Chapter 10

To his credit Calculator's information had been good. No sooner had they reached the location he had provided for them did Red Hood and Huntress see well over a dozen men armed with guns that ranged from military-grade to something much more advanced, several of them hauling in large boxes that were no doubt filled with the kind of hi-tech (and illegal) weapons and technology Intergang was notorious for poaching and re-selling when they weren't using it themselves.

As to the weapons themselves, much of it was outside Huntress and Red Hood's realm of knowledge, but the two did see some weapons and tech they'd seen before, with the latter having remembered members of the League of Assassins sometimes using them when something a bit more...destructive than rank-and-file ninjas were required. Huntress for her part had seen some of the weapons before from footage she'd seen of Superman's battles with the gang. That they sometimes had weapons capable of actually hurting the Man of Steel ensured that Huntress for one didn't fancy her and Jason's odds against them in a straight up fight. And though she couldn't easily read her "partner" thanks to his appearance, Huntress suspected that he agreed with her. Stealth and strategy would be better.

But there was something else about the whole business that Huntress didn't like. She remembered how Calculator had mentioned that the Intergang thugs were likely in Cobblepot's corner of Gotham to do business with him. But as Huntress and Red Hood continued to watch the Intergang goons go about their work, neither one saw any of Penguin's men there. Huntress decided to point this out to Red Hood.

"Might be on their way" he pointed out.

"If that's true then I'm thinking we should get rid of these guys as fast as we can. That way we'll only have to worry about Cobblepot's crew, assuming they even show"

"They will if Intergang's really dealing with them. Penguin's not one to pass up some nice new weapons whenever they're on the market. Least of all stuff that can hurt Superman"

Huntress nodded and then she and Red Hood set about the task of picking the Intergang goons off one by one. Sticking to the shadows and isolating the thugs carrying the most dangerous looking weaponry, the two vigilantes employed every trick and tactic they could think of to split the grunts up and get them alone, at which point the pair could effortlessly take them out from the shadows no matter how powerful their weapons were.

As their numbers began to thin the Intergang thugs became more and more tense, They decided to split up and divide themselves even more in the hopes of flushing their targets out. Ironically this made it even easier for Huntress and Red Hood to continue their striking from the shadows. Had the fools stuck together and refused to divide themselves the vigilantes would have been hard-pressed to defeat them.

Finally, only one was left, and then not even when Huntress grabbed him from behind and slammed his face into a cargo crate to knock him out. As his body crumpled to the floor, Huntress couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction at how she and Jason had taken these men out with as much skill as Bruce ever had.

"No bad babe" Red Hood acknowledged as he observed their handiwork. "You might actually have potential after all"

Huntress frowned at Red Hood's mockingly referencing her inferior fighting ability, but said nothing. Instead she made her way to one of the storage crates and forced it's lid open. Inside she saw more of the same kinds of weapons the Intergang thugs had been arming themselves with, along with a few others. That said Huntress wasn't surprised if Intergang was also saving all the very best technology for themselves. Made sure everyone remembered who the top dogs were.

But as Huntress knew from experience, big guns didn't make big men.

"So what do you think we should do with these now?" Huntress asked.

"Well, I think I'm going to keep some of them for myself and use the rest to bribe the scum that wants it"

Huntress' eyes widened in pure horror. "Are you insane?"

"No, if I was insane I would take all of this junk, go straight to the Batcave and try and blow it up. Trust me I know what I'm doing. It's a trap, and this stuff's the bait"

Huntress nodded as she began to get an inkling as to what Red Hood was planning. But it was what he planned to do with the rest of it that got her attention more.

"I'm not sure I like the idea of you running around with weapons powerful enough to hurt Superman"

"What, you think I'll actually try and take a shot at Superman?"

"I don't really know what you'll do, and that's what concerns me"

"Well either way we need to get this stuff out of here before these idiots wake up and try to stop us from taking their toys."

Huntress nodded silently and she and Jason set about gathering up the weapons caches and also the unconscious goons discarded weapons and putting them all on the trucks. Then they got into the trucks and drove off in them.

-X-

Penguin received the call a good thirty minutes after the Intergang thugs failed to meet their deadline. Almost pitying whoever happened to be on the other end, Penguin snatched up his phone and all but shouted into it: "Hello? Who is this?"

"Shame about those weapons huh Cobblepot?"

Penguin blinked and raised an eyebrow in shock as the other voice said this. "Who is this? How did you know about the weapons?"

"Because I took them. I still have them, and if you still want them you're gonna be paying me instead of Intergang."

"And how do I know you're not bluffing me?"

"If that's how you feel I can always sell them to someone else who wants them."

"Now hold on just a minute" Penguin snarled. You're playing a dangerous game mister. Nobody crosses me without ending up at the bottom of the bay."

"Hey if you pay up you get your weapons. What does it matter who you get him from?"

Penguin paused to consider this. "I suppose it doesn't ultimately. I never cared much for out-of-towners like Intergang anyway. Where are the weapons?"

"The Docks. Come with only a few of your men or not at all."

And then before Penguin could give any kind of reply the line went dead. Frowning, Penguin set his phone down and swiveled in his chair. That someone had the nerve to steal from him and then try to cut a deal with him left the mob boss tensing up and gripping the armrests of his chair tightly. By this point Penguin knew he wasn't being bluffed either. The man on the other end knew too much and in any event Penguin's phone was on a secure frequency. That the latter fact meant that the man had someone gained access to said frequency only served to further irritate Penguin. He would need to check all of his men's phones and communications and make sure some idiot hadn't slipped up.

But that would have to wait. For now, Penguin had some weapons to collect. He'd gone to too much trouble to arrange a transaction with Intergang and also found the kind of toys they offered to be much too enticing a prize to let slip through his fingers so easily.

But that didn't mean he walk into what could very well be a trap. No sensible crime boss ever personally went to transactions, least of all ones as suspicious as this particular one. No, Penguin would send some of his men in his place and hope for the best.

And if he doesn't like that… Penguin thought bitterly. ...too damn bad!

-X-

As Penguin's small army of men left to head to the designated location, little did they or their boss realize that they had played right into the Red Hood's hands.

"And there they go" Red Hood noted, smiling beneath his helmet as he did. "Now Penguin's all alone. By the time his men realize there are no weapons waiting for them at the docks it'll be too late."

"You're going to kill him aren't you?" Huntress said with a frown.

"That's the plan beautiful. I'm never gonna get a chance like this again. I plan to take it."

"Jason don't do this. Don't make a bodycount all you have to your life."

"Why not? It's enough."

"That's not true. What about those children you saved from Killer Croc?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Red Hood demanded incredulously.

"It showed there's more to you than just your anger. Your hatred. There's still a hero inside you Jason. You saved those children, you still believe in justice...deny it as much as you want but I know I'm right. Let your hatred go Jason. Move past it as I have."

To Huntress' surprise Red Hood did not immediately give her a contemptuous and defiant response as he had so many other times before. Instead he just sat there, silent for a moment as he thought about what Huntress had said.

Finally, Red Hood sighed deeply and said: "You know, all the trouble you've gone to, all the effort you've put into turning me around...I'm not worth it."

"That's what I said to the people who helped me." Huntress replied unfazed. "And they helped me anyway."

Red Hood allowed for the faintest of smiles underneath his helmet. "And so now it's my turn. Huh. It spreads around I suppose…" As Red Hood trailed off, his ears picked up the sound of something big and heavy coming his and Huntress' way. Reacting without wasting time thinking about his next move, Red Hood pushed Huntress out of the way just as the source of the sound made it's presence known.

"Round 2!" Killer Croc bellowed as he surged towards Red Hood and grabbed him by the throat before he could react. Hoisting him aloft, Killer Croc snarled at Red Hood and began applying pressure to his throat, only for Huntress to shoot a crossbow bolt in the side of his arm. Red Hood followed by shooting the arm. Crying out in pain as his scaly skin only mitigated the damage of the bullets, Killer Croc released his grip on Red Hood, who collapsed to the ground. Killer Croc swung out his other arm to swat Huntress away but she saw it coming in time to side-step out of the way. Red Hood meanwhile staggered to his feet only for Killer Croc to strike out at him with his good arm, hitting the vigilante with enough force to send him flying over the edge of the rooftop.

Swearing loudly, Red Hood grabbed his grappling hook and managed to fire it out at the side of the building. Planting his feet up against the side of the building as the line went taut, Red Hood looked up to see Killer Croc looking down at him, claws bared.

"Oh shit."

With a snarl and a swipe of his claws Killer Croc cut Red Hood's grapple line, but Red Hood managed to be quick-thinking enough to leap to the side and stab his knife into the side of the building, grabbing out onto a window-ledge with his other hand. Looking up again he could see Killer Croc scaling down the wall towards him….

Well he sure is persistent when he wants to be.

Knowing his options were few, Red Hood looked down to see how far down he'd fall if he chose to let go. Deciding it would be too far, Red Hood edged his way onto the ledge in full, leaving his knife embedded in the wall. Awkwardly reaching for one of his guns as he held onto the ledge with his other hand, Red Hood at last drew it just as Killer Croc reached him. Moving his body just enough to avoid Killer Croc's punch, Red Hood shot him in the face as he pulled his arm back. Croc was able to throw his retracting arm in front of his face in time to block the shot and growled as it connected. By this point Huntress had thrown a grapple onto a nearby building and with it swung by to where Red Hood was, as she did holding out her hand for him to take it. Wasting no time Red Hood did just that and the two then swung out of range of Killer Croc's next attack. Roaring in fury at how his prey had eluded him, Croc released his grip on the building and let himself fall. Shaking off the mind injury he sustained upon landing, Croc raced to the building Huntress and Red Hood had gone to the roof of. Seeing him coming, Red Hood opened fire on him, with Croc being forced back by the bullets.

"There's got to be a better way of doing this…"

"Croc's biggest problem is he's dumb." Huntress noted. "Hell I've beaten him before by playing it smart."

"Agreed." Red Hood said. "Just need to figure out how to exploit that. What did you the last time?"

"Won't work here." Huntress said bluntly. "I collapsed a weak building on him by getting him to smash up the support beams."

It was then that Killer Croc made it onto the roof, claws and teeth bared and reptilian eyes narrowed with pure bloodlust. The reptilian villain did not wait long after staring the two heroes down before charging towards them with another roar.

"I don't suppose if we got him inside a building he'd fall for that trick again?" Red Hood asked as he and Huntress moved out of the way of Croc's charge.

"Even he isn't that thick."

"I'm open to suggestions!" Red Hood shot back as a swing of one of Killer Croc's arms came within a hair's breadth of removing his helmeted head from his body. Knowing that taking a scaly giant with claws and an axe to grind in a fight head-on was tantamount to suicide, Red Hood chose not to take the opportunity to counterattack and instead put more distance between himself and Killer Croc as he tried and failed to come up with a way of overcoming his brutish opponent.

Charging him again, Killer Croc tackled Red Hood and tried to pin him down. Red Hood put every last ounce of his strength into keeping Croc at bay as the villain's mouth opened wide and came closer and closer to reaching his head. Red Hood knew that if it did his helmet wouldn't save him and so for that he did his best to keep Croc's jaws back as much as he could. No easy feat when the monstrous mountain of scales was bearing down on him with the full force of his large body. It was a contest of strength, and one Red Hood knew he'd never be able to win.

But he had other options.

As Croc came closer and closer Red Hood got a nice long look at his mouth full of teeth, many of which were broken or straight up missing from where Red Hood had thrown a grenade at him. The rest of croc's face was now similarly deformed and not pleasant to look at up close.

"Gonna enjoy tearing into you" Croc growled. "I'll pick you clean down to the marrow in your bones" He inched closer and closer. "Time to die"

"You first" Red Hood replied before surprising Croc by punching him in the face as hard as he could. He followed this up with another punch that managed to knock out another one of Croc's teeth, which sent him into a rage. But now that he was free Red Hood rolled to the side to avoid Killer Croc's retaliatory attack. Getting back up to his feet Red Hood dodged out of the way as Croc came charging towards him.

Meanwhile getting an idea, Huntress beckoned for Red Hood to follow her. Attaching a grapple to one of her crossbow bolts, Huntress shot it at Killer Croc's feet, the bolt embedding itself in Killer Croc's leg. Croc howled in pain as Huntress meanwhile put all of her strength into trying to pull the villain down. Killer Croc resisted, leading to an intense struggle, one that soon saw Huntress' arms become sore and cry out in pain. Eventually Croc was able to tear the rope in two. As he did though, Red Hood seized on the opening he was presented with. Throwing a line of his own around Croc's mouth to rope it shut, Red Hood then tugged on the lasso, enraging Croc and bringing his attention back to Red Hood. Holding his stance, Red Hood braced himself as Killer Croc ran at him with all the fury he could muster. Expecting this, Red Hood leaped to the side and then kicked Killer Croc's legs out from underneath him. Killer Croc flailed about wildly before at last collapsing. Rushing forward, Red Hood drew his gun and aimed it at Killer Croc's mouth.

"This time, stay dead"

And then, before Huntress could do a thing to stop him, Red Hood pulled the trigger.

Author's Note: And so with that rather dramatic cliffhanger, I leave this chapter. For future reference this will likely be the last chapter for the forseeable future. Apologies to leave everyone hanging, but I have other projects I'd like to work on plus a lot more on my plate besides. I just can't give this story the time it needs right now. So to sum it up this one's going on hiatus for now.