#julmen

Here's some soft girlfriends for the Carmen Sandiego fandom. You're welcome.

Pairings: Carmen Sandiego x Julia Argent

Summary: Julia makes a dangerous move.

Warnnings: violence.

Word count: 1273.

Ao3

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When Julia slams Devineaux's car door and the cold wind of Rome's winter hits her face, she's not so sure if it's a good idea to follow her partner's plan.  But when she sees the Galleria Borghese standing before her with its majestic 17th-century architecture, Julia thinks the cold may not be that bad, though. She gets carried away by the thought that she may be about to contemplate Caravaggio and Botticelli and how she would never have had this opportunity if it weren't for her partner's insistence that this is Carmen Sandiego's next step. She can't disagree with him though, although she doesn't believe this is the red lady's next step. Julia knows better than that. Carmen did nothing wrong, she knows that, especially after all the moments she shared with the thief. She sighs as the memory of their last date hits her. Carmen's lost eyes and her goodbye tone when the hug before leaving was a little longer and tighter than usual worried Julia. Especially after more than a month with nothing but Carmen's silence. Julia just hopes she isn't hurt.

Julia watches Devineaux's hard footprints on the thin layer of snow and follows him to the door to avoid any of his grumbling. He shows his identification to the guard who doesn't seem to understand much of his words intertwined with the heavy french accent but let them in recognizing the authority of  Devineaux's card.

"Today I catch Carmen Sandiego", The ex Interpol inspector makes his way to the first room on the ground floor seeming to completely ignore the fact that he is surrounded by world-famous artwork, besides of course, the museum's own ambience also very impressive. Julia is not surprised. History has never been more than boring to him and there is nothing that will divert him from his goal of arresting la femme rouge tonight, nothing to convince him that Carmen had actually been helping them stop VILE all the time.

Devineaux suddenly stops in the middle of the way and turns to Julia who almost bumps against his back for being distracted by Pauline Bonaparte's sculpture. "Argent, I think we should split up. You go up and I stay on this floor."

"I don't think that's a good idea. What if VI-"

"Miss Argent, I know what I'm doing."

Devineaux offers no time to argue. He goes ahead leaving her behind between the sculptures with her brows furrowed. Julia sighs for his stubbornness as Devineaux disappears through the doors of the next room, though she knows it would be no use trying to convince him otherwise.

She access the nearest stairs with her weapon in hand. Unlike her partner, she is well aware of the danger meeting someone from VILE can mean. The scar on her abdomen won't let her forget it. As the rooms progress, the silence and darkness make her believe that it was Devineaux who chose the winning door. Moans of pain and a voice that is definitely not Carmen catch her eye near room nine, however, and she can do nothing but check it out.

Julia finds the figure of a blonde woman wearing a mask with bright green eyes. Tigress, she concludes from the stories Carmen told her of her time at the secret criminal organization. A security guard is standing beside her on the floor, his wrists and legs tied with rope. The feeling of déja vu keeps the ACME agent from getting too close and Julia crouches behind one of the sculptures. She pushes the button on her pen so she can alert Devineaux and other agents of her location and puts it in the inner pocket of her uniform.

"Be quiet or a tigress will use you to sharpen her claws," the thief threatens the man on the floor stepping on his chest the Rafael Sanzio's Lady with Unicorn under her arms. "Countess Cleo will be proud of this one", she transfers the picture to a briefcase.

Adrenaline invades Julia's body as Tigress is close to escaping through the wide window on her left. The ACME agent leaves her hiding place without thinking twice, even though her heart is pounding in her ears and her gut is wound in several knots by the familiarity of the situation.

"Freeze!", Julia points her stun gun at Tigress. "You are under arrest!"

"Oh, that's cute", she mockes approaching the man on the floor. "She thinks she can catch me," Tigress laughs. "I wouldn't be so sure about that."

"Put the painting back!" The firmness in her own voice surprises Julia.

"Or what? Are you going to arrest me? I'd like to see you try. In fact, I have a better idea. Why don't you let me go and this man can live?"

Julia keeps her tight grip on ACME's weapon. Tigress doesn't seem to be joking when she forces the security guard to his feet and threatens to keep her words with her claws around the poor man's neck.

The loud clatter of tires reaches her ears as Julia watches the criminal's smile widen fiercely.

"Or I could take him with me. I'm sure someone would be more than happy for a new subject for all  experiments," Tigress approaches the window with the man. "Last chance."

That's when Devineaux's voice echoes through the floor. "Argent," he calls before rushing through the room doors.

"Ladys and gentleman, the show is over", Tigress says and is about to launch the man through the hole in the window when Julia makes a decision in her despair.

"Wait! No! Let him go and take me in his place, instead", she is no longer sure what she is doing. Julia only knows that her plan seems to be working out when Tigress drops the man on the floor again and smiles.

Devineaux approaches her side with his weapon in hand. "Agent Argent, you can't do that. You must remember better than me what already happened before."

"I remember very well, Agent Devineaux. But this may be our only chance. Can you trust my plan just this time?"

The frenchman purses his lips and frowns at his partner. Julia thinks this is one of her worst ideas but the time is too short for her to come up with a better plan, so she decides to go on before it's too late. Tigress gives her an impatient look.

"If we have a deal, put your gun down and ask your partner to do the same. "

"Fine," she drops her stun gun and approaches with her hands to her head as the VILE criminal moves to loosen the ropes from the Galleria Borghese security team man.

Julia's heart seems to be moving toward her stomach. All her thoughts revolve around the desire for Carmen Sandiego to appear once more even if it is not to save her. If death is the consequence of your bad decision all Julia wants is to be able to look into the gray blue eyes and hear Carmen's voice for the last time. The lady in red does not appear, however. Julia is sure that her destiny is sealed.

"No kidding," Tigress searches her clothes and pulls the ACME communication device out of the inside pocket of her blazer.

"It's just my pen," Julia says watching Tigress narrow her eyes.

"I'm keeping it."