Chapter 6: Failure

How could have this had happened?

This was a question Enrique had been quietly asking himself after watching Sheen and Libby's bodies be carried into the E.R.

For the past three hours of being in the hospital, Enrique had spent them trying desperately to wash & scrub vigorously, attempting to get rid of the bloodstains of his cousin and fiancee. Scrubbing and scrubbing until he was sure he no longer had any skin left on his hands but it still didn't feel like it was enough, the blood was still stained into his skin.

He will never be able to remove it.

What was worse was that he struggling to resist the urge to throw up as he did not wish to go through the painful dry heaves for the third time.

Sheen and Enrique had just arrived in a cab from the airport, not telling Libby of their coming so it would be a surprise. After retrieving their luggage from the boot and paying the cabbie their fee, the two men quietly entered the house and with great stealth, they rushed upstairs to the guest room where Enrique would be staying in. Sheen went downstairs to surprise Libby while Enrique decided to make a phone call to his parents, he had just entered the fifth digit into his cell phone when he heard shouting, furniture crashing and a cry for help. Enrique immediately rushed downstairs and was horrified by the scene.

An African-American woman, who Enrique presumed to be Libby, was lying helplessly on the ground and looked to be unconscious while his cousin suffered a more gruesome attack; a fire-poker pierced through his chest, nailing Sheen to the wall. Enrique almost threw up when he noticed the huge amount of bruising and blood coating his cousin's face, but what concerned him more was the numerous thin trails of blood that were dripping down the creme-coloured wall.

Enrique rung 9-1-1 immediately, thankful that his cousin had told the number to him before getting out of the cab. 'Guess it wasn't as stupid as I said before...' he thought while pacing around the living room. He didn't know what to do, he wasn't sure what Libby's injuries were so he was unable to treat them and he couldn't give any medical assistance to Sheen or he would bleed to death, he was however, able to the iron rod out of the wall without causing too much damage but unable to get Sheen to regain consciousness.

They were the worst ten minutes of his life. Enrique remembered how he prayed to God and begged him to let the couple survive and could remember the overwhelming relief that spread through the man as the paramedics had finally showed up and gave them immediate medical attention. The two bodies had been rushed into the E.R. and Enrique had been here ever since.

"What do you mean we can't see them? Fuck regulations, they're our family!" A woman's voice thundered, focusing the attention of all those surrounding her.

The man didn't even bother looking up, he was too tired, he did though feel bad for the lady at the desk. Guess the saying "Hell hath no fury than a woman's wrath!" had been established for a situation such as this.

"Jade you have to calm down! Surely, you can let us in. I mean Sheen and Libby, well they're like family." Enrique quickly raised his face from his hands to see a couple talking to the receptionist, his curiosity kicked in. "Please you have to let us see them, or at least at us know how they're coping!" Nick gently pleaded.

"I'm sorry sir, but I am not authorised to give any information about the couple's medical status!" The woman sternly informed. Really, she did want to let them know, but she would lose her job.

"Yeah, well I have the duty of kicking your a-"

"Excuse me, but how may I ask that you know Sheen?" Enrique said, interrupting the feisty brunette from finishing her threat.

"Sheen's our friend. We've known him since primary school!" Nick answered, feeling a tad protective of the informative he had just let out.

"High school for me. Well, last few months anyway!" Jade admitted, "Who may I ask, are you?"

"Enrique Estevez. I'm Sheen's cousin!" He introduced sheepishly, the couple both raised their eyebrows in surprise.

"I didn't know that Sheen had a cousin!" Jade said, suspicious of the man.

"Yeah, Sheen doesn't really talk about his family that much if you've noticed," Enrique replied somewhat offended. "Neither about friends!"

Jade clutched her fist, feeling hurt that Sheen never spoke about neither her or Nick to his family. Was Sheen simply sanguine; making a best friend in one moment and then replacing them in the next? Was he ashamed? She really hoped that wasn't so because although she never really admitted it to anyone, Jade was afraid of being replaced for someone better and forgotten with no one there to care for her.

She's been afraid of it since she living in the orphanage.

Jade shook her head, 'What the hell is wrong with you, Jade? Sheen didn't purposely not mention you or Nick or anyone else for that matter, he's just forgetful. Besides worry about the more important things, like him & Libby surviving from whatever the fuck attacked them!' Suddenly fearing the thought that Sheen and Libby may not make it. "Do you know they're doing?" She asked softly, the tone made Enrique's eyes soften.

"Sheen was found with a fire poker embedded into his chest, they had to cut it into two before they could remove it. He's suffered a punctured lung but other than that a few bumps and bruises, so thankfully he'll be fine."

"What about Libby?" Nick asked, wrapping his arm around Jade's shoulders because if Libby's condition would be in any thought as he thought it to be then Jade would need all the support she could get when she found out.

"Libby, Libby is... Libby is," god the words were so hard to speak! Enrique wasn't sure if he had the strength to tell the couple the bad news.

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"I don't get this Jimmy, how could this have happened to Sheen and Libby? And in such a short time!" Jenny asking her partner whilst they roamed around the living room.

"I don't know, but the person must've been skilled if they were able to beat up a fully grown male and an ex-agent!" Jimmy replied picking up the remains of Libby's coffee table, frowning when he found no clue and chucked it on the ground. It was only them two while Jade and Nick went to the hospital to see if they could find any further details of the couple's status. Leaving Claire, Carl & David behind at the base.

"What makes me even more curious is how did this person know that Sheen & Libby would be together, at this exact time, when neither Libby or any of us, knew that Sheen was coming back to America?" Jenny enquired.

"Maybe, Libby knew that Sheen was coming back but she had no time to tell any of us!" Jimmy theorised.

"True, none of us haven't really been keeping in touch lately. Considering we're all on different ends of the country!"

"Well, I think it would be best if we all stick together. I really don't think any of us should be alone when there's someone who's out to get us!"

"I agree. We should-" Jenny's sentence was interrupted by her mobile. "Hello? Oh hey Jade what's the status? Oh my god! What about Sheen, how's he holding up? Thank god! Me? I'm with Jimmy at the moment checking out Libby's apartment. No clues so far. Alright, we'll be there as soon as possible! Bye."

"So what's wrong?" Jimmy finally asked, feeling as if his brain were to explode in any moment.

"Sheen's going to make it but Libby... Libby's in a coma."

"What?" Suddenly wished she didn't answer his question, Jenny cringed at the tone of Jimmy's voice. 'That's it! I'm gonna hunt that son of a bitch down and kill them for what they've done to Libby!' He thought feeling himself be fuelled by anger.

God help the person who did this! Was the only thought that invaded Jenny's mind as she followed him out of the household.

Jimmy Neutron is not a force that should be dealt with when pissed off!

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"WHAT?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE'S STILL ALIVE!" Nikki screamed over the phone. 'No this can't be happening! How is it even possible?'

Anthony cringed at the volume of Nikki's voice. Although it was over the phone, Anthony would become slightly scared when Nikki became angry. 'Nikki Python is not a force that should be dealt with when pissed off!' He thought, grimacing. "That's not only the bad news. Her fiancee survived as well!"

Anthony quickly pulled the phone away from his ear when he heard the chain of colourful language before putting that phone back to his ear again. "You finished?"

"Yes for now! I can't believe this is happening! How could I have failed such a simple task?"

"Nikki, you did not fail. Folax was apart of P.S.F.P.U.S.A. so it was expected that there would be a chance for either to survive!"

Anthony heard her sigh, "I suppose your right. But I just feel like I've let you down."

"What! Nikki no! You could never let me down! I couldn't care any less whether you get back at P.S.F.P.U.S.A. or not. Just as long as you're happy."

He could her smile, "What would I do without you?"

Anthony should have said something conceited to reassure Nikki, but he never liked lying to her. "You'd be able to move on."

Nikki's shoulders tensed at his response but silently nodded. "Tonight I'm going to the hospital and finish this once and for all before the real shit hits the fan!"

"Be careful."

"I will. Promise."

End of Chapter 6.

AN: Sorry it's taken me so long to update this story but I've decided to put this fanfiction on hold for four to six months until I can actually get into the mood again because even now I've found it very difficult to finish this chapter. Don't worry, I will finish this fic eventually. Promise!

Thank you everyone for your support and I'll update again in a few months. C'ya, Water-Star.