A/N: AHAHHAHAHAHA!!! Chapter four is DONE!! Hope you all like it! Krisian Rose: Hehe, that's alright, I've been really busy, but I'm glad you liked my story and read it! AWWW you're making me blush! I just love writing! I hope you really like this chapter!

Funky in Fishnet: She's not really a Mary-Sue, but she is known to do just a couple of Mary Sueish things, I kinda based the dividing molecules off of the Shadow and Vanessa from Goddesses of the Moon and the wings were just there and I liked the idea.

Queerquail: Well, I'm truthfully not 100% positive exactally, I had an awesome idea of how to lead into the mission, but then I went and saw the new HP flic and completely lost it. DARN YOU HARRY!!! Ah well, but this one hopefully, will explain the mission a little bit more and also Carmen's past.

Silent Bob 546: Teeheehee, your review made me giggle insanely! I was actually thinking of Skinner pinching her butt to wake her up but then I thought that might be a little drastic.

Raven Silvers: Thank you so much! I'll try and keep the other chapters strong, though I make no promises. I'll do my best!

Disclaimer: I own Carmen, she's all mine. The League is not, therefore do not sue me. The villain will also be mine so far...

The Nightingale

A Night Out

Carmen lay in the infirmary, a heavy dose of morphine for her pain as well as to keep her in her sick bed. She moaned silently, fighting to stay awake from the slumber that began to slowly creep upon her. She yawned and reached for her belt, only to realize it had been removed, as well as her cross-hilt sword. She scowled, her weapons never left her side, even while sleeping she would have them hidden amongst her beddings where they were easily accessible. Slowly, her eyelids became too heavy for her to keep open and she fell into a deep slumber, her dreams racing through her mind.

She had donned her dark coat, glasses, bandanna and hat and silently slipped her gloves on, dodging around the people of Thalamae heading toward the old resting place of the temple of Selene Pasiphae. Carmen smiled as she drew one dagger in case of any interruptions, now she was Nightingale, soon to become the master thief. She heard tales of the Eye of Selene, some said it was nothing more than a moonstone encased in a silver ring, a prized treasure but no mystery behind it. Others said it held a great power that only Selene could control. Either way Carmen saw it as a prize fit for stealing; either legend would give the tool a very substantial sum.

She looked at were the old temple had stood so many years ago, now leveled with the changing times and the corrosion of many storms and rains, not to mention plunderers come for the hefty stone. Carmen glanced around and slowly, seeing no guards. Why would there be? Mythology is long dead and no one believes the tale of Selene. Carmen thought, but she never liked taking chances. She hid amongst the shadows, slowly creeping around the ghost of the temple luckily; some of the lower stones still encased the outline of the temple.

Carmen crouched on the ground, surveying the outline and pinpointing where the alter would have been. This is what held the Eye of Selene for all the worshipers to behold and praise. Carmen smiled, so close to the treasure she so desperately desired. She suddenly felt a rush of wind gather around her, surrounding her in a chilling coat. She turned around, dagger at the ready but no one was there to meet the cold steel of her blade. She laughed at herself for being so jumpy, silently she started to dig into the place where she had supposed the alter would have been. After what seemed like an eternity she struck something, Carmen smiled and slowly pulled a silver box from the earth, its intricate designs glowing in the moonlight.

The box was heavy, supposedly pure silver; a lock was in the front, surrounded by molded wings in the silver. The lock was fairly perplexing; it required no key and only had a mirror as small as Carmen's thumbnail. She turned the box over and over and rattled it in her hands, hearing the small metallic clink inside; she looked toward the lock again and slowly let a smile creep to her face. Who needs a key when the goddess controls the moon? She turned and held the box at waist level, reflecting the mirror into the moonlight. The mirror shimmered and a faint clink was heard and Carmen slowly opened the lid and reveled what she had craved since the stories on the ship. She picked up the ring; it was quite simple truthfully with a single semi-transparent stone set in a silver setting of arched wings. Carmen was drawn into the simple beauty of it all and slowly placed the ring onto her finger.

Suddenly a dark mist engulfed her entire body, sending chilling waves through her very soul as a voice rose from the air, dark, mysterious yet more sensual like that of a woman.

"You have taken my pure stone for your own tainted ways, now you will take on your tainted form. Be gone from here mortal, or thou shall face godly wrath from Selene."

Carmen felt the burning throughout her body, but her back blazed as though it were on fire, teeming up her spine and settling, burrowing deeper into her shoulder blades, she screamed into the night writhing as her own body began to form with the black mist...

Carmen shot from her bed clawing at the air, sweat falling from her forehead in giant beads down past her throat. She spun around, forgetting where she was for a moment, and then slowly settled back into her bed, remembering her dream. The day she received her powers was one day that she never forgot, the pain wouldn't let her. The fire throughout her back, the only time she had ever cried from pain and emotion from the ripping of her molecules. She had experienced that pain whenever she had dispersed against her will, usually due to an enormous burst of emotional rage or sadness. She smiled as she remembered the day she mastered her powers, she couldn't be stopped, except for a few bouts of uncontrollable rage, she always could bring her powers to the surface.

She suddenly felt a slight twinge in her back, she needed to stretch or else the twinge would become annoying. Carmen threw off her coat and turned to walk out the door, but suddenly caught her reflection in one of the mirrors. Her face was still covered in dirt and grim, her arms were clean from Dr. Jekyll washing them to prevent any type of infection from setting in. Her hair matted her face and her lips were dry and chapped, and frankly, she looked like she flew straight from hell. Carmen smiled slightly and quickly dodged out the door searching for the one they called Nemo who piloted the ship in hopes of finding somewhere to stretch. She saw crew mates looking toward her with distaste as she returned their scornful stares with her own glare until she finally found Nemo speaking with another crew mate, giving him orders in his own native tongue. She sat by quietly until he began to walk away.

"Captain, might I inquire if I may go topside?" Nemo turned suddenly and stared at Carmen, his eyes cold as the steel walls around him. He still didn't quite trust the newcomer on his lady but he had learned to trust the rest.

"Of course, Miss Valance, but what may I ask do you require above the ocean?" Nemo squared his chest and assumed his regal air of authority toward the smaller thief.

"I need to stretch my wings before we are to go back under, else my bones will start to twitch and hurt terribly and then what use would I be to the League with hurt wings?" Carmen smiled her devilish smile and crossed her arms facing Nemo with slight defiance in her eyes. Nemo nodded slightly and pointed down the hall where the hatch door was located, "When the sun sets, we shall meet in the state room for dinner and a meeting. This should be enough time to stretch your wings...And also Miss Valance..." Nemo turned toward her as Carmen was about to head down the hall, "if you attempt to escape, I have no problem in hunting you again, and then I shall be less than courteous toward your thieving and murdering ways." His voice ended with a cold bite that even made Carmen's blood run cold. She nodded silently, never breaking from the captain's gaze.

She made her way to the hatch, her back already pulsing with energy to go and great the open sky and water for breaths of fresh air. The ladder climb seemed to take an eternity until finally she felt the open sea air on her face. She smiled and raced toward the bar quickly crouching down as her transformation began.

Her back pulsed with the demonic energy Selene had blessed her with, her shoulders cracking and thinning out eight feet on either side of her. Carmen bit back a cry as the bone snapped to form joints and her skin began to stretch around the protruding bone. The color darkened to that of the black leather she always wore, almost as thick as well. She arched her back as the wings snapped into place and flapped once for a test run. She lifted a few inches off the air without any trouble and slowly tucked them behind her as she climbed the bar, slowly closing her eyes and crossing her arms.

"So quick to kill yourself already? No need to be that drastic is there?" A voice sounded around the deck. Carmen only opened her eyes, slowly rolling them as she identified the voice as that of the man she belted earlier.

"Sadly, no, if you were observant you'd notice I was about to fly, not dive to my doom, now if you'll excuse me." Carmen let herself fall forward, her body stiff and falling head first into the depths below. Skinner raced to the edge, slowly pulling on his coat and looking down toward Carmen. Before she hit the sea, her wings opened and she shot upward her wings brushing the top of the water, creating tiny ripples in the still water. She smiled as she did two flying aerials before coming to hover in front of the floating coat.

"Well, that must come in handy Miss Valance, especially if a mob of men ever were after you." Skinner's coat showed he was leaning against the rail. Carmen smiled as she guessed the next line, "For my beauty no doubt?"

Skinner laughed, "Actually, I was going to say for the smell, you don't smell quite like a rose luv." Carmen frowned, remembering what she came out here for, she turned back toward the ocean and fell forward, Skinner calling behind her, "No need to spend life in the deep sea luv, we don't mind the smell!" She heard a touch of sincerity in his voice and slowly smiled to herself as she hit the water. She loved the feeling of the salt water upon her face, caressing away the dirt, blood and grime, and surging through her hair, taking away the filth nestled in her tangles. She let her wings propel her out of the water, her hands brushing through her hair so it was out of her now clean face. She shot out of the water and made her way toward the ship and landed with a dull thud on the deck floor.

She threw her head back and closed her eyes as her wings began to retract back into her shoulders; Skinner winced as he heard the bones snapping, though Carmen didn't see it. He looked at her now clean face, she's actually not that bad, wait...this is the lass who insulted you and gave you a nasty beating. Skinner shook his head and crossed his arms, "Well now! I can actually smell something other than a sewer, glad you finally cleaned up Miss Valance." Skinner smiled and realized he didn't put on his face paint; he withdrew it out of his pocket and slowly began to apply it. Carmen watched with interest.

"How did you get like that anyway?" Carmen listened as Skinner explained how he was a thief that wanted more, so he stole a formula enabling him to turn invisible.

"But, what I thought would be a boon to my work, was actually my undoing. I can't turn back invisible, even though now I can steal most anything without being notice, I can't even be noticed when I want to be." Skinner turned to see Carmen smiling.

"Too bad I am the master thief, but I could have used you in my band, you would have made a fine investment." Skinner frowned and turned back toward the ocean, he hated being reminded of his thieving days now that he couldn't anymore. He was one of the good guys now and actually developed a conscious during their world wide tour. He turned to see Carmen staring out to sea as well, a glassy look to her eyes.

"I hate being an assassin, almost as much as you hate to be invisible. But I never take innocent lives, always those that deserve it. I know your other team mates don't understand that but I truly am not as evil as I seem." Skinner turned grinning toward Carmen, "Why Miss Valance, if I didn't know better I would say you actually had a soul."

"Shut up or I will make it to where you shall never have children again. And call me Miss Valance one more time and I'll belt you again." Carmen turned and faced Skinner, "would you like me to call you Mr. Skinner?"

Skinner flinched at a Mr. being put in front of his name; he was a gentleman but not that much so. Carmen suddenly asked, "Is Skinner actually your real name? Or is it just a nickname?" Skinner looked taken aback, most people called him Skinner when they heard others, and she actually asked his real name.

"Well, of course luv it's Ro..." Skinner never finished his sentence as a god awful din arose from around them and threw them to the ground, Skinner toppling on top of Carmen. They sat for a moment, not sure what happened until Carmen pushed up and looked around toward what looked like a smaller version of the Nautilus. She gaped open mouthed as another torpedo was launched, right toward their end of the ship!

A/N: Sorry again about the late update! Work has been murder! Hehe no pun intended. But here's chapter four! I'll try and get chapter five up and running as soon as possible!