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

Author's Note: Still not sure about pairings. Just doing whatever comes to me while I write.

Chapter 4: Trouble on the Horizon

Kara had mostly gotten used to her super sensitive senses since she had come to Earth and absorbed the yellow sun radiation. It had been...overwhelming at first, especially in the cities where something, somewhere was always making some sort of noise. Trying to sleep anywhere except on the farm was almost like torture. It was only after weeks of training with Clark that she finally learned to kind of, tune her senses down so that she did not smell or hear everything within a ten mile radius. She no longer woke up to the sound of the cows moving around in the barn or the little clucks the chickens did in their sleep.

That was why, when she woke up in the middle of the night, it took her a minute to orient herself and figure out why she woke up. Straining her ears, she shot up from her bed when she realized she could hear someone crying out in their sleep. It then took her three seconds to figure out it was Gwen's voice and ran to her door using her super speed, yanking the door open and moving down the hall to Clark's room. She paused for a split second when she saw the door was slightly ajar, panic gripping her heart as she pushed it open.

She felt her shoulders sag as she saw Ben was already there, the extra cot that Ma and Pa pulled out for him abandoned as he sat on top of Clark's bed, holding Gwen's head to his chest as he stroked her hair and whispered comforting words into her ear. Gwen was whimpering in her sleep, her hands balled into tight fists as she held onto Ben for dear life. She occasionally twisted and turned, as if she were running to, or from, something.

Ben did not wake her, just held her tight and kept trying to comfort her the best he could. From the bags under his eyes, he did not sleep much during the night himself. Slipping his feet onto the bed, he sat with his back against the headboard, just holding Gwen with a helpless expression as he kept stroking her hair. Kara was so focused on the scene in front of her that she jumped when a hand touched her shoulder. Seeing both Ma and Pa Kent there, she let out a breath she did not know she was holding. Ma Kent just held a finger up to her lips, a sad but knowing smile forming before she gripped her husband's hand. Pa Kent reached out to gently stroke Kara's head before turning around with Ma Kent and returning to their bedroom.

Kara gave the two cousins one last look before closing the bedroom door, sneaking back to her room and getting back into bed. Clark may have helped her tune her senses down, but she could not stop hearing Gwen's whimpers and cries. And she doubted Ben could either.

/0/

"Good morning Mister and Missus Kent. I hope you slept well last night?" Gwen smiled warmly as she came into the kitchen, her long hair done up in a ponytail. She had borrowed some of Kara's clothes, having on a white button up shirt and simple blue jeans.

"Oh slept just well dear. How about you? I hope you didn't mind using Clark's old bed." Ma Kent held up a cup of coffee to Gwen, who took it with a grateful smile.

"Oh it was fine Missus Kent. Clark's bed is so big, I felt bad making Ben sleep on the cot. He should be the one using it."

Pa Kent laughed, "Yeah, by the time Clark was in high school, we had to get him a bed big enough for two! And well, Ben is too much of a gentleman to make you sleep on a cot when there is a bed available, now isn't he?"

Gwen opened her mouth to agree when Ben cut in, entering the kitchen with his hair slightly damp, wearing one of Clark's old white t-shirts that was two sizes too big for him and jeans that had to be held up by a belt with a few extra holes punched in, "My Grandpa always said that ladies should be treated right. He would frown at me if I made Gwen take the cot while I had a comfortable, big bed to myself!"

The whole room shared a quiet chuckle as Ben sat down, his eyes drifting to the stove and the scrambled eggs cooking. Noting the lack of one teen in the room, Ben looked at Pa Kent, "Where's Kara?"

"Oh I am sure she is sleeping in again. Not much to do around here when all the important chores are done in the beginning of the week. Especially with you two helping us!"

Just then, Kara drudged into the kitchen, her hair slightly disheveled and her eyes slightly closed. She slumped into one of the chairs, muttering something along the lines of "Good morning", "It's too bright", and "Coffee" all at the same time.

Giving her husband an amused look, Ma Kent poured another cup of coffee and placed it in front of her niece, "Good morning Kara, I hope you got plenty of sleep last night."

"Mm," was Kara's only response, her eyes almost fully closed as she held the cup of coffee close to her lips. In truth, Kara only barely fell back asleep around four. And she could still remember how Gwen had not stopped crying or whimpering as she did.

"I slept well Ma... Thanks."

"Good, then maybe you can show Ben and Gwen around Smallville. Maybe take them to the county fair tonight before Clark gets back."

Kara perked up, shaking some of the sleep off, "Clark's coming back? When? Why?"

Pa Kent turned a page of the newspaper he was reading, "He said he'd be back late, and I think he wanted to talk to Gwen and Ben about something."

Kara eyed the cousins, "About what?"

Ben was too busy shoveling scrambled eggs, bacon, and pancakes into his mouth so just shrugged his shoulders while Gwen took another sip of her coffee, "I'm sure he's just checking in, seeing how we are doing. Plus there is the whole, joining the League thing they wanted to talk to us about."

Kara's eyes lit up at that, "He wants you to join the League? That means we can join together!" She practically bounced in her seat, a big grin on her face.

Ben and Gwen shared a look. Ben swallowed the mouth full of food he had while Gwen hid her expression behind another sip of coffee. Kara looked from one Tennyson to the other, an eyebrow raising, "Something wrong?"

Gwen winced before giving Kara a small smile, "We just aren't sure if we want to join the League is all."

Kara leaned back in her seat, both her eyebrows going up this time, "What? Why? The League is like, the most popular superhero group in the world. Who wouldn't want to be in the League?"

Ben shrugged again, "People who aren't heroes."

"But you are heroes."

"No. We aren't."

"What do you mean? You're clearly..."

"Kara, honey." Ma Kent's voice cut Kara off, making the girl look at her foster aunt with a questioning look. Seeing the woman shake her head slightly, Kara looked back at the two cousins, for the first time seeing the tightness in their eyes and mouth and the way Ben's hands were balled up into fists.

"Well no use talking about this without Clark here, is it? Why don't you three head out to town. It's not much but it'll be more fun than hanging out here. I'll give Kara some money." Ben waved his hand as he stood up, heading for the stairs to grab his jacket.

"It's fine Mister Kent. Bru- Batman gave us cards we could use to get whatever we needed. I doubt we'll be using a lot in town but we got it."

"Ben, we shouldn't rely on Batman to-"

"Oh come on Gwen, he said we can use it for whatever we want. And if the man can make two giant space stations by himself, I am sure he can handle us spending a few bucks shopping in a small country town."

"But-"

"I'll be back!" With that, Ben ran upstairs, leaving Gwen to bury her face into her hands.

Pa Kent laughed, reaching out to pat Gwen on the shoulder, "Don't worry Gwen, I'll give Kara enough cash so you don't have to feel so burdened."

"Please don't worry yourself too much over that Mister Kent, but thank you."

"Don't worry Pa, I have some money saved up, I can take care of them. You can count on me." Kara finished the rest of her coffee before rushing upstairs to get ready.

The three that remained in the kitchen sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes before Ma Kent spoke up, "You know Gwen dear, I have some excellent herbs and teas that help with sleep if you ever want to try them. Knocks me right out, no dreams or anything."

Gwen froze, looking over at Ma Kent's back. The older woman was washing dishes while Pa Kent just flipped another page of his newspaper, bringing up his own mug of coffee and taking a sip without comment.

Placing her hands together atop the table, Gwen resist the urge to rub her arms, biting her bottom lip before taking a deep breath, "I would appreciate that Missus Kent. Thank you."

Waving one of her wet hands over her shoulder, Ma Kent did not turn around as she let out a warm laugh, "Oh no need to thank me hon. I just thought you could use something to help you sleep better in a strange house. Would you tell Ben for me? He might want something too, seeing as you two are in the same boat here."

"Of course ma'am, I am sure...Ben would appreciate it as well."

"Ready!" Ben strolled into the kitchen, his familiar green jacket on as he held up a black credit card.

Gwen rolled her eyes at her cousin before standing up, "Kara went up to get ready." Gwen looked over at Pa Kent, "How far is the town from here?"

"A few minutes walk, but I can give you all a ride if you like."

Ben shook his head, "We could use the walk, take in the fresh air. I'm sure even if we get some shopping in, we can handle it between the three of us." Ben could always transform after all.

"Ready." Kara came down, having put on a white shirt and jeans similar to Gwen, except she had on a jean jacket. Both Ben and Gwen blinked when they saw that Kara's hair was no longer blonde, but brunette and tied back into a ponytail.

She even had on a pair of glasses, ones that had Gwen squint at the Argoan while Ben scratched his head, "What's with the getup?"

"Oh this, well I need a disguise for when I'm not Supergirl, you know? Secret identities and all that." Kara smiled sheepishly at the two.

"There's something about your glasses too, isn't there?" Gwen had her hand on her chin, staring at Kara's face closely, "Something is making us perceive your face differently than when you have your glasses off. Makes it kind of hard to focus too. You look almost like a different person."

Kara nodded in surprise, "Yeah... Clark's invention. He has a pair too, the glasses make people see us a bit differently, it's why he wears them all the time when he is in disguise as Clark Kent. How else would Lois Lane, a reporter obsessed with Superman, not notice that guy that she works right next to, is not the Man of Steel himself?"

Ben nodded, scratching the back of his head, "Not sure who Lois Lane is exactly, but that makes sense. Superman didn't seem to do anything special about his disguise except change into a suit and put on a pair of glasses. I seriously thought people from your world was just...kind of dumb."

"Now that's just rude."

"What? Superman literally just changed clothes and put on fake glasses, and no one recognized him! Can you really blame me?"

When Kara just glared at him, Ben gulped, holding his hands in the air in surrender.

Laughing at their antics, Ma Kent walked up to Gwen, holding out a simple black jacket to Gwen, "Here dear. It gets chillier than you realize out there." The redhead accepted it with a grateful smile and put it on with a thank you.

"It's not much, but I know some good places around Smallville where we can get you all some proper clothes!" Kara grabbed both Gwen and Ben's arms, pulling them along as they made their way out the door.

Looking down at the over sized clothes that barely fit him, Ben nodded, "Yeah, I could use some stuff that fit me. Especially underwear."

"Gross, Ben! Don't talk about your dirty underwear in front of girls!" Gwen made a face at her cousin who glared back at her.

"They aren't dirty! At least, not more than normal."

"Gross!"

"Ew." Both Kara and Gwen spoke at the same time before sharing a giggle, leaning into one another while Ben stuck his tongue out at them.

/0/

Two cousins, plus one Argoan, sat in a small ice cream parlor with various shopping bags at their feet. While the place was small, the local shops had a surprisingly diverse amount of clothes and shops around the small town. Some were clearly from a few years back but because it was a small town, a lot of popular classics were in stock at a reasonable price.

Ben was currently inhaling his second double scoop mint chocolate chip and coffee ice cream while Gwen and Kara were licking at their vanilla and strawberry ice creams like normal human beings. Gwen had just finished regaling Kara with one their adventures.

"No way! Ben was a mommy?" Kara cooed at the last sentence, looking at Ben with big, gooey eyes. Ben glared before resuming his attack on his ice cream cone.

"I was not a mommy. Big Chill's species have this, birthing cycle instinct that took over the Omnitrix. It just borrowed my body so that it could make babies. I don't even remember doing any of that, or even seeing the kids myself. So no, I was not a mommy."

Gwen smirked, "He was so a mommy. Went all protective instinct against me and..." Gwen's smirk died fast, her chest aching as she looked down.

Ben quickly changed the subject, his hand shooting out under the table to grasp one of Gwen's and squeezing, "So Kara, tell us more about your time as a hero. I hear you worked closely with another hero in Gotham. Batgirl did you say?"

Noticing the quick change of subject, but understanding they needed it, Kara nodded, jumping on it, "Yeah, one of Clark's super villains, Livewire, went to Gotham and teamed up with some of Batman's villains. A plant woman called Poison Ivy and her psycho clown friend, Harley Quinn. Batgirl helped me take them down."

Ben grinned, "Sorry but Missus Kent mentioned someone named Barbara before... That wouldn't be this Batgirl would it?"

Kara sighed, rubbing her forehead, "Dang it Ma... Secret identities are a thing you know. You never blab about Clark and his friends..."

Gwen giggled at Kara's mumbling, giving Ben's hand a squeeze before letting it go, "Don't worry Kara, we won't tell Batgirl that we know her real name. Her secret is safe with us. Plus, Ben and I don't have a secret identity. Not really anyways."

Kara hummed, "Maybe you should think of getting one here. Almost every superhero has one."

"Maybe." Gwen looked at Ben again, the boy staring down at the table with such focus, she thought he was trying to will heat vision like Superman.

"We should visit Gotham!" Kara's sudden comment had both cousins look up at her, "We could go visit a big city, plus go see Bar- Batgirl. I'm sure she'll be thrilled to meet other heroes in her age group. We've only ever had each other. That and Robin I guess but I haven't really met him."

"Robin?" Ben looked at Kara questioningly.

"Oh yeah. Robin. He used to be Batman's partner before he left. Had some sort of falling out with Batman over something or another. Was a pretty angsty guy." Kara grinned, clearly teasing.

Looking a bit intrigued, Ben leaned forward, "Is he still in Gotham?"

Kara shook her head, "No, he moved to a place called Jump City. Started some kind of, young superhero group. Titans, I think it was called? Batgirl didn't know much either, just a few snippets that Batman said in passing."

"Titans huh? Why didn't you and Batgirl join them?"

"Well, Batgirl wanted to stay in Gotham to help the city out. Plus her and...Robin kind of parted on bad terms." Kara did not mention how Batgirl had some weird crush on Batman, who Kara knew was at least two decades older than her. Maybe three.

"And I'm still getting used to the whole Supergirl thing. And by the time I got into it, Clark asked me if I wanted to join the League. And no offense to the Titans, but I'd much prefer joining the Justice League than the Teen Titans."

Gwen nodded before holding her chin, "Teen Titans? Is it just made up of people in our age bracket?"

The blonde disguised as a brunette shook her head, "Last time I heard, they expanded almost all over the world. With some people older than them. It's why they have been going by just Titans these days."

"Do they work with the League?" Ben licked his fingers as he finished his ice cream cone, earning a disapproving look from Gwen who handed him a wet wipe.

"Not that I've heard. It's weird but they work completely separately. I figured they would merge, or at least cooperate but no one has really done anything to talk with each other. By this point, the Titans have way more members than the League. They cover places the League doesn't have time to go to, so I think Batman just leaves them be. They seem to be thriving under Robin and his team. The 'original five'."

"Sounds like a fun group we should visit some time!" Ben grinned at Gwen who smiled back with a nod.

"Sounds kind of like Max Force."

"Oh god, Grandpa Max hated that name..." Ben and Gwen laughed together, shaking their heads at how Manny would not let the name go, no matter how many times Grandpa Max had told him to stop.

"I miss Manny, and Helen and Pierce." Gwen's sudden comment made Ben look over at her with shock, but he calmed down when he saw Gwen smile at him instead of break down, "I miss Grandpa Max."

Ben smiled a little back at her, reaching up to cup his cousin's cheek, "Me too."

Gwen leaned into his warmth, using it as an anchor as the ache in her chest did not fade, but hurt slightly less. The pain felt like it was just yesterday, while also feeling like a million years ago. In reality it had been about two weeks, and it no longer hurt every morning she woke up.

"You know if I didn't know you were cousins, I'd be seriously embarrassed right now." Both Tennysons looked at Kara, who had both her elbows on top of the table with her chin resting on her hands. Ben just grinned while Gwen laughed,shaking her head.

"So, Gotham. I hear Batman is really famous there." Ben eyed Gwen's half melting vanilla ice cream, which the redhead pulled away from his gaze and gave another lick. She pointedly ignored his puppy dog look, giving her attention to Kara.

"Oh Batman is more than famous there, he's a legend. Maybe even around the world now that he's part of the League." Kara finished her own cone before dusting her hands off to the side.

"So he's famous both with and without the mask, huh." Ben grumbled as he folded his arms on the table, laying his head down on them.

"I guess...wait you know Batman's secret identity?" Kara's voice raised in volume, leaning across the table to look at Ben with such intensity.

"Uh, yeah. We found out during the whole Thanagarian invasion thing. Doesn't Batgirl know?"

"Well yeah, but she refuses to tell me who he really is. Says Batman takes the secret of his identity really seriously. So does Robin. Barbara less so but Batman has rubbed off on her and she is being more...ninja now than she was before." Kara emphasized her point by waving her arms around in mock karate moves.

Ben and Gwen looked at one another before Ben grinned at Kara, "I guess that means we shouldn't blab Batman's secret to anyone either."

Kara's mouth opened and closed before she crossed her arms and looked to the side, clearly pouting, "Oh it's like that is it? Keep your secrets. Traitors."

Sharing another laugh together, the cousins made silly attempts at appeasing the last Argoan, making promises of shopping, bribing with food, and even offering to do all the big chores the following week. The three finally settled for waiting on her hand and foot all week next week before she finally forgave them.

"I thought I'd find you three here." The three teens turned towards the door, Kara practically jumping up when she saw who it was.

"Clark!" Kara ran to her cousin, giving him a big hug as he laughed, hugging her back.

"Nice to see you too Kara." Clark was dressed in his civilian disguise, a light blue suit with a red tie and glasses similar to Kara's face distorting technology, "Ready for the big meeting next week?"

Kara smirked, stepping back and giving her cousin a light punch on the shoulder, "I was born ready!"

Laughing again, Clark squeezed Kara's shoulder before turning to the Tennysons. He held his hand out to Gwen, who shook it before Clark held his hand out to Ben, "Good to see you two. You seem, better."

Ben grinned, shaking the Man of Steel's hand firmly, "Fresh air and relaxation will do that for you. Not to mention, everything Missus Kent makes for us is delicious."

"Ma Kent is the best cook in the universe."

All four laughed before they took their seats, Clark pulling a chair up as he looked the Tennyson cousins over. While it was true they seemed better, he could see the fatigue clinging to their bodies. The slight bags under their eyes, the way their shoulders were sagging, and how Gwen's hand shook slightly when they were not holding anything.

They weren't ready, not even close. He could see it in the way Ben's eyes would dart around, looking for any possible threat, even in a peaceful, small town like Smallville. The way his left hand drifted to his right every few seconds, how both Ben and Gwen would react to every sudden sound around them. He did not know the exacts of what happened to the two cousins, but he knew trauma when he saw it. Not just from army veterans he had interviewed as Clark Kent, but from heroes he worked alongside. They could be given more time, but what they really needed was someone to help them through the trauma. A therapist, or just someone to talk to. He doubted they would open up to him, not now at least. He was truly at a loss on what to do.

It was heartening to see they were improving despite it all. They no longer seemed to be so guarded. More open to those around them, evidenced by how Gwen was leaning close to Kara instead of just sticking to Ben like her only life line.

"Clark?"

Superman did not notice how lost in thought he was until Kara shook him. Giving her an apologetic smile, Clark waved his hand, "Sorry about that. Was thinking of some work I left behind. So, you went shopping." He looked down at the various bags around their feet before raising an eyebrow at Kara, "And I see you have twice the bags as Ben and Gwen."

"Hey! Ben offered to pay, and it would be rude to refuse such a gift." Kara raised her chin at her cousin, who just shook his head with a smile.

"Well, it was actually Batman who paid, but hey! He told me to use it however I want. I'm thinking of buying a car next." Ben puffed his chest out a little but ended up coughing when Gwen rammed her elbow into his side.

"He's joking." Gwen smiled at Superman who returned it.

"He said use it however I want..."

"Ben..."

"Kidding! I'm kidding!" Ben winked at Kara who giggled.

"Ben!"

"What! What?"

"Doofus."

"Dweeb."

"Are you sure you're both just cousins? You two seem more like siblings than most real siblings I know!" Kara smiled at the two Tennysons who just shrugged back.

"We get that a lot." Ben leaned back in his chair, placing both his hands behind his head.

"Was there something you needed to talk to us about Mister Kent?" Gwen looked at Superman who was just smiling at the three of them.

"Just call me Clark, Gwen. Calling me Mister Kent makes me feel like Pa." Giving her one of those charming, farm boy smiles, Clark waved at Gwen who smiled back at the Kryptonian, "And well..." In truth Clark had come to talk to the cousins about joining the League again, but seeing they needed a little more time, he decided against it, "I kind of just wanted to come check up on you both. See how things have been in a new dimension. No problems so far?"

Gwen and Ben looked at each other before Ben shrugged, "Nothing to complain about so far. Good food, good company, and I even got new pairs of under-"

Gwen placed a hand over Ben's mouth, smiling at Superman, "What Ben is trying to say is, we are fine Mister Clark. We can't express how grateful we are to both you and Batman for providing us with a place to stay and money to survive. It's more than we could have expected."

Superman shook his head, "Like Batman said, we owe you, the world owes you a great debt for saving it."

Ben shook his head, his eyes serious, "We don't do what we do to be owed. We do it because it's the right thing to do, and because it is our responsibility as people with power, to protect those without."

Kara had heard virtuous people talk before. She had heard motivational speeches and encouraging words from heroes of different kinds, and Ben's words were not unique but the way he said it, the conviction and the passion behind the words made it sound so different than when she heard it before. The intensity of his eyes and voice took her breath away, the emerald pupils practically glowing with fire.

Clark sat back in his seat, looking at Ben for a minute before speaking, "To be honest, I came by to see if you changed your mind about joining the League. The whole League, especially Batman, really hope you would join us."

Ben stared back at Clark, the two looking each other in the eyes before Ben sighed, running a hand through his hair, "We don't even know how heroing really works in your world. In ours, we fought aliens and humans who were connected to aliens. We didn't police the world, not really."

"We don't police the world exactly. While we do catch all manners of criminals, we hand them over to the authorities. Most of the time. Some of them cannot be held by normal means, but we deal with them as humanely as possible."

"Kind of sounds like the Plumber teams we had back home. How different could it be?" Gwen smiled at Ben who let out a small laugh.

"Does that mean...?" Clark did not mean to sound so hopefully desperate, but he was definitely a fan of the two cousins. Not as much as Bruce, who he hoped would never, ever find out what he just thought.

"...if Gwen is up for it..." Ben muttered as he grasped his hands together, looking at his cousin who just raised an eyebrow at him.

"Since when did you ever ask my permission for anything?"

"Hey! I ask you about a ton stuff before actually doing them!"

"You ask for advice, never permission."

"Gwen..." Ben whined, drawing out the 'e' sound as he pouted at her. She covered her mouth with her hand, laughing before reaching out to ruffle Ben's head.

"You were meant to be a hero Ben. No matter what you say, how much you doubt yourself, you are a hero. It's a part of who you are and who you are destined to be. You know it, I know it, the universe knows it. I will be right there with you. As a hero, or not. But we both know that as long as there are bad guys out there, and there will always be bad guys out there, you can't stop being a hero. You have too much of Grandpa Max in you."

Ben's hands tightened around each other, his knuckles turning white as he just stared at the table. It took him a minute but he finally looked up at Gwen, a tired smile forming on his lips. He stood up, taking a deep breath before holding a hand out to Superman, "I'm honestly not sure if I am still cut out to be a hero, but... I know that the world is never safe enough. There will always be another family, another kid who needs to be saved. From a monster, or from someone cruel enough, or desperate enough to pull a trigger. And if I can help even one more person, then I know what I have to do. I need to be the hero my grandfather knew I could be."

Kara could not take her eyes off of Ben. She admired all the heroes she had seen on the news. She admired Batgirl, stopping super villains without any powers of her own. She especially admired her cousin, Superman. The hope of the world. But she never admired someone as she did Ben Tennyson. Someone the same age as her, but with such different eyes. With pain, and tragedy and wisdom she did not expect or could fathom. It was breath taking.

Superman stood up, taking Ben's hand and giving it a firm shake, "The League could not be more honored to have you both join us, Ben. Gwen." Clark released Ben's hand, holding it out to the redhead who stood up to take the Man of Steel's hand.

"Guess you'll have a few more familiar faces at the gathering next week Kara."

Clark looked down at his cousin, who snapped out of her daze to stand up and give Gwen a hug, "It'll be good to have more people our age in the League."

Smiling, Gwen gave Kara a hug back, "What about Batgirl?"

Kara shrugged, "I don't think Batman asked her yet."

Clark raised an eyebrow, "You're kidding. We talked about her during the League meeting last month. He said he'd handle it."

"Maybe he forgot?" Gwen tilted her head.

"Batman? Forget?"

"Yeah I thought it was a long stretch..."

"Do you think he thinks she's not ready?" Gwen looked at Kara who shook her head.

"Hey! If Clark thinks I'm ready to join the League, Batgirl is definitely ready. She's been doing this longer than I have, and kicks just as much butt without powers I might add."

All three teens looked at Clark whose brows shot up, "I'll...talk to Batman. And invite Batgirl myself if I have to."

"Good." Kara turned back to Ben and Gwen, "We can talk to Batgirl ourselves when we go see her. How about tomorrow? Gotham's a short flight away, or an average train ride depending on how you want to get there."

Ben looked at Gwen, "Gwen can't exactly fly. And it might not be as comfortable for her to be carried there by you than it was with Superman."

Kara glared, "Hey! I am just as strong as Clark! I can carry Gwen there!"

Clark chuckled, "Kara, I think he meant how you are Gwen are the same size, and you carrying her won't be that comfortable is all."

Kara huffed before looking at Ben, "What about you? Can't you turn into like, a lot of different aliens? One of them must be able to fly."

Ben nodded, holding his Omnitrix up, "I have master control on, but it's impossible for me to figure out all one million species inside the watch! The few that I know can fly won't be able to reasonably carry Gwen long distances. Except maybe Stinkfly but..."

"No." Gwen could already smell the stink, shivering at the memory as she rubbed her arms, "You are not carrying me on Stinkfly for more than a second."

Ben waved his hand in the air, as if saying 'see' before he looked at Kara, "Train?"

"Train."

"Train it is."

"You're going to Gotham?" Clark tilted his head, "While you're there, check in on Batman for me. He's been up day and night finishing the Watchtower, helping governments all around the world rebuild, and keeping tabs on Gotham. While some criminals have backed off because of the Thanagarian invasion, a lot of them have taken advantage of the situation. Especially those in Gotham. Batgirl has been helping out but I hear they have their hands full."

The three teens looked at each other before looking back at Superman, nodding their heads.

"We'll keep an eye out Superman. If Batman needs help, we'll be there." Gwen reached out to give Clark's arm a squeeze.

The Man of Steel smiled back at her before glancing at his watch, "I better get going. I'm due back at the Daily Planet. Lois will kill me if I'm late." Kara giggled, giving Clark a hug.

"Ben, Gwen. It was good to see you." Clark laughed when Gwen gave him a hug, who was joined by Ben a second later. He lifted both cousins up in the air before letting them down, "A guy could get used to this. Feels like I gained two more cousins."

"Ditto." Ben and Gwen said it at the same time, making Kara laugh.

"I'll see you two at the gathering next week, if not sooner. I will stop by again if I have time." Winking at the three, Clark left with a wave, the three teens waving back at him before looking at each other.

Kara just smiled, "Lets go home."

/0/

"I'm telling you Babs, you just have to meet them. Gwen is so smart and put together, I can't believe we are the same age! And Ben, just wow. I've seen older heroes who are less put together than him! He just knows what it means to be a hero and he's just so...inspiring. I mean, Clark inspired me to be Supergirl but Ben... It's like he has that special something you know? That...fire to be not just a hero, but an actual good person." Kara sprawled out across her bed, her cellphone held up to her ear as she stared at the ceiling.

"Sounds like someone has a crush." Barbara's teasing tone filtered through the phone, making Kara glare at the ceiling.

"I do not!"

"You certainly sound like you do."

"I do not! We just met two days ago, and I decked him when I first saw him! He's just...inspiring." Kara did not know how else she could put the feelings into words.

"Well inspiration can just be the start to love, so fingers crossed Kara."

"Barbara..."

"Oh, you used my fully name. I guess I'm in trouble."

"Barbara!"

Said redhead laughed on the other end, rolling her eyes as she took a comfortable position on the couch in her living room, "Chill Kara, I'm just messing with you." Mostly, Barbara thought. She had never heard her friend talk about someone like she did and was admittedly very curious about Ben and Gwen.

"So you three are coming to Gotham tomorrow? Should I be worried?"

"No silly, you should be relieved. Having three more superheroes in Gotham to watch your back? Please."

"My heroes." Kara could see the droll look Barbara was making and huffed.

"How are things in Gotham? From the way Superman was talking, it sounds like you and Batman could use all the help you can get."

"Oh, things aren't that bad." Barbara looked out the window, checking for the fifth time that night for the Bat signal. Her father was never shy about using it and even jokingly complained about the electric bill that Batman costed him using that high-powered searchlight almost every night, "In fact, tonight's pretty calm. No Bat signal for the past three hours. Maybe we finally caught a-"

Barbara silently cursed her big mouth when the Bat signal appeared in the night sky just then. Scrambling up from her seat and running to her room while holding her cellphone between her shoulder and ear, she hopped on one foot as she started tugging her clothes off, "Speak and you shall be jinxed. I gotta go Kara. Bat signal. Batman will chew me out if I am late again."

"Okay, be careful Babs. Call if you need help, I can be there in ten."

"You know me Kara, the bad guys need help from me."

"You go get em."

Barbara hung up the phone, throwing it onto the bed as she pulled her closet open, reaching up into a hidden compartment on the ceiling of her closet, she pulled her batsuit out, slipping it on with practiced ease before clipping on her utility belt and grappling gun.

"Another exciting night in Gotham..." She spoke quietly to herself as she opened her window, aiming the grappling gun and firing before swinging across towards police headquarters.

/0/

Batman landed on the rooftop of GPD, greeted by the familiar sight of Commissioner Gordon. He heard the familiar twang of a grappling gun firing before Batgirl landed next to him with a crouch, her gymnastic skills showing in her body movement. The Dark Knight always wondered if Gordon did not already know it was Barbara. He must have seen Barbara do her routine during practice so many times, it was a wonder how he did not recognize it every time Batgirl used it. Shaking off the thought, Batman gave Batgirl a small nod before addressing the Commissioner, "Do you have something for me?"

"Well it's nice to see you too. I figured you would be sick of me by now, what with me calling you over every night now." Gordon gave Batgirl a glance before focusing on the older Bat, "Actually I called you because nothing is happening in Gotham tonight."

Batgirl raised an eyebrow, looking at Batman before looking at her father, "Um, isn't that good?"

"You misunderstand me. There is no active crime going on in Gotham right now." Barbara blinked as Gordon continued, "No robberies. No car chases. No big explosions. Not so much as a mugging."

Batgirl looked out over the edge of the rooftop, "This is still Gotham, right?"

"Arkham?" Batman kept his steady gaze on Gordon who just shook his head.

"I sent units down there when nothing happened by one o'clock. All patients and inmates accounted for. Even Joker. What worried me even more, was when one of my officers told me something Joker said."

"And what's that?"

"He said it was too quiet. Without a joke."

"Okay now I am really creeped out." Batgirl looked around, waiting for the bombs to drop, or aliens to invade, or assassins to pop out of the shadows.

Gordon pushed his hand through his hair, "My point exactly. While we have a lot of major players behind bars, there are still some out there who should be causing trouble. The fact that they have gone quiet after a week of causing one headache after another, makes me very antsy. I doubled security at the prison, and tripled them at Arkham. Something bad is happening."

Batman narrowed his eyes under his cowl before moving to the edge of the rooftop and pulling out his grappling gun. Batgirl copied him on the left as Gordon called out, "What are you going to do?"

Batman turned slightly to address the Commissioner, "Shake up a few trees, see what falls out. Someone has to know something. And I am going to find out." Firing his grapple gun, Batman jumped off the roof. Batgirl gave her father a wave before following.

Batman landed near an alleyway, the Batmobile sliding open as he climbed in. Batgirl climbed into the backseat and only started talking after the doors slid shut, "Any idea what's happening?"

"No. Gotham's crime rate rose after the Thanagarian invasion was dealt with. The criminal underworld would not miss a single night of crime for any reason. Which mean they are either planning something big, very big, or..."

"Or...what?"

"That's what we have to find out." Batman pulled on the accelerator, the boosters on the back of the Batmobile firing off and propelling them forward. They zipped left and right, Batman navigating the streets of Gotham with frightening precision despite the speeds they were going.

"Where are we heading?"

"The docks. I've been tracking Penguin for days and he's one of the few people still free who could organize the entire underworld under his thumb this quickly."

"Why the docks though?"

"Penguin made an old oiling rig his new home. I tracked some of his men there but never saw Penguin entering or leaving. If we don't find Penguin there, then one of his men have to do."

Batgirl smirked, nodding her head as the Batmobile came to a stop. The top slid open, both Bats jumping out. Batman moved towards the giant abandoned oil rig, Batgirl placing her hands on her hips as she eyed the rusting old thing, "That's Penguin's base? Doesn't look like much."

Batman narrowed his eyes, holding his hand up to Batgirl, "Did you hear that?"

Batgirl strained her ears, even taking another look around before looking at Batman, "I don't hear anything."

"Inside. Come on." Batman sprinted towards the ship, vaulting over the rail and onto the ramp leading up to the ship's main deck. Batgirl was right on his tail and the two stopped near the main entrance into the ship. They crouched on either side of the door, Batman holding his hand up in a sign to stay quiet. They both listened before they heard the sounds of a struggle inside. Drawing their batarangs, Batman nodded to Batgirl before slamming the metal door open and jumping inside. Both paused, Batgirl with wide eyes and Batman with narrowed ones at the sight before them.

A giant, red-orange metal robot was holding three now unconscious men in it's clawed hands and one extended tentacle. Its head did a full hundred eighty degree turn, glowing red eyes locking onto them before three tentacles slithered out of its body and pointed at the two Bats.

"Oh that is so wrong." Batgirl leaned back away from the machine, before doing a cartwheel to the right, Batman jumping left when the tentacles shot forward and pierced the metal wall and floor where they stood. Batman threw his batarang, an eyebrow raising when they just broke against the machine's hard shell.

"What is this thing made of?"

"Something stronger than the titanium alloy our batarangs are made from." Batman jumped forward, drawing two explosive batarangs and activating them before throwing one at the red machine's feet while the other went up towards its head. The robot just walked through the explosions, its eyes glowing brighter before firing off a laser beam, cutting through the floor and barely missing Batman's legs.

"I don't think this we can take this thing on by ourselves!" Batgirl did a series of flips as the robot's head swirled around and fired a series of beams at her.

"Agreed." Batman pulled out a some capsules, activating them before chucking them at the machine's head. Sensing something approaching, it swirled its head and fired at the capsules. Having expected that, Batman shielded his eyes eyes as a bright blue light filled the air, little glittering sparks filling the air. The robot's optical systems turned to static, its head swirling this way and that as it stumbled around.

"That'll buy us some time, Batgirl! The door!" Pulling some smoke bombs out from his utility belt, Batman threw them at the robot's feet before jumped back towards the exit.

As soon as the two Bats made it out the door, Batgirl turned to look behind them, "What the heck was that? Penguin's new toy?"

Batman jumped over the edge of the boat, "No. Those were Penguin's men it had in its hands." Both of them froze mid run when they heard a giant crash, turning to look at the boat. The red robot was flying now, still holding the three unconscious thugs. It seemed to regard them for a brief moment before turning and flying off across Gotham bay.

"Should we follow it?" Batgirl turned to look at Batman who just grunted.

"It'll be too late by the time the plane or boat gets here. There is no point."

"Well it just ran off with our leads."

"Not our only ones. Come on, there is more than one criminal gang around that we can question."

/0/

"Empty. Again. More signs of a struggle. Something big came through here." Batgirl kicked a broken crate before turning to Batman, "Do you think it was that robot?"

Batman was crouched down, rubbing his hand against an indent on the floor of the warehouse they were currently in. It was a hangout spot for one of Joker's old crews but was empty like the five other gang places they had checked. Some were not damaged, just abandoned while others clearly had the signs of a struggle. Bullet casings, destroyed walls, broken boxes.

"It's so weird though. If a giant, red robot was going around kidnapping people, even thugs, someone would have reported something. Right?" Batgirl looked around at the chaos, her hands on her hips.

"Maybe. It seems more intelligent than it looks. It could be slipping by any surveillance cameras and avoiding being seen as it moves. Gotham has a lot of blind spots, especially around criminal hangouts. I doubt any regular people are hanging around here."

"So... It's not just a giant, red robot. But a giant, ninja, red robot?"

"Exactly."

"I was joking Batman."

The older Bat held a finger up, making Batgirl crouch down. He gestured left, silently commanding her to blend into the shadows. The two hid behind one of the few unbroken containers. Someone opened the metal entrance at the back of the warehouse before slamming it shut and locking it. They were panting hard, clearly in a panic as they stumbled and fell over more times than any coordinated person would.

"Shit...shit...shit." The voice of a man filled the quiet warehouse, followed by debris being moved around as he searched the broken wrecks for something.

Feeling like now was a good as time as any to reveal themselves, Batman and Batgirl stood from their hiding spots, standing behind the man kneeling down and pushing broken crates to the side. Both stood there for a minute, Batgirl finally losing patients and clearing her throat. The man whipped around, stumbling with the gun in his coat. Having expected it, Batman's right hand lashed out, backhanding the gun out of the man's hand before his left hand delivered a quick jab to the man's face.

The man cried out, holding his nose and crashing into the broken bits of crates behind him, "Ow ow! I give up! I give up, please don't hurt me!"

Batgirl looked at Batman before grabbing the cowering man's arm and lifting him to his feet, "Calm down scumbag. He only hit you because you drew the gun. Be still and answer our questions and maybe you'll escape a beating."

The guy nodded, holding his hands up in the air and looking at Batman with fear in his eyes, "I got it, I got it!"

The redhead nodded in satisfaction before crossing her arms, "Your one of Joker's crew aren't you?"

"Y-Yeah. I'm Lenny. I run with the J-Man when he's free."

"Where's the rest of your gang? I know you don't quit just because Joker and Harley are in Arkham."

"T-They're gone! Something snatched them while we were out! I thought it was you guys..."

"Why?"

"Some kind of metal rope shot out of the shadows and dragged them away! I was..." Lenny looked a little embarrassed but when Batman scowled at him, he quickly started talking again, "I got spooked alright! I hid! Seeing my pals get dragged across the ground and into the dark will do that to ya! I for sure thought it was you Batman. Thought the whole glowing red eyes thing was something new you were testing out!"

Batgirl looked at Batman with concern before looking back at Lenny, "Glowing red eyes?"

"Yeah, like some kind of sci-fi thing. Thought it was some fancy new tech you was using."

Batman grabbed Lenny's shirt, "Where did this happen? When?"

Lenny waved his arms, "It happened twenty minutes ago! Just around the corner between 4th and main! Honest!"

Tossing the criminal to the side, Batman glared down at the man, "If you know what's good for you, you'll stay here and out of sight. Who knows who, or what grabbed your friends back there. I can't protect you if you run off."

Lenny laughed, pulling his cap off his head, "Batman? Protecting me? Maybe I've been hanging out with Mister J too much."

Not waiting for an answer, Batman turned and ran towards the exit with Batgirl close behind. When they were out of earshot, she shot the Dark Knight a look, "We're protecting criminals now""

"Whatever that thing was, it's kidnapping criminals. And I want to find out why."

"Maybe it's just a good Samaritan. Or a hero."

"Heroes don't attack random people for no reason."

"Well we are dressed like a couple of bats."

"I'd like to say my reputation precedes me, but do you honestly think that anyone does not recognize me by now? Especially in Gotham?"

Batgirl sighed, "You make a good point."

Skidding to a halt, Batman glanced around the dimly lit street before zeroing in on some scratch marks on the sidewalk near an alleyway. Pulling out a portable microscope, Batman looked down at one of the scratches before standing up, "Same indents the robot in the oil rig and warehouse made. This is not a coincidence."

"Okay. So something is kidnapping criminal gangs all over Gotham. Still not seeing a downside here."

Batman scowled down at the scratch marks, "If these machine were doing a public service, they have no reason to move so secretly. If they were heroes, they would be handing the criminals over to the proper authorities. Commissioner Gordon didn't mention anything like that happening, and some of the criminal hideouts we visited have been empty for days. This thing has been picking them off one by one."

Pulling out a flashlight from his utility belt, Batman shined the light down the alleyway, following the clawed marks. They followed the tracks to the docks, Batman crouching down to look at the broken piece of wood on the edge of the dock, "We hit water again."

Batgirl sighed, "Great, that means they could have gone anywhere."

"Not necessarily." Batman pressed a button on his utility belt before turning to Batgirl, "Take the car. Go back to Gordon and ask him if any criminals turned up. If none have, ask him if missing persons cases have spiked over the past week."

"What about you?"

Batman turned to glare down at Gotham bay, "If the trail leads to water, then it's water that I will have to search."

"You're going to scour all of Gotham bay by yourself? That could take hours!"

"No. I'm going to try to find a trail. These things must have a pattern, or leave some kind of reading behind when they move. Get what information you can from Gordon. If you don't hear from me in an hour, call the League." Batman threw Batgirl a small transmitter just as the Batboat pulled up behind him.

"Got it. Just please, be careful. Don't make it so I have to call the League."

Batman got into the Batboat, looking at Batgirl for a moment before pressing the button to close the hatch, "No promises."

I am sure all of you can guess what is in Gotham.