The Last Avenger [What If...? x DCAMU Crossover]

8. Jason Todd Does His Level Best to Kill Me

Indiana Stark, A.K.A. Tony Stark's little sister, became the deadliest woman known to man.

And there came a day unlike any other, when Earth's Mightiest Heroes found themselves united against a common threat. On that day, she joined the Avengers.

This is what she does now that they're gone.

Previously: She found Batman in her dumpster. He was very broody about it. Now, she's out to find the guy who did it. Also, she has a stalker. It's all been very stressful.

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The cloud cover hung low over Gotham like a dark omen, but the city still shone flashlights out of every lightbulb, each searching for one thing or another. The Iron Man helmet and gantlets gleamed when the from a nearby neon sign touched it but was soon dark again as I leaped across the alley.

A couple of minutes later I reached the part of town where Ivan lived, but there was a heavy feeling pressing into my back. The feeling of knowing you're being watched. But I couldn't worry about that now, I had to worry about the girl that was about to be trafficked. I suspected Ivan's gang has infiltrated lower levels of local government in order to pass the law code, so that meant I had to go straight to Commissioner Gordon.

I heard laughter coming from a dark dead-end alley between two dilapidated theatres. I knew exactly where it was, right around the corner from a homeless shelter. Heroin junkies liked to shoot up in that alley, which made it a great place to get beaten, robbed, or killed.

At the moment I arrived it was also a great place to get attacked by a woman craving vengeance.

In the alley, there were three large men surrounding Ivan. The first two were average sized, but the last guy was Bane-sized, a wolf skin pelt thrown over his shoulders and I could see the glint of steel hidden under it. Knives.

I picked up my pace until I was running at them as full speed. The first two guys copped it the worst. I drove iron fists into their kidney's causing them to drop like a bag of spuds. The last of the three normal cronies came at me, I grabbed his jacket and using his momentum to fling him around. I let go and with a grunt he slammed into Ivan.

It was just me and the big guy now.

"Where'd you come from?" I quipped. Taunting one's enemies was customary, and super soldier or not, I was going to use all the cards I was dealt.

If it was even possible the man stood a little taller. "Mother Russia," he announced proudly. "By way of Mother Africa." He drew two daggers from his fur skin vest.

"Two mums and still so ill-behaved?"

He raised the daggers and charged. I wasn't intimidated. His entire strategy relied on overpowering his opponent. But he didn't know my strength.

I parried his blows and reached out for his hands and fingers, and for the balance borne by his hips and knees. I pushed his fingers too far apart and overturned his balance. I ripped the daggers from him, planting a kick to his chest. As he staggered, surprised my power over him even at arm's length.

He laughed. "Not bad, girl," he said. "But you do not have enough to resist Gleb Igorevna for much longer, weaponless as you are."

That was where he was wrong. I slammed the gantlets together. I wasn't weaponless. Avengers never were.

Gleb struck, his fists flying, and I deflected his blows before they fell. Was this the guy who got the drop on Batman? He lacked finesse but he made up for it in brute strength. I jumped back and pushed off the wall of the alley, leaping over his head. I easily avoided another strike as I flew over him and landed in a crouch on the other side, ready to continue.