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The Broken Silence
Chapter 24
Team Red vs. Team Crackle
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San Diego, California
Team Red Base
June 30th 2019
Chase stared down at the phone number in his hand, still unsure of Julia's true intentions. Did she really want to learn the truth or was it all an elaborate trap? She was part of A.C.M.E, one of their enemies, and he knew it was stupid to trust her. Chase knew Julia was an honest person, and he had personally seen how she cared about justice, but he couldn't help but worry she was being somehow manipulated.
Chase glanced at the clock and saw it was nearly eleven. It was probably too late to call her now anyway. He played with the piece of paper in his hand for a moment, and then reached for his com. Placing the tiny device into his ear, he pressed the button.
"Player? Are you there?"
There was only a few moments of pause before Player answered. "Devineaux?" he questioned in surprise. "What can I do for you?"
"I need to make a phone call and I'm worried about it being traced." he said, taking a seat on the edge of his bed. "Is there anything you can do?"
"A phone call?" Player repeated in surprise. "Who are you calling?"
"Julia Argent."
Player went silent for a moment. "Does Carmen know about this?" he asked.
Chase let out a sigh. "No."
"Julia Argent is part of A.C.M.E, and this is a dangerous thing to do." Player told him. "I'll have to tell Carmen about this."
"I know." Chase responded. "That's fine. I need to find out if Julia can be trusted, and I need to speak with her."
"Okay, just a second." Player told him. "I'm just going to check with Carmen first. Hang tight."
As Chase waited, he stared down at Julia's very neat handwriting, feeling like he was setting himself up to be disappointed. Everything in Chase's life was one giant disappointment, and he knew he couldn't expect much.
He'd felt like he and Julia had grown to be pretty good friends during their partnership, even if he was rather rude and abrupt with her most of the time. She was always patient with him however, and he'd never once seen her lose her temper. He knew she had been the brains of the team, and he had been the heart. He had never really understood her affinity for boring facts and small details, but he still respected her intelligence.
Chase's wife had been intelligent too and he'd never really understood her either. He had no idea what she'd ever seen in him, but he had loved her with his entire heart and soul. She had been an amazing and beautiful woman who he'd been proud to call his partner both at home and at work. Together they had fought the corruption within Europe, and they quickly became known as the prized powerhouse to send after the worst and most difficult cases.
Chase clenched his fists as he thought of his wife, and his gaze went down to his hand where he once wore his wedding ring. Yu Yan… Her name meant 'beautiful smile' in Chinese and it was a fitting name for her. She had a smile that could light up any room, and he had always woke to see that smile first thing every morning. After she was gone, waking up in the morning was the worst part of his day. He would open his eyes and know there was no smile waiting for him.
He saw signs of her in every room in the house, as if she'd be back at any moment, and it stung. She was everywhere and nowhere at the same time. It wasn't long before Chase began packing away anything that reminded him of her. He got rid of pretty much everything in his house.
He ran a finger over his bare ring finger, an aching emptiness rising within him. He had thrown the ring as hard and as far as he could into the Clain River in Poitiers, just wanting to free himself of her presence. He had regretted it the second he threw it, and he had tried to find it, but with the swift currents, he'd had no luck.
Chase had fallen into a very ugly depression after the loss of Yu Yan, and everyone at Interpol knew to avoid all mention of her when he was near. After taking the allotted time for bereavement, he had returned to work, but was never the same. Although Chase had thrown himself right back into work with everything he had, he had changed. He was impulsive and reckless and Interpol worried for him. They stopped assigning him the dangerous cases for a while, but they missed having such a powerful team they could send after the problem cases.
Chase knew exactly what they were doing when Interpol assigned Julia Argent to be his partner the moment he laid eyes on her. Interpol chose an incredibly young, and intelligent French-Chinese woman to be his partner and he knew it wasn't coincidence. He wasn't a complete idiot, and it was both insulting and infuriating. Julia was young enough to be his daughter, and Chase was disgusted that Interpol even thought about it. Interpol was trying to replace Yu Yan with a new love interest, and they were trying to make him forget about her. It didn't work.
Chase had zero interest in Julia or any other woman for that matter. Yu Yan took his heart with her when she died, and he didn't think he'd ever have it in him to love like that again.
None of this was Julia Argent's fault however, and Chase tried not to take out his anger on her, but it was difficult. He had been extremely abrupt and impatient with her at first and he was surprised she had put up with it. She had been patient with him, and tolerated his outbursts without a word, and after a time, Chase began to warm up to her.
They began talking while on missions, and it was through these chats that Chase realized with amusement that Interpol hadn't taken something into consideration when they chose Julia. Julia was not attracted to men. He never told Julia what Interpol had done, but he knew she was intelligent and probably figured it out the second she saw the picture of his wife. Yu Yan, his French-Chinese wife with short black hair and freckles. The similarities were enough that even now Chase got a twinge of pain every time he looked at Julia.
Chase stared down at the floor and let out a deep sigh, never wanting a cigarette more in his life. Reaching into his pocket, he popped a couple mints into his mouth, and began sucking on them, his craving abating a bit.
His last conversation with his wife before she died had been an argument about his smoking. She hated that he smoked, but he enjoyed it immensely and had no desire to quit. She had argued with him and made some very good points about why he should quit, but he had dismissed her. She had let out a sigh of exasperation, rolled her eyes and then told him he was lucky he was cute. He had laughed, kissed her and then left to go to the gym. That was the last time he saw her alive.
Chase had quit for her, and he would never smoke again as long as he lived. He popped another mint into his mouth, and then looked up as someone knocked on his bedroom door.
"Come in." he called out.
Carmen poked her head into the room, offered him a smile and then approached, the girl already dressed for bed. "So, Player told me you want to call Jules?" she asked.
Chase gave her a nod. "She's in San Diego." he told her. "I met her at the grocery store."
Carmen's eyes widened, and she wondered why he was only now mentioning this. "Does A.C.M.E know where we are?" she demanded.
"Julia says she's here alone." Chase responded.
Carmen frowned. "Do you believe her?"
"I'm uncertain." he admitted.
"What do you want to talk to her about?" Carmen asked with a frown. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
"She told me she just wants to know the truth. She's never lied to me before, and she's a good person, but it's A.C.M.E I don't trust."
"Jules does seem to put a little too much trust in authority." Carmen commented, crossing her arms. "Do you think she'll understand?"
Chase considered it, and honestly wasn't sure. "I hope so. I don't like her working with A.C.M.E. They've proven before that they're willing to toss their own people to the wolves, and I'm worried she's going to get hurt."
Carmen gave him a nod. "Call her, but be careful not to tell her too much about where we are. Hint that we're only here for a single mission and could leave at any time."
Chase nodded. "You can listen in if you want."
"No, I trust you." Carmen told him, clapping him on the back. "If you think Jules is willing to listen, set up a meeting with her in three day's time on the 4th of July. We'll meet her somewhere public where it'll be easy to slip away if there's trouble. We'll call her on the day of the 4th to tell her the location."
Chase nodded. "You don't want me to explain over the phone?"
"No, this is the sort of thing that should be explained in person." Carmen told him. "Talk to her, see if she seems genuine and then you and I can arrange to speak with her face to face."
Chase scratched his chin thoughtfully and then gave her a nod.
"Player will make sure your call can't be traced." Carmen assured him. "Come tell me what happened after you call her."
Chase gave her another nod. "I'll call her now."
Carmen gave him another clap on the back and then headed for the door. "I'll be awake for a while and so don't worry about knocking on my door."
Once Chase was alone, he picked up his phone and began dialing. As the call connected and began ringing through, Chase began fidgeting, hoping this was going to go well.
"Hello?" came Julia's voice.
"Hello, Ms. Argent."
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San Diego, California
Green Tree Motel
July 1st 2019
Crackle stared up at the ceiling, and couldn't help but feel agitated. Dash and Neal had disobeyed him and possibly jeopardized their element of surprise, but yet he felt an odd sense of regret for punishing them so severely. He didn't understand why he felt this way, and it was frustrating. They deserved to be punished, but every time he looked at them, he experienced a twinge of guilt.
Crackle knew there must be something wrong with him. These emotions were not allowed, but no matter how hard he tried to quash them, they couldn't be silenced. The sounds of Dash and Neal's screams as he hurt them still echoed in his ears, and Crackle didn't understand it. He had been trained to fight, to hurt, to kill, but yet something as simple as a beating was eating at him in a way that left him unable to sleep.
Crackle glanced beside him at Neal and saw the other man was shivering in his sleep from the ice-packs. Crackle reached over and began removing the ice-packs knowing a few hours without them wouldn't hurt anything. His gaze fell on the black bruises that covered Neal's back and he frowned, hoping the other man would be ready in time for the heist. He didn't like the fact Neal seemed like he'd been planning on ignoring the bruises until Crackle had discovered them.
Neal insisted he was used to bruises, but it still worried Crackle. If Neal bruised as easily as he insisted, a beating could seriously injure him. Crackle knew he wouldn't be able to punish him the way he'd been taught to by Bellum's various lessons. If you couldn't beat someone into submission, what could you do? Crackle honestly had no idea.
Crackle let out an irritated sigh, knowing he was probably not going to be able to fall asleep. He glanced around and his gaze fell on the tablet sitting on the bedside table. Deciding to check what Neal had been up to earlier, he reached over the other man and picked up the tablet and headphones. Settling himself comfortably, he plugged in the headphones and powered on the tablet.
Clicking on YouTube, it brought up the last video Neal was on and Crackle frowned at the title. The title on it simply said 'Dingo'. Why was Neal looking at videos of Australian wildlife? Furrowing his brow, he clicked play. A boy stepped into frame of the video wearing khaki shorts with a matching khaki top, and Crackle stared with wide eyes. The boy looked just like him except several years younger.
"G'day mates!" the boy said with an over-exaggerated accent. "This is GrahamTheLadyHunter69 and today I will be showing you the proper way to approach a wild Dingo!"
Crackle watched in confused silence as the boy explained all about dingos, and then demonstrated how to safely encroach on the animal's territory. The video ended with the boy running away as fast as he could while cursing up a storm as a pack of dingos charged after him snarling at his heels. The screen went black and the words 'Graham:0 Australia: 17' appeared on the screen.
Crackle was terribly confused. That didn't seem like very good advice at all. Why was this video published? What was the purpose of it? He stared at the name Graham at the bottom of the screen, and felt very odd about it. That name... Why was it so familiar?
Graham…
Crackle suddenly had a memory of himself being scolded by a woman who looked painfully familiar. She had brown hair pulled back with a ribbon, and her eyes were gentle but stern as she glared at him.
"Graham Elliot Benjamin Dawson!" the woman scolded, hands on hips. "I told you to stop making those foolish videos! Look at your face! You're bleeding !"
"Aw, mum." he complained, wincing as she began disinfecting the bite on his face.
"What bit you this time?" she demanded. "Do we need to get you another rabies shot?"
He felt a little petulant as he crossed his arms. "...it was a turtle."
She let out an exasperated sigh. "Why were you putting your face close enough to a turtle that it could bite you?"
"...for science?"
She let out another sigh. "Oh, Graham."
Crackle winced as he struggled to remember more, but the memories refused to come through the fog in his mind. Graham… Was that what his name used to be? Before Bellum had saved him? Before she had helped him get better?
He turned his attention back to the tablet, and clicked on another video.
That boy really did look like him and Crackle frowned and continued staring at the screen. He glanced at the date the videos were posted and saw they were all created over a two year period during 2013-2014. Knowing he was around twenty-two or twenty-three, he realized his own age would match up with this boy's… Was this him? As he watched a snake bite the boy directly in the face, Crackle seriously hoped not.
Confused and feeling a bit upset over everything, Crackle set the tablet aside and sat up. Wanting to get a little bit of air, he quietly got to his feet and slipped on his stealth suit. He gave his team a quick glance but everyone was sound asleep, and so he silently headed for the door.
The moment he was outside, he took a deep breath and glanced up at the sky. It was a clear night and he could see stars and he took another breath, trying to get his emotions under control. Not having any real destination in mind, he began walking, just wanting to clear his head. The night was warm and rather pleasant, and the streets were quiet as he walked along. The air of San Diego wasn't pleasant like the air on New V.I.L.E Island, and it tasted of engine oil and heat.
Crackle found himself relaxing the farther he walked, the open air feeling right to him in a way he couldn't explain. Crackle wished he could remember a bit more of his past, but the more he fought against the fog, the more it seemed to press in on his mind.
"Hey!"
The sudden voice startled him and he looked up to see three men approaching him from a nearby alley. Unconcerned, Crackle stopped walking, and waited as they stalked towards him.
"Wallet now." one of the men ordered, switchblade glinting under the streetlight.
Crackle simply stared at him, looking the man up and down, not impressed with what he saw. The three men were covered in yellowing bruises as if they'd recently been in a fight, and one of the men was walking with a noticeable limp. Crackle stared at them for a moment, and then without a word continued walking past them.
This seemed to surprise the leader of the men, and he hesitated and then became enraged.
"I said give me your wallet!" he snarled, stepping in front of Crackle to stop him.
Crackle heaved a great sigh, and then turned to stare at the man, his expression annoyed. The man clearly wasn't expecting a reaction like this and became a little uncertain. He was used to people being afraid of him, and he usually got the wallets without a problem. Very rarely did he have to fight for it, and it looked like it was going to get his hands dirty this time.
"Look, crackhead, I don't know what you're on, but empty your pockets. I want your cash and whatever pills you have. Hand it over or I'm going to gut you."
"Just walk away." Crackle advised them. "I'm not in the mood for this."
"Did you not hear me?" the man snarled. "Give me your stuff now!"
"I will be forced to defend myself if you touch me." Crackle warned him. "Walk away now."
The man exchanged a look with his two buddies, and knew he would have to make an example out of Crackle. He would lose face if he ignored such disrespect in his own territory.
"You asked for it." the man growled. "I'm gonna mess up that pretty face of yours! Come on guys. "
The three men seized Crackle by the arms and they yanked him into the dark alley out of sight of the street. There were screams, the sound of a scuffle, and then sounds of shattering glass. Two minutes later, Crackle casually left the alley, covered in blood from head to toe, and continued on his way without so much as a glance back.
He didn't meet anyone else as he walked along the streets, and eventually he found himself in the parking lot of a 24/7 gas station. Deciding to buy himself a bottle of water, he entered the store, the ding as he entered alerting the cashier. The woman at the counter stared at the odd young man covered in blood and then went back to her magazine with a roll of her eyes.
"I only have $20 in the till." she called over in a bored voice.
Crackle stared at her in silence for a few moments, and then headed for the back of the store towards the soda coolers. He was the only customer in the store, and it was clear the cashier did not care what he was doing. He stood in front of the coolers and inspected his choices silently, confused about all the different types of water to choose from. What was the difference between spring water and artesian well water? Was the more expensive water better quality?
Scratching his chin as he considered his options, something colourful nearby caught his eye. Glancing over, he saw a row of slushie dispensers of every colour along the back wall. He stared at the spinning liquid within, and he suddenly felt like he had seen this before. There was something strangely familiar about those slushies...
Crackle had a sudden memory come to mind of taking a huge sip of a red slushie and then sticking out his red tongue at his friends, laughing as he did it. Crackle stood there as he struggled to keep hold of this memory, remembering how he had been joking around with several friends as they loaded up on candy and then headed to the till to pay.
Frowning a bit uncertainly, Crackle reached out and grabbed an empty cup and approached the red slushie dispenser. Filling it to the brim, he snapped the cover into place and unsheathed a straw, stabbing it down into the thick red drink.
The moment Crackle took a sip, his mind was filled with memories of red slushies and piles of candy. He had always loved cherry best, and used to buy them at the shop all the time. His parents never liked him having that much sugar and he used to sneak to the store to buy them. He took another sip, trying to remember something else, but his mind was frustratingly blank.
"You gotta pay for that, you know." the cashier called over, still not looking up from her magazine.
Crackle glanced over at her, and his frown deepened, feeling like he was on the verge of fighting his way through the fog. He could almost feel the memories within his reach, and he desperately looked around for something else to help jog them out of the fog.
He wandered the store aimlessly, and he found himself at a wall of sweets, remembering how candy had always accompanied his slushie purchases. He then stood silently staring, hoping to see something that looked familiar to him. Taste seemed to help him remember, and if he could find something he'd had before, perhaps it would help him find a few more memories.
Nothing looked familiar to him at all, and so he grabbed one of every single type of candy, using a nearby basket to hold it as the pile got bigger and bigger.
"You gotta pay for that stuff too." the cashier informed him, still not looking up.
Crackle ignored her, and once he had some of everything, he made his way over to the till.
The cashier let out an irritated sigh as if she hadn't actually expected him to pay, and set her magazine aside so she could serve him. She eyed the massive pile of candy, but didn't comment as she began scanning the items one by one. Crackle patiently watched, taking another sip of his slushie as he did so.
"$237.42." She told him, giving him a skeptical look.
Without a word, he reached into his wallet and handed her cash. She frowned at the bills and then reached for her counterfeit bill detector pen. After checking each bill and finding them genuine, she shrugged and then processed the sale. Packing the candy into a massive bag, she handed it over, and Crackle left the store without a word.
As he walked back in the direction of the motel, Crackle felt even more confused about things than when he had left. As he passed by the alley the men had yanked him into, he could hear pained moaning coming from just out of sight. Ignoring it, he continued walking, knowing those men were no threat to him, and therefore weren't worth his time.
When Crackle was finally back at the motel, he quietly opened the door and peered in, seeing everyone was still sound asleep. Silently entering the room, he made his way over to his bed and picked up the tablet he'd left on.
He was about to sit down to continue watching the videos, when he had second thoughts. He wanted to remain outside for a while longer, and so he once again quietly snuck out of the room. Once outside, he approached the motel pool, and settled himself down onto one of the rickety lawn-chairs. Putting on the headphones, he started the next video of his younger self, and reached for a candybar.
Two hours later, Neal woke and saw Crackle was gone. Glancing towards the bathroom, he saw the door was open and no one was in there. Rubbing at his eyes, he slowly sat up, immediately noticing the ice-packs were gone. He was barely sore, and knew it wouldn't be long before he was back in top form.
Getting to his feet, Neal approached the front window and pulled aside the curtains, and saw Crackle was sitting by himself next to the pool. His nosiness getting the better of him, he opened the door and then crossed the parking lot towards the pool, not caring that he was still in his boxers or that he was barefoot.
When he reached the pool, he saw Crackle was surrounded by hundreds of candy wrappers, most things only having a single bite taken out of them. A massive Big Gulp Slushie rested on Crackle's knee, and the Aussie was staring at the pool, his mind clearly miles away. His clothes were covered in splatters of blood, and Neal suspected none of it was Crackle's own.
Neal took in the bizarre sight for a moment and then took a seat in the chair next to him. Crackle glanced over at him but said nothing, simply turning his gaze back to the water.
"Breakfast of champions?" Neal joked, waving a hand at the mess. "Is this what you do while we're sleeping? Binge on candy?"
When Crackle didn't respond, Neal reached over and plucked the Slushie off his knee. Stealing a sip of the mostly melted drink, he gave a nod of approval.
"Cherry, good choice." he commented.
Crackle still said nothing. Neal reached down and began digging through the piles of sweets until he came across some black licorice. Claiming it, he leaned back in his chair and popped a piece into his mouth.
"You okay, wombat?" he asked after a moment of silence.
"Have we met before, Neal?" Crackle asked, clenching the armrests of the chair tightly.
Neal raised a brow.
"Before this mission, I mean, did you know me?"
Neal was still giving him an odd look and so Crackle let out a sigh.
"Before our team was formed, did you know who I was? Had we met?"
Neal gave him a shrug. "Possibly." he replied. "Honestly all the new recruits seem to blend together for me. I could have seen you a dozen times and I wouldn't remember. Why do you ask?"
Crackle didn't answer.
Neal took another sip of the drink, and gave him a look of concern. "You're not okay right now, are you?"
"Do you have any food from Australia?" Crackle asked, giving him an oddly intense stare.
This was not the response Neal was expecting. "You don't have enough candy?" he teased. "What's going on?"
"If you have any food from Australia, please go get it."
Neal cocked his head, incredibly confused. "I dunno what I have left, but I'll go check…"
As Neal headed back for the room, he shot Crackle a worried look over his shoulder. Was Crackle having some sort of breakdown, or was something else going on? Deciding to just keep a close eye on him, Neal entered the room to look through his bag. A few moments later he was once again crossing the parking lot and carrying a package of Tim Tams and bag of Pineapple Lumps.
"These are the only Australian snacks I have." Neal told him, taking a seat beside him.
"Thank you." Crackle said, taking both packages.
He opened the Tim Tams first and pulled one of the cookies out, staring down at it, once again getting that odd familiar feeling. He took a bite and the flavour was instantly one that he knew. He didn't get any distinct memories from it, but he knew this was a snack he used to eat frequently. He then turned his attention to the bag of chocolates. He ripped open the bag and pulled out one of the pineapple creams, looking it over for a moment before popping it into his mouth. The memory was instant.
Crackle was very young and he was sitting in a fishing boat with his father. He loved fishing and was having a great time as his father told him stories while they both ate pineapple chocolates and drank lemonade. Crackle could clearly see his father's kind and smiling face, and he knew he had been happy during that time.
He then felt the fog come crashing in again, and Crackle shook his head as a dull ache settled just behind his eyes.
Neal was watching him silently, and when Crackle glanced over at him, he gave him a frown.
"What did V.I.L.E do to you?" he asked.
Crackle narrowed his eyes. "Go back to bed, Neal." he ordered.
"This was more than a mind-wipe, wasn't it? They did something to you."
"Go back to bed." Crackle ordered, his tone taking on an edge.
"Did it never occur to you that maybe we could help?" Neal demanded. "We're teammates, wombat, we're all on the same side here."
"Nothing is the matter with me." Crackle snapped. "I have never been better."
"Yes, because all of this is completely normal." Neal responded, waving a hand at the candy wrappers. "Have you been out here all night?"
"I want to be alone." Crackle informed him. "Go back to bed or I am going to take this as another show of disobedience."
Neal let out a huff. "You can't just keep hitting us every time we disagree with you." he said boldly.
Crackle glanced at him, and then let out an irritated sigh. "If you won't go to bed, then you can get to work planting the information online for Team Red to find. In two days on the 3rd of July, we're going to be pretending to rob the local sawmill of their deeds, charity contracts and scholarships. According to the information you're going to plant, V.I.L.E is going to be using these to expand into the California area. This should get their attention."
Neal gave him a nod, knowing it was pointless to argue any further about the odd behaviour.
"I'll make it look like a conversation between two operatives on the Dark Web. I'll encrypt the conversation and make it difficult to get to and that should make it seem more believable."
Crackle gave him a nod. "Let me know when you've finished."
Neal gave him a nod. "It won't take me long."
Crackle gave him a nod. "I'll be in after I clean up this mess. Don't wake the others."
Neal gave him another nod. "I'll get started."
As Neal walked away, Crackle got up to begin cleaning up the mess he'd made of the pool area. He decided that once he was finished cleaning, he was going to ask Neal about those videos. He had watched them all, and they had left him with a sad and aching feeling he didn't understand.
Taking a deep breath, he stuffed the candy back into the bag and then headed for room, trying his best to get his emotions under control.
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San Diego, California
Team Red Base
July 3rd
"Hey, Mime Bomb!"
Mime Bomb jerked awake as his shoulder was given a hard shake. Sitting up and blinking tiredly, he looked up and saw Zack crouching over him, grinning widely.
"Guess what today is?" the boy said a bit too loudly for his tastes.
Mime Bomb wiped tiredly at his eyes, and gave him a shrug, glancing over at the clock on the wall. Seeing that it was only a little after five in the morning, Mime Bomb gave Zack an unamused look and then rolled over, trying to burrow his way back under the blankets.
Zack immediately gave him another hard shake and Mime Bomb reacted by swatting at him in annoyance. Zack's grin became even wider when he realized Mime Bomb had forgotten about something very important.
"Come on, time to get up! Don't you remember what today is?"
Mime Bomb didn't react other than edging a bit further away from him.
"Today is the day your cast comes off!"
Mime Bomb was instantly wide awake and he hurriedly sat up. Cast day! He glared down at the cast, glad he was finally going to be rid of it. Six weeks without his left arm had been horrible, and he was already itching to cut the thing off.
Zack then noticed what Mime Bomb was wearing and his eyes widened.
"Are you wearing my favourite baseball jersey as a sleep shirt?!" Zack suddenly asked in alarm. "The one I don't let anyone touch?!"
Mime Bomb glanced down at the jersey and gave him a shrug. He had run out of clean shirts the day before and despite it being his turn to do laundry, he'd been putting the chore off. He'd grabbed a jersey out of Zack's closet last night, not really paying attention to which one it was.
Zack let out a deep sigh and decided to let it go. Rolling his eyes, he reached out and took Mime Bomb by the arm, and gave him an encouraging tug.
"Come on." Zack urged him. "Shadowsan is going to saw it off for you! He's waiting for you in the kitchen."
Mime Bomb grinned at him and scrambled out of bed, and headed for the door without hesitation. Being a mime without a left arm was torture, and now he'd finally be back to his old self again! When they entered the kitchen, he saw Shadowsan was seated at the kitchen table, calmly sipping a cup of tea. Mime Bomb approached him and held out his arm expectantly.
Shadowsan raised a single eyebrow. "Let me finish my tea, and then we will remove your cast." he told him.
Mime Bomb huffed, and Shadowsan ignored him as he went back to enjoying his morning tea. Sighing, Mime Bomb crossed the kitchen and opened the cupboard door and saw Chase had restocked the coffee. Grabbing one of the bags, he carried it over to the coffee machine and began making himself a pot.
As it began to perk, he once again approached Shadowsan, standing there and watching him intently as he drank his tea. He had a feeling Shadowsan was purposely drinking as slowly as he could, and after five minutes, Mime Bomb debated on just cutting the cast off himself. There was a strange sort of handsaw resting on the kitchen table and he hesitantly reached out towards it. Shadowsan moved it out of his reach without a word and Mime Bomb let out another sigh.
"I see you wore your facepaint to bed again." he stated.
Mime Bomb frowned at him.
"Your doctor told you that you need to start going longer periods of time without the makeup." he scolded. "She told you to start sleeping at night without it. It's unhealthy for your skin and it makes a mess of the sheets. Tonight, you're not wearing it, and I'm going to be checking."
Mime Bomb grimaced, already uncomfortable with the idea.
Only a few moments later, Shadowsan set down his empty teacup and then turned to face Mime Bomb.
"Are you ready to have your cast removed?" he asked, amusement lurking in his gaze as Mime Bomb continued frowning at him.
Mime Bomb gave him an emphatic nod and once again held out his arm towards the other man. Shadowsan took his arm and then picked up the small saw.
"We don't have a cast saw and so you need to remain extremely still so you don't get cut, understood?"
Mime Bomb nodded.
Shadowsan tightly gripped the cast and then turned the handsaw on the lowest setting. As he very, very carefully began cutting through the cast, Mime Bomb held his breath, hoping he wouldn't end up with a saw blade in his arm. Shadowsan didn't cut all the way through, instead stopping just short of the other side. When he had made a cut straight down the cast, he set the saw aside and picked up a pair of scissors. A few snips later and the cast was off.
Mime Bomb stared down at his freed arm, gave it a shake and then clenched his fingers into a fist. His arm felt perfectly fine, and he beamed happily at Zack and Shadowsan who were watching him in amusement. As he approached the sink to wash his arm with lots of soap and hot water, Zack picked up the cast to look at it.
"Man, now you'll have an easier time during my lessons." Zack said excitedly. "Sometimes I don't know what you're trying to sign."
Every night Mime Bomb worked for an hour or so with Zack to teach him a bit of sign language. Although Zack was a bit clumsy with his hands, he was also incredibly enthusiastic about other boy wanted to finally be able to have a real conversation with Mime Bomb and he worked hard to learn as much as he could.
As Mime Bomb dried off his hands on a cup towel, Zack took a seat at the table. "So, what's the first thing you want to do now that you have both arms?"
Mime Bomb seemed thoughtful for a moment, and then approached the pantry. Zack watched as he carried a bag of flour to the counter as well as various other ingredients.
"You want to cook something?" Zack asked in surprise.
Mime Bomb nodded as he got to work. An hour later he had made enough pancakes to feel the whole team and he sat beside Zack as the boy reached for his sixth pancake.
"Mn, s'gd." Zack commented with a full mouth.
Shadowsan shot him a disapproving look and so Zack swallowed before saying saying anything else. "I didn't know V.I.L.E taught their students to cook!" he exclaimed.
Mime Bomb shook his head and then made a sign he knew Zack would understand.
"Mother?"
Mime Bomb nodded.
"Oh! It's your mother's recipe?"
Again Mime Bomb nodded.
"Nice." Zack commented, shoveling more food into his mouth. "Ivy and I don't know how to cook. It always ends in fire."
Mime Bomb placed a single pancake on his own plate and reached for the syrup. Just as he was cutting into it, Chase burst into the room, eyes immediately going to the coffeepot and his open bag of coffee.
"I KNEW IT!" he bellowed, turning accusatory eyes on Mime Bomb. "YOU'VE BEEN STEALING MY COFFEE!"
Mime Bomb innocently took a sip from his coffee mug, pushing the plate of pancakes towards the other man.
Chase narrowed his eyes. "I cannot be bribed with pancakes." he said in an offended tone. "I'm insulted, you thieving clown."
He approached the coffeepot, poured himself a large mug of coffee and then took a seat at the table with the others. Without a word, he grabbed two of the pancakes, carefully not looking at anyone. As time went on, the rest of Team Red began trickling into the kitchen, the smell of pancakes luring them out of bed.
As everyone helped themselves to the food, Player's voice suddenly came across the speakers.
"Uh, guys, sorry to interrupt your breakfast but there's a problem."
"What is it?" Carmen asked, instantly alert.
"I found out what Dash Haber and Neal the Eel are after."
Carmen frowned. "What did you find out?" she asked, knowing it wasn't going to be good.
"I intercepted a conversation between Neal and another operative through the dark web. It looks like they're planning on robbing the San Diego Lumbermill this afternoon when it closes early in preparation for July the 4th."
"A lumbermill ?" Tigress repeated. "What could those two idiots possibly want from a lumbermill?"
"It looks like the lumbermill has a lot of recently acquired contracts that haven't yet been processed, a large amount of land deeds, and a substantial scholarship account. They're planning on stealing the paperwork and securing V.I.L.E with land and contracts within California. There's plans for a very big operation to open up right here in San Diego."
"Can they do that?" Carmen asked in surprise. "Just steal deeds and contracts for V.I.L.E to use?"
"According to Neal, V.I.L.E has a whole team of lawyers that are going to fake transfer of ownership on everything they steal and if it ever went to court, V.I.L.E has the funds to fight it whereas the lumbermill does not. They'll get away with stealing millions from charity."
"We won't let that happen." Carmen vowed. "What time are they making the hit?"
"The lumbermill closes at 3pm, and so Neal and Dash will probably sneak in just before that."
Carmen exchanged a look with her team. "We'll stop them." she announced. "Neal the Eel and Dash Haber have no idea what's coming for them!"
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"What's taking them so long?" Dash complained, looking through the lense in his new hat. "We've been waiting for two hours!"
"Patience." Crackle scolded over his com. "They'll be here. Does anyone see anything suspicious yet?"
Crackle received all negative replies, and he lifted the binoculars back to his eyes to keep a lookout.
"There are still a few workers wandering around." Neal stated, watching as a young red-headed man with a hardhat passed by his hiding spot.
"Want me to get rid of them?" Paper Star asked from her position in the rafters.
"Not just yet." Crackle replied. "We don't want to give ourselves away too soon. Be patient."
Double Trouble were too large to easily hide and so they were dressed as labourers and were currently standing next to the mulcher, tossing in logs. They were actually having a great time watching as the blades of the mulcher tore through the wood as easily as a knife through butter. They remained back to as they 'worked' and Crackle doubted Carmen would recognize them unless she saw their faces.
"Carmen Sandiego is approaching from the North Entrance." Dash suddenly informed them. "No sign of the rest of her team."
"Okay, Dash, Neal, the both of you are up. You know the plan."
"On it." Neal confirmed, slipping out of his hiding spot.
"On my way." Dash confirmed.
Neal and Dash met at the East entrance of the lumbermill and then exchanged a nod with one another. Neal threw an arm around Dash's shoulders as they walked along, and the reaction was instant.
"Get away from me, you disgusting pit-stain!" Dash snarled, violently shoving Neal away from him. "I swear if you touch me again, I will cut your greasy head right off your shoulders!"
"Oh, and get your delicate little hands dirty?" Neal sneered loudly back, purposely wiping a line of slime across Dash's coat. "Wouldn't want you to chance breaking a nail."
They were making their way through the lumbermill as they argued, heading towards the main office.
"You are disgusting!" Dash yelled, making a big show of pulling out a tissue to wipe at the slime. "I am going to report you when we return!"
"Oh, yes, run and tattle." Neal angrily replied, giving him a dirty look. "Heaven forbid you ever deal with anything yourself. You're not even a real operative, you're just a courier!"
Dash gasped and took off his hat. "Take that back!" he snarled.
"What are you gonna do, Rapidash, attack me? Like you'd ever have the nerve!"
Dash pulled himself up to his full height, and glared at Neal as they started up the stairs of the catwalk.
"You don't think I will, Blake the Snake? Or whatever your stupid name is."
"It's NEAL. How many times do I have to remind you of my name? There's certainly not much going on in that pretty head of yours, is there?"
Dash then began storming away ahead of him. "You're ridiculous! I can't believe they saddled me with someone like you. You're like something that crawled out of a sewer drain!"
Neal noticed the red-headed worker from before was just ahead of them and the boy turned to stare at them, a bewildered expression on his face. The mulcher was just below them now, and Neal could spot movement beside it and knew Carmen Sandiego was following them.
The worker turned fully as they approached, and Neal couldn't blame him for staring, considering they were making a rather large scene right now. The boy leaned on the railing to watch them pass, and Neal saw the exact moment the railing failed and began to buckle. A brief look of surprise crossed the boy's face and then he was falling backwards, straight for the mouth of the mulcher. Neal took a quick step forward and grabbed the front of the kid's shirt and there was a brief second as they stared at one another with wide eyes, and then Neal yanked him back to safety.
"Oops, watch yourself there, Ginger." Neal said, shooting him a crooked grin. "That's a rather nasty way to go. Your body would be sent home in a bottle."
The boy was sitting on the catwalk looking rather shell-shocked, and Neal stepped past him, hurrying to catch up with Dash who hadn't even noticed.
"Now, we just need to break into the safe and then get the papers to V.I.L.E." Dash said loudly as they entered the office. "Try not to screw it all up, grease-ball."
"Are you sure you can handle touching paper?"Neal demanded. "You might get a papercut."
"At least I'll be able to touch the paperwork without leaving slime all over it."
They then entered the building and closed the door after them. Carmen immediately jumped up onto the catwalk beside Zack.
"Zack, are you okay!" she whispered in concern. "What happened? Did they hurt you?"
Zack's eyes were as wide as saucers and he silently shook his head, his gaze going to the giant spinning blades in the mulcher.
"The railing broke!" he whispered. "It broke when I leaned on it! I was almost mulched!"
Carmen gave him a horrified look, her gaze going to the broken railing.
"Neal the Eel grabbed my shirt and yanked me back before I fell. A villain just saved my life!"
Carmen herself felt terrified, realizing how close she'd come to losing part of her family. She threw her arms around him in a hug, and then glanced towards the building, knowing she didn't have long.
"Get to safety, Zack." she ordered. "I'll be fine from here. All I have to do is get the paperwork away from them before they have the chance to escape."
"You sure, Carm?" he asked uncertainly.
"Don't worry, The others are waiting nearby to help if things get out of hand."
"What about the civilians?" Zack asked, pointing to the two huge men standing next to the mulcher.
Carmen touched her com. "Okay, El Topo and Tigress, can you start getting civilians out of here?"
"Si." El Topo answered.
"Ugh, I thought I was going to actually get to fight." Tigress complained.
Carmen waved for Zack to go and he gave her a nod and then ran across the catwalk, planning on returning to the getaway vehicle.
Carmen jumped off the catwalk to the ground below and then waited for the villains to leave the office. She didn't have to wait long and the door slammed open above her.
"I still think you should let me carry the paperwork." Neal complained. "You're probably going drop the envelope or something."
"Says the greasiest man who ever existed?" Dash retorted.
"You know what, Dash? You need a hug."
Neal threw his arms around Dash who let out an indignant screech, flailing uselessly to get away. When Neal released him, Dash had a smear of slime going straight down the front of his whole outfit.
"That's it!" Dash bellowed out. "I'm going to kill you!"
Carmen from below rolled her eyes at the two men. What a disaster that partnership was. She heard a bit of yelling and then a scuffle and realized they really were fighting each other.
"I'm ready to take you on, anytime!" Neal yelled, giving Dash a slow nod.
"I couldn't be anymore ready!" Dash replied, returning the nod.
Without a word, both men suddenly jumped over the railings, each landing on either side of Carmen, trapping her between them. Carmen stared at them with wide eyes, and Neal threw himself to the ground, kicking her feet out from under her as Dash dove at her with the blade of his hat. Carmen rolled as Dash came for her and she winced as she felt the saw blade graze her arm. Kicking Dash hard in the stomach, Dash felt backwards but was steadied by Neal who caught him by the arm as he dove for Carmen, knowing he had to keep her off her feet if they wanted a chance to win.
Carmen was trapped and knew the villains had played her for a complete fool. Not having any choice, she pressed her com as she kicked out at Dash who made a lunge for her.
"I need back-up. The fight was an act!"
To Carmen's complete surprise, Dash also reached a hand to his ear. "Now." he said.
Carmen wasn't quite sure what Dash had done until she saw a paper throwing star whiz past her, aimed at Shadowsan who was coming to help her. The star almost struck Shadowsan in the kneecap, but he saw it coming and caught it with deft fingers. Carmen stared with wide eyes. It was a partnership of three!
Suddenly Tigress crashed into the side of the catwalk and fell to the ground with a pained cry. Looking over, Carmen caught sight of a huge man still with his fist in the air.
A partnership of four ! V.I.L.E hardly ever partnered that many operatives together! Shadowsan knocked Dash off Carmen, and then kicked out at Neal who just managed to jump back to avoid it. Carmen then saw a second man identical to the first step into her line of sight to help his brother as he threw El Topo to the ground hard. Carmen now recognized the two men as Double Trouble.
Five! There were five operatives! Carmen scrambled to her feet and gave Neal a solid kick to the stomach as she finally managed to escape the cage that was the catwalk. Shadowsan caught two more stars thrown at them, and knew someone had to take her out before she got lucky.
Le Chèvre spotted Paper Star hiding behind a post as she took shot after shot at Carmen, and he knew he was the only one in position to take her down. He had been ordered to remain as look-out only, but it looked like he had no choice but to fight.
He knew he was no match for her in hand to hand combat, and realized he would have to rely as his parkour skills to outmaneuver her. Taking a puff on his inhaler, he took a deep breath and then ran straight for her, balancing along a narrow metal pipe as he came up behind her. Paper Star saw him coming out of the corner of her eye and she threw a star at him over her shoulder, aiming for his kneecap.
Le Chèvre jumped over the star and landed back on the pipe, as graceful as his namesake, not even slowing his pace. Paper Star wasn't expecting him to be quite that agile, and she didn't have time to throw a second star before he landed a kick straight to her face. Letting out a cry of surprise, she was knocked from the beam, falling down into a pile of sawdust far below. Le Chèvre shot her an arrogant look, and then turned and ran out of range as she threw several stars at him angrily. Now that Paper Star no longer had the advantage of height, she instead knew she had to fight hand-to-hand.
Her gaze zeroed in on Mime Bomb who was helping Tigress to her feet, and she smiled wickedly, knowing the mime was the weakest link in Team Red. In an instant she had folded two paper knives, and then she began running for the mime while his back was to her. She definitely wasn't expecting him to suddenly side-step as she lunged at him, and she fell flat on her face in an embarrassing heap.
Realizing he had seen her approaching the whole time, she rolled to her feet and stabbed out at him furiously. Mime Bomb was fast, and he carefully side-stepped her once again.
"I'm going to slice you up, clown." she whispered to him softly.
Mime Bomb cocked his head at her and gave her his best unnerving smile, readying himself to fight. Paper Star tightened her grip on the knives and then dove for him, wanting nothing more than to feel the mime's blood on her hands.
Mime Bomb had been in many fights since joining V.I.L.E and he relied on his speed and his willingness to fight dirty to survive. He dodged around her attacks, and Paper Star was then painfully reminded why he'd graduated from the academy. Mime Bomb caught her by the hair and jerked his hand back sharply and PaperStar let out a cry of pain as she was yanked harshly to the ground. Mime Bomb shook the broken strands of hair out of his hand, and leapt back as a knife came at his face.
Paper Star was back to her feet in an instant and as she charged at him, a fist suddenly came out of nowhere and plowed into the side of her face like a freight train. Once again she hit the ground, and she clutched at her head in agony, looking up to see who had hit her. Chase stood over her, fists still held at the ready, and eyes narrowed in determination.
Paper Star recognized Chase from his picture, and she lashed out at him with her knives, catching him across the leg as he jumped back to avoid her. Chase stumbled back, and Paper Star took that opportunity to go for the kill.
As she went to stab at Chase's stomach, Mime Bomb's hands snaked out and he snatched the knives right out of her hands, tossing them aside without a care. As she turned to stare at him in surprise, Chase hit her again, and the moment she hit the ground, he was on top of her, holding her down. As she fought and struggled to get away, Chase cuffed her hands behind her back, and removed her paper pouch. Mime Bomb then gave Chase a nod of thanks.
Glancing over, Mime Bomb saw Double Trouble were both taking on Shadowsan who was expertly avoiding the twins' attacks while retaliating when he could. Tigress and El Topo both were helping him, and it looked like they were starting to wear the twins down. They seemed to be doing fine on their own, and so Mime Bomb glanced over at Carmen.
Carmen kicked Neal hard in the stomach as he grabbed her wrist, and when he let go of her Dash was instantly there with an attack. Carmen couldn't believe how well they were coordinating their attacks, and she realized that everyone had misjudged them.
"So what was the deal with Walmart?" she asked, jumping back from Dash's hat.
Neal shot her a grin. "Wouldn't you like to know, love." he responded, swiping a leg at her feet.
"I'm kind of curious, yes." she admitted, leaping over the leg. "It was pretty entertaining though."
"You have a copy of it?" Neal asked, jumping back as Dash went in for an attack.
"Sure do." she answered, ducking below the hat thrown at her. "Tigress was watching it on repeat."
"Can you email it to me?"
"Don't ask the enemy to email you, Neal!" Dash snapped at him. "We're supposed to kill her!"
"In case you haven't noticed, Fancy, we don't seem to be doing that great. I think the scarlet wonder is going to live another day."
Dash frowned at him and then glanced over at the others and quickly saw he was right. Paper Star was pinned to the ground, Double Trouble were fighting against three at once and were clearly getting overpowered.
Neal caught Carmen by the arm and just as he was yanking her forward, he was shoved hard from behind. Stumbling down to his knees, Neal looked back and saw Mime Bomb standing there, the boy frowning at him angrily.
"Oh, hello, Mime Bomb." Neal said amiably.
Mime Bomb raised his fists, and Neal raised a brow skeptically. There was an odd look in the mime's eyes as he stared at Neal, the villain having no idea that Mime Bomb had witnessed him save Zack's life. He didn't really have time to take action however, because a moment later Dash was thrown into him and they both crashed into the ground.
Dash elbowed him hard, and shot him an annoyed look. "Pay attention to the real fight!" he scolded. "Ignore the mime!"
Neal gave him a nod and they both rolled to their feet and charged at Carmen, as the girl ducked and dodged away from them.
Dash was kicked solidly in the stomach, and he winced, having a feeling that was going to bruise.
Just as Dash was wondering where Crackle was, there was a massive explosion as the building nearby burst into flames.
Everyone paused their fight to stare, and a moment later the nearby mulcher began to spark and sizzle dangerously, and Neal and Dash jumped away from the metal catwalk, knowing exactly what Crackle was doing. Shadowsan, who was standing on the far end on the catwalk suddenly seized up and fell, and El Topo reached for him on impulse. Realizing what was happening, Le Chèvre let out a yell at El Topo and reached out to stop him. It was too late however and the second El Topo touched Shadowsan, he and Le Chèvre seized up and dropped to the ground as the electricity coursed through them.
Carmen took immediate action and she charged straight for Dash, taking the man by surprise. She snatched his hat from his head and then ran for the mulcher, knowing she had to cut off the power. She threw the hat as hard as she could at the massive power cable and the saw blade of the hat easily sliced right through it. The power cut off abruptly, and Carmen glanced back to her teammates, relieved when she saw a bit of movement. The power must not have been high enough to kill, only enough to stun and she stared at the mulcher, wondering who had rewired it to do such a thing.
She heard the sound of boots stepping on top of the mulcher and looked up. She felt her breath catch in her throat as she made direct eye contact with Crackle who stared down at her, expression stony and determined.
"Gray?!"
Crackle stared down at Carmen with narrowed eyes, the sight of her in person giving him a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach.
"Gray, what are you doing here?" she asked him in concern. "Did you get your memories back?"
How did Carmen Sandiego know about his missing memories? Had she hacked into Dr. Bellum's servers? Why did her voice seem somehow familiar to him? He hopped down from the mulcher, landing a few feet in front of Carmen.
"Gray?" she questioned, quickly realizing he wasn't acting like himself. "What happened? Are you alright?"
Without a word, Crackle pulled out his Crackle Rod and powered it on. Carmen's eyes widened, and she took a step back, prepared to defend herself if necessary.
"What did they do to you?" she asked him gently.
Crackle began turning the power up on the crackle rod, and then he charged for her, swinging at her face without a word. Carmen jumped backwards and narrowly avoided the metal prongs on the end of the weapon.
"Gray!" she called to him, feeling a bit desperate. "Just talk to me! Just say something!"
Crackle said nothing at all, simply advancing on her, brandishing his weapon. Neal and Dash approached and they boxed Carmen in as Crackle took a swing at her. Dash was suddenly attacked from behind and he let out a yelp as Tigress' claws lightly grazed his neck. Neal glanced between Dash and Crackle, and with a nod from Crackle he ran to help Dash, kicking Tigress as hard as he could in the shoulder.
The girl let out a cry as her back hit the metal of the catwalk, and Neal glanced down at Dash and then gave Tigress a second kick before she could recover.
"Heya, pussywillow." he said, standing over her smugly. "Long time, no see."
Tigress' reaction was instant and she swung out at him with her claws, and he leapt to the side to avoid them. As Dash went to help, Mime Bomb jumped on his back from behind, wrapping his arms around Dash's neck.
"Hey!" Dash protested angrily as he flailed to get the mime off. "Get off of me!"
Mime Bomb simply tightened his hold, and Dash realized he couldn't get him off.
Crackle watched for a second but was unable to help, otherwise he would lose his advantage on Carmen, and so he turned away, trusting his teammates to take care of themselves.
Crackle charged for her and swung the crackle rod out violently and Carmen had no choice but to go on the defensive. Carmen could see the sheer amount of power emanating from the weapon and she realized it was set to lethal. Gray was trying to kill her…
"Gray, what did they do to you?" she asked him in concern. "Did they wipe your memories again? Do you remember the coffee shop, or the New Zealand adventure? Do you remember me?"
Crackle narrowed his eyes angrily at her obvious attempt to confuse him, and he swung out at her again. Carmen flipped over him, and then landed on his back, pinning his arms to his sides.
"Gray, stop this. Let's just talk okay? Stop with the fighting for just a minute and let's talk."
Crackle couldn't shock her while she was touching him, and so he threw himself backwards into the side of the mulcher as hard as he could. Carmen let out a grunt of pain, but continued holding on.
"Just a five minute truce so we can talk." Carmen said. "I know you don't want to hurt me, you're not a killer!"
Crackle slammed himself into the mulcher, and this time, and Carmen felt her hold loosen. Crackle felt it as well and he reached over his shoulder, grabbed a hold of her and tossed her to the ground hard. Carmen hit the ground and rolled, the crackle rod stabbing into the ground where she had just been.
The sounds of sirens filled the air, and everyone looked up in alarm, realizing this was bad. Crackle scowled, and charged after Carmen with a whole new determination, knowing their time was now limited. Carmen continued dodging him, not wanting to hurt him.
"This isn't you!" she called to him. "We're not enemies! We were once best friends, Gray, and I don't want to hurt you!"
Crackle gave no indication he heard her, and continued swinging and stabbing at her, getting more furious by the second. If he could just hit her once, this would all be over. His team seemed to be handling themselves fine and so he focused only on Carmen, trying to outmaneuver her. The sirens got closer and closer, but he ignored them, knowing the only thing that mattered was completing his mission and killing Carmen Sandiego.
Carmen had no idea what was wrong with Crackle but there was no recognition in his eyes, only a cold hardness she'd never seen before. It had been months since she'd seen him last, and she wondered what had happened to him during that time. When she last saw him, he was his usual happy and flirty self, and even though he didn't remember her, she was happy for him. She thought he would finally have a chance at a normal and honest life, but it looked like V.I.L.E sunk their claws into him once again. This violent and cold man that stood before her was a stranger, and she feared what they had done to him.
"Please, Gray." Carmen said, dodging a swing. "Why won't you say anything? Won't you just talk to me? I only want to help you!"
"The cops are here." Zack spoke into her com. "We need to get out of here."
Carmen stared into Crackle's eyes imploringly, but he simply stabbed at her again, not caring what she had to say. Carmen knew she would have to find a way to help him, but she wouldn't be able to do that now. Right now she had to make sure her team got to safety. Glancing over at Dash and Neal she didn't see the paperwork they stole anywhere. Knowing they must have dropped it during the fight, she gave a quick glance around as she dodged Crackle's attacks. It was nowhere in sight and Carmen realized that V.I.L.E was going to win this round.
Carmen reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a small canister. "We're leaving." she spoke into her com. "Plan H."
Her team all pulled out identical canisters, and they all tossed them to the ground, a thick wall of grey smoke filling the inside of the lumbermill. Crackle stabbed at Carmen as the smoke filled his vision and then he could no longer see or hear where she was. Furious, he had no choice but to wait as the smoke began to clear. Clenching the crackle rod tightly in his fist, he stood still as the smoke slowly began dissipating and after a few moments, he could make out the shapes of Neal and Dash standing nearby.
He saw Carmen standing at the far exit and she was watching him with a sad look in her eyes. They made direct eye contact for a long moment, and then she turned and disappeared out the door. Crackle scowled and turned off his crackle rod. Glancing at his team, everyone seemed fine other than a few bumps and scrapes.
"Come on." he ordered. "Let's get out of here."
They nodded, and they took off running for the far exit, knowing the police were going to burst in at any moment. They made it outside and then began running across the lumberyard, heading for where they hid their van.
As the cops began swarming into the lumbermill, Team Crackle were already piling into their van, and a moment later they peeled out the back exit, the cops none the wiser.
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TBC