Huntress

The woman clad in a violet-black uniform made her way into the cacophony of the underground mall, using night-vision goggles to navigate swiftly toward the source of the disturbance. The female voice in her earpiece, responsible for remote assistance, reminded her, "Be careful, Huntress. Your target has entered through the power room. It's moving to a lower level and should be in the generator room by now. I'm sending its location to your mask's display."

"Great, why do these freaks always like dangerous places?" she muttered to herself, skillfully picking the lock on a door marked with the symbol for danger and stepping inside.

Taking a deep breath and sharpening her senses, she began to descend the dark stairwell. Horrifying claw marks scarred the walls, and indistinct growls echoed from the depths, amplified by the confined space into a chilling chorus.

At the generator room's entrance, Huntress prepared to confront whatever lay inside. Her hand on the doorknob, her other hand drew a foldable compound crossbow from her thigh holster. With a quiet push, she entered with calculated steps.

"The thermal signals show it's in this room, could be hiding in any corner," warned the voice through the earpiece. "Be cautious, Huntress. Feedback suggests the target is extremely agile and possibly very strong."

Huntress didn't respond. She held her breath, the vigilant eyes behind her night-vision goggles scanning for any movement.

Suddenly, she whipped around, her crossbow drawing a perfect 180-degree arc to point directly at the nose of someone standing behind her.

They froze, statues in the dark, the crossbow inches from a collision for several tense seconds.

Through her goggles, Huntress identified the figure—not as a threat, but as a man, or rather a boy. He wore a deep blue hood, and though he towered over her, his face bore the remnants of youthful innocence, more a scholar than a scrapper.

This was indeed Jay, who had descended after the commotion. At first sight of the woman, his eyes lit up in recognition. He remembered Huntress, real name Helena, a DC Comics superhero and former member of Batman's team. Her code name spoke of her stealth and prowess in hunting.

To Jay, this was the first encounter with a native superhero in this world, a thought that stirred a flicker of excitement within him.

Huntress frowned, this was not a scenario briefed in her mission. "Who are you?" she demanded.

"That's quite the question coming from a masked lady in a cape," Jay countered. "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"Huntress, dispatched to manage the emergency situation," she stated flatly. "This area is extremely dangerous, you shouldn't—"

As if on cue with her mention of danger, a blurred mass accompanied by a whooshing gust barreled toward them. Jay's pupils contracted, and without a word, he stepped forward, pushing Huntress to the ground just as a cold blade skimmed over their heads, leaving a deep gouge in the casing of a heavy machine.

Huntress was quick to realize the enemy was upon them. The kid had decent reflexes, but she would have to ensure his safety before engaging the threat.

Yes, she had already classified Jay as an "innocent civilian caught in the crossfire," making his protection her responsibility.

She sprang up, pulling Jay behind her as she shouted, "Back off!" The creature's fierce pounce had missed, and now it turned, seemingly irate. Only then did Huntress get a clear view of her adversary—a towering entity, at least twice her height, covered in white scales. Its eyes glowed blood-red, its hands bore lethal claws, and its mouth was filled with razor-sharp teeth.

A revolting sight.

Taking a sharp intake of breath, Huntress realized the creature was even more formidable than the briefing suggested. She admitted to herself a flicker of fear as the creature raised its claws high above its head, and only then did she register the need to dodge.

Her roll was clumsy; the creature's claws tore through her cape, and it whirled around to pursue her relentlessly. Huntress leaped up, narrowly avoiding another swipe, and managed to climb onto the creature's back, her feet on its shoulders. She pulled out two small electrodes from her belt, pressing them against the temples of the beast—or where she guessed the temples would be.

Her guess was spot on. Bright blue electricity crackled from the electrodes, illuminating the dark room like a transient bolt of lightning. The beast howled, swatting Huntress off its back with a powerful slap. She soared through the air, her cape billowing like the wings of a bat.

She hit a voltage meter cabinet, the metal denting with the force of her fall, and landed heavily on the floor. The white creature, showing no compassion, lunged at her again, like a ravenous wolf.

Her pupils contracted, and she deftly rolled away, avoiding the creature's deadly grasp as its claws punctured the metal floor. It raised its head, swiftly relocating its prey and attempting to close in. Huntress, seated on the floor, instinctively widened the distance between them and raised her crossbow, firing. The arrow shot forth, entangling the creature's feet with a whirling snare. The beast stumbled, roaring defiantly despite its fall.

After Huntress's command to retreat, Jay had obediently stepped aside, arms crossed, observing the "professional" at work. Despite being overpowered throughout the encounter, her combat readiness was indeed admirable.

If she could handle it without his intervention, all the better. But the current situation seemed to demand his action.

Just as Jay resolved to act, Huntress seized the opportunity provided by the snare's distraction. She sprung up and, without hesitation, grabbed Jay's hand and bolted.

Jay was taken aback, "Hey, wait—"

"The snare won't hold it for long," Huntress insisted, pulling him along as she ran. "We need to move, now!"

But wait, wasn't she the professional sent to handle the situation?