Screwed up Sandiego
By: FunahoMisaki
(A/N: I own nothing and read last chapter)
"Ready?" Carmen asked looking at Ivy who was reclined into her arms leaning against Carmen on the couch where they were waiting for the next part of their new plan to go down.
"Yeah." Ivy said softly looking a bit insecure despite herself and causing Carmen to pull her closer without thinking about it. The sound of a heartbeat helped keep Ivy calm for some reason, as they had found out when Carmen had grabbed Ares close to try and keep her from killing anyone when she had been triggered by a needle. Sara had snatched the needle from one of her aides, knowing it was likely to trigger the young woman, but it had been too late as Ivy had seen it and that brutal cold dead look had appeared again. She knew she had gone into weapon mode, but they all told her that the worst injury was a broken arm and three broken ribs that she gave Al when he tried to pin her down.
"Are you sure we can trust her?" Ivy asked closing her eyes as she listened to the steady heartbeat in her ear. It was keeping her calm, was keeping her in control and from raging at the fact that she was in the house of a woman who had known about the experiments and hadn't stopped them.
"You saw how she acted during the meeting and besides, I was in the same training group as her and was often assigned to cases with her. She hasn't changed much, she's still a good woman that's working for the wrong people." Carmen assured the smaller woman who merely nodded silently.
"Keep telling yourself that she didn't know until it was too late for her to stop it. She was on your side the entire meeting remember? Can I kiss your head?" Carmen murmured as she set her chin down on top of Ivy's head, pressing a gentle reassuring kiss to the girls red hair first when the red head nodded. She had found that small light touches of affection didn't set Ivy off unless they were back to back, repeated, or unexpected.
Large or unexpected shows of affection resulted in Ivy shutting down and Ares nearly breaking a few bones at the least.
"Right." Ivy said her voice quiet as she closed her eyes and listened to the heartbeat in her ear. The two of them stayed like that for a few minutes until Ivy tensed subconsciously and cracked one eye open when her sensitive ears heard the clack clack of familiar heels hitting the floor. She knew that pattern of steps and the sound of those heels anywhere. She had memorized how each ACME high ranking personal walked and what their steps sounded like years ago.
You can fake a person's voice and can make a mask that looks like a person's face…but not many if anyone ever thought to mimic the way a person walks or what their steps sounded like. Ivy however did, as did Carmen.
"Relax. Let me deal with it at first. I won't let anything happen to you." Carmen whispered when she heard the doorknob wiggle slightly as the owner of the apartment realized that her door was unlocked. Ivy's sensitive ears heard the woman unclip a gun from its holster and turn the safety off even through the door.
"Okay…but don't get hurt." Ivy relented and allowed herself to merely melt back into Carmen's side as the door slowly swung open and the owner of the apartment had her gun in hand pointed right at them from the moment she came around the door frame.
"Carmen? Ivy?" The Head of the Academy asked shocked and lowering her weapon at the sight of the two criminals on her couch.
"Elizabeth. It's been far too long has it not?" Carmen asked smirking a bit and tipping her hat with one hand towards the headmistress who holstered her gun, her eyes remaining locked on the two of them and the way that Carmen kept Ivy held close with one arm that was lightly holding her. Not tight enough to keep the red head from breaking free if she wanted too, however.
"I'll say it has. I can tell this isn't a social visit but maybe next time you're stopping by for a while I'll open up that bottle of champagne in the fridge and we'll have drink for old times sake." Elizabeth said making Carmen pull a slight face at the mention of champagne.
"Still preferring that crap huh? You know I prefer harder drinks like Scotch or Whiskey." Carmen said making Elizabeth pull a slight face in return at the mention of the two drinks that Carmen preferred.
"I'll keep that in mind for if you drop by to visit again for a more…social call." Elizabeth said and she did at least put on a pot of tea and take off her shoes before she joined them in the living room and sat in the chair across the room looking towards them.
"So then is this a visit where I'm going to need my gun or is this a more…civil visit?" Elizabeth asked raising an eyebrow and making Carmen pull a face at the sight of the weapon still in Elizabeth's harness for easy access but was also in plain sight almost as if to remind the women that she was armed.
"Feel free to remove it. You know how much I detest guns." Carmen said and Elizabeth nodded and then looked pointedly at Ivy.
"What about you Ivy? Will I need my gun or not for this visit?" Elizabeth asked and she earned a small amount of brownie points with the two other women for actually asking the red head herself.
"You won't need it. We're just here to talk." Ivy said but her eyes were closed as she leaned against Carmen, making Elizabeth nod her head once in understanding. Ivy heard Elizabeth undoing the harness and then setting the gun aside on the end table next to her chair. A clear show of trust in the two criminals but also there fore easy access just in case.
Ivy and Carmen weren't anywhere near dumb enough to think that it was the only gun that Elizabeth had on her person. You don't become one of the ACME Heads by being complacent. Even a title like the Headmistress wasn't just given and kept willy—nilly. All of the Heads of ACME had their hands dirty and stained red.
It was still a good show of trust though for her to remove her primary and only visible weapon.
"Let me grab the tea and then we can get started." Elizabeth said hearing the kettle whistle and the two criminals waited patiently for her to get the tea poured and onto the tea tray before setting it down on the coffee table and taking her own cup.
"Thank you." Ivy said taking the scalding hot liquid and only adding a single sugar cube to it while Carmen nodded her thanks as she added four cubes.
"Still have that sweet-tooth of yours Carmen?" Elizabeth asked and she sounded amused.
"Do you still enjoy those sour candies?" Carmen asked in return and making Elizabeth chuckle.
The women were all silent for a moment as they enjoyed their tea until Elizabeth finally set her cup down on the end table next to her gun and gave the two criminals a serious look.
"Alright ladies. You came here to talk…well…let's talk."