I'm eating noodles with chopsticks! ...'noodle' is a funny word…
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The Titans stared at the screen while Raven typed on the keyboard for coordinates. Another emergency had been announced and they prepared to depart.
"It's another robbery near Main Street. Looks like Slade's work," Raven determined. The wheels in Robin's head went into overdrive. Slade was starting up again.
"Ok, Titans go!" The Titans ran for the door. Cyborg remembered what had happened last time and stopped.
"Yo! Shouldn't someone stay here with Carmen?" he suggested. Robin's suspicions were growing and it wouldn't be safe to just leave Carmen here. It was true that last time he questioned his suspicions about Carmen when Slade attacked the tower and injured her, but how she healed so quickly was too unlikely for it to be luck.
"You're right. Beast boy, stay here and watch Carmen," Robin ordered. Beast boy stood up straight and saluted. Robin, Raven, and Starfire ran out the doors, followed by Cyborg. He glanced at BB.
"You have nothing to fear Cy. I'll protect her," he teased. Cyborg leaned in close.
"You better. 'Cuz if you don't I'll knock you so hard you won't know the difference between up and down," he warned. Beast boy smiled sheepishly. Cyborg ran to catch up with his teammates. Beast boy walked into the kitchen for a soda, then sat on the couch and watched cartoons.
Twenty minutes later, seven soda cans were on the coffee table. Beast boy laughed at the TV, before stopping instantly.
"Uh oh," He darted for the bathroom. As soon as he shut the door Carmen came around the corner heading for the living room. She rubbed her eyes and yawned. Carmen was confused when she entered the empty room.
"Where'd everybody go?" looking around she remembered that she need some stuff of her own. "I'll just leave a note here and be on my way then," Carmen found her bag behind the couch where she left it and walked out the door. As the door closed behind her, Beast boy entered with a relieved look on his face. He had no idea Carmen was even awake.
Down at the dock, she began to wonder how she was going to get across the river. Carmen sat on the edge of the dock, took off her shoes and swished her feet in the water. Letting the minnows nibble at her toes she sighed.
"Aye there lassie don't look so gloomy on this here gorgeous day." Carmen looked up as and old fisherman waved at her from about twenty meters away. She put her shoes back on and stood up.
"Um, excuse me, but could you give me a lift to shore?" she called out to the old man. He started the motor of his skiff and rode up to the dock.
"Course, hop in lass," he extended his hand out to her. Carmen dropped her bag in the small boat and took the man's hand as she stepped in. He started his motor again and headed for the pier. "So, you a Titan?"
"Hm? Nah, I'm no Titan," she smiled. He man looked confused.
"What's your name lassie?"
"Carmen," The old man closed his eyes in thought.
"Beautiful name. Matches perfectly with your soft voice, if you don't mind me saying so," Carmen raised an eyebrow. Seeing her expression the man spoke again. "Did ya know that your name is the Latin name for 'song'? In any case your name is a perfect match for you lassie,"
"I didn't know that. What's your name?"
"Oh, pardon my rudeness. Name's Sam Myles" He tipped his hat to Carmen. He slowed his boat to a stop as he entered the docks. "'Ere ya are lass," Sam helped Carmen onto the dock and handed her bag up to her.
"Thank you for the ride Sam," she smiled down at him. He waved the thanks away.
"It was no trouble lass. I wasn't catchin' nothin' anyway," Carmen waved as he drove away. She swung her bag over her shoulder and started for her old house.
The walk there was full of old memories. She saw the candy store where she and Victor spent most of their money as small children. He loved the giant jawbreakers and the astro pops. Carmen giggled when she remembered how he lost four teeth biting into one of those. (AN: My dad lost some of his teeth that way) She leaned against the wall and searched her bag for some money. $4.57 was all she had, but plenty for what she wanted. She walked out of the candy store with two giant jawbreakers and three astro pops. Carmen unwrapped an astro pop and sucked on the tip of it. She walked pass the bench where she first admitted her love to Victor. So many places had so many memories, some good, some bad.
"Hey there! I remember you," Carmen turned and looked down at a young boy with a camera hanging from around his neck. It was that little kid that took her and Victor picture four years ago! He looked so different. He was clean, looked well fed and looked happier too. She smiled at him. "You remember me? I took your picture a few years ago," he held up his camera.
"I do remember you. Wow, you look quite grown up now. How have you been?"
"Still takin' pictures. Want your picture taken?" the boy took aim with his camera.
"I'd love to, but I have to get going," Carmen said sadly.
"Oh, that's ok. I'll take someone else's picture. Tourist seasons coming soon. I make lots of money then," he smiled and skipped away.
"Save your film," Carmen waved good bye. She continued her way down the side walk and saw an up coming bridge. It was her and Victor's bridge. She looked around their childhood playground and smiled. She missed those days. When everything was easy, and fair. Memories of laughter echoed off the walls. She remembered how he'd chase her under the bridge. Victor usually called a time-out to catch his breath. He was so cute back then! It was almost amazing how that cute little boy grew up into the strong man he was. Carmen sighed and left the bridge behind her. The path she walked on was one of the few roads that weren't paved. Those roads were usually forgotten and the only things that bordered them were people's backyard fences.
The walk was a lonely one. She was usually joined by Victor when she walked down the back roads. An odd crave began to stir inside Carmen's head and she quickened her pace faster, and faster until she was running at full-speed. Remembering to breathe right and to straighten her stride as she ran was slightly more difficult, but she managed. After her sprint, she ended up at her old house faster than she wanted. It was a good idea before, but now she was certain she wanted to go back into that house. Carmen unlatched the rusty lock on the backyard gate. The grass was greatly overgrown and the garden was a wild mess in need of weeding. The house itself looked terrible. The gray paint was peeling off and the sliding glass door was cracked. Her heart began to beat rapidly as she pulled open the door. Dead leaves littered the hard wood floor of the dinning room. Dust and spider webs thrived. The place was obviously abandoned. She walked into the living room. A window was broken and the TV was missing, along with the DVD player and VCR. Carmen walked up the stairs to the bedrooms. She jiggled the doorknob on her and Anny's room and it just fell off and rolled away. (sweatdrop) Carmen pushed open the door and looked in her room silently. She walked carefully, noticing the different coloration in the floor. She ran her fingers along the edge of the footboard of her bed. The dark blue comforter was dusty and had mouse poop on it like everything else. She looked at the old filing cabinet and opened it up. Anny's clothes lay inside, most unfolded. They were preserved quite well in the metal cabinet. She walked into her older brothers' room and shook the stuff out of and old duffle bag. Carmen checked the inside the other pockets for mice or spiders just incase. Back in her room, Carmen looked over Anny's old clothes and stuffed them in the duffle bag. She began to wonder.
"I wonder what happened to them. Where did they go?" She looked their closet. The clothes were all moth-eaten and moldy. Carmen reached up and for and old box. Kneeling on the floor she opened it up. Inside were several of her sister's necklaces and other things the two of them collected. Carmen opened up her backpack and put the box inside. She inspected her other siblings' rooms also. Her older brothers shared a room. The three of them often fought and fading lines on the carpet were still noticeable. They were such children. Carmen found her oldest brother's wrist rocket slingshot laying on the floor and looked it over. After their last encounter, Carmen was well aware that Slade could come after her again. Shoot someone in the forehead with a wrist rocket and it'll be David and Goliath all over again. Finding the metal pellets he used for ammo was enough from that room. Carmen passed her parents room completely. She entered her little sister's room. The four of them were all younger then ten the last time she knew. Nothing worth taking in there. Her three younger brothers were different. Carmen did have a favorite little brother. His was only two years younger than her and was a big fan of Japanese weapons. She saw the set of swords he had in his room and stuff them in the duffle bag with her clothes. She also liked the six throwing knives he had. "I can always learn," Carmen put the knives in her back pack and sighed.
"I guess that's enough of this place," Carmen headed back down the stairs and out the sliding glass door.
"Well, well, well. Looky here," Jinx stood confidently in the middle of the backyard. Carmen took out the wrist rocket and attacked the metal pellets onto the waist of her pants. She took aim on Jinx and fired. She dove on the ground to avoid the pellet. Carmen darted for the gate and ran down the ally way being closely followed by Slade's robot minions.
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That's all for chapter 23!