The S.H.I.E.L.D. insignia is owned by Marvel. Decapre and Shadaloo are owned by Capcom. Mickey solely belongs to yours truly.
I always thought Decapre needs love. The poor kinda-robotic girl needs it. And if you've checked out Portal Pals - which you should - then you know what I always believe in. Opposites attract. Hope you enjoy reading this. Less than 3.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada - Evening
It's a cool, crisp summer night. People tuck in for the night, allowing themselves to rest or enjoy the nightlife wherever they might be. For one Michaël 'Mickey' Villanueva, though, his night consists of infiltration and more than a few close calls.
However, he might come to regret his closest call.
After a brief time in one of Shadaloo's Canadian bases, Mickey rushes past dimly lit alleys and curving city blocks. Dirty, visibly wounded, and tired as hell, he zips through the night as he hears footsteps close by. His mind wracked with various thoughts, he senses the distance between him through his eclectic way of channelling sound. Focus lingers in his mind like a metronome, hearing his stalker's movements while the wind picks up. And, sure enough, their footsteps are as clear as the sounds of rocks creating ripples against a pond.
Or, at least, it tries not to be.
'Ten, no, twenty feet away?' Mickey tries to rationalize his pursuer's intricate movements in his mind. 'Hard to tell. Shit…she's fast.'
As he turns his head to see a shadow catching up to him, Mickey - using his freerunning skills - leaps over a railing and darts into a shortcut, attempting to use momentum to confuse his assailant. His plan leads him to the run-down school serving as his makeshift hideout; relieved, Mickey, taking a second to relax, catches his breath.
"I lost her," he says after what seems like minutes of life-or-death cardio. "Good."
As he observes the school, Mickey spots his friend – the stray beagle Elvira – waiting for him as she barks, happily wagging her tail. Delighted to see her again, Mickey smiles, but not before checking a nasty scar on his leg. As he makes his way to the school's doors, he starts to second-guess his motives regarding tonight's personal mission.
"Damn. Shoulda got out of there ASAP." Mickey winces, feeling some blood trickle down his leg. "Them Dolls are ruthless, man. Just as fast as that damn Spider—"
Before he can even finish his sentence, Mickey stops, glancing up to see the same shadow emerge from the darkness. Standing between Mickey and the school, the infamous former leader of the Dolls, Decapre, steps forward. She glares at Mickey behind her visor, neon pink lines illuminating with power. With her target in range, she unsheathes her powered-up daggers, zeroing in on him.
"Infiltrator located," Decapre says, her voice confident and her Russian accent monotone yet cool as the breeze whipping across her face. "Commencing comprehensive annihilation."
With a crouch, she suddenly lunges towards Mickey, using her blinding speed to catch him unawares. However, Mickey is quite prepared. Trying to stop Decapre from attacking him, he harnesses the sound of the wind whipping around them to form a sonic shield. He watches the Shadaloo assassin attempting to use her superior speed and ferocity to pierce his shield, but it remains around him, its bubble-like shape warbling ever so.
Mickey looks at Decapre with a sheepish grin, watching her grit her teeth, dedicated to ending him.
"Wait! I just wanted information! I didn't mean to…" He suddenly stops mid-sentence, shaking his head. "Okay, I did knock those dumbasses out. But I ain't got a problem with you. Honest!"
Decapre dashes back and releases an enormous, circular stream of Psycho Power in her hand, using her attack against the shield.
"Lie detected," she says with an undercurrent of bitterness to her voice. The projectile starts to crack the shield, but it fades away before the shield is destroyed. "Psycho Stream unsuccessful. Stinger Protocol activated."
Mickey tries to laugh the tension away with an ill-timed flirtatious statement. "I guess there ain't no chance we can settle this with a dance, huh?"
Decapre scowls as the Psycho Power in her daggers intensifies. Roaring with intensity, she destroys the shield with jabs, faster than the eye could see.
However, Mickey retaliates, weaving the magic words. "La Gota!"
As the sonic energy releases, Mickey propels himself away from the enraged Doll. Yet, he watches as Decapre's rage is silent, darting out of the way with a mere flick of her head. Mickey notices Decapre's unwavering scowl.
"Data regarding Infiltrator's sonic energy acquired," Decapre notes to herself, walking menacingly towards Mickey. Her expression doesn't change; despite the sudden surge of power from her target, she tilts her head, unamused. "Target's defences deemed inconsequential for current combat."
'Goddamnit. I can't let her take me. I guess there's no choice.' Preparing to fight, Mickey shifts into his fighting stance before the fighters hear barking and whimpering nearby. 'Oh, God.'
"Damn it," Mickey utters under his breath, hoping Decapre wouldn't hear but to no avail. "Not now."
Decapre whips around to see Elvira whimper, barking mercilessly at her. Surprisingly, the stone-faced assassin has a moment of weakness as she admires the cute dog.
"Canine spotted. Breed: beagle. Subject: unsanitary, but quite…endearing," she says, slowly tilting her head as she admires the beagle.
Elvira steps back as Mickey spots a moment of opportunity. Homing in on his pet's worried whimpers, he dematerializes into sonic wisps of energy and enters the school. Noticing the strange trails, though, Decapre uses her data to react to Mickey's gambit. In an instant, she races throughout the school, running on top of the railings while she follows Mickey up flights of stairs and around the corner. Seeing the wisps dart under a classroom, the Shadaloo assassin opens the door with force.
"Ellie, stop!" Mickey yells, trying – and failing – to catch Elvira's attention. "It's too dangerous!"
Decapre spots Mickey shielding Elvira from her as the beagle moves away from him, barking incessantly at her. In a defensive stance, Elvira growls as she slowly wags her tail, barking at Decapre.
Mickey curses under his breath, seeing Decapre advance. 'Scheisse. Dammit, I can't let that woman kill Ellie!'
He starts to hum, creating two blue-and-white sonic spheres of energy as they slowly form in his hands. However, the orbs lose colour and shape. Mickey prevents his opener from being unleashed, seeing something else...and something quite strange.
Decapre – known by many to be the crazed, relentless Shadaloo assassin savant of the Dolls – stands silent. Still. To Mickey, she might even be tranquil. Decapre stares at Elvira while her lip quivers, the beagle's pose bringing back thoughts of chasing her sworn enemy, Cammy White, months ago…
During the end of a daytime chase, Decapre cornered Cammy in an alley as she wound up like a coiled snake, ready to defend herself if need be. However, a stray tabby cat made her presence known from a garbage can, striding between the two enemies. Enraged, Decapre moved closer to Cammy without even acknowledging the feline's presence…
That was, of course, until the gentler Cammy stopped her.
"It's okay. The poor thing can't hurt you," she said as she stared at Decapre, smiling warmly. "It's alright."
She held the cat in front of Decapre, its green eyes piercing through her soul. Similar to Cammy's eyes, it twinkled like a sapphire jewel being hit by a ray of sunlight.
With her daggers unsheathed, Decapre panicked, trying to accomplish her mission. However, she stared at Cammy, freezing in place; thoughts violently assaulted her mind as she mumbled, hearing that specific phrase. "T-those words…No! Silence! S-shut up! I…must kill you…must gut Killer Bee!"
Cammy tried to step closer, a look of utter misery on her face. "Come on, Decapre. Fight it."
"No!" Decapre placed her hands on her head, her teeth clenched in anguish. "I…big s-sister!"
"Yes. I'm here."
"H-help me…don't run. Help. I…"
However, something inside of Decapre forced her to run, refusing to listen to Cammy. Yet, while she ran, Decapre couldn't help but hear those words echoing in her mind…
"It's alright."
Decapre snaps out of it, hearing Mickey repeat Cammy's words. She finds herself kneeling on the dusty wooden floor of the classroom, seeing Mickey follow suit.
"Elvira won't bite." Mickey smiles, hoping his words and his actions brighten Decapre's sour mood. He holds Elvira out in front of him. "She ain't dirty. No ticks, no fleas, nothin' like that. I washed her, too, so…"
"No." Decapre shakes her head vigorously, pointing at Mickey. "Infiltrator. Must kill…I must…k-kill you…"
"Wait, wait! Hey, listen. We don't have to fight. Okay? It's alright—"
"No. It's not alright!" Decapre fires back while her eyes start to emit a purple glow, aiming a dogged finger at Mickey's face. She causes him to react in shock, creating some space. "You lie."
"No. Not this time. And I put that on my sister's grave." Mickey shakes his head, raising Elvira, trying to give her to Decapre. He frowns hearing the beagle whimper, watching her doggy-paddle away from Decapre in his clutches. "See? Ellie wants to say hello, but she's worried. She's a good girl."
A slow, eerie smile appears on Decapre's face as she sees Elvira before removing it, glaring at Mickey. Suddenly, she spots something familiar on the ground - her mask.
"Looking for that?" Mickey starts to tease Decapre, waving Elvira side-to-side. He shifts his body to place himself between Decapre and her mask. "Hold her and I'll give it to you. I pinky-promise."
Decapre freezes before brandishing one of her daggers. Her head down, she plays possum before beginning to strike…
(Now Playing: Careless Whisper by George Michael)
Suddenly, Decapre stops, hearing a strange, melodic tune playing in the room. She sees Mickey humming along to it, slowly rocking Elvira from side to side. The beagle's tongue sticks out as Mickey's rarely-used empathic voice starts to soothe her.
'I didn't want to have to frickin' use this,' Mickey ponders to himself, seeing his powers work their magic. 'Oh, well. This way…at least she'll be alright for now.'
Despite the harsh training and tutelage under M. Bison's reign, Mickey's unusual ability - though similar - eases Decapre's tortured psyche for a moment. How long, though, remains a mystery, one Mickey tries to delay. With his melody causing Decapre to calm down, she temporarily stays her blade in an incapacitated state.
Staring at Elvira, her amber eyes twinkle under the moonlight as she holds the beagle.
"No! Must obey…must kill Infiltrator." Decapre tries to clear her mind. "…For Shadaloo. I…m-must…I-I…"
"Don't stress yourself out. It's okay. Don't worry. Sorry about the music and my crappy humming skills." Mickey raises a hand as he politely interrupts Decapre. "But you're with friends now. I know that feeling. The anger. The bitterness. Things are hazy in your mind, right?" He watched Decapre stare at him, nodding with her as if she knew the answer. "Yeah. Sometimes in life, you just gotta take it easy."
Decapre's stare shifts from Mickey to Elvira as the dog's funny face causes her to smile a little. Slowly, ever so slowly, she pets the dog, seeing Elvira slowly snuggle up beside her. Still sensing her struggle, Mickey notices burns on the left side of the Doll's face. Seeing him trying to reach for it, Decapre reels back, her expression changed to a scowl.
"Sorry. I don't want to do anything you don't wanna do." Mickey pauses, slowly leaning back. "If it helps, I got scars of my own."
After noticing the various cuts and scars across Mickey's tattooed arms, Decapre pauses. Despite her silence, she refrains from moving. She waits to find out Mickey's next move, a look of slight distrust etched across her face.
"Can I? Sorry." Mickey sits politely, shifting his body language. Ever the eager soul, he tries to curb his eagerness…even for a little while. "My bad. May I? I might not be a nurse, but maybe I can try to figure out what happened to ya."
Decapre - silent, wound up yet confused - simply opts to stay in place, shifting slowly to the side with pursed lips.
"It'll be for a sec. I promise." Seeing her acquiesce and relax for a little bit, Mickey obliges, gently feeling Decapre's burn scar. Using a bit of light from his phone, he shakes his head. "Damn. An acid burn, huh? Lo siento. I hope this doesn't hurt you. Damn. Whoever did this to you needs to get their goddamn ass kicked."
Decapre stares into his eyes while the song continues, taking a second to recoil from Mickey's words. She raises her hand, presumably to take his hand away.
In doing so, though, their hands touch.
Noticing this, the two stare at each other for quite some time.
Mickey blushes, completely caught off guard. Despite Decapre's cold, ruthless attitude towards him, along with her facial scar, he starts to admire the beautiful woman kneeling in front of him. He smiles as she notices Elvira nuzzling up to her; however, that very smile seems to fade as he takes a long look at Decapre. Behind those same, amber eyes, Mickey sees Decapre's struggle. He sees a sliver of a woman trying to cope, trying her best to hold back deep-seated feelings of rage. His frown deepens, a knowing expression on his face soon after he takes in Decapre's eyes once more.
However, Decapre catches his gaze once more, staring into his eyes. Mickey stares at the ground, unable to speak.
'…For a lady that talks like a robot, she's pretty beautiful,' he thinks to himself. 'Why do I always fall for the women that can kick my ass? Alright, man, easy. Be easy.'
Seeing Mickey's eyes waver, Decapre quickly notices a single scar across his leg - the fresh one, to boot. With her curiosity overriding her programming, she places a finger on his scar. Her thoughts from her meetings with Cammy cloud her mind, filling it with similar emotions. Decapre runs her finger over it while the song ends.
"Hey…ah!" Mickey winces. "What's wrong?"
A soft, strangely soothing tone to Decapre's voice follows, seemingly and temporarily fighting Bison's mind control. She strains to speak freely, thinking of Cammy's similar scar. "Are you…okay? D-does…does it hurt? Did…did I…"
Strangely enough, a piece of Decapre's chaotic mind - unbeknownst to Mickey - starts to focus on him, fascinated, nervous, and unsure of who - or what - he is.
"No. Not much." Mickey stares at her, looking into her eyes. Shaking his head before he thinks again, he nervously shrugs while he rephrases his answer to Decapre's question. "Uh, actually, a little bit, yeah. Heh."
As Decapre frowns, her eyes emit a rare yet expressive reaction. Naturally, Mickey tries to calm her down.
"It's okay! It's okay! Don't blame yourself. Hey. You should see what happened to those guards at the base." Mickey chuckles and clears his throat, trying to eke out some humility. "It's…it's crazy, meine Freundin, lemme tell ya."
Unsurprisingly, Decapre stares, failing to react.
After a few minutes, the two fighters sit with only Elvira between them, resting together on the wooden floor under the moonlight. Mickey softly rubs Decapre's cheek while she rubs his leg. In Decapre's mind, thoughts of a possible link between the strange man and Cammy flood her mind while their eyes meet once more. In Mickey's mind, he wonders about the peculiar woman's story, finding a way to prevent her anger from consuming her.
Decapre speaks, breaking up the silence. "I-Infiltrator…"
"Yeah?" Mickey says with a smile. "I won't run."
"…My head." Trying to fight the mind control, Decapre shakes her head, shivering before Mickey calms her down. "Re…requesting…help."
"Hey, it's okay. No one's going to hurt you here," he says with a smile, holding and rubbing Decapre's cheeks. Decapre, now in control, stares at Mickey while he blushes. "…I'll help. Let's start on the good foot, huh? No daggers or big bubbles. I'm Mickey. You?"
Decapre takes a second to reply, stunned and somewhat distraught that for the first time in a long time, someone other than Cammy cares about her.
"Take your time," Mickey whispers gently to her. "Nice and easy."
Decapre holds the back of Mickey's hands with a sorrowful look on her face, secretly taking Mickey's words to heart with a terse nod.
"…De-"
Before she can reply, a sudden burst of Psycho Power flows out of Decapre, overwhelming her senses. Recoiling in pain and wrath, she darts out of the classroom and swipes her mask out of Mickey's hands. Decapre dashes towards the stairs leading to the entrance, her mind hazy once again from an unknown source.
"Dee?! You okay?" Mickey tries to catch up to Decapre but sees her staggering outside the school's doors. Elvira follows before stopping next to him, spotting Decapre as she barks and wags her tail. "Hey!"
After taking one last look at the two, Decapre turns her head to smile at Elvira, hearing the beagle's bark. Her gaze now aimed at Mickey, a weird smirk starts to form on her face as she suppresses the mind control for a bit. It's a slightly disturbing but eerily teasing smirk, one that starts to spook Mickey.
"Infiltrator data recorded," Decapre utters. "Level of skill…unclear. Updating Infiltrator's chances of surviving next assault." She looks off to the side before eyeing Mickey down with malevolence towards him but maintains her smirk. "Infiltrator's chances now set at 3%."
And with that, Decapre darts out of the school, seconds before Mickey slowly realizes her unusual remark.
"Wait. Did she say I'm weak?" He turns to Elvira as the beagle tilts her head. "Hey! I'm not…oh, screw it, she's already gone."
The pair make their way back to the classroom. Mickey takes a peculiar device - a datapad, hidden in another part of the room. Looking at the window to spot Decapre darting from rooftop to rooftop, he sees her stop. As Mickey raises Elvira out and wiggles her paw goodbye, both he and Decapre give each other one last, soft smile before Decapre's mind control sets in. She frowns, putting on her mask before retreating into the night.
Mickey smiles and then frowns, recording Decapre's appearance, fighting style, and abilities.
'She's a bit…aggressive but she shows great potential,' he jots down, echoing the words in his mind. 'She could be a damn good S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, but her mental state has me worried about her.' His frown deepens, clutching his pen in anger. "Shadaloo…oh, don't you worry. I'll find out what the hell you did to her."
Mickey looks up at the sky as Elvira sits next to him, calming him down.
'I hope I see you again, Dee.' He smiles softly while the silver S.H.I.E.L.D. insignia on the back of the datapad glistens under the light of the moon. 'Heh. Three percent, my ass.'
The End