Lady Muerte
Preface
CRASH!
Carmen shot up out of bed with the sound of the breaking door. She pulled the covers off herself and turned the lights on.
STOMP STOMP STOMP STOMP
Her heart racing in her chest, she grabbed her old silk nightgown and ran down the stairs to the front door. It was storming heavily outside, the sound of the rain more noticeable with the door loose off its hinges. She rounded the staircase and entered the living room where she was met with a red suited man placing an unconscious red haired woman on the sofa.
"What the.." she breathed and the man spun around wide-eyed
"You have to help her," she heard his deep voice say as she stared at the girl and placed her warm hand on her cold wet forehead
"She's like ice, what happened?" Carmen asked placing another hand on her lower stomach
"The ceiling fell on her, but we couldn't get to her in time. Is there anything you can do?" He explained in a calm but insistent tone. Carmen took a deep breath, closed her eyes and let her powers work through the woman's body.
"There's a lot of internal trauma, I'll do my best." Just as she said this another hero stomped in her house soaking from the downpour
"Warren?" they heard as he rushed into the living room "Is she okay? What's going to happen? Will she live?"
"Not if you interrupt me." Carmen impatiently said going into the kitchen briefly to retrieve a small towel "This will be painful for her and most likely will take a long time. Get comfortable. And Hothead..."
Warren turned to her expectantly
"Fix my door." she thrusted her head towards the door
"Come on Will, I've seen her angry and she is not friendly..."
"Like someone else I know..." Will tried to joke but the humour didn't reach his eyes as they fell on his partner Layla.
"She'll be alright, come on." and the boys left the room
The boys fixed the door together and made their way into the guest room where they decided to settle while they waited for Carmen to finish. Hours passed slowly, and Will never stopped pacing as Warren sat still and brooding on the armchair.
Finally, when the door opened Warren stood and Will rushed to the door.
Small Carmen stood there looking exhausted
"She would like to see you Will, something about wanting to strangle a five-armed man to death?" Will gave her a grateful smile before rushing downstairs "Don't get her too worked up! She's still healing!" she called after him and then turned to Warren
"Thank you for saving her." He said softly
Carmen smiled and leaned against the door frame tiredly "Next time try to save the citizen before they fall into the pit..."
"She's a hero too," that surprised her "She's just not an active hero,"
Carmen's laugh lifted the mood "Only sometimes it seems." An awkward tension filled the air "Anyways, Layla will be staying with me for the week. If one of you can move her to the guest room, I don't want her to be moving around too much. I'm going to get some rest; my first client comes at around noon. You gentlemen are also welcome to stay if you please. You know I have more rooms."
She nodded and turned to leave but Warren stopped her
"I'm sorry, Carmen... for not being there. I'm sorry." Warren finally said searching her face. Old pain filled her eyes, but she smiled at him despite it
"It's cool, don't worry about it. Now rest before I make you." She replied as she left, and Warren was left in the room hearing her bedroom door shut.
Chapter 1
5 Years Ago
SLAM!
"Wake up, Ms. Jones." The teacher sounded as she dropped the books on her desk where she rested. Carmen lifted her head slowly and wiped her mouth. The class was staring at her. How embarrassing.
"Sorry..." she mumbled sliding the textbook to herself and the teacher continued across the room
"Don't let it happen again..." she warned before continuing her monotonous drone. She heard the boy next to her snicker and she just rolled her eyes
"Why are you so tired?"
"Because I was helping my mum with her patients last night... why aren't you passed out on the desk like I am? I know you were working late last night," Carmen whispered back as the projector was turned on
"Stalking me now?" Warren whispered back pretending to write notes
Carmen snickered this time "No, you wish. My mum said she saw you when she picked up our dinner."
The conversation ended until class was dismissed and they left for lunch together. Hearing whispers and feeling stares as they walked the school.
"You've gained some serious popularity since the whole save the world thing you did with the Stronghold boy. Glad I wasn't here for that."
Warren growled in annoyance which only made Carmen smile. "Things were easier when people thought I would roast them alive..." She continued to smile until they came to the cafeteria doors
"I'll see you later!"
"You know if anyone bothered you, they would fry." Warren tried to coax her "Or you could touch them."
"Oh I know, I'm not so scared about being attacked anymore... and that happened in what? Fifth grade? But your girlfriend doesn't like me so much. I'm not interested in drama."
"The others will be there,"
Carmen considered the option but couldn't escape the frosty glare in her mind she had received countless number of times "I'll pass,"
Warren sighed "Suit yourself," and he went through the double doors leaving Carmen to go to the study hall alone.
"Hey Warren! Over here!" Ethan called dropping his tray and waving Warren over "Was that your friend? Why doesn't she join us?"
"She doesn't like cafeterias." he replied
"Yo! Not eating is not cool man," Zach piped in as bright as ever
"Should we go get her something?" Layla suggested innocently which drove Warren up the wall
"Whoa, Warren you're like... steaming..." Ethan said and Warren just glared at him until a cold hand was pressed against his back. The steam seemed to dissipate and so did the conversation. "H-hey Ashley..."
Ashley sat next to Warren her blonde hair glistening in the fluorescent lighting of the cafeteria "Hi Ethan," she replied dismissively something obviously bothering her "Warren, can we talk?" Warren looked up all awkward looks aimed at him. Will cleared his throat after some time had passed
"Yeah, sure." Warren replied and together they walked out of the cafeteria
"What do you think that was about?" Layla whispered to Will and he just shrugged unsure
"Dude, she's scary..." Zach said in a hushed voice before spooning some food into his mouth.
"So, what is it?" Warren asked as they reached a quiet hall, Ashley spun around to look at him
"Is there something I should know?" She asked and when Warren didn't answer straight away she prompted "Between Carmen and you?"
Warren frowned running a hand through his long hair "How many times do we have to have this talk?"
"If you're getting sick of me then fine. We don't need to anymore." Ashley went to push past him, but he stopped her with a hand on her upper arm
"It's not that." he growled getting frustrated
"Then what is it? You spend so much time with her. How am I not supposed to think you have something with her? People are always telling me, how much they see you two together! I'm tired of it! You spend more time with her than you do with me! Hello!? I'm your girlfriend!" She retorted angrily the floor beginning to frost over
A breath of air escaped his lips, too wrapped up in the conversation with Ashley he didn't notice Carmen coming around the corner and then tripping backwards out of sight. Anxious to get away and out of sight, she began to walk away quickly but began to slow to a stop after she realised, it was her that they were talking about.
"We've been friends since we were kids, Ash...it's hard not to spend time with her. Our mothers are good friends." Warren began to explain "Look, it's not like that with Carmen. You know she doesn't have many other friends, you know what people say about her."
"Yeah, but-"
Wait, what? Carmen thought to herself, people talked behind her back? Saying what? Curious, she listened on.
"She doesn't have anyone else," Warren finished but Carmen couldn't bring herself to feel like she could trust him now, let alone anyone else.
"So, you don't like her?" Ashley asked
"No, not even a bit." He insisted hoping that this argument would finally cease.
Carmen's face began to flush in embarrassment and anger. She stood there as the couple made up and made their way back to eat lunch. So, he didn't like her at all... She was not a charity case. Angrily walking back to the study hall with her lunch bag she thought to herself, she would show him. She would show him that she would not need him anymore, and never really did.