Blind as a Bat

"All Units respond to a robbery in progress at Gotham First."

The crackle voice came over Red Revenge's com-link. It was atuação Police Commissioner James Gordon's voice. Revenge knew who he was calling: batman and his friends.

"Batman, you pick that up?" Revenge asked, picking up his radio while turning the jet towards the crime scene.

"Yes. I've got Static and Batgirl with me." batman replied. "We'll meet you there."

Revenge cut the comm and groaned at the mention of the punk from Dakota City. The kid would've driven Red Revenge over the edge of sanity months atrás had he been around that long.

Revenge set his jet to autopilot and jumped, silent rocket boosters in his feet slowing his descent enough so he wouldn't get hurt.

Police cars screeched up and Revenge turned from the shattered mural to them.

"Commissioner."

"Where's Batman?" the reply came.

"Right here." A new voice said. batman and Batgirl swung down, closely followed por Static on his pad.

"Who're the kids?" Gordon asked.

"Static Shock, the coolest kid this side of the Mississippi." Static said.

Revenge rolled his eyes. "That's the punk from Dakota. I'm-"

"The brat from New York." Static said. "We all know."

Revenge growled and Static made mocking faces.

"Cut it out you two!" batman snapped. Revenge frowned and Static stuck his tongue out. "What's the issue Commissioner?"

"Someone blew a hole in the Gotham Bank and roubou every penny out of the safe. We've got security footage. It looks like firefly, but these weapons aren't his M.O."

Revenge walked over and examined the smooth hole in the side of the building. He rubbed his fingers on it before turning to the police commissioner.

"I need a glass of water."

"What?" Jim asked.

"Just give it to him." batman sighed.

The commissioner ushered for a glass of water and handed it to Revenge. Revenge scraped some of the edge off with his faca and put it in the water, mixing it together. He stuck his gloved fingers in it.

"It's a protein called aquaporins. It allows water to travel into and out of cells extremely quickly. Too much water, they burst; too little they shrivel. Someone took the topo, início secret creme from the Wayne/Grant topo, início Secret project and smeared it along this mural in a perfect circle. They kicked the mural out and got away." Revenge said. He grinned, switching on something in his mask. "For now."

"You lost me at "protein." Static said, squatting on his disk.

"So let me get this straight." Harvey Bullock said, walking forward, munching on a donut. "Spandex boy-"

"It's Kevlar." Revenge growled.

Bullock looked taken back. "Now you listen here you snot nose little punk-"

"The punk is on a disk and has dreadlocks." Revenge replied, rubbing his fingers on the ground of the dark alleyway.

"Hey!" Static protested.

"When will you two just get along with each other?" Batgirl asked, shoving her face in her hand. "You're making me look bad."

Disgusted replies came from Revenge and Static.

"Revenge." batman interrupted the arguing. "Do you have a lead or do I need to take over?"

"East, fast pace, afterburners took effect at the end of the alley. Sending the transmission now."

"Well?" Bullock asked after a moment.

"Complete mental control." Revenge said, tapping the side of his head and grinning. "I just sent it."

He walked past Bullock and snatched the donut away. "Lay off the snacks, Bullock."

Bullock was flabbergasted.

"I think I know who the punk is." The Commissioner said, taking off his glasses and wiping them clean. He slid them back on to see the Dark Knight and his accomplices were gone.

"Batman?" he looked around for a segundo more. "One day, I'm gonna find out how he does that."

"Was that really necessary?" batman asked.

"What are you talking about?" Revenge asked.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about." batman growled, steering the Bat-Wing around a passenger jet.

"If you're asking why he got in an argument with Static," Batgirl said. "I wouldn't ask."

Robin laughed softly.

"And why do I have to ride with him?" Barbara demanded, folding her arms over her chest.

"You and Virgil talking?" Robin asked. "Batman'd kill you both!"

"Har. Har." Barbara said.

"What?" Revenge asked. "Don't like to admit I have a magnetic personality?"

"Amazing." Barbara said. "You said that without one drop of sarcasm."

"Cause you know it's true." Revenge replied carelessly.

Barbara hissed through her teeth and clenched her fists. Revenge laughed silently as he flew above Gotham's nuvem line.

"Sharp right." he said, following his own order even as he said it.

"Approaching New York City." Barbara said.

"That's funny." Virgil said.

"What?"

"Thought this was Firefly, he's Bruce's criminal."

"Don't. Call. Me. Bruce." batman growled.

"Sorry." Static said. "But still, why is Firefly heading to New York?"

"He's stupid or crazy." Revenge said. "Especially if he thinks he can take on me."

"Look, if I tell you you have an ego," Virgil said. "You have an ego."

"At least I can back it up." Revenge said.

"God, I hate you Bruce." Barbara said.

Tim laughed until Virgil slapped him in the back of the head. "Ow! What was-"

"I've had to deal with him. Trust me, it's no pónei, pônei ride." Virgil said.

"Approaching New York." batman said. Everyone went silent as the Dark City loomed before them.

"Revenge."

"What, Emerald?"

"A friend is here to see you."

"Can't talk right now."

"Okay, fine." The line went dead and Revenge sighed.

"Girl problems?" Batgirl asked.

Revenge glared at her. She raised an eyebrow.

"You're forgetting, I work with Batman."

Revenge sighed and nodded.

"So where are we going?"

Revenge grinned. "Somewhere special."

Barbara raised an eyebrow as Revenge walked down a ramp and into a bar. The segundo they entered, the noisy room went silent. Barbara heard whispers which inlcuded "Bat" "Make a run for it" and "Shit".

"Firefly. Where is he and who hired him?" Revenge asked.

Whispers went around the room. Finally, one guy stood up. "He ain't here."

"I gathered that." Revenge replied.

The man spoke in a strong voice. His brown beard and hair were buzz-cut. His figure was masculine and he stood a foot above Red Revenge. "We don't have nothing to do with Gotham trash."

Batgirl rolled her eyes.

"Then why did Firefly flee here?"

The men around the room got nervous.

"Tell me or else."

armas clicked and Barbara was suddenly aware of twenty armas pointed at her and Revenge while the rest of the men picked up weapons of every sort.

The man laughed. "You think you can take all of us?" he asked. "Especially since you lost your precious suit?"

Barbara had noticed that Grant had lost his suit of titanium.

"Let's go." Barbara whispered, placing her hand on the Black Hero's shoulder.

Revenge glared at the tall man before walking towards the door.

"That's right. Run início to daddy."

Revenge froze and slipped his hands into his utility belt.

"Damn it." Barbara said, hiding her face in her free hand.

Revenge whirled and tossed daggers at the man. They exploded in mid-air and smoke filled the room. Barbara tossed batarang after batarang, each one downing a man. Someone cracked a cue over her head and she cried out, falling to the ground.

"Batgirl." Revenge growled. He grabbed a man por the throat and tossed him across the room into three other guys.

"Thanks?" Batgirl replied, standing up and rubbing the back of her neck. Revenge didn't respond. The smoke was beginning to clear. About half of the fifty guys were on the floor unconscious. Most of them were swarming the Black Hero. Seven, however, had taken an interest in Barbara.

"Here, pretty girl." one of them called, pointing a gun at her stomach. She froze. It was the exact same spot. The one where Joker had shot her. "Come and get me."

Barbara remained frozen. Her conscious was trying to rip her body out of it's shocked state, but it refused to move.

"What's wrong with you?!" Revenge demanded, throwing a dagger into a man's chest. "Fight!"

Batgirl yelled and punched the man in the stomach. He was so close, his hot breath blew on her face before he collapsed to the ground, his gun firing a round into the ceiling. Barbara flinched. Five other guys were storming her and she took them out, one por one, using physical moves and martial arts.

Revenge grabbed the final conscious guy and dragged him up the stairs por the foot. The guy yelled, begging for mercy. Batgirl followed. Revenge dragged him onto the segundo story of the building and tied his foot on the empty flagpole over the highway.

"Now you'd probably survive the drop." Revenge said, squatting seguinte to the shivering man. "But do you want to count on the hospitality of the drivers?"

The guy shivered and shook his head.

"Tell the pretty girl where firefly is."

The guy was still shivering in fear. Revenge sighed and pulled out a dagger. "There are forty-nine other guys down there. Someone'll talk. If you don't, I'll drop you and get another.

"You wouldn't." the guy said shakily. "You won't kill."

Revenge shrugged and dropped the line. The guy screamed and felt his cheek smash as he hit the ground. Revenge pulled him back up.

"One last time." he said.

"Okay! Okay!" the guy exclaimed. "It's someone named the Red Hood! He came in and wanted a suit like Firefly's. We just gave it to him! We didn't want no mais deaths!"

Revenge nodded and dropped the guy. He fell a story and a half before snagging. His leg muscles popped and he screamed.

"Uhm..." Barbara started.

"Come on, he's alive." Revenge said, going back down the stairs.

Barbara looked back at the man hanging before she followed the Black Hero out.

"Be on the watch out." Revenge said. Batgirl crept seguinte to him.

"Who is this guy?" she asked. "Batman obviously has had issues with him..."

"Issues doesn't even begin to cover it, Batgirl." a voice called. Grenades landed in the alleyway. Revenge jumped on Batgirl as they exploded.

"You okay?" he asked, climbing off of her.

"Fine." Barbara replied. "Who was that?"

"The name was Robin. Or Jason." the figure said, leaping down seguinte to Revenge and pointing double pistols at him. "But you can call me Red Hood. And my associate-"

"Please!" another voice called. "I can introduce myself."

A black, caped figure landed in the alley. "Name's Red X. I roubou your boyfriend's suit." He aimed the last part at Barbara. "So, whatcha say, babe? Wanna cadastrar-se me for a night?"

"Euw!" Barbara said.

"Ah, suit yourself." Red X said.

"If he ever stops flirting." Red capuz, capa said. "We can get to doing something with you two."

"Now wait." Barbara said. "Red Hood, Red X, Red Revenge, and umm... I've got red hair. I really don't see a reason for this to get out of hand."

"Oh, but I do." a third voice said.

Everyone turned their attention to the roof of the warehouse. A female figure in cape and capuz, capa stood there, glaring down at the figures below.

"Knightfall." Batgirl hissed.

"Batgirl." the female figure returned. Revenge could see nothing of her. He could tell por the venom in the two girl's tones that they were amargo, amarga enemies.

"Too rich to get your hands dirty?" Barbara called. "Or do you reserve taking blood to your own family?"

"For you, I'll make an exception." Knightfall said. "Take out the boy, but leave the girl to me."

Red capuz, capa fired at Revenge who shoved Batgirl out of the way. Red X pinned the female to the mural with some sticky projectiles. "Just hang there for a while, babe." he said.

Barbara growled.

Revenge punched Red Hood. The boy stumbled back and glared at Revenge. Red X leaped on the Black Hero's back and stabbed him several times. Revenge threw the thief off and looked back up in time to see a soco come straight at him from Red Hood. Revenge groaned and stumbled back. He was punched again and again until he fell on the ground, wheezing.

"Uncle." he said.

"Who says 'uncle' anymore?" Red capuz, capa asked.

"The guy with explosives on each of his enemies." Revenge replied.

"DAMN!" Red capuz, capa exclaimed. Explosions sounded and the two villains flew back.

"I just ironed that suit!" Red X exclaimed.

Revenge stood up unsteadily. "So why dress up as Firefly?" he asked.

"She wanted Batgirl's attention." Red X said. "Ambush her. Kill her."

"I thought you didn't kill." Batgirl said.

Red X shrugged. "I don't know you. I'll let her do the dirty work."

"How much is Knightfall paying you?" Revenge asked.

"You can't buy us off. We've got mais class than that." Red capuz, capa said, walking forward.

"Couple grand." Red X said.

Red Hood's glare went right through Revenge.

"She's a Gotham billionaire." Revenge said.

The two villains froze.

"Liar!" Knightfall hissed from the roof.

"Please," Batgirl said. "Everyone knows you're Charise Carnes. You murdered your family and escaped justice."

"Then why don't you prove it?" Knightfall hissed venemously.

Red capuz, capa and Red X looked at the villainess on the rooftop.

"I remember you." Red capuz, capa said. "You little-"

"Silence!" Knightfall hissed. "I have what I want! You may leave and will find what you deserve tomorrow!"

"I don't like that wording." Red X said. Red capuz, capa looked at Red Revenge who was still staggering and holding his stomach.

"What was your offer again?"

Revenge grinned. "Fifty thousand to the first one who brings her to jail." he paused. "Seventy-Five for her head."

Knighfall hissed and fled. Red capuz, capa and Red X fired a grappling line at the building before ascending and following the villainess. Revenge groaned and stumbled over to Batgirl, ripping her free.

"Thanks." Barbara said.

"That was...a surprisingly...uneventful evening." Revenge got out. He fired a grappling hook at the roof of the arranha-céu and hauled Barbara up with him. As soon as they were on the roof, Barbara removed her cowl.

"I'm sure I'll be free seguinte Friday."

Revenge grinned and pulled off his mask as well. Barbara was struck por how calm and steady his face looked. There was strength in his blue eyes. His sweaty, mangled, messy, dark hair only added to the look.

"Thanks for your help."

Barbara smiled. A chime came on her comlink.

"Yes?"

"Red capuz, capa and Red X are heading for Gotham. They appear to be chasing someone. Meet me on the Wayne Enterprises Building." Batman's voice came through the speakers.

"Right there." Barbara said. She turned to Revenge who was watching her with an expression she couldn't read.

"So are you mild-mannered Samuel Grant who puts on an act to fight criminals, or are you the gruff Red Revenge who puts on an act for the public?" Barbara asked, sliding her cold, hard capota, capuz firmly back over her head.

"I'm not sure." Revenge replied, firing his grappling hook at a building across the rua before following Barbara's example and sliding his mask on as well. "Let me know when you figure it out."

And with that, the Black Hero swung off into the night, leaving Barbara smiling and shaking her head in disbelief. Then she scowled, realizing he had made her smile. "Damn him." she muttered and swung in the direction of Gotham City.