Chapter Text
Deep in an alleyway of Shanghai; the mighty have faltered.
“Oh, man…”
In the murky bleakness of the night; on the damp, jagged gravel.
A car. A car door.
Smoke and rotting food; a strange combination of scents.
“It ain’t ever been this bad..”
Mixture of salt and metal; bitter on the tongue.
“You got her?”
Voices.
“Yeah, I got her. Ready?”
Weightlessness.
“Holy hell…”
/
Ugh, my head.. why’s everything fuzzy..wha-
“Early this morning, researchers at the
Yangtze River Pharmaceutical Group discovered their developing new drug returned to the company’s lab. Security reported a break-in to the facility earlier this week, with samples and multiple studies being taken. The drug under cultivation is aimed toward easing the symptoms and side-effects from radation treatment patients receive. The theft and recovery are still under investigation by the Taizhou Public Security Branch..-“
Hazily scanning her surroundings, Carmen finds she’s in an abandoned and decaying apartment…somewhere. Through the shrouded darkness; crumpling drywall, wooden floorboards in pieces, the smell of pungent mold in the air..
Where’s the noise coming from..?
In her daze, Carmen turns on her side, head throbbing and joints not moving as they should; she spots her brother-in-crime. No. Her brother. Noticing the stir from across the room, Zach’s weary eyes glance up from the ongoing news on his phone.
“Heya, Carm. Glad to see ya awake. How ya feeling?”
“..I-Zach, what happened?” Carmen’s attempt to maneuver from the decrepit couch, suddenly halted by Zach’s steady hand, who is by her side in an instant.
“Just take it easy, okay? You hit your head pretty good. We’re outta Shanghai, you’ve been in ‘an out of it for a few days.”
Shock and panic setting in, Carmen fights the strains in her body to sit up. “A few days? …oh crap, the hardrive, did we get the hardrive? Did Paperstar get away, what-“
Consoling hand going back on her shoulder, “See, there ya go again. You gotta slow down, you’re gonna stress yourself out more. Yeah, Juila got the hardrive. She linked up with Player a couple of days ago. Don’t know where origami girl went. All we know is, she got a cheap shot at you, and me ‘an Ivy found you all busted up in the alley.”
Carmen, shifting to a somewhat comfortable position, indistinguishable smells not aiding her nausea “I remember falling..and handing off the hardrive..but not anything else. Is everyone alright?”
Is she serious? “Besides you? Yeah, everyone’s fine.”
It stays quiet for a while. Zach at a loss for words, Carmen focusing on what her next question should be. The whispering wind through the cracks, providing the only ambiance.
“What was that you were listening to?”
“Hm? Oh, just some news when I was scrollin’. S’nothing.” With a toss of his hand, Zach promptly shoves his phone in his jacket pocket.
“No, I heard Yangtze River. We’ve been getting hits that V.I.L.E had targets in the area for weeks, and now their stealing medicine-?”
“Hey, but they got it back. Security is keepin’ the place locked tight. No harm, no foul.”
Tell that to the thousands of people suffering in hospitals.
Frustrated with the evasive conversation, Carmen forces herself up from her resting place; body screaming otherwise. “Yes, but how did they get it back? Things don’t magically appear when you want them to-“
Out of the shadowed chair in the corner, Carmen hears her answer; voice worn and amicable in every way. “Wow, that red pill’s quite the kicker, ain’t it, sis..?” Disheveled ginger hair drooping with her half-hearted nod. “You didn’t V.I.L.E would stop if you got taken out of the game, did you?”
“Ivy..what did you do?”
“They’re only working harder now, Carm. Can’t let them think they’re gonna win.”
Now the situation becomes real; brutally. Not the cat and mouse and canary charade that was their lives. Where no one got hurt. How many times have you put their lives in danger? Zach..Ivy..Player..and- should be lucky it was you and not them..this time.
“You didn’t have to go out there. Not by yourself, you could have gotten hurt. You should have-“
“Like you did? Somebody had to pick up your slack, God knows the cops can’t.” Standing to meet Carmen at eye level, green meeting gray. She’s not gettin’ outta this one. Zach, don’t let me do it.
“I never asked you to. With the special kind of cruel V.I.L.E is…just.. thank you.” Fatigue settling in again, Carmen is losing her drive to argue; well knowing that any more words are just going to be hypocrisies.
Damn it to hell… “Girl, I know the world freaks out about Carmen Sandiego, but here, this room; we’re Team Red. Thick an’ thin, until John Law or somethin’ worse gets us, okay?” Ivy treading closer, studies the various emotions painted over Carmen’s face. Aw, don’t start crying..
Giving in, like she knew she would, Ivy closes the rest of the way to envelop Carmen in the tightest hug she can muster; mumbling against her auburn hair, “Don’t you dare do somethin’ that stupid again, you hear me?”
Definitely crying now, Carmen murmurs through her sniffles, “Yeah.. m’sorry. Ow.”
“Oh, does that hurt?”
“Yeah..”
”Good.”