Chapter Twelve-


"The tè is excellent."

"That is not why te are here."

Sam set down the cup gingerly. "No, it is not."

"You are here to defend your country from our relentless assault."

"About that. Me looking upwards had nothing to do with the assassination. It was a simple look upwards asking for support."

"Support for what?" the Russian President asked.

"I have stage fright." Sam said.

"I see." Sam could see Joseph wasn't in the mood to drink tea. "The point still remains that our finalist was assassinated da YOUR heroes."

"Not true," Sam said. "I have been targeted da the League of Shadows for several weeks now. These 'heroes' were protecting me and simply followed to continue their jobs."

"Then why did te come to Rio De Janeiro? Especially if te knew te were being targeted?"

Sam hesitated. Luckily, at that moment, a russian guard walked in and detto the British Prime Minister was on Line 4.

"Should we adjourn until later?"

"Agreed." Sam said.

-----------------------------------------

Revenge carefully felt along the wallpaper in the main hall. The bacheca seemed solid. He pulled a device out of his utility cintura and began cutting into the wallpaper.

Batgirl landed successivo to him.

"What are te doing?!" she asked in a hushed voice.

"Looking for a secret entrance." Revenge replied.

"But you're cutting through thousand dollar wallpaper!!!" Batgirl exclaimed.

"Ah hah!" Revenge exclaimed. He ripped aside a piece of wallpaper and pushed open an iron door. The hallway within was dark.

"Okay, the old building has a secret passage in the wall, so?"

"So," Revenge asked, and Barbara could've sworn he had a devilish grin under his mask. "Where does it go?"

"Find out."

"You coming?"

"No."

Voices echoed down the hall.

"No." Batgirl replied to a look from Revenge.

The voices got closer.

"See ya." Revenge said, closing the door.

The knob to the room began to turn.

"Wait!" Batgirl exclaimed, leaping into the corridor as the iron door closed and the other door opened.

For a moment, Revenge was pressed against her in the narrow hallway in complete darkness. Then, there was a light from Revenge's mask, and the hallway was lit in a dim red glow.

"Ladies first." Revenge said.

"Scared?" Batgirl asked.

"Funny." Revenge said. "I'll take point."

Barbara cut him off. "I'LL take point." she said.

"I've got the light." Revenge said. "And the armor, and the brains."

"Har har, funny."

"Indeed. Watch my back."

"From the scary dark?" Batgirl asked in a mocking voice.

Revenge turned and tossed a dagger into the darkness behind them. It went farther than the three feet of the iron door through which they had entered.

"Any più smart remarks?"

"No, but is that te o a-"

Revenge clamped a hand over her mouth and instinct told Barbara to be absolutely quiet. Revenge shut off his light leaving them in darkness once more.

Voices echoed through the corridor, and eventually faded.

"Let's go." Barbara said, proceeding forward. She ran schiaffo, smack into a wall. Revenge smirked and turned on his light, proceeding forward. He came to a halt.

"Trapdoor."

"Let's go." Barbara repeated again.

"Wait!"

Batgirl fell through the trapdoor into the room below. A russian soldier in a gray uniform turned around and looked at her, gun aimed at her face and a donut in his mouth.

Revenge leaped down, throwing a dagger which hit the man square in the face. He fell to the ground unconscious.

"Hide the body." Revenge said, helping the Dark Damsel up.

The two hid the body beneath the tavolo (which was covered with a tavolo cloth).

"Let's go." Batgirl detto for the third time.

"Don't say that again." Revenge said. "In fact, don't talk at all. Bad things happen when te do."

Barbara nodded.

"Now then," Revenge said, flicking on his light. "Shall we proceed?"