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Player found himself involved with university.

He’d turned 19 and his parents had asked him to stop being home schooled and to get a degree and some actual friends.

Carmen had a life now and so should he.

She’d left home 3 years ago now. 

The conversation went rather blunt with the red team.

He had set up a room mic and saw the team gather around the screen.

“I… I won’t be able to be on capers as much. I promise I’ll explain.”

He saw Carmens face drop a little.

“I have study’s to attend to. University sort of thing. Just a part time coding course but still. Yeah. I’ll try and be on capers as much as I can alright guys. I hope you can forgive me.”

He saw the team give him warm looks. 

“Player San. You are allowed to have a life outside of red team you know. Spread your wings. We’ll be here and we’ll still need you.”, Shadowsan said, trying to give his voice a warm tone. 

It worked slightly. 

Player tapped his computer screen looking at Zack and Ivy. 

The ginger twins just shrugged.

“You got a life dude. Study’s come first.”

Player looked at Carmens face who wasn’t really looked at him.

“I.. we’ll manage without you whilst your studying. The group will be okay.”

She had turned stoic.

“If That’s all… I think we can end the call now.”

Before Player could answer the call was snuffed. 

Everyone was looking at Carmen as it ended and Player felt a strange feeling occur to him.

Was Carmen…

Upset? 

Really?

Why?

He’d still be here..

Not as much but always in an emergency.

He turned his laptop off staring at his reflection.

He’d grown a lot since he’d first looked at the screen after he met yet.

He was sad back then.

He traced his fingers across his arms. Shuddering.

He hadn’t… 

He hadn’t for years now.

A couple close calls whenever Carmen has been AWOL for a while. 

His thoughts took over a lot a lot more than normal. 

He found solice in it once.

Never again. 

He grabbed his fidget spinner and spun it around. And around.

About 29 minutes of just watching a fidget spinner.

His mother called him down for dinner shortly after. 

It was his favourite.

Made sense he was leaving for university next Monday.

He’d waited until the final weekend to break the news to red team.

He couldn’t bear the way Carmen would react. 

He was also scared.

Scared if he stopped being support she’d die because of it.

He knew she had Shadowsan and the ginger twins but still.

It was scary..

Really scary. 

The dinner was actually rather delicious.

It didn’t quell the nerves and homesickness already forming. 

His sister Holly gave him a hug.

“Peter. It’s okay. Carmen understands.”

He patted his sisters hair.

“That’s not why I’m upset. I’m missing home already. I’ve been practically home schooled until Red arrived.”

His sister gave a smile.

“We’ll call you every night. Just like Cammy.”

“I know.. I know.”

His sister stuck her tongue out at him.

He remembered a time when she was so tiny.

Now she was 9 almost 10 and a real hurricane of a kid. 

She did look a lot like him and he wondered if they really were opposites of each other. 

His sister poked at her meat loaf with a puppy look at his mother.

Pepper have a smirk:

“Alright fine. You can have desert! Only because your brothers going soon and this time is special right now.”

Holly grinned.

“Learnt that trick from Carmen?”, David laughed at his daughter.

Player gave David the benefit of the doubt.

He wasn’t players real father.

He was his dad.

Player knew that.

His mother was pregnant with player at university. 

They had a friendship it didn’t work out. 

She pushed him away because she was pregnant with Peter and together with…

Player hated his dad so much. 

Player was 9 when that happened. 

When his dad left. 

His mother became a nurse and met David and they got together.

She had Holly not long after. 

And they’ve lived up here ever since, moving up here specifically because David’s family live here. 

But he had grown to like David. 

He was here and player prick of a dad was not. 

That showed a lot. 

His campus was located more into America than he’d like. 

It was a huge building and everything was on campus. 

Everything. 

Accommodation.

Shops.

He felt a bit overwhelmed but was glad to be here. 

He was doing a coding course. 

About time to show of his skills. 

He was roomed up with a dude name Jacob.

He was an punk. 

He seemed pretty chill though. 

He liked to shag a lot of different women. 

Showed of them numbers on his phone. Which….. uh…. 

Was a bit strange but he decided not to judge that much. 

“You got anyone? Dick? Vagina? No preference?”

He gave him a laugh.

“I do have someone and she is more than just her private parts.. Jesus.”

Jacob didn’t seem aghast by Players bluntness.

“I won’t lend you my numbers then.”

The two began setting up the rooms and player got into a rather small talk conversation.

What course?

Criminal psychology.

Criminal Coding. 

Player guessed that’s why they’d been placed in the same room together.

Jacob had like jet black hair and some rock and roll aspects. Dark Voilet eyes.  He had that leather jacket aspect and well, he seemed like all he’d be good for is a quick shag.

Player sufficed maybe that was why he lent into it.

He placed a picture frame of his family and Red. 

He traced her picture smiling.

“So that’s who’s you got the hots for. Red head. Crazy my guy.”

Player was partly relieved to make such quick friends. 

He shook his head.

“Reds smart. Known each other….. damn. 8 years?”

“Long time. Did you… fuck?”

Player threw a glance and shrugged.

“Up to you to decide Mate. We’re not really dating right now. She had shit to sort out.” 

As player went to leave to the en-suite kitchen he heard Jacob mutter “totally did.”.

The kitchen wasn’t anything special.

It had a cooker. A microwave. 

Player could probaly buy a couple decent things with what he was earning of Vile but… If you got money best not to flaunt it. 

He rummaged around finding a pan and put in some pasta.

He’d only just got here but damn was he hungry. 

It was warm within 20 minutes and he made Jacob a plate brining it in.

To his surprise Jacob was down someone’s throat already. 

This was a trend the bloke would do for all of university.

“Oh Peter. Stacy. Stacy Peter my new roomie.”

Jacob had already been at Uni a year but changed courses, that’s why he’s so ….adjusted.

Player gave him a plate and smiled.

“Made it fresh. Think you can separate for some sustenance and air?” 

Jacob shrugged.

Through his skull t-shirt player could tell he was pretty ripped.

Great. A nerd and a punk.

What could go wrong?

He sat across from Jacob and began to eat his quick made meal.

Jacob discussed all sorts of stuff and tickled Stacey’s body.

She had that body Player noticed around high school a lot.

That skinny primark type.

She wasn’t the biggest boobs ever. 

Not that player was staring. 

He just noticed she was a lot smaller than Carmen. 

Carmen was well. Stronger and she meant business. 

Carmen Carmen Carmen!

He sighed into his bed.

He couldn’t stop thinking about her.

They were not even together…

She was his best friend.

Carmen explicitly told him she didn’t want anything until Vile was gone.

Player groaned again.

He’d completely forgot to check his phone for updates.

He’d do it later.

It’s not like Red team would fall apart without him. 

The girl.

Was she sasha?

Tracy?

Something like that had red straight hair and sat next to player.

“He’s cute. In that nerd way.”

Jacob laughed.

“Don’t try anything he’s waiting for his lady red. Just look at his desk.”

The women gave a laugh.

“She looks like a family member: he probaly was just to nervous to tell you he’s single.”

Player blushed.

“I am… kind of… it’s complicated alright. Also I only just met you two today how do you have any say in my life?” 

Jacob hoisted the plates on top of each other shrugging.

“True litrle dude. Are you one of those kids who skipped a grade or two?”

“I’m 19. I’m just really short.”

“Hm.” 

The women had started touching his chest.

“He’s kinda ripped. Anyway. As you said. He’s 19 and I ain’t…. Nah. You know I’m all yours Jacob.”

He held her face gently and grinned.

“I’ll admit that. Can you blame me. Known this one since I started university… Shame I’m a prick.”

He was very… enticing. 

Player could understand the appeal. 

It was like he was looking at a male version of Carmen.

And that was freaky. 

~~~ 

Time had passed. 

Player had grown used to doing classes and helping out with cases on the side. 

He was becoming a bit closer with Jacob.

He was the short nerd, 5 foot 4 inches actually. So that didn’t go well in his favour. 

They already gelled reallt well anyway.

It was like he’d known Jacob for a long time.

Jacob would sometimes flirt with player and he’d laugh it off.

He couldn’t tell that man at all. 

All dark long hair and that… cliche brooding nature.

Player missed Carmen and the gang.

He’d missed a lot about Carmen. 

He missed Zacks jokes.

He missed his sister. 

Probably. 

The punk had assumed his rounds of women.

He talked to Player about how he’d flirt with his homeroom teacher.

“She’s a British one. Petite. I love small women. As you probaly tell.”

Player could, all of his… acquaintances had been small and small every where. 

“I’d probalt have seduced you by now if you were into dudes. But my lecturer man. She won’t even take a joke. She’s so strict aswell. Maybe I should introduce you. She knows computers and all that stuff. Into history and geography.” 

This intreiged Player a lot. 

“Okay. Sounds cool. But I’m not gonna date her.. I.. you know what’s going on.” 

Jacob slaps his back.

“You call her every moment you can. I know. Your not the only person I’ve known so love sick. I say go for it mate. Loves an amazing thing. To bad I don’t feel love much.”

Player raised an eyebrow.

“Oh I don’t really develop connections often. You and Stacy are the only 2 I’ve kept around.”

“I’ve been here 2 months.”

“Exactly.”

Jacob seemed nervous and Player could tell this was a sensitive subject for him.

The man changed tactics and brought the conversation to the dishes they were washing.

It was supposed to be Jacobs turn not Max’s, but he somehow had wrangled Player into it aswell. 

“Hands wrinkled yet?”

Jacob brought his hand up.

“Yeah. You?”

“Yeah.”

They carried on the dishes in silence after that. 

Player was curious about his friends tutor. 

She could help Player with his hectic timetable. 

His tutor was hopeless and annoying. 

He sighed thinking about Carmen once again.

The capers had become less now, about once a week really. 

He missed her voice. Her sassy side. 

Last time he saw her she was unconscious and almost dying. 

He heard her voice and seen her on face time.

They back to a team again, like that night they expressed there love never happened. 

Player wasn’t intrested in anyone else.

Carmen was his whole world. 

Stacy entered once again hugging Jacob. 

He blushed and said something Player didn’t hear. 

Since Player had stayed here he noticed all the things that those two did.

Stacy would chat to him sometimes after uhh… stuff. 

One of Jacobs jumpers on her features. 

“I don’t sleep with anyone else.”

“But you were all over me..”

“Oh I only do that because it drives Jacob wild. He’s… very much… Hes had a rough up bringing. Father died when he was young. Mother became an addict. That sort of thing.. He becomes defensive and he loves a lot.”

She spoke fondly about him.

“We used to be roommates. He wasn’t always like this. Influence I guess.”

Player gave her shoulder a rub smiling.

“He thinks the world of you.”

“Tell that to his cock.”

Player shook his head.

“Really. He speaks a big game but I don’t think I’ve seen any other girls apart from you actually come here. He’s loyal to you and your loyal to him. You guys, might not be a conventional relationship but I know he likes you as a friend and someone to share those moments with.”

And from that day a week ago they’ve been a lot closer.

More friendly and bantering aswell. 

Player felt like he’d actually helped his friends out.

He always enjoyed helping mates out. 

Jacob gave her a fist bump and she wondered to his room. 

“I’d like to meet your tutor. I think I deserve to spread my wings a bit.”

Jacob gave a sly grin.

This grin set his features from cool to mischievous and he could tell that grin made girls wild. 

Jacob flirted and stuff but he couldn’t state the obvious if it was written on his forehead. 

He was loyal to Stacy. 

She was loyal to him.

What ever that meant was up to them. Not player to decide. 

“Alright. I’ll set it up.”

~~~ 

The library was quiet. 

Stacks of coloured books in every crevice.

Player grabbed a couple random ones and sat down at a desk. 

This tutor of Jacobs was a historian. 

She also had a degree in criminology and so her main job was historian and she was the tutor of the criminality class. 

An ex cop apparently.

Player was getting really into the book about car parts, out of boredom really. 

He didn’t notice the figure sat across from him.

“Peter Smith?”

He flicked his gaze up and smiled at the women acros from him.

“You must be ms Angel. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

She shook his hand, almond eyes softening.

“Jacob talks about you. As a lone wolf he’s been I can’t thank you enough. He’s took a liking to you and I can’t fathom why. I’ve worked here for a year and a bit now. It’s a bit… Drab at times but also fun.”

She was British alright. 

With Japanese ethnicity. 

She sat very straight and lean. 

Her hands were tender and yet had scars on the knuckles, she deemed like dhe didn’t fight a lot. Maybe it was from something else. 

Player had been prone to noticing details in everything. It helped with Capers and it helped with cases.

He had a scratching feeling at the back of his head that this women was familiar from somewhere. 

But he’d never met her before so it must just be anxiety. 

She cleared her throat and pulled out some books.

“I hear your into history and geography facts.”

He nodded. It wasn’t really him it was more Red. Because of her he wanted to explore, because of her he wanted to live outside of his room. 

“I do a coding degree. It’s nothing special and I’m pretty much acing it, I figured I could do something with my free time and Jacob suggested you.”

The women gave a smile.

“Facts really are fascinating. Jacob prefers the facts under my clothes but your a much more.. decent bloke.”

I rubbed my neck.

“thanks I guess?” 

She began to open up the hardback books and showed me some things about Egypt. 

The next caper was somewhere in England again so I felt entitled to ask ger about home.

“I was born in Britain yes. My father was British and my mother was Asian. She moved here for a better life. Did she get it? Possibly. She had me and.. well I was a good child. Sorry you asked about London right?”

I nodded.

She straightened her glasses.

“Hm. I moved around a lot and that sparked my interest in geography. 

London is a city and it’s the home of the royals. It’s divided by sections of trains and you can practically go anywhere by train there. It’s a good place to live. Touristy. Another place I moved in my teen years was Bristol. Another city and I became interested in a career as a cop there, maybe my father forced it into me. I’m not sure. I trained back at London again and I consider London really my main home.. Oh sorry look at me blabbering..”

She looked down fondly, perhaps remembering something.

“No no that’s okay. My friends going on holiday to Cornwall. Meeting a famous chef, Derek Jolau. Heard of him?”

The women began to clean her glasses and laughed. 

“The French chef? Ofcourse I’ve heard of him. Bloody heck that’s all he’d go on about. “Monsier Derek should not be famous! His meals are travesty’s!””, she smiled to herself and tears started to develop in her eyes.

“Oh. Sorry. He’s a very rich chef and he raises lots of money for marine life and stuff. He loves the oceans. His food is…-an acquired taste.. I have had the joy of having a dinner or two in the old days and it was really expensive fish and chips really.”

Player nodded. 

This seemed relevant to Carmen.

Rich chef. Charity fund raiser?

Screamed Vile stealing time. 

He was consumed with thoughts of Vile that he forgot he was talking to a teacher.

He also didn’t seem to notice her nature or her shit French accent earlier.

She gave him a smile.

“I would like to meet again? Can we do this again next week? Same time. Same place? There’s something about you Peter.. something fascinating. I want to know more. I can see why Jacob keeps you around. Your.. mysterious.”

Player felt a blush on his face.

Was he now some project of this womens?

How boring was university to her?

Didn’t she have a million other things to be looking at and researching?

He smiled weakly.

“Yes. Next week works fine. See you next Wednesday Ms Angel.”

She blinked at the name and nodded, a stutter in her voice.

“Ah. Right… Ms Angel. The teacher…”

She stood up frigidly and smiled down at him.

“I enjoyed this. I’ll see you around.” 

She left in a haste and he felt like he’d hit a nerve or something.

She acted and reminded him of a deer.

Majestic and small but easily skiddish. 

He could tell by the scars on her knuckles she did have another side to her. 

A darker one. 

One she hid away. 

She used to be a cop. 

Maybe that’s it. 

As she left he considered what had happened.

She had a French pal. 

Could have been her cousin or something.

Player felt like he was missing something crucial but he couldn’t figure it out. 

~~~

Chase drank a bit more. 

He’d screwed his shoulder up in practise and was once again put on leave from ACME until it healed. 

He missed the chase.

He missed the adrenaline he got from being out and taking down criminals. 

He missed Julia. 

He couldn’t think about her that much.

It still hurt he couldn’t contact her. 

He missed her facts and her little squeak she does when she’s mad. 

He didn’t even know where she was located anymore and felt a tad creepy if he did find out. 

His hand ran across his kitchen table and he groaned. 

All that red thread hed began to knit a sweater. 

His arm was killing him.

Ofcourse it would break over something so trivial! 

A co worker holding him in a lock and the lock going wrong. 

Not getting thrown at cars or any of that! 

He looked at the dull cast and imagined Julia’s hands touching it. Saying some facts about how Casts were invented. All that Jazz.

He hated to admit it but he missed her.

She was doing her own thing and… 

That was okay. 

Chase felt a stabbing pain in his heart whenever he thought of that women.

He hated it. 

He was chase devaniux the French demon! 

That la femme rouge was always a step ahead and it pissed him off.

ACME was working tirelessly to try and arrest her and find out what she knows about vile. 

Chase had had just about enoigh of this goose chase. 

That Red Devil eluded him but…

His obsession with taking her down was slowly becoming less. 

He had more pressing matters to attend to. 

And recently after her help in a couple capers he had began to see things through Jules eyes. 

Again with Julia…

She invaded his thoughts a lot.

He felt ashamed about it aswell.

He promised himself after… 

After her death. 

He’d never love anyone else again until he’d exacted revenge. 

It seemed life was funny because the daughter of her killer was the women he was so carefully hunting.

La femme rouge was the daughter of a major criminal and that meant she had to be evil!

Right? 

He sipped from his beer again.

He’d given up drinking and smoking. 

But recently he found his life was slowlyyy going in a downward spiral. 

His motto for life was just all about downward spirals and how he is a staircase. 

It didn’t make much sense and he didn’t really care. 

He looked over at the lucky cat on his window sill and again missed Julia. 

That dream he had, led him to an abandoned island. He had discovered it was the old location of Vile but that still hurt his ego.

He was a second to late. 

Most of the important details like data drives had been taken. 

But it was still a small victory to see the actual evidence that Vile exists. 

He may have gone a bit mad in the process but that’s okay. 

He was staying in his own home. 

It felt cozy but also empty. 

He could do with a snot nosed brat running around and her stern mother right now. 

Normally he thought about Anna but… 

He thought about Julia a lot more. 

And in thoughts like that.

When he was really lonely he pictured calling up her just to hear her British voice drone in.

He could sleep to that.

He used to be such a prick. 

But now…

Now he sees Julia differently.

He misses her silly things and just wants to talk to someone… 

Anyone. 

The red jumper was complete and he slipped it in snuggling in.

He loved the fact he had made it.

He’d always been a good craftsman. 

His father had laughed and told him to man up and he’d been a cop and detective  becahee of it. 

He loved it. He loved his job. 

He was an agent at heart. 

But as he wore a jumper made out of wool he felt like he could be doing more..

Is that what Julia felt?

That she could be doing more than just being an agent…

His fingers ran across the indents. 

It wasn’t at all sellable. It had holes in from loose threads and he’s pretty sure the wools all bubbly anyway. 

He liked it though. 

He imagined making Julia a jumper and her hugging him tight- 

He felt like a fool. 

Enough! 

He groaned and kicked in a chair.

Julia was never coming back…

He had to accept that. 

He had to. 

He didn’t notice the shadow inside his house at all.

Not until it was to late. 

~~~ 

Being on a caper without Player was… different to be sure. 

Carmen was used to his presence.

His comforting words and knowing he’d be there to save her or send in reinforcements at any point.

She missed him dearly.

She tried not to let it show.

He should be able to have a life that doesn’t revolve around Vile.

Maybe Carmen also envied it a little. 

She’d kept player under wraps so no one from Vile knew about his existence. 

He was free to just leave it all behind.

She’s discussed it with him and he’d politely declined.

“You guys are family. I love you Carmen.. you know I won’t ever let you go.”

She sighed into her phone.

“I’m not asking you to let go of me.. I’m asking to to not be my player anymore. To just be Peter and to wait for me to come home. You never had to be player. You know that right?”

She heard the shrug and could picture the grin.

“You didn’t force me. I wanted to be your secret weapon. I want this with you.” 

She sighed and stared out at the star lit sky. 

“Even though you’ve been held back? Your waiting for me…. your helping me take down an organisation that could attack you or murder your family…. Not likely but..”

He sighed.

“I know the risks. I want to help. I need to help you.. I can’t let you my best friend be hurt on my watch..”

So she wondered if now he had changed his mind:

She had Ivy and Shadowsan and Zack. 

She had other team members, well she considered Shadowsan and all that her family anyway. 

Did Player think she could do this without him? 

She remembered that time without him when she was a prisoner of Vile..

That was….

A sad year. 

She missed his gentle words of encouragement. 

She sat on the sofa of RedQuaters and felt a tad upset.

Ivy set her down a cup of hot chocolate giving her a nudge.

“Moping about Player?”

Carmen gave the ginger women a stare of defiance but let her walls down and nodded. 

“It’s not the same without him. I mean I expected… At some point he’d get a life… but I expected it to be with… with me.”

It hurt to admit it.

But it hurt to think of Player just….

Being with someone else.

Being married…

Having a life…

It hurt to think about.

A lot.

It was silly.

Player promised her he’d wait until Vile was gone to be with her.

No matter how long that took.

Carmen had been doing this shit for 4 years now.

Shadowsan was off on a caper along with Zack. Zack who had began his ninja training. 

Carmen wondered how the two were doing. 

She obviously wished them to be safe. 

She sighed and sipped from the cup.

Ivy tossed her a look.

“Wanna spar sis? Take your mind off everything?”

“Yeah… that sounds good.” 

~~~

It became a bit off a club now. 

He met with Ms Angel once a week in the library now. 

It had been about 4 weeks since the first meet up. 

Jacob and Stacy sometimes tagged along which was a welcome addition. 

He brought lunch and always something new to talk about. 

He was pretty much the smartest coder in his class.

His teacher practically let him teach the class. 

Said teacher was an ex FBI coder actually. 

Player guessed he couldn’t really let on how he worked with a secret agency every other day. 

It was a pleasure to be surrounded by people who acted a lot like him. 

A couple girls. A couple dudes. 

He didn’t really pay a lot of attention.

He had a decent friendship with a girl named Olive. 

But that was about it. 

He thought she fancied him a bit. 

Which… 

Was strange to think about. 

The girl was deinty and blonde hair. Dainty tanned skin, olive like. 

She had a accent and spoke something European. 

She tagged along most of the time, she worked in the library so joined them on her lunch break.

Ms angel was kind and didn’t turn anyone away.

Olive normally had sushi or something like that.

Player had a hastily made sandwich. 

Ms angel had already eaten when they met up but she seemed like the salad person who pretends to enjoy salad. 

Player couldn’t discern why she kept meeting up with him. A random student?

Maybe it was because he was good friends with Jacob. 

About a month of this back and forth happened and Player was slowly starting to piece together exactly this womens backstory. 

He couldn’t help himself. 

It was a night after the second meet he decided to search up her name on the university website.

Nothing. 

She didn’t exist before coming here.

He suspected it was a code name but now he had proof.

He contacted Shadowsan at 1 am and asked him if he knew anyone named Jane Angel. 

He groaned and started swearing in his native tongue. 

He said after a groaning couple minutes, no. But normal law enforcement went on cover all the time or had new life’s.

If she was involved with the mafia or drug business that explained her new name.

So she wasn’t hiding anything dangerous or malicious. 

Player gathered that much. 

He decided after that second night to stop on his search. 

She wanted to remain secret and he felt she had a massive right to keep her story private. 

Even if Player never heard it.

That was her business. 

Her private business. 

It was a session of about a month after this and he felt the need to tell her.

“I hacked into the university to discover more about you.. I just wanted to see proof you actually were a cop..” 

and not an ex Vile member 

But he kept that bit quiet. 

“That’s… not nice Peter.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I just felt like I had to tell you. I’m sorry. I didn’t snoop anymore than finding out your name. Jane. I’m sorry. I’m used to being a detective and hacking into places i shouldn’t. I decided after that to, well come here and hope it would straighten me out a bit.”

Player was being honest.

Once Vile was defeated he did have to put his coding skills to good use. 

Before Red he would mess about and he found some… disturbing… stuff. 

He decided after that not to be a bad guy. 

To use his hacking for good. 

But he’s become used to hacking into data bases.

Messing up organisations. 

Once Vile was defeated what would he do?

That’s why he was here. 

The tutor gave him a look.

“I believe you have a good heart. I just wish you’d come to me first. I could’ve told you my name without you needing to break rules. I am going to have to tell your teacher about this.. but for now… I am impressed.”

Player shrugged.

“It was easy. To be honest.”

She gave him a stare and smiled. 

“That sh-“

His phone began to rang.

He smiled and turned it off.

“Sorry must-“

His watch started ringing.

Okay… strange.

It was Carmen. 

She was labelled Red  on his phone.

He answered his phone.

“What’s up?”

He heard sniffling. 

Was…

Carmen crying?

She gulped down shaky breaths and Player held onto his phone.

Oh god what’s happened…

Is she hurt?

Where’s Ivy?

Zack..?

Shadowsan?

His thraot went tight.

He completely forgot where he was.

“Shh. it’s okay. I’m here. What’s happened?

She gulped and felt rather silly.

“I had a nightmare. You.. everyone… died.. Poisoned… it’s my fault…”

He blinked. 

An exhale leaving his body.

“Your not hurt?”

“No… I’m sorry. We.. agreed to call on capers or if I’m in trouble..”,She chuckled sadly.

Player shushed.

“It’s okay.. I’m here.”

He didn’t know how to act.

Carmen didn’t really call him out of the blue.

This was…

Strange.

“I miss you.”

He blinked and gulped.

“I miss you too.”

And god he really did.

She began to regain some composure.

“I’m sorry… I just.. you died.. everyone. Vile captured you all..”

He listened to her and let her talk.

She was upset and he didn’t want to imagine how she looked right now. 

He did anyway and that made his heart ache.

He longed to be there for her.

To hold her in his arms. 

To hold Carmen in his arms-

“What’s that racket!! Poeple are trying to sleep here.”

Player blinked down his phone.

That was a French dude.

“Chase- I’m trying to calm down here!”

He groaned.

“I’m making coffee. Want a cup?”

He heard a groaned yes please. 

He started to feel an uncomfortable feeling.

“What is Chase doing at head quarters?”

Carmen began to mumble.

“Oh. I’m… Actually at his place.”

“In France?”

Explained the time difference actually. 

“Unfortunate events led me here. I wanted to update you we were busy saving this one’s French backside.” 

Chase felt like that was a slight jab but he let it slide. 

“He was in danger. Vile sent someone after him. He wasn’t the main target, I was, it was obvious it was a trap but still.. They must have someone on the inside because, somehow they knew Chase was on sick leave. He broke his arm. He’s been kidnapped for about 4 days. That was a couple days ago.” 

“La femme rouge saved my skin.”

He set down a cup and groaned.

“Red demon. I’m in her stupid debt!”

He swandered back to his room and slammed the door.

Carmen sipped the coffee.

“I’ve been staying at his place keeping guard ever since. It’s been a rough couple of days.”

He nodded.

“I thought you guys hated each other?”

Carmen chuckled.

“It was me or Vile.”

Player was beginning to grow slightly jealous. 

Even Chase got to spend more time with her then he was.

“Do you feel better now Carmen?”

She nodded and realised he couldn’t actually see her.

“Oh you can’t hear my nodding. But yes.” 

He was glad.

He hated hearing her upset.

He said see you soon and be okay and turned his phone off.

He turned and smiled to his teacher.

She was looking at him and he smiled.

“Sorry. My partner just called. Had a nightmare.”

He guessed he was safe because most people didn’t have any idea Carmen Sandiago even existed.

And some ex cop teacher definitely wouldn’t. 

She was still staring and it was making Player slightly uncomfortable. 

He could hear the gears in her head turning.

“Your partner is called Carmen? Is that a girl or boy?”

Player laughed.

“Why does everyone assume I am gay. She’s a women. I’ve known her since I was little. We’re best friends. Just until she can figure out her shit.” 

Jane gave him a stare once more.

“You mentioned Chase? Like an actual excersise or.. person?”

He shrugged.

She bit her pen.

“You always wear a watch and keep your phone on. What are you waiting for?”

He gave his teacher a laugh.

“Are you inspecting me now? I’m just a normal 19 year old. I have all this tech because I’m a coder.”

She shrugged.

“Just a feeling. Ohh look at the time. I better go. I have homework assignments to do.”

She smiled and walked out the door. 

Player looked up at the clock.

He’d been here for 5 miniutes.

~~

Julia regained her composure.

She stared at the awkward and below adverage hieght man she left in the room.

He took out his phone and messaged someone.

This boy had intregiued her since she first met him. 

She flipped out her phone wanting to assume a hunch. 

She didn’t have chases number anymore. 

But she still had contact within ACME.

She discovered his hacking skills as soon as he had done them to find out her name. 

It was a simple security alert ACME put in place to protect her.

Since then she’d been finding out everything she can about him.

This Peter Smith was a very… Mysterious man.

19 and excellent grades even though he was homeschooled for a long time. 

He lives in a family of 4.

She did feel bad.

She did enjoy her time with the guy as friends and was annoyed that, well, he had this secret side to him she wanted to discover. 

This secret side had been practically proven.

Out of all the university’s. Out of all the students and teachers.

She, an ex ACME agent had stumbled upon Peter Smith. He was connected to Carmen.

She was sure of it.

She’s never seen him before.

But she’d always been concerned about who was the person in the chair. 

Now she had a sneaking suspicion it was this man.

He was old enough. Experienced. And flaunted his coding around a lot. 

The fact he knew a person named Carmen could be coincidence, but knowing someone named chase? That seemed to solidify her suspicions. 

Also for the life of her she wanted to solve this, any case it seemed with the help of Chase. 

She dialed up the ACME HQ number and waited for it to ring.

On the third call an automated message answered.

It took about 20 miniutes of agonising waiting with that horrible droning elevator music finally an receptionist answered.

“Hello how can I help you?”

“The agent with the ACME goes home sick.”

The receptionist was to allow anyone who knew the code message to be sent through to the real ACME receptionist. This was a default for scammers and such. 

After about 20 minutes of waiting she glanced and noticed lunch was almost over. She was becoming slightly annoyed. 

“Hello. ACME agency. How can I help?”

She cleared her throat.

“Hello. It’s ex agent Julia Argent here.. I would like to contact Chase. Is he on duty?” 

He was the only ACME agent she felt she could trust with this crazy theory. 

He’d probaly be into it and start pulling out tape and threads of yarn.  

“I thought you hated him.”

It was the blonde agent who was strict and fast. 

“No no. Did it come off that way?”

The women shrugged.

“Listen I have a busy life now I’ve retired. Tell me Chases home number and I’ll be on my way. I miss him.”

The blonde women nodded.

“I really shouldn’t be doing this….”

“So why are you?”

She sighed.

“I broke chases arm so I think I owe him this much.” 

~~~

The shadow moved before chase could counter.

He threw his cup of coffee and heard a high pitched growl.

He’d hit someone with it. 

He felt a liquid of sorts be injected down his neck.

It was viciously stabbed in, but not enough to actually kill him. Enough precision that only time and time again of doing this procedure could it be that precise in his skin, so close to his air ways and other body parts and not kill him. 

He threw a careless punch with his good arm. His right arm was in a cast, luckily chase could use both hand pretty well. 

A Japanese women who was holding pots of colours and injections. 

She had belts full of it. 

She smiled cooly down at him. Beginning to tug him.

“El topo! Carry this screw.”

Screw.

He hated that word. 

Criminals called him screw, pig, faggot all the time. It really pushed him over the edge sometimes. 

He groaned and felt his senses become duller by the second.

He was being kidnapped by Vile.

And he couldn’t move.

He couldn’t do anything but watch. 

And watching was scary. 

So very scary. 

The women who he’d thrown coffee onto was scowling at him.

The coffee had tinged her white hair slightly brown. 

She growled like a cat and leaned down opening his eye lids wise.

“This is the detective? Really.”

Her voice was grainy and so draining. 

The Japanese lady gave a nod.

“Chase. He’s been a thorn in our side for to long. Aliasing with Carmen sandiago.”

The man who was carrying him gave him a look of worry. 

“Did you really have to roofie him? I thought faculty didn’t let you do that stuff anymore because it makes them less responsive and receptive to pain.” 

“What they don’t know doesn’t kill them.”

She was icy and sharp. 

Her native tongue was strong even when she spoke English.

“Really El topo. You really are the most neutral operative.”

He shrugged, which threw Chases head up and then down.

“I steal to make a living. Doesn’t mean I want or enjoy torturing people. You may like that stuff Lady Dokuso but I don’t. I get by and this is all I’m good at.”

El topo seemed the most likely to defer from Vile once it crumbled. Chase thought.

He didn’t really mind.

Apart from carrying him he thought how he’d rarely seen this man on his radar.

He was classed as a low threat. 

He didn’t like getting his hands bloody at all. 

“Le chevre is the same. So was crackle.”

Crackle rang a bell. 

“Crackle is AWOL. Don’t talk about this shit around the screw.”, The coffee stained one said.

The Japanese women Chase had overheard was called Lady Dokuso was packing up some things.

She wrote a letter out in the desk.

She wrote it in Japanese and Chase being a Frenchman could not read what it said. He cursed, not knowing where he was about to be held was very annoying. 

Chase noticed the mole man scribble something on a piece of paper and throw it carelessly behind him when the other two weren’t looking. 

Maybe it was another ransom note. 

“It is done. Grab the French man and let’s head out.”

That’s was all he heard before a boot was launched into his face and he was knocked out cold. 

~~~

The plan was going alright. 

The mission was a success so far but the plan was… scary. 

El topo had been trying to leave Vile for awhile. 

The only plan before now had had been for him and le chevre to just escape but that wouldn’t give them protection.

The only thing they could think of was to get in touch with Carmen. 

Unluckily Both of them had separate missions across the globe. 

El topo was in France with Tigress and Lady Dokuso. 

Le chevre was in Russia with Mime bomb and Neil the eel. 

Normally el topo and le chevre were a pair, that’s how they discovered there love for each other. 

But for this mission they were separated.

Maybe Vile suspected something.

Roundabout had joined Viles faculty due to the mine fiasco and he’d been targeting agents from interpol who mysteriously got new jobs or leaves of absents one day. Point is they mysteriously left. 

These jobs he suspected were part of ACME. 

El topo and Tigress had had close calls with Carmen who now worked for this company, well presumably anyway, and so he suspected that’s why he was on this team with her.

Tigress was a moody sarcastic women who’s personality was the opposite of his own. 

They butted heads a lot but he knew if he needed her help she would be there. 

She already hugely supported his and Jeans blooming relationship. At one point in time she may have had a thing for Jean but not anymore. 

His partner El chevre he missed dearly.

France reminded him of his love.

He reminded himself to try and find something good to give him once he returned to him. 

Some flowers or a magnet.. maybe a new earring or maybe an engagement ring. 

Well if he returned. 

He hoisted the heavy Frenchman onto the floor of the van and dusted his claws off.

El topo always hated travelling by airoplane. 

He liked the ground. 

Le chevre hated travelling by cars. 

He prefered the high ground. The sky. 

Gosh he missed his partner. 

Tigress and lady Dokuso called shot gun and El topo sat in the back seats of the van, facing the back door. 

It was relatively comfy. 

He talked face to face with the faculty.

“We have captured the Detective. As you suspected Roundabout he is ACME official.”

He didn’t mind pulling this dude under the rug if it meant Carmen would save the day and help him escape.

He just hoped Le chevre was having better luck with Shadowsans help. 

He hadn’t minded that dude, he was actually probaly el topos favourite member even before his rebellion.

With the rising evil of VILE he didn’t want part of it anymore.

Taking lives? Dealing drugs? He shivered as he remembered his poor Mami died of an overdose.

They lived underground in an abandoned train tunnel. 

They lived with a batch of hobos, addicts. Social rejects. 

He’d grown up stealing to survive. Staying underground felt safe to him. 

Le chevre met him on the ground and showed him the surface and above could be safe. 

He’d always be grateful he met his love.

That’s the one thing he stayed in Vile for.

Money and his partner. 

He was also scared to leave because of the appeal of drugs. 

Not to him but the fear of it. 

The fear he…

Could become like his mother. 

The faculty all congratulated the crew.

“This will be the fall of Carmen Sandiago.”

He gave a grin and nodded.

“Black sheep will rue the day she left our family.”

That seemed to do the trick.

Good. 

The hologram switch off and he exhaled into the back seats.

Tigress gave him a laugh.

“Family? God your such a phoney El topo.”

She laughed and he threw a mischievous glare at her. 

El topo had always been rebellious and yes sure without Vile he’d have been in jail by now but that didn’t mean he wanted to stay. 

He brought the man’s head up to inspect his eyes.

Checking it was all okay after being hit with a boot. Tigress boot. 

He’d wake up once they arrived anyway. 

Belgium was were they were going. 

El topo just hoped Carmen would receive his coded message in time.. 

~~~

Player couldn’t wait much longer.

It was the week after they last interacted and he kept replaying her actions over and over again. 

Was she into him?

Was she onto who he was?

Did she think he was a criminal? 

He tried to see her before then but She had family troubles to attend to. 

These so called “family troubles” Jacob had never heard of before.

“She had parents in Britain. I heard she’s over that way.”, Stacy mentioned as Player fiddled with his red fidget spinner.

“Does that matter? Parents in Britain. Loads of people from around here have come from other country’s.”, Jacob said to her as she ate some breakfast at 10 pm at night. 

“I came from Canada.”, Player said.

Jacobs eyes stared cooly at him. 

Like dark shimmering amethyst’s. 

“I come from Argentina, so yeah.”

Stacy giggled.

“Don’t be silly you two. Peters just wondering if this ms angel fancys him or wants to expel him.”

That was basically it. 

“I got called by Carmen and she didn’t like that one bit. She left right after all nervous and everything.”

Jacob slapped his back.

“You just have an effect on women mate.”

It was a joke he could tell but he still felt cool. 

Player about a week ago, after Ms Angels werid behaviour had done some code translation for Carmen. Just to get a message. 

He knew something was going down in Belgium.

He assumed just another caper. 

El topo was going to be there. 

He mentioned being a butterfly. 

Player guessed that was code for his reformation. 

He actually rather enjoyed El topo.

He wasn’t an Carmen hater.

He wasn’t really an any hater. 

He just kinda doddled about stealing things and earning cash. 

Player was glad he was on the good side finally. 

He just hoped it was not a trap. 

Ms Angel arrived in a formal fashion like nothing was werid the next day. 

The library wasn’t that full and they had books scattered between them.

Ms angel began to look sheepish.

“Peter.”

He looked up catching her eyes. 

She was nervous.

“If I invited you back to my house would you say no.”

“What for?”

She shrugged.

“I just have more books there and can show you an essay I’m working on. And maybe some coding stuff aswell.” 

Player nodded.

He wanted to get to the bottom of all this. And he could tell this women could aswell.

Strange danger and all that. 

But he was 19 now so it didn’t seem that strange. 

Ms angel he reckoned was between 25-30. 

He didn’t fancy her, he was just looking from an outside perspective. 

He began to pack up his bags and follow the women to her apartment.

She lived close to campus in a street of rows of brightly coloured houses.

Her house was coloured a bright blue. 

She let him enter and he firstly noticed how tidy and new everything looked and then secondly the amount of books in every crevice.

She led him to the kitchen and sat him down offering him a glass of water. 

He began to sip and watch the kettle boil slowly as ever. 

“Ms Angel? You’ve figured me out right?”

She gave him a sly look nodding and pacing to sit down flowly. 

She pulled a folder from a massive metal tray of books and laid out a folder of photos and documents. 

“I haven’t told ACME my suspicions.”

Player gulped.

She was testing him.

If he knew what ACME was he was Carmens accomplice. 

If he didn’t it was just a massive coincidence.

The short man across from her waited and then nodded.

“The names Peter. But my friends call me Player..” 

~~~

To say chase couldn’t feel anything was a complete understatement.

As he came too from the drugs he felt every cell in his body stretching.

He hated being still but especially when it was forced upon him.

He moved his hands and found he was strapped to a chair:

Great. 

This was the second time he’d been stolen by Vile. 

He’d have 2 nickles. Which is strange that it’s happened twice to him and zero to anyone else he knew in ACME.

Maybe they had been killed before they could be saved..

Maybe all because of that she devil. Although because of this kidnapping he’d come to the conclusion VILE she did not work for. 

They thought she was working for ACME. 

He thought she was working for VILE. 

They both were wrong. 

He felt a finger tugging under his chin. 

Not hard but just enough to pick his slumping head up. 

It was the coffee stained individual.

She was smirking at him.

“Quite a handsome find, don’t you think El topo?”

The man across from him have a careless shrug. 

For the life of him Chase had no idea where exactly he was. 

Knowing vile he could be anywhere in the world right now.

Julia…

Was she safe?

What about the rest of acme? 

Would they try and torture him again?

His spine shivered at the thought of that lady Dokusa injecting him once again. 

The said women walked over and slipped her hand where the coffee stained ones was.

“You are chase right? Accomplice of Carmen sandiago and Shadowsan.”

Chase ground his jaw trying to feel his teeth again. He hated this being drugged feeling. It was sluggish and not at all good. 

He had been trained against torture techniques regularly by ACME so he felt comforted by that fact.

He wasn’t going to lie he was absolutely shitting himself still. 

Especially since he’s groggy from the drugging. 

“Wie. I am chase. But I am not a compadre of that la femme rouge and your operative Japanese man.”

The womens face dropped. 

Her nails deep enough to start retracting blood. 

He hissed.

“What is it with you poeple and crazy women?”

That fetched him a hit on the face. 

In his dazed state he noticed the coffee stained one brandish a needle. 

He didn’t see the rest as the women grabbed his face once more. Forcing him to look at her. 

The Japanese women hated him.

He could tell.

She spat poison and hit with venom.

Everything about her reminded him of a snake and he hated that. 

The coffee stained one had brandished a crackle rod. 

Her eyes seemed glassy and her movements a bit sluggish but Chase wasn’t paying attention to that. 

She activated it and the green sparkles hit the floor.

He felt his heart rate pick up at the sight of the dial going up.

And up. 

“Not to much or else you’ll fry him Tigress. He won’t be much use as dead.”

That was the hunky bloke with the claws. 

Chase ground his Jaw.

This was going to hurt. 

A lot. 

~~~

Player didn’t know what to feel.

He’d shared his most inner secrets with an ex member of ACME.

He recognised her now. 

She had grown her hair out since resigning and donned a different pair of glasses so it was hard to tell but, she was Julia “Jules” Argent. 

An ally and friend of Carmens.

He told her as much as he knew. 

It was strange reliving his life through his own words. 

“You’ve been working with Carmen since you were 12. Your mother had no idea she was from a secret agency?”

Player shook his head.

“She was always overtook with work and taking care of my sister Holly. She never really paid much attention to me after she was born. But it’s okay. I understand that now.”

Julia gave him a soft smile.

“Thank you. I can’t begin to tell you enough but… now I have proof Carmen really is a good guy. And that’s good to know. That’s good because I wasn’t entirely sure I made a wise decision a couple days ago.” 

He looked puzzled.

“Julia you agreed this was between us.”

“Oh it is. Me, you and Carmen.”

He blinked and heard four pairs of voices as the door opened. 

“We’re here!”

“Do not let the she devil accompany you on planes! She hates snails…”

Player snapped around jaw almost, almost dropping to the floor.

“Carmen.”

She gave him a smile. 

Her Voilet eyes softening. 

“Peter.”

He ran before he knew it and hugged her so tightly.

“It’s really you… I missed you.”

He pulled of upon noticing Carmens reluctance and awkward rubbed his neck. 

The two separated and he cursed at being so touchy. 

Chase and Julia gave each other an awkward hug. 

He complimented her on her hair and she smiled at him.

“I see your facts paid off Ms argent- I mean. Jules. Without Carmens help I would’ve been dead by now.”

Player blinked settling down across from the man.

He looked worse for wear and he realised this was the first time he’d ever met an enemy in person.

Enemy felt a bit of a stretch.

Rival? 

Ally?

Chase sighed into his hands.

He was shaking sometimes and he hadn’t shaved in a while. 

“Vile kidnapped me. I had no way of fighting back. It was unfair and.. evil.”

His hands shook and he gulped down something, tears perhaps.

“I’m unsure how long… how long it was until Carmen and Ivy saved me. All I know is, one day the hard floor felt soft and I was in an hospital. My ACME ID helped me out a lot.” 

Carmen looked at him and looked hurt. 

She squeezed his shoulder.

“Your a strong man Chase. You didn’t at all waver and you didn’t give anything major away... Antonio told me most of the information and you did not reveal a lot anyway… Using the coded message Antonio wrote and translating the.. other ones, message. We discovered your location. Antonio was really the one who saved you and Tigress. I just arrived in time really…I wish I had arrived sooner. I really do.” 

Player quirked an eye brow at the name Antonio.

He felt as if somewhere in the edges of his mind that was familiar. 

Chase ran a hand across his face.

“I’m just glad I’m out of that hell hole.”

He gave a light laugh. 

Julia watched him with a tender expression. 

His laugh made her feel so… so good inside. It wasn’t his real laugh. Which terrified her. 

Especially after all he went through.

Carmen had explained a lot to her specifically about the techniques, Julia being the only agent she trusted because she knew about VILE torturing techniques and explained to ACME the best way to help chase recover.

Every agent tortured differently.

There own spin on things.

Maelstrom would drug you and twist your mind until your on the edge of insanity. Desperate and subservient to him.

Brunt would use force and pain and water boarding’s. She would always hurt every single cell. 

Dr Bellum operated on her subjects and cut nerves and reconnected things to places they shouldn’t.

She often donated kidneys to the black market for money for Vile operations. 

Sometimes she’d keep the patients just on the edge of death for weeks. 

It was sickening. 

Countess Cleo she was, a different story. 

She didn’t enjoy getting her hands dirty that much. If at all. 

She enjoyed watching though. 

She’d send the cleaners to do most of her bidding. 

She enjoyed torturing her subjects by sexual means. 

Carmen didn’t really, see that a lot because Brunt thought it was sick.

She was a die hard sex is in marriage sort of person and didn’t want Carmen to be around that sort of shit. 

Carmen was curious and she wished she hadn’t been.

It took a lot of coaxing for her to let cleo and the cleaners near her after that. 

Shadowsan didn’t really torture, she had asked him and he said it wasn’t the way of the ninja. 

He cut off fingers sure but you were lucky if you had Shadowsan and not anyone else. 

Carmen shivered at the thought. 

Atleast mealstrom gonked you off your head into insanity so it hurt less. 

Brunt never killed anyone unless she was angered, she didn’t want to much blood on her hands. 

Carmen was… unfortunate enough to witness all these tortures first hand.

Vile really did try and groom her to being the best of the best. The evil of the evil. 

She believed what she was told.

The prisoners were traitors. Lairs. Defectors of the family.

They wished they were dead but vile would push them to the edge and pull them back again. 

Carmen knew one thing.

It only took about.. 4 days for them to break.

She’d rescued chase on day 4. Just on the edge.. 

He’d been missing for 5 days by then. 

He had been tortured by tigress and Lady Dokuso. 

Carmen knew most agents did sub catergories of the faculty torture methods.

Lady Dokusos specialty was poisons and venoms. 

She used real world poisons from animals aswell. 

She was as terrifying as the creatures she based herself of. 

El topo had been a bystander in all this. 

He gave a report to acme about him Getting food and washing Chase. 

Making sure he wasn’t dead dead. 

He was slowly making sure Carmen knew the location. 

It didn’t help Lady Dokuso kept him in the dark.

And forced drugs into Tigress so she couldn’t really help. 

He hated her for that. 

El topo was Infact standing in the kitchen with Ivy.

It felt wrong to go into the living room.

It was an intimate conversation and him and Ivy were just the other ones who knew everyone in that room. 

She gave him an awkward grin.

“First time defecting from Vile?”

She could tell?

He slumped against Ms Agent womens small kitchen draws.

She crossed her muscley arms laughing. 

He could tell straight away Ivy kept the team smiling. 

She always smiled. 

“Your the mole dude right?”

He nodded.

“Si. My name is Antonio.. I don’t remember my last name anymore. My partner, Le chevre. Is he safe?”

Ivy gave a nod.

“Shadowsans kept us up to date on his side of things. Le chevre and him as well as Graham and Zack are on there way to here as we speak.”

Antonio slumped and exhaled a massive sigh of relief.

“I’m glad. I love that frenchie.”

She gave a small smile.

“What’s it like being in love?”

He glanced at her green eyes and shrugged.

“I don’t know. Friendship but more.. you get on with them more than anyone else. Want them to stay alive. Want to hold them close. Have a family. You want to be around them more than anyone else in the whole world.”

She smiled and tears gathered at the edge of her vision.

She wiped them away and laughed it off as sleeping dust. 

“Ive never been lucky with love. Neither me nor my bro. Maybe it’s caus we’re ginger.”

Antonio gave a shrug and smile. 

“I don’t think hair matters. I cosplay a mole all the time.”

After the chatter died down in the other room the two stalked in.

Julia was next to chase and Player was next to Carmen.

He really was a small dude.

El topo was about the same height as him. 

He sat down across from Carmen and she gave him a smile.

Chase tensed up at the sight his hand grabbing Julia’s knee in a vice grip.

El topo gave a sigh. 

“Mr French man. I am sorry I couldn’t help you escape earlier…. Belgium was a really shit show.. ”

Antonio trailed off his mind somewhere else. He gulped slightly and glance back at the French man. 

He nodded and was still shaking.

“Without you there Mole man I would be dead.. Your little attempts to keep me alive just a bit longer was enough for Carmen to rescue us both. Thank you. What you did… I respect you for it.” 

El topo and him nodded in a shared sort of respect. 

Ivy was sat on the kitchen table and kinda doddled about. 

Julia suggested coffee and everyone seemed happy to have a cup. 

Chase begrudgingly accepted a cup.

“You add to much cream. Ms Argent.”

But he smiled behind the cup and hoped she didn’t see.

She did and it warmed her heart.

She had missed him and his teasing. 

She really had.

She just wished they had met again under different circumstances. 

She wished she had met him in a normal life.

She’d be filled with his child by now. Probaly. 

Hopefully.. 

She held her stomach lightly and pushed the thought away.

Chase didn’t see her that way. 

Plus there was much more important factors to discuss other than her one sided feelings. 

The group settled down and tried to pass the time.

Waiting for Shadowsan and the rest to appear. 

Vile had to be taken down.

That was apparent.

With a fourth member on the faculty, someone with ties to powerful people it was even more apparent.

Antonio shared as much Vile knowledge as he knew. 

He was the most experienced one there. 

Carmen and Antonio began to chat with coffee and cake between them. 

A revenge plan of some sorts. 

Chase and Julia went to her room to have some time to catch up. Away from Vile and everything to do with Chases pain. 

And he held into her body, sobbing. 

He had waited patiently so he could break down.

Her hands held him and he leaned into her soft touch.

She stroked his hair and felt herself blushing.

Never once had they ever been this close.

She’d never seen him so touchy. 

What had… vile done to him.. 

“I was so scared… I wanted to live again. So I could return to you. So I could kill them all.”

He bit his hand and shivered.

“That… bitch. With her potions and electricity. I wanted to ring her neck. I still do.. Carmen and Antonio spared me the details of my escape but I don’t fully know if that demoness Is dead or alive.” 

She had never seen him so voilent either.

He was against her chest and shivering. 

He’d quieting down.

“I wasn’t strong Julia. I revealed ACME members. I revealed my missions and who I’ve taken down… I never once mentioned you.”, he spat it all out fast, “I couldn’t let them know you. I couldn’t ruin your life once again. I know you hate me, you left ACME because of me.. But I couldn’t at all let them hurt you.”

She shushed and held his beard, rubbing her fingers through its hairs.

“Your safe Chase. I’m safe.. don’t worry. Carmens on our side now. We have enough to take VILE down.”

He hiccuped like a lost child.

“I-“, he squeezed himself as close to her as he could get.

“I longer to hold you like this. I can’t help myself Julia. I longed to see you in my shirts again. I longed for you… I’ve always lived my life on the edge. Since losing Anna. Close to the edge of the knife. It wasn’t until I met you… You and ACME tamed me.”

She shushed and shushed.

“It’s okay… I’m here. I’m never letting you out of my sight.”

He gave a shivered hollow gasp.

“I’m supposed to be the strong one! I’m older-“, he cut himself off and began to try and ease his breathing to normal. 

He was wearing jeans and the cat jumper he’d gotten on a mission.

It was soft and comforting. 

He shivered and grasped at every shred of warmth he could find.

After the nightmare and the cold. 

His hand grasped tenderly around Julia’s mid section.

It was warm.

He’d missed her. 

Some nights when he was bad, back in the days of the Carmen chase and early ACME he’d be wracked with guilt he’d reach out for her and she’d let him.

He felt guilty the next day and resumed his cold attitude.

He’d kissed her once.

It wasn’t a peck.. no..

He’d practically forced himself Onto her.

Well maybe.. probaly not but he felt ashamed about it. 

He felt like he was cheating on Anna. Even though she asked him to give away his heart to not lock it away ever. 

He could not look at her straight for days and then she left ACME.

He told himself they were not connected. But it was hard not to blame himself.

Cheif told him she simply wanted to explore her historian side, it was nothing to do with him. 

He felt… 

Angry. 

He finally let that anger go now. 

And he shivered and pressed himself into her warm stomach.

She was soft and had such milky white skin. 

Her hands played with his hair and he stroked her back.

It reminded him of those lonely nights. 

Her wearing his shirts and cuddling him for warmth. 

Comfort.

At night it was like they both became domestic lovers. 

Wracked with nightmares and trauma.

He hadn’t asked Julia what she was scared off. 

And he never has.

All he knew was she’d wake him up like a lost child and he’d let her into his bed.

Near the end of there ACME partnership together all they did was sleep together.

To keep the nightmares away.

He kissed her!

He preyed on her weakness and kissed her. 

He gulped down and started to pull himself away.

He didn’t deserve this.

Julia was an Angel to him and he was not.

Julia held onto him.

“Just a couple more minutes.. please.”

Her voice was as fragile as a feather and he nodded.

Her hands shook and she grew silent. 

Just breathing.

They could hear the group talking from here. 

About plans to take down VILE. 

She hoped chase couldn’t hear the thumping of her heart from there. 

She’s longed for this for a long time.

After a year of being, away from him she’d grown lonely and missed him desperately.

She had tried dating and it was okay but she felt she couldn’t truly be herself. 

Not unless she was with Chase. 

He grumbled and reminded her of an old grumpy dog. 

Friendly sometimes. 

She understood his reasons.

He was scared to grow close to anyone. 

After what he went through she couldn’t blame him.

It took him months to open up to her. Months to be friends.. maybe more.. 

He hadn’t told her in a full story but she’d peices it together in the fragments he told her after the nightmares and through digging around in files at ACME. 

Cheif found her one day and after a long story she knew everything. 

Cheif had been working at interpol back then and knew of Chase. 

The two had never met but she found his files and discovered his connection to VILE even back then. 

Because of the tragedy. 

She recruited him because he was on Carmens case but also he had personal reasons aswell as her to take down the organisation VILE. 

Julia had her reasons for her nightmares. Seeing your mother die in front of your eyes does that to you. 

Her name wasn’t always Argent, she had her mothers name after that day. 

Her father didn’t hang around the country anymore and went back to his family in japan. 

Julia sometimes thought about visiting her father but then remembered something she needed doing.

It was to late though. 

Her father died from heart break many years later and Julia never got to say good bye. 

At the funeral she met her other family and it was okay. 

This was 2 years before she met Chase. 

She stayed in contact with her other family but didn’t really see them a lot.

She didn’t even know how to speak the native tongue. 

She just felt like an outsider amongst her own family.

And so she rarely saw them anymore. 

Chase had pulled away from her now. 

Putting his top clothes back on.

She hadn’t even noticed he’d took them off. 

He was covered in bandages and she couldn’t see the damage but from the report he would have electrical scars for the rest of his life. 

She touched his back and he flinched.

“Ms argent could you please not touch me there.”

She nodded.

“I’m sorry Chase. Are you okay?”

He sighed and pulled his shirt back on. 

His face began to turn red as he took in Julia’s features.

“What?”

He flustered and turned away.

“I’ve never seen you in day light before…”

He could think of one word and it made him so very shivery.

Cute. 

She was cute sexy. 

God that women would be the death of him.

He did up his buttons and found his way back to the main room.

The group all gave him a smile and he found himself smiling back.

He had gone from enemys to friends in a matter of months and now he could barely believe he didn’t see how good Carmen was.

He was going through his own shit. 

Holding grudges and all that stuff. 

But he’s different now. 

He sat down between the group and dusted his hands together.

“How do we take down Vile then?”

Carmen cracked her non cholant grin.

“I thought you’d never ask.”

~~~

Shadowsan was tired of this. 

Waiting. 

Actually waiting for a grown man to pick out flowers. 

Said man was an ex Vile member and was a nervous mess.

“I cannot! I repeat! I cannot go to my partner and not give him flowers!”

He groaned as Grey gave him a nudge.

“That goats always been like that. Oohhhhh Antonio this! Antonio’s that.”

His Aussie accent ran thick and Shadowsan was thankful to have someone actually sane and not love sick on his side.

Zack was trying to help. And failing. 

“Roses are basic!” 

Zack groaned.

“I’m sorryyyy. Just get his favourite flowers or something dude.”

Jean gave the ginger twin a glance, blushing. 

“He likes lavender.”

Zack held his shoulder shaking him.

“There you go!! Excuse me dude. Can we get something with flowers and lavender in.”

The man behind the florist counter just nodded. 

Shadowsan felt deflated.

After all this action packed shit there mission ends with flower. 

Flowers…….

He knew it was romantic and young love and what ever. 

But after you’ve been as single as Shadowsan has been you find it tacky. 

His mind went towards the action packed mission he’d just ventured on as the group began to walk towards Ms Argents apartment. 

That was enough excitement in his life. That was all he was good at and all he needed.

He missed his brother Ofcourse.. he hoped returning his sword and constantly showing ways of forgiveness and honour his brother would accept him back into there family. 

His brother eventually did. 

Only for these past 6 months have they been close again.

Any time Shadowsan could get away from missions hed visit his family and his brother.

He was surprised to find out his brother had 2 children. 

A girl and a boy.

The son had died 4 years ago and Shadowsan felt ashamed he had never met them.

The daughter was called Mai. 

She was as sharp as her father intellectually. 

All pointed edges.

She would have made a fine samurai. 

She enjoyed learning from her uncle, which made Shadowsan happy.

He was 55 now, his brother was 65. 

A 10 year age difference. 

His niece was about 40. Her dead brother was the same age, they had been twins. 

Finding out she had an uncle in the first place that he was alive and had disgraced the family had made her defensive and angry at him for a while. 

But now after about 4 months she seemed to enjoy him a lot more. 

He was thankful to have contact with his family again.

The final thing for him to do was find his grand niece. 

He wasn’t even aware his brother was a grandad until recently. 

It had been his luck to over hear a phone call between his brother and the women. 

Women..

How many years had he waited with Vile? 

To many.. 

The latest mission was in the cold Russian terrain. 

Le chevre was a mountain goat practically so it was the perfect excuse for him to come along. 

They were doing a deal with some rich officials. It was a diamond mine. Another mine thing about had set up. 

Shadowsan had troubles though. 

Like most missions it wasn’t always as straight forward and plan heavy. 

His and Zacks first objective was to recruit Grey and finally tell him the truth.

He’d helped out on a couple missions before which showed his potential as a good guy and Shadowsan was certain of his choice to recruit him now.

Grey seemed shocked at first, angry.

“Carmen was lying to me??? I’m not some tech- I was a criminal!”

He held the man’s shoulder and gave him a solemn look.

“That is not important. We have a task to take down the very operation that trained you. Vile have it out for all of our lives. You are in danger now.”

Grey felt panicked and it was obvious.

“What if I’m a sleeper agent? What if I become an evil dude again??”

Shadowsan gave him a glance.

“You were a fine theif but you weren’t a bad guy. Just a bit of a kleptomaniac and ego problems.”

Grey gave a nod.

“I’m remembering bits and pieces now. Who I was. My fight with Carmen.- Wowzers you were a gor good teacher mate.”

After that Grey was part of the trio. 

He’d assumed his name to Grey still but began to work his magic with electronics once again. 

He really was one of the best operatives Shadowsan noted in his mind. 

He found as they journeys from Australia to Russia just how much he’d missed the Aussie. 

He was charismatic and charming. 

All the flight attendants swooned.

He helped Zack with the lady’s but he seemed more focused on his sandwich. 

Grey didn’t mind that Zack wasn’t taking up his offers, more women for him.

Shadowsan didn’t see the hype either, although he’d been alone for all of his life. Him and Zack began to decide on dinner options and Grey slapped a womens ass and proceeded to join them.

He said, “you like that baby?” 

And the attendant gave him a little grin. 

“What? I like my women.” 

Zack gave a low look.

“I thought you liked Carmen?”

Grey gave a shrug. 

“Carmens pretty but since well remembering who I actually am. She’s like a sister to me. We have to much history mate. I’m Graham crackle Calloway. But everyone calls me grey now. I prefer it anyway.”

Zack gave Shadowsan a long look.

“You did this. Now he’s some womansizer jerk.”

Shadowsan prodded at the crappy airplane food.

“It was not my fault crackle is decidedly different since gaining his memories back. He was a theif for vile for many many years before they threw him out.”

Grey looked hurt at that.

“It’s true Graham. Make no mistake. Vile are evil bastards and your lucky to escape with your life.”

The Australian began to prod at his food aswell. 

He looked horribly conflicted. 

“I spent most of my life an electrician. I began theiving because of a girl I was dating.. now. Look at me. I’m Ofcourse going to help take down Vile but mark my words. I am never being part of VILE again. But is that what I want or what I’ve been rewired to think?”

He spent a lot of time talking like that.

Shadowsan couldn’t blame him. 

It had been about, a week or so since Vile had woke him up. He was a sleeper agent and he’d been snapped back into action.

Only he contacted Carmen instantly. 

And Carmen contacted Shadowsan with the details. 

He defected from Vile and was in danger of his life being stolen. 

Shadowsan was on a mission to meet Le chevre but took a detour to meet up with Grey first. 

The man seemed to be adjusting.. 

kind off. 

He Atleast was on the good side. As a mess up of the experiment. He’s half Grey and half crackle. A mixture really. 

He remembered everything now which was good. 

Le chevre was on a mission and was hoping to defect as soon as he could. 

He explained the new missions Vile had put them all on.

“Finding ACME agents and stealing there lives. Mothers.. fathers. Parents. It didn’t matter. If they worked for ACME they were killed.”

Le Chevre- Jean. Jean Paul paid the man and Grey gave a groan.

The man smiled and didn’t seem to care who the flowers were for. 

“Coulda stole that for you Goatie boy.” 

Jean gave the Aussie a glare.

“Not a chance. Small business like that. That’s just evil dude.” 

~~~

The team, who Chase decided to call the red idiots hadn’t got really anywhere with the plan of action. 

It ended up a title on a scrap of paper and the group began to eat take away pizza and Player and Julia realised they both had skipped university all day.

Oops. 

It was a Friday anyway.. so not the worst timing. 

Julia got a plain margarita for player, Meat feast for Ivy and Chase and a vegitarian for herself and Carmen. Antonio ordered himself a pepperoni knowing Jean would eat it as soon as he got here. 

The other group had entered about 20 minutes later and Jean ran into Antonio giving him a kiss. 

It was hard because he was half eating a pizza slice but all well. 

Antonio looks guilty after a while and Carmen guessed it was to do with everything that went down in Belgium. 

Grey and Carmen smiled at each other and she gave him a hug. 

“It’s good to see you.”

He smiled.

“Good to be here. On the hood side.”

Carmen gave a low look.

He guessed she’d want to talk later. 

About his whole… getting his memories back. 

Shadowsan and Chase glared.

“Your the bloke!”, his French accent was thick and without realising he’d grabbed Julia’s hand. 

“I’m sorry I could not interfere. Believe me. I am on the red side.” 

He settled down on the floor and the apartments was practically bursting at the seems with how many guests had turned up. 

“You tortured me.”

“I did not. I helped you and Carmen escape with your lives. Your lucky I was there and you didn’t have the wrath of coach brunt.”

Chase seethed at the seems but decided to let it go.

He had enough anger and stress. 

The dude was a good guy now and, that happened almost 2 years ago now. 

Player and Ivy and Zack chatted and he noticed the two siblings were happy to see each other. 

Player gave Grey a glance. 

He was back glued to Carmens side. 

He knew it was silly to feel jealous. 

His anxiety still crept in and he decided to ignore it. 

Jean and Chase discussed France and the two expressed a deep love for there country. 

Antonio and Julia began discussing recipes and what it was like being in VILE and being a lecturer at university. 

Antonio mentioned how only the higher ups of VILE faculty knew about the location of the new base. 

Somewhere in Europe. Anywhere really. 

It was dark, and always cold it seemed. So Atleast that cut it down a bit. 

Julia was fascinated with his gear, his mole claws and his feet had actually adapted to digging. 

“I didn’t used to wear shoes when I was younger. Prefered the ground straight on my feet.”

Julia poked his huge feet.

“Oh wow. That’s so cool.”

She had heard history storys about it but seeing it in person made it fascinating.

She glanced around for Chase but he seemed to be out on her balcony smoking with Shadowsan. 

She thought he gave up a long time ago.

But…

He wasn’t hers to worry about. 

As much as she wanted it. Chase was his own person and so was she. 

~~~ 

Chase was dreaming. 

He must be..

Julia’s kissing him. Holding him close. Asking him about ACME missions and laughing- 

Only… 

Julia wasn’t in his bed.

She wasn’t anywhere near him.

He grasped at the shreds of the dream or hallucinations he didn’t really know anymore coughing. 

He cried sloppily. 

He couldn’t even move anymore. 

His limbs felt like jelly and his body tingled extremely badly from the electric. 

He noticed the pee stains on his clothes, probaly from himself. 

It was pathetic. 

He felt pathetic. 

He couldn’t think straight and everything was groggy and slow for a couple seconds and then dark and then back again. 

He remembered the mole man cleaning him up and feeding him. 

He remembered the shocks.

Oh god the shocks. 

The poison made up his veins and it hurt. 

His face felt swollen.

Maybe that’s why it was hard to breath. 

His lungs pathetically took in air and he wondered just how long it would he until he broke forever. 

It was… 

He couldn’t even tell time anymore..

The next day? A month?

He coughed up blood and guessed that was not a good sign. 

The mole man gave him a drink of water and a wash over with a cold flannel.

It felt so far away from his nerves anyway.

Cold water was nothing compared to the shocks… 

The coffee stained one had washed in this time. 

She had blood, his blood, on her knuckles.

“It’s kinda pathetic. How you care for him. We’ve gotten pretty much anything. ACME missions. ACME Agent names. He was tough though. Took us a whole day before his French tongue spat it out. I don’t enjoy this but he is an enemy of VILE and I don’t really want to be turned into a sleeper like crackle.” 

El topo gave Tigress a glare.

“I woke for Vile as a theif, not a killer.”

“Same thing right? We just stole his soul today.”

“There is no we. I have no part in his torture. And if I tried to stop it I’d probaly be killed by you or that lady Dokuso.”

Tigress gave a shrug, “True.. oh by the way.”

She held out an injection.

“Have you tried Lady Dokusos rainbow trip?”

“What?”

Tigress sniffed. 

“I’ve been taking it when I tortured him. Makes it less… less intense.”

“Drugs?”

His mind trickled.

“A little dose of endorphine and snake saliva… How the hell do you think she’s so scary all the time? How do you think anyone on Vile gets by with what they do?”

His hands shook.

“Drugs?”

Tigress brought it close to his mouth and dropped a little tiny bit onto his tongue.

She held his shoulder and smiled.

“It’ll feel good.. You’ll forget all about this stuff... I just want to help..” 

He shivered as he tasted it.

Savouring the liquid on his tongue. 

Soft sugar. 

It was an addicting game.

He was parched and his body was begging for more. 

Maelstrom got all of the operatives to take drugs and to build up intolerances to different substances. 

Maelstrom was a god at this. 

He was immune to practically every poison. 

No wonder he was so white. 

Antonio gripped the needle. 

He stared down at the bloody sobbing man and felt guilt…

So much guilt.. 

He sighed. 

That would make it worse..

Tigress just wants him to be a druggie. Like her. 

He shook his head.

“You bring that thing near me again and I’ll kill you.”

He snatched it off her and smashed it on the floor. 

Tigress began to attack him.

Actually attack him. 

A rabid bitch in heat was the only way to describe it.

Lady Dokuso just watched and laughed. 

As Tigress became more and more insane she injected her.

“Shhh little one…. you’ll get your fix soon.”

The girl began to deflate and the Japanese women glared at Antonio.

“I don’t care about your squabbles but do not smash my drugs again. Tigress is my test subject. I didn’t mean to get her addicted but.. all well.”

Antonio felt sick at the rainbow colours filling her paper white skin. 

“Isn’t it amazing? A natural high with an unnatural substance.”

He began to puke feeling his mother almost pulling it out of him.

He’d tasted drugs..

He’d tried drugs…

He-

He glared up at the older women in rage. 

And before he knew it the broken needle was stabbed into her neck. 

He grabbed everything from her belt and stabbed her with it.

Everything.

She fought back, foaming at the mouth. Cursing at him.

She’d been trained to be immune to poisons sure. But not all of them at once. 

He sobbed and sobbed at what he had done. 

Just in time for a red lady to come into the building. 

She gasped at the state of everything. 

Talking to her ear bud to a women called Ivy.

“Antonio.. what happened? I got your message about chase but..”

He gasped gutteral splutters.

“I killed her.. I killed her.”

Carmen could see that. 

Lady dokusos face was beginning to turn all different colours. 

She turned away from the mess to the other mess on the floor.

“Is chase…?”

“I’m alive.”, he coughed, “You. Come help me please..”

The three staggered out.

Tigress on Carmens shoulders and Chase on Anonios arms. 

“She’s not my idea of a friend but she doesn’t deserve to come back and see that.. Ivy? Can you pick us up please.”

Antonio glanced at tigress.

Her face was pale and her eyes lolled. 

She was an ally and she needed help.

“Black sheep. Can I take tigress to a hospital. Lady Dokuso, she injected her with a full vial of those drugs..”

Carmen gave him a look.

“We’re taking both of these to a hospital ASAP. We’re in the middle of Belgium. Free health care Atleast.”

The van pulled up in a couple seconds and the group hopped into the back.

Carmen held into chases pulse and talked to him to try to keep him awake.

Tigress was long gone and Antonio could feel her heart pace slowly dropping. 

The ride to the hospital didn’t take that long. Luckily for the group. 

Carmen and Antonio took the 2 in and Carmen showed off Chases ACME ID. 

He was raced off into a hospital room along with tigress. 

The three settled into the waiting room. 

A kind doctor explained the procedures. 

Pumping the stomach. 

Putting new blood in and water. 

It would take a couple days for the poisons to get out off Chases body. 

And Tigress was put into another ward specifically for recovering addicts. 

She was rabid apparently.

Incoherent. 

Antonio displayed concern and said he was her brother. 

He practically was at this point. 

Carmen and Ivy slept in the van and Antonio slept on a chair in tigress room.

He hadn’t cared for her a lot in his time in Vile. 

But she was a friend and she didn’t deserve to be a druggie for lady Dokusos evil ways. 

Her skin really was paper white and she was draped in sweat. 

He held her hand and stifled a sob. 

Sometimes he hated this women but no one deserved this. 

Tigress did have a soft side to her.

She always supported his and Jeans relationship and stood up for them. 

She came off as this vicious women but she wasn’t. Not at all like Lady Dokuso. 

 Her body would be discovered by the cleaners shortly after they left. 

He had no doubt VILE thought he and Tigress were in hiding and Carmen killed lady Dokuso. 

Tigress was in such bad shape they didn’t ask for a name until she was stable and when they did Antonio just spat out, Shelly Diego.

The pressure to make sure VILE did not return and clean up him and Tigress made him on edge.

He had to stay and look after her. Atleast until she could get taken to a rehab facility and be safe. 

A week had passed now.

It had been practically 3 weeks since he set out on the mission. 

A week to find Chase. 

A couple days of… yeah. 

And now he’d been waiting for Tigress to recover. 

Fortunately both Tigress and Chase had become stable.

Antonio drank some luke warm coffee and chatted to Tigress. 

She went by the name Shelly now since his blurt and he figured the spin on her real name worked. 

She was jittery for a new fix but she was also calm. 

“Antonio.. You didn’t have to save me.”

He hated how hurt she sounded.

“Shells. It’s okay. You would have done the same for me or my love Jean.”

She sighed and tears fell.

“I couldn’t help it after a while.. I was just experimenting and… She encouraged it.”

Her arms were in locks at the side of the bed because she’d began scratching at the holes in her skin. 

He held her hand.

“You’ll be okay. There are people who can help you. I’ll be there to help you go in. And when you come out.”

She sobbed.

“I tried to get you to take drugs… I was high… I never- I…”

He squeezed her hand and smiled.

“I didn’t do it. Don’t worry.”

“I attacked you.”

Her icy blue eyes shook. 

“That was the drugs. Not you.”

Tigress curled into herself.

“I was one of the best agents. Now look at me.. God Carmen can truly laugh at me now..”

Chase was ready to go now and he thanked Antonio for helping him.

Antonio was reading a book out loud to a depressed Tigress at the time. 

“Really… You saved my life Mole man.”

Carmen explained she and Ivy would play bodyguard with Chase at his home to make sure he stayed safe from VILE.

“Antonio.. stay safe. VILE will want answers for why one of there high ranking officers is well, dead.” 

It had occurred to Antonio that unlike Mealstrom Lady Dokuso was not immune to her own drugs. 

Some maybe. 

But not all. 

He’d just blindly stabbed them in as she frothed at the mouth attacking him. 

He wanted her to stop..

He didn’t mean to kill her..

He just wanted her to stop.

He knew he’d gotten away with murder. 

lady Dokuso didn’t exist to the world. Only VILE. 

Antonio didn’t even know if she had family. If she did he’d feel even worse. 

He trembled at the memorys of her skin turning colourful. 

Not like Tigress but a much worse sickly colour. 

It was disgusting. 

Her skin had become blotchy aswell. 

Like bumps and oily. 

He’d try to forget it.

Maybe this is something a soldier doesn’t forget ever.

He knew he’d have to tell Jean…

They had promised each other to never kill…

He had broken that promise. 

Taking Tigress to European rehab proved relatively difficult. 

She was put it under the name Shelly Ground. 

She was extremely paranoid of Vile finding her. 

Antonio couldn’t blame her. 

If the roles were reversed he’d have been to. 

He gave Tigress a long hug and held her hands tight. 

“Stay safe alright. All we got in this world is each other and Jean. If you ever feel in danger call me alright. I’m staying with Carmen in France but I will be over in a flash alright?”

This women was a pain in his ass. 

But she was family. 

She held his hand and nodded.

“I will.. Once I get out of here in a month or two I’ll be ready to join the good fight.”

He gave a nod. 

He could tell she was being serious.

Turning her into a druggie experiment was the last straw she had against VILE. 

~~~

It was starting to darken in Julia’s apartment.

She switched a light on and began to make up beds for everyone. 

It was a squeeze but, she didn’t think people were complaining. 

Player and Carmen went back to his place and Zack and Ivy slept tops to tale on the spare bed. 

Grey sleeping in the bath tub. 

Shadowsan and Jean and Antonio all made a fort in the living room. 

Shadowsan couldn’t sleep anyway. 

He felt on edge with all of what had happened. 

Antonio and Jean couldn’t sleep either and the group chatted quietly into the night. 

Antonio looked different than before and as he explained his story to Jean. 

Shadowsan did feel relieved his rival was gone but he wasn’t going to say that out loud. 

He could tell the man was wracked with guilt. 

Jean held him close.

“She would have killed you first.. drugged you senseless… You did what you thought was right to protect all 3 of your lives.”

Antonio rested against his partners chest.

“Tigress is in a rehab facility in Belgium. She’d been there a week now. She’s called me regularly demanding to leave. But, she can’t. Vile scares her more than her need to take drugs..”

Jean felt sick.

“You knew her better than I did but.. no one deserves that.” 

In the bath tub Grey could not for the life of him sleep.

He was in a bath tub so that probaly explains why. 

He thought screw it. 

After an hour of tossing and turning he left to vacate to the kitchen.

Everyone was sound asleep.

Shadowsan was half asleep but more like in deep mediation.

He threw a glance at the noise and visibly softened because it was grey. 

He made himself some warm milk. 

Well tried to.

He couldn’t really figure out, well, how to make himself hot milk in this new kitchen. 

He banged the draws and stopped annoyed at himself for almost waking everyone up.

Antonio threw a swear at him and rolled over.

Grey cursed aswell sighing.

What had he gotten himself into?

He was an electrician! 

Well…. Yes but not really.

He was an electrician agent who used to work for Vile before they threw him out. 

He found himself staring down at his reflection knuckles tense on the kitchen side. 

He didn’t notice the figure standing next to him grinning.

“You better not be wanking out here.”

He jumped out of his skin and glanced up at the ginger hunk next to him.

He stared at her muscles and green eyes. 

“You scared me.”

She picked up his jug of cold milk shrugging.

“You should have better reflexes for an agent.”

He stifled a laugh. 

“Not really. I’m a bit rusty I’ve been out of commission for like almost 2 years.” 

The ginger nut gave the milk a quick warm in the microwave. 

A sly knowing smile. 

“Can’t sleep either? Zack farts so…”

She filled up two mugs and Grey took it off her.

“Nah. Got used to my assie life until 2 weeks ago when I got triggered and got all my memories back.”

His hands clenched the mug and he assumed a cold tone. 

“It must’ve hurt Knowing your life was a lie because of Viles meddling…”

He drank the warm frothy milk staring cooly at her.

She was kind and smily. 

Her green eyes made him relax. 

She gulped milk down.

“I didn’t mean that in a mean way.. I’m just saying… I dunno… Your not as bad as I imagined you to be. Your kinda cool.” 

He smiled at that, watching her look at him then stare down at her cup.

She was a tough one. 

She’d be fun to hang with though. 

Everything about her screamed not intrested piss off. 

But she had a kind smile. 

She had a thick Boston accent though and she was.. Hunkier than most. 

He finished the milk and gave her a stare. 

Glancing her up and down.

The light blue pyjamas with a cute bow ontop. 

It felt different to her normal everyday clothes. 

“Thank you for the milk alright.”

He handed her the cup back grinning.

She looked at him and he could see something tugging at her. 

A smile. 

A blush. 

Maybe? 

She gave him a smirk.

It was tom boyish, robust sneaky smirk. 

He wondered what she’d look like blushing.. hmm.. 

“Your tricks won’t work on me Aussie.”

He rested a hand on her chin, edging her mouth close to his.

“They will. Eventually.”

Her everything enticed him in.

He didn’t even know why.

She was the opposite of what he normally went for.

Skinny obedient women. 

Maybe that’s why he felt so enticed to have a good laugh with her. 

She defiantly ground her jaw swiping his hand away.

“Your such a player.”

Her green eyes stared into his and she had a mischievous twinkle in her eye. 

He shrugged. 

He left without saying another word but saw her hold her face and blush angrily. 

She placed the cups down and walked up to him. 

He blinked as she backed him into the bathroom door.

“You don’t play me. I can’t deal with another boy playing with me.”

He gulped.

He was not used to this at all.

He gave a smirk like he wasnt shitting himself.

He’d heard stories from Zack about all of Ivys missions. 

How strong she is. 

He felt himself growing slowly less confident as she swamped his senses. 

“What if I do? What will you do huh?”

He liked the game.

Flirting felt like electric. 

This was…

Enticing.

She gave him a glare.

Eyes glancing him up and down. 

Her eyes lingered on his lips and he wondered if they’d kiss and then hook up. 

“Don’t test me.”

She left him and stormed back to bed. 

He didn’t notice the blush on her face at all in the darkness. 

She was glad. 

He held a hand to his chest noticing his heart was thumping away.

He went back into his bath bed and felt a bit flustered.

He thought Ivy was the nice one. 

Why had she acted that way?

Maybe he genuinely had pissed her off.

He shrugged.

All well. 

He’d started something that night. 

And he couldn’t wait to see where it went. 

~~

Julia and chase could not sleep at all. 

How could he? 

With Julia next to him. 

He wanted to say so many things. 

He wanted her to crawl into his arms. 

But she remained on her back staring at the ceiling. 

Her bob hair fell onto her chin now and so did her fringe. 

She felt nervous to be so close to chase. 

Especially after having no one in her bed in so long.

It felt like… special.. 

She turned to her side after a few minutes staring up at him.

Chase was half asleep but smiled back.

“Chase..”

Her face looked small and nervous in the darkness.

Her freckles sparkled like glitter as the moon fell through the curtains.

He held his good arm out and she snuggled into it. 

She’d missed this. 

She’d gotten used to it in there ACME days. 

She could tell he could to. 

She could hear his heart beat. Strong. 

He smelt amazing. Always something earthy and that cologne he wears. 

She let her mind wonder to the kiss..

That kiss.. so long ago now. 

They had kissed and it lasted for ages. 

It had been after a bad dream. 

It was… amazing.

But chase obviously regretted it because he distanced himself after that. 

Julia was already having doubts about ACME before that but that really solidified leaving for her.

Now she feels like they have picked up where they left off. 

Her hand crept up to feel his beard. 

His hand crept up to feel her Bob.

“I like it.”

They said this at the same time which made them both laugh quietly.

“It suits you. You look dashing.”, she smiled. 

She heard his heart stutter at that and he gave a nod. 

“Your making me embarrassed ms Argent.”

She prodded his cast playfully. 

“You’ll be okay. I’m always embarrassing! That’s why we get on so well!”

He chuckled and gave her a smirk.

She glanced over at the curtains and began to close them. 

“Can you leave the light on. If your.. closing the curtains.”

Julia gave a nod, and decided to leave the curtains open a tad to let some light in. 

She got back into bed and he wrapped his hood arm around her waist. 

He fiddled with her pyjama top before putting one finger on her bare skin. 

He felt her visibly shiver at the touch. Her breath stuttering on his neck. 

He’d forgotten just how much he liked cuddling this women. 

Not really though. 

He never could. 

It was the best high he could think of.

It felt safe and…

For the life of him he knew Anna would let him experience love again. 

Maybe Anna even orchestrated this all. 

Protected him from her grave. 

Maybe. 

He sighed into the top of Julia’s head.

“I have not been honest with you Jules..”

She glanced up and he pressed his forehead on the top of her head.

“I… I still love and miss Anna.”

Julia stiffened at this.

“I’m sorry I’m bringing her up. I haven’t really felt love like this since her.. haven’t let myself.. but… some how you ms Argent.. You have let me love myself again.. thank you..”

He gulped down tears as his hand found hers. 

“Im sorry I forced myself onto you.”

Julia blinked. 

She held his beard and began to giggle.

“Chase. I wanted to kiss you. I thought you were ashamed to kiss me and thought it was a mistake.”

He blinked away the tears that had formed and cocked his head to the side. 

“But you left ACME because of it.”

“No! No… I left ACME because I wanted to try a new path… but.. I miss it. As soon as Peter came along I felt it once again. The passion. The chase as you called it. He intrigued me. Much like facts do. I’m always destined to be an Agent.. it’s just who I am.” 

Chase felt so happy at this revelation.

He let Julia snuggle into him. 

He wanted to tell her so many things. 

He wanted to woo her with wine and dine. 

He wanted to take her on dates and so many new things. 

He just wanted her to himself. 

That would also make him happy. 

Julia gave a smile which he felt and his free hand held all of her waist now. 

She began to slowly fall asleep and chase was left wondering what exactly would happen tomorrow. 

~~~

To say coach brunt was mad was an understatement. 

She was fuming, practically foaming at the mouth. 

Throwing anything she could find around in rage. 

She scream curses at the broken objects almost in tears, almost. 

Dr bellum and Countess cleo opened up a bottle of champagne from Roundabout. 

They all drank a glass watching Maelstrom practically sob at the twisted remains of an over dosed Lady Dokuso. 

Her body had spasmed all over and she’d puked and shat all over herself. 

It was a disgusting sight to see. 

Maelstrom held her close seething. 

“Carmen killed her! Murdering little demon.” 

That was coach Brunt. 

Maelstrom began examining her body to try and figure out what had happened.

The trackers in Antonio and tigress were not working as planned. 

Dr bellums latest invention was micro trackers, ones that slipped into the blood stream in seperate parts. 

But all that VILE had tracked was the group went to a hospital in Belgium and then the trackers went bye byes. 

Tigress was in a rehab centre. 

Her cover names was used twice. One at the hospital and one at the rehab. 

Maelstrom seethed at her still.

Bellum seemed ruffled.

“She’ll recover and be back on our side. We have no way of knowing Lady Dakuso was her dealer unless we ask her, or that Tigress was any part of the murder. 

Now Antonio is another question he went into the hospital then never came out. Where did he go? Is he in hiding? Or has he and his partner gone to the red side. Mime bomb and Neal say it was an attack and Le chevre was taken captive. 

Well, we haven’t heart anything from these so called kidnappers and also no one knows VILE exist apart from ACME so why go through the trouble of stealing one of the workers.” 

“Maybe he looked rich.”, Round about shrugged sipping still, “or maybe the kidnappers worked for ACME.” 

Cleo sighed into her glass.

Glaring at the man. 

“Everything’s about ACME for you isn’t it roundabout? How did your plan work out? A fine operative dead, another drugged and another missing and probaly dead.”

The group were not impressed with his scemes. They worked sure but at the cost of lives. 

Roundabout didn’t care if agents died. 

Agents cleo had trained up. 

Agents that didn’t deserve such quick deaths. 

“If Antonio and Le chevre are dead. That’s more blood in your hands.”

She set her empty glass down and left.

The room had grown silent.

Even Coach brunt was staring angrily at the British bloke.

“You better sort this mess out or I’ll personally break your neck.”

Roundabout gulped and seethed into his glass.

“Oh I’ll sort this out… I’ll sort this right out you ungrateful lot.”