This story is set during the new CGI version of Captain Scarlet ©. You can find out more information on the new series at the following web site: http://www.spectrum-headquarters.com/skybase_central/index.htm.

Strange things are happening within the Mafia. Mysteron intervention is suspected and Spectrum get involved, resulting in an unusual pairing of reformed criminal Captain Magenta and Eternity Angel, daughter of the World President. But it turns out that the mystery has a more sinister twist to it...

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A ‘New Captain Scarlet’ story

By Kelly Winkworth

“It’ll be just like old times,” Captain Magenta said, as Colonel White finished explaining to the two agents what would be expected of them.

“Oh, great!” Eternity Angel replied sarcastically, but smiling. “Only, this time, I won’t be trying to throw your sorry hide into jail!”

Spectrum knew all about the history between them. Before taking up her post as Eternity Angel, Rio Younger had been a spy and had once worked undercover as a gangster’s mole to infiltrate a Mafia connected money laundering circuit in New York. Her investigation had taken her straight to the Italian gangster. She had so very nearly fallen for his charms and she had been sorry to see him go to jail. Despite everything he wasn’t a completely bad person; he had just gotten in with the wrong crowd.

The former spy had been surprised to see him turn up at Spectrum several years later. When Captain Magenta had realized who she really was and that she had stitched him up big time, their relationship had been strained, but over time they had learned to work together. Eventually their working relationship had worked back into friendship, although the Italian officer wasn’t about to let Eternity forget about their past too quickly.

“I want both of you to realize that this could turn into a very dangerous situation,” Colonel White continued. “Not only because of the Mysterons, but because the Mafia godfathers who won’t appreciate Spectrum intervention.”

“Hey, no worries boss!” Magenta added. “They’ll trust me. I use to be one of them remember.”

It was this fact that was to be their cover. As far as his criminal connections were concerned, Captain Magenta was still in jail but was now due for release. Eternity Angel, or Ashley Lopez as she had called herself at the time, had gone “missing”. Many within the criminal underworld suspected she had gone into hiding to avoid the authorities and Spectrum were planning to play on that assumption. Let them think that; you have no reason to tell them anything different, the colonel had told her.

Colonel White looked at him sternly. “Don’t get too carried away, captain. Spectrum are relying on both of you to succeed. We need to know what the Mysterons are up to.”

Captain Scarlet really didn’t like the idea of his girlfriend getting mixed up with gangsters, despite her past. He was also well aware of the history between Eternity and Captain Magenta. Not that he had any reason to feel threatened or jealous of his Italian colleague, as Eternity had made it very clear how she felt about both men. After what had happened in their past, Eternity felt it was highly unlikely that she would ever be romantically involved with Magenta again. Even though he didn’t always show it, Magenta’s big Italian male pride was still feeling sore over the fact that Eternity had managed to fool him and put him in jail.

Scarlet and Eternity had planned to spend the weekend together in Mexico. But Rhapsody Angel had been forced to pull out of the undercover mission at the last minute due to illness. That had left the colonel with only one other option; to get Eternity Angel to replace her. She was the only one with any kind of experience of these situations, having already encountered the Mafia once before. This had forced Scarlet and Eternity to postpone their trip, much to their distress. As a result, Captain Scarlet had decided not to take his shore leave. He didn’t feel there would be any point if he couldn’t be with Eternity.

Scarlet made his way to the Control Tower, as he was to receive new orders from their commander-in-chief, Colonel White. Given the choice, Scarlet admitted silently to himself that he had preferred the idea of a weekend alone with Eternity. What hot blooded male wouldn’t want to be alone with such an attractive woman? He passed sick bay on his way to the Control Tower and ran into the woman he had been thinking about.

“How’s Rhapsody doing?” He asked.

“Oh, she’s going to be fine,” Eternity reassured him. “Doctor Gold says it’s just a severe case of the food poisoning. With the right treatment, she’ll be on her feet in no time”.

“I hope things work out in Las Vegas,” Scarlet said quietly. With a flash of his charming smile, he added, “Mario best not go leading you astray. Otherwise he’ll have me to answer to.”

“I’d like to see him try! I’m not falling for those cheap, old moves again,” Eternity grinned mischievously. “In any case, that was a long time ago and I’ll have Lieutenant Green as back up.”

“She’s going too?” Scarlet couldn’t help but find it incredibly funny. For a brief moment Scarlet wondered what Captain Blue thought of the idea of his partner getting involved with the Mafia. That’s if he even knew.

“Yes. Colonel White said he’d much rather have somebody he can trust chauffeuring us around than some random driver picked out by the Spectrum hierarchy that he’s never met. Not that I don’t trust the President’s judgment, but I’ve known the colonel for longer.”

Despite knowing for all of her life that the World President was her father, Eternity Angel never seemed to refer to him as that. It was almost like she had great difficulty accepting their relationship to each other. Scarlet had put it down to the fact that she had been forced to hide her parentage for the first thirty years of her life. When a person had spent so long having to deny their true identity, no doubt it was extremely difficult to start openly admitting who they really were. Although everybody in Spectrum now knew about it, Eternity still wouldn’t openly refer to him as her father.

Kissing her gently, Scarlet said “see you when you get back.”

Stepping out of the gleaming white limousine, Eternity Angel felt extremely uncomfortable in the tight, halter neck, floor length white dress she was wearing. She was dripping in diamonds, which sparkled in the bright lights of Las Vegas. It had been a long time since she had dressed in such a way. With a side glance at Lieutenant Green, who was dressed in a chauffeur’s uniform, Eternity took hold of Captain Magenta’s arm and strolled into the huge, glitzy hotel.

The entrance of the pair caused a stir. People stopped what they were doing and stared at the beautiful Hispanic woman, who’s dress seemed to cling to all the right curves of her shapely body, hanging off the arm of the suave looking gangster. Over in a far corner of the huge lobby, a dark haired man dressed in a black suit was sat reading a newspaper. He became aware of the fact that something was going on and looked up. Catching sight of the glamorous couple, a smile crossed his lips. He recognized them all right but he never thought he would see them again.

“I think I’m going to enjoy this undercover stuff,” Magenta whispered, as the receptionist booked them in. “Being seen with you makes me look good.”

Slipping an arm around her slim waist, he pulled her closer and planted a sneaky kiss at the base of her neck. A shiver shot down Eternity’s spine; he must have remembered that she enjoyed being kissed there. Her chest seemed to strain painfully against the tightness of the dress.

Resting her arm on his shoulder, Eternity added in a whisper, “just as long as you keep your hands to yourself, we’ll do just fine.”

“That might be difficult when you’re looking so gorgeous,” he whispered back, playfully grabbing her backside.

A voice broke in from behind them, breaking the flirtatious exchange between the two officers. “Well, well, well, Mario Moro! I never thought I’d be seeing you again.”

Magenta and Eternity turned around to be greeted by the mysterious dark haired man who had been sat in the lobby with the newspaper. They recognized him straight away. He was Erik Crocetti, the son of a well known Mafia godfather who’s Mafia network was based mainly in Las Vegas. The Crocettis were well known for their dodgy dealings involving protection money and prostitutes but the police force had never been able to pin anything to them. They were too good and always seemed to be one step ahead of the game.

Shaking Magenta’s hand, Erik added, “and you too, miss Lopez, good to see the authorities didn’t get their hands on you.” He took hold of her left hand and kissed the back of it. He then noticed the beautiful ruby and diamond encrusted ring.

Eternity seemed to guess what he was about to ask. “It’s actually misses Moro now.”

“What! You actually waited for this old fraud?” Erik asked, grinning.

The receptionist coughed gently to get their attention and handed Magenta the key to their room, and added that their luggage had already been taken to their room. Eternity grimaced when she realized that they had been put in the bridal suit together. Great, now Mario will be getting all sorts of ideas into his head! Eternity thought as they got into the lift with their Mafia friend.

“So, what happens with the sleeping arrangements?” Captain Magenta asked, pouring himself a drink from the room’s mini bar. At the request of Spectrum’s commanding officer, the drinks were non alcoholic.

Eternity was sat on the bed, kicking off her stilettos, which were killing her. Grabbing a pillow from the bed, she threw it across the room at him. “The sofa’s right over there,” she replied.

Magenta grinned mischievously and crossed the room to hand Eternity a drink. “Oh come on, Rio, there’s enough room in this bed for two.”

“That may be so but we’re working remember.”

Magenta sat down next to her and rested a hand on her thigh. With a flash of that charming smile he added “I remember a time when you defiantly wouldn’t have complained about sharing a bed with me.”

Eternity gave him a friendly punch him in the arm. “That was different!”

“Well, if we’re working, shouldn’t we at least be acting more like newlyweds. I promise I’ll keep my hands to myself,” Magenta said.

Reluctantly Eternity agreed to share the bed with him. Retrieving her nightdress and shower bag, Eternity went into the bathroom. Unzipping her dress, Eternity breathed a silent sigh of relief as her body was freed from the restricting material. The long white dress fell to the floor in a tiny pile around her feet, along with her underwear, as she stepped out of it and into the shower. Stepping under the water, Eternity began running the wash cloth across her body. She groaned quietly as the cloth trailed across her still tender breasts. It had been years since there had been any kind of intimacy between them. She felt slightly betrayed by her body’s blantanly sexual reaction. Looking down, Eternity noticed her nipples were still painfully erect.

Oh God, she thought, how did I get talked into this mission? Why did Rhapsody have to go and get ill? Why does Mario still have this effect on me? It’s not like I actually want to sleep with him!

Captain Black was pleased to see that his masters’ plan was working. He had seen them enter the hotel from his hotel room on the other side of the road. Black had booked that hotel room some days before as a place where he could keep watch undisturbed. The rogue agent had claimed he would be using the room for “Spectrum business”, and requested that the staff didn’t disturb him.

That’s the one good thing about this uniform, the Mysteron thought to himself. These Earth people see a Spectrum uniform or ID and will do anything you want them to.

The Mafia wasn’t the real Mysteron target. It was just a cover story. Through Captain Black, the Mysterons knew all about Captain Magenta’s past and it had been the perfect opportunity to try and bring Eternity Angel out into the open, far away from Skybase. Thanks to a bad shipment of Quorn food, the Mysterons had managed to make sure that Rhapsody Angel didn’t get to go on the mission. She was one of only five vegetarians on Skybase and was the only other former ‘FAB’ spy who was likely to be sent undercover. The Mysterons had tampered with the food so that it would cause a severe case of natural illness. That way, if Rhapsody was struck down with food poisoning, nobody would ever suspect Mysteron interference. If the others got ill too then it wouldn’t look like Rhapsody was singled out. Spectrum would just put it down to a bad batch of food that slipped the net and got into the food chain by accident.

Stirring gently, Eternity opened her eyes. Rolling over, she suddenly became aware of the fact that she was lying in the huge king sized bed, with Captain Magenta sleeping peacefully at her side. For a brief moment she had forgotten that she was in Las Vegas working undercover and not Mexico like she should have been. She just lay there for a few minutes, staring up at the canopy above her, thinking about Captain Scarlet. It didn’t seem fair somehow. They had been planning to go to Mexico for months, mainly because it was Scarlet’s birthday that particular weekend, but also because Eternity’s mother had been Mexican and she had lived in Mexico City as a child.

The couple had also hoped to continue trying for that longed for baby during their weekend away. Working on Skybase, it was difficult trying to find time to relax and be alone together. Doctor Gold had suggested to the couple that they remain intimate with each other in between the courses of IVF, as it wasn’t unheard of for some women to become pregnant the natural way, even though they thought they couldn’t. Eternity knew she would seriously have to make it up to Scarlet when she got back to Skybase. It had taken her weeks to convince Colonel White to let them have the time off but now it had all been for nothing.

Getting out of the bed and leaving Captain Magenta to continue sleeping, Eternity showered. She had decided to take up Erik Crocetti’s offer of breakfast, mainly so that she could try to extract some information from him. Strange things had been happening within the Mafia; unusual deaths that couldn’t just be explained away as normal Mafia contract killings. People had been going missing despite not having a contract out on them. It didn’t make any sense; gangsters usually didn’t kill without good reason. Eternity knew from experience that it wasn’t usual Mafia activity. It defiantly seemed like Mysteron activity; a fact that was only obvious to Spectrum. Dressing in a smart black trouser suit, Eternity dried and styled her long black locks into ringlets.

Grabbing the swipe card key from the bedside table, Eternity silently left the room. Even if she didn’t find out anything useful, she wasn’t going to turn down a free breakfast. The gangster was sat at a window table when she walked in. He looked up and beckoned her over to join him.

“Good morning, Ashley,” Erik Crocetti said as Eternity approached the table. He stood and presented her with a single red rose. The Angel smiled and graciously accepted the flower.

“I hope you like coffee and pancakes,” he continued, as Eternity sat down in the chair opposite him and the waiter brought over their breakfast.

“Well, it’s a good job for you that I love pancakes,” Eternity added with a grin, pouring so much syrup over them that it could have knocked a huge hole in the side of a Spectrum Rhino.

“Mario not joining us this morning?” Erik asked with a flash of his beautiful Italian smile. “You didn’t go and wear him out last night I hope.”

Eternity laughed and shook her head. He should be so lucky, she thought. “I’ve got something I want to ask you. I’ve heard through the grapevine that some weird stuff’s been going on within your father’s network recently. People dying strangely and stuff like that.”

Erik seemed to ponder her comment before he answered. Yes, strange things had been happening that nobody was able to explain. Many of his father’s best men had died in mysterious circumstances. Even four of their prostitutes had gone missing. It was almost like they had fallen off the face of the Earth as none of the other girls knew where they had gone. His father definitely hadn’t upset anyone recently so they had ruled out other Mafia groups trying to get revenge.

“But that’s just it, nobody knows why,” Eternity said.

She was lying on the bed with Captain Magenta, propped up on a pile of pillows, drinking non alcoholic champagne and relaying everything that Erik Crocetti had told her. She had changed into a long turtle neck jumper and white jeans. Magenta rolled onto his side and rested his head on his hand, the top buttons of his shirt undone and his tie handing loosely around his neck, his legs covered in black trousers.

“It’s all very strange,” the Italian muttered. “Why would the Mysterons attack the Las Vegas Mafia but not give out a threat? It’s not like them at all!”

“This is the Mysterons we’re talking about. Nothing they do ever makes sense.” Eternity settled herself down onto the pillows, pondering what to do next. She then suddenly remembered what else she wanted to say. “Oh yeah, Erik’s invited us to meet his father this evening at his casino.”

“You look gorgeous,” Lieutenant Green said.

Eternity Angel was dressed in a long, strapless pastel pink dress that shimmered in the light. Her black hair tied up in a high pony tail, the ringlets cascading around her shoulders. She was balanced on top of toeless stilettos.

“Thanks,” Eternity whispered.

Eternity felt incredibly nervous about meeting a Mafia Don. It had been such a long time since she had gone through something like that; encountered somebody with so much power and authority that they could have somebody killed at the drop of a hat. If this meeting went wrong, that would be it. Not that she was worried about herself--Eternity knew she had her Mysteron rapid healing to rely on--she was more concerned about the well being of Captain Magenta and Lieutenant Green. Spectrum agents or not, they were only mere mortals and Eternity felt responsible for their well-being.

Captain Magenta stepped out of the bathroom, dressed in a black tuxedo and looking very much like a suave, Italian gangster. The jaws of both women dropped as they glanced at each other then back at the Italian. When he tried, Magenta could scrub up really well. Eternity couldn’t understand why she should feel so surprised at his appearance. It wasn’t like it was anything new to her as she had seen him in tuxedoes many times. But for some reason, that old familiar tingling feeling seemed to creep across her skin, causing a trail of goose bumps.

“The limo’s outside when you’re ready,” Lieutenant Green added when she finally found her voice again.

Once Green was gone, Eternity noticed that Magenta seemed to be giving her a thoughtful look. “Serena’s right, you know, you’re looking very attractive tonight.”

Eternity suddenly became aware of how close he seemed to be standing to her. A half hearted smile crossed Magenta’s lips as he rested his hands on her waist. “It’s a shame things worked out how they did between us. We made a good couple.”

“Maybe we just weren’t meant to be,” Eternity added in a whisper. She dropped her gaze. “Our lives were just far too different for it to work. What we had was nothing more than a lie. You deserve so much better than that.”

“Are you happy?” Magenta asked suddenly.

Looking up, Eternity asked “what do you mean?”

“Are you happy?” Magenta repeated. “With Paul, I mean. Is he the one you truly want?”

After a brief pause Eternity nodded. “Yes, I am happy. I love Paul.”

Captain Magenta nodded. Taking hold of her Italian colleague’s arm, Eternity walked down to the limousine. She felt incredibly strange. Why had Magenta been so worried about her happiness all of a sudden? They met Erik Crocetti in the lobby, having agreed to give him a ride to his father’s casino. Magenta wrapped an arm around Eternity shoulders as they made themselves comfortable in the back of the limousine. Eternity felt slightly alarmed at first until it dawned on her that he was probably doing it for Erik Crocetti’s benefit; they were meant to be posing as a married couple after all. At least, she hoped he was doing it for the gangster’s benefit.

The casino was loud and bright when they arrived. Eternity looked around at the gambling tables and ‘one arm bandit’ machines as the group made their way to a private room at the far end of the casino. She couldn’t believe people were still stupid enough to gamble away their hard earned cash. Pulling her eyes away from her surroundings, Eternity followed her male company into the private office.

The room seemed dark compared to the bright and flashy casino. The room was decorated in dark moody reds and browns. At one end of the room was a huge oak desk and sat behind it was a man whom Eternity assumed was Erik Crocetti’s father. She could see the family likeness straight away. There were several dark coloured high back leather arm chairs placed around the room and several tough looking, and extremely big, men in black tuxedos and dark glasses. Mafia bodyguards no doubt. It wouldn’t have surprised Eternity if they were carrying weapons about their person. It made her feel very uncomfortable. She had been away far too long.

“It’s good to have you back again, Mario,” the elderly looking Mafia godfather said. “Good to see that the scum finally let you out of jail. What happened? Drop your guard, did you?”

“What can I say? I was slack, I dropped my guard and allowed myself to be outsmarted,” Magenta admitted, as the two of them sat down. “I guess I deserved it. The cops caught me during a moment of weakness.”

The Mafia Don’s dark eyes studied Eternity for a few moments. “I remember you... miss Lopez wasn’t it? Well, misses Moro now, from what Erik tells me.”

Eternity nodded. “Yes, I think we met very briefly about three weeks before Mario was arrested.”

“Oh yes,” he muttered, nodding too. “I remember now. You disappeared just before Mario’s arrest...”

Eternity swallowed hard. The last thing she wanted was to be reminded of that, especially as it was her fault that Captain Magenta had been arrested and spent several years behind bars. She still felt incredibly guilty for what she had done to him. Magenta had been hopelessly in love with her, worshipped her, and would have been willing to die for her. They had very nearly ended up becoming man and wife for real, but then Eternity had been forced to betray him, and she had hated herself for it ever since.

“I had to leave town... My mother was sick. When I returned to New York, I found out that Mario had been arrested. So I chose to disappear for a while, just to make sure they weren’t after me too.” Good bluff, she thought, I just hope it worked.

The elderly man turned away and returned his gaze back to Eternity’s colleague. Eternity breathed a silent sign of relief. The bluff seemed to have done the trick and had least bought them some extra time. The men seemed more interested in talking Mafia business. Eternity could feel herself becoming restless and, after nearly an hour, she managed to make an excuse and left the men to it. Stepping out to the main casino, Eternity headed for the bar. On duty or not she needed a proper drink! This mission wasn’t turning out to be the exciting, action packed event that she had hoped for. She wanted to be kicking some Mysteron butt, not sitting around waiting for them to make a move whilst pretending to be Mafia eye candy.

Eternity barely noticed as heads turned to look at her as she swept across the room towards the bar. The women looked at her in envy; the men drooled and lusted over her but had the sense to stay away. There was a silent code when it came to the Mafia; unless you were of them, you didn’t touch their women. Especially the married ones! She sat down on the nearest bar stool and ordered a ‘Tia Maria’. Even though she was on a mission, Eternity knew she wouldn’t be driving so she was sure one little alcoholic drink wouldn’t hurt. Alcohol didn’t affect her anymore anyway; not since she was Mysternoised.

Days passed but nothing seemed to be happening. Whoever it was that had been attacking the Mafia had suddenly stopped by the looks of it. Lieutenant Green had used the coded secret radio in the limo to rely everything that had happened on their mission. Not that there had been much to report as it seemed that the murderer, or murderers, had moved on. Either that or the Crocettis had caught up with the person involved and dealt with them in their own way. Realizing that the Mysterons, if indeed it had been them, had obviously won this round Colonel White told the three officers to make their way back to Skybase. There wasn’t much point in them hanging around if the mission wasn’t going anywhere.

It was a beautifully warm day when it came for them to leave. As she got out of the shower, Eternity was suddenly aware of the cool breeze blowing through the hotel room. Even though it was a warm day, the breeze still felt cold on her damp skin. After drying herself, Eternity put on her white silken dressing gown and walked out of the bathroom and into the main room itself. The window was open and the long net curtain swayed gently in the breeze.

That idiot Mario forgot to close it, Eternity thought as she closed and locked it.

As she turned around, Eternity almost screamed at the sight that met her eyes. Captain Black was leaning against the bed post, his arms folded across his chest. The way he looked at her was unnerving. This man that she had once called a friend seemed more dead than alive, so pale and gaunt. His eyes looked cold and lifeless.

“What are you doing here?” Eternity finally forced herself to say.

Standing up properly, Captain Black walked slowly towards her. “The Mysterons have sent me to take back what is rightfully theirs.”

His gravely voice sounded cold and heartless. It made Eternity shiver and she backed away. She knew exactly what he was talking about, even though he hadn’t stated what that thing was. Her back suddenly hit the closed window, stopping her from moving any further.

“Well you can tell the Mysterons to go screw themselves! I’m not a possession! I don’t belong to them! YOU MURDERED ME!” She screamed at him, her anger suddenly getting the better of her for a few brief moments.

“You may not belong to us, but you belong with us. We created you, we made you what you are.” He moved a strand of wet hair away from her face. “You’ve turned out so well too.”

Eternity slapped his hand away from her. It made her feel angry; how dare he think that he had the right to touch her. If anything, they had turned her into a freak and she hated that. “I’m no great creation! You’ve ruined my life! I can’t have children no thanks to what you did to me!”

“You can’t keep ignoring it, Rio. You’re one of us now. You will never be truly accepted by Spectrum ever again, no matter what they may say. In the back of their minds, you will always be a Mysteron and they will never completely trust you.”

Rio glared at him. “At least I’m free to make my own choices. I won’t let the Mysterons control me anymore. And Spectrum do trust me! Paul loves me! You, on the other hand, are nothing more than a puppet, doing the Mysterons’ dirty work.”

The rogue captain seemed completely unfazed by her words. Why did she think her words would effect him? It hurt to see the man she had once called a friend being used as a pawn in the aliens’ war of nerves. He seemed so unwilling to fight against it. It was you who started it, you stupid bastard! You’re the cause of this damn war and the reason my life has been ruined! She felt like yelling at him. But what would be the use? He wouldn’t care; he wasn’t the same person anymore. She pushed past him and began walking across the room.

“If it makes any difference... You weren’t meant to die. It was your father they wanted to kill. We didn’t anticipate that you would want to play the hero.”

This comment made her stop dead. Her death had been a mistake? That made her feel even worse. Turning around, Eternity forced her anger back into check. “You know, Conrad. From what I can remember of our first meeting all those years ago, I never thought you would turn out to be so weak willed. The Conrad I remember would have fought against the Mysteron control. He would have done everything in his power to escape.”

For a moment Eternity was sure that she had noticed a reaction, like there was some sort of recognition at the memory of their former lives. Their human lives. But the moment was all too brief. If he had been trying to fight against the Mysteron conscious, it had passed. Captain Black approached her, his evil eyes glowing green. Eternity tried to escape but she couldn’t move. She began to panic; why couldn’t she move?

He placed his hands either side of her head. “You’ll coming back to us whether or not you like it.”

Eternity felt her mind being engulfed with an almost fog like feeling. She tried hard to fight against it. This strange power was weakening her with frightening quickness.

“You will serve us,” Captain Black stated.

“Never!” Eternity snarled, finally regaining her voice. “I’ll never serve the Mysterons, I’ll die before that happens!”

It was then that the frightening premonition hit her. The Mysterons wanted to use her for a plot against Spectrum’s commanding officer. They wanted to kill Colonel White. Eternity wasn’t sure if her will power would hold out much longer, no matter how hard she fought against the Mysteron influence that was trying to take control of her. The strange, stifling feeling suddenly turned to pain. Eternity could feel her motor functions failing. Her legs began to weaken. She let out a cry of pain, feeling as though she was unable to fight any longer. Everything was going dark.

The door clicked open and Captain Magenta walked in. “Hey Rio, you ready yet--what the hell!” Magenta drew his gun and trained it on the rogue Spectrum agent.

Black grabbed Eternity and used her as a human shield, knowing full well that the Italian wouldn’t shoot all the time the Angel was in the way. “Go ahead, shoot me!” He backed away towards one of the large windows.

“Let her go!” Magenta growled.

Black threw Eternity forward, sending her flying into the bed post. Hitting her head hard against the post, Eternity sank to the floor. The Mysteron jumped through the window, sending glass showering down onto the people below. Captain Magenta ran forward and found Eternity sat on the floor, nursing her sore head.

“You all right?” He asked.

Eternity nodded but abruptly stopped as it hurt too much. She could feel a warm droplet of blood trickling down the side of her head. “I’ll live,” she muttered. “I think he just startled me more than anything.”

Magenta helped her up and sat her down on the bed. “I should have stayed. I should have known that they’d come after you.”

“Hey, come on, enough of this talk. How could you know? The Mysterons have hated me for getting away since day one, it was only a matter of time...” She gently placed her hand on his cheek. “Thanks for saving me back there.”

“It’s my job... and you’re my friend. I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you.” He took hold of the hand on his face and kissed it gently.

They looked at each other for what felt like forever. No matter how much they had been trying to deny it, the affectionate bond between them was never going to die. But Eternity had made it very clear that Captain Scarlet was the man she loved and that wasn’t going to change any time soon.

Lieutenant Green burst into the room, breaking the silent exchange between them. “Are you okay, Rio? That scum bag didn’t hurt you, did he?”

It was obvious that the lieutenant had seen the Mysteron agent jump through the window. Captain Magenta walked over to the smashed window and looked down to the pavement below. If Captain Black had been there, he wasn’t anymore. Captain Magenta was grateful for the distraction caused by Lieutenant Green. He had been so overcome with an overwhelming urge to kiss Eternity that, if Green hadn’t arrived when she did, who knows what would have happened. The Italian officer couldn’t believe he still felt like that about Eternity; he was so sure he’d gotten over her. But at that moment, when Captain Black had threatened her safety, any resentment he had still felt towards Eternity had briefly melted away. He glanced over his shoulder and saw that Lieutenant Green was tending to the cut on Eternity’s head.

Captain Scarlet was stood in front of his bathroom mirror, thinking. He was in love with Eternity, he knew that much. Scarlet was sure he had never felt this way about anyone before. Ever since they had first met, Eternity had stirred up emotions Scarlet didn’t even realize he had. They had officially been together for nearly two years now and were more in love than ever before. There were times that Scarlet couldn’t quite believe that Eternity was the daughter of the world’s most powerful man. Her father was the World President, the one man who had absolute over the entire planet. She could probably have whatever she wanted and have any man she desired. But she had chosen him, Paul Metcalfe, over every other man in the world.

They had spoken about marriage on many occasions. After two years together it felt like the natural thing to do. The fact that Eternity couldn’t have children was something that caused them great pain, but they chose not to let that effect their relationship or their careers. If they were meant to be parents, it would happen in its own time. The only thing the couple could do would wait and keep trying.

There was a question he had for Eternity that he had hoped to ask her in Mexico but, no thanks to the Mysterons, that initial idea had been thrown at the wayside. Knowing that Eternity was now on her way back to Skybase, his burning question couldn’t wait any longer. He would arrange to meet Eternity somewhere private and tell her what his heart was aching to know. Stepping out of the bathroom, Captain Scarlet picked up the tiny ring box that was sitting on his bedside table. Scarlet just hoped that Eternity would give him the answer he wanted. He put the ring box into his pocket and headed for the hanger.

Stepping off the passenger jet, Eternity ran across the hanger and practically jumped on Captain Scarlet. She had never been so pleased to see him in all her life. Scarlet could feel the Angel trembling in his arms as she clung to him with all of her might. When she finally pulled away from him, Eternity gazed up at her beau.

“I love you... I really want you to know that.” Eternity was surprised at her own emotion, but she couldn’t help it. She wanted him to know just how much she cared about him.

“What’s brought all this on?” Scarlet asked.

“I don’t tell you enough, that’s all”. She kissed his cheek gently. “I’ve gotta get to sick bay... I don’t feel exactly great.”

Captain Scarlet knew he wasn’t going to get the chance to ask Eternity his question. Saying his good-byes to the Angel, Scarlet crossed the hanger and managed to grab Captain Magenta whilst he was alone.

“What happened?” Scarlet asked the Italian officer. “It’s not like Rio to be so jumpy after a mission.”

“It’s turns out that the Mafia attacks were just a cover story for the Mysterons. They used it in the hope to try and get Eternity out in the open with the least amount of protection as possible. It appears that they wanted to use her for an assassination attempt on the colonel.”

Captain Magenta paused as his British colleague watched Eternity leaving the hanger. No wonder the poor girl was shaken up, Scarlet thought. He knew how fond Rio was of the colonel. He had been as good as a father to her since she joined Spectrum and over the years they had become very close.

“You’re a lucky man, Paul,” Magenta continued. “Make sure you take care of her.”

Scarlet looked back around at Captain Magenta, feeling slightly surprised at his comment. He smiled. “That’s not a threat, is it?”

Magenta shook his head and laughed good naturedly. “No, it’s just that Eternity and I go back a long way. Despite what happened in the past, it doesn’t mean I don’t still care about her... even if I did end up serving time in jail no thanks to her. In any case, you’re indestructible! There wouldn’t be any fun in trying to hurt you.”

After the incident in Las Vegas, Eternity didn’t feel like having much contact with anyone for quite a few days afterwards. What Captain Black had done had frightened the hell out of her. At least she had a few days off to convalesce. Doctor Gold felt that the Angel pilot was suffering from mild concussion and “was emotional and mentally stressed” after her ordeal and needed a few days off to get her thoughts together. Unlike Captain Scarlet, Eternity’s retro metabolism seemed to react slower than her male counterpart and, as a Spectrum Angel pilot, she needed her wits about her and needed to be in top condition health wise. Eternity knew she would be no good to anyone if she was sick and unable to concentrate on her missions.

Sitting in the Observation Lounge, Eternity was enjoying a quiet mug of strong black coffee as she watched Charity and Harmony Angel’s ‘Falcon’ aircraft take off from Skybase and disappear off into the rising sunlight. Part of Eternity wanted to be in the skies with them but doctor Gold had told her otherwise, so Charity Angel was covering her shifts for the few days she would be “medically unfit” for work. Eternity was just grateful that the South African pilot had been very accommodating about the situation.

She was so caught up in her day dreaming that Eternity Angel didn’t notice the door whir open behind her. Eternity only realized she had company when she felt somebody sit down next to her. Glancing up from her coffee, Eternity was greeted by Captain Scarlet’s boyish smile.

“Liberty mentioned she saw you heading this way when she came off duty,” he said. “I take it you got my message.”

Eternity nodded, put down her coffee and turned around in her seat to look at him. “I’m intrigued. It’s not like you to act so secretive.”

Scarlet seemed to be contemplating something before he spoke again. Scarlet was sure he had never felt so scared in his entire life. How could one unassuming woman make him feel this way? So in love but completely terrified at the same time? Whilst the feeling was confusing, Scarlet kind of enjoyed it in a bizarre way. He finally looked into Eternity’s deep brown eyes.

When he finally spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper. “I have something I really want to ask you. It’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you for a while now.”

Eternity simply nodded. It was obvious that, whatever it was, it was very important to him and was taking a great amount of courage to say it. When Scarlet took hold of her hand, Eternity noticed it was trembling slightly. She squeezed it gently, hoping it would reassure him in some way.

Captain Scarlet held her hand tightly as he knelt before Eternity and took a deep breath. “Rio Younger, the love I have for you is greater than any emotion I have ever felt, and I would like nothing better than to share that love with you for the rest of our lives. Will you marry me?”

Eternity’s heart skipped a beat and, for a few moments, she lost the power of speech. Although they had spoken about marriage many times, the question had still caught her completely off guard.

“I’ll understand if you want time to think about it,” Scarlet continued, looking up at her from his kneeling place on the floor. “I realize our relationship is hardly the most conventional... Considering what we are.”

“Yes,” Eternity whispered, dropping her gaze, sounding almost like she was agreeing with him but not wishing to disappoint him in any way.

Scarlet tried desperately to read her expression, as if it would somehow tell him how she felt. “But I hope you will at least consider. You don’t have to give me an answer right away.”

“Yes!” Eternity repeated, finally meeting his gaze, and her beautiful smile returned. “Yes, Paul Metcalfe, I will marry you.”

Eternity leaned forward and kissed him tenderly. Scarlet returned her kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer. Neither of them wanted to be first to break the embrace. When they finally did, Scarlet took the small ring box from his pocket.

“Please accept this ring as a token of a love that will be truly indestructible.” He opened the box to reveal a white gold ring, its centre stone a tiny diamond surrounded by a burst of jade coloured stones. The rising sun shone on the diamond, making it glint in the warm light. Eternity took the box from him.

“Oh, Paul, it’s beautiful,” Eternity gasped, as she took the ring out and put it on her finger. “And appropriate, considering my name.”

It was obvious she was referring to the jade stones. Her double barreled forename was Rio-Jade. Scarlet had deliberately chosen the stones when getting the ring made and he was glad that Eternity liked the reference.

“Many things in our lives may be uncertain,” Scarlet added. “But our love for each other, and this commitment we have made, is the one thing we can rely on. At least now, if we ever become parents, our child will be born into a proper family.”

Eternity noticed the way he had put an emphasis on the word “if”. It broke her heart. She knew her partner--well, her fiancé now--wanted to be a father just as desperately as she wanted to become a mother. They had been trying for a baby for a year now. They had been through four cycles of IVF treatment but they still hadn’t been successful. The treatment had taken its toll on Eternity, making her stressed and emotional. Despite this, she had refused to let it get in the way of her job, and she had continued with her Angel duties. Not having much time alone didn’t help either. It wasn’t very often that they were able to get leave at the same time as each other.

She cupped his face in her hands. “No Paul, not if but when we become parents. It will happen one day. We just need to be patient.”

Standing up, the British captain pulled Eternity to her feet. “Who should tell the colonel? He’ll want to be the first to know.”

“I’ll tell him,” Eternity insisted. “He’ll want to hear it from me.”

Pulling her close to him, Captain Scarlet stole one last kiss from Eternity before letting her go. As she stepped through the doorway of the Observation Lounge, Eternity stopped and glanced back at him. Scarlet was sure he had never seen her looking so happy and radiant. A gentle smile played across her lips as she finally disappeared into the corridor. Not long after Eternity left Captain Blue walked in.

“What’s Rio looking so happy about?” Blue asked. “She insisted on not telling me. Have you two finally managed to become parents?”

Captain Scarlet shook his head. “Not yet... I asked Rio to marry me.”

“And she said yes?” The American queried, almost as if he couldn’t quite believe that his colleague had finally been brave enough to ask her. Captain Blue knew Scarlet had wanted to propose to Eternity for a long time but didn’t seem able to find enough courage to break that one question to her.

Captain Scarlet nodded and his face broke into a huge grin. It was finally beginning to properly sink in. Eternity Angel, the World President’s daughter, had said yes! She wanted to be his wife!

“That’s wonderful! You two belong together!” Blue paused then added, “it’s just a shame that your other dream hasn’t worked out yet.”

Looking out at the window at the golden yellow sunrise, Scarlet replied quietly, “it will, one day...”

Scarlet wasn’t sure if he had managed to disguise the pain and heartache in his voice. Captain Blue had noticed and he knew that feeling all too well. When Lieutenant Green had suffered a miscarriage the year before, it had broken his heart. Captain Blue understood the feeling of wanting desperately to become a father, but knowing it probably wouldn’t ever happen. Although Blue realized that at least he and Lieutenant Green were lucky. If they ever wanted a baby, they would be able to. For Captain Scarlet and Eternity Angel, it wasn’t as simple as that. It must be torturing them, having such difficulty conceiving, Blue thought to himself, they deserve a child more than anyone.

Placing a hand on Captain Scarlet’s shoulder, Blue said, “look at it this way. At least Rio accepted your proposal. It’s a start; it proves she loves you enough to want to make that commitment. It’s probably the biggest thing that’ll ever happen to either of you. If you don’t have a child, at least you’ll have each other. Nobody could ever take that from you.”

That was the one thing Captain Scarlet had always liked about Captain Blue. The American always seemed to be able to ease his mind when something was bothering him. At least they could look forward to a wedding. Maybe it would help take Eternity’s mind off having a baby.

After a few moments silence, Captain Scarlet added, “well, if I’m getting married, I’m going to need a Best Man”.

Captain Blue grinned. “That isn’t a hint, is it?” He asked.

“Adam, you’re my best friend. I can’t think of anybody else I’d rather have at my side on my big day.”

“In that case, I’d be honoured.”

Just as the agreement was made, Lieutenant Silver’s voice broke into the silence over Skybase’s loudspeakers. “Captain Scarlet, you are needed in the Control Tower.”

Captain Blue grinned. “Looks like Rio’s told the colonel.”

Captain Scarlet was at the Control Tower in moments. Stepping through the door, Scarlet could feel his heart racing. How had their commanding officer reacted to the news of their engagement? As he crossed the room Scarlet saw Colonel White break off his conversation with Eternity and look over at him.

“Eternity Angel has just informed me of your intentions to marry,” Colonel White began.

Captain Scarlet nodded. “Yes, sir. It won’t be a problem, will it?”

“I don’t see any reason for why it would be,” the colonel agreed. “And besides, it’s about time you made a honest woman of Eternity. We were all wondering when you would finally ask her.”

Captain Scarlet felt slightly bemused. He couldn’t believe everybody already knew about his intentions of asking Eternity to be his wife. Obviously Captain Blue had been the culprit as only he had known about it.

Colonel White stood up and smiled, shaking Scarlet’s hand. “I do believe congratulations are in order.”

Eternity felt her heart lift with happiness. Eternity had always made herself promise that, should she ever get married, the colonel’s blessing would be the one thing she would always intend on getting. His approval meant more to her than anything else. All she wanted now was to have a baby. Eternity knew that, when it finally happened, her dream would then be complete.

THE END

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Notes from the author:

This story is set in 2074. I wrote this story mainly because I thought it would be fun to explore some of Captain Magenta’s former gangster life. I knew it would be interesting to pair up Captain Magenta and Eternity Angel because they were a couple in a former life before Spectrum, hence why there was some flirting and a little sexual chemistry between the two of them. At time of writing --in 2005-- the ‘Captain Magenta and Eternity being an item before Spectrum’ story is yet to be written but it’s an idea I will explore one day.

Of course, here’s the usual “don’t own characters/don’t sue me,” blah, blah, whatever! This is set during the new CGI version of Captain Scarlet ©. Captain Ochre and Lieutenant Green are now female characters, Captain Grey is Scottish and Captain Magenta is now Italian. Doctor Fawn has been replaced with a new character called doctor Gold and is Austrian. Symphony and Harmony have also swapped nationalities, so Symphony is now the Asian member of the Angels. Obviously Gerry Anderson pretty much owns these characters and the series (well, him and Carlton and whoever else!) So don’t go yelling at me or trying to sue. The only character I technically own is Eternity Angel.

OTHER STORIES BY KELLY WINKWORTH

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