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“Urgh. It's freezing out here.” Ivy groaned, rubbing her arms with her gloved hands in a futile effort to warm herself and wishing she had a hot chocolate. Germany was pretty, but jeez. She could do without the below zero temperatures- Fahrenheit or Celsius, she didn’t know or care. Amount she liked the cold: zero.
“Nearly showtime, Ivy,” Carmen reassured her on the comm from her perch on a nearby building. “If VILE’s meeting a potential buyer for the stolen gold this may be our only shot at letting them lead us to the loot.”
Carmen always was one for constantly going over plans before they were executed. “Copy that, Carm.” Ivy said with a frown, thinking of just how much cash those bars must be worth- and what VILE could do with said cash.
She watched her breath come out from her mouth and tried to focus on the square, instead of how flippin’ cold it was. The discomfort wasn’t helped by her earbud- it had always been just a little too small for her ear, and the wind was somehow getting into her ear and tugging at it.
She impatiently tapped it deeper into her ear canal and glanced up.
She gasped. Walking across the flagstones and looking supremely unbothered by the cold was none other than a certain operative last seen attempting to decapitate them in Milan.
“Dash Haber,” she groaned under her breath. Of course. The one with the long distance flying hat razor. Of course. Well, at least it wasn’t Paper Star here to complete “girl’s night….”
He stopped directly in front of her and turned his head slightly towards her.
Oh shit. And he has excellent hearing.
He wrapped around the statue she was backing and came up next to her, tipping his head very slightly so that it momentarily covered his eyes.
“The crow flies at midnight,” he said, glancing first around the empty square, then at her.
“That’s a secret passphrase. He thinks you’re Goldlove, he’s waiting to hear the reply!” Carmen hissed in her ear. Ivy’s eyes widened. That was the cue for “improvise-” a cue Ivy always seemed to miss.
“Mmhm!” Ivy panicked, staring at the VILE operative as if hoping that would be the right response. She couldn’t do this, Carmen was the VILE expert here! She could probably just guess the reply phrase and it would be right because she was Carmen Sandiego. But then again, Dash would recognize Carmen immediately, black coat and hat instead of red or not.
“Mmhm..” Dash prompted, staring at her with increasing confusion as she said nothing else.
“Uuhh!” Ivy grinned nervously. Have to think of something, have to think of-
“Thought you were someone else.” Dash sneered, and turned away, foraying into the square again.
“He’s obviously never met her, so play along.” Carmen mentioned, and Ivy just barely caught the red flash of her binoculars ten stories above. ”Remember, cruel and vicious.”
Ivy turned to meet Carmen’s magnified gaze and nodded through the wave of slight panic. If Carmen thought she could do this, she sure as hell would.
Cruel and vicious.
Ivy stalked after Dash, composing her face into the meanest sneer she could conjure, and seized the operative’s shoulder, pulling him back and flipping him to face her.
Oops, he’s really tall.
She shoved down his shoulder so he was at her height level and looked him dead in the eyes, donning a thick German accent over her thick Boston one.
“Oh, you have the right someone.” She snarled, pleased to see him duck with alarm. “I was too stunned by the sight of your face to respond.”
“M-my face?” He stammered.
“Yes, y-your face.” She mocked him, jabbing a finger dead at his affronted and very perfect nose. “Your insolent face, and the insolent sounds that came spitting out of it. Mmhm?”
She mocked him again and put as much offense into her tone as she could muster, hurling a glob of spit at him and then glaring at it when it froze on the ground. “Have you never heard the saying ‘say it, don’t spray it?’ Hm??”
He cringed and she stuck a tally on an imaginary chalkboard that now read “Ivy: 1, VILE: 0.”
“I was only trying to enunciate the codewords clearly, ma’am.” He stuttered.
Cruel and vicious, cruel and vicious, uh, uh, Dash, Countess Cleo, chateau….DOGS!
She snatched his designer collar and drew him close, growling. “If you think I would lower myself to play your stupid word games-” he glanced in alarm at her hand, pinning him in place like a butterfly in a collection- “-then perhaps you should consider yourself my personal chew toy!” She proceeded to growl and snarl at him and was rewarded with a look of absolute terror.
Was that overkill?
“Wow. You may want to dial it back.” Carmen laughed in her ear, and she didn’t let the sheepish look crawl onto her now very canine face. So, yes.
A second later, she heard Carmen inhale and mutter “oh boy” (a phrase Ivy was convinced she’d started using more because of Ivy and her brother), then start descending from the rooftop. Ivy shoved Dash away to prevent him from seeing the fleeting look of apprehension- had VILE found her up there, or maybe ACME?
“Look, I’m just following orders.” Dash said nervously, attempting to regain his composure now that a woman eight inches shorter than him was not growling and snapping her teeth in his face. "I need to hear the correct reply or the deal’s off.”
Her eyes widened. He was walking away- oh no, no no. “Auf wiedersehen, madam…”
As soon as his back was turned she cringed, clenching her fists and searching for a solution. She got nothing from Carmen, who seemed to be having her own conversation.
“The crow flies at midnight.” Carmen said calmly, and Ivy got the impression she wasn’t speaking to her.
There was a space in which someone- presumably far away, since Ivy couldn’t make out any words- replied.
“But can the crow carry a tune.” Carmen said very carefully. “That is the correct response.”
Oh Carm. You’re a lifesaver.
And a genius.
Ivy donned her scary face and marched back over to Haber, who was checking his watch in annoyance. “But can the crow carry a tune?” she repeated with as much annoyance as she could muster. “Are you happy now, you spineless spitting fish?”
Despite the insult, he smiled, and Ivy crossed her arms. “Ecstatic. Now follow me….if you like gold.”
She named herself after the stuff, how extra could you be?
“Like it? I love it!” She chuckled, letting some nervousness through now that Dash’s back was turned. “I love gold..”
From Carmen’s end, there was a faint female voice in a heavy German accent: “And you would be?”
“Dash Haber.” Carmen replied, cool as ever.
“I was expecting male operative,” came another, this time male voice in a somehow even heavier German accent.
Quickly followed was the first voice again. “She knew the reply phrase! Do not make me tear the nose hairs from your face! With my teeth!”
Ivy almost tripped as she walked behind the real Dash. She had a guess as to who the voice was now. Guess it wasn't that overkill.
“We have intel that Carmen Sandiego may be in the area, so there has been a slight change of plans.” Carmen said without so much as a hesitation as she named herself.
“I have heard of this Carmen Sandiego.” The first voice- presumably Goldlove- said, closer now than ever. “If she were bold enough to interfere with me? I would crack her like a little red pistachio!”
Ivy’s eyes widened. Carmen should play poker sometime, Ivy thought as her boss simply replied with, “Another operative is waiting to meet you at Neuschwanstein Castle.”
Guess Carmen got death threats a lot anyways.
“Does VILE not realize it is a tourist trap?”
“Do you not realize VILE prefers hiding in plain sight?”
Ivy inwardly groaned and willed Carmen not to get herself killed by the very muscular sounding woman who ripped out nose hair with her teeth. Ivy didn’t even know how someone could just sound muscular, but Goldlove did.
But there was only a pause, then: “Come, Hugo. To Neuschwanstein.”
Hugo must have been the one who has gotten threatened. There was a pause as footsteps moved away before Carmen let out the tiniest of relieved sighs and Ivy frowned in worry.
The wind whistled in her ear as they drew nearer to the car.
Then- no, no, no, don’t fall out, don’t fall-
“No!” she yelped, fumbling her comm as it slipped out of her ear and hit the ground. She froze as Haber turned.
“W-what is it?” he asked, following her line of sight to the comm before she could look away. “Is…is that-”
“A BUG!” She yelled, pouncing on it with her foot in a flare of panic and smashing it. “You see, you see?? This is a warning to you, Dash Haber. This is what happens…to you. If you offend me.”
His eyes widened and he spun on his heel quickly, leaving her to discreetly pick up the remains of her comm. Well, maybe I’ll get a replacement that fits now , she thought with an internal groan. When she put it in her ear, only static screamed back at her.
Maybe the tracker still works. Urgh.
She replaced it in her ear woefully, wishing she’d thought of a better plan than “smash only link to Carmen,” and watched a dark car pull up.
“After you, madam.” Dash said, letting her into the limo and shutting the door once they were both inside.
The ride was long and roundabout (and terrifying- she was in a car with VILE with no way to talk to her team), probably to avoid getting a tail, but the limo eventually pulled up to a foreboding looking stone and metal warehouse that smelled inexplicably good.
They got out and the car pulled away.
“Your palace awaits, madam.”
Please let Carmen have followed us.
“This had better not be the funny business. I know 15 different lethal martial arts.” She growled at him like a dog again. He shrank away as she pounded a fist into her palm.
“ And I will not hesitate to pound you into-” she turned to the doors and flung them open. “-into…cacao?”
The heavenly smell had been chocolate. Her one weakness. A positive river of it stemming from a vat, being poured onto…
Gnomes?
She picked up a chocolate gnome and stared at it delightedly. “Yum.”
“Er- these confections are too rich to eat,” he said, plucking the gnome from her hand and pulling at it. The chocolate cracked to reveal a glitter.
The gold.
“See?”
Now her eyes could follow the casting and dipping process of the gnomes.
“Pure 24-carat gold bullion.” Dash said smugly. “Melted down and encased in the finest Bavarian chocolate. A rather ingenious way to smuggle gold out of the country and into your personal vault, wouldn’t you say?”
To be honest, Dash’s technical tirade had bored her when he started saying numbers. She’d picked a gnome and cracked the chocolate off. And oh. My. Gosh. Was that ever good chocolate…
“Madam Goldlove?”
She whipped around and spoke around the chocolate. “You speak to me?” She snarled, waving the pointy gnome hat at his chin. “Do you wish to fight??”
She smacked the half-eaten gold gnome into the nearby conveyor belt hat first, not watching it be carried away stuck straight in the air. “Say the word.” She rolled up her sleeve menacingly.
Please say no.
He lifted his hat. “Hah. I’m good…really.”
Thank goodness.
Urgh, now would be a great time to communicate with Carmen.
“Then spare the jibber-jabber so I may take a self-guided tour!” she improvised, walking around back of a huge metal tank and mentioning something about the engineering before she tucked herself out of sight.
“Carm, you there?” she whispered, pressing what used to be her comm into her ear. Only static greeted her again. She groaned. “Urgh. I can’t do this without you…”
She ducked out from behind the tank and took as much time as she could walking around the factory until it was outrageous to stall any longer. She’d just have to hope Carmen could be here soon…
“If you’re satisfied, madam? The payment instructions.”
Dash looked down at her and held out a small paper with the instructions on it. She glanced at the three VILE lackeys quickly. No way to get out of this…right now. Urgh, please get here, boss-
On her left a wall of boxes suddenly crashed to the floor. A giant, burly man had tackled a slim figure wearing a black coat and beanie, and had her arms trapped to her side as she struggled in his grip.
Oh, shit. Carmen.
Universe, you have a sick sense of humor.
Carmen was almost doubled over in his tight grip, struggling, and rage flashed in Ivy’s brain. How dare he lay one finger-
But no. No, let Carmen do her job. As much as it hurt to watch. She’d be better off if Ivy didn’t blow her cover…
“It would seem Hugo was correct.” Goldlove grabbed Carmen’s jaw and wrenched her snarling face towards her own (Ivy immediately nearly broke her previous commitment). “You are clearly not Dash Haber.”
No, no, they must have followed her instead of going to the castle.
“Carmen Sandiego?” Dash cried, outraged, as Ivy struggled to keep her face neutral. “But…” He turned to the real Goldlove. “Who are you?”
“Madam Goldlove, fool!” Goldlove snapped. Ivy swallowed and felt the blood drain from her face. So much for cover. Unless…
“Then who are you??”
Carmen’s eyes caught her’s for just a second before they focused apprehensively on her precarious situation again. I can save it, I can save it.
“I was wondering when you’d finally realize, Haber.” Ivy improvised, dropping the German accent and putting on a barely passable British one. “I was sent by Countess Cleo to inspect you.”
Dash froze. ‘W-what?”
“You’re lucky. You just barely saved yourself by insisting on the password. No identity verification, no checking for trackers, going up to a random person and saying a secret code phrase? Borderline idiotic.” She said coldly, trying not to stammer as she made up the story and turning to Goldlove. “And madam, I sincerely apologize for the deception.”
Sure they could see her hands shaking from their spots on the warehouse floor as they stared, mouths agape, she strolled over to Carmen and knelt in front of her, plastering a cruel grin on her face and staring into her boss’s eyes as she lifted her chin with one finger like she’d seen movie villains do.
“And you’ve managed to let Carmen Sandiego follow you,” she snapped loudly. As Dash cried out in protest, she seized the opportunity to frantically whisper to Carmen. “What do I do?”
Carmen’s face curled with an acted hatred Ivy was impressed with as she replied through her teeth, barely moving her mouth. “Doing good. Play along. I’ll be fine. Don’t blow the cover.”
She looked like she wanted to say more, but the time was drawing on and Ivy could only stare evilly and tilt Carmen’s chin up for so long. Carmen violently wrested her head from Ivy’s touch and lashed out with her feet. Ivy jumped back, even knowing the erratic kicks would have missed her anyways.
“Geh. VILE and its deception. I am insulted.” Goldlove snapped. “However, it is not that one I concern myself with now, Hugo.” Goldlove said to her burly henchman, and turned from Ivy to Carmen. She shed her white and gold overcoat to reveal extremely muscled arms. “ She is the pistachio I wish to crack.”
In a fluid movement Goldlove’s pointing finger turned to a driving fist aimed towards Carmen’s nose. Carmen in the same instant ducked down, leaving her coat and beanie in Hugo’s grip and emerging in her signature red coat.
Goldlove’s fist stopped six inches from Hugo’s chest and changed course. Carmen’s leg shot out to try to unbalance Goldlove, but the motion cost her time and Goldlove not only avoided her leg but snatched the back of her jacket and jumpsuit.
Goldlove hauled the thief up by her collar and pinned her against her chest, locking an arm around Carmen’s neck all so quickly Ivy could barely track the movements. Carmen choked as Goldlove bent to her ear.
“I always like to make them flinch first. Seems that was a good choice for me.”
Goldlove pushed Carmen away from her and the thief spun, gasping for air. Still struggling to earn her breath back, Carmen stumbled in running away from Goldlove and was shoved back by Hugo. Goldlove again grabbed her jacket- the front- and landed a hard punch squarely on Carmen’s nose.
Ivy flinched at the sound of the cartilage breaking, only saved from her cover being blown by Dash’s investment in the fight. Carmen, however, wasn’t stopped by red (only lack of air) and only took a moment to recover from the sudden shower of blood pouring out of her nose before retaliating with a kick to Goldlove’s side.
Watch out for Hugo! Ivy barely refrained from shouting, but Carmen heard his approach from behind and ducked under his lumbering punch.
“Watch out, you idiot!” Goldlove screamed as she ducked too.
Ivy winced again as Carmen was hit. For every hit Carmen got in there were double the attacks and double the damage dealt to her.
She can handle herself. This is her job. It’s no different because I’m here…
But every muscle of her screamed to run in and help. To even the fight, to hurt everyone who’d ever hurt Carmen a hundred times as badly.
“Two against one is a little unfair, isn’t it?” she blurted in her Inspector voice, failing to keep the note of nervousness out of it.
“Want to make it four against one?” Dash smiled nastily, eyes fixed on Carmen, who had just failed to duck from the barrier of muscly Germans and run for the catwalks. He unfurled the blade on his hat. He seemed both bitter at her and desperate to prove himself for the imaginary report she was giving Cleo.
“No, you idiot.” Ivy said quickly, and then searched for a justification as he stared. “You…would be more likely to hit Goldlove or Hugo than Sandiego if you used your hat, and you have absolutely useless hand-to-hand skills. Besides, this is their fight.”
Dash glared faintly at her and retracted the blade on his hat. “Fine.”
Carmen had heard Ivy’s comment. In the heartbeats between two swells in the fight, her face dripping with blood and starting to form bruises, Carmen caught Ivy’s eye and almost imperceptibly shook her head.
I’ll be fine. Don’t blow the cover.
She’d be fine, Ivy screamed at her tense, shaking muscles as Carmen failed to escape into the rafters again, enclosed by the circle that relentlessly whaled on her and allowed her no chance for relief or escape. She’ll be fine.
But she didn’t seem fine. Ivy had never witnessed a fight with Carmen go on this long, except in that awful basement in Poitiers. Twice more Carmen shook her head at Ivy when she took a step forward or clenched her fists, each time the head covered with more injuries, each time the hands a little redder and shaking a little more as they went in for another blow.
But for the crunches and cries, it was silent.
And that’s how Ivy knew it was serious.
She told me no!
Because then Carmen hit the ground and they didn’t let her get back up again.
The iron stench of blood mixed sickeningly with the sweet smell of chocolate around them and Ivy watched in horror as Carmen fought to escape, to flip onto her stomach, to protect herself from the manic laughter and relentless pounding from Goldlove, to do anything.
She lost. Ivy realized, stomach dropping. She’s really hurt and I’m just watching. Why won’t she let me help? My cover being secure won’t help if she frickin’ dies!
The assault stopped suddenly and Carmen panted in the abrupt silence, rolling onto her stomach with a groan and squeezing her eyes shut. Goldlove leered down at her, her hand dropping from where it had signaled Hugo to halt, and she tilted Carmen’s head up with the toe of her boot, letting it drop as Carmen winced and struggled to reorient herself.
“Had enough, little pistachio?” Goldlove said, quiet as a snake.
Carmen spat blood out of her mouth. “I’ve had worse.”
Ivy did not like how weak she sounded. Please, please let me help. Just give me the nod and we’ll get the hell out of here. Her fists clenched. Please.
A distant siren from the city was the only sound other than Carmen panting, sounding like a warning.
“I can give you worse.” Goldlove grinned evilly. Carmen had half-raised herself up on an arm and was staring desperately at the door as though listening. Then she blinked and met eyes with Ivy.
It was the tiniest of nods. But it was enough.
Goldlove never even saw Ivy’s fist coming.
Ooh, it felt really good to sock her in the jaw. Not as good when the three VILE lackeys, Dash, Hugo, and Goldlove all turned to face her at once.
“Uh… surprise, motherfucker!” she said, before scrambling towards the stairs to the catwalk.
To her pleasure, everyone pursued her. To her displeasure, everyone pursued her. But at least they weren’t after Carmen anymore, thank whatever the hell higher power was up there. Carmen, who had scooted into a corner and was regaining her breath and looked like absolute shit.
As she ducked a flying razor hat, Ivy caught sight of Carmen give her the “T” symbol with her hands. Time out for a minute, that meant. That was the signal they used when sparring with each other.
Jeez, Carm. Take more than a minute, why don’t ya?
The sirens were louder. Ivy yelped as she ducked the hat again, managing to put enough distance between her and the horde of angry VILE operatives pursuing her so that the hat was the only very immediate threat- it embedded itself into a chocolate pipe behind her and molten chocolate sprayed out.
“Yowch!” Ivy yelped as the red-hot chocolate flicked onto her face.
On second thought…
She grabbed the broken tube with gloved fingers and wrenched it away from the wall, aiming the gush of molten sweetness at the VILE lackeys oncoming. They screamed as it either hit their faces or made them slip and fall heavily onto the thin, now heated metal, and she saw burns bloom across their skin.
Hugo, however, kept sliding towards her. Probably used to ice. And closer. And-
She aimed the chocolate directly at his face.
She didn’t stop to hear his scream end and she dropped the pipe, carefully avoiding the chocolate on the floor and sprinting away. Still Goldlove to contend with, and Dash, who’d managed to get his hat free from the wall and step around the chocolate with his designer boots.
“What now, what now?” she groaned, spotting a box and skidding to a halt. The chocolate covered gold- heavy and sharp, as she’d felt earlier. If she just…
She picked one up and aimed.
“What are you-”
Clang.
Ivy grinned as Dash Haber fell sprawling to the floor, a nasty cut above his eye where the heavy gold had smacked him. Now just…
A heavy kick slammed into her ribs and pushed her to the railing, almost making her tumble over the edge. She ducked- Goldlove- oh shit, that hurt, how many of those had Carmen taken??
“Ivy! The steam valve!”
Carmen was up and near the top of the stairs, clutching her side but voice as controlled as ever. Ivy glanced to the left- there, just like she’d said, a steam release valve. She dropped to the floor- Goldlove’s fist clipped her shoulder on the way down- and wrenched the valve open.
Steam flooded the catwalk and both Ivy and Goldlove were left blind. Then, a gentle, dexterous hand on her shoulder and a whisper. “Back up. We’re okay.”
Carmen led her out of the steam as Goldlove spun, a hazy silhouette in the gathering mist, punching shadows and being met with nothing but that. Carmen deployed her grappling hook and gestured for Ivy to hold on.
Ivy, instead, held the line with one hand and Carmen with the other, and they swung to another catwalk, not trusting nor allowing Carmen’s shaking, bloody hands to carry them across the gap.
“Why the hell didn’t you use that before??” Ivy demanded as soon as they’d landed, furiously watching Carmen retract the line on her hook. Carmen glanced up at her and grinned, which did not help the blood and bruises on her face look any better.
“Stalling.”
“Stalling?? For what??”
Carmen tossed her head toward the windows. Ivy hadn’t noticed the siren growing louder, and now she saw flashing red and blue lights.
“The p-”
“Ives, I’ll explain later, I promise. Let’s get out of here while we still can.” Carmen winced and clearly steeled herself before running down the closest set of stairs and to the doors, Ivy on her tail. They ran through and emerged in a light dusting of snow.
“Oh shit.” Ivy muttered. “Tracks.”
She glanced over at Carmen, just in time to see her close her eyes, sway, and stumble. She caught the thief before she could fall and immediately lifted her into her arms bridal style. Carmen protested very faintly.
“Ohh no.” Ivy said, looking down at Carmen with worry. “You are not running. Seriously, you couldn’t have picked a better way to stall?”
“I’m not…I said ‘don’t let my blood leave a trail.’” Carmen said, slightly more clearly. Then she looked up and met Ivy’s eyes, and smiled. “And I guess I was just too busy admiring my best girl’s trip partner ever, who rocks.”
Ivy blushed and reluctantly smiled as she traipsed through the snow, carefully tilting Carmen head towards her chest so the blood coming primarily from her nose didn’t leave a trail (and so that her face was sheltered from the wind...not that, y’know, that detail mattered). As soon as she found gravel, she stepped into it, moderately breaking their trail enough to feel mostly safe.
“Ah, my knight in shining armor.” Carmen quipped at her as she leaned heavily against the wall of the makeshift safehouse they’d found moderately quickly after leaving.
“Very cold knight in shining snowflakes.” Ivy grumbled. “Armed with bandages and German Neosporin.”
“Poor you. Rough night?” Carmen grinned teasingly at her and winced when the smile agitated her bruised face.
“Alright, alright, I get it. Come here and start talking.” Ivy replied, starting to clean and bandage Carmen’s new battle wounds.
“Alright. I called in the police as I was following you here. And, by the way, you scared the shit out of me when you went silent like that.”
“Scared the shit out of myself, too. But, okay, police. Why, exactly?”
“For one, cruel and vicious Goldlove and all that. For two, I wasn’t looking forward to hauling 10 tons of gold bullion to their doorstep without getting caught.”
Ivy frowned. “Okay, fine. Then why just let yourself get beat up like that while you were waiting??”
“Well, truth be told, getting caught was not part of the original plan.” Carmen winced as Ivy dabbed at a particularly deep cut she’d gotten from who-knows-what during the fight. “And neither was not escaping the first time. Or the second. Or the third…and so on.”
Ivy’s fist clenched around the cloth she was using to clean the blood away. “Why didn’t you let me help you? I was- I was scared for you, Carm.”
“I’m sorry. By the time I realized I might need help, I wasn’t in much of a state to help you. You held your own well, but it only would have lasted a little while. I was scared for you too, Ives.” Carmen admitted. “Scared they’d kill you and I wouldn’t be able to help.”
“I was scared they’d kill you!”
“Nah.” Carmen laughed. “Not yet. Did you see the look on Goldlove’s face? She wanted to make me suffer. That trick she pulled at the start, when I slipped out of that Hugo guy’s grip when he was holding me? She wasn’t going to punch me. She wanted to make me flinch first, then nail me right on the nose. Cruel and vicious and all that. So, she didn’t have the momentum that might have saved me and she was able to catch me in a low moment.”
“She seemed like she was gonna try to kill you at the end.”
“Mm. One of the reasons I called in my shining knight.” Carmen half-smiled. “Also, I heard the sirens. Knew we weren’t too far from getting out.”
“Urgh. Carmen, that was still a really terrible plan.”
“Ahh, but it couldn’t have been, since it led to me sitting here having my wounds tenderly cared for by my savior!” Carmen swooned very dramatically and very jokingly (probably. maybe).
“Geez, who’s the actor now?” Ivy chuckled, hiding her blush.
“You, you.” Carmen smiled. “I’d hire you to evilly tip my chin up while an evil henchman held me hostage and whisper threats that were really pleas into my ear any day. For. You know. A movie. Or something.”
“Pfft. ‘The Sagas of Ivy’s Ridiculous and Idiotic Boss?’”
“Alas, after all I’ve done in the world, I’m going to be remembered as Ivy’s idiotic boss.”
“You deserve it.”
Carmen snorted. “I know.”
Ivy gently patted on the last bandage and looked Carmen up and down. “Alright, Ms. 17 Stupid New Scars, can we go get hot chocolate now?”
“You haven’t had enough of chocolate?”
“I don’t think I’ll ever.” Ivy laughed, holding out a hand to help Carmen up and letting the thief lean on her. “Just make sure there’s no gold in this batch…”