Line in the Sand Chapter 14, an el tigre fanfic

You can always tell when a big wave is coming in… the water gets pulled out from under your feet, from within the sand it rolls over, and for a time it seems as if it won't ever come back. But you know that it will, even before you see the monster roaring across the glassy sea.

Chapter 14, The Calm

Rivera Estate, Tuesday, 3:34 PM

The tension in the Rivera home was incredible, raised to levels so high that breathing seemed difficult by the arrival of the military envoy an hour and a half ago. After explaining everything to his Grandpapi, Manny came to the conclusion that Rodolfo should also be here for this. So for all this time, a dreadful silence filled the dining room where Grandpapi, Manny, and General Fitzgerald awaited. The waiting game came to a close when the door opened, and Rodolfo Rivera joined the assembly. He had received a phone call after his son and father conversed about the military plan, learning of its vast importance to Miracle City's freedom. He set his hat and brief case down and took his place at the table. Fitzgerald raised an eyebrow when he saw Pantera in his barely civilian dress.

"You… wear the mask when you're not White Pantera?"

"Yes. Why?"

The silence that followed was awkward and unwelcome, and Manny took a breath before leaning forward and clearing his throat.

"Dad, you remember what I said on the phone?"

"Yes, mijo. You said that the general wants your grandfather and me to help stop the crime wave."

"Uhh, yeah, sort of…"

Fitzgerald took this as his moment to speak. "Actually, I requested that all three of you help. The plan is to have you lead the charge and soften the lines."

"What?" Rodolfo asked, turning his gaze on Manny. "You didn't say that you were to be involved with this."

"Probably because you'd act a big baby…"

"Papi, this is no time for you to be undermining my authority!" Rodolfo's chair was pushed back against the wall with the force of his standing up. He clearly found no amusement in talk of his son going to war.

"Dad, please, just relax."

After a pause, everyone started to calm back down. Rodolfo took a seat again, leaning forward and propping his elbows on the table. The tension in the room had grown far more formidable after that attempt to clear the air, and now no one wanted to sit and talk. The time for that seemed to pass. But the general would have none of that. He stood this time and removed his hat.

"Mr. Rivera… I understand your concern. But I wouldn't ask this of your family if I wasn't sure it would work. I do not wantonly endanger the people I am charged with helping…"

Manny sat thinking about that statement. And while he should really be measuring the ethical value or logical reasoning behind it, he found it far more entertaining to say "wantonly" over and over inside his head. It was one of those words that the more you said it, the less correct it felt, kind of like animal. While Manny did this, the general continued his speech.

"… but I need your approval, and your help, if I am to save Miracle City from this threat."

Rodolfo nodded as Fitzgerald finished up. The father in him did not like the idea of Manny being a part of this at all, but the hero in him knew that things could not continue this way. But being caught between these two halves of himself, Rodolfo could not come to a conclusion.

"… Papi, what do you think we should do?"

"Well, not to undermine your authority," he began, rolling his eyes in the process, "but I think we should find these criminals, and bust them up. They're taking all my stealings!" Grandpapi turned to look at Fitzgerald, who was eying him carefully. "… That is to say, they are stealing all that I hold dear… si."

"Grandpapi's right," Manny said, standing up, "today Senor Siniestro attacked the school just so he could get my attention. The villains are getting worse. We need to put them to rest."

Faced with such confidence in the general's plan, Rodolfo had little choice but to concede. Nodding slowly and sighing, he gave Fitzgerald the permission he needed to begin the operation against New Alamo. The silence that filled the room was split apart by the ringing of the phone, which caused everyone to jump slightly.

Aves Residence, 3:40 PM

Zoe held the phone to her ear, waiting for someone, anyone to answer. Manny had never come back from the fight, and by the sounds of the explosions things had gotten pretty bad. After waiting impatiently, there was an answer.

"Hello."

"Manny. You're alright!"

"Of course I am… are you okay?"

"Yes, I was just…" Zoe trailed off as she leaned against the wall, pressing the ridge of her nose as she sought focus. "I was just concerned. You just ran off without a second thought, and then you don't come back."

"Oh, right… I got arrested."

"What?!"

"Don't worry, it was just a misunderstanding," he answered casually, even sounding a little happy. "But, uh, I'm gonna' have to call you back."

"… Can I ask why?"

"I'm not allowed to say… but things are gonna' get better. I promise."

"… I believe you. Adios, cariño."

Zoe hung up the receiver and slid down the wall. Once she hit the floor she reflected on the events of the day, and she had to wonder if M was up to something. Well, naturally he was always up to something, but what if there was a target in mind? Was this just random, or did Senor Siniestro have a motive?

Chipotle Lab, 4:10 PM

Diego had been trying to hack the full extent of the New Alamo network for hours now, hitting more firewalls than he thought possible. M must have had some serious money if he could afford to defend his information so well… but Diego was a patient person with a huge super computer and a goal. What's more, his father was good enough to give him a door into the facility. He typed away as he cleaved through layer after layer of security, finally getting something good.

"Let's see now… recently moved research division… lame!"

How could M have so much BORING information lying around? Diego didn't care about mutagenic serums, recent updates in base security, or about some stupid power amplifier project that looked eerily like the schematics for battle armor. He wanted something juicy, something definitive, something that would let him get his city back. A ding generated by a network mail box alerted him to the arrival of new information. He clicked it open, and couldn't decide if he should smile or frown as he read it.

Military schedule update: attack on facility Friday, 6:00 AM. All personnel on high alert.

Well… that was certainly something. How should Diego take this? He may finally get his wish and see his friends absolved of this villain's grasp, but then his father would be endangered. But this may also be Diego's chance to get back at Sergio for being such a jerk. Well, that's it. Two positives against the one negative, even though it was a very large negative… Diego took no solace in the knowledge of this attack. Just the same, he swiveled in his chair and jumped out after pushing a large red button. He had preparations to… prepare. A monster can't culture itself, now can it?

The Park, 6:05 PM

Manny and Zoe decided to make up for lost time by visiting the park again. Seems Zoe had taken a liking to the glittering city as the sun disappeared into the horizon. While they sat together, the world continued much as it normally did; only now the sound of choppers overhead was a little more common. Part of the general's plan was to step up security and discourage criminal activity before the attack. Manny overheard Grandpapi saying something about "showing him who's boss," which suggested he would commit crimes anyway. But all that side, the park was peaceful and endearing, perfect for relaxing before a difficult mission. Zoe pulled away from Manny to ask him a question.

"Manny… you said on the phone that things would get better."

"Yeah?"

"What makes you say that?"

"Oh…" he replied bashfully, not sure if he should say. The general did tell him this was to be a secret maneuver. "I don't know if I can tell…"

"… You don't trust me?"

"N-no, it's just," he looked at her as she pouted, sincerely displaying disappointment and sadness. Now he really couldn't tell if he was right in keeping it all secret. "Zoe… I need to you believe me when I say it's going to get better."

Now it was her turn to see disappointment in his eyes. Taken slightly aback by the quick reversal, she decided it was best just to let it remain secret. She couldn't really tell why she was digging so hard for the information… old habits perhaps. But she nodded solemnly before taking her place in his arms again. For now it was enough to believe him. Looking out into the world again, Zoe sighed as the sun sank lower and lower, painting the buildings in newer, sometimes more colorful ways.

Rivera Estate, Thursday, 3:00 PM

Manny sat outside his home, feet dipped into the pool in an effort to relax himself. When it came to being a hero, or when the moment seemed right, a villain, Manny wasn't at all anxious. But today, before the beginning of the siege, he found it impossible to not be nervous. As he reflected on this, and on yesterday, Manny Rivera began to dread the events that tomorrow would bring. His father had requested his absence from school for the rest of the week so that he may focus himself; the Rivera's had but two days to prepare themselves for this. Preparation… perhaps that was the source of this anxiety. In all his days of fighting, Manny had never spent two days getting ready to fight a battle he didn't know he could win ahead of time. Not once had Manny entertained the notion of failure. Not against Sartana, or the Flock of Fury, or even El Mal Verde. He blamed this fear on the knowledge that just one week ago, two heroes were taken from this world, and the image of heroic invincibility died with them. That had to be it. Needing to cool himself off, Manny pushed himself into the pool, sinking to the bottom deliberately, letting the water chill each and every part of his skin. He surfaced several seconds later, eyes still closed, meditating on the feeling of the water. But as he thought, his mind took him back to Saturday… the last time he and Frida had been together. It was here in this pool that their friendship enjoyed its last gasps… and it was here in this pool that Manny Rivera finally accepted the weight of that idea. He swam back to the edge of the water and climbed out, wrapping his towel about his shoulders as he stood. He had to wonder what Frida was up to, how she was coping. Manny knew deep down that she was broken… he knew this because part of him was broken too. He stepped back into the house and walked into the kitchen. There Rodolfo was busying himself with preparing a great feast, a pre-battle victory meal. After sensing his son staring, Rodolfo turned and looked at him.

"Mijo… is there something you want to talk about?"

"Yeah, dad… uhm…" Manny looked down as he scratched the back of his head. This was less hard when he was just thinking about it. "It's about dinner tonight."

"What? You want something else?" Rodolfo turned to the growing spread, which had already monopolized the oven, the stove top, and most of the counter. Why they needed so much food was beyond knowledge, but they had it just the same. It was going to be an epic meal.

"Dad, I think we have enough food… but… maybe we need another mouth to eat it all?"

Rodolfo understood now exactly what Manny was talking about; taking his mask off, he knelt down and placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "That's a good idea, Manny… you needed to call her anyway."

"What?"

"I've been afraid that you have let your friendship with Frida die… that is not the case, is it?"

Manny stood silent for a time, trying not to show that part of him had indeed attempted such a cruel move. "No dad. Frida's way too important to me. I just… I haven't been telling myself that lately, is all."

"Good," Rodolfo said as he stood straight, pulling the mask back on. Not that it mattered too much, but the thing made him even more ridiculous when paired with the frilly pink apron that he used to cook. "Now, go get dressed and give her a call."

Manny stepped into his room and did just that, tossing his soaked swim suit and towel aside after getting his clothing on. Pulling his belt tight as he approached the phone, he was struck with a sudden hesitation. What he was doing felt somehow wrong… like he should be calling Zoe instead. But his conscience appeared now, telling him otherwise. He couldn't call Zoe, because then he would just be proving that his friendship with Frida wasn't worth as much as he thought. And to even acknowledge something like that would damn him forever. He had his resolve, and with it he dialed not the number of Zoe Aves, but of his best friend, Frida Suarez.

Suarez Residence, 3:20 PM

The house was empty except for Frida and Emiliano, who had taken the day off work after Frida's condition worsened. She started eating less after Tuesday, and that was not something that could be accepted. Emiliano had managed to get her to eat something earlier, but he knew that it wasn't going to be enough. Busy with trying to get his precious Frida out of this hideous depression, Emiliano didn't at first notice the phone was ringing. After the third ring, he picked up the cordless receiver and answered.

"Suarez."

"Hey Mr. Suarez. Is Fri-?"

"Rivera!"

Emiliano roared that so loudly he was sure Frida could hear. Remaining silent to check if there were repercussions, Chief Suarez glanced at the entrance to the living room, trying to see if Frida was coming down the stairs. When there was nothing, Emiliano returned his attention to the phone.

"What do you want, cerdo?"

"… Alright, I deserved that. I want to talk to Frida."

"Well she doesn't want to talk to you!"

"Did she say that?"

"Well," Emiliano started, sinking into his seat a bit as his argument lost strength; "no… she hasn't really said much of anything lately. She's been in a bad state ever since Monday."

There was silence on the other end of the line, as Manny dealt with the severity of his choice. If he wasn't hurting for it before, he was now.

"Chief Suarez… please, put her on the phone. I have to talk to her."

Now Emiliano was silent. He held the receiver close as he looked up the stairs again, hearing Frida strum her guitar in her sadness. She hasn't talked much, but sad songs were never in short supply. This was Emiliano's chance to try something, to make Frida happy again. He didn't like Rivera, but he did know that when Manny and Frida were together everything was better.

"Alright… wait just a moment."

Climbing the steps to the second floor, Emiliano heard Frida's guitar more clearly, and each step seemed harder, as if gravity was conspiring against him. At the top of the stairs, the police chief took a deep breath and walked the lonely hallway to his daughter's room. The family dogs, normally aggressive creatures, were lying sadly near her closed door, occasionally whining to communicate their mood. Emiliano stepped over them and knocked on her door, opening it slowly when there was no answer. Inside Frida continued to play her sad song.

"… and there's a place for us… you know the movie song… when you gonna' realize it was just that time was wrong? Juliet…"

Emiliano paused, reflecting on this sight. Now he was sure this was the right thing. "Frida… phone for you." When Frida kept on strumming her guitar strings, staring at her favorite instrument with only sadness, her father decided to go for the gold. "It's Manny."

Frida missed a note and came to a halt when she heard that, and for what seemed like a long time, there was only an uncomfortable silence. After that, Frida only extended her arm, head still bowed, eyes still too tired to move. Emiliano placed the phone in her hand and stepped out, pulling the door shut, and Frida lifted the receiver to her ear. Manny, not knowing that he had been finally transferred to Frida, remained silent.

"… Hola Manny…"

"H-hey Frida."

"… What is it?"

"I just wanted to talk to you… and…"

"And what?"

"I wanted to apologize for being such a jerk… I should never have hurt you so bad."

"No… you shouldn't have."

Though he was forming the words, Manny had difficulty speaking, a first considering how long he and Frida had shared a brain.

"Frida, I want you come have dinner with me and my family tonight. We're eating at about five."

"… Will…" Frida began, pausing to keep herself from crying, "will Zoe be there?"

"No… it's just a family thing."

"Then why am I invited?"

"You're my best friend Frida… you're as important as my family. You're almost a part of it; as much as you can be without… without the occasional funny feelings being weird."

Frida looked up and out the window when she considered the weight of what he said. Funny feelings? Important? This depression was born from the sudden disruption of all of Frida's previously held beliefs about her relationship with Manny Rivera. Deep down, she felt the exact same way for him as he was describing to her. When she discovered how he and Zoe felt about each other, that whole world view was broken asunder. That's where all this hurt was coming from, and now it started feeling a little better. But bitterness had moved in while Frida mourned.

"I don't know if I can do tonight… sorry."

"But Frida… okay. I understand."

Without another word, Frida ended the call and tossed the phone aside, returning to her guitar playing. But now the music was hardly music at all; as she played worse and worse, Frida felt herself bursting into tears again. It culminated with her sobbing loudly and slipping off the edge of her bed, crashing her knees to the floor. Emiliano, who had waited patiently in the hall, hoping for the best, rushed into Frida's room when he heard her crash. He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her back onto her bed, sitting down beside her. When she stopped crying, Emiliano reached across to her night stand and took a tissue from the box, wiping away the streaks from her face.

"What happened Frida? Why are you crying so hard?"

"It's… it's too hard…"

"Mija… tell me what you talked about. Please."

After sobbing a couple more times, Frida collected herself enough to talk again. "He… Manny wants me to come to his house for dinner… he made it sound so nice, like he wanted to fix everything. I don't know if I can let him."

Emiliano hugged Frida close again, staring out the window and taking in the sight of the slowly changing sky. It seems some clouds would be moving in. He pulled his daughter away and looked at her in a most endearing way.

"Frida… this is what I think you should do…"

Rivera Estate, 5:04 PM

Dinner had been served ten minutes ago… but Manny remained at the phone, hoping for it, willing Frida to call him back, to say she had changed her mind. Not wanting to see this sadness continue, Grandpapi placed a hand on Manny's shoulder, signaling him to come to dinner. Sighing in defeat, he complied. But before he could reach the dining table, where dish after dish laid waiting for consumption, there was the sound of a door bell. Now he was excited, and bounding across the floor, Manny Rivera brought himself to the front door. His hands trembled and his pulse pounded in his ears, but Manny forced himself to reach out and grab the door handle, to open the door. And there she stood, smiling weakly and looking like she had only just showered twenty minutes ago, as though she had not planned to come but changed her mind. Frida stood in the hall, staring at her friend who only smiled at her, eyes accumulating tears. They broke the stalemate for a hug, something they rarely shared because of their mutual dislike of the tension it caused. After the display of affection had ended, Manny and Frida entered the dining room together, ready for the meal that sat before them.