Back from five years of absence for one last shot of either glory or failure. Fanfiction became somewhat of a guilt of mine but I know there's a coven of people who enjoyed this, so for them, I'm making one last chapter of this.
They're a thing now! Though now there's a trio of problems - Frida, White Pantera (Puma Loco's kind of "meh" on the topic, which is part of why I love him so much) and Zoe's family. How will the two antiheroes deal with this? That's what you're reading.
Oh, and as one other note - I would call Lady Gobbler by her actual name if I knew what it was. Then again, I'm not a big fan of her so even if I did know I'd barely care.
...
Zoe simply couldn't stop smiling as she gazed into Manny/El Tigre's eyes, and he too couldn't rid himself of the affectionate but suave grin on his face as he looked into her other eye, the one that wasn't covered by a surgical eye patch in a dirty Miracle City hospital.
"You feeling alright?" asked Manny, still in his El Tigre costume.
"I'm just feeling happy", Zoe sighed. "Happier than I've ever felt about anything in my entire life."
"I was actually talking about your - *ahem* - eye", Manny murmured, "But that's fine too. So are you going to get a glass eye like Lady Gobbler, or?"
"How did you know ab- oh", Zoe began to ask, before remembering the whole debacle involving Lady Gobbler using her glass eye to spy on White Pantera so she, her daughter Voltura and her granddaughter Zoe could go on a crime spree and flee the scene in advance of their would-be opponent.
"No hard feelings", Manny shrugged, guessing that Zoe still probably felt a great degree of guilt after the whole incident.
"Yeah", she playfully scoffed, "Because you and your family won that fight."
"Eh, who's keeping score?" Manny chuckled.
"Ms. Aves", a nurse said, "You have visitors."
"Who?" asked Zoe.
"Your mother and grandmother", the nurse answered.
Though their names weren't given, Manny came extremely close to wetting himself out of sheer, limitless fear of Voltura and Lady Gobbler being overwhelmed with anger and probably wanting to outright kill him this time rather than just beat the tar out of him and call it a day as per usual.
"Gotta blast!" Manny yelped as he dove out the window, but not before giving his new girlfriend a quick smooch on the cheek. "I'll call ya!"
Manny's quick departure coincided with Voltura and Lady Gobbler entering the hospital room, but out of their costumes for the very first time. Though he couldn't recognize the latter, he did recognize Voltura as the art teacher at the middle school, Ms. Carmelita Aves. And when she wasn't in a vulture-themed costume, she didn't look monstrous at all. She looked like an ordinary woman, as opposed to the dozens of goons El Tigre and his father tangled with on a daily or nightly basis, that were monsters either in appearance or personality.
"Mija!" Carmelita screamed with tears in her eyes upon seeing her daughter immobilized and one eye short of perfect 20-20 vision. "Are you alright?! What happened?"
"I... was in a fight", Zoe nervously explained. "With... Dr. Chipotle and his son. And... eltigresavedme", she concluded as swiftly as possible.
Carmelita raised an eyebrow practically up to the ceiling. "El Tigre saved you?" she scoffed. Zoe couldn't tell if her mother was skeptical of her daughter telling the truth or if she though she was being truthful but still couldn't wrap her head around what she had just heard.
"Well in any case, we got a gift for you", Lady Gobbler added, opening what looked like a wedding ring case only to reveal a Flock of Fury-style glass cybernetic eye just like her own. Befitting of Zoe's alter ego Black Cuervo's color, purple, the eye was colored purple rather than orange like her grandmother's.
"We'll arrange for the doctor to put this in instead of a non-functional one", Carmelita explained, giving her daughter a hug and kiss and setting the case on a table across from Zoe just in case her daughter might accidentally knock it over with an arm motion. The Flock of Fury spared no expense in their technology, whether from their jetpacks to their energy weapons, but as durable as their gadgets were, they weren't unbreakable.
"We've got to go now, nieta", Gobbler said. "You make a quick recovery, si?"
"Of course, Grandmami", Zoe replied. "I'll see you two soon."
Carmelita blew a kiss to her baby girl as she and her mother left the room and the hospital. Manny waited a minute before climbing back in the window.
"They really love you", Manny stammered.
"Of course they do, Manny", said Zoe. "Why wouldn't they?"
"I... I just kind of assumed that all villains were evil, even towards each other", Manny explained. "I didn't think they could have families and love each other."
"What about your grandpapi?" Zoe inquired. "Isn't he a villain too?"
"He is, but I still love him" Manny continued. "He puts family before his looting and robbery; if he didn't do that then I don't think I could love him."
"My family might be 'evil' by a goodie-two-shoes view", Zoe explained, "But we still love each other and spend time together. We eat dinner together, we go shopping together, and we go on crime sprees together. That's what being family is to me. It doesn't matter what we're doing, as long as we're together. And that's what made our crime spree together so beautiful. We were together."
"And so we are once more", Manny grinned. Zoe giggled.
"I've gotta go", Manny sighed. "If Frida isn't looking for me, then my dad certainly is."
"Frida", Zoe grumbled, clenching her fist.
"She's still my friend", Manny stated. "We'll have to talk more about this, okay?"
Zoe rolled her eyes. "Okay, Tigre", she sighed, but in a somewhat loving and blissful way.
Manny hopped out the window, leaving Zoe alone to reflect on everything that the new couple had discussed...
...Unaware that her new glass eye had been recording the entire conversation.
...
"Dude!" Frida exclaimed in disbelief as she saw Manny approaching, "Where were you? I totally beat my high score on that new arcade machine, and you weren't there to see it!"
"I had... other stuff going on", Manny sighed.
"What's that...?" Frida asked, pointing to a pink lipstick mark on Manny's cheek.
"Oh, this?" Manny defensively remarked, gesturing to a scrape on his other cheek in a last ditch effort to bypass Frida's inevitable questioning; "Got into a fight with some bad guy. Scuffed me up; he beat the snot out of me."
"Mmm-hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..." Frida skeptically mumbled. "And did this bad guy give you a big smoochy-smooch on your other cheek? Must've been some girly bad guy to have kicked your butt and kissed you after doing so. It smells like strawberries, too."
The gears in Frida's head began grinding, and after several seconds of loud, audible clanking in her head, she finally found the truth in her friend's lie.
"Were you fighting Black Cuervo, Manny?" Frida asked.
"No!" Manny shouted; "Of course not!"
"Oh really?" she remarked, not buying any of it. "Then who were you fighting, and who kissed you?"
Manny knew he couldn't keep lying, particularly to his best friend. "Fine. Frida, I was fighting Black Cuervo. And... we... We're a thing now!" he exclaimed, finally unable to keep his emotions in check. "I accidentally took out her eye with one of my claws, and I felt bad about it, and she kissed me, and I kissed her, and... we're a thing now!"
Manny braced himself. After 10 seconds, he opened his eyes to see Frida standing in place, mouth agape.
"You're not mad?" he nervously asked.
"Nope", Frida answered in a suspiciously calm manner.
"Really?" he asked once more.
"No", Friday said before angrily kicking him in the crotch as hard as she could and angrily storming off. "Don't call me!" she yelled; "I'll call you."
"Message received", Manny whimpered.
...
"Manny!" Rodolfo Rivera, otherwise known as White Pantera exclaimed upon seeing his scuffed up son; "What has happened to you, my son?"
"If I told you you'd probably add another bruise to my growing display", Manny sighed.
"I would do no such thing", Pantera replied; "I'm hurt that you would believe that I would."
"I'm sorry, Dad", Manny sighed. "The whole world's been kicking my butt today. First Zo- I mean, Black Cuervo, then Fri-"
"Black Cuervo?" Pantera asked, "Of the Flock of Fury? Shall we plan a retaliation or preemptive strike to get back on them? So help me, they won't get away with hurting my son!"
"Dad, Dad, Dad", Manny said, "Please calm down. Can I talk to you about something and not get yelled at for it?"
"I'll do my best to listen", said Pantera.
"Last night, I got in a fight with Black Cuervo", Manny explained. "I accidentally took one of her eyes out with my claws. And, well, after seeing her in a non-aggressive way, I kind of felt bad for her. And realized that, well... I care about her."
Manny braced himself for his dad to either yell at him or, worse case scenario, slap him. Neither happened, but after Frida's surprise groin shot, anything was possible.
"Mijo, I understand how you feel", explained Pantera, "Although I cannot condone this personally, you're my son, and I love you. If this is what you want, I cannot stop you. But I must urge you to be careful."
"You mean by hurting Cuervo's feelings? I could never consider doing such a thing after what happened", Manny said.
"I... well... I'm thinking about how you're going to need to go to her mother and apologize for-"
Pantera's speech was cut short when his son fainted with a loud thud.
...
Manny woke up shortly thereafter. "Dad, will you help me out here?" Manny nervously asked. "Voltura will kill me if I go alone."
"Alas, my son, my relationship with Voltura is... not the best", Pantera sighed. "You will have to apologize on your own, though know that if you get into trouble and need me, I will be there for you."
...
Manny decided that his dad was right, and that he had to do the mature thing and apologize for his actions. It was a huge decision to make, but Manny opted to leave his El Tigre belt at home - the odds of him dying were extremely high, but if he were to fail, it would be with honor and spending his last few seconds of life knowing that he was apologizing to the mother of his new girlfriend who had received a serious physical handicap due to his actions. Frida had ditched him for the time being - not that he'd want to drag her into this, and although his father was on his side, Manny couldn't bring himself to drag his dad into it as well.
After a long and uneasy walk to the base of the Flock of Fury, Manny spent a good 5 minutes staring at the towering door before knocking and hoping he wouldn't be immediately vaporized. The door wasn't opened by a vengeful mother or grandmother or heartwarmed girlfriend; instead it seemingly opened by itself after being knocked on.
Against better judgment, Manny took a few steps inside, cautiously scanning the ceiling in case Voltura or Lady Gobbler were lurking on the ceiling and waiting to drop down and destroy him, but they weren't there.
Manny's heart skipped several beats when he heard the door slam behind him, and upon turning to look at his now sealed escape route, all he saw was Voltura, towering above him and gazing down at him with smoldering eyes.
"Lady Volt-"
The rest of his sentence went unspoken when Voltura screamed in anger and grabbed Manny by the throat, swinging him sideways and smashing him against the wall. Manny desperately tried to escape Voltura's graps, but with each attempt to escape she merely tightened her grip - without his El Tigre powers, he was completely at her mercy.
Voltura raised her wrist laser cannon and pressed the pulsing green energy pilot light against Manny's face, the intense heat causing him to sweat even more than he already was. "Give me one good reason that I shouldn't vaporize you right now, El Tigre!" the vengeful mother hissed.
"Because-"
"-He's my boyfriend, mami", Zoe said, coming downstairs after hearing the cacaphony below. "Please don't hurt him."
"He hurt you, did he not?" Voltura snarled.
"But he didn't mean to! And he apologized!" Zoe pleaded.
"That's right, ma'am!" Manny added. "I know I've said so in the past, but now I really mean it when I say I'd do nothing to hurt her!"
Voltura growled like an angry dog before dropping Manny to the ground. Zoe rushed over to hug him.
"I'm disappointed in you, daughter", Voltura scoffed. "Lowering yourself to date a Rivera."
"Okay, with all due respect, ma'am", Manny stated, surprising himself, Zoe and Voltura with how bold he suddenly started speaking, "I never thought about it; I never asked... I know you and my dad broke up in high school; I know Lady Gobbler and my Grandpapi split up as adults. But if Zoe and I can get along and care about each other, what's preventing you and my dad from getting along too?"
The room fell silent. Voltura actually retracted her laser cannons and sat down to process what the Rivera boy had just asked.
"Mija", Voltura sighed, gesturing for her daughter to sit down with her, "I never told you this, but... I didn't want you to date El Tigre because I didn't want your heart to get broken, like what White Pantera did to me."
"Lady Voltura", Manny said, "You have the power to try and make amends with him. Just don't go lasers-a-blazing and maybe I can get him to listen."
"Very well", Voltura sighed in a hurt-but-gruff voice to try and mask her pain and anxiety. "Go, Tigre. Try and get that monster to apologize to me."
...
"Manny!" Pantera joyfully exclaimed, "You're not dea- I mean, did everything go as you'd hoped?"
"It went... better", said Manny. "Better than I'd hoped. But there's somebody else who wants to make amends with you, but she doesn't want to make the first move."
"Who would that be?"
"...Cuervo's mom. Voltura."
"NEVER!" Pantera shouted, startling Manny considerably. "I will never make amends with that villain!"
"I made amends with her daughter, and she's a villain", said Manny. "And Grandpapi's a villain too. You love him, don't you?"
"Yes, of course I do", Pantera sighed. "But mijo, I just don't think I can."
"Please try. For me", said Manny.
"Very well", said Pantera. "But we're not bringing her here."
"So where are we going to meet then?" asked Manny, before he heard a phone call - a call he dashed to answer. Expecting Zoe, instead he heard Frida.
"Hey..." Frida sighed.
"Hey", said Manny.
"So listen", Frida explained, "I was a bit rough the other day. I guess I'm just not easy with the thought of being replaced."
"You're still my best friend, Frida", said Manny. "And nothing will change that. But I love Zoe, and I can't deny my feelings for her. I could actually use your help."
"With what?"
"I talked my dad into trying to talk to Voltura and get back on good terms with her", he explained. "But he doesn't want to meet her here, and I don't think he'll be welcome in the Flock's base. Do you have any ideas as to where we can meet?"
If Manny knew that Frida was smirking on the other end of the phone, he would've hung up; he also would've hung up the second Frida made her recommendation, but as much as he hated the man, circumstances demanded it.
...
And before he knew it, he, Pantera, Zoe and Voltura were sitting in the office of Dr. Butterman.
"Riveras", Butterman chuckled; "Back again so soon?"
"Yes", Manny sighed. He could hear Frida snickering outside - she was too enthused about what was likely going to happen.
"And who are these lovely ladies you've brought in, mmm?" he asked.
"I, am Voltura, and this is my daughter, Black Cuervo", Voltura pridefully announced, though she still refused to make eye contact with the doctor.
"M'kay", said Butterman. "Now why don't you tell me your real names?"
"And why would I do that?" Voltura scoffed.
"Because I asked nicely?" Butterman sarcastically remarked.
"Don't be sarcastic with me", Voltura snarled, desperately fighting the urge to blast Butterman's face off.
"Just so you can be sarcastic towards me?" Butterman asked, not knowing when to be the bigger person.
Voltura began to stand up, but her daughter tugged at her arm.
"Please, Carmelita", Pantera urged. "We're here to build bridges, not walls."
"Wait, Dad - you knew her first name?" Manny asked.
"That I do, my son", Pantera sighed. "Carmelita and I dated as teenagers. I broke up with her after realizing how much of a troublemaker she was."
Voltura's facial reaction read "OFFENDED" in big, bold text.
"Troublemaker?" asked Manny.
"Aye, she was always getting into trouble. Pranking people, picking pockets, getting into detention on a daily basis..."
"So just like me and Frida."
"Well... I wouldn't make that comparison..."
"But you just did", Manny remarked. "And back at the house, you said you still loved Grandpapi even though he's a villain."
"But he's family", Pantera stated.
"And the Flock of Fury's a family too", Manny urged. "I've seen it. They're villains too, but they're a family. They feel and experience love too. Why can't you love or at least like them?"
"I... I don't know", Pantera sighed, looking Voltura in the eyes. "I never would've imagined her as something more than a evildoer."
"And I wouldn't have imagined you as a goodie-two-shoes", Voltura sighed, blushing.
"C'mon, mami", Zoe giggled, "Hug."
And that's when Manny and Zoe began chanting "Hug. Hug. Hug. Hug."
Pantera removed his mask, revealing his true face as Rodolfo Rivera. Voltura sighed, taking off her helmet and dropping it in her daughter's lap. Her eyes began to tear up, her heart never having imagined seeing her high school sweetheart's face again, but the memories were flowing back, and she couldn't keep her emotions contained. Carmelita finally gave in and threw herself into Rodolfo's arms, weeping into his shoulder.
"Truly touching stuff", Butterman remarked, "But your time's up. I've got another patient to see, so you folks'll have to take your problems elsewhere."
"Well I found one of my problems", Voltura smirked as she quickly raised her wrist, armed her plasma cannon, and blasted Butterman out of his chair.
Pantera, Manny and Zoe all looked at Voltura in shock before the four fell apart laughing and embracing each other.
...
And there's the for-reals ending of this now-two-part short story. Hope it was worth the wait!
I know there were several opportunities for Voltura to shout "AS IF I COULD FORGET!", but I found that quote to be kind of annoying and repetitive, so I opted not to put that in at every single instance. Sorry if that kills the immersion.
"Build bridges, not walls" was probably a bad analogy given the setting of the show and the current status of the American Empire's Emperor. I beat you guys to that point.
If somebody wants me to make an equivalent of this for Puma Loco and Lady Gobbler, you're SOL because I find the latter insufferably annoying and can't make anything out of her.