[center][h3]Kuroko Rayne: [i]The All-New, All-Different Robin![/i][/h3][/center]
Let's be honest: there are [i]far[/i] better places for a kid to grow up than Gotham.  By all accounts, even [i]after[/i] the Batman showed up it was a crime-infested wreck, the saving grace being at least the worst criminals were easier to pick out in a crowd due to how flamboyent and... Let's say "eccentric" they'd became.  Sure, the "nicer" cities like Metropolis, Fawcett and Central had their share of costumed lunatics, but compared to the grimy, smokey hive that was Gotham?  It could be worse, at least; it could be, say, Hub City or something.  But still, the point is Gotham was never exactly a nice place.  The Batman had made it marginally safer for the common people, yes, as did his Robins and Batgirls and other assorted crimefighters, but that had just made it a bit harder to sleep easy after reports of his disappearance.  Even worse, with the Joker dead (had that really happened?  It seemed like [i]nothing[/i] could kill the Clown Prince of Crime, but even he was mortal in the end)... You'd have to be blind to not see the immense power vacuum that would open up.  The streets of Gotham were even more dangerous with the two seemingly gone.

So maybe that's why she was doing this.  As soon as she'd heard about the Joker's death... Somehow it hadn't given her the solace she'd thought it would.  Her father's murderer was dead, finally receiving whatever justice he'd deserved for the countless atrocities he'd committed, and yet she couldn't think about how glad she was because of this; all she could focus on was... Well, what would happen [i]now[/i].  Yes, maybe she hadn't thought this through well enough, and maybe she was just being an impetuous child, and maybe, just [i]maybe[/i] she was just trying to play hero to live up to her idols despite lacking... Well, superpowers, for one thing, but still...

Really, she was glad her mother had been working nightshifts so much lately.  If she'd found out what she was doing, the punishment she'd receive would be [i]far[/i] worse than anything the street gangs she'd been fighting could dish out.  Yes, she'd catch hell if she was found out, but that still didn't stop her from putting on the costume as soon as she heard the car leaving the driveway.  After some last minute adjustments in front of the mirror, she opened the window and deftly lept out into the streets, a streak of primary colours amidst the black.

This had been her evening routine for the past week, really.  Even before the two most feared men in Gotham had vanished, Kuroko Rayne had been sneaking out at night, but her efforts were redoubled when it happened.  The fact that it didn't take long for her to run into trouble only confirmed her fears in her mind, as not long after entering downtown she spotted a group of thugs in lurid makeup threatening a defenceless couple.  And even though she knew she should wait for an opening, she couldn't help it.  She couldn't just sit back and watch them do this...  Acting purely on instinct, she lept out of the shadows and floored one of the creeps with a well aimed kick.

"Have no fear!" Kuroko took a moment to strike a pose, the thugs momentarily too confused by this random intrusion to react, whilst the couple seemed to decide this was the perfect opportunity to run. "Robin is here!"

"Ain't never heard of no Robin wearing a training bra, but hey," the lead clown stepped up, flicking open a knife as he advanced on the luridly-dressed wannabe superheroine. "Ever since the Bat iced the Joker, I've been dying to carve up his little turkey!"

"...[i]"Little turkey"[/i]?  I... Geez, with the Joker gone you're having to write your own material, aren't you?" Ducking from side to side as he swiped at her with the knife, Kuroko couldn't help but wonder if word of her had actually spread at all.  After all, the Robin name was vacant... She thought, at least.  The old one was now [i]Red[/i] Robin, right?  So there was room for a new Robin, right? "Hell, it's probably cut off your allowance, too!  Were you trying to get money for Faygo from those two?  ...Come to think of it, what the hell [i]is[/i] Faygo anyw-"

[i]Oh, there I go, running my mouth again.[/i]  "Robin" was still new to this, after all.  She always thought the feeble banter phase of the fight was pretty important, but she hadn't gotten it down just yet.  After all, if she [i]had[/i], she wouldn't have shut up for a moment just to dodge the other two thuggalos.  [i]Aw man, I almost forgot there was more than one![/i]

She could totally take all three though.  Well, maybe.  It wasn't the worst fight she'd been in over the past couple of days, after all.  And really, it didn't take that long.  Despite their overconfidence, they were just a bunch of untrained thugs, and whilst she was no Batman (and really, not much of a match for the previous Robins either), she could easily handle them.  After a few minutes, her only concern was how to get that white facepaint off her gloves.

"Hah!  That's what you get for messing with the [i]all-new, all-different Robin![/i]" Rubbing her hands eagerly, she took a moment to savour her victory before speeding off through an alley.  After all, the night was young, and there was plenty more crime to fight!  And the more she fought, the more word would spread about her!  Soon, all of Gotham would know there's a new Robin in town, and she meant business!