3rd Person POV
3 days had passed since Countess Cleo's arrival in India. On their return from their walk, Carmen had told the teachers that she had not been able to decode the riddle entirely. The anger and violence that usually followed her failures had been strangely absent. Bellum seemed disappointed but Cleo had told her that it didn't matter, that they had already placed too much hope in an ignorant animal. Since then, she had been kept locked in a cupboard, hydrated only in the evening. Once a day, she was allowed out to relieve her needs.
One afternoon, Cleo took her outside to put her things away and leave. She was forced to put her cape back on and pull out the Countess's suitcase, her bag slung over her shoulder. She deposited all the luggage in the carriage before crawling into her cage for the road, having never been allowed to leave before their arrival in Egypt.
Currently, she was making her way through the Cairo market, still hidden under her cape as she and Cleo set out to find Tigress. The feline-themed thief was admiring a cat figure when she spotted her former rival.
"What have we here ? Fedora the Exp-"
"That's enough, Tigress. Behave like an adult and leave Black Sheep alone."
"Yes, Countess."
Cleo turned back to head for the flat that was being used as a base for this operation and Tigress took the opportunity to jostle Carmen. The three women walk in silence until they arrive in front of a building. Cleo unlocks the door and enters.
Carmen POV
We are climbing the steps to enter the dwelling when the Countess stops and turns to face me.
"Since you were unable to translate the relic, we had to call in a specialist. Unfortunately she wasn't particularly... optimistic about working with us. What a disappointment..." She seems to be lost in thought as she plays with a lock of my hair. "To return to your role, you will assist this woman in her work and keep me informed of everything. Do you understand, my darling?"
"Yes Countess."
"Good girl."
I felt a sense of relief come over me at the thought of having pleased the Countess. She turns to open the door and I hear Tigress giggle. I ignore her as I enter. I see a woman tied to a chair, a bag over her head and surrounded by the Cleaners. A small part of me feels sick at the sight but I know I can't do anything about it anyway. The Countess puts her hand on my shoulder and pushes me to my knees at her feet.
Boris removes the bag and I can see that the woman can't be more than 25. She looks terrified as she stares at the faculty member and the feline-themed agent. When her gaze falls on me, I see even more terror fill her face as she observes my wounds and scars. I bow my head, feeling ashamed and disgusted under her gaze.
3rd Person POV
"Miss Turner. Thank you for being here. I need your services to translate an old relic. It appears to me that this is your speciality, no ?"
The woman nods and Cleo smiles at their victim's fear. Out of the corner of her eye, she can see Carmen biting her lip, finding it hard to bear the gaze of the other captive. The Cleaners untie the woman's arms and lead her to a table. Black Sheep gets up to follow them and Cleo holds her by the arm.
"Don't let me down..."
"Never Countess."
All the members of VILE retreat to another room and Turner gasps as he hears the door close. Carmen takes out the relic and the advances she had already made before going to sit on one of the two chairs. Not seeing her companion in misfortune join her, she turns to see her trying to pry open the door with a hairpin.
"You can't do it."
"And how do you know ?"
"You're going about it the wrong way to pick it. Besides, the Cleaners are probably behind the door watching."
"Who ?"
"The two pale men who kidnapped you."
"I must at least try."
"You won't be able to. You'll just manage to get yourself killed."
"So what ? I sit here and do nothing ? You're a prisoner too, you may have given up but I haven't."
"I'm just using common sense and trying to preserve your life !"
"The forces of order will soon arrive to free us, we must not give up."
"When will you understand that no one is coming to get us ! No one knows we're here and even if they did, they won't win. The people here are not to be underestimated !"
Carmen finally screams, tears in her eyes. The other woman stops and comes to sit beside her.
"How long has it been ?"
"I don't know. I lost count a long time ago."
"I'm sorry, this is all just confusing and scary and..."
"I understand, no need to apologise Madam."
"I insist, after all..."
"There's no need, I tell you. Nobody ever apologises to me. I'm used to it, so stop pretending you care."
"Why don't we start all over again ? My name's Mélodie, what's yours ?" the historian held out her hand towards Carmen. She hesitated before shaking it.
" Black Sheep, Madam."
"You can call me Mélodie."
"I have no right, Madam."
"Ah... Otherwise funny nickname Mouton Noir, I can't think of a pun that would refer to your first name."
"I don't have a name. I'm Black Sheep. You'd better get to work, the Countess wouldn't appreciate you hanging around."
"What will they do with my findings ?"
"I don't know and I don't want to know, Madam..." Carmen lied before handing her her notes, which Melodie took.
"In any case it's a good start. I'll get down to decrypting the oldest part."
"How can I help you, Madam ?"
"You can sort through the screenshots and take notes."
"Yes, ma'am."
The two women worked in tense silence, broken only by the thoughts and information transmitted by the decryption. When they had finished, Mélodie turned to Carmen.
"I've had an idea on how to get out of here. I've deliberately delayed and put mistakes in the documents. That way we can save time and try to escape during the night. Are you with me Black Sheep ?"
"If you want to waste your time and try..."
Carmen is cut off by the door opening. Tigress enters the room, grabs Carmen and starts dragging her towards the door. Melodie watches in horror as Carmen is violently pushed out of the room.
"Continue your work, Miss. Black Sheep has to go serve her owner and will be back to help you shortly."
Boris makes her sit back down as Vlad places a meagre meal in front of the woman.
"Your meal, Miss Turner." The Cleaners exit just after while closing the door.
After several hours, Carmen is thrown into the room by Tigress, a pair of handcuffs connecting her hands with a loose chain. A new purple bruise in the shape of a hand adorns her cheek and her left hand is slightly burnt. Mélodie comes to help Carmen sit down in the chair while moving the tray of her meal.
"What's happened ?"
"Nothing unusual, Madam. Don't worry about me."
"And what is usual ?"
Carmen hesitates before sighing. "Serving the meal, attending to the Countess's physical and mental well-being, taking care of her belongings..." She finally says casually.
"Mental well-being?" Mélodie asks but Carmen's movement to try and camouflage her cheek and hand is enough to give her her answer.
Carmen gets up and goes to lie down on the carpet in the room, taking advantage of the fur on the floor to make herself a little more comfortable. Mélodie sighed and also took a little rest.
With the moon high in the sky, the historian got up to try and force the door open and to her surprise succeeded. She hurriedly woke Carmen.
"I told you I could do it. Come on, let's get out of here."
Carmen seems to look at her sadly before nodding. The two women get up and leave their cells. As Melodie opened the main door to the appartment, she came face to face with Countess Cleo surrounded by the Cleaners. She recoils in shock and turns towards Carmen, who is on her knees, her hands held behind her back by Tigress. The Cleaners push Melodie back into the appartment before undoing Carmen's handcuffs and placing them on the other woman.
"Your information was correct Black Sheep. You were a good girl tonight. And obedient girls are rewarded."
She holds up a packet of three biscuits. Carmen quickly crawls to the Countess's feet before kneeling and presenting her hands. Cleo hands her the biscuits and Carmen rushes to eat them, ignoring the look of contempt on her companion in misfortune.
"It was foolish of you to assume you could escape me Miss Turner."
"It would have worked if Black Sheep hadn't gone and told you all about it like a good dog obedient to her mistress."
"But that's what she exists for." Cleo runs her hand down Carmen's hair as she eats her second biscuit. "She's only alive to serve her masters as you say. And like any good pet, she can't resist a bit of food, especially when she's been deprived of it for so long."
Cleo took the last biscuit from Carmen's hands and waved it in front of her face, who followed the movement with her eyes so eagerly. The Countess finally cuts it into small pieces and drops them to the floor. Carmen rushed to pick them up and eat them, ignoring the shame she would have felt earlier.
"Cleaners, Tigress lock Miss Turner in the holding room to finish her botched job from earlier this evening. You will then each take a watch to make sure she doesn't do it again."
The three VILE agents nod and take Turner with them. Cleo lowers her gaze to Carmen who had just finished her biscuit and started to curl up. She walks into her room and sits on her bed as the girl follows her to prepare the room.
"You have obeyed well Black Sheep. I'll let the others know what a good girl you've been. Now you had better get some sleep, tomorrow we'll eventually discover the lost treasure of our ancestors."
"Where should I sleep, Countess ?"
"Find yourself a rug outside my room and since you've been good, you can take your cloak if you're cold."
"Thank you Countess. Have a good night."
Carmen bowed slightly before turning off the light and closing the bedroom door. Spotting a rug in the corner, she snuggled into it, weeping silently and praying for a better life that was unattainable.
At first light, Carmen had been roused from her sleep as everyone prepared to leave. Melodie Turner seemed to have lost her fighting spirit with the lack of sleep during the night and from time to time cast glances of contempt at Carmen and terror at her jailers. Boris handcuffed her, and Cleo attached the bracelet to her wrist. The little group then set off, Cleo and Carmen at the front, followed by Tigress and the Cleaners, who were holding back a Melody who was exhausted after her night's work.
Carmen moved forward mechanically, amazed by the beauty of the sun, which was just rising over the pyramids. As they passed by the Sphinx, Cleo flicked her wrist to get Carmen to speed up as she observed the details.
"We're not here to sightsee, child. You can admire its ancient stones in a book when we get home."
"Sorry Countess."
They continued on in silence until they reached an antechamber. The walls were covered with drawings and emblems that seemed to represent various tales and legends from ancient times.
"And what are we looking for now ?" Tigress asked boredly and Carmen asked with a look for permission to speak. After a nod from Cleo. Carmen stepped forward next to the wall in front of her.
"Miss Turner told us that the treasure is revealed to us when the scarab-headed god pushes the solar disc across the sky. But this hieroglyph, a symbol normally never found in a pyramid, represents the sun."
"And ?" Tigress replied laconically.
"So the beetle-headed god is a metaphor for saying that the passage will open by pushing this button, Tigress..." Cleo glares at her and the agent swallows nervously. Cleo presses it and the passage opens. "You stay here to stand guard. Is that clear ?"
"Like crystal." The operative replies.
The rest of the group set off along the staircase before arriving in a large room filled with hieroglyphics and a cat statuette in the middle. Cleo went forward with Carmen to take the statue, exclaiming at the poverty of their treasure. She didn't bother to listen as Carmen warned her of the trap. The floor of the room collapsed beneath their feet and Boris caught Cleo to pull her up while Vlad did the same with Carmen, who stood awkwardly under the weight of Cleo, who was hanging half in the air.
"What were you saying, Black Sheep ?"
"The statue must have been a trap to prevent common thieves from getting their hands on the real treasure."
As she finished her sentence, Cleo unfastened the chain and slapped her hard, knocking Carmen to the ground. She steered Carmen's chin towards her with her foot while glowering at her.
"Don't you ever call me a common thief again, you slave."
"Sorry, Countess. I didn't mean to insult you. I've been foolish and bad."
"Kneel facing a corner with your hands behind your head until I have decided on your punishment."
"Yes Countess."
Carmen walked headlong to the corner nearest the hieroglyphs and knelt down. She heard the others approaching the wall to her right and talking, Cleo complaining about the ordeal. Vlad seemed to indicate a position and a few moments later, a deafening noise filled the room, forcing Carmen to turn around, fearing an attack.
When she saw the treasure piled up behind the wall, Cleo couldn't help but smile. She only glanced at the girl who hastily lowered her head, terrified of having angered one of her superiors.
Cleo POV
I was making my way through the room our ancestors used for storage. Among the multitude of treasures on display, I spot a number of interesting pieces of jewellery and art for my collection. I turn back to the tallest of the Cleaners.
"Vlad, please take care to teach Black Sheep her lesson about respect."
"I'm Boris." He replies before walking away towards the girl, taking his truncheon out of his belt. I wait to hear the girl's cries of pain before taking out my phone to call the rest of the faculty.
3rd Person POV
Boris stops the beating of Carmen as Cleo, Vlad and Melodie join them. Boris pulls a bruised Carmen by the hair to her knees in front of Cleo.
"I'm listening girl."
"I present my apologies, Countess. I overstepped my status by mentioning you with insult. I should never have done that and implore you to please forgive me."
"I conclude that the lesson went well. You can make amends to me and to Saira for taking the initiative in doing me a small favour."
"I am at your service Countess..."
"As you know in VILE we never leave a weak link. Now that we have found our legacy, any loose ends must be cut off. Do I make myself clear ?"
Boris lifted Carmen to her feet and pushed her towards Melodie, whom Vlad was holding close to the pit. She struggled but Vlad injected her with a tranquilliser before setting her down on the edge of the hole.
"No... Please have mercy."
" You will NEVER say 'no' to me, girl." Cleo cuts her off while slapping her face. "If I give you an order, you comply without flinching and without waiting. That is your role as a slave."
"I beg you, please. I can't kill, it's impossible."
"But you already have. That ACME agent you shot. Or your own team and the man you love. You killed them all with your selfish, savage behaviour."
"I... I didn't mean to..."
"Either way, this woman will die. It's up to you if you want to add a punishment for disobeying me." Cleo watched Carmen's eyes widen in fear as she turned to Melodie. Slowly she approaches, captivated by Cleo's voice. "Think of the screams of torment from your team as they are killed before your helpless eyes. It's them or her."
With these last words Carmen grabs Melodie, and with a simple 'sorry' whispered with tears in her eyes, she pushes her into the pit. She watches her fall into the void as if disconnected until Cleo's hand on her shoulder brings her back to reality. As she figured out what she had done, she let out a cry of horror as she collapsed to the floor.
Time passed quickly in the days that followed. She briefly remembers hearing Cleo order Tigress to take her back to the appartment, where she will be locked in a room until she returns to HQ. To the surprise of the members of the Faculty, she had given her all to her work on her return, probably to forget, according to Maelstrom's analysis.
But Carmen had never forgotten Melodie, one of her victims. Killed by her own hand for the Faculty, for VILE.