Avery strolled to the gym slowly. She muttered a hello to Garfield as he passed, saying she would be happy to play some video games with him after training. With the storm going around Mt. Justice, anyone who wasn't a permanent resident was staying away from the zeta tubes if they could help it. With the zeta tubes transporting heroes in from all over the country, it'd be a bit difficult to get back home in the current conditions. So Garfield was a bit lonely, sure he could talk to Conner and M'gann all he wanted, but M'gann said she was busy and Conner had broken three controllers already. Actually, video games were a bit out of both of their reaches either way. So he decided to ask Avery to play, hoping she'd be semi-decent. With her promise in mind, Gar went off to do his own training with his animal encyclopedia.

Batman was ready and waiting in the gym. M'gann, curiously, was at his side. Avery walked in during the middle of their conversation. From what the Martian's last words were, Avery wasn't sure if she wanted to still be in the room.

"What do you mean 'delve into my mind'?" Avery questioned as she cautiously advanced on the duo.

"Today's training," Batman gruffly answered.

"Yeah, that helps a bunch," Avery quipped back.

M'gann interrupted the small stare down going on between the two, "What Batman means is, we're going to be setting up training simulations to help you in real world situations."

Avery sent a quick glare over to Batman, "Really now? And how might that not work?"

"We're going to set up situations given by Batman. You have to figure your way out."

"This will all be happening in my head?" Avery crossed her arms and quirked an eyebrow at the idea.

"Exactly, and the quicker we get started the quicker you get a lunch break," Batman indignantly pointed out as Avery was about to protest.

Avery pursed her lips and gave a stiff nod.

M'gann quickly ushered Avery over to a stack of mats set up off to the side of the room. "You're still going to feel the pain of a hit, but no real harm will be coming to you out here in the real world."

"Like that would be a real problem anyway," Avery smiled at the thought. She lay down as instructed none the less.

"Just relax; it'll be easier for both of us." M'gann put her hands on Avery's temples as the girl closed her bright eyes.

The last thing Avery heard was a faint murmur from Batman and feeling like she suddenly took a sleeping pill. Then she woke up in a dark alley.

There was barely any light and it looked surprisingly like Gotham. At the edge of the alley enough light was leaking in to see that she wasn't alone. Among the garbage and rats there was a small huddle of guys dressed in warm clothing, the only connecter to all of them was the same colored bandanas all of them were wearing in one place or another. Knowing perfectly well that the men were supposed to be a gang and most likely meant danger, Avery made for the exit.

But, of course, there had to be something. Just as she was about to make her way fully out a can crunched under her foot. One of the men, clearly the leader, turned around. He was easily a foot taller than Avery, measuring in around six feet and change. His light skin was marred by a scar under his right eye, both of his eyes looked like frozen chocolate.

His voice reminded Avery of a pack-a-day smoker. "Lookie over here fellas. This girlie came out to play with us."

Avery knew there was no point in screaming; it was Gotham, after all. A little voice in the back of her head, clearly not her conscience, was telling her that she'd be fine. Well, as long as she used her training.

"I did not mean to break up your party," Avery took another step back.

"Nah, you din't do none o' that. We always like ourselves anotha guest to our parties," another guy said as he approached. The gleam of his smile set Avery on edge.

"S'pecially such a nice lil' one like yous," yet another man said. A rat scrammed between his legs, to no one's notice but Avery's.

"This is going to have to go the 'hard way', huh?" Avery thought aloud. "Alright then," she then assured herself.

"Who's you talkin' to over there? Are ya wearin' a wire? You too young t' be a cop," The first man sneered out as his fingers twitched towards his jacket pocket.

The same voice from before called out in the back of Avery's mind, this time with more prominence, "Assess the situation. How many are there? Are they armed?"

Avery's eyes darted around and she spoke aloud, "Seven, no weapons as of yet."

"Seven's a lucky numba, but I don't know 'bout 'no weapons', girlie." The same guy as before stuck his twitching hand into his pocket and pulled out a closed knife. With a small flick of his wrist the three inch blade was out and shining in the dull light. Three of the men behind him took out similar looking knives. The remaining three pulled up their fists.

"Let's slice and dice, then go grab some grub. I'm starvin'," one of the last to pull out his knife called to the others. The look in his eyes made Avery think food wasn't the thing he was most hungry for at the moment.

"This is great, just positively great," Avery whispered to her raised fists as she readied herself for an oncoming attack. She backed out onto the street knowing full well that an enclosed space and sharp objects was a bad combination.

The men compensated for the new elbow room and spread out. One of the ones armed with only his fists lunged forward first. Avery grabbed his oncoming fist and twisted it back behind his back. She kicked the back of his knees and smiled as he went face down, perfectly satisfied with herself.

"Always the weaklings that go to prove themselves first. Next?" Avery questioned the other six.

The next guy to approach had a poorly trimmed beard slinking off his chin, knife in hand at the ready. Avery backed away as he took one swipe after another at her chest. He backed her up all the way to the other side of the road. Avery timed the next part around his swipes, she jumped and grabbed onto the ladder of the fire escape above her. Due to lack of maintenance, the ladder stayed sturdy and didn't slide down. Just as the last swipe passed her now higher legs, Avery kicked out and landed a heavy blow to the thug's chest. His knife skirted across the asphalt as his head hit the ground with a solid crack.

"Kitten's got claws," the leader whistled out in appreciation. He started turning around in a circle, looking Avery up and down.

"How about fists?" Avery lunged at him.

She had her arm at the ready to push the knife out of his hand. But she didn't count on the other hand going back into his jacket. At the last second she noticed the small bulge and thought every curse that could possibly come to mind. Too late into the movement, she fell right into the barrel of the gun he pulled out. While trying to move, the thug pulled the trigger. Avery felt the pain in full force and collapsed to the ground momentarily.

As she got back up to keep fighting the illusion around her shattered. Her eyes fluttered open to see a glaring Batman. The sting of a nonexistent bullet ate at her stomach.

Avery beat him to the punch, "I know, I should have noticed the gun."

Batman loosened his tense posture by a barely measurable amount. He turned to M'gann, still seated at Avery's head, and sent a stiff nod to her.

"Relax," M'gann muttered softly as she placed her hands back on Avery's temples.

Avery internally sighed as she slowly slipped into the mental oblivion again.

A/N: Yeah, here's a chapter. Basically, I wanted to work on diction and fight scenes. Thus this was born. Yeah, basically another filler. But I'd rather do these than rush through storyline progression too early. Have a nice day.

Read. Enjoy. Review.