Archive of Our Own ^beta

She rounded the corner a bit too fast and slammed into the edge of the street wall with her hip.

That’s gonna leave a bruise.

She held herself up by the wall, leaning on it heavily.

"What happened back there Red?" She considered muting herself again, but she owes him an explanation.

"Basically, Tigress and Paper star are a team now." He heard him typing, taking notes or searching something, Carmen didn't know.

"Like that mole and the goat?" She chuckled and clutched her side, she could feel her glove getting awfully damp.

"Kinda, only they're both chasing me, not each other." She thought back to her time on Vile island, they had to spell it out to them, they didn't even know they were gay.

"Didn't know Vile allows couples." Player said, as if it might convince him apply for a spot there.

"They don't." Carmen shot at him, with great aim might I add.

"Allow boys and girls to date." She added with a grin that was almost audible.

"Potato Potato right?" Player needed to work on his British accent.

"Yes, but they found the fault, so they are the exception." The face on Brunt was worth it.

"Sounds great, but you're dodging the question. What happened back there?" Dang it, so close.

"Tigress was attacking me and getting me out in the open, Paper star decided to practice her aim." She said, with a cringe at the memory.

"Sliced Carmen?"

"More like diced Carmen." At least jokes are always an option, speaking of options, leaning more onto the wall and putting her other hand on another cut was looking pretty good.

"Do I need to get Zack and Ivy to come get you?" 

"Yes please."

"Wauw, okay, yeah." With how touchy Carmen is on getting help, this can't be good.

Player typed away for a bit. "Did you get the data?" Player asked, trying to keep the conversation alive.

"Yeah, next time they shouldn't put their logo on it." She considered holding it up to look at it, but it'd be a bad time.

Carmen thought about all the ways the night might end. "By the way, Player, could I call someone?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm muting." And the noise of a bad mic was gone.

"Thanks, but please update me on the ride." She couldn't hear him, but he always heard her.

Time to phone a friend.

And there she was, our super thief, in an alleyway, bleeding out despite her best and weakening efforts.

"Pick up, come on Jules." She looked at the glove on her hand, no longer dark blue, instead it was mixing with her phone case's red, making it a very ugly color to look at.

The voicemail came on. "Yeah I think I'll just dial again."

And again. "One sided conversations aren't my style." Player unmuted himself

"Pretty sure a mime gestures otherwise." His tone has the smug feeling she knows him for.

"Player!" Didn't excuse his burn.
"Sorry." And he muted off.

After a couple more dials Julia seemed to be by her phone.

"Julia Argent, who am I speaking with?" With her tone it was clear that she was irritated, and with the noise on the background it was clear that she was driving.

"Jules! Me! Carmen!" She tries her best to sound normal, confident, collected and a little smug, but right now she's feeling like none of those things.

"Hey! Where are you?" Julia however, didn't seem to notice, maybe due to the line?

Carmen looked around for a few seconds, as if she had only just arrived. "In an alley."

She could hear Julia giggle. "As vague as always I see, how are you?" Ah, the famous question.

"Dying." Ah, the famous answer. Not cause of the same reasons.

"Ah good, I see you have your wits with you." Julia said, still giggling a bit here and there.

Roll with it. "Sure, Where are you?" Trying to keep the convo normal.

"I'm currently out, looking for someone."

"Really?" She had meant to sound smug, but she tried to slide down the wall a bit and it hurt more then expected.

"Mhmm." And once again, Julia didn't notice, like, at all.

"Sounds nice." Carmen looked into the street, lots and lots of cars, all racing by, as if they're fleeing from a storm.

"Yeah, so, no reason, do you know what street you're in?"

"No, do you know in what continent I am?" Any time is a good one for pranks.

"You're not in a continent." Or not.

"Who snitched on me?" Carmen said, pouting and everything.

"Chief for as far as I know." Julia was probably smiling.

"I'll have a word with her, someday." Julia was definitely smiling.

"But seriously, where are you?" Back to business so soon?

"Wouldn't know, I just ran away from my latest crime and decided that this was a good place for a break."

"Wait! You've already finished your business here? What was it?"

"I had to get a stupid data stick, it has personal information of about 3 million people." Again, the need to grab it from her pocket arose, she pushed it, and herself, back down, further down the wall, she was almost sitting.

"We were observing the Egyptian museum, considering it has all of those artifacts on display we thought-" Carmen cuts her off.
"That I'd go for those, I also came here think that'd be the target."

"How did you figure out that it was data then?"

"Simple. We noticed that the free Wi-Fi was collecting data on my friends phones, we traced it back to Vile and found out what their true plan was."

"They could steal those artifacts, but there'd be no replacement, people would notice."

"So instead they used it as cover for another plan they had, getting their hands on peoples info, that they could use as blackmail or worse." She listed it all in almost one breath, she sat down and tried to keep her focus.

"You're truly amazing Carmen." That's not helping.

"Aww, thanks Jules."

"Zack and Ivy are on their way." Player said through her ear.

"What? I thought they already were." That's a problem, this might make things a lot harder.

"No, they got held up, it's rush hour Red, what did you expect?" She looks at the street again, all the cars were now very slowly moving, this must be that storm then.

"Just hold on, they should be there in a bit." And with that, he muted himself again.

"Who are you talking to?" Julia asked, Carmen forgot she was there.

"A friend." She felt light headed.

"Oh, nice. Just a friend or?"

"Why? Jealous?" Carmen suppressed the need to laugh.

"No, no! Just curious." How defensive.

"Good to know."

She looked at the street again, trying to spot Zack behind one of the hoods. "Oh hey, I can see you Jules!" Close enough.

"Wait what?" She could see her speak in the car, looking around.

"The dark blue car right?" She couldn't see the license plate from the side.

"Where are you?" Julia left parked her car to the side of the road, the other drivers seemed very happy about it.
"Just, laying around." Her throat felt dry.

"Oh My Go- Beep Beep Beep." Guess someone found Carmen Sandiego.
"Carmen!!" She saw Julia quickly and carefully get by all of the cars to get to the other side of the road.

"Heya Jules." Carmen replied, feeling a little lighter as Jules neared.

"What happened?" She said as she observed her, looking at all of the cuts and bruises that were sure to be underneath.

"Ran into some old friends."
"And had a friendly chat?" She had a weird taste in her mouth, a bitter metallic one.
"Kind of, we did open some wounds." She'd say old, but she'd be lying.
"Carmen.." Not funny, got it.

"Hey, my crew will be here any minute, I'll be fine." Carmen is trying her best to sound reassuring, but sitting on the ground in a wet coat on a dry day doesn't make it any easier.

"Actually, Zack and Ivy are about 20 minutes away, at best." Player piped up, at the worst time."

Julia heard something, that's for sure. "Who is talking to you? What are they saying?" She looked as if she thought they were hurting Carmen.
Carmen wants to put a hand on her shoulder, but she can barely feel her own. "Just updating me on my crews whereabouts, they'll be here soon." She heard a crash on Players side, did he fall out of his chair?

"Carmen! Did you just mute me?!!" She did not.

"That's good to hear, will you be okay?" Julia looked her up and down again, it made her feel so vulnerable, so watched.
"Just perfect." She smiled, a smile that was broken.

Julia sat down next to her, trying to keep her company. Carmen responded by laying her head on Julia's lap, hoping that with the force of gravity the bloodloss would slow down.

"Jules? Can you do something for me?" She asked.

"Sure?" It was more of a question then an answer.

"Can you sing a song?"
"I'm not really much of a singer." She started to fiddle with her glasses.
"Please?"
"Of course."
"Just, whatever you want." Carmen didn't have the energy to think of any songs.

And so, she started to sing.

"You run, you hide, but you hurt inside.

I have to find you, again and again

But if I don't, what then? What then?

Your usual grace and usual twirl,

Now gone, instead, here you curl.

Here, stuck, making no sound.

Helpless, just one to fix.

In an alleyway, bound to the ground.

Sitting here with injuries for six."

"You are always so brave,

Always ready for the next wave,

To everyone you gave,

But now you're ready to cave,

Is there anyone who can save?"

"So here we sit,

In an alleyway, that is barely lit,

Here we sit,

Because you got hit,

Here we sit,

Because you failed even with your wit,

Here we sit,

Until you're fit.

Hoping, and hoping that you'll make it."

"You are barely even feeling,

Trying hard to be sealing,

That inside you are still reeling,

Just please, please say you are healing."

"At one time I thought,

If I rested my head,

It all the healing brought,

If I just went to bed,

It's not true what I  just said,

So please don't believe it Red,"

"But if this is the end,

Just know that I am your friend."

"But if this is where it ends,

Know you are, with, Friends."

"Thank you, it was, beautiful."