Disclaimer: Both characters and products of the Justice League Unlimited and Ben 10 franchises do not belong to me.

Hurt my leg, hard to write or focus because of the pain. Tried my best. Enjoy.

Chapter 6: City of Darkness

After having lunch, the commissioner had dropped them off at the mall, waving goodbye and telling them to stay safe. Barbara told him the same and assured her father that they would be fine taking the subway home during the day. And it was not like four super heroes could not handle themselves.

That left two inter-dimensional travelers, one alien, and one vigilante of the night to shop to their hearts content. Well, three of them did while one trudged along like a zombie, holding bag after bag after bag. He could not even slip away to check out what kind of comic books this world had, or the video game store for game stations. Ben hoped to whatever was out there in this universe that they had Sumo Slammer. He did not know what he would do if he lived in a cruel, unforgiving universe without his precious childhood cartoon, comic, and game. He had almost kissed the ground when Flash told him chilly fries were indeed a thing here. Even though he was disheartened to hear Mr. Smoothy was not a franchise here, he had made do with what Alfred made for him. If he was being honest, Alfred's tasted much better, but higher class. He kind of missed the greasy, unhealthy taste of Mr. Smoothy chilly fries.

"Come on Ben, you're acting like we're holding you prisoner! Just a few more stores." Barbara gave him her best puppy dog eyes, but after falling for that the first three times, he had built up some immunity.

"That's what you said thirty minutes ago! And I'm still here, holding your bags and learning too much about frills, hemlines, and haute coutures! Lets at least stop for some snacks!" Ben longingly eyed a pretzel stand, like a man dying of thirst in the desert spotting an oasis.

"In a minute Ben, Le Sh-Eh is having a sale!" Kara grabbed both Gwen and Barbara by their arms and dragged them towards a store playing some weird, techno hip-hop hybrid song. Letting out a big sigh, Ben took a seat on one of the benches, placing the ten or so bags on the space next to him.

"I should have expected this. What was I thinking when I said I'd help carry their bags. Me and my big mouth..." Ben once again eyed the pretzel stand before looking at the shopping bags. It would only take him a second, there was no way someone could take ten shopping bags without him noticing, right? Hearing his stomach groan, Ben took one last look at the bags before standing up, making his way towards the pretzel stand, "Just one pretzel, and a frozen lemonade. Yeah."

Five minutes later, Ben had three pretzels and a large frozen strawberry lemonade. He was munching on a pepperoni and cheese pretzel, balancing his frozen drink and two more pretzels in his other hand. Finishing the pizza pretzel quickly, he grabbed a cinnamon pretzel when he froze in his tracks. Nearly dropping his drink and food, Ben scrambled forward, looking left and right. The shopping bags were all gone. He must have looked away for a minute while he was picking his food and drink and then paying for them.

Ben placed his pretzels and drink down, looking desperately around, "Oh man, oh man... Kara and Barbara are going to kill me! Gwen is going to kill me!" Ben caught a glimpse of several familiar women clothing store shopping bags out of the corner of his eye, being carried by a large Asian man wearing sunglasses, "Something tells me those aren't for his girlfriend."

Running after the man, Ben put his soccer athleticism to work, dodging other shoppers and keeping his eyes on the prize. He jumped over benches, slid under tables and ducked around stands, narrowing his gaze on the man's back, "How fast can he run with a big body like that..."

When the man suddenly sped up further, knocking other shoppers aside, Ben knew he was seen. The bright green jacket he wore was not exactly subtle, "Hey! Thief!" Since he lost the element of surprise, there was no point in being discrete. He pointed at the large Asian man's back, "Stop that man!"

Several shoppers yelped, moving out of the way. Ben did not expect anyone to help, but got the results he wanted. A clear path. Going at a full run now, he stepped on a bench then up onto a kiosk, taking a great leap into the air, "Watch out below!"

At the sound of Ben's voice, the man looked over his shoulder, his mouth opening to let out a scream of surprise. Ben thrust his feet down hard, planting the soles of his shoes onto the thief's shoulders and kicking down hard. The giant of a man found himself unbalanced, falling forward and smashing his face into the unforgiving ground. The shopping bags flew out of his hands and scattered around, his sunglasses flying off his face.

Ben brought his knees to his chest, tucking into a combat roll like Grandpa Max taught him, breaking his fall and minimizing the damage to himself. The hero got back up onto his feet, holding his arms in the air like an Olympic gymnast. He took several bows, some people in the audience actually clapping a little, thinking it was all a performance, "Thank you, thank you. You're too kind."

The big thief growled, rubbing his face and standing up. Now that his sunglasses were off, people could clearly see a black tattoo of the sun around his left eye, making it look like he had a permanent black eye. He stood up, balling his hands into fists, "You made a big mistake buddy. No one messes with the Dark Suns!"

Ben turned around, looking at the thief before snorting, "Dark Suns, huh? Catchy. But I only see one of you. Or did you mean to say you were the Dark Sun?"

The question caught the thief by surprise, "W-What? No! There are more of us! They just... I can't find any of the others!"

"Huh. So they ditched you. Now be honest, are you really surprised that they did? There must have been signs. You know, missed phone calls, left on read texts, making you do random errands while they hung out on their own." When Ben noticed the tattoo, he laughed, "Oh wow, is that supposed to be like, you're gang sign? Jeez, you look like someone punched you in the face!"

"How did you- No! They said I was a full fledged member of the Dark Suns! Gave me my own turf to make a score on and everything! Well, me and six other rookies but they're nowhere to be seen! So it's all mine!" The thief drew a simple combat knife, a silver chain hanging from the end with what looked like a black sun key chain attached to the other side. The people in the crowd, most of whom had thought this was a performance, finally realized it was all very real. While the Dark Suns were not infamous, they were known enough in the local area to be considered dangerous. The shoppers screamed, running in multiple directions when the thief lunged for the male Tennyson. Years of hand to hand combat training and experience kicked in. Grandpa Max had made sure Ben could hold his own and then some as just a human fighter, for times when he could not rely on the Omnitrix.

He could hear Grandpa Max's teachings about opponents wielding knifes or short blades, A knife is no different than a useless hunk of metal in the hands of an amateur, Ben. While you don't have the watch, you will most likely deal with human threats than aliens. And the average person carrying a knife have no idea how to use it except for on TV or video games. And those do not count for jack against a trained defender.

Ben saw the clumsy way the thief lunged. His footwork was atrocious, he was clearly holding the knife too tightly, and his movement was sloppy at best. Ben did not even have to move that much to avoid the clumsy thrust, taking a slight step back with his left foot and pivoting. He leaned back for good measure, the knife going by in slow motion to his trained eyes.

"Why do you bozos insist on using something you have no idea how to wield? It's just embarrassing." Ben snapped his right hand forward, delivering a painful karate chop onto the thief's overextended wrist, just like Gwen had taught him. The thief dropped his knife, crying out in a surprisingly high pitched voice, "Oh come on you big baby. That was barely a love tap. Don't tell me that was enough to make you give up."

"I'll freaking kill you!" The big man charged like a bull, his anger and lack of fighting skills clouding his judgment.

"Language!" Ben recalled Gwen's teachings on how to deal with an opponent who was bigger than you. She pointed out how that usually meant they were heavier, and using their own weight against them was a strategy as old as time.

Ben easily ducked under the big thief's arms while simultaneously wrapping his right arm around the man's left arm. The hero's right foot shot out, kicking the thief hard in the back of his left knee. The man cried out, his left knee buckling and causing his right to follow. Ben took advantage of his falling momentum, twisting the man's left arm by his elbow and making him jerk forward as a reaction. What resulted was a much smaller teen literally flipping a hulking man completely over and sending him flying into a sunglasses hut, sending ray-bans flying everywhere. Ben dusted his hands together, grinning at the people cheering before taking another bow, "All in a day's work!"

"Ben!" Gwen, along with Kara and Barbara, were running towards him, concern on their faces when they took in the chaos. It was quickly replaced by relief when they spotted the downed thief groaning among broken glass and wood. Ben was about to grin and show off the amazing hero work he did without his watch, when Gwen threw her arms around him and pulled him into a tight hug, "When you disappeared I-I didn't know what happened. I searched all around but you were gone and I realized we didn't have phones to call each other. I didn't have anything to track your mana! Gotham is so big and I know the crime rate is high and I know you have the watch but I started thinking someone took you by surprise and I-I..."

"Gwen. Gwen!" Ben grabbed her shoulders, shaking her slightly in a vain attempt to get her to calm down. She was breathing fast, her eyes darting all around and hands shaking like crazy. While he was no expert, he had seen something similar during his time at Bellwood High. He looked around desperately, searching for something that would help before spotting a concession stand. He grabbed Gwen's hands, dragging her over to it and rummaging around behind the counter. When he found what he was looking for, he did not even celebrate, eyes so full of worry as he thrust a brown paper bag towards the half-Anodite, "Gwen! Gwen, breath into this! You're having a panic attack and hyperventilating! Deep breaths Gwen! Please, you need to get your breathing under control!"

The redhead snatched the paper bag from his waiting hands, opening it up and scrambling to get it over her mouth. The bag crinkled, scrunching up into a small ball before blowing up like a balloon. Her breathing became less erratic and more controlled within minutes, Kara and Barbara watching the two cousins helplessly, not quite sure how to react. Gwen seemed so composed and well put together, it was disconcerting to see her like this.

"Just like that Gwen...good. Everything is alright... I'm right here." Ben stroked Gwen's head, mimicking what his own mom had done whenever he needed to feel better, "I'm not going anywhere. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry for disappearing like that. I promise to never do it again. I always be right here."

Having gotten her breathing under control, Gwen pushed the paper bag away before wrapping her arms around Ben's waist, burying her face into his chest. He felt her shaking, his teeth biting hard onto his bottom lip, almost enough to make him bleed. His own arms wrapped around her shoulders, holding her as close as he could possibly get, "I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry Gwen..."

Kara and Barbara looked at each other. Kara had a vague notion about what the cousins had gone through. She had comforted Ben during his first night after all. Barbara on the other hand, was completely clueless and felt her heart break at how small and scared Ben and Gwen looked right now. From the short period they had been together, Barbara was impressed at how much sass Ben could dish out against her, and flirt like a dork but be surprisingly effective. Gwen had a mouth even superior to hers, having both knowledge and attitude that the darker haired redhead hoped to achieve one day like her fellow emerald eyed redhead. She was so composed and well put together, at least, that was what Barbara had thought. But clearly, there was far more to these two than what she could understand.

Two police officers pushed through the crowd, asking spectators to step back and clear the area. Ben looked up when one of the officers approached him, "What happened? We received a call about a boy in a green jacket fighting a large man claiming to be part of the Dark Sun Gang." The man's partner was checking on the unconscious thief. She turned the Dark Sun member's head to get a look at his face and nodded when she saw the tattoo, "Marcus, it's a Dark Sun member alright. I'm calling this in. They've been so quiet lately, I half hoped they left Gotham."

"You kidding? This is Gotham we're talking about. No way these low lives leave our 'sparkling gem' for anything but the end of the world. Go ahead and cuff him first Sarah. Even if he's not real Dark Sun, he's still a perp."

"Already done."

Officer Marcus looked at Ben, then at Gwen who was still hiding in his arms. He must have made his own conclusion because a much gentler expression was now on his face, "We need you to give us a statement, so please stick around son. Why don't you and your friend go sit over there while we deal with the Dark Sun member, okay?"

Ben was only half listening to the officer's words, too focused on Gwen but nodded his head anyways. He guided her towards one of the benches against a wall, pushing her back and away from his arms just enough to have her sit down. He immediately joined her on the bench, her arms wrapping back around him and her face burying into his neck as he stroked the back of her head in a slow rhythm. Barbara and Kara joined them, the redhead looking out of place while the blonde looked like she wanted to help but just did not know how. Ben offered them a tight smile, "She'll be okay. She just needs a moment."

Both girls nodded, Kara taking a seat on the other side of Gwen, pressing her shoulder against the half-Anodite's back to let her know she was there. Barbara sat next to Kara, looking over at the two cousins and keeping her eyes on them just in case they needed her. The four sat there quietly, not quite sure how long they stayed like that. The excitement and emotional turmoil of the day had caught them all by surprise, as Barbara had drifted off, her head falling on Kara's shoulder while Kara laid her own head on Gwen's back. Gwen was breathing quietly against Ben's chest, the boy keeping close watch of his cousin and two friends as they breathed quietly in their sleep. They all shook awake when Ben turned, Officer Marcus walking up to them with an apologetic smile. Ben saw Officer Sarah leading the Dark Sun gangster towards the entrance in a pair of handcuffs, most likely to their waiting patrol car.

"Are you up for making a statement down at the station? We can have an officer drive your friends home." When Officer Marcus looked a little closer at Ben's three friends, his eyes widened as he recognized one of them, "Barbara?"

"Hello Mark." Barbara waved at the officer, having met him several times during her visits to GPD headquarters. As the commissioner's daughter, the police department was like a second home to her, and she was close to almost all the officers who worked there as a result, "Is Jane doing alright? Improved her Chicken Parmesan recipe at all?"

"Unfortunately, no. But it hasn't killed me yet so..." The officer seemed to have forgotten what he was doing for a second, "Enough about my wife's terrible cooking. Barbara, is he a friend of yours?"

"Yeah he's... New to town. He already met dad though, so I'm sure he won't mind if Ben comes in tomorrow. Is that alright?"

"Well if you say so Barbara... I'll tell the commissioner when I get back to the station. We'll send an officer to escort you all home."

"Thank you Mark. We appreciate the concern but I think we'll be fine."

"Are you sure? I really think..."

"I'm sure. I promise I'll even give dad a call and explain what happened, so he doesn't freak on you."

"Mm, alright. I'm going to hold you to that."

"Thanks Mark, give Jane a hug for me."

"Will do, you take care now."

All of them breathed a sigh of relief, Ben giving Barbara a thumbs up, "Impressive!"

"Perks of being the commissioner's daughter. I know, I'm just too cool for words and too awesome for worship. Price of talent I suppose."

"Definitely not lacking an ego."

"Yeah I- Hey!" Barbara jokingly glared at Kara, who just grinned back.

"I know it's early, but I'm beat. Can we head home?" Gwen had some strength back in her voice, but it was still too quiet compared to before.

Not showing that she noticed, Barbara shrugged her shoulders, "Eh, I had enough excitement for the day. Dad said he'd drop off our luggage at home before he went to work, so you guys can get changed and such as soon as we get back. Ben, you're showering last. Good luck with the cold!" Ben squawked but went ignored as Barbara glanced at her watch, "Besides, it's best to avoid wandering around Gotham at night."

"Thank you Barbara, I'm sorry about-"

"Hey, enough of that. Remember, Redhead Alliance."

That got Gwen to smile a little, Ben laughing quietly next to her while Kara rolled her eyes.

"Come on, Redhead Alliance and extra baggage. Let's get back so we can eat ice cream and gossip about how messy Ben's hair is."

"Sounds like a plan- Hey! Stop doing that!" Ben jokingly raised his fist, giving the Argoan his best war face. Sadly she was completely immune, not even acknowledging him as she moved to pick up the shopping bags the thief had dropped. Barbara moved over to help her, and when Gwen made to help, the Bat shook her head, grabbing everything so fast that the half-Anodite had no chance to help.

"Barbara...Kara. I'm sor-"

"I swear to Batman Tennyson. You say sorry one more time, and I'm going to tie you up and leave you to suffer through one of my dad's stories about paperwork. Paperwork Gwen. I never knew a police commissioner had so much to say about budgets, equipment acquisitions, remodeling, redecorating, and uniform color coordination! Uniform. Color. Coordination. I mean, you're the cops dad! Not fashion icons! Who cares if the swat team armor is midnight blue while the helmets are black. I can't tell the difference between pea soup green and the sickly green that you use for wall paint!" By the end of tirade, Gwen, Ben, and Kara were blinking at the redhead Bat, who was breathing heavily with disheveled hair. Coming back to her senses, Barbara ran a hand through her hair and straightened her dress, "So, my house?"

"Great!"

"Duh."

"Of course."

/0/

"Come on son, make this easier on yourself. Where have the other Dark Suns gone? Did they move their operations out of Gotham?" A dark skinned, bald detective wearing a blue button up shirt and dark slacks sat on one end of the interrogation table, both elbows resting atop the metal surface, "If you give us something we can use, we can see about reducing your sentence."

"For the millionth freaking time, I don't know! I've been out of the loop for the past week because my kid brother needed my help fixing his ride! By the time I checked in at the hideout, everybody in my crew was a no show and I couldn't get a hold of the bosses! I figured they were testing me or something because I was gone for so long! But they wouldn't just abandon me here without giving a lawyer or some support! Something is seriously wrong out there!" The Dark Sun thief waved his handcuffed hand up in the air, fright clearly written on his face.

The detective shot a look at his partner, an Asian woman with brown eyes and long dark hair pulled up into a no nonsense ponytail. Her face stern, glaring down at the Dark Sun gangster with such ferocity, the thief actually shrunk back, "You're telling me, every single one of your bosses and crew mates, are missing? You expect us to believe that the Dark Suns would disappear just like that, right when they were picking up business?"

"I'm telling you, they didn't leave. Someone, or something, got em! When I was at the hideout, there was...weird things. Like the signs of a fight. Except they were these weird burn marks everywhere, plus a lot of bullet...things. You know the shells that pop out after you fire a gun?"

The male detective rolled his eyes, "Casings? Bullet casings?"

"Yeah, that stuff! They were everywhere, like the gang had a turf war or something, but inside our hideout! I figured you cops found us out or some other gang tried to push for our turf. Still couldn't reach any of the bosses."

The Asian detective sighed, running a hand down her face, "So, what? You thought it would be a good idea to go to the mall and snatch some kid's shopping bags?"

"Hey! Gotham Mall was my turf! The bosses gave it to me and the other rookies as a giant proving ground! I figured, with the other rookies gone, I could get ahead of em by taking the mall myself!"

"Uh huh. And how did that work out for you tough guy?" The bald detective raised an eyebrow at the thief, "You got your butt handed to you by some teenager!"

"Hey! That teenager was weird! Knew kung foo and shit. If I just had the whole crew with me, we could have took him!"

"Well I would count yourself lucky. While you have an extensive rap sheet, we would be having a very different conversation if you had harmed that boy. As it is, you're only looking at theft, vandalism, assault, and disturbing the peace. Murder, and of a minor at that, would have guaranteed you never saw the light of day again." The Asian woman crossed her arms, glaring down at the Dark Sun thief harshly.

"Oh come on Yin, I doubt this punk could hit anything with that flimsy knife of his, let alone actually stab someone." The dark skinned detective stood up from his seat, picking up the folder he had brought in and turning towards the door.

"Be that as it may Bennett, he's lucky to be let off with ten years. If it were up to me, I'd charge him with attempted murder and extend his prison sentence." At the look Detective Yin gave the Dark Sun gangster, the large man shrunk in his seat.

"Bet biggo over here doesn't last ten minutes in Arkham." Detective Bennett grinned at Yin, who was making her way towards the door.

"I wouldn't give him five minutes."

/0/

Commissioner Gordon resisted the urge to scratch at his head. When two of his best detectives came into his office to give him a report on the Dark Suns, he kind of expected what they had to say. Burn scorch marks, bullet casings, and no gang members. Sounded similar to the story that Batman had told him last night, a few hours after he and Batgirl saw Superman fly across Gotham's sky. What in blazes was going on in his city?

"Yin, Bennett. Good work." Both detectives nodded back at the commissioner, Yin with her arms crossed and Bennett with his hands in his pockets. The dark skinned detective scratched the back of his head as he gave Gordon an apologetic look.

"Sorry we couldn't get more out of him sir. Seems like the big lug was pretty out of the loop just as much as us. His whole mall snatching thing was his own stupid idea too."

Yin gripped her own chin, "It's strange how he said he can't reach any of the bosses, or his fellow crew mates. The bosses definitely check in regularly to make sure the lower level members do not turn in their share of the loot. And other rookies would not miss an opportunity to make a name for themselves."

"Maybe the Batman has been working over time?" Bennett glanced at Gordon, who shook his head back at his detective, "Worth a shot."

"And not the Batman's style anyways. He always, always turns the criminals into the proper authorities. While I had my...doubt about the Bat when I first transferred here from Metropolis, I now have no doubt in my mind how the Batman acts when it comes to his vigilante crusades." Bennett shared an amused look with Gordon at that. When Yin had first transferred to Gotham six months ago, she had vehemently butted heads with half the department about Batman. Gordon had to physically block her off from accessing the rooftop, afraid she would push Batman away from helping them, or try to take a shot at him. Bennett had even clashed with Yin about it, the two being assigned as partners on the Clayface case. Bennett had grown to respect her, more than he thought he would when she showed how she stuck to her ideals and never let anything bully her into thinking otherwise. Months of isolation and being treated like an outcast except by Bennett did not even phase her.

She eventually grew to respect Batman, albeit reluctantly, when Batman had worked together with her to foil one of Riddler's schemes and saved her numerous times against other super villains and criminals. She had come in one day, sitting across from Bennett with the most seriously look on her face before finally speaking, "I think the Batman is needed in Gotham." Bennett had laughed so hard, Yin's cheeks actually turned red. She glared at him as he laughed and laughed, other officers actually peeking into their office to make sure Bennett had not been gassed by Joker somehow.

Ten minutes later, Bennett wiped tears from his eyes, giving Yin a big grin as he held his hand out to her, "Welcome to Gotham, Yin. You are now officially part of GPD. Congrats."

Yin looked a little uncomfortable but took Bennett's hand anyways, "It...kind of feels like I am admitting myself into a loony bin, but thanks Bennett."

"You can call me Ethan if you want."

Yin stared at her partner, squinting her eyes and humming, "No, you look more like a Bennett to me."

"Can I call you Ellen then?"

"No you may not."

"Aw..."

Ethan was riled out of his musings when Gordon cleared his throat. The commissioner stood up, walking to his door and poked his head out. He looked left and right, making sure no one was around before closing the door. He turned to two of his most trusted detectives, who were looking at him questioningly, "Uh, commish? Something you need to tell us?"

Yin nodded alongside her partner, just as curious and intrigued. Gordon sighed, again. He could not tell how many sighs he had let out that night alone, but soldiered through, "Nothing I say leaves this room. Are we clear?"

Both detectives looked at one another before nodding at the commissioner.

"Good. Now, we do have an idea where the criminal underworld has been disappearing to lately around Gotham."

"By 'we', you mean...?" Bennett made circular motions with his right hand, one eyebrow raised.

"Batman and Batgirl. I guess Superman too."

"Superman?" Yin's eyes lit up. She had worked in Metropolis, and had several run-ins with the Man of Steel. The Kryptonian had left such an impression on her as a rookie, she dedicated herself to being just as loyal to her ideals as Superman. When she saw the desperate call for more cops from Gotham, she jumped on the opportunity to make a difference somewhere they really needed her.

Gordon grunted, "Yes. Superman was kind enough to help out Batman when things got out of hand."

One of Yin's eyebrows shot up, "When you say 'things'..."

"Robots. Giant alien robots accompanied by smaller alien robots to be more specific. Orange, with metal that is harder than titanium, with glowing red eyes that shoot laser blasts."

Bennett was frozen, mouth hanging open. Yin let out a very, very long sigh, "Okay..."

"Batman has concluded that these alien robots have been kidnapping criminals. Of all kinds and taking them to god knows where. He suspects Penguin is among them."

"The Penguin? He may be small, but he's not easy bird to take down." Bennett had come out of his stupor, eyes focusing now.

"Did Batman figure out where these...robots came from? Is it something we've faced before?" Yin was in detective mode now, adjusting quickly to the situation now that she was more used to the insanity that was Gotham. Or maybe the world now. She did not want to think about it.

"Last time Batman contacted me, he said it was a whole new threat. Completely different technology from what he and the League have faced before."

"I really should have taken that job in Central City. The things that Batman comes face to face with are so above my pay grade. I mean, where does the pay grade line go with these things?" Bennett collapsed onto one of the single lounge chairs in front of Gordon's desk.

Yin gave Bennett a small smile, "I don't think you'd escape the crazy going to Central, Bennett. Rumor has it, an Australian man dressed like some soldier rides a giant boomerang around the city."

"...Sounds like fun."

"There is also a villain who copies Mister Freeze. And a man who uses mirrors to move around everywhere."

"Youch. Would be pretty awkward if I ran into him while changing. Guess I'm sticking with Gotham."

"I knew you would." Yin spoke in that matter-of-fact tone of hers, returning her gaze to the commissioner, "So these...alien robots are kidnapping perps from right under us. How has no one noticed?"

Gordon reached under his glasses to rub at his eyes, "Well, aside from being almost indestructible, having enough firepower to level a building, and being agile enough to kidnap people, these alien robots are good at being undetected. They avoid all surveillance cameras and barely leave any eyewitnesses. We're lucky Batman caught it in the act or we wouldn't have known until half of Gotham was gone."

"Half of Gotham?" Bennett tilted his head.

"Well, Batman seems to think, once these robots are done taking all the criminals, whose to say they won't turn their sights on the general populace?"

"That's...not very encouraging sir."

"I'm sorry that I don't have any good news son."

Yin had her hands under chin, her 'thinking' position, Bennett liked to call it, "While we can't rule it out, I feel like we're missing something..."

"What?"

"Something obvious. Something we have not considered..."

"What? Giant alien robots not enough for you Yin?"

Said detective Yin kept her thinking pose, "It's not that Bennett. The robots are collecting criminals. Gotham streets have been picked clean, which means..."

At that moment, the alarm sounded, making all three officers reach for their firearms. Bennett glanced at the ceiling, "That's the breach alarm. Someone breaking out?"

Yin's eyes widened, "Or something's breaking in."

"Come again partner?"

"The Dark Sun gangster that was brought in."

Gordon's eyes widened as he ran for the door, "You two, on me!"

Yin and Bennett followed the commissioner, who had drawn his gun and had it pointed down. The three ran as fast as they could to the lower levels, but stopped at the door leading to the interrogation rooms. Gordon said nothing, holding two fingers up then pointing to his eyes, tapping his chest, and gesturing to the other side of the door.

Bennett and Yin nodded before Yin dashed forward, pressing her back to the wall on the right side of the door, across from Gordon who was on the left. Bennett followed Yin, tapping her shoulder to let her know where exactly he was. Yin nodded, Bennett following and Gordon looking at the two of them. He held up three fingers, slowly counting down before Gordon kicked the door open, kneeling down on the left flank as Yin did the same on the right. Bennett took the middle, but remained standing. Gordon shouted as loud as he could, "Gotham PD! Any and all detainees, get on the floor and put your hands behind your back! We're going to be checking each room, and if you are not face down, on the ground with your hands visible, we will open fire."

Gordon nodded, prompting Yin and Bennett to sprint forward, keeping to the sides of the doors as they turned the knobs and pushed each interrogation room doors open. All of them were empty save for the one with the Dark Sun gangster but Gordon wanted to be absolutely sure.

"Clear."

"Clear." Both Bennett and Yin rejoined Gordon, who was eyeing the last, unchecked interrogation room with their gangster inside.

"We're coming in! You better be face down with your hands on your head, or this won't end pretty!" Gordon yelled as loud as he dared before Yin and Bennett nodded again, taking positions on each side of the door. Both detectives nodded at the commissioner, who nodded back before Yin shifted around and kicked the door open..

"Freeze! Hands where I can..." Yin trailed off. There was a large hole in the wall, the chilly Gotham night air pouring in. However, the hole was not what made Yin freeze. There was a giant robot, easily towering over her, holding the Dark Sun gangster in two tendrils of metal tentacles. The gangster was trying to scream, struggling in his bondage and his eyes wide as he stared at the three police officers. He was obviously yelling for help, and that snapped Gordon, Yin, and Bennett out of it.

"Freeze! Release the-" Yin never got to finish, the robot whirring and shooting out the hole, the gangster in tow and flew into the air. Yin and Bennett ran to the edge, pointing their guns up. Nothing was there, not glowing red eyes or as much as a metal tendril.

"Holy hell, that thing is fast for its size!" Bennett looked at Yin with wide eyes, the Asian-American woman biting her bottom lip and turning away from the hole.

She reached for her cellphone, opening it up with a quick snap, "I need a chopper, ASAP. And contact all officers out on patrol and tell them to look up and see if they can spot a giant, orange robot with metal tentacles sticking out from its body. Yes, I said metal tentacles. Oh, and it has glowing red eyes that shoot lasers. Yes, lasers. No, we are not going to wait for Batman."

"Yin..." At Gordon's tired voice, the detective looked at her superior, "Contact air control, see if they can spot any unidentified flying objects with their radar."

"Where are you going sir?" Bennett watched Gordon's retreating back.

"We have a Bat signal for a reason, Bennett. And I am going to take advantage of it as much as I can."

/0/

Bruce held the high yield laser cutter up, his other hand pulling the welding mask down over his face. He hit the 'on' switch, a brilliant blue light filling the normally dark Batcave. The billionaire frowned when he turned the laser off, seeing a slight scorch mark but no visible damage on the strange orange metal.

"Making any progress, Master Bruce?"

"None Alfred. I've been trying all manners of tools, both conventional and unconventional. Whatever this is made of, it is extremely resistant to both the cold and heat, as well as physical damage of any kind." The butler looked around the Batcave, his eyebrows shooting up at the sight of broken sledgehammers, dented maces, bent swords, split hedge clippers.

"A-Are those my hedge clippers."

"Um..."

"The hedge clippers that I have been using, caring for, and preserving since you were in diapers? Hedge clippers that have my initials engraved into the beautiful cross section?"

"...No?"

Alfred had walked over to the said hedge clippers, picking up the pieces and turning them this way and that, "Funny, Master Bruce. I see a distinct 'A' and 'P' on the cross sections, broken as they may be."

"I will get you new hedge clippers Alfred. Better ones even."

"These had sentimental value, sir!"

"Ones made of solid gold."

"Oh, who can stay mad at you, Master Bruce."

Sharing a quiet laugh at their banter, Batman turned his attention back to the orange drone, "I don't like how long this is taking Alfred. Who knows when this thing will turn back on."

"Several thousands volts should still do the trick sir."

"I'm afraid I'll lose what data it has if I keep frying it."

"Hm. Perhaps we are going about this the wrong way, Master Bruce. You assume you must crack the shell to get to its core."

Batman rubbed his chin, "I have not been able to find any good entry points on this thing. Or else, I wouldn't bother trying to break it open."

"I used to know this odd fellow when I was a young man. Had a strange craving for snapping turtles, never understood his tastes. However, he had a rather peculiar method of preparing these creatures."

Bruce raised an eyebrow at the old butler, "And that was...?"

"He would wiggle his index finger in front of the turtle's head hole, and wait for it to snap at his finger. Before it could, he would grab onto it and slice the head clean off."

"I'm not sure I get what you are trying to say Alfred."

"Well sir. If the shell is too durable to get through, then perhaps you should bait it to open up to you, instead of trying to bash it into submission." Alfred smiled at his charge, and was about to turn to leave when an alert sounded on the Batcave's main monitor.

"The Bat signal. Commissioner Gordon must've found something out." Bruce stood up, moving towards where he kept the Batsuit locked up. He paused, turning to look at his butler, "Alfred, I have a favor to ask."

"Anything you need sir."

/0/

When Batman saw the large hole in the side of Gotham Police headquarters, his eyes widened slightly. Hurriedly opening the Batmobile's sliding top, the Dark Knight shot his grappling hook up and propelled himself towards the roof. He felt some relief when he saw the commissioner there, missing his usual coat and looking a bit haggard.

"Batman."

"Commissioner. Are you alright? I see you had a visitor."

Gordon snorted, "Yeah. Visitor. Saw that robot you told me about."

"It was here? Why?"

"Well, we had a Dark Sun gang member in custody. Two of my detectives just finished interrogating him and were giving me their report when we heard an explosion. By the time we got back to him, the robot already had the poor bastard in its grips and shot off before we could save him. Detectives Yin and Bennett are trying to track it down in a chopper as we speak."

Ethan? Batman pushed that detail to the side before speaking up, "That's strange. These things clearly have intelligence. They have been avoiding cameras and eyewitnesses for days, yet one decides to break into GPD headquarters for one gangster?" The Caped Crusader contemplated this for a minute before looking back at the commissioner, "Was there something unique about the gangster?"

"No, far as we could tell, he was a low level thug that wasn't even a full fledged member yet."

"This doesn't make any sense... Why would it... Unless..." Batman narrowed his eyes, "Unless secrecy is no longer an option. These things are upping their game."

Gordon frowned, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"These things are probably done hiding." A distant explosion made both men freeze. Batman recovered first, running towards the edge of the roof and seeing a plume of smoke rising into the air, "That direction..."

Gordon's voice was grim, "Arkham. Damn." Gordon grabbed his radio, hitting the switch on the side, "All units, all units! 10-98 at Arkham Asylum! I repeat, 10-98 at Arkham Asylum! All available units, get to Arkham and secure it!"

Batman grabbed Gordon's shoulder, "I'm not sure this is a break out."

"What? What do you mean?"

"Think about it. These machines have been rounding up criminals for days without drawing attention, yet one risked being seen to take one low level thug from police headquarters. Why?" Gordon did not answer, "Because they have taken every criminal in Gotham they could find. They must be tapped into GPD radios, if they were able to figure out you had a Dark Sun member so quickly. But now that they took the last one off the street... Where is the next logical place it would go if it no longer cared about witnesses, and wanted more criminals?"

Gordon's eyes widened, "You don't mean..."

"Yes. This is probably not a jailbreak." Batman turned, pulling out his grappling gun, "It's a kidnapping."

/0/

"What are these things!" One of the Arkham security guards fired his gun, the bullets ricocheting off orange metal. Three giant robots were slowly walking towards Arkham's main security gates, sharp metal claws protruding out of their hands and lasers firing from their glowing red eyes.

Another guard fell to one of the energy blasts, his companions screaming and going for cover. One of the female guards brought up her radio, "Emergency! Emergency! This is Arkham Asylum, we are under attack by giant robots and their little helpers! We need backup!" The woman peeked around the corner, where two more giant robots slammed down into the courtyard, a dozen more smaller drones whirring down above them. She hid, fear in her eyes as she whispered to herself, "Forget that...we need Batman."

/0/

"Sure is noisy outside." Two Face drew another card from the deck, his face, both of them, not giving away if it was good or not.

"Someone plan an escape without telling anybody?" Jonathan Crane, also known as Scarecrow, scowled down at his cards.

"No. If someone planned something that big, and it sounds very big out there, I would have heard something." Edward Nygma, who was infamously known as the green clad villain called the Riddler, looked at the last member of the group, "Do you have any sixes?"

The last member, a man with permanent clown makeup on, let out a groan, "Spoilsport." The Joker put down one six, then a second, before placing a third right next to the others. Nygma snorted before taking the three sixes, Joker letting out a manic laugh.

"Should we take advantage of the chaos and get out of here?" Scarecrow looked around from the table they were sharing, other inmates running to the windows in hopes of seeing what was going on.

"No. I'm about to win this game, and you promised me that 1984 Don Mattingly Donruss Rookie Card, issue 248 if I won, Don't you try to weasel your way out of this, Crane." Two Face glared at the professor, who held his hands up in peace.

"I am not trying to cheat you, my good man. Please do continue. Joker?"

"Hmm." The Clown Prince of Crime turned to Two Face, "Do you fellas have any jokers?" Two Face groaned, slapping his hand onto the good part of his face.

"Joker..." Riddler glared at the clown who let out another laugh.

"Oh I am joking! Joking!" He laughed again before holding up two fingers, "Do you have any twos?"

"Go fish."

"No fair." Joker grumbled as he drew another card.

"Look out!" The four villains looked over at the crowd of inmates by the windows, who were now scrambling away screaming. The wall exploded in a brilliant flash of fire, a giant hole appearing where solid concrete was.

What surprised the four villains was not the sudden opportunity for freedom, but that fact that there was a giant, orange robot with glowing red eyes standing at the newly made entrance.

Joker put his cards down, a big grin on his face, "Now I have to admit! I was not expecting that."

Riddler shook his head, "As crazy as you are, I would be worried if you did."

Two Face sighed, "I guess this means we need to put this on hold."

Scarecrow had ducked, but peeked up from where he was taking cover, "We can finish later?"

A few of the other inmates did not escape the blast in time, some of them groaning on the ground in pain. Two Face watched curiously as metal tendrils shot out of the robot's chest, wrapping around the downed criminals and dragging them inside human sized compartments around its body.

Two Face stood up as guards slammed through the common area doors, guns drawn and screaming at the inmates to get down. Two Face backed away towards the main doors, the three other villains mimicking his movement as they kept their eyes on the giant robot, "Something tells me these things aren't here to get us out."

Other inmates screamed, smaller versions of the robot flying in and firing blasts of electricity from their chests, knocking the Arkham residents out before wrapping their metal arms around the unconscious men and women and flying off with them.

"That's our cue to move." Riddler turned and ran, Scarecrow hot on his tail. Joker watched in fascination, clapping his hands in glee at what the robots were doing.

"Oh, oh, oh! I want one! No, I want a whole army!" The Joker laughed loud but was interrupted by Two Face dragging him away by the back of his prison uniform.

"Joker! Come on!" Joker sighed, looking one last time at the robots before running after Two Face.

Riddler and Scarecrow were struggling with the guards, so Two Face sped up, body slamming the one pinning Crane down before punching the one struggling with Nygma. They quickly searched for the keys before the four ran out the doors and down towards the storage rooms holding their equipment.

"Should we free the others?" Riddler looked around at their fellow villains locked behind glass cages and reinforced metal doors.

Two Face shrugged, as did Scarecrow while Joker laughed, "Oh, why not? More of them, more chaos! And I need to let Harley out anyways!" Joker skid to a halt next to the guard station, swiping a key card down to open it. He laughed the whole time, slipping inside and pulling one of the levers down. All doors beeped before opening up, freeing all the colorful and uncolorful inmates left and right.

"We need to go." Two Face started running down the hall again, the others following while Joker looked up at the monitors for his leading lady.

When he failed to spot her, he just shrugged, "Eh, I'm sure I will meet up with Harley back at home base!" Joker laughed before running out of the guard station and chasing after his fellow villains.

By the time he had caught up, they were already inside the storage room, slipping on their clothes and retrieving their equipment. Joker rubbed his hands together, looking for his stylish purple suit and other goodies.

"Do we have a plan?" Scarecrow slipped his mask on, looking over at the others.

"Get out. Avoid getting captured." Two Face spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, making Riddler roll his eyes.

"Genius."

"Whatever those things are out there, they are taking the inmates away, not freeing them. Which means they are here for us too." Two Face loaded his pistol, cocking it back.

"Maybe they're just trying to make friends, Two Face old pal!" Joker checked his acid shooter over before giggling at the shock trap device he slipped into his pocket, "Those things are clearly not the work of Batman! Too bright, too orange!"

"Agreed." Riddler twirled his cane before slamming it against the ground, "The question is, what are they? And what are they doing here?"

"Answers we can look for after getting out of here." Two Face was eager to leave, as were the other three. They ran out the door and headed for the exit, "I doubt Gotham's finest haven't noticed what's going on here. And that means Batman definitely noticed."

"I'm pretty sure they'll have their hands full with those things out there you know." Scarecrow waved his hand in the air, "We'll take advantage of the chaos and-"

Crane was cut off when a giant, clawed hand smashed through the wall and grabbed him. Scarecrow screamed, struggling against the cold, unyielding metal. His eyes met the surprised ones of his fellow escapees before he was yanked through the wall. Two Face jumped forward, aiming his gun out the hole and took shots at the orange robot who was putting Scarecrow inside its body. Riddle grabbed Two Face and dragged him away from the wall, "We can't save him now, move!"

The three ran, looking over their shoulders when the giant machine smashed through the wall with its fully body, heading spinning around to look at the retreating criminals. The three stopped when another robot smashed through the doors they were heading towards, metal tendrils shooting out of its body and wrapping around Riddler. The green clad villain screamed, trying to bash at the metal tentacles with his cane before being mercilessly pulled inside one of the robot's compartments, "No, no, no! I don't do tight spaces anymore, I don't do-" His voice cut off completely as soon as the container closed shut.

Joker sneered, aiming his acid gun at the robot that was blocking the door, "You know, I don't like you anymore." The Clown Prince fired, the green liquid splashing against the robot's arm. Joker laughed, but his smile died down quick when the orange machine simply swiped the acid away, the metal not even slightly warped, "Okay Dent, I'm starting think we are in a pickle."

"Figure that out yourself?" Two Face was firing at the other robot as he backed away, a grim expression on both his faces, "I don't think we're getting out of this one, clown."

Joker kept firing spurts of acid, his other hand pulling a handkerchief out of his breast pocket to fake dab at his eyes, "Oh the freedom, the companionship! So short lived and tragic! Perhaps...in the next life?"

"I only regret that the last thing I will hear is your voice, Joker."

At that, the manic clown laughed hard, emptying the acid canister on his gun. The Joker then chucked the spent acid sprayer at the robot's head, "Don't worry Dent, Batsy will come to save us, just you two watch."

"Your faith in the Batman truly astounds me."

"Batman! Batman!" Joker drew out the Caped Crusader's name, screaming at the top of his lungs, "Come and save your dear, dear friend!"

Two Face felt his mouth drop when one of the robots exploded, falling on its side with a whine, "I don't believe it."

"O ye of little faith." Joker fixed his purple suit, a big grin on his face when he heard someone land behind him. The clown turned, spreading his arms out wide, "Hello Batman! I knew you would come to rescue your old...pal..." Joker's eyes trailed up, not quite comprehending what he was looking at. It was some sort of, crystal in the shape of a man. Glowing green eyes stared down at him, frowning really. He could almost see his own reflection in the thing's biceps.

"You're not Batman."

/0/

One Hour Earlier

Barbara sighed in relief, sinking down on the living room couch, "I've never been this beat going to the mall before. Feels like I went toe to toe with Bane for some reason."

"Bane?" Ben sat down next to her, leaning his head back fully so he was staring at the ceiling. Kara plopped down next to him, Gwen joining her with a tired smile.

The redheaded Bat waved her hand dismissively, "Some super steroid using loser. Thinks himself some grand fighter. But loses pretty quick without his drugs making his muscles bulge out excessively."

"Sounds like your perfect match."

"Nothing compared to you Tennyson."

"Thanks Babs."

"I was talking to Gwen."

Said Gwen giggled, looking over at Barbara and raising her hand towards her, "Redhead Alliance."

"Redhead Alliance." Barbara slapped her hand against Gwen's, making everyone in the room laugh. Barbara willed herself up and off the comfy couch, grabbing a takeout menu from the kitchen table, "Chinese food anyone?"

"Heck yeah, I'm starved!" Ben shot up so fast, Barbara swore he looked like a dog, tail wagging and eyes sparkling at the word 'food'.

"Great, any preferences?" Barbara had grabbed the cordless phone off the wall, already dialing the number on the menu.

"Something spicy." Kara called from the couch, "And a lot of vegetables. Fried rice please!"

"Gotcha, Gwen?"

"Same, except meat as the main dish. Thank you Barbara."

"No problem, Ben?" At the silence, Barbara stuck her head out from the kitchen, "Ben?"

Said hero was standing by the large living room window, head tilted up and looking at something in the sky, "Uh, Barbara?"

Hanging up the phone, the redhead made her way next to the male Tennyson, "Is something wrong? Did you see something?"

Ben pointed. Boy, Barbara must have really been tired, because her of all people had not noticed the floodlights shining the giant Bat symbol into the sky, "Shit."

Barbara turned, sprinting to her room and slamming it shut. Ben followed, a confused expression on his face, "Barbara? Everything alright?"

Kara and Gwen had turned from their spots on the couch, the blonde raising an eyebrow at Ben, "What did you do?"

"What? Nothing! Just pointed out a light shining Batman's symbol in the sky and she-"

"Oh." Kara stood up, a grin now on her face, "Hero time."

"What?" At the all too familiar words, Ben nearly stumbled. When he remembered that Kara and Barbara were both superheroes, and quite good ones, he relaxed.

Kara suddenly grabbed the hem of her shirt and started pulling up. Ben let out a panicked scream, shielding his eyes and turning around, "Kara! What the heck are you doing?"

"Oh relax you perv." Ben dared to look over his shoulder, peeking out from behind his fingers and felt... Relief. Yeah, relief. Definitely not disappointment at the sight of Kara dressed in an outfit suspiciously like Superman's suit, except heavily modified for her own tastes. Her shirt was white, with the familiar S-Shield symbol on her chest but was cut really short, revealing nearly her whole midsection as well as her arms. She had on a similarly short, dark blue skirt that barely reached her knees. The ensemble was completed by a pair of red boots that reached up a little past her ankles. Ben's eyebrows shot up when he saw a small cape hanging halfway down the blonde's back.

"Okay Kara, and please don't take this the wrong way, but I'm not sure whether I should be impressed or horny." Ben still had his hand over his eyes for some reason but was looking through his fingers very closely, "Is that supposed to be your hero outfit?"

"First of all, get your mind out of the gutters! And second, yes. I'm Supergirl, if you remember." Kara twirled, her short red cape bellowing around before falling against her back again, "Pretty cool right?"

Gwen eyed Kara's outfit, not quite sure what to say, "It's...um. It's cute."

"I know right? Bonus."

"Kara don't you think... I mean, don't you fly? People can probably..." Ben sighed, running his hand down his face, "Never mind. You do you I guess." Gwen gave her cousin a understanding smile, shrugging her shoulders. While she wanted to say something, Gwen could not help looking down at the kind of tight, black pencil skirt she usually wore into battle. Sure she had black tights under that, but... Rocks and glass houses and all that.

"Wait, is that why Barbara ran to her room? Does she keep her costume in her closet?" Ben looked back at Barbara's closed door and jumped back when it opened.

"I do not keep it in my closet." Barbara's voice dropped to a whisper, "Anymore..."

The Bat redhead was dressed in a slimmer version of Batman's own uniform. Similar to Kara, Barbara had clearly added her own flare to her outfit. Her gloves and boots were bright yellow, as was the Bat symbol on her chest, and the inside of her cape. The rest of her outfit was a blend of mostly dark navy blue and black, her mask covering the top of her head and most of her face, save for the lower part of her face and eyes. Unlike Batman, her cowl did not have the white slits to hide her pupils, leaving her more exposed to be identified. That, combined with the flowing red hair spilling out from under her cowl, Ben was surprised her father could not recognize her.

Choosing wisely not to comment this time, Ben just gave Barbara a thumbs up, "Looking sharp. Didn't know we were going to a party, or I would have brought a costume of my own!"

"Shut up." Barbara glared at Ben from under her cowl before she smirked, "Dweeb."

"Hey! Only one person can call me that!"

"Aw, that's so adorable!"

"It's called an indescribable bond of friendship and family. Right Gwen?"

"Do I know you?" Gwen managed a bewildered look, tilting her head at her cousin and raising an eyebrow.

"Guys, focus!" Kara clapped her hands before looking at Barbara, "Trouble?"

Barbara shrugged, "Not sure, but I'm heading over to GPD headquarters to check. I know you're dressed already but it'll probably be noth-" They all heard the explosion, even from inside. Running to the window, the four teens saw the smoke rising in the distance, "Oh no... That's Arkham."

Gwen looked at Batgirl in concern, "What's Arkham?"

"Arkham Asylum, where they hold the most dangerous and insane criminals in Gotham. Most of Batman's worst enemies are there." Batgirl scrambled for her bedroom window, already grabbing at her grappling hook, "I need to get to GPD headquarters fast. Commissioner Gordon might have an idea what is going on, then I'm heading for Arkham."

"Wait!" Supergirl stepped in front of Batgirl, "Seems to me like you'll need all the help you can get. It'll be faster if you let me carry you. We can be at the police station in less than a minute, then head straight for Arkham."

Barbara nodded without hesitation, "If there is a breakout at Arkham, Batman and I will need all the help we can get." The two heroines looked towards the two cousins.

Ben then looked at Gwen, the redhead blinking when all three eyes were on her, "Of course we're coming with you."

Barbara hesitated, "I don't think..."

"Even if I only saw a little bit, they're both pretty strong Babs. And that's coming from me. Plus, these two worked with the League in stopping the Thanagarian invasion. I'm sure they can handle a few criminals from Arkham." Kara grinned at the Tennysons, who smiled back.

"Kara's right. You said it yourself, you can use all the help you can. Plus, we've worked with Batman before. You can count on us." Ben lifted his left arm, pulling the sleeve of his green jacket back to reveal the green gauntlet device. Barbara's eyes widened when Ben pressed a switch, a dial popping up and a holographic image of some creature appearing above it. The male Tennyson twisted the dial, scrolling through a number of different images before finding the one he was looking for, "It's hero time!" He slammed his hand down onto it, a bright flash of green light forcing all occupants in the room to shield their eyes.

When Barbara lowered her hands, she took a step back, not being able to help the gasp leaving her lips. Instead of the cute, green eyed, brown haired boy standing in her living room, there was now some kind of skinny, blue monster in a blue poncho standing there. It turned out the poncho was actually a pair of wings wrapped around its body, which were currently spreading out wide to reveal the creature to be some kind of, half blue moth, half man kind of thing. A haunting voice spoke up, chilling her to the bone, "Big... Chill."

"Whoa! So you can change into different aliens, that's so cool!" Kara gushed as she stepped forward, looking the blue moth thing over in excitement.

"Wait, that's Ben? What the hell was that?" Barbara calmed her rapidly beating heart, taking a few deep breaths before inching forward.

She stilled jumped slightly when the blue thing turned to look at her. She felt herself relax, seeing the familiar glow of emerald in its eyes as the boy she felt drawn to the moment they met, "Hey there Babs, sorry if I spooked you. I'll explain everything after this is all over."

"It really is you... I can't believe it." Batgirl reached out, poking one of Big Chill's wings.

Gwen laughed quietly, "You'll get used to it. Ben can change into millions of different aliens, so try not to be alarmed if some of them look...strange."

Barbara started to nod before freezing, "Did you say millions? Ben can turn into millions of different aliens?"

Big Chill nodded, "Mhm, all with their own abilities and traits. Pretty cool, huh?"

"More than cool...that's amazing." The redheaded Bat's voice was filled with awe and wonder, staring at Big Chill in a new light, "Is there anything you can't do?"

"Calculus." Big Chill managed a grin, making Barbara giggle, "Now, we doing this, or what?"

"Yeah. Let's go kick some butt!" Kara grinned herself, pumping her arms.

"Like Ben said." Gwen stepped forward, fire back in her eyes, "It's hero time."