Summary: By living out the coda to her past, Carmen could save their future. Sequel to Endgame.
Standard Disclaimer: I'm just a fanfiction writer. All hail the rightful owners.
Content Disclaimer: There is violence, heavily implied sexual content, weapons, drug content, alcohol, and abuse of power in this work of fiction, and not of the cartoon variety. The characters as portrayed here are neither invincible nor morally flawless. If you read Endgame, you have some clue what I'm capable of writing here. If you haven't read Endgame, I suggest you read it first. However, if you are too young or attached to "beloved childhood" versions of the characters… you've been warned.
"Oh, you misunderstand me darling. I won't be murdering the detective. You will. And I'd do it quickly, if you want her to die cleanly."
Nicholas wound his arms around the horrified woman and started kissing Carmen's neck and unlacing her nightgown as she wept.
Acme Headquarters, San Francisco.
Ivy was alone in the headquarters, eating her dinner in front of the screens, when she heard a low noise, as all of the monitors clicked off.
Jumping up, the detective assumed a defensive stance. "Who's there?" She shouted. "Show yourself."
No one appeared. Only, for the briefest fraction of a second, a number flashed across all of the screens.
Slowly, deliberately Ivy disposed of the remainder of her Chinese takeout. Then, she walked to the rest rooms, checked all of the other stalls, and, leaning against the sink to watch the doors, turned her communicator to the specified frequency.
"You know, I should be furious at you right now." She hissed to the device, touching her distended nose. "I'm still hurting from that last stunt of yours."
"I'm sorry, detective." Carmen said with concern.
The apology got Ivy's attention. "What's this about, Carmen?"
"Do you trust me?" The thief asked bluntly.
Ivy considered the anomalous question. "Yeah…" She finally admitted, though she disliked her answer. "I do. How messed up is that?"
Ivy heard a sigh of what sounded like relief from the other side of the line.
"Go into the café across the street. Sit at the farthest north seat and look inside the menu. Follow the instructions and tell no one. Not even your brother."
Ivy frowned. "If I didn't know better, Carmen…."
"If you have any faith in me at all…" Carmen cajoled. "Please… please do this for me."
"Alright" Ivy answered. "I trust you."
The communication device winked out.
"But if you're lying this time, that's the last I ever will."
Big Bend National Park, Texas
Archie didn't like the situation one bit. It wasn't as if he hadn't driven backup for Carmen before. Being caught was a common reality in his line of work, and it was comforting to know that Carmen always broke her loyal helpers out of jail before anything too dramatic could happen to them. He remembered one time, when Carmen hadn't liked the looks of the Mexican prison he was in, she'd had him out in one hour flat.
He knew the rules. Do what you're told, do it with alacrity, and stay out of the boss's way. However, tonight, whatever remained of his primitive instincts were warning him that this was different.
This wasn't her usual capricious and antic heist. There was something more disturbing to tonight's aberrations.
Carmen had been different, darker, since she had taken up with this strange new lover. It didn't make sense and it wasn't in her history. And things he could not link to the past made Archie Ology very nervous.
"There's a yellow station wagon in the northernmost parking lot." Carmen instructed in a low tone, pointing in the direction of the appropriated vehicle. "Observe the speed limits. You really won't want to be caught today."
"You want some backup?" The minion offered.
"No." She instructed in a tone that seemed angry. "Drop me off, then get out of here fast. If they catch you, say you had no idea what I was going to do."
"That would be the truth." Archie commented.
Carmen did not offer any information.
"What are you going to do?" This wasn't her usual antic heist.
"You don't want to know." There was that dark tone again. "Under the law, you're already as culpable as I am…"
Was that something new? 'It's Ok. I'm used to it."
"Just hide quickly and lie low until you hear otherwise. I should have driven myself and but…"
She held one black-gloved hand out in front of her. It was shaking.
That was weird. Archie knew he was not imagining things now. He had once seen Carmen run a six-minute mile alongside their vehicle in the Kalahari Desert and barely sweat, let alone shake. And that had been on sand, in heels.
"Adrenaline does some strange things." He justified. Remembering how much Carmen liked the rush, he could not agree with his own analysis. Not that it mattered because she did not seem to hear.
"Someone's on our tail…" Carmen apprised him, and Archie obligingly sped up as he noticed the C5 car in the rearview mirror.
Her hand moved to the door of their all terrain vehicle and threw it open.
Archie gripped the wheel with white knuckles as Carmen jumped from the moving truck, rolled a couple of times, and then found her feet and started to run.
The sidekick knew this was his cue to get out of there. Ivy seemed to be alone, so she would go for the greater prize. If he absconded now, he'd be safe.
However, something just did not feel right.
When Carmen ran, she ran. The way she sprinted, anyone would think she was descended from a cheetah, instead of that obnoxious executive she had apparently named her father.
For Carmen, this speed was jogging. Judging from the detective, rapidly closing the distance on foot, it was dangerously slow as well. He knew Carmen liked to push her luck on chases, but this was a lot, even for her.
So, Archie, despite his orders, stayed and watched. Glancing upwards, he spotted a hiking group on a tall rock formation a few feet away, who were starting to point and gasp. It did not matter. They were too highly placed to get down quickly, or at all really, except by another route.
Carmen pulled back to a walk, and then stood on the rocky banks of the Rio Grande, her back to the opaque, muddy water. Why was she taking off her belt?
"Good day for a chase, Carmen?" Ivy asked brashly. "Nice weather." She launched forward to tackle the thief.
"A good day to die, detective." Carmen answered.
Then, Carmen's belt somehow got around Ivy's neck, and what remained of Archie's sense of logic exploded.
They were struggling. Carmen behind the detective, pulling the belt tight.
Ivy lost consciousness, and Carmen shifted her footing to take the weight without removing the belt. The detective's face was turned towards the water.
"One!" Carmen shouted and the echoes reverberated through the park.
"Two!" The next count came a moment later.
"Three!" The belt was still tight.
Frozen, Archie watched as the numbers climbed and some of the bystanders started to scream. He looked at his boss and saw her face… choked in tears… burning with anguish… radiating insanity.
"Five hundred!" Carmen growled, and her voice choked off into a sob. With one hand, she tenderly touched the side of the detectives face for the briefest of moments. "Done!"
In an explosive flash of red, Carmen pitched Ivy into the river.
Archie was fixated, memorized. The red movement of cloth seemed to linger longer across his eyes, some macabre version of slow motion.
Carmen stared at the river for a few seconds, breathing in starts and gasps, and then spun, kicked off her heels, and starting running.
This time, she was running for real.
