El Tigre copyright Jorge Gutierrez and Sandra Equihua
The Mask copyright Dark Horse Comics/New Line Cinema
The American Rivera
Chapter 06: Recovery And Forgiveness
[Miracle City Hospital]
The Sunlight Shined Into The Window As Dawn Approached...
Zoe Aves Was Sitting On a Chair Facing Chris`s Hospital Bed.
She Had been Sitting There ALL NIGHT Once She Was Able To And, Had Fallen Asleep There While Watching Over Chris.
Zoe Soon Fluttered Her Eyes Opened As She Woke Up.
Her Stiff Back Cracked a Bit As She Stretched Out.
"ohhhh...what a night."
Zoe Looked At Chris, Who Was Still Motionless.
"Chris?
Chris, Wake Up...Please."
Chris Moved Slightly, His Breathing Shallow.
Zoe Watched As His Eyelids Moved a Little.
"Chris?"
Chris Soon Opened His Eyes Slowly And Steadily.
His Vision Was Blurred a Little, But Soon Cleared Up.
He Looked Over The See Zoe Looking At Him.
"Z?..."
Zoe Sobbed With Joy.
"oh, chris..."
She Immediatly Hugged Chris, But Not Too Tightly.
"Your Alright!" Said Zoe, Looking At Him
"I...I Guess So."
Zoe Cried a Little.
"oh, chris...i was so scared.
for a moment, i was afraid that i would lose you."
Chris Looked At Zoe.
He Smiled, Then Touched Her Chin Softly.
"Oh, Zoey...
Don`t Worry, I`m Okay, Now."
Zoe Smiled, But Still Cried a Little.
"How...Are You Feeling?"
"Well...My Body Aches All Over And, I Do Feel a Little Sore And Dizzy...But, I Think I`m Okay."
Chris Looked At Zoe.
"Have You Been Here All Night?" Asked Chris
Zoe Nodded.
"I have...
I Also Gave My Blood To Save Your Life."
Chris Eyed Her.
"You Did?"
Zoe Nodded.
"Everyone Else Was Here, Too...
But, I Stayed When They Had To Go Home."
"Everyone?"
"Yeah, Everyone..."
Chris Thought a Bit.
"Was...Manny Here?"
Zoe Frowned, Her Eyes Narrowed.
"yes..." Replied Zoe With a Growl
"oh..." Said Chris, Thinking Hard About This
He Then Looked At Zoe.
"Zoey...Could You Call Them, Tell Me I`m Awake?"
"Are You Sure?"
Chris Nodded.
"Yes...I Want To See My Family."
Zoe Sighed.
"okay, chris...i`ll call them."
Zoe Took Out Her celphone And Dialed a Number.
[Later]
The Rivera And Aves Family Were Soon At The Hospital.
Manny And Frida Were Also There, Too...But, They Were Still Might Depressed.
Zoe Soon Walked Out Into The Waiting Room.
"Zoe...Is He-"
"Chris Is Fine." Began Zoe To Maria
"Though He Says His Body Is Still Aching And Sore."
Zoe Eyes Manny And Frida.
She Approached Them With a "Death Glare".
"After Everything You Two Have Done...Chris Has Every Right To Hate You.
But, He Asked To See The Both Of You FIRST before Anyone Else."
Manny And Frida Were Very Surprised.
Zoe Walked Off, Not Making Eye Contact.
"count yourself lucky that chris is so forgiving...you don`t deserve a brother like him, rivera."
Manny Sighed.
"Yeah...i know."
Manny Walked Into The Hall, Followed By Frida.
[Chris`s Room]
Manny Opened The Door And Saw Chris laying On His Hospital Bed.
His Body Was Still Bandaged Up With Casts That Kept His Limbs Straight So His Bones Could Heal Better.
Wires Were Connected To Him That Monitored His Vitals.
The Deviced Showed His Heart Rate Was Very Steady.
Manny Walked In, As Did Frida.
Chris Looked Up To See Them Walk In.
"Manny...Frida.
You Came...(Chuckle) First Time For Everything, I Guess."
Manny Sighed Sharply.
Frida Stood Still As Manny Approached Chris.
"chris...i`m...i`m sorry.
i am so very sorry...i didn`t mean for this to happen."
Chris Watched At a Teary Eyes Manny Spoke To Him.
"I`m Sorry For What I Did To You...
I Was a Jerk Who had No Reason To Treat You So Cruelly."
Manny Sighed Sharply.
"See, Chris...I Was Scared.
I Was Afraid That You Was Taking My Mom Away From Me...
But, That Was Stupid And Childish...And, I Understand If You Hate Me For It."
Chris Sighed.
"manny...I Don`t Hate You, I Never Did.
And, To Be Honest...I Should Be Saying Sorry."
Manny Looked At Chris.
"What?"
"I Said Terrible Things Too."
Manny Looked At Chris, Then Sighed Sharply.
"They Were TRUE Things."
"That Still Didn`t Make It Right...
It Was Wrong Of Me To Act That Way, So...I`m Sorry."
Manny Looked AT Chris In Disbelief.
"I...I Don`t Understand.
You Have Every Right To be Angry WIth Me, But...YOUR Apolygising?"
Chris Sighed.
"Manny...I Never Wanted To Take You family Away From You.
All I Wanted Was To be PART Of Your Family..."
Chris Sighed.
"Ever Since I Was Born...I`ve Lived My Life Alone.
I never Knew My Parents And I Had No Friends Growing Up.
You Know, Sometimes I`d Lay Awake At Night And DREAM Of What It Would Be Like To Have Those Things...
That`s Why I Came Here To Mexico, To Miracle City...SO I Could Get My Chance At happiness."
Manny And Frida Looked At Chris As He Spoke.
"Maria Gave Me That Chance...Even Though She Didn`t Have To.
All I Ever Wanted...Was To BELONG Somewhere And Not be An Outcast, Anymore."
Chris Sighed As He Shed a Tear.
"But...That Isn`t Really Easy, It It?
I`m The Only American In An Entire City Full Of Mexicans And Hispanics...
So, I Feel More Like An Outcast HERE...Than I Did Back In My Country."
Chris Looked At Manny.
"I Don`t Blame You For Rejecting Me, Manny...I Am DIFFERENT."
Manny Sighed Deeply.
"I Did Reject You...And, It Was Wrong Of Me.
I Should Of Realised That Family Is So Much More Than BLOODLINES..."
Manny Walked Up To Chris And Looked At Him.
"You ARE Family, Chris...I Know That Now.
You Are My Brother...And, Most Of All: You...ARE...a Rivera."
Chris Smiled, a Tear In His Eye.
"Manny...That`s All I Wanted To Hear From You."
Chris Gave Manny a Hug, Despite His Pain.
Manny Hugged Him back, Tears Still In His Eyes.
Frida bit Her Lip, Then Walked Over To Them.
"Chris..."
Manny Stepped Aside As Chris Turned To face Frida.
"Chris, Ditching On You Wasn`t Manny`s Idea...It Was Mine.
I`m The One Who Talked Manny Into Going To the Mayan Arcade Instead Of Be With You...
And, If Anyone Is To blame For What Happened To You...it`s me, not manny.
I Don`t Expect You To Forgive Me...Since I`m Not family, I Just Want You To Understand."
Chris Sighed.
"Frida...I Forgive You."
Frida Sobbed a Little.
She Ran Over And Hugged Chris.
"thank you...and, i`m sorry."
Chris Patted Frida On Her back.
"i understand..."
Frida Parted From Him Manny And Frida Then Left Him Alone.
Chris Stayed In The Hospital For a Few More Weeks Or So.
During His Stay There, He Was Visited Constantly By His Family And Friends...
Zoe ALWAYS Came To Spend Time With Him, Usually Talking About Her Day And Such.
The Only Other Person Whose Visits Was Constant Was Maria, Who ALWAYS Brought Him Some Books To Read.
Manny And Frida Also Sacrificed Their Spare Time To Spend With Him As Well.
Luckily For Chris, His Expensive Hospital Bills Was Payed In Full By Grandpapi Rivera And, Even The Aves Family Donated Their Funds For His Full Recovery...
Though, Chris Often Wondered WHERE They Got So Much Money In The First Place.
After What Felt Like a Year (Actually a Few Months In Total)
Chris Was Finally Well Enough To Leave The Hospital And Spend His Recovery At Home.
Naturally, His Loved Ones Were There For Him When This Day Came.
[Miracle City Hospital, Parking Lot]
Chris Was Sitting In a Wheelchair That Was Rolled By Maria Towards Her Car.
He Was Greeted There By Manny, Frida And Zoe...Who Looked At Him, Both Happy And Sad.
"Okay, Chris...Here We Go." Said Maria
Maria Moved Chris`s Wheelchair Near the Car Door.
Manny Opened The Door, While Frida And Zoe Helped Him Up.
"Guys, Guys...I Can Handle Mysel-"
"Chris, Your Bones Need To Heal...You Can`t be Moving Around So Much." Said Zoe
"Look, The Doctor Said I`m Able To Move On My Own, Now."
"He ALSO Said You need Plenty Of Rest." Said Zoe
Chris Sighed Sharply.
He Knew There Was No Arguing With Zoe Once Her Mind Was Made Up.
Chris Sighed Deeply.
"okay, fine...you win."
Frida And Zoe Helped Chris Into The Car.
Maria Grabbed Some Crutches From The Wheelchair And Handed Them To Chris.
"Don`t Forget These, Mijo!"
Chris Sighed As He Took Them.
Maria Soon Walked Around And Got In The Car, As Did The Three Teens.
Maria Soon Started Driving Out Of The Hospital`s Parking Lot And Drove Into The Streets That Lead Into The City...Headed For Her Estate.
Chris Sighed As He Sat In His Seat.
He Hated To Feel So WEAK And HELPLESS...But, There Was No Way Around It.
Maria Soon Reached a Stopped At a Red Light.
Chris Looked Around...Then, He Cringed At What He Saw: The Same Alley Where Spike And His Gang Beat Him.
Chris Couldn`t Help But Tremble a Little.
The Longer Looked At That Place, The More The BAD MEMORIES Came Back.
Zoe Could See Chris`s Fear From The Backseat.
"Chris?
Chris, Are You Okay?"
Chris Sighed Sharply.
Zoe Looked At The Alley, As Did Manny And Frida.
Zoe Then Realised Why Chris Was So Upset.
"was...That Were It Happened?" Asked Zoe
Chris Was Silent, But Nodded.
Zoe Exhaled Sharply, Her Eyes Narrowed.
The More She Thought About Was Spike And His Gang Did To Chris...The More She HATED Them.
She Wasn`t Alone...Manny Also Found a Seething Rage For The Bullies, EVen Frida Couldn`t Help But Despise Them.
"C-C-Could We Take Another Street?" Asked Chris, His Voice Trembling
Maria Looked At Chris, Then Sighed.
"sure, chris..."
Maria Took a Detour And Drove Down a Different Street.
Chris Sighed With Relief, Though His Head Was Hung Low.
His Body May Be Healing, But He Wasn`t Sure Of His "Psychological Damages".
They Soon Reached Maria`s Manor.
Chris Got Out And Used His Crutches To Walk...
Manny, Zoe And Frida Walked Close To Him, In Case He Needed Any Help.
Later, Chris Opened The Door To His Room.
Manny, Frida And Zoe Walked In And Watched Him Sit On His Bed.
"Chris...Are You feeling, Okay?"
Chris Looked At them, His Face Emotionless.
"I Don`t Know...
I Guess I`m Still a Little Shaken Up From What Happened."
Zoe Clentched Her Fist Tightly.
"Those Blasted Punks!
They`ll Pay For What They Did!"
"ZOE, NO!
Don`t Do It!"
Zoe Looked At Chris.
"Why Not!"
"Because, Your Better Than They Are...
Responding To Their Cruelty With MORE VIOLENCE Will Only Provoke Them More."
Zoe Sighed.
"But...I Can`t Just Let Them Get Away With This!"
"You Know, For Once...I Agree With Zoey." Said Frida
Chris Sighed.
"Look, If There Is Any Justice In The World...They`ll Get What They Deserve In The End."
Manny Punched His Hand.
"I Still Think We Should Go Over To There Little Hangout By Park Row And CLOBBER THEM!"
"Right...And, Then The Police Will Arrest You For Harrassment." Said Chris
Manny Sighed, Realising He Was Beat.
"Look, Don`t Waste Your Strength On Those Guys...Their Not Worth It."
Chris Yawned Loudly.
"Right Now...I`m VERY TIRED.
And, I`m Gonna Take The Doc`s Advice And Get Some Rest."
Chris Layed Down On His Bed.
Max Soon Walked In And Got Up Next To Him.
"Okay...See Ya." Said Manny As He Left
"Yeah, See Ya Around." Said Frida, Who Also Left
Zoe Just Looked At Chris.
She Sighed As She Walked Over And Gave Him a Hug.
"see you soon, chris...
i`ll call you whenever i can."
Zoe Began To Leave.
"Zoey..." Started Chris
Zoe Turned To Look At Him.
"Promise Me You Won`t Try Anything At School...Please?"
Zoe Sighed Deeply.
She Knew It Would Be HARD To Resist, But...She Was Willing To Do Anything For Chris.
"Sure, Chris...I Promise."
Chris Smiled.
"Thanks, Zoe...I Knew I Could Cound On You."
Zoe Smiled, She Then Left.
Chris Turned Over, He Closed His Eyes And Drifted To Sleep.
[Later, At School]
Zoe Slammed The Door To Her Locker Shut.
She Walked Down The Hall, Carrying Her Books.
It Was At That Moment...That Spike And His Gang Showed Up.
"Hello There, Aves..."
Zoe Glared At Spike.
"what do you want?" Said Zoe Darkly
"Well, Seeing As How Your "Boyfriend" Isn`t Around...We Have To Find Someone To Pick On.
And, Seeing As Your On Your Own Now...Guess Who We`ve Picked?"
Zoe Gritted Her Teeth.
"You Jerk!
Chris Almost Died Because Of You!"
Spike Smirked Cruely.
"Really?
Well, That`s a Shame...Here I Was Hoping That Gringo Was Done For."
Zoe`s Muscles Tensed.
She Wanted To Hit Him...But, She Remembered The Promise She Made To Chris.
"Nice Books..."
Spike Reached For Zoe`s Books, But a Voice Rang Out.
"SPIKE!"
Spike And The Others Turned To See Manny And Frida Walk Up.
Manny Had a Dark Look In His Eyes...Like a Tiger Ready To Kill.
"Leave Her Alone..."
Spike Chuckled.
"Since When Do You Defend Aves?"
Manny Glared At Him.
"Get Out Of Here...NOW."
Spike Sneared.
He And His Gang Left.
Zoe Sighed.
"thanks..." Said Zoe, Walking Off
"You Gonna be Okay?" Asked Manny
Zoe Nodded.
"yeah...i`m fine."
Zoe Walked Off, Leaving Manny And Frida Alone.
"She Really Misses Him Being Around, Doesn`t She?" Asked Frida
Manny Nodded.
"Yeah...She Does."
Zoe Walked Off Alone.
She Sighed As Her Mind Wandered a Bit.
Zoe Looked At Her Black Wristwatch.
She Sighed As She Remembered Her Secret Identity As The Black Cuervo.
Chris Cared For Her As a Friend, But had a Crush On The Black Cuervo.
Zoe Herself Was Having Mixed Feelings About Chris As Well...
She Also Felt Guilty.
She Was Chris`s Best Friend And He Trusted Her, But Was Keeping a Secret From Him...
And Not just About Cuervo...But, Her "Original" Purpose For Being Friends With Him.
Zoe Figured Telling Chris The Truth May Destroy His Trust In Her...But, She Couldn`t Keep Lying To Him.
If She Was Any TRUE FRIEND, She`d Be Honest With Chris...Even If The Truth Was Hurtful.
[Later That Night]
Chris Was In His Bed Sleeping.
Suddenly, He Awoke To a Clacking Noise.
He Looked Up And Saw That It Was Coming From His Window.
So, He Slowly Got Up And Walked Over To His Window, Then Opened It.
He Looked Down And Saw Zoe Standing There.
"Zoe?
What Are You Doing Out Here So Late?"
"I Need To Speak To You About Something...And, It Can`t Wait."
"Well, Tell Me..."
"No, I Need You To Come Down Here."
Chris Sighed.
"Alright, I`ll Be Right There..."
Chris Closed His Window And Disappeared From Zoe`s View.
After a few Minutes Or So Of Waiting...Chris Soon Walked Out The Door.
Chris Walked Over To Zoe.
"Okay, What Is It?"
Zoe Sighed Sharply, Her Face Saddened.
"Chris...I haven`t Been Completly Honest With You."
"What Do You Mean?"
Zoe Twiddled Her Fingers, Biting Her Lip.
"Well...You See.
W-When We First Met...I...I Wasn`t Nice To You Because I Liked You."
Zoe Sighed Sharply As She Continued.
"See...I Found Out You Was Manny`s New Brother.
And, I...(Sob) I Tried To Use You For Revenge By Pretending To be Your Friend."
CHris Eyes Her.
"Y-You What?"
Zoe Was In tears.
"And, When You Brought Me To Your House...
I...I tried To Steal Something From You Mom, Something I Was Gonna Use Against Manny."
Zoe Cried.
"I`m...I`M SO SORRY!
Chris Just Looked At The Crying Zoe In Shock.
He Finally Sighed And Brough Zoe`s Face To His own.
"Zoe...It`s OKAY, I Forgive You."
"Y-You Do?"
Chris Nodded.
"Z, It Was So Long Ago...You`ve Changed Since Then.
I See No reason Why I Shoul Be Mad Over Something In The Past."
Zoe Sighed.
"there is...something else."
"What?"
Zoe Sighed.
She Reached Over And Pressed a Button On Her Wristwatch.
Chris Saw Black And Purple Armor Cover Her Body...Til She Became The Black Cuervo.
"Chris...I`m The Black Cuervo."
Chris Was Fully in Shock.
"Y-Y-Y-YOUR WHAT!"
Cuervo Sighed.
"i`m sorry, chris...i really am."
Chris Slapped His face.
"oh my god...
You Mean To Tell Me That I Have a Crush On My BEST FRIEND!"
Chris Suddenly Realised Something Else, Then Slapped His Face Again.
"the love letter..."
"I Thought It Was Sweet." Said Zoe, Who Smiled Sheepishly
Chris Then Remembered Something Else.
"Wait...
Then, It Was YOU Who Saved Me That Day?"
Cuervo Nodded.
"It Was An Accident...
Things Got Out Of Hand When I Was Fighting El Tigre."
"Why Were You Fighting That Guy!
Cuervo Sighed.
"Because...El Tigre Is Manny Rivera."
"He`s WHAT!"
"I Was Attacking Him Over WHat he Did To you."
Chris Took a Minute To process This.
"Okay, Lemme Get This Straight...
Your The Black Cuervo...Meaning Your Mother And Grandmother Are-"
"Voltura And Lady Gobbler."
"Right.
And, If Manny Is EL Tigre...Then, Does That mean That-
Cuervo Nodded.
"His Father Is White Pantera And His Grandfather Is Puma Loco."
Chris Exhaled Deeply.
"Right...And I Suppose My Mom Wears a Costume, Too." Said Chris Sarcasticly
Cuervo Was Silent.
Chris Just Looked At her.
"Zoey..."
"Your Mom USED To be Plata Peligrosa."
"You mean That Crazy Person?"
Cuervo Nodded.
"WHen I Was In yoru Mother`s Room...I Was Trying To Steal Her Silver Glove Of Power."
Chris Sighed Sharply, He Soon Sat Down.
"Chris, I`M SO SORRY!
I MEant To Tell You This, I Swear!
I Was Just...Just...Afraid."
Chris Looked At Her.
"Afraid?"
"Hmm-Hmm...That You Wouldn`t Trust Me For Keeping These Secrets From You."
Chris Sighed.
"Well, I Am Pretty Surprised...But, I`m Not Mad.
I Understand Why You Did, So I Can`t Really Hold That Against You OR My family."
Cuervo Sighed With Relief.
"BUT..."
Cuervo Now Sweated At Chris`s Tone Of Voice.
"I Do Want Your Family To "Re-Think" Your Lifestyle...I`m Not Sure About This "Stealing Thing"."
Cuervo Looked At Chris, Then Sighed.
"I Know...I`ve Been Feeling That Way, Too.
It Was Because Of My Family Going Out Stealing...That I Wasn`t There When You Needed Me."
"Can`t You Guys Just Steal From Criminals Or Something?"
Cuervo Looked At Chris.
"Well...That DOES Make Sense."
Chris Approached Her.
"Promise Me You`ll Talk To Them...For Me?"
Cuervo Smiled.
"Your My Best Friend, Chris...Of Course I Will."
Chris Smiled.
"Good."
He Hugged Cuervo, Who Hugged Him Back.
They Then Blushed As They Parted.
"W-Well...Good-Night, Chris."
"Y-Yeah...You Too."
Cuervo Hovered Up And Flew Away Chris Watched Her Leave, Then Sighed As He Went Back Inside His House.
As Cuervo Flew Back Home...She Heard An Explosion.
She Looked Over And Saw a Man Trying To Steal a Woman`s Purse.
The Man Jerked It Away And Made a Run For It.
"HELP!, MY PURSE!"
Cuervo Narrowed Her Eyes.
"i promise, chris..." Whispered Cuervo
The "Raven Girl" Jetted Towards The Man.
She Rammed Into Him At Full Speed, Knocking Him Out Cold.
She Then Grabbed The Purse And Ran Back To The Woman.
"Is This Yours, Miss?"
The WOman Took Back Her Purse.
"Oh, Thank You SO MUCH!
My Life Savings Was In There."
"Your Welcome." Said Cuervo With a Smile
She Then Ran Over To The KOed Man And Grabbed Him By his Shirt.
She Then Flew Up And Jetted Towarded The Police Station.
She Hovered Over And Dropped Him On a Squad Car.
Some Officers Got Out And Got Teh Man Off Teh Car.
"Well, Well, Well...What have We Here!
We`ve Been After You For Weeks, You Purse Snatcher, You!"
As The Officers Arrested The Man, Cuervo Smiled...Then, Flew Off Towards Home.
"wow...that was kinda fun.
maybe there IS something to this "hero thing"."
Cuervo Flew Off At top Speed, Disappearing Into The Night.