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In a bustling hallway, a young girl with reddish hair hurried past students, tears streaming down her face. Her hair was stuck out in wild tufts and her two recognisable pigtails were coming loose as she ran by with a noticeable limp.
"Yo, Blacksheep, you good?" one of the older students called out as she bumped into him.
Blacksheep didn't reply. She needed the one person who could make it better. The strongest person she knew. Her tears blurred the hallways and the faces of the students she ran past. Wiping them furiously away with her arm, she collided with someone and stumbled backward.
"Now who in the doo-hicky... What did we say about runnin'- Lamkins!" Coach Brunt's voice switched from her gentle scolding to concern instantly as she crouched down to the young girl's level.
Blacksheep's eyes shimmered with unshed tears, her bottom lip trembling as she looked up at Coach. Without a word, she flung herself into Coach's arms, Brunt’'s heart squeezed at the sight of their distressed girl, her maternal instincts kicking in instantly. ‘If she finds out someone did this to her lamkins...’
Sighing, Coach wrapped her arms around Blacksheep with practised ease, and held her close. Despite the young girl's small frame, Brunt could feel the poor girl shaking from hoe much she was sobbing. Carefully, she lifted Blacksheep up, cradling her close to her chest.
As she carried her through the crowded hallway, Coach murmured soothing words, and glared at some of the students in her way. Seeing Couch's expression they instantly parted to make way for her, their eyes lingering on the pair with confusion.
Finally reaching the faculty staff room, Coach gently set Blacksheep down on a nearby chair. She knelt beside her, brushing away the tears from the girl's cheeks. "It's okay, sweetie," she murmured, in her usual southern accent. "You're safe now. Let's get you sorted out, hmm?"
"There we go, one more bandaid," Coach Brunt said gently, finishing up the small task as Blacksheep sniffled from her spot on the table. She had fallen while playing on the rocks near the beach, despite Shadowsan's warnings to stay away. Maybe she should listen to him more often.
"I'm sorry, Coach Brunt," Blacksheep said, looking away ashamed. "I know big girls don't cry."
Coach Brunt smiled amusedly, the girl was barely seven, hardly what she would consider “big”. She ruffled her little lamb's hair affectionately. "Now don't you worry about that, Lamkins. You ever find yourself hurt, you can always come to me," she reassured her.
The little girl in front of her smiled through her tears. "Now come give Mama Bear a hug," Coach Brunt said, opening her arms wide.
Blacksheep leaped off the chair and into Coach Brunt's embrace, feeling safe and loved in her coach's arms.
……
Carmen panted heavily on her knees, her breaths coming in ragged gasps. Zack and Ivy lay unconscious next to her, their forms sprawled out on the ground. Her earpiece was long shattered by now, she internally cringed. Player must be freaking out right now. The young thief winced as pain shot through her broken ankle, the injury making every movement agonising. Her head throbbed with a relentless drumbeat, the result of being thrown around like a ragdoll. Blood trickled down her face from a deep gash above her eyebrow, staining her skin crimson.
Coach Brunt stalked towards her, her footsteps echoing in the tense silence of the warehouse. She crouched down to Carmen's level, her expression unreadable. There was no warmth in her gaze, no hint of the nurturing figure from Carmen's past. Instead, there was only the cold resolve of a painfully familiar enemy.
Carmen glared at her but remained silent. She didn't trust her voice to stay steady at the moment, didn't trust it not to betray her and shake like her hands and legs were doing.
With trembling hands, Carmen brushed the strands of hair away from her face, her fingers coming away slick with blood. She coughed out a mouthful of blood, tasting the metallic tang on her tongue. Her body was a canvas of bruises, Brunt was always thorough in their meetings. Always leaving her with a goodbye remainder. The laceration down her side throbbed incessantly, the blood seeping from it staining her coat a darker shade of red.
Coach Brunt's words cut through the air like a jagged blade, each syllable dripping with a bitter truth. "I told you before, lamkins, it's a world of hurt. Can't expect more from it." She hasn't given up on their conversation from the beginning of their unfortunate reunion. Didn't stop when the first drop of blood was spilled and definitely wasn't going to stop now.
Carmen's shoulders tensed, Brunt acts like she had needed a reminder of those words from their past ‘conversation’ in poitiers, like they hadn't been plaguing her dreams every night. Forgetting those words was a luxury Carmen didn't have. With a heavy heart, she lowered her head, allowing the silence to linger for a beat, five seconds that felt like an eternity.
Suddenly Carmen met Coach Brunt's gaze with stern ferocity, her resolve unshaken despite the pain and exhaustion weighing her down. "The only hurt this world has ever brought me was from you," she declared, her voice trembling with suppressed emotion. "I trusted you, believed in you, and YOU betrayed me. All of you did! Not the other way around." she ignored how her voice cracked with emotions and hoped Brunt would give her this mercy and ignore it too.
Coach Brunt felt a surge of frustration rising within her, threatening to erupt like a volcano on the brink of eruption. What was wrong with her!? Why couldn't she see that everything she did was for her own good? The growl that rumbled in Coach Brunt's throat was almost primal, a visceral response to her girl's defiance.
Coach Brunt's fists clenched at her sides, her nails digging into her palms with a fierce intensity. She saw the young superthief tense again. She was practically as stiff as a board on her knees right now. She had hoped that Carmen would understand, but she's starting to know better now. She knew she was soft towards her Blacksheep no matter how many times she denied it, that much was obvious with how many chances she kept giving the young girl. And time and time again she keeps getting rejected. Brunt likes to think she's a patient woman but even she has her limits. The everlasting tantrum Lamkins can't seem to get over is starting to get tiresome, and this time she’s bringing Carmen home with her no matter what. She’s sure Bellum and Maelstrom can just fix her once she’s back.
Instead brunt forces her fist to relax, flexing them as she can't help but roll her eyes. “You’re the one who ran away from the only family that took care of ya. Last I checked, that checks off as betrayal kiddo”.
Carmen's breath hitched, her chest tightening with anger and hurt. "You lied to me," she rasped, her voice raw with emotion. The never ending flow of blood trickled down her forehead, clinging to her lashes. Carmen had to rapidly blink away the sticky liquid, "Was I just a pawn in your game? The easiest one you could sacrifice?"
"Pawn??" Coach Brunt's voice crackled with incredulity, her eyes flashing instantly with frustration and disappointment. "Is that really what you think you were? Don't compare yourself to mere operatives, Lamkins. We raised you better than that."
She waved Carmen off with a dismissive gesture, her tone dripping with disdain. "You've always been better than them, better than those so-called friends you decide to play hero with," she spat out the word "friend" as if it left a bitter taste in her mouth, her gaze flicking disdainfully towards the fallen redheads lying further away.
"We gave you everything. Treated you like one of us," Coach Brunt continued, her voice tinged with exasperation. "Why can't you see that?".
"I'm not one of you," Carmen's voice quivered, her words instantly rebuting Brunts. "At one point, I wanted to be you. I looked up to you, all of you!" A choked sob interrupted her, the weight of her shattered dreams crashing down upon her. "But you're the ones who made it clear I never was."
A humourless chuckle escaped Carmen's lips, a bitter echo of her real laughter. Brunt raises an eyebrow at the sound. "I mean, I actually care about people, if you'd believe that. I have this funny thing called morals, but what does it matter" she shakes her head, the resignation evident in her broken voice as she cuts straight to the heart of the matter.
"What are you gonna do? Kill me?" She gazes at her with those very same eyes that stole her heart away. Those stormy grey eyes that glinted purple given the right angle, the ones she knew from when the girl was a babe. She was there from when they were first glinting brightly, oblivious to the world of hurt around her, to now where they were tainted with her own blood. The light in her eyes had been dimmed and glazed, looking foggier by the second.
Coach Brunt's scoff cut through the tension like a knife, "We still raised ya’ lamkins, we’re practically your parents, we’re cruel but even we’re not that heartless… but I won't lie and say it's not because it'd be a waste of your skills. Because it would, we’ve been training you for almost 20 years, and you came out perfect- well almost perfect” she said with a sad glance at her last statement.
Anger surged within Carmen, her own emotions a tumultuous storm threatening to consume her. How dare Coach Brunt still think she could even hold that title? "I'm not your, dau—"
But before Carmen could finish her retort, a sudden ring shattered the moment. Carmen's angry expression morphed into one of curiosity and confusion. Brunt has seen it enough times before that it brings back nostalgia.
She sighed, her gaze softening as she watched her little lamb flinch in response. "You don't mind if I take this, do ya?" Without waiting for a snarky or pained response, she answered the call. She signalled for the cleaners to keep watch, though she knew that Carmen wouldn't be going anywhere anytime soon, not with that broken leg, concussion, and myriad of other injuries.
As the faculty member's call connected, the camera feed flickered to life on their end, revealing a dimly lit warehouse bathed in shadows. Boxes and crates were stacked haphazardly around the perimeter. They recognised the building as the one they were currently using to smuggle emeralds out of the city, Brunt was sent there for a check, she usually handles missions like these.
In the background the faculty could see two figures lying unconscious on the ground, their forms barely visible in the dim light. Vlad stood nearby, holding up a crackle rod with his usual dead expression.
Brunt handed the phone to Boris? She was 70% sure the other one was Vlad, so she wouldn't be bothered by something in her hand and so that her fellow members could see the whole picture.
And then, there was the exact moment the faculty members laid eyes on Carmen, wheezing in the centre and couch Brunt looming beside her. A collective wave of satisfaction washed over them. Her appearance was hardly the one most elegant description. Blood streaked her face, mingling with the dirt and grime that coated her skin. Despite the injuries she bore, there was still that fierce determination in her eyes, the one they never managed to break.
Their expressions shifted into one of unconcealed excitement. They looked as though someone had handed them their early birthday gift (happy BD Mari 😉 ).
“Well this is most surprising dearest coach, I suspect that the operation is all going smoothly with our red rogue... captured?” Maelstrom started with an evil smirk that seemed to stretch too far; it had to have been painful.
Brunt made a hum of agreement. “Yep, all the gems have been packed and transported to the next rendezvous, I just happened to stumble upon our little lost sheep in the process” she said while looking down at carmen.
“Perfect those emeralds will make up for most of our losses in Rio, we’ll have the profits invest-”
“You’re not getting away with them!” Carmen interrupts Cleo through gritted teeth.
"Don't interrupt, Lamkins," Coach Brunt crosses her arms, her posture pure mock disappointment as she shakes her head. Carmen clenched her jaw, trying not to let the condescending remark get to her. "The adults are talking," Coach Brunt continued, a hint of superiority colouring her words.
Carmen couldn't help but bristle at the implication, her expression shifting to one of offence. The idea of being dismissed like a child grated against her pride. Though her kneeling in pain bloodied and roughed wasn't exactly helping her case either.
Before Carmen could retort, Countess's voice chimed in from the call, her smirk evident even through the screen. "I must say, that truly does look painful, Blacksheep," she taunted, her words dripping with amusement.
Carmen glares from her spot on her knees but at this point she’s swaying dangerously trying to stay awake, it's far from intimidating but the faculty are impressed that the girl is still up. Carmens just trying to reserve energy. She'll get back on her feet soon enough. At least that's what she keeps telling herself. She just needs to get her energy back… and somehow all the blood she’s lost. That would definitely help with the dark spots in her vision.
"Oh, well, this all could have been avoided, but one must learn there are consequences to their actions," Maelstrom commented, his tone dripping with false regret. Carmen knew him well enough to recognize the underlying excitement in his voice, the thrill of the chaos unfolding before him.
"Hmm, Coach Brunt, are you sure you did not cause vital harm?" Bellum interjected, her voice carefully neutral and to the point. "The poor girl looks like she's about to faint any minute now from blood loss."
Carmen blinked owlishly at the comment, her ears ringing with the dull roar of adrenaline coursing through her veins. To be honest, she hadn't heard the first part of Bellum's remark, her focus consumed by the struggle to stay conscious amidst the haze of pain and exhaustion.
"Relax, she'll be fine. Lamkins’ not weak," Coach Brunt retorted, she was confident in their weapons' resilience.
Maelstrom narrowed his eyes at Coach Brunt, a hint of warning in his gaze. "We do warn you to be careful, Coach Brunt. You are dealing with precious cargo, after all," he cautioned.
Slowly the conversation shifted away from her and Carmen felt a strange sense of detachment settle over. Despite being the focal point of their discussion, she found herself relegated to the background, a mere spectator to their plans and machinations.
Carmen struggled to focus on anything but the dull throbbing in her head and the rhythmic pounding of her heart. The whole world seemingly spinning and blurry but at the mention of returning to VILE coming from the call and not being able to make sure if Zack and Ivy get away causes her to panic. The panic fills her with enough adrenaline that she pushes herself to her feet finally.
She stumbles a few feet back, looking ready to tip any moment. Her legs threatening to give out beneath her, Vlad moved in with a taser in hand, poised to incapacitate her. But Coach Brunt intervened, raising a hand to halt his advance.
Her legs throbbed from being bent for longer than she would have liked to acknowledge. Bringing a trembling arm to wipe the blood from mouth, Carmen grimaced as she felt the familiar stickiness of more blood. More red. Red everywhere. And for once she was starting to get tired of the colour.
Ignoring the blaring alarms in her head of her protesting body, Carmen squared her shoulders and took a step forward, slowly and weakly putting an offensive stand up. In that moment, she knew that she couldn't afford to give in to weakness. Not yet at least. Zack and Ivy were depending on her, and she would stop at nothing to ensure their safety.
Coach Brunt let out a heavy sigh, rubbing at her own forehead in frustration.
"Seriously, Lamkins, stop fighting," Coach Brunt turned her attention back to Carmen. "It ain't gonna do you much good, and you're just gonna hurt yourself more."
Carmen merely looked at her, she would like to think she glared but at the moment it really felt like she was putting more effort into just keeping her eyes open. She didn't let it show but Coach Brunt's words struck a chord within her, and a nagging doubt lingered at the back of her mind.
Turning back to the amused faculty members, Coach Brunt addressed them with a sense of finality. "Look, I'll call you back later. Let me deal with this first. It shouldn't take too long."
The call ended with a chilling farewell from Maelstrom, his words hanging in the air like a sinister promise. "We will be happily awaiting your return, Blacksheep. See you soon." And with a final goodbye wave from Dr. Bellum, the connection was severed, leaving Carmen and Coach Brunt alone again, excluding the cleaners cause Carmen never really thought they were human anyways.
Carmen's eyes darted around the warehouse, her mind racing as she tried to calculate any possible escape routes. But she knew she couldn't leave without Zack and Ivy by her side, she was trapped, and Coach Brunt knew it too.
Unfortunately her injuries had made her movements far too sluggish, before she could react, Vlad seized her from behind, his grip firm and unyielding. Carmen struggled against the restraint, but it was futile. With cold efficiency, Vlad secured her hands behind her back, binding them tightly with VILE handcuffs.
She struggles against the handcuffs trying to pull them apart but with her hands behind she can't even see what the lock looks like.
“I wouldn't bother tryna lockpick your way outa those lamkins, the Doc was kind enough to make em special just for you”
Pocketing the phone Boris returned she signalled for Boris towards the siblings. “Y'know lamkins, we don't like loose ends, and we already got you, we don't exactly need your so called pals to give you anymore wrong ideas” Carmen stopped struggling and her eyes widened as she realised where Brunt was going with this. “Tell you what. I'll do you a favour for family sakes. You stop resisting and I'll make sure they make it through the ride. Continue to throw your tantrum and” she chuckles darkly “I'm sure you know how it goes.” She finished off with a finger across the neck gesture.
Carmen's heart sank at the mention of her friends, the thought of them in danger enough to make her blood run cold. She knew that Coach Brunt wasn't bluffing – V.I.L.E. would stop at nothing to achieve their goals, even if it meant using Zack and Ivy as leverage against her.
“Okay” she murmured, barely above a whisper, Brunt herself would have missed it had she not been focusing solely on her lost child. Carmen swallows hard for the next bit “I'm sorry, ill- ill come back with you. Willingly.” She sees Brunt raise an eyebrow clearly waiting for more. “A- and I won't fight back anymore. Just leave them out of this.”... “please” A plea slipped from her lips as an afterthought, the desperation palpable in her voice.
Coach Brunt's eyes softened momentarily at Carmen's agreement, a glimmer of hope flickering in her gaze. "I knew you'd come back to your senses, little cub," she murmured. She clapped her hands once loudly signalling the end of their event here. “Alright! let's head out boys..” but she trailed off growing more quiet.
Carmen's attention re-focused on Brunt's face, Coach Brunt's expression hardened once again, and Carmen got a sudden sense of foreboding settling over her. ‘Shi- what did she mess up this time- did Brunt not believe her words-’. Then Carmen's eyes widened in alarm as she realised that Coach had been glaring at someone behind her.
Slowly, Coach Brunt moved in front of Carmen, her movements deliberate and calculated. Carmen's heart raced in her chest as she hesitantly turned to look, clenching her fists in stress. Relief flooded through her, almost overwhelmingly so, when she saw Shadowsan standing by the exit. She must've looked like a little kid who's been lost for far too long in the shops before finally finding their parents again.
Carmen can't remember ever seeing such a murderous look on Shadowsans face. And with that katana in hand Carmen was 90% sure he might actually murder someone today. But finally Shadowsans gaze locked with hers, and she could see the way his eyes took in most of her injuries, the way he softens his expression towards her. She glances at the redheaded siblings who had yet to even stir throughout the whole ordeal and Shadowsan follows her gaze and nods subtly, understanding exactly what she wants.
Finally getting her lagging brain to respond, Carmen took a shaky step forward, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. In that moment, all she wanted was to be reunited with Shadowsan, to feel his calming presence wash over her like a warm embrace. To throw herself into his arms like she once did to coach Brunt, and calm down in the comfort of a real parental figure.
But before she could take two steps in, the cleaners emerged from behind, each grabbing one of her arms and pulling her back.
She cried out in pain as she felt an electric shock come from her handcuff, sending waves of agony coursing through her body. The world spun around her in a dizzying whirl, her vision blurring until Shadowsan became nothing more than his name, a hazy shadow in the distance. Her legs gave up and had the Cleaners not been holding her back she was pretty certain she would have face planted into the ground.
Suddenly a chloroform soaked cloth pressed against her face and Carmen's senses became increasingly dulled. She felt a beefy hand stroke her hair once, the touch oddly motherly yet suffocating at the same time before finally giving in to the darkness…