Chapter VIII-

Revenge jumped off the 상단, 맨 위로 of the building, Courage right behind him.

"Who is it?" she asked.

"Ice Crystal." Revenge said, not breaking his pace as he rounded a corner and pursued the junior ice villain.

The two 히어로즈 ended up in a deserted mansion. They could see no sign of the villainess.

A few ice spikes flew out of the darkness and embedded themselves in Revenge's chest. He stumbled back and tossed a dagger blindly into the darkness which was very unlike him. It exploded and Ice Crystal laughed to Revenge's right. Revenge threw exploding daggers blindly until Courage grabbed his wrist.

Revenge stopped and went to turn on infrared.

"Nah-uh, naughty boy." Ice said, tossing an ice crystal at Revenge which shattered against his head.

Revenge turned on infrared and scanned the room. Ice was in the corner. Revenge threw a dagger at her and it exploded, tossing her in front of Revenge. Revenge pulled out his gun, but Crystal threw a crystal at it and the gun jammed.

Courage would've helped Revenge subdue the young ice villain, but she had a handful of her own problems. 암 사자, 라이오 네 스 had swooped down out of the attic and was swiping at Courage. Courage pulled out her extendable rod and blocked the slices to her torso.

암 사자, 라이오 네 스 got in a good sweep and cut Courage's forearm with her claws. Courage clutched the wound, still holding onto her rod. She raised it again, hitting 암 사자, 라이오 네 스 on the head.

Revenge meanwhile was in a strangling match with Ice Crystal. Both had one hand around the other's throat. Crystal gave in first, letting go and backing away. Both gasped for air. Revenge pulled out A dagger and sliced at Ice. She dodged them all, managing to throw ice crystals at him.

Courage swung at Lioness. Her arm burned, but she sucked in the pain. 암 사자, 라이오 네 스 was still dazed from the hit earlier, and was merely retreating. She threw a smoke bomb at Courage. It detonated allowing 암 사자, 라이오 네 스 to clear her head.

Courage twirled the pole around. "Here, kitty, kitty, kitty." She said. 암 사자, 라이오 네 스 jumped from the 초 story and punched Courage in the face. Courage staggered back at the blow. Courage swung her pole at the villainess, but 암 사자, 라이오 네 스 dodged the swings and pinned Courage to the 벽 with some blades before running to where Revenge and Ice Crystal were in a stalemate. 암 사자, 라이오 네 스 swiped at the vigilante.

Revenge groaned as he felt Lioness's claws penetrate the skin on his back. He threw a 칼, 나이프 behind him and 암 사자, 라이오 네 스 ran off.

"What're 당신 going to do now?" Crystal asked with a sneer. "Samuel Grant."

Revenge froze at the sound of his name. He felt the ice shard penetrate the weak spot in between his vest and his neck. He fell to the ground, clutching the wound.

"How-"

"Oh it was easy." Crystal said. "Your not the only one with 'high-tech' gear." She opened her 재킷, 자 켓 to reveal a tiny camera mounted to her shirt. "I ran facial recognition and found out everything about you."

Revenge gasped as the pain grabbed at him again.

"Oh come on, I was hoping for a better fight." Crystal said, kicking him.

Revenge rolled over on his stomach at the kick and pulled out his back up dagger. 

"Well," Crystal said, picking up one of his weapons. "You end with your own dagger."

Revenge rolled over and threw the dagger. It went right through her jacket, through the camera, scraping against her ice cold skin.

And detonated.

A wave of heat filled the room, raising the temperature fifty degrees. Crystal screamed and collapsed. The heat faded and she stood up wearily, slicing at Revenge.

Revenge dodged it and punched Crystal in the stomach. She gasped. He punched her again. And again. And again. Crystal collapsed to the ground.

Revenge threw Crystal into the 벽 and slid special handcuffs on her. Courage walked up beside him.

"She's out cold." Revenge said, then looked at Courage. "No pun intended."

The heroine grasped her wounded arm. "But 암 사자, 라이오 네 스 got away." she said.

Revenge looked at her arm and pulled a bandage out of a pocket on the back of his cape.

"You've got those everywhere." 호랑 가시 나무, 홀리 said.

Revenge didn't respond, he wrapped the bandage around Holly's wound and placed it back in the pocket.

"She knows exactly who I am." he said after a quiet moment, not looking up from the downed villain. "She knows my name, where I go to school, everything."

"What are 당신 going to do now?" 호랑 가시 나무, 홀리 asked.

"Hang up the cape." Revenge said.

That settled into Holly.

"Wait, 당신 mean you're quitting?" she asked.

"What else can I do?" he asked. "She'll tell everyone who I am and then I'll never be able to operate again."

호랑 가시 나무, 홀리 looked at him and could tell there was a deeper disappointment buried in there, but he wasn't going to show it.

He pulled off his mask and tossed it on the ground in front of the villain.

호랑 가시 나무, 홀리 hesitated. She knew what she was about to suggest was cruel, but it seemed the only way out. Sam certainly wasn't going to trust M'gann to wipe him out of Crystal's memory.

"There is another option." 호랑 가시 나무, 홀리 said slowly.

"That is?" Sam asked.

호랑 가시 나무, 홀리 pulled out a vial of green liquid. "Ra's Al Ghul gave me this in case I ever needed it." she said. "It erases the last week of your memory."

"And your going to give that to Crystal so I don't have to put my outfit on display in my garage." Sam guessed, still not looking up.

호랑 가시 나무, 홀리 bit her lip and nodded.

"You would sacrifice that for me?"

호랑 가시 나무, 홀리 nodded.

Sam looked at her for the first time since he had tossed his mask down.

"Do it." he said.

호랑 가시 나무, 홀리 bent down slowly and uncorked the vial. She opened Crystal's mouth and slowly poured it in. She stood up shakily and slid what remained of the vial back into her boot.

Revenge looked at her. He picked up his mask and walked out of the room without a word.

호랑 가시 나무, 홀리 followed him.

"Hey!" she said, pursuing the figure into the street. "You can't just leave after-"

Revenge turned around and grabbed her arms, pulling her lips up against his own. 호랑 가시 나무, 홀리 didn't hesitate, as she always had. She simply kissed him. And him back.

Warmth flooded through her as the rain started to come down.

Sam pulled her mask off without breaking the lip contact and brushed her hair back behind her ear.

After a few minutes, the two softly broke apart, gazing at each other. For once, 호랑 가시 나무, 홀리 had no regrets 또는 초 thoughts. She hadn't hesitated, she had done.

And it felt good.

"So," 호랑 가시 나무, 홀리 said, casually. "Does this mean we're together?"

"Yes," Sam said. "And no."

"That meaning?" 호랑 가시 나무, 홀리 asked.

"Sam and 호랑 가시 나무, 홀리 are together, Revenge and Courage are not."

호랑 가시 나무, 홀리 grinned. "I knew 당신 were going to say that."

Sam slipped on Holly's mask and shot his grappling gun up, hauling her up to the roof. They watched the police arrive and haul a dazed Ice Crystal into the back of a police car. 

Courage looked over and noticed blood on Revenge's chest, marring his logo.

"Your bleeding." she said.

"Don't worry about it." Revenge said, putting his arm around her shoulder.

"Courage? Are 당신 there?" M'gann asked telepathically.

"I'm here." Courage replied. 

"Where are you? We've searched half the town for you!" M'gann said.

"We were mopping up some unfinished business." Courage said, looking at Sam.

"Okay, well Aqualad said for us all to meet at the airport tomorrow at six." the Martian said, a tone of suspicion in her voice

"We'll be there." Courage said, and hung up.

Sam slipped on a hat and glasses. "Let's go 집 and change." he said.

"Couldn't think of anything better to do," Courage said, slipping her hand around Sam's waist.

"Mask off, kid." Sam said playfully.

호랑 가시 나무, 홀리 grinned and complied.

"I heard there's this new movie out at the theatre..."

******************************************************

Sam stood on 상단, 맨 위로 of his apartment building, looking down at the sprawling cityscape below him. He heard a scream and narrowed in on it. Poor girl was being robbed.

He slipped his cape on and put on his mask, becoming Red Revenge once more. He shot a grappling line off and swung down, cape billowing in the wind, the final pieces of his plan going together in his mind.




TO BE CONTINUED! 
In
Young Justice: Revenge of the Soviets (Book IV)


다음 Book: 
Courageous 


Special thanks to everyone for all the positive feedback! Also a thank 당신 to Robin_Love for the 제목 of Courageous!