Chapter Text
“And there we were, at the end of the road. The Klaww Gang had been defeated and the Clockwerk parts lay scattered around in heaps. Yet, despite the explosion, they remained pristine. It was as if nothing could ever hurt them.
Carmelita cursed herself for showing up too late to get a few shots in on Clock-La. So, she took it out on what was close at hand: the Hate Chip. And just like that, it was over. Without that core piece, that essential centre of Clockwerk, there was nothing left. The parts aged before our eyes, as if time had finally caught up with the ancient bird. How ironic that Carmelita, a police officer, would be the one to lift the curse from the Cooper family. The menace of Clockwerk would never again rise to threaten me, or my children.
True to her nature, she informed us that we were all under arrest. But one look at my gang told me that we were in no shape for a fast getaway. So, I offered to go peacefully in exchange for letting my friends walk. They'd taken some bruises through all of this, but I was surprised, shocked really, to see them leave their gear behind as they walked away. Their wounds were deeper than I'd imagined. They were hurting. Carmelita's old police unit soon arrived. With me in custody, her name was cleared, and she even got a well deserved promotion. It was the least I could do.
The ride to HQ started with us sitting in silence, trying to read each other's thoughts. As the reality of my capture started to sink in, she began to relax, and we got to talking. We spoke freely about our previous adventures; comparing notes and even getting in a few laughs. Then we started talking about, well, everything; books, music, art. It was like we were on a first date. She even showed me the bottle she'd been saving for this special occasion of my arrest. My heart sank when she realised that our short flight across town had already taken two hours, a fact I'd kinda clued into after seeing the Eiffel Tower float by 17 times. She went forward to ask the pilot what was up, and it looked like my pals had left me a little going away present before taking off. Floating away on the night breeze, I could faintly make out Carmelita's voice.”
The end…
For now.