AN: Hi! This story is based on the computer games about Carmen, NOT the TV show. Carmen's daughter is joining ACME headquarters, and a certain inventor is keeping her attention. Will a certain redhead stand in her way?

"Hi."

A young woman with blonde hair streaked with pink cascading past her shoulders stood in front of the prison bars at ACME headquarters. She was trying to smile, though it was hard as she looked at the woman behind the bars. The woman was tall, with chocolate-brown hair. Although she wore prison uniform, it was unrecognizable underneath her scarlet coat. She also wore a wide-rimmed hat, exactly the colour of her coat. Her smirk made the girl feel intimidated.

"Racquel." she acknowledged, in a voice that was deep for a woman. "What are you doing here?" she asked calmly.

"It's Pixie." Racquel snapped. "You know I use my middle name. I like it a helluva lot more than my first name."

"Language." Carmen said calmly. "And you didn't answer my question. What are you doing here?"

Pixie knew she shouldn't feel so intimidated, not here. But that smirk never failed to do it. It's what she was the last thing she would ever admit. Well, the second to last.

The thing she would never admit, the last thing she would want to admit, was that she was Pixie Sandiego, daughter of master criminal Carmen Sandiego. The woman she stood in front of right now.

"I just wanted to see you, Mom." she said now. "Can't a girl come and visit her mom when she's in prison?"

"Not with those pink streaks." Carmen answered. "You can't work against ACME with something that unique."

Pixie glared at her mother. "Mom, I'm not you. I'm me, and I'm not going to work against the law. Just because you turned against ACME when you were twenty doesn't mean I'm going to. Oh, and by the way, it's my twentieth birthday tomorrow."

Carmen smirked again. "Oh, sweetie, I can't get out of here for a shopping trip. They don't trust me."

"You are a criminal." Pixie pointed out. "And I'm not asking for a birthday present, anyway. And I'm sure you didn't forget it, like my other milestone birthdays, which you missed cause you were stealing something or bailing your idiot lackeys outta here. No, I came here to tell you about my new job and my flat."

Pixie hadn't had the best childhood. She'd found out that her birth had come about because of some one night stand Carmen had had, so she didn't know who her father was. Nine months later, she appeared, Racquel Pixie Sandiego. Carmen hadn't been the best mother in the world, either. Pixie didn't blame her for it, though-not when she was a child, anyway. Back then, Carmen had still been an ACME agent. It was only when Pixie was five years old when Carmen had gotten frustrated with the simplicity of the tasks and became a master criminal. But going all over the world left her hardly any time for motherhood. She did take Pixie with her if she was planning never to return to the last place, but if she wasn't, she arranged for one of her associates to take care of her young daughter, who'd started kindergarten by that time. Sadly, Carmen's associates had no parental skills at all. By the time Pixie was ten, she could look after herself fine, and didn't need someone around. But while Carmen didn't have any time to look after her daughter, she didn't want her stuck in care, when , and so kept leaving her in the care of an associate until Pixie turned sixteen, old enough to be left alone for days. Carmen just left her an Eftpos card with enough money on it for everything she needed. She'd also usually leave a note. "Here's the card. Don't forget to get your hair done this month. Be back in a few weeks, love Mom xxx". Pixie slowly began to become more of a rebel. She stopped going by Racquel and when Carmen got home that next time, her daughter informed her that she would now only answer to Pixie. She did get her hair done, having it bleached blonde, instead of the rich dark chocolate colour she'd inherited from Carmen. She'd added a few pink streaks, and started dressing in black, with net gloves, usually. When Carmen was around, Pixie didn't even acknowledge authority she had. "You're not around, mostly." she pointed out once. "So why should I act like you're my mom when you don't act like one?" That had sparked off an argument with Carmen, as a lot of her comments did.

However, it wasn't until Pixie's seventeenth birthday when she found out what her mom was up to all the time. She saw it via newspaper.

Master Criminal Carmen Sandiego has been caught by ACME again! the headline screamed. Pixie had looked at the picture, and knew her mom at one glance. It had always been her secret shame.

Now, at nineteen, Carmen was in jail again, and we need to get back to what's happening between her and Pixie.

"I've got a great flat, just around the corner from here." Pixie said. "It'll also be great for my new job-and my flatmates are so nice!"

"What is your job?" Carmen asked warily. The prison was right next to ACME headquarters.

"I'm an ACME agent." Pixie answered, just as warily. She knew of her mother's history, but swore she would never go against the law if she did quit her job.

Carmen shook her head, smirking. "You're too smart to do something like that." she said. "You'll wind up just like me, too bored to keep on with that, and follow in my footsteps."

Pixie smirked back. "I may be smart, Mom, but I have a lot else to do." she answered. "Apart from catching crooks, I have to let the agents know I'm not like you. I have a lot to do for as long as I carry the name Sandiego, so I won't get bored." She walked out of the prison, tossing a "Bye!" over her shoulder.

I will do a lot of explaining, but I promise the story will kick in sometime next chapter!