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The Broken Silence
Chapter 21
The Unknown Mime
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"I found him." Player announced.
"What?" Carmen asked in confusion. "Found who?"
"I found out who Mime Bomb is."
Carmen was instantly wide awake. "What information do you have?" she demanded, sitting up in bed.
"It's kinda something I have to show you." Player replied. "Go to your laptop and I'll send you the information."
Carmen scrambled over to her laptop and as soon as she unlocked it, pages and pages of information began flooding her screen. The first thing she laid eyes on was a missing person's poster.
"It looks like someone has been looking for him after all." Player stated. "An older sister. I found a poster that was printed in English."
Carmen stared at the image of the freckle-faced boy, and she immediately knew this was Mime Bomb. He was no older than seven or eight in the picture, and looked extremely anxious like he didn't want his picture taken. The next thing that Carmen noticed was that the name was blacked out on the poster. Frowning, she glanced at the rest of the information.
'Age 7'
'Hair: Ginger'
'Eyes: Blue'
'Weight: Approximately 3 Stone
'D.O.B-September 21st 1998'
'Missing since October 12th 2005'
'Last known location: Cardiff, Wales'
'Suspected Runaway'
"So Mime Bomb is Welsh...but why is his name blacked out?" Carmen asked. "What's Mime Bomb's real name?"
"This is why I wanted to show you everything as soon as possible." Player replied. "I found Mime Bomb, but someone tried really hard to erase all traces of him."
Carmen furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"
"Every piece of documentation that contains his name has been blacked out."
Dozens of pages appeared on her screen and Carmen began going through them, seeing a birth certificate, school report cards, registration forms, and medical forms all with the name blacked out.
"There's no record of him at all between the ages of 8 until 12. It's as if he completely disappeared for four years before he stole Jason Felix Smyth's identity when he entered the school for the deaf." Player informed her. "No one knows what happened to him."
"What about his family?" Carmen asked, frowning at the picture. "Haven't they been looking for him?"
"His father is unknown on the birth certificate, but it looks like his mother was receiving some support in the form of cash each month. She made large cash deposits on the same day every month, and that's what she used to support her family. Before Mime Bomb was born, his family was incredibly poor and were struggling just to get by. One week after he was born, suddenly his family were being provided with a substantial amount of money."
"Strange..." Carmen said thoughtfully. "What else did you find out?"
"Mime Bomb has a half-sister named Alys Catrin Firth who is five years older than him." A picture of a pretty, young, blond-haired girl appeared on her screen. The girl looked to be about thirteen or fourteen in the picture, and she looked nothing at all like Mime Bomb. "Her father David John Firth died in a tractor accident when she was two, and left behind large debts from a failed harvest. He was the sole provider for the family and when he died, that's when the family began struggling."
"And what can you tell me about his mother?" Carmen asked, hoping to understand this strange mystery.
"Mime Bomb's mother never remarried after David's death, and she wasn't able to secure a well-paying job. She worked as a waitress until the birth of Mime Bomb. Her name was Eilian Llian Firth." A picture of a beautiful red-haired woman with freckles appeared on the screen, and Carmen saw Mime Bomb was the spitting image of her. She had mischievous blue eyes, and the way she smirked at the camera told told them everything of her fun-loving nature.
"Was?" Carmen repeated with a frown.
"She died in a car crash just before Mime Bomb went missing in 2005. Her car hit a patch of ice and the car slammed into a tree, killing her instantly on impact. His sister Alys was in the car and survived the crash, but she was permanently paralyzed from the waist down."
"That's horrible." Carmen said, feeling sympathy for everything the family must have gone through.
"Up until his mother died, Mime Bomb was enrolled in a crazy amount of extracurricular activities. Every day of the week he was doing something different, and his family's schedule completely revolved around his activities. He was in an art program, drama class, violin lessons, gymnastics, dance, swimming, track and field, and get this, choir. Mime Bomb was in a choir. After his mother died, he completely dropped off the map; no classes, no school, nothing."
"Where were Mime Bomb and Alys sent to live after their mother died?"
"The records show that the two siblings were sent to live with their maternal grandmother just days after the accident. Alys was sent away to a private boarding school in September of 2005, and Mime Bomb suddenly disappeared a month later."
"Was he injured in the car crash perhaps?" Carmen asked, feeling concerned.
A news article popped up on her screen. "It says that he was at his drama class when it happened. His mother and sister were on their way to pick him up." Player replied. "No records I've seen suggest he'd been injured in any way."
Carmen clicked on several of the folders on her screen,and pictures of Mime Bomb's childhood popped up. She paused on a picture of him about five or six years old, making a silly face at the camera and then she frowned.
"None of this makes any sense." she stated. "What happened to him? Who is trying to erase his name?"
"I think the only people you could ask is Mime Bomb himself or perhaps his sister. She's still living in Cardiff. She's been trying to investigate his disappearance for years but everything she posts online gets censored. I was able to find a few photos when I hacked into her pc and one short home video. Everything else has been censored or deleted."
Carmen shook her head. "I don't think it would be a good idea to contact her without Mime Bomb's permission. As it is, we're pushing the boundaries of snooping into his personal life."
Carmen saw a video file on her screen and she clicked on it curiously.
"You may want to turn your volume down if you're going to watch that." Player warned.
Carmen did as she was told and saw a toddler fumbling with the camera before setting it down on a table. She realized it was Mime Bomb at about three or four years old.
"Aw." Carmen said, smiling. "He's so little!"
"You're not going to think he's so cute in about ten seconds." Player warned.
Mime Bomb set an empty glass on the table and then frowned at it with extreme concentration. He cleared his throat dramatically and then sucked in a deep breath. He then let out an ungodly toddler screech and held the note longer than should have been possible. Carmen quickly turned the volume down even lower. Finally stopping, Mime Bomb took another deep breath and then screeched again, this time at an even higher note. When that too failed, he tried again, this time so high that Carmen was certain her ears were going to bleed.
A moment later, Mime Bomb's mother peeked into the room in the back of the shot giving her son an incredulous look.
[["Oh, sweet child of mine, who I totally do not want to gag with a sock right now, what are you doing?"]] she asked in Welsh, approaching the table. [["Is that my camera?!"]]
[["I'm gonna break the glass."]] Mime Bomb answered, giving a glare to the glass in question.
[["Are you trying to shatter the glass with your voice?"]] she asked him in amusement.
Mime Bomb nodded enthusiastically.
[["Sweet, noisy child of mine. You're not shattering glass, you're shattering eardrums. Please stop making that horrible pterodactyl screech before you give mommy a reason to search for a gag."]]
Mime Bomb giggled.
[["Why were you recording this?"]] she asked in amusement, looking into the camera.
"I record all my work for posterity." he answered solemnly in English.
His mother blinked in surprise and then began laughing hard. [["Where in the world did you hear that?"]] she asked. [["Do you even know what it means?"]]
Mime Bomb shook his head. [["No."]]]
[["Did someone say that to you? Where did you learn it?"]]
"From daddy. He says he always uses a camera at work so he can record for posterity." Mime Bomb answered, once again speaking in English.
Carmen did not miss the way Mime Bomb's mother suddenly stiffened.
The voice of an older woman suddenly shouted from the other room. [[Tell the boy to speak in Welsh! We don't speak English in this house!"]]
Both Mime Bomb and his mother rolled their eyes. His mother's expression then turned serious. [["When did he say that?"]] she questioned.
[["Last night."]]
[["Have you been calling daddy without my permission?"]] she demanded.
A worried look entered the toddler's eyes. [["Erm...no?"]]
His mother let out a deep sigh. [["Sweetling, you never call daddy at work. Never. He calls us, but we do not call him."]]
[["Why?"]]
[["He's far too busy to be interrupted, and calls up North are expensive. Did he get mad at you?"]]
Mime Bomb shook his head. [["No, he was just a bit surprised. He told me he's going to visit for Christmas next week, and that he was going to bring me a truck."]]
The mother suddenly seemed on edge. [["And what did you say to him?"]] she asked hesitantly.
[["I told him I don't like trucks."]] Mime Bomb answered with a frown. [["I told him allll about drama class, and how I want to be an actor! I said I want a barbie makeup and costume kit 'cause I like dressing up."]]
His mother now looked even more worried. [["...and what did he say when you told him that?"]]
[["He said he would buy me the deluxe one if that's what I wanted."]]
His mother let out a breath of relief. [["Promise me you won't call him again, okay Sweetling? Your father is very busy."]]
[["Daddy said I can call him anytime I want."]] the boy defended.
[["And I'm saying you can't."]] she answered firmly. [["You can call him if I'm in the room with you, but never by yourself, understood?"
[["Okay."]] Mime Bomb responded with a shrug, clearly not understanding.
He then turned his attention back to the glass and stared at it intently. Just as he was sucking in a massive lungful of air, his mother put her hand over his mouth.
[["Oh no you don't, you little pterodactyl! No more noises that make mommy want to cry. How about if you show me the picture you drew at art class instead?"]]
[["Okay!"]] Mime Bomb exclaimed excitedly. [["I'll go get it!"]]
As he raced from the room out of sight, Mime Bomb's mother reached for the camera. [["Lord, give me patience."]] she mumbled as she picked it up. A second later, the video ended.
"I can't speak Welsh and so I wasn't sure what they were saying." Player told her. "Could you understand any of that?"
Carmen nodded. "Yes, one of my nannies was Welsh." she responded. "Mime Bomb was trying to shatter a glass with his voice and his mother did not appreciate it."
"I can't imagine she did." Player answered with a laugh.
"There was something odd about the video. She found out Mime Bomb had been calling his father and she was upset over it. She seemed afraid, and she made him promise he would never call him again."
"So I was right. The father was paying child support. I wonder why he's not on the birth certificate? There's absolutely no paper trail that I can find that even hints at who he could be."
"Something fishy was definitely going on." Carmen agreed. "Do you think his father kidnapped Mime Bomb after his mother died?"
"He would be my first suspect." Player said. "Could you send me a translation of everything said in the video?"
Carmen nodded. "Sure thing."
"I'm going to do more research on this and then get back to you with what I find. This whole thing smells like a villainous plot, and I want to know why someone's been trying to erase all traces of Mime Bomb. His father must be someone incredibly important." Player said. "You should try talking with Mime Bomb about it."
Carmen hesitated. "I don't know if that's such a good idea." she said hesitantly. "These memories could be traumatic for him."
"Hmm." Player said thoughtfully. "Maybe you could just hint at a few things and see how he reacts?"
Carmen frowned. "I can try..." she answered, feeling like Mime Bomb was not going to react well.
"I'll let you get back to sleep, and I'll check in with you later."
"Okay, thanks, Player." Carmen answered.
When the com went silent, she stared at the pictures on her screen sadly, wanting to help Mime Bomb, but having no idea what to do. She typed up a transcript for Player and then emailed it to him, hoping the boy could find out more information about this.
Mime Bomb hadn't been sleeping well, and Carmen wondered if he was awake. Slowly getting up from her desk, she left her room and crossed the hallway to Zack and Mime Bomb's room. Quietly opening the door, she peered in and saw both of her friends were fast asleep. Mime Bomb looked peaceful and she wondered if he had gone his first night without nightmares. Not wanting to disturb him, she silently backed out of the room and closed the door.
Knowing she was now wide awake, Carmen headed for the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. She remained at the kitchen table until Shadowsan came out a while later later. He seemed surprised to see her up that early, and gave her a worried look.
"Is everything all right?"
Carmen gave him a tired smile. "Just couldn't sleep." she answered. "There's coffee if you want any."
Shadowsan had never been a fan of coffee and instead began preparing himself a pot of tea. When it was steeping, he placed the pot on the table and then took a seat across from her.
"Tell me what's wrong." he said gently. "I can't help if you don't tell me."
Carmen let out a deep sigh. "Player found out who Mime Bomb is." she answered.
Shadowsan frowned. "I wasn't aware you were investigating him."
"I just wanted to know more about him, but the information we found out was not good."
"Most operatives did not come from good homes." Shadowsan explained. "This is why most leave their old lives behind."
Carmen took a sip of her coffee. "No, he seemed to come from a good home until his mother passed away." she replied. "It looks like he was kidnapped after his mother died, and he simply disappeared for four years. There is something really strange about his father, and I think he was part of some sort of criminal empire or someone of importance. Something happened to Mime Bomb during his four year absence and I think this is the key to why he doesn't speak."
Shadowsan frowned. "He was kidnapped?"
"When he was seven years old, he went missing from his grandmother's house and there was no sign of him until he was almost twelve years old. No paper trail, nothing at all to show where he went. He just all of a sudden reappeared in London with a stolen identity and was enrolled into a school for the deaf. Every single document with Mime Bomb's name has been censored and it looks like someone was trying to delete his existence."
A troubled look crossed Shadowsan's face. "There are several child trafficking rings in Europe." he replied. "This may not be a thing you want to investigate with too much depth. I investigated kidnappings once and found there was a company in Russia stealing children. I stopped my investigations when I realized the company had ties to V.I.L.E. I think they were called Volkov or something similar. The results of my search were very bleak and none of the children survived. V.I.L.E has done many monstrous things over the years."
Carmen shook her head. "No, I don't think anything like that happened to Mime Bomb, I think his father took him. He was secretly supporting the family with a lot of money, and was in regular contact with his son. The mother didn't seem to fully trust him, and she almost seemed afraid. I'm worried there's another criminal organization that we don't know about. Perhaps the mafia, or maybe something linked with V.I.L.E."
Shadowsan's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Is there any evidence to support this?"
"Player is researching it now." Carmen replied. "He wants me to ask Mime Bomb about it, but I don't think I should."
"Asking an operative about their past is a touchy subject." Shadowsan agreed.
"I'm thinking about just hinting that I know who he is and then waiting to see if he offers me any information." Carmen said. "I'm just worried this could make him go into another panic attack."
"Trust your judgement." Shadowsan replied, pouring himself a cup of tea. "If you suspect there's another criminal empire out there, then this needs to be investigated. You don't need to ask Mime Bomb, but he might get angry if you continue looking into his past without his permission."
Carmen let out a deep sigh. "You're right." she agreed. "I'll try to find a way to bring it up to him once he wakes up."
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Mime awoke to someone roughly shaking his shoulder. Blinking tiredly, he looked up to see Zack hovering over him, smiling widely.
"No nightmares!" Zack said proudly. "You slept the whole night!"
Mime Bomb realized he was right and was surprised.
"Remember that you have a 15 minutes morning appointment just to check-in with Dr. Brownswell." Zack informed him. "Make sure to tell her about your great night. Your appointment in in five minutes. You do your appointment and I'll start breakfast. You feel like having an omelet?"
Mime Bomb sat up and rubbed at his eyes, feeling more rested than he had in weeks. He gave Zack a distracted nod and then stretched as he swung his legs around the edge of the bed.
"Carmen's laptop is probably in her room." Zack told him as he headed for the door. "I'm gonna drown the omelet in cheese and bacon."
Once he was alone, Mime Bomb slowly got to his feet and then gave another stretch. His appointment with Dr. Brownswell last night had gone a lot better than the first time, and he'd made it through the whole session without hanging up on her. He'd been in a good mood from his day out with Zack, and so the session hadn't seemed all that terrible. Dr. Brownswell decided she wanted him to check in with her every morning just so he could tell her how he slept, and from there she could figure out if he needed time to speak with her later on.
Mime Bomb was wearing his new striped pajamas he'd bought the day before, and he didn't bother getting dressed as he padded barefoot across the hall to Carmen's room. He knocked on her door and when there was no answer, he peered inside and saw the room was empty. Glancing around, he spotted the laptop on her desk and headed over to grab it. Just as he reached out to take it, his eyes fell on the images on the screen and he froze.
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Zack whistled happily to himself as he entered the kitchen. Carmen looked up from her bowl of cereal and gave him a smile.
"How did he do last night?" she asked.
Zack flashed her a grin. "He slept the whole night without a single nightmare!"
Carmen was relieved. "Oh, thank goodness. He really needs a few days with a good night's sleep. I guess the doctor was right and he really needed a relaxation day."
"Yeah, yesterday was fun." Zack said, pulling the carton of eggs out of the fridge. "I don't think I've ever seen Mime Bomb smile like that."
"He still sleeping?" Carmen asked, taking a bite of cereal.
"Naw, he had that morning appointment with the doctor, remember? He's talking with her now."
Carmen dropped her spoon in horror, having completely forgotten about the appointment. Without a single word, she got up and bolted for her bedroom as fast as she could, hoping to make it to the laptop before Mime Bomb. She threw open the door and was met with the sight of Mime Bomb standing in front of her desk, simply staring at the laptop motionlessly.
"Mime Bomb!" she called out in a panic.
He didn't move in the slightest, and Carmen cautiously approached, unsure of what his reaction was going to be. She looked to the screen and saw he was staring intently at the picture of his mother, his expression unreadable. Zack barged into the room and then stopped, having no idea what was going on.
"I'm so sorry!" Carmen said to Mime Bomb. "I didn't mean for you to see any of this!"
Mime Bomb still didn't move or give any sort of reaction. Zack approached and looked over Mime Bomb's shoulder.
"Who's that?" he asked.
Carmen gave an uncertain glance to Mime Bomb and she didn't answer. Zack frowned and studied Mime Bomb for a moment, and he didn't like the way his friend was staring at the photo. His eyes looked haunted, and Zack put an arm around his shoulders reassuringly.
"What happened?" he demanded.
Carmen placed a hand on Mime Bomb's arm. "I'm sorry." she said again. "I'll close all this for you, and then we can talk about it."
Carmen reached towards the laptop and to her complete shock Mime Bomb harshly shoved her away, before she could touch it. Zack still had no idea what was going on and was aghast.
"Mime Bomb!" he cried out. "What's going on? You don't hit girls...unless they're V.I.L.E agents trying to kill you."
"It's fine, Zack." Carmen assured him. "I understand why he's angry with me."
"Yeah, well I don't!" Zack protested. "Someone explain what happened, because I'm starting to freak out over here!"
Carmen took a deep breath. "I looked into Mime Bomb's past, and I left the research on my computer screen. I forgot about his doctor's appointment and I never meant for him to see it."
Mime Bomb clenched his good hand into a fist, but he still didn't move. Zack frowned at Carmen, and then looked back to the screen. Understanding crossed his face, and he knew exactly who the woman was in the picture.
"She's very beautiful." he told Mime Bomb. "You look a lot like her."
Mime Bomb finally turned his gaze away from the screen, and stared at Zack who offered him a hesitant smile. "Do you want to keep looking at the pictures for a while?" Zack asked.
Mime Bomb nodded, his gaze returning to the screen.
"Do you want us to leave?"
He gave him another nod.
Zack rested a hand on Mime Bomb's shoulder. "Will you be alright if we leave you alone?" he questioned. "Promise me you'll be alright."
Mime Bomb nodded for a third time and made a crossing motion on his chest. That was enough for Zack and he gave his shoulder a squeeze before stepping away. "You should take the laptop into our bedroom." he suggested. "Look all you want, and when you're done, we can have a talk."
Zack then motioned for Carmen to follow him out of the room.
"I'm sorry." Carmen said again, following behind Zack.
Zack didn't say a word to Carmen until they reached the kitchen, and then he rounded on her. "Not cool, Carmen!" he hissed. "His mother's dead, isn't she? Ivy gets that same look on her face whenever she looks at pictures of our parents!"
Carmen nodded. "Yes, she's dead." she confirmed with a guilty frown. "I didn't mean for him to see any of that!"
Zack crossed his arms. "Why were you digging into his past?" he demanded. "Mime Bomb's one of us now, and it's not fair to do that to him!"
"I thought I could help him if I knew more about what happened to him." Carmen said quietly. "I just wanted to help."
Zack's expression softened. "I know you did." he replied. "But you should have asked him first. He'll talk about his past when and if he wants to. He had such a good day yesterday and now he has to deal with this. I'll check on him in a few minutes just to make sure he's okay."
Carmen nodded. "There's a lot I need to talk to him about, but I'll wait until he's ready."
Zack looked annoyed, but he still gave her a nod. Crossing the kitchen to the stove, he picked up an egg and then cracked it into the pan.
"Hopefully he's still hungry." he said more to himself than Carmen.
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Le Chèvre glanced across the room where El Topo was laying on his bed facing away from him. He had never seen El Topo this angry before, and it honestly took him by surprise. The normally mild tempered Latino had raked him over the coals the night before, and then he'd gone to bed, refusing to listen to a word he said in his own defense. It honestly stung that El Topo refused to listen, and Le Chèvre had gone to bed himself, feeling self-pity and anger. What hurt more than anything, was when El Topo had separated their beds and moved his as far away from him as he could. They had pushed their beds together the moment they were given the room, and now the space between the beds felt a mile wide.
Le Chèvre had not slept well, and he had a feeling El Topo hadn't either. When the sun was finally up, Le Chèvre let out a sigh, and sat up.
"Antonio? I would like to talk." he said, knowing the other man was awake as well.
El Topo rolled over to face him, his expression still angry.
"I can't do this any more." Le Chèvre told him.
El Topo hurriedly sat up, eyes wide. "What are you talking about, Jean Paul?" he demanded.
"This life isn't meant for me." Le Chèvre replied, gesturing around. "I am a criminal, and I don't belong here."
"You're wrong." El Topo said firmly. "You do belong. You don't need to be a criminal, you can be a hero instead. We can steal every cent from V.I.L.E, and actually help people! We will do it together with our new family."
"You misunderstood me." Le Chèvre said softly. "I don't want to belong. I want to leave."
El Topo just stared at him.
"Every second I'm here simply feels wrong, and I feel like I'm slowly being suffocated. I can't stand it anymore, and I want to return to being a criminal."
El Topo's expression darkened. "You're too stubborn to admit you're scared, and so you're running away!" he accused.
Le Chèvre scoffed.
"It's true." El Topo insisted. "You went through a horrible and scary thing when you were kidnapped. They hurt you, they chained you up, and now you found out your injuries may be permanent! Climbing is your whole life, and now when faced with the possibility that you could lose it, you're frightened, and you're running away so you don't have to face the realty of it!"
"You don't know what you're talking about!" Le Chèvre snapped, getting angry himself. "You've gone soft, and you just don't want to admit that this life is not for us!"
El Topo glared at him. "We're exactly where we should be!" he insisted. "Everyone here loves and supports us, and they only want to help you! Open yourself up to them, and let yourself be happy for once! Stop being so damn stubborn!"
Le Chèvre glared at him. "I am leaving, Antonio. I won't tell anyone about where this base is, but I'm leaving."
Antonio met his gaze fiercely. "And what about me?" he demanded.
A heavy silence hung in the air, and the tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. Le Chèvre swallowed the lump in his throat.
"You can come with me."
"I will not leave Team Red." El Topo responded. "They need me, and I need them."
Le Chèvre's expression turned ugly and he turned away. "Then you've made your decision, Antonio."
Without waiting for a response, Le Chèvre stormed from the room, not seeing the tears forming in the other man's eyes. Le Chèvre was intending on stalking to the front door to leave, but the moment he left the bedroom, Shadowsan seized him by the elbow.
"I want a word with you." he said in a tone so dangerous that Le Chèvre didn't even consider refusing. "Let's go to the gym to speak so we won't be overheard."
Le Chèvre gave one last glance to the front door, and then found himself being yanked down the hallway towards the gymnasium.
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Zack glanced into the bedroom for the third time that day and saw Mime Bomb was still laying on his bed in the exact same position he'd been in all morning. He hadn't touched the breakfast Zack had brought him, and he'd made no move to respond to anything said to him. Zack held a plate containing a sandwich and slowly made his way over to his friend. He set the plate and a can of pepsi on the bedside table and then started to walk away. Mime Bomb then reached out and caught him by the hand. Zack paused and looked down at him. Mime Bomb gave a tug to the hand, and Zack hesitantly sat down on the bed beside him.
Mime Bomb then turned the laptop screen so Zack could see. There was a picture of four people standing in front of a Christmas tree. Zack looked at the picture and saw the woman he'd seen before standing with two children and an older woman. The girl was about eight or so and the boy looked to be three or four. Zack stared at the toddler and saw the boy was grinning at the camera and proudly wearing a red cape and fancy crown. Zack saw the red hair and mass of freckles and he smiled.
"Is that you?" he asked, pointing.
Mime Bomb nodded.
Zack stared at the little girl who was excitedly holding a football and helmet towards the camera. She was smiling at the camera showing she was missing a front tooth. "And is this your sister?" Zack guessed, pointing.
Again Mime Bomb nodded.
Zack turned his attention to the older woman and saw how she was frowning at the camera, her expression stern and unamused. She had her arms crossed against her chest, and was standing perfectly prim and proper. Zack instantly didn't like her, the woman reminding him of the cps workers he dealt with as a kid. "Your grandmother?" he guessed.
Mime Bomb nodded.
Zack's finger slowly slid over to the red-haired woman. "And this is your mother." he stated. He didn't even need to ask.
Another nod.
"She really is pretty." he told him. "You look so much like her that it's almost scary."
Mime Bomb gave a shrug.
"Where is your father?" Zack asked.
Mime Bomb held his hands up like he was taking a picture and Zack laughed. "Oh, right, of course. Dumb question."
Zack stole a glance at Mime Bomb, and to his relief the other boy didn't look overly upset, just a little bit thoughtful.
"Your family looks really nice." Zack told him. "Do you remember them?"
Mime Bomb nodded.
"You're lucky to at least have memories." Zack told him. "I don't remember my parents at all. They died when I was only three. Ivy has a few memories, but she doesn't remember much either."
Mime Bomb frowned up at him.
"No, no, it's okay." Zack quickly assured him. "It was a long time ago, and I've accepted it. Ivy has been the only family in my life until I met Carmen and now my family is getting bigger all the time." Zack gave him a nudge. "Now I have a brother. He's a little weird sometimes, and he likes to tease me about my hatred of fish, but he's a pretty cool guy."
Mime Bomb offered him a small smile.
"Did you...lose your whole family? Do you have anyone left?" Zack asked hesitantly.
Mime Bomb nodded. "He pointed to his sister and then pointed at his grandmother. He hesitated on her, and then gave a shrug, not actually sure she was still living. When he pointed at his mother, however, he drew an 'X' across her.
"I'm sorry." Zack said. "How did it happen?"
Mime Bomb pointed to Zack's nascar poster on the wall.
Zack glanced at the poster and frowned. "Car accident?" he guessed.
Mime Bomb gave another nod.
"That's how mine died too." Zack told him. "They went out drinking on their anniversary and drove into the Boston Harbor. How did your mom's accident happen?"
Mime Bomb made a punching motion.
"She hit something?"
Mime Bomb nodded and then clicked through a few different photos until he found one taken outside. He pointed to a tree and Zack nodded.
"Oh, she hit a tree. What about your dad, is he still alive?"
Mime Bomb gave a shrug.
Zack was glad that Mime Bomb seemed to be taking everything better than he feared, and he gave him an encouraging smile. "Are you mad at Carmen for snooping?" he asked.
Mime Bomb held his thumb and index finger about an inch apart.
"A little bit? Yeah, I can understand that. She should have asked you first, but she feels really bad for upsetting you." Zack acknowledged. "Do you think you're ready to talk to her? She says there's something really important she needs to ask you about."
Mime Bomb let out a deep sigh and then nodded.
"Okay, great!" Zack exclaimed. "You eat your lunch and I'll go tell her!"
As Zack left the room, Mime Bomb glanced back at the screen and then reached for the sandwich.
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Le Chèvre had just received the longest lecture of his life. Shadowsan had immediately flew into him the moment they were in the privacy of the gym, and at first Le Chèvre argued and yelled back, but Shadowsan quickly nipped that in the bud by grabbing a hold of his ear like one would an errant child. It was kind of hard to argue with someone who was painfully twisting your ear, and so Le Chèvre found himself sullen and silent as he was forced to listen to what Shadowsan was saying.
Shadowsan told him how selfish he'd been with his actions and how badly he'd worried El Topo and everyone else. Shadowsan described in great detail everything they'd been through because of him, and Le Chèvre felt the first stirrings of guilt. When Shadowsan was certain he was listening to him, he released his ear and Le Chèvre found himself staring down at the floor as Shadowsan lectured and scolded him like a child. Shadowsan carefully broke down all of Le Chèvre's actions and what affect they had the people around him, and what he should have done instead. He even addressed Le Chèvre's feelings on everything that had happened, acknowledging that it was difficult and frightening, but no excuse for what he did.
Shadowsan carefully explained to Le Chèvre how Team Red functioned as a family, and that as long as he was a part of Team Red then he was family as well. He told him all about the different members of the team and the struggles they were going through. He told him that taking such selfish actions would only cause him to lose the people closest to him, and El Topo had a right to be angry with him. As Le Chèvre listened to all the ways he'd betrayed and hurt El Topo, he felt his chest start to tighten. He really hadn't seen things from this point of view, and he was starting to realize he was in the wrong for all of it. He had reacted with anger and dismissal when El Topo had tried to talk to him about it, and then Le Chèvre had told him he was leaving. El Topo likely saw this as Le Chèvre abandoning him, and he hunched his shoulders guiltily, knowing he had to speak with El Topo as soon as possible. El Topo deserved a thousand apologies, and Le Chèvre just hoped the other man would be willing to forgive him.
Shadowsan kept lecturing on and on, and the longer it went on, the smaller Le Chèvre felt. He felt a single tear run down his cheek and he hurriedly wiped it away, feeling just like chastised little boy. Shadowsan went over each and every team rule, and then what was expected of Le Chèvre should he choose to remain. Le Chèvre wasn't sure how long he was lectured for, but he knew it must have been hours. By the time Shadowsan was finally done, he'd been grounded and felt about two inches tall.
As he left the gym, he headed straight for his bedroom, hoping El Topo was still there. Opening the door, he peered into the room and saw El Topo was still laying in the exact same spot he'd left him in. El Topo stared up at him, his cheeks wet with tears and Le Chèvre felt even guiltier. Without a word, El Topo rolled over so his back was to him.
Le Chèvre knew absolutely everything was all his fault, and he quickly wiped a tear of his own away. At the time, he hadn't even considered what El Topo would think happened when he suddenly disappeared from his hospital room. He felt tremendously guilty for making El Topo think he'd been hurt and kidnapped by V.I.L.E, and he knew he would have to make it up to him somehow. Entering the room fully, he just hoped El Topo wasn't too angry to listen to him.
Le Chèvre couldn't stand the tension any longer and he silently approached his boyfriend's bed, feeling absolutely terrible. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, he reached out and ran his fingers through El Topo's hair.
"Antonio?" he whispered.
The was a slight shift, but El Topo didn't turn around.
"I'm sorry, mon amour." Le Chèvre told him. "Please forgive me. I was stupid and selfish, and I never considered your feelings. I'm sorry I worried you, but please forgive me."
El Topo didn't move.
"I was being stubborn and prideful, and I didn't want to admit how scared I was. I'm sorry you had to suffer for my idiocy and selfishness, and I am truly sorry. I would never leave without you, and I'm sorry I put you through this. I deserve your anger, mon amour, but I'm begging your forgiveness. I'm so sorry I hurt you, and I hate myself for doing this to you. I'm an idiot, and I've made nothing but bad decisions. Please, please just look at me."
El Topo slowly turned to look up at him. His expression wasn't angry, simply tired and sad.
Le Chèvre reached over and took him by the hands. "I will somehow make this up to you." he promised. "I will do anything you say, but please just forgive me."
El Topo met his eyes. "Never do something like this again." he stated, his tone warning. "Never again, Jean Paul. Never make me worry like this."
Le Chèvre gave him a nod. "I promise." he vowed. "If I ever plan on jumping out of a hospital window again, I will take you with me."
El Topo let out a snort. "That's not what I meant, and you know it."
Le Chèvre pulled him up into a hug. "I know, Antonio. I will be better, I promise. Team Red is our family, and I'll never hurt any of you again. I will return to the hospital if you want me to."
El Topo looked up at him in surprise, and then he smiled. "You want to stay?"
Le Chèvre returned the smile. "Of course I do." he answered. "I was being a fool before, but I've had some sense knocked into me."
El Topo looked amused. "Shadowsan?"
"Shadowsan." Le Chèvre confirmed.
El Topo leaned into him, feeling relieved that Le Chèvre seemed to finally understand. "Did he ground you?" he asked in amusement.
Le Chèvre snorted. "A week." he confirmed.
"You deserved two." El Topo commented.
Le Chèvre stared down at him for a moment and then rested his chin on top of El Topo's head. "Perhaps." he agreed in amusement. "But he's giving me the same punishment as the quiet kid since he did pretty much the same thing during the rescue mission. Fair is fair, I suppose."
"Are you going to keep calling him the 'quiet kid' forever?" El Topo asked.
"I refuse to call him by that stupid code name." Le Chèvre responded. "Until he changes it or I find out his real name, he will remain as the quiet kid."
"I've never understood why you dislike him so much. He's never done anything to you, and he seems nice enough."
Le Chèvre let out a sigh. "I just couldn't understand how someone like him ever got accepted into V.I.L.E academy. He never belonged there and it made the rest of us looks like idiots to have a mime in our graduating class. Then, for him to be French on top of all that, was just insulting."
El Topo glanced up at him. "Mime Bomb's not French." he said. "I overheard Carmen talking about him to Zack this morning. He's Welsh."
Le Chèvre eyes widened in surprise. "I knew it! I knew there was no way he was French! No Frenchman alive would ever drench his food in ketchup!"
El Topo let out a laugh. "Oh, mi amigo, you are such a snob."
Le Chèvre laughed as well. "Perhaps." he admitted.
"I think I would like some lunch since we missed supper last night." El Topo told him.
Le Chèvre immediately got up and held his hands down to his partner to help him up. "I will make you something special." he promised. "An apology lucnh."
El Topo nodded and allowed himself to be pulled up. "Sounds good, mi amor."
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Mime Bomb glanced up as Carmen entered the bedroom, knocking as she did so.
"How are you feeling?" she asked him hesitantly. "Zack told me you're ready to talk?"
Mime Bomb glared at her, but motioned for her to approach all the same. She took a seat on Zack's bed across from him and then gave a deep sigh.
"I'm sorry you found out I'd been looking into you that way. I had been planning on asking you about it today, and forgot I left the information up on my screen. I really am sorry."
Mime Bomb continued glaring at her.
"I thought if I knew more about you, I could help you get past the trauma you endured. I know now that I should have asked you, and I'm sorry."
Mime Bomb gave her a nod.
"I was hoping it would be alright if I asked you a few questions about your childhood?" Carmen asked. "There's something odd we discovered when looking into you."
Mime Bomb now looked wary, but he still gave her a nod.
"Is it alright if Player watches so he can translate your sign language for me?"
He gave another nod.
"Player, are you there?" Carmen called out.
"Yeah, Red." Player confirmed. "Ready to translate anytime."
Carmen nodded and then glanced at the computer screen. The picture displayed was of Mime Bomb's sister Alys.
"Your sister has been looking for you." she informed him. "She never gave up, and has been searching for fifteen years for clues as to what happened to you."
Mime Bomb frowned, his gaze flitting to his sister.
"That's what we'd like to know as well." Carmen said gently. "Where did you disappear to? Who kidnapped you from your grandmother's house all those years ago?"
Mime Bomb's whole body stiffened, and he hurriedly shook his head. He made a few signs and Player translated.
"He said 'I am not talking about that. Choose a different topic.'"
"I need to know if there's another criminal organization that I don't know about." Carmen told him. "Someone has been trying very hard to erase all traces of you, and your name is gone from every record and every form you were associated with. Every time your sister posts information about you online, it's immediately taken down or censored. Someone is trying very hard to keep you hidden, and I think it's the same people who kidnapped you."
Mime Bomb's eyes were wide with fear and he again shook his head. He frantically signed and Player once again translated. "I changed my mind. I am not talking about this any longer."
"They did something to you." Carmen insisted. "You could talk before you were taken, but when you returned, you were mute. I need to know, what is your real name, and why was your father's identity such a secret? Was he the one who took you?"
Mime Bomb slammed the lid of the laptop shut, and then once again signed.
"Don't" Player said.
"Don't what?" Carmen asked.
Mime Bomb signed angrily at her and Player was quick to translate. "Don't touch this, just leave it alone. You have no idea what you're doing. You can't investigate this or they will kill you all."
Carmen's eyes widened. "Who?" she demanded.
"It doesn't matter, because I'm not talking about it." Player answered. "Leave the past where it is, and don't touch it."
"Can you at least tell me your name?" she asked.
Mime Bomb adamantly shook his head. "No. I no longer have a name." Player answered for him.
"If there's a criminal organization out there hurting people, then I have to investigate it." she replied. "I can't let them get away with it."
Mime Bomb's signs were clearly furious and Player spoke in an angry voice to go along with them. "You don't understand! I'm not helping you investigate this, and I'm not going to talk about it. Leave. It. Alone."
"Mime Bomb..." Carmen said, as he got up angrily. "Just sit down and we'll calmly talk about this. I know it's probably hard for you to think about, but-"
Mime Bomb batted the laptop to the floor, and then stormed away from her, heading to the door.
"Mime Bomb, wait!" she called after him.
He left the room and she let out a deep sigh.
"Well, that could have gone better." Player commented.
"This just proves there really is another criminal organization." Carmen answered, staring down at her broken laptop. "I can't ignore this, Player, and I'll have to research this with or without Mime Bomb's help."
"What about his warnings?" Player asked. "What if these guys are really bad news?"
"I'll just have to be careful until I can figure out who they are." Carmen answered. "I'll let Mime Bomb calm down and then try talking to him again later."
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TBC