Chapter Text
Crackle’s footsteps echoed quietly across the floor of the great hall, never silent enough. He never had mastered the skill of soft paws. Unlike Black Sheep, who could sneak up on him and startle him thoroughly, and had often done so in their school days.
Crackle shook his head lightly, scoffing. Even now, a year after her defection, Gray couldn’t stop thoughts of her from drifting into his mind. Resentment bubbled up in his gut and he swallowed it down. Time and place, as he often told himself when his line of thoughts wrapped itself around Carmen and his complicated feeling towards her.
Crackle pressed his gloved fingers to the cool metal of his crackle rod, grounding himself. The mission. The Hope Diamond. That was what he needed to focus on.
He brought a finger to his ear, “Le Chevre, in position?”
The response came quick and sharp, with its classic French air. “Oui, mon ami. The goat is on the mountain.”
Gray blew out a quiet breath, letting the familiarity of the situation wash over him and clear his mind of traitorous thoughts.
“Tigress in position, if anyone was wondering.” Tigress drawled out in unabashed irritation to her being left out. Tigress usually managed to keep her trap shut when it mattered, lest her ego be bruised. Unfortunately, it was becoming increasingly easy to poke the bear and get a claw swipe lately.
Gray knew Carmen Sandiego had been the cause of his teammate’s short fuse, as well as everyone elses’. A year of chasing her to the ends of the earth and of her foiling too many of V.I.L.E’s capers was starting to cause some serious damage to the thieving organization. Though their coffers were far from empty, Sandiego only continued to be a crimson red thorn in their side.
There had been an attempt half a year prior, on a train to Paris. To stop the elusive crimson ghost, or better, to have her by their side. By his side. But it seemed that La Femme Rouge had other plans. Plans that didn’t involve Gray.
Crackled tsked, pushing the painful memory to the side. He kneeled in front of the electric vault and pulled out a pin. Once the lock clicked, he swung the door open and smirked. This job was a classic. When were museums going to update their security systems correctly? Always start from the source.
“Lights out, baby.” Crackle whispered to no one in particular. Smugness rolled off the electrician in waves as he pulled a few cables out and the power in the Smithsonian National Museum responded accordingly. But it felt all wrong.
He tapped the com in his ear, “Power disabled, knock yourselves out you two.” Crackle announced, forcing mirth into his voice.
“Sit tight, Crackle. Let the big guys do the hard work.” Tigress teased.
Gray willed himself to partake in the banter Tigress was dangling in front of him like a carrot. But the momentum wasn’t there as it would’ve been a year ago. And so, he forced a chuckle and let it die there.
Gray blew out a long breath and let himself slide to the polished floor of the dark halls of the museum. He let himself recall Black Sheep’s voice, her shining eyes as she excitedly told him of her desire to visit this museum, this city. This world.
Well, she was doing a good job of that now, wasn’t she? Except that it was without him. The lamb had grown into a cunning red fox, shedding the innocence of her sheltered youth and Grey along with it. Wasn’t it her who’d shared her want to see the world with him?
Grey barely resisted shoving his hand in his hair and pulling hard. What kind of lovesick fool had he become? Aching for the scarlet woman who had long carved a seat in his heart, even during the time he knew not the extent of his feelings. Even when she had been but a girl, and he had been but a greedy boy, reaching for the control that had always managed to slip from his fingers as a child.
No parents, no siblings, nothing for so long. But her.
Oh, her.
What a breath of fresh air she’d been. Just eighteen and full of the kind of energy you could only have when you were blissfully unaware of how awful the world could be.
She’d lit a spark in Gray’s heart, and he had taken on fire.
It was innocent at the start. Almost brotherly. Sheena would pick on her, he would defend. They’d leave Professor Shadowsan’s class, Black sheep would be dejected from something or other that Shadowsan had said to her, and Gray would soothe.
She’d jump at every sound of thunder at night during storms, and Gray would distract.
Eventually, Black sheep would find Gray sitting on the beach at sunset, she’d see the anguish on his face and would sit down next to him, not uttering a word.
And maybe a few months later, he didn’t know, time was hard to track on the island, they’d find solace in each other, sitting and talking about the most mundane things. About their dreams, about their pasts.
And maybe, one evening, under the moonlight, Gray would pause and stare. Stare at her unabashed blue eyes, and her auburn hair, at the light blush adorning her smooth olive cheeks. And maybe, Gray would run a nervous hand through his hair, because he wondered when his brotherly fondness gave way to whatever this was now. Because he was afraid to give it a name.
Crackle heard his name through the earpiece and winced, “Come on Biscuit, we’ve got the goods, let’s go!”
Crackle sighed, hoisted himself up with a pipe sticking out of the wall, and blinked.
Was that a flash a red?
A self-deprecating laugh came out in a short burst as he shook his head and turned to the panel door, reaching over to reconnect the cables he’d pulled out.
“Hello, Gray.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gray’s head whirled around to follow the sound of her voice. There his eyes found her, bathed in moonlight, scarlet and beautiful as she had always been.
Her eyes were unreadable, their stormy blue held a depth he yearned to dive into, but at the same time, he only wished he could pull his gaze from hers, it burned him.
She looked the same as she did on that night on the train, though this time she donned her iconic getup. The crimson coat and hat. To him, it was all the same. Coat, jacket, long, silky hair let loose, or in a messy bun. It hardly mattered. Her face was what mattered. Her eyes. Eyes that knew too much.
“Carmen.” He acknowledged, swallowing and hoping the cover of the night hid the nervous motion.
It didn’t, he knew, as her eyes followed the movement of his throat. Gray felt a blush creep up his from his neck to his cheek and mortification took over. He ripped his eyes from hers and turned to the panel he was supposed to fix up.
“Turning your back on an enemy? Smart, Gray.” Her voice washed over him like a rain on a hot summer day, and Gray hated himself just a little more. He forced his fingers to move and plugged the cables back in. The hum of electricity coming to life buzzed around them for a few seconds, enough to let Gray gather his thoughts.
He swallowed again, forcing harshness into his tone. “It’s Crackle.” The loud clang of the panel door as he slammed it shut seemed almost like the finalization of Gray as he knew it.
When Crackle finally turned back to Carmen, his chest constricted in on itself. The painful longing shining in her eyes stole his breath.
They stood there for what seemed to be forever, holding each other’s gaze and dragging it down their bodies.
Gray held his breath, feeling the weight of her gaze on him. His lips parted— “Hellooo, Crackle! Where are you? Let’s go!” Tigress hissed in his ear.
The spell broke and Gray shifted, he touched the earpiece and Carmen followed the movement, “On my way.”
Something in Carmen’s gaze hardened and Gray’s heart sank. She widened her stance, “You know I can’t let you leave.”
Gray nodded gravely. “I know.”
Carmen lifted her fists, and Gray’s frown deepened. Abruptly, he ran towards the side of the hall, almost passing Carmen, but she grabbed him by the back of his stealth suit and pulled him back.
“What’s your plan here, Gray?” Carmen smirked, her bold red lips lifting with the motion, and for a second, Gray could do nothing but stare at them.
He shook himself out of his stupor and reached behind him, grabbing his crackle rod. Carmen’s eyes narrowed and she pushed him away with force.
Gray grinned with the victory of his trick and ran in the opposite direction, not checking to see if she was at his heels.
He heard the clacking of her heeled boots before he saw her glinting grapple attaching itself to the door he was reaching for.
Gray cursed and whipped around, his eyes searching for any other entrance as Carmen closed in on him. He found none. Sucking in a breath, he braced for impact and shifted into a sparring position. Carmen dropped down and slid in between his legs, grabbing one with her as she skidded to a stop. Gray made an undignified noise as he went down. He attempted a roll and only succeeded halfway through when he was met with Carmen’s form.
His hands automatically pulled her into his arms as his roll ensued. They finally hit a wall and bounced off slightly. Enough for Gray to end up on top of Carmen as she looked up at him in silence, processing the situation. A blush quickly formed on her cheeks and Gray finally registered their compromising position.
Yet neither of them made an effort to move.
Her hot breath fanned lightly over his lips and Gray unconsciously licked his top lip. Carmen’s gaze moved to his lips and Gray swallowed roughly.
“Crackle! Shadowsan’s is here! We must go!” Le Chevre shouted in his ear, but Gray hardly heard him. Gazing down at Carmen in his arms, feeling her warmth seep through layers of clothing, her firm muscles beneath his gloves.
Carmen though, did, and quirked a brow at Gray, a smirk playing on her scarlet lips. A low groan ground itself out of his throat and his hold reflexively tightened on her.
Carmen’s smirk died on her lips and an endearing frown fell upon her features, quirking her eyebrows together.
“Red! Shadowsan’s intercepted two V.I.L.E operatives. Looks like they’re the ones with the necklace.” A boy that couldn’t have been older than a teenager, Player, Gray assumed, spoke through Carmen’s earring. Clever, he thought, as Carmen’s eyes set in that particular way they did when she became determined to do something.
Gray breathed an internal sigh of irritation. Knowing it was time to end the moment.
“Well, Black Sheep, looks like it’s time for me to go.” He stated with confidence he didn’t feel. Carmen scowled at the name and huffed, folding her legs and bringing them to her torso. Gray cocked his head in question and got a response in the shape of her heels branded in his chest as she pushed him off her with unexpected force.
Gray stumbled to the floor and recoverd by flipping into a crouch, just in time to watch Carmen whip open the hall door and run out.
Crackle cursed, feeling the throb of her strike on his ribs. He tapped on his earpiece, ignoring the pain for now. “Tigress, Le Cherve! Status report!”
Crackle heard Tigress’s aggravated sigh and let out a quiet breath. “Wannabe ninja took the necklace.” She growled.
Crackle said nothing more for several seconds, rubbing his face harshly with his hand. He sighed again, “Meet back at the hotel at twenty-two hundred hours.” He finally said.
“Copy that.” Tigress answered disdainfully.
After running through the layout of the museum in his mind and passing through multiple halls, Crackle exited the museum through the designated escape plan they’d decided on the night before.
The cool air of Washington caressed his cheeks as he walked towards the dark alley in which he stashed his civilian clothing.
Gray ran a hand through his hair, agitated as he headed towards the hotel V.I.L.E had booked for the three of them. The walk was ten minutes, but it felt like an eternity as the throbbing of his ribs only worsened. Worst of all, Gray couldn’t stop his eyes from searching the periphery of the streets for glimpses of red.
His chest shrunk with disappointment with every second the colour didn’t appear.
Eventually, the hotel came into view. But Gray didn’t reach it, instead he leaned against the brick wall of some building. His breath came in shallow pants, the pain causing too much discomfort to continue.
He tilted his head back, letting it hit the wall. His eyes followed suit, and soon he was looking at the night sky. If Gray squinted, the stars illuminating the black curtain over his head could come into view. Light pollution and all.
And suddenly, Gray was hit with a crashing wave of longing. For her, for a normal life, for a normal childhood. His throat constricted and his eyes burned. But he shook his head. Glancing down at his watch that read nine and forty-five minutes pm, he inhaled deeply and steeled his nerves.
By ten, oh-one, Gray stood in the middle of Le Chevre’s hotel room, staring at the V.I.L.E faculty through Tigress’s screen. He stood behind the couch, arms crossed to cover his laboured breathing, where she and Le Chevre sat, dejected and tense as the faculty scrutinized them.
The pair on the couch recalled their fight with their former instructor now turned traitor begrudgingly and once they finished, the faculty’s gaze fell on Crackle.
“Did you encounter our dear lady in red tonight, Crackle? Or was there only one traitor in the museum tonight?” Professor Maelstrom enquired, his smooth English accent ringing unhappily.
Crackle’s face remained impassive, if not a little arrogant, as war raged in his mind. He responded clearly, “No, professor. Carmen Sandiego wasn’t in attendance tonight.”
He watched as the faculty exchanged forlorn looks before turning back to them. “Very well, sleep this disastrous evening off and wait for further instructions in the morning. Check out by eight AM tomorrow.”
“Yes, Professor.” They said in unison before the screen went black.
As soon as the call ended, Tigress let out a loud, angry groan. “That goddamn traitor! How may times is he gonna mess up our plans before we catch him?!”
Gray leaned on the side of the couch, hoping to ease the pain. Letting out a chuckle he said, “You’re acting as if we’ll ever catch the old bastard. He’s good, way too good to get caught by the likes of us.”
Tigress chucked off her mask and turned angrily to face Gray, “So you’re saying what? That we’re not good? Should I remind you that we’re the best of the best?”
“Not anymore, we aren’t.” Le Chevre chimed in, dejected. “Black Sheep has bested us all for a year. We must face it, she’s better. And now with Instructor Shadowsan by her side, what chance do we have at catching either of them?”
Sheena whipped at Jean-Paul, “Are you kidding me?! Of course we have no chance of catching them if we don’t believe we can! Black Sheep is just some girl! She didn’t even graduate!”
Gray scowled, “You know damn well that Shadowsan failed her on purpose, Sheena.”
She turned to him, a vicious smirk forming on her painted lips, “Do I? Or is this just more proof that we’re better than her?” Her face twisted into a poor mask of sympathy, “Poor little lamb, top of our class fallen to her own ego.”
A burst of protective anger filled Gray, and he jumped from his perch on the couch, “You—” he started at the same time as his ribs sharply protested the sudden movement. A pained noise escaped him as he inhaled barely a wisp of air.
Sheena’s taunting expression shifted to one of confusion and concern and she lifted herself from the couch. “Graham?”
Gray shook his head, lifting a palm in protest of her approach and she bristled. “I’m fine, just knocked into a sharp corner at the museum.”
Sheena’s lips twisted into a displeased frown. The kind of frown when you know something isn’t quite right, but you can’t pin-point just what it is. “Sounds like you pierced something.” She stated just a little too coldly.
Gray nodded absently, “Maybe, I’ll have the cleaners check it out tomorrow at pickup.”
“Are you sure, mon ami? It sounds painful, maybe we can go to a hospital under a fake name.” Jean-Paul suggested, concern evident in his voice. Sheena made a disapproving face but didn’t protest the idea. Did he really make such a concerning noise?
Gray shook his head, “Too risky. I’ll just sleep it off and hope for the best.” Jean-Paul’s gaze moved to his chest and Gray realized he was unconsciously rubbing it. He dropped his hand and moved it to join his other in the pockets of his jean jacket.
“If you think so…” Jean-Paul trailed off. Sheena still watched Gray with her annoyingly perceptive eyes. She narrowed them at him for a second, then blinked, and they were back to their usual arrogant blue.
“Well, I need my beauty sleep. So, I’m off for tonight.” She snatched her mask from where it had fallen when she’d thrown it off. Turning to Jean-Paul, Sheena smirked, “Enjoy your nightly call with Antonio, Jean-Paul. Don’t be too loud, the walls here are thin.” She ended the sentence with a wink and left the French man blushing and blubbering as she slipped out the door with the liquid grace of a cat.
Gray watched the scene with an amused twinkle in his eyes and a sense of relief with the change in conversation, then turned to Jean-Paul, “I’ll head out too, mate, see you in the morning.”
The latter nodded absently, still petrified from Sheena’s witty comment.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gray threw the bag containing his crackle rod and stealth suit onto the couch of his dark room. He stepped fully into the room as he removed his jacket, throwing that onto the couch as well. He regretted the action immediately when his ribs screamed at him. Pausing for a second, Gray caught his breath.
His feet shuffled on the carpeted floor as he approached the bed and this time, more carefully removed his shirt. A pitiful groan escaped him when he realized he still had to remove his shoes.
Gray blinked, frustrated. The adrenaline from the caper should’ve worn off by now, and yet he still felt hopped up on tittering drugs. He blew out a breath and leaned down to sit on the bed when red caught his eye.
Carmen’s coat and hat hung off the coat hanger by the door. And there she stood, in her black stealth suit. Her gleaming eyes on his chest.
A whisper in the darkness, dripping with guilt.
“Did I do that?”