Caught off guard

Love and Panic

Carmen allowed the laughter of her girlfriend to fill her hollow heart, smiling as she watching in awe. The light of an orange sunrise peering through the windows and hugging the young women's form.

Almost holding her as tight as Carmen was from behind.

The two were positioned on the couch within red base, Julia's legs crossed as she sat in her loving girlfriend's lap, being held with a grip that could constrict her lungs if positioned otherwise.

About a month ago to the date, Carmen's crew had noticed the increased abnormality in the super-thief's behaviour.

After several nightmares and breakdowns it had become clear that the reason for her depressing state... was loneliness

So, Ivy had approached team red with an idea to make their leader feel less... isolated.

The idea being to 'kidnap' Julia and offer her a new life with them.

She had of course, accepted with a crimson-flushed face, which only darkened when she was told to share a room with Carmen.

2 weeks later (2 weeks before present day) Carmen had worked up the courage to ask out her 'favourite ACME agent' to which she squealed and jumped into the arms of her loved one.

Later apologising with a face redder than Carmen's evening attire.

The two girlfriends had become inseparable ever since. <3

*PRESENT*

Carmen nuzzled her face further into her girlfriend's back in a loving gesture while the film they had been watching came to a close.

As the credits rolled, Julia got up to retrieve more wine for the group to which her Latina girlfriend complained.

Ivy smirked at the loving sight before exchanging an "I told you so" look with her boss.

To which the Argentinian rolled her eyes and abandoned her place on the couch to check go on/flirt with her girlfriend.

Upon her final glare towards Ivy, Carmen caught sight of her father figure, white as a sheet.

"Shadowsan?" She questioned, frozen in place.

Fast as lightning, the man shot up and dragged the Bostonian siblings to the door across from the couches, urging them to hurry.

He quickly made his way in, urging for Carmen to make haste while she tried to gain the attention of her girlfriend.

But it was too late...

On her way to the kitchen, Carmen frowned as she caught a glimpse of an object outside the front window of the warehouse.

Before she could determine the nature of the object, the warehouse doors were slammed open by an unknown force.

From the outburst, the young women found herself falling to the floor, yelping is pain.

Suddenly, ACME agents swarmed in, led by someone she recognised to be Agent Zari.

Her vision was hazy, making it difficult to see, nor hear with her senses refusing to respond.

The next thing Carmen was assured of was that ACME possessed new weaponry... and one was almost making contact with her head.

Unsure of whether or not the new guns held real bullets or tranquillising darts, she chose to take no chances.

She later became aware of the loud yelling and harsh demands directed at her team.

The defenceless women could only watch as her family were forced to enter through the open door with their hands raised and visible.

Some of the many guns directed at her shifting towards her crew.

Fear and anxiety for her family soon morphed into anger and a territorial impulse.

"Do not touch them." She scowled.

Carmen's cold and threatening voice was the only one echoing through the room at that moment, showing little fear and high authority despite her current situation.

"Or what?" The blonde agent before her urged, daring her to speak.

"I could send a bullet through your scalp in a second if I wanted to." She taunted.

The room grew deadly silent at the threat.

"B-bullet?" Zack stammered, both eyes fixated and worrying for Carmen.

"Oh yes," the coy agent purred, "such hostile behaviour can lead to maximum engagement."

The women paused before continuing, "We have full entitlement to any and all lethal weapons."

The room shuddered at that... falling into another painful silence.

"Do it." The small whisper rang through the warehouse.

Everyone stared with different expressions at the Latina as her eyes remained fixated on the ground.

Team red were mortified, including Player who remained dead silent on his end of the com, while spectating from the security cameras.

Shadowsan had made no attempt to hide his reaction, nor Zack and Ivy who mastered terrified expressions.

Carmen finally met with the cruel eyes of her attacker, eyes watering in defeat.

"It's what you did to my father. Isn't it?" The young women supplied, watching as the law enforcement agency held confused expressions. Some shuffling uncomfortably in place.