Acme Detective Agency
Nighttime
Kassandra got out of the C-5 corridor. The Chief was still asleep,
snoozing away.
'Perfect.' she thought, smiling to herself. Taking a seat at the
computer, she started typing away.
The Chief was hearing something going on. "Zack, it's way past
your...KASSANDRA! WHAT IN THE NAME OF CARMEN SANDIEGO ARE YOU DOING HERE?! I
thought I assigned you to work with Zack and Ivy in Pasadena!"
Kassandra thought best to ignore him and continued on typing. "Sorry
to do this, Chief." She popped in a CD and started transferring information.
"What? Kassandra, what are you doing?" the Chief asked.
"You'll see," she answered.
"Wait! No! You can't be doing this to me! No no no no, get that
cursor away! You're not getting to my precious files! Zack, Josha, anyone,
help!" Soon Kassandra had transferred every file of the Chief into her CD.
"Mission One accomplished. Time for Mission Two," Kassandra
said. Putting the CD away, she replaced the recently dearly-departed Chief
with another program alike. "There, now that's better," she said, bringing up
the psuedo-Chief. "Carmen exists in this Chief, and Zack and Ivy have
switched roles...in much more different ways than they would ever dream of."
Acme Detective Agency
July 28, 2000
"No clue, and Carmen didn't even get away with what she wanted," Zack
mumbled, rubbing sleep from his eyes.
Ivy handed a cup of coffee to Zack. "Here, this might help," she
said. "It is strange Carmen didn't get what she wanted last night. Do you
think she might go back and try again?"
"I don't think so." Zack took a sip of his coffee. "Carmen mentioned
something about better things to do. And even if it's a clue it's a pretty
vague one."
"You know what bugs me, little bro? Where was Kassandra in all of
this?" Ivy asked. "Where was she at the time Carmen gave us that bomb?"
"Maybe Kassandra isn't involved with Acme or VILE," Zack said.
"You mean she could be working somewhere outside of Acme or VILE?"
Ivy asked. "How can you be so sure? You barely know her from the two weeks
she's been here. I've known her for the past 12 years since I won that karate
competition when I was eight. You couldn't possibly have remember a lot about
her if you were only four years old at the time, Zack."
"Sometimes when you just met the person you can already know a lot
about them, Ivy. Come on, remember what you said? 'Whatever she lacks, she
makes it up somehow.' Kassandra's hated you since you won that karate
tournament 10 years ago. And judging from that, I say the reason why she's
come back is for revenge," Zack explained.
"Great. It's time to run for our lives. Get the camcorder ready,
little bro." Ivy answered sarcastically.
"Another run from Blair's witch?" Zack asked.
"Yup."
**********
St. Petersburg, Russia
The Hermitage Museum
August 4, 2000
Tatiana stood outside, checking the time on her communicator.
Kassandra was supposed to be on this stakeout. Tatiana had gotten a tip
Carmen's henchwoman Hope Diamond might be planning on stealing a Farberge egg
at the musuem.
Five minutes passed. Still no Kassandra.
Tatiana had had enough. Hope could be arriving anytime soon and she
wouldn't have backup. Pressing a button, she got Zack on the line.
"Tatiana, what's up?" Zack asked.
"Zack, can you and Ivy make it to the Hermitage? I'm working on a
case here in St. Petersburg and Kassandra's supposed to show up but she's not
here and Carmen's henchwoman Hope Diamond could be here any second now!"
Tatiana hissed.
"I don't know, Tatiana. But we'll try." Zack disconnected.
Two minutes later the C-5 opened and Zack and Ivy stepped out.
"Kassandra's a no-show, Tatiana?"
"I should say so. But we need to hide! Hope's coming, and Carmen's
with her!" Tatiana pointed to a nearby window.
The three detectives scattered.
Carmen double-checked the van. "Good, the clue's there if the
detectives should need it." she said.
Walking inside, Hope and Carmen separated. Carmen was training her
new recruit, and this time she was playing lookout while Hope did the theft.
Inside, Hope lifted one of the Farberge eggs. She put her walkie
talkie to her lips. "Carmen, the egg we're after has a cameo of Czar Nicholas
II's children, right?"
"Got it?" Carmen's voice crackled.
"Yeah."
"Then let's hit the road back to Headquarters," Carmen said.
"Not so fast!" Ivy shouted. "You're under arrest!"
Hope gasped. 'Carmen didn't say anything about Acme detectives!' she
thought. Panicking she dropped the egg and ran for the nearest exit.
"I've got her!" Tatiana tackled Hope to the ground. "Zack, Ivy, go
after Carmen!"
"No problem, Tatiana!" Zack threw a pair of handcuffs to Tatiana and
left to join Ivy.
Carmen had heard the commotion and fled to her van. Looking through
the glove compartment, she found the clue had disappeared again.
'This is getting too weird! Why are my clues suddenly disappearing?'
she thought. Gunning the accelerator, Carmen sped away from Zack and Ivy.
"Damn! That's the second time she didn't leave a clue!" Ivy said,
watching the van disappear into the night.
"But at least she didn't leave us a bomb," Zack answered. "This is
the second time Kassandra's disappeared on an Acme stakeout. She can't
continue like this."
"Why doesn't the Chief notice it?" Ivy asked.
"Good question, sis. Unfortunately I don't have the answer," Zack
sighed.
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