Batman said.

Catwoman was confused, "I have it right here." She pulled the gem out of her bag, and held it up for him to see.

"Look closer," he said.

As she did, she let out a curse, "You swapped the real one for one of your fakes! Didn't you trust me?!"

"Yes," Batman answered. "I trusted you to do what was needed to protect who you care about."

Catwoman deflated, she was tired, "So where does this leave us?"

Batman said, "We're good. Let me give you a ride."

She smiled, "Do you always take ladies for rides in your hotrod car?"

He didn't answer, but soon the Batmobile was right under them. Both got into the car and he drove off. One night was down, but things in Gotham City always changed. New enemies had been made, something had changed though. A family was being born slowly, what was to come nobody could see. Not even with Superman's enhanced vision.