Manhunt

(Part 3)

Previously on Red Revenge...

—

"Batman, my detective the Question. Question, this-"

"We've met." câu hỏi said.

"Ah." Flash said. "So bạn know him Batman?"

"Too well." the Dark Knight growled.

"Hey!" Sam exclaimed. The thief ran out into the hallway and was heading towards the doors when Sam grabbed him and slammed him into the wall. He snatched the cái ví, ví tiền away. Sam ripped down the man's mui xe and turned him around. He froze when he saw the man's face.

"It can't be." Sam said, stumbling away from the thief. "You-you're dead. I saw you-"

"Thank you-Sam? Sam? Are bạn okay? bạn look like bạn just saw a ghost."

"I did." the male responded, turning to his girlfriend.

"Falcon aka Ryan Salvaderez was my sidekick for five months."

cây ô rô, hoa huệ, holly looked back at the portrait. "So this is who bạn think bạn saw?"

"I know it couldn't have been." Sam said.

"Why not? Did he retire and leave New York?"

"Because I watched him die. And his death was my fault." Sam said.

•••••—•••••

New York City

June 5, 21:32 EST

"See bạn in hell." Ryan said. He put his finger on the trigger and started to pull on it when the window crashed in and a figure tackled Ryan. The gun flew away and Robin stood up.

"I see bạn keep a number of dangerous acquaintances." The Boy Wonder said. "You're lucky Cass and I were so close."

"Where is Cassie?"

"Here!" the blonde replied, flying in the window and landing gingerly. "Sorry, I don't like Batman's entrances hoặc glass in my feet."

"Look out!" Sam yelled, tossing the two teens to the side as Ryan fired. Sam grabbed one of the daggers on the floor and threw it at Ryan. He missed, and the killer was gone.

"Well that was effective." Robin said, brushing his sleeves off and standing up. He offered a hand to Cassie who took it.

Sam started to walk out, but Robin put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey! What's going on?" the Boy Wonder demanded.

Sam shrugged the shoulder off, but Robin grabbed him and spun him around.

"I asked bạn a question." Robin growled.

"Stay out of it!"

"I don't think so!"

Sam punched Robin in the face. The Boy Wonder fell to the ground and Cassie caught it. Sam was gone bởi the time Robin was back on his feet, rubbing his jaw.

Mount Justice

June 6, 00:43 EST

"Recognized: Robin. B-20. Wondergirl. B-21."

The duo walked into the Cave to be greeted bởi Bart speeding through yelling something about school ending the tiếp theo day.

Robin sighed. "Is Người dơi still on the Watchtower?"

"Want a surprise?" cọp cái, hổ, con hổ cái asked, turning from the console. "Other than your step sister being here of course, Người dơi retired to bed."

Robin sighed. "How bad's the injury?" he asked, covering his face with one hand.

"No injury, he was "tired"."

Robin's eyes widened in surprise for a một phút before they were back to normal. "So who debriefs me?"

"Nightwing." Helena replied.

Robin and Wondergirl walked into the briefing room to see Nightwing talking to Red Revenge.

"Wondering what was taking bạn so long." Revenge said.

"Where have bạn two been?" Nightwing demanded.

"Saving his sorry ass!" Cassie exclaimed, pointing to the Black Hero.

"That was an giờ ago! What took so long?" Nightwing demanded. Cassie looked down and Robin sighed. "We were looking for him."

"Well, he's off Team and off mission. I need bạn two for something different."

"But someone just tried to kill him!" Robin said.

"A lot of people want me dead, kid." Revenge said, folding his arms over his chest. He looked at Nightwing. "Thanks,"

"Sure," Nightwing said.

"Recognized: Red Revenge A-13."

"How do bạn get along with him on a professional adult to adult level?!" Robin exclaimed.

"He is an adult. Simple."

"So what did bạn need us—"

"Hold on." Nightwing said, touching his ear comm. "Alright, Wondergirl, meet Blue Beetle in El Paso for mission briefing. Batgirl will be in charge of you. Robin, with me."

"Where are we going?" Robin asked.

"To the beach." Nightwing said, putting his arm around Tim's shoulder. "We need to talk."

New York City

June 6, 8:00 EST

"I don't care what he used to do hoặc how much it looks like him!" Revenge yelled, slamming his fist on the table. "I want him dead hoặc in a jail cell! Now!"

"For what?!" the police captain of New York demanded.

"Attempted Murder on Samuel Grant!"

"Well bởi all means if the mighty Mr. Grant wants it, let's all just shove protocol aside and do what he says! Now get out of my office!"

Revenge busted through the door and out of the police office before driving off on his motorcycle.

Mount Justice

June 6, 01:09 EST

"Tim, what happened?"

"We chased down Revenge." Robin đã đưa ý kiến simply, looking out over the water.

"No, bạn didn't." Nightwing said. "I saw the look on Cassie's face when I asked what took so long."

Tim sighed. "She kissed me. Nothing special, but she did, and now she feels bad for it. I feel like…like I took advantage of her, Dick."

"Did she Kiss bạn hoặc did bạn Kiss her?" Dick asked with concern.

"I..I don't know. One moment, Revenge is in the room, punching me, the next, I have my hands on Cassie and we're kissing." Tim looked up at Dick. "I took advantage of her, didn't I? I took advantage of her emotional trauma and kissed her. My better part is trying to block out the memory, but..Dick..I—"

"Don't beat yourself up over it." Dick said. "I'm sure she wasn't thinking either."

"That's just it, Dick!" Tim said, exasperated. "She wasn't thinking! She gave in to her emotions that I took advantage of! It happens so many times, I always think of those people as trash, and I do it too…" Tim trailed off and looked out at the clear blue water.

"Tim," Dick said. "Go back trang chủ and rest. We'll sort through this in the morning."

"DICK!" Time yelled. "I can't just go home! What will Bruce think?!"

"He'll understand." Dick said. "Heat of the moment. Heck, the entire team made out on the tháp canh after battling the Justice League."

"Just…don't follow me!" Tim said, standing up.

"Tim!" Dick exclaimed, trying to grab the boy's arm. The Boy Wonder snatched it away. Robin ripped off his mask and threw it at Nightwing. "Just leave me alone!"

Robin stormed away to the astonishment of Dick and grabbed his bike, driving off, throwing sand and leaving a trail. Nightwing sighed and made the trek back to the Cave. Helena was waiting inside the mountain. "Where's Robin?" she asked.

Dick sighed. "Tim," he said, holding up the domino mask. "Left this on the bờ biển, bãi biển and went for a midnight ride."

"Wonder what's up with him." Helena said.

Dick sighed again. "He and Cassie kissed. He feels like he took advantage of her."

"Which one started it?" Helena asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Tim blames himself, but he's not sure."

Helena sighed. "Should I turn on his tracer?"

"No." Dick said.

"Why not?"

"He'd have ditched it bởi now."

"How do bạn know?" Helena asked as Nightwing walked into the zeta tubes.

"Recognized: Nightwing. B-02."

"I used to wear the "R", remember?" Nightiwing asked, then disappeared.

New York City

June 6, 4:00 EST

Sam's phone rang. He glanced at the alarm clock and saw the time. He groaned and picked it up, answering it.

"Samuel Grant." He said, rolling over on his side and holding the phone up to his ear.

"Hey there, Sammy boy." Sam's eyes jerked open. "Do me a favor. Put on a áo sơ mi hoặc I put a bullet on your girlfriend's pretty face."

Sam glared around.

"Oh, bạn won't find me." The voice said, seeming to grow nearer. "I'm everywhere, and nowhere."

"Show yourself!" Sam hissed, standing up and reaching for the pistol under his nightstand. A fist grabbed his and slit his wrist. Sam hissed in pain, trying to keep cây ô rô, hoa huệ, holly from waking up.

"Face me like a man!"

"Like bạn do?" the voice snorted. Revenge felt something clamp over his mouth. There was an overwhelming smell of odors and suddenly Sam was unconscious on the ground.

"I told bạn to put on a shirt." The invisible guy snorted, Sam's body seemed to drag itself out of his room.

The Batcave

June 6, 8:00 EST

"Yes, we'll do everything we can Emerald. Promise."

"Recognized: Wondergirl. B-21"

Người dơi flipped up his cái chụp, cái nắp, nắp động cơ and shut off the elevator. "Call bạn back." He said, and shut off the computer.

Cassie flew into the Batcave and landed tiếp theo to Batman. "Where's Robin?" she demanded.

"He's…out." Người dơi said.

"Where?" Cassie demanded.

"Not going to say." Người dơi cocked an eyebrow. "How did bạn get in?"

"Same access as the Bat-Bunker."

Người dơi sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. The Bats seemed to do that a lot.

"Robin ran off last night. He refused to let anyone talk to him, reason with him."

Cassie nodded and flew back towards the zeta-tubes.

New York City

June 6, 12:09 EST

Sam woke up and groaned. He was tied, hanging upside down from the ceiling bởi his ankles. The chains creaked as he moved around, trying to get a grasp on his settings. He was still only clothed in his shorts, which he had been sleeping in. He groaned again and looked at the floor.

There was a pool of water beneath him. At the very bottom was a large blob. Before Sam could try to decipher what it was, a door opened on the far end of the room and a figure walked in.

"Sammy old boy! Nice to see bạn again. Well, the feeling is probably not mutual, but still."

"You bastard." Revenge growled. "You have no idea what you're doing."

"Actually, I do." The guy said. He gestured at the cá tank below. "I don't know how long bạn can hold your breath, but it doesn't really matter. It's how long can bạn swim?"

"What?" Sam asked. The blood rushing to his head was making things blurry and dizzy. He felt like was going to puke.

"That, old boy, is a portugese man o' war. bạn touch it, you're dead."

"What do bạn hope to accomplish bởi all this?" Sam demanded, trying to twist from where he was hanging as the male walked around the room.

"To make bạn pay." The Hispanic said, grabbing Sam's face and shoving it in the water.

Gotham City

June 6, 21:09 EST

"I can't find him." Cassie đã đưa ý kiến into her comm, flying over the streets of Gotham.

"He wouldn't go anywhere else. He had to stay in Gotham."

"Where did he become Robin?" Cassie asked.

"Checked that. All the bat bunkers and the Man—his apartment."

Cassie sighed. "Could he be in Bludhaven?" she asked.

"No, I seem to have developed a grudge with most of the Team."

"You killed your best friend!"

Nightwing sighed.

Cassie narrowed her eyes as someone walked out of an alleyway. "I think I found him." She said, landing behind the boy. She turned him around and sure enough it was Robin.

"Cassie—"

Except his glasses were off.

"So you're Robin." She said, astonished.

"Cassie," Tim repeated her name. "Please leave me alone. I don't want to hurt bạn again."

Cassie was shocked. "Hurt me?"

"I took advantage of bạn when I kissed you." Tim said, looking at the ground and tucking his hands in his pockets.

Cassie looked stunned. "I kissed you, Tim." She said. "If anyone took advantage of the other, it was me!"

Tim looked completely surprised.

"I was still down about Liam, but I needed comfort. I knew you'd give me that comfort no matter what," Cassie looked him straight in his eyes. "Because that's the type of guy bạn are."

Tim managed a small smile.

"Well?" Nightwing demanded in her comm.

Cassie looked at Tim who slipped on his dark glasses and nodded.

"Yeah," she said. "I found him."

"Well bring him on home."

New York City

June 6, 22:00 EST

Sam had been hanging in the same position so long he had gone to sleep. He was jerked awake bởi the sound of soft footsteps in the warehouse. Sam blinked sleepily and fell to the ground in a heap. Nightingale leaned over him and undid his chains. Sam looked at her crazily.

"Someone's been running around impersonating your brother." Sam said.

Nightingale didn't respond.

Sam stood up and flexed his joints. "Why did bạn do it?" he asked. "Why not just let me die. That's what bạn wanted."

"Yes," Nightingale spoke in her soft voice. "That is what I wanted. But we can't always have what we want, can we?"

Sam shook his head slowly.

"You got a lesson. You'll keep an eye on your partners a lot closer now, won't you?"

"Always." Sam said, shadows moving to cover his face.

Nightingale turned around to say something else to the man, but she settled for a glance and walked out.

"Weird." Sam muttered.

The Watchtower

June 7, 23:09 EST

"Recognized: Red Revenge A-13. Override. Red Revenge 13."

Samuel Grant stepped out of the zeta tube. "Someone malfunction my authorization?" he asked.

"No," Người dơi said, handing the holo computer to Flash and walking toward Revenge. "We've got no reason to not trust you. You've proven time and time again that bạn are always on the side of justice. No matter what it may seem."

"Welcome to the Justice League."

Mount Justice

June 7, 8:09 EST

"Recognized: Red Revenge, 13." Revenge walked out of the zeta tubes and opened a holo-computer.

"Revenge," Nightwing said, starting towards the Black Hero. The zeta-tubes hummed to life again.

"Recognized: Tezla, A-23."

A blonde girl walked into the Cave, dark glasses on and backpack slung over her shoulder.

"Nightwing, we need to speak."

The black haired male looked at Revenge, the zeta-tubes, and lastly Brooke.

"Agreed."

The three walked off to the side as the rest of the Team began to enter the Cave.

"This is Brooke Shields, Tezla. She's gonna need some basic training, tour of the Cave, but she is NOT a member of your Team." Revenge said, jabbing his finger into Dick's chest on the word "yours".

"Understood." Nightwing đã đưa ý kiến coldly. He whistled a sharp, high tune and Robin ran in.

"Robin, take Tezla and introduce her to the Team. Give her a tour and start training."

The Boy Wonder nodded and departed, the blonde girl in tow.

"What happened to your identification?" Nightwing asked.

"He's part of the Justice League now." Người dơi said, his face popping up on the screen. "We need all available Team members in Bialya. War just broke out. Revenge, you're with the Justice League. We'll be fighting while the Team preforms tìm kiếm and Rescue."

"Roger." The two males nodded. Nightwing tapped a holo-computer. "All Team members báo cáo to Cave Briefing Room immediately. Delta Alert."