I've been stuck in a rut for nine months now. Damnit, Self, you said you would submit chapters frequently! If I have procrastinated long enough for me to conceive and have a baby that is too damn long! And it is certainly too long if I promised myself I wasn't going to give up on this story! Time to get my ass in gear and follow-up on the promise I committed to. So here we go. Sorry for taking so long but consider it late Christmas gift.

Chapter 20 The Outlaw

Redhood wasn't a hero… at least not anymore. If the definition of hero was to save everyone, including the villains, then he definitely didn't qualify for a hero. He was more specifically a rogue, cleaning up the mess of other heroes who wouldn't make the big decision, who couldn't stomach the blood and death. But he knew that you couldn't stop evil by simply putting it in a body cast for six months. If you really wanted to change the system, you had to step past the line of decency and self-righteousness and do what needed to be done. That was the only way things would ever change.

The railroad was quiet tonight. It was the fifth stop on Redhood's patrol. Normally he didn't do these himself, but tonight was an exception. Being around Star and Roy was starting to become awkward for everyone, which is why the couple was presently taking a vacation at Wakiki. Besides, he had to protect his territory.

He got a tip a few days ago about a raid that was happening down by the tracks and figured it ought to be something he should look into.

He walked along the roofs, peering down through the binocular vision in his helmet.

Movement caught his eye at that moment and he focused in on the people, thinking it must have been the members for the raid. He was slightly disappointed to find they weren't the gang he expected.

"Runaways," He realized, as the three kids jumped out of an empty boxcar. From the state of their clothing and complections, he suspected they had been on the run for quite a while. Just then he was drawn to one of them with spiked black hair and bright blue eyes. For a moment he thought he was having a flashback of his own childhood. Before he'd been taken in by the Batman also known as Bruce Wayne, he'd been nothing more than a simple runaway as well. From the distance he was, it took him a minute to realize it was a girl.

For some reason it was odd how familiar she looked. He felt as though he might have seen that face somewhere before, but couldn't quite remember where it came from.

More movement on the other side of the railroad drew his attention. The perpetrators were beginning their raid, and the kids were right in the line of their assault.

He had to move fast. Redhood zip lined to the end of the track and landed right in front of the kids.

The three snapped to attention, moving quickly into defensive stances just in case he was an enemy.

"You kids are right in the line of fire for a raid," he told them. The dark girl and the boy dropped their defense, but the girl who reminded Red Hood of himself, stayed rooted in her crouching tiger stance. He was surprised by how precise it was. He hadn't seen her fight yet but the way she held herself was enough to suspect she must have had training in the past. He continued. "You need to get to safety."

The three exchanged glances.

The boy took a deep breath, as if smelling the air for danger. A few seconds passed and he looked at his comrades, nodding to confirm the strange man was telling the truth. Without another wor they all began running in the opposite direction from the raiders while Red Hood ran ahead and attacked the felons with everything he had.

He dodged behind a transportation unite while one of the more hotheaded raiders opened fire on him without thought.

"Stupid thieves," He thought aloud. "Don't even know what the hell they're doing."

"Perhaps I may be of assistance."

Red Hood jumped when the voice suddenly appeared beside him only to see the girl from before crouched right next to him. He hadn't even heard her approach.

"What are you doing here?" He scolded. "I told you to get to safety!"

"You suggested that my friends and I retreat from the battle, but I am more than capable of assisting you as needed."

They both heard a low whistling coming from the opposite side of the transport unite, and knew what it meant. Wordlessly they both retreated to find a new shield just as the previous one was blown to shambles behind them.

"And it looks as though you sincerely need it." The girl finished glancing over her shoulder at the destruction.

Redhood just popped a new magazine into his pistol. "I can't worry about you getting hurt."

"Then do not." The girl retorted. "I will fend for myself, if that is a comfort to you." For as young as she was she sounded mature enough to know what she was getting into. She was determined and he almost hated himself for what he was about to let her do... Almost.

"Fine. Stay close to me."

They both waited for their chance and then attacked.

Redhood fired his ammunition, while the girl zipped around him attacking with hand to hand combat. She had no weapons, but worked well enough with only her fists and agility. Redhood concentrated on his current targets yet still tried to keep the girl in his line of sight. It was startling how formidable she actually fought. It was mesmerizing yet familiar at the same time.

She tackled one of them and threw him into one his companions, knocking their weapons far across the yard and disarming them for close combat. Now he knew he recognized her style, but couldn't place where he'd seen it before.

"Look out!" She shouted suddenly, spotting one of them aiming a shotgun at Red Hood's back. Without thought she tackled him to the ground not a second too soon. The two hit the ground, but she was on her feet an instant later.

"You were worried for my safety." She yelled while drop-kicking one of them in the face. "But perhaps you should be more concerned with your own welfare, seeing as you are somewhat distracted this evening."

Red Hood felt a little embarrassed by her statement, knowing she was right. He needed to get his head in the game. So far, the girl was making more headway than he was with the raiders. He was supposed to be a professional damnit!

"Well that's the last of them." Red hood said, dispatching the thugs and tying them up when it was all done with. They had tried to kill the two of them, but it seemed unnecessary to murder the ones who eventually gave in and surrendered.

"Nice arm you've got there, kid." Red Hood said when all was finally quiet.

She smiled and flexed her bicep, or what little she had to call a bicep. "So I have been told."

He glanced at her sideways, trying to decide why she seemed so familiar. "I guess you've had training before. No way you learned that on the street."

"It would appear that way, wouldn't it?"

"Who was your mentor?"

She scowled turning her nose up sharply. "Someone who is no longer in my life. And I do not intend to return to him or anyone in his circle."

"Don't get sore kid, I was just curious."

Movement caught his eye at the end of the tracks. The girl sensed it too, but both were too slow to avoid the missile as it launched straight towards them by an unknown assailant. They jumped in opposite directions while debris and fire exploded behind their backs.

Red Hood covered his head, till the fire had subsided. He looked up to see the girl on her feet and rushing to the person who launched the missile. He fired three more, but she dodged the explosions easily, almost languidly. Soon enough, she reached the building he was firing on and free ran up the wall as though she were a spider. Soon enough she was engaged in a hand to hand fist fight with the guy and looked to be winning for a moment.

Red Hood saw him pull a knife and slash it savagely at the girl. She sidestepped, trying to steer clear of the dangerous object. The attacker was definitely skilled. He finally managed to slit her in the forearm and then the hip.

Red Hood fired, hitting him squarely in the temple. The attacker toppled to the ground lifeless and oozing red. The girl looked back at Red Hood in shock. She jumped down from the roof and approached him.

"There was no call to do that. I was perfectly capable of disarming him without the need for murder."

"He didn't seem to think so." He gestured to her bleeding arm and hip. She covered the one on her arm with her hand and straightened.

"Despite that, I would have preferred to do this without shedding blood. I have no gloves or the proper attire as you can see, and I do not wish to be traced back to this."

Red Hood had to admit she had a good point, but it was more than just that. She didn't like to kill. Even from a distance he could definitely see her face when he had shot the man; the face of utter horror. He should have thought of that. She was just a kid after all.

"It was my bullet that killed him. Not yours." He told her. "And you should get used to it. The world is full of killers."

"No." She said, looking at the ground, refusing to look at anything but him or the dead. So she had seen something like it before, he knew it. Red Hood could see it in her expression. "I don't think I want to get used to this."

All of a sudden she swayed drunkenly, her hand still on her bleeding arm.

Redhood eyed the wound. "Are you alright?"

The girl thought for a moment, as if trying to decide if she was or not. "I… am not sure." Her eyes widened and she looked down to her arm. "My arm is numb."

It took Red Hood a fraction of a second to realize why that was.

"The knife was poisoned." He said quickly. "You need medical attention." Without waiting, he picked her up and ziplined to the building nearest the city, where his haunt was located ten blocks away. "What are your symptoms?"

"Numbness spreading through my limbs… odd taste in my mouth… head is becoming dizzy… eyesight failing… MY FRIENDS!" She snapped up quickly, remembering her two companions. "I left them to aid you."

"You'll see them later. We'll work on curing you first."

She seemed to take solace with his words, but continued to speak in a soft hush. "I said I would rendezvous with them at the pier once I was done. I do not want them to wait long for me…"

In no time, Red Hood was back at his haunt. He took the now unconscious girl to the medical room and lied her down on a cot. Her forehead was sweating and she was shivering.

The poison was spreading fast, but he couldn't cure her; not yet. He injected her with an IV and fluids. He patted her face to wake her a little.

Her eyes snapped open and she looked at him as if awaiting orders. "Yes sir?"

"Tell me the truth. Are you a meta?" That might have explained why she was able to fight so formidably. If she was then the effects of the poison would probably have different results than on a regular human.

She sighed, realizing that bit of information was relevant to cure her. She nodded at last.

He took a sample of blood from her and injected it into the advanced Tamaranean tech. Faster than anticipated the sample was analyzed and an antidote was prepared. He injected it in her wounded arm and saw the color returning to her face almost immediately. The antidote made her drowsy and she had fallen asleep the next moment.

Red Hood looked at her, studying her face. She was so familiar, but he just couldn't place where he could have seen her before.

A runaway, just as he had been at her age.

When it was clear she would be fine, he tore himself away from her side and returned to his work. There were thugs that needed to be exploited, turf that needed to be acquired, and a ton of other things he had to do. For the moment he would put the kid out of his mind. If she were a threat he could stick a tracer on her and find out where she came from later on.

It was hard but after a moment's struggle Wren's eyes finally opened. She didn't want to, not when she felt so tired and the bed she lied on was so warm, but after a moment she convinced herself to observe her surroundings. The first thing she noticed was how she felt infinitely better than when she arrived to this haunt. She sat up and looked around and felt a wave of familiarity at the very sight of her surroundings. This place reminded her so much of her old home. It was nice and terrifying at the same time.

Nice to see something she could at last recognized. Terrifying because she feared Slade was nearby.

Movement attracted her to the other side of the room. A man leaned in a chair, his back was to her and he stared up at a screen. Her eyes widened when she realized his head was covered with a sleak metal mask.

Fear rose up in her as her mind reflexively went to the worse, but relaxed imidiately when the man turned after the bed squeaked under her, and she saw his covering was clearly bright red and not black and orange.

"You're up," He said, turning the rotating chair around to face her. "That's good. How are you feeling?"

She swung her legs over the bed and scratched her head remembering the night before. "Much better than the man you killed."

"He would have killed you too, without my help."

"You are right, but I still do not agree with your methods for dispersing him."

"I'm not asking you to. Most people don't, but maybe someday you'll feel differently." He turned back and continued typing. "I'm Red Hood by the way."

Red Hood? The name was familiar, but not distinguished to her. Her master hadn't instructed her much on this man or his activities. Meeting him now, she wondered why he hadn't. She could sense many similarities about the two of them.

"I am Wren." Wren responded after a moment.

Red Hood glanced back by that announcement, but didn't respond any more than that. "What makes you a meta? Does it have to do with how you fight?"

"No. I have been trained in self-defense and combat since I was first able to stand. My meta gene is in regards to the fact that I am somehow able to fly."

"You can fly huh?"

She shrugged. "Somewhat. Hover would probably be a more appropriate way to put it. It is a bit pathetic actually."

Wren looked at her cut arm and realized he had wrapped a bandage around it while she was asleep. Slade would have scolded her for being so clumsy to allow the attacker to cut her. Was she loosing her edge?

Why was she even thinking of her master now? Maybe it was the familiarity of her surroundings that triggered the memory.

"So where are you headed?"

"Huh?"

"You and your friends. Are you guys going somewhere in particular or are you just getting rides around the country?"

Wren paused. She wasn't sure she ought to answer that. She didn't want any followers on their journey and Red Hood was a potentially dangerous adversary. But she doubted he was apt to harm her. He hadn't so far while she was unconscious, he even cured and helped her. She decided to trust him moderately.

"Never mind our destination. It is of no relevance. We are just wonderers."

"Mistrustful, aren't you."

"We live in mistrustful times."

"Touche. Well where ever your destination is I hope you get there."

"As do I." There was a moment of silence before Wren broke it. "Um… am I permitted to leave?"

Red Hood opened his mouth to answer but was distracted by beeping signaling an incoming transmission. He opened the link and Wren looked up to look into the face of a stunningly beautiful woman.

From her green eyes and orange skin, Wren suspected her origin was probably from space. She looked Tamaranean.

"Hello Jason." She said in perfect diction.

"Kori? What's up?"

"We are returning."

"Already? Why?"

"Roy made the unwise choice of devouring ill prepared sushi and is suffering from the food poisoning. Our vacation is no longer enjoyable."

"That's too bad. How long are you going to be?"

"We will be arriving within the hour. I merely wanted to inform you of our soon arrival."

"Thanks. See you in an hour."

Red Hood turned off the transmission and turned back to the Wren.

"What were we talking about?"

"I wanted to leave?"

"Oh right. Yeah, second door on your right."

"Thank you. I will see myself out. And thank you, too, for treating my injuries."

"I guess I'll say goodbye then and hope you reach your goal."

"Likewise. It was interesting to meet you." She moved to the exit and waved to him as she left. "Bye then."

"Where is she? She said she'd be here."

Faye groaned watching Finney pace back and forth with anxiety. "Would you relax, Short Stuff. Wren's a three foot, six inch tall battle tank. She can take care of herself. Believe me I've seen it."

"I don't know why I listened to you. There's no way she could take out those guys alone. We should've helped her."

"First off, Chickadee wasn't alone, she was with Mr. Red Helmet Badass Biker Man." Faye assured, but unsuccessful in settling her personal fears as well. "I mean I know we saw him kind of kidnap her from the sidelines, but it's not like she's going to be sold as some kid slave."

"…Is that supposed to make me feel better?"

"Look, while your worrying your freckles off, Birdy is probably making her way right down here. I'll bet she's kicked his ass by now and coming back. Easy-peasy."

"But that guy… that guy… what if he did something to her. I mean we're wasting time just talking about it. We got to do something."

"There is no need for that." A familiar voice said above them.

"Oh thank goodness." Finney said, the minute he saw Wren floating shakily towards them. She dropped down the remaining six feet, landing in a crouch in front of them.

"You're alright!" Faye cried, unable to contain the hidden worry any longer.

"Yes." Wren confirmed, smiling softly to them. "And you?"

"We're dandy." Faye announced. "We just wanna make sure yo super and unharmed."

"I am tolerable, though I did unfortunately escape with fairly significant wounds."

"You're hurt?" Finney yelled with outrage. "Was it that helmet guy? I'll kill him!"

That tickled Faye's funny bone to a point where she burst out in hysterical laughter at his announcement.

"What!" Finney yelled back. "I can and I would."

"Sure, you would. Sure." Faye stanched her laughter for a moment but the attempt was in vain as she burst out and wheezed with hilarity.

"There is no need for such an action, Finney." Wren responded over Faye's giggles. "Red Hood took me to his haunt to cure me of the poison the raider cut me with. I am lucky to still be alive."

"Oh… good. That's good."

"We should get going." Faye said, jabbing a thumb back towards the railroad. "Our next ride will be here soon and we need to catch it if we don't want to be stuck here for another day."