Disclaimer: Carmen Sandiego © Brøderbund/The Learning Company and Kim Possible © Disney, and are used without permission.
Secondary Disclaimer: This story is an authorized rewritten version of Silent Magi's work of the same name. I have over a dozen abandoned stories which I work on, attempting to make something better than the original. Whether I succeed is in the eye of the beholder.
With Heroes Fall, Among other things, a lot of sanity and continuity checks were done, including tightening up the speech patterns and rapport between certain characters, to bring them closer to their 'real' counterparts, since both the Kim Possible and Carmen Sandiego characters had specific verbal tics.
Author's Note: This story is a dark continuation of two major franchises, namely Where On Earth Is Carmen Sandiego and Kim Possible. In both cases, it largely renders both endings non-canon, due to events which will be made clear. The date of the final caper is intentional, and it's not to make it anywhere near the present day or any date related to Kim Possible itself.
Heroes Fall, Villains Rise
Chapter One: Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?!
MOUNT RUSHMORE, USA, 1995
Ivy was sure of it. Something big was on the horizon. She'd noticed a pattern to Carmen's plots, that they never left the Continental United States, and had shorter distances between clues, actually being a couple of hour's drive apart, if she judged it right.
She'd actually figured out they needed to go to Mount Rushmore long before they'd even got there, the current crime pattern suggesting it. As she arrived at the top of the national monument, her badge was already out, an artefact of ACME losing it's universal jurisdiction.
"I've got you now, Carm… en..." Ivy began, her declaration trailing off as she noticed Carmen was looking wistful and actually sighed. This wasn't like Carmen. She dressed to kill and always had a snappy comeback. Not this. She actually seemed, if anything, to be wistful.
"I'm going to miss… all of this..." She offered, Ivy looking even more confused. There were some pretty hefty jail sentences coming for her, but nothing that would see the young woman not get out to be able to commit worse crimes, and that was if they prosecuted.
That was another odd thing. Her recent capers could be resolved by some fines paid to the right people. The size of the capers and distance travelled always were just shy of causing jail time. It was just the outstanding warrants that were left, and many of them were close to limitations. She was practically free to go.
"What's your angle, Carmen?" Ivy asked, "Once, you'd be doing globe-trotting adventures, not carting me on a whistle stop tour of America..."
"You've done well, Det-… Ivy, over these past few years. But you will not be catching me now, or ever..." Carmen offered. Something was definitely off-kilter about that statement, and Ivy wasn't sure what.
"You don't have anywhere to go, Carmen. We closed down VILE, Your criminal empire is in shambles, and..." Ivy began, confusion crossing her face as she noticed Carmen didn't react. She already knew VILE was closed down. She seemed to have expected it even.
"I've retired. I quit. The game is over," Carmen declared, "I hate to love you and leave you..."
Ivy bit her tongue. Did she have to use that term? She knew that the arrest would be a formality, a coda on everything. She knew that it would be a show trial, more to prove Carmen Sandiego had been caught, before ACME was folded completely. She fixed her nemesis with a glare.
"Wrong, Carmen. You still have to stand trial for all those crimes you did..." Ivy began, for Carmen to smirk.
"And how much time does the Tigeress have to do?" Carmen asked.
"Six months community service, reduced from two years due to extenuating circumstances..." Ivy replied with a wince. She had to remind her of that brief foray into criminal acts. But that had been all the distraction she seemed to need, jumping off the head she'd been standing on, leaving nothing but a small box as she jetted away.
Ivy approached the box. It didn't explode or anything, the box being one for pregnancy tests, Ivy opening it to show it was positive. Carmen had a damn good reason to leave them. She was going, effectively, legit. When her cases had all moved to a smaller area a few months… ago...
"What's up, Ives?" Zack asked as he finally managed to catch up, Ivy realising why they'd not left America recently and the capers had got less and less complex.
"It's over, Lil' Bro… Carmen has gone..." Ivy offered. Zack leaned over the side of the mountain, having been on the wrong side of the mountain to see her escape, or the 'clue'.
"Umm… The Chief isn't going to be happy about this… You're meant to ar-" Zack began.
"I was already going to be resigning myself..." Ivy stated, cutting him off, and shedding equipment onto the mountaintop, "Look, we were called in, a few years back, to track down Carmen. That case is over, done..."
"Look, Look, Ivy, you're over-reacting, She's survived worse falls..." Zack offered.
"She didn't fall off..." Ivy stated, using her communicator to call up the Chief, "Chief, Player, Carmen has, due to extenuating circumstances, left VILE. Until further notice, The case is closed. Scan the data I'm sending you, then close off the Carmen assignment as resolved,"
"OK, Scanning… I…" Chief started, pausing, before stating, "Yes... That's... a really good reason. Thank God we had the Load kid as the Player… I'm not sure what we're meant to do when the criminal goes legit on us..."
"Anyone care to tell me what's going on?" Zack asked, as Ivy threw a small object off the mountain.
"Due to circumstances which are covered by certain ACME regulations, which Former Detective Sandiego is aware of, The case will be closed, and all warrants frozen, subject to a review in the future, if she reappears," The Chief stated, for once not joking, "I overheard you..."
"I've done what I joined ACME to do," Ivy stated,
"Alrighty, You do understand that ACME reserves the right to reactivate you if any changes occur to the case in question?" The Chief stated.
"This is goodbye, Player, Chief, Zack..." Ivy stated, "I'll send you contact details when I'm settled, Zack. The Chief knows how to contact me if you can't."
She then summoned a C5 corridor, and vanished through it, Zack stood there, looking confused.
"So, that's it?" Zack asked The Chief.
"VILE is closed down, Carmen's no longer an issue..." The Chief stated, not even trying for comedy, "Go home, Zack. And, before you ask, Ivy's destination is classified. She'll talk to you when she wants to."
"Look, You really sure it's that simple?!" Zack asked, slumping on the hard packed rock, "What kind of clue was so huge that it basically had Ivy go dark?"
"Let's just say… She had a good reason for keeping her cases to a very predictable radius, and for giving out easier clues..." The Chief offered, "Even master criminals can have things that aren't on file."
Zack kicked a rock, before looking towards the Chief.
"So, What am I meant to do in the meantime?" Zack asked.
"A new case, maybe? I'll need you to investigate a man named Jack Hench..." The Chief began, Zack reading over the details. The Chief didn't like hiding things from him, but both Ivy and Carmen had trusted him here. And he also knew why Carmen had required Ivy be the one who found the test.
That was no random malfunction that delayed Zack. ACME, in an attempt to avoid being compared to the other ACME, tested all it's equipment constantly. It should not have stuck. Just who meddled with it? Carmen… Or Ivy?
He didn't like the insinuation, but he'd have a look at it later. Him and the Players would be keeping Zack busy with this 'HenchCo' business, while Ivy would be busy in Japan, doing whatever. She'd been reactivated to apprehend Carmen, and, right now, there was no Carmen to apprehend...
Carmen walked through the secret tunnel to the one place where ACME, and VILE, would never find her, as she pulled off her hat, her hair changing to a coppery red, placing her coat on a deliberately chosen hook, the hook dropping as her hat was put on the upper portion and a door opened at the end of the tunnel, into a warm and welcoming typical suburban home. Stepping out, she greeted the man inside.
"James, honey, I have an announcement..." She stated, intentionally resting her hand on her stomach.
The man, a James Timothy Possible, smiled as he saw her come in, having just finished the perfect suppertime meal for them both, to celebrate their anniversary.
"Yes, Ca- Anne..." He stated, almost using her codename, "What is it?"
"We're going to have company soon..." Carmen declared, laying his hand on her stomach.
"Why are they planning this far ahead? I might be relocated when the word comes from my graduate professor…" He offered, with an arched eyebrow, for her to sigh. He could be a bit dense sometimes, even for a rocket scientist. Maybe that was where that joke came from.
"The guest will be coming with us sweetie... No matter where. The stork is persistent like that..." Carmen stated, and his eyes went wide, and he tumbled to the ground in surprise. He'd not expected THAT kind of guest. There would be a lot to consider there, especially with...
"What about… your other work?" He asked, trying to dance round things like Carmen's main career.
"I've been working only within the limits of a day's travel from Middleton, total. Also, She... retired today..." Carmen said while looking down. "I just couldn't risk it anymore... not with someone depending on me for life... I have to protect her or him..."
"What about…" He asked, for Carmen to sigh, taking out one of the devices she had kept. She still didn't know how 'Tigeress' had worked without using the C5 corridors. All she knew was when they used them. Likely was the fact she used times she didn't expect them to travel.
"She went straight to Tokyo and has gone dark..." Carmen stated, "She was most likely furious,"
James smiled warmly, before sighing. "We both know how you felt about..." He stated, "I pretty much suspect that part of why she's furious is not the fact you've retired, but the fact she wasn't the one you retired for..."
"I admit… If we both were on the same side, and things progressed..." Carmen sighed, "She'd probably not complain, and even less so afterwards..."
"Well, In that case..." He stated, dropping a pile of brochures for cars and vans, "I think you and me need to look into a car that isn't fitted with the unusual extras..."
"And if my son or daughter takes after Ivy?" Carmen asked.
"Just promise me you will encourage her to be a hero..." James responded, "And if Ivy was to come back into your life… Promise me. Please. Tell her how you feel."
She plucked up a van brochure, eyes crossing. "Just please, not a van..." She sighed, "I'm not old enough to need a people mover like that..."
"Honey, you turned 'old enough' when you found out you were pregnant," He stated with a broad smirk, "Consider it a long term investment."
She smacked him with the brochures anyway.
"You're a laugh riot... but I guess you're right... I did get a job offer at the San Diego central hospital as a neurosurgeon..." She explained, and they started to plan a future without ACME or VILE, and she was just simply Anne Carmen Possible.
Tokyo, Japan, Years Later
In Tokyo, Ivy was doing another training drill, cursing that Carmen had been on the level one time too many. ACME had practically disbanded overnight, reforming as a much less discreet entity known as Global Justice. She'd expected it when she'd started using the badge.
However, the red letter day came when The Chief called to request all ACME-branded items or identification be sent back, to be reissued 'at a later date', with the new branding on the letterhead. As she finished, a young oriental woman walked into the dojo and straight up to Ivy, several onlookers preparing for the expected yelling.
"Package for you, Miss Sinclair… From America." She stated, Ivy glancing at the package, noticing a familiar set of letters had been created by the strip of four stamps, each marked with a discreetly hidden letter. ACME.
"Hello, Kyoko. How is your sister, Yori?" Ivy asked, making small talk as she watched the hologram on the package's sealing tape morph between the two logos.
"Yori is doing quite well. She has been home now for the last week..." Kyoko began, before adding, as she handed her the slender package, "Between you and me, Mother may well be planning in enrolling her in 'that school'..."
Ivy smiled, her smile cracking and failing as she confirmed that it was the replacement equipment from Global Justice.
"Why would they be sending me my equipment now?" She wondered, going through the login process for Crimenet, "No, I'm not a Player, I'm an Agent… Yes, former ACME… Username: Tigeress, Password: Sandiego…"
She'd been using the new username since that incident, and was why no-one noticed her use CrimeNet or the C5 for a period. As she passed through the streamlined, but still recognisable login process, The Chief's face consumed the entire screen.
"Oh, Bad News, Bad News, Bad News! Ivy, We need your help..." He stated, "Zack went missing on his latest case… Badly missing..."
Ivy slid down the nearby wall as her fingers went slack, the Chief moving his image to project nearby.
"Where was he? What was the case? How long will it take to get to his last coordinates?" Ivy asked.
"That's the thing..." The Chief stated, sombrely, as he opened the C5, "It's not that simple..."
A few minutes later, she was stepping out into the former 'Game Room', it's screens showing 'Checking… Checking… Player Is Offline', the ACME logo partially scraped off. Clearly they'd been halfway through decommissioning the briefing room for ACME when something else came up.
"Welcome back, Ivy. Under any other circumstances, I would insist you freshen up..." The Chief stated, Ivy having not had time to clean up after her workout yet, "But we have bigger fish to fry..."
Her equipment and some kind of device that cut her prep time drastically were supplied to her through a side room.
"OK, What's really going on, Chief, and this is only a mission to find my brother, or what happened to him..." Ivy stated.
"He was deployed shortly after you left to investigate Jack Hench, who founded a group named Henchco." The Chief stated, "Since then, dangerous factions have stated to rise up, equipped through Hench's services. Zack was forced to blind jump with his skimmer when an operation went bad, real bad..."
His face vanished to show her the grisly remains of what had been Ivan, Ivy thankful The Chief returned a few minutes later.
"Were you able to trace the skimmer's temporal signature?" Ivy asked, Chief shaking his head.
"First thing we tried. It was a blind jump. A definite No-No in the things to do and not do with a skimmer..." The Chief continued.
Ivy winced. If she was lucky, he'd turn up. When the Chief showed a textbook example of the signs of an unguided jump to her, she sighed.
"I'm sorry, Ivy… If there's anything AC… Ahem, Global Justice can do for you… Still not used to that… Just let me know..." The Chief stated. He clearly hadn't been fully recoded to the new standard, but she wouldn't want him to be. He was pretty much a sentient entity, with the rights that went with it.
"Let me know who this new faction is..." Ivy stated, her 'game face' back on, "Anything you can..."
A few missions later, Kim was surprised to see an unknown new redhead chasing down Monkey Fist, not noticing Ron's eyes narrow at the interloper.
"No, I don't know her!" Kim pleaded when everyone looked her way.
The strange woman leapt at him with a pair of handcuffs at the ready.
"Give it up, Monkey-boy, You're mine!" The woman snapped, just as Monty looked towards Drakken, and time shifted around them, the woman clearly pissed.
It was a few months later, in real time, when Monkey Fist was finally captured, and brought up on charges related to the murder of an active Global Justice agent. Then, surreal as it seemed, Global Justice were abruptly brought under investigation, with all further activities stopped until the investigation was over.
Monkey Fist had walked free, as he could do, due to 'ongoing irregularities' with the investigation, Dr. Director being assured by The Chief that most of the charges were quite literally stalling tactics. He even had proof. Apparently, they asked for Crimenet access, to 'verify agent movements'.
Even as she was put under arrest, she had no idea what was going on, only that someone had basically given the criminal underworld a chance to kick Global Justice when it was down, and they were kicking hard. Whoever this Ivy Sinclair was, they'd kicked over the hornet's nest investigating Zack Sinclair's attack and subsequent death by skimmer malfunction.
Dr. Director, even as she complied with their requests, knew, She outright KNEW it was more than that. It was a few weeks later when she found out quite what, as a pair of men in black suits entered her cell.
"Elizabeth Director, Our boss would like a few minutes of your time..." One of the men stated in a flat, almost artificial tone. The fact that they'd clearly disabled the camera and didn't restrain her showed it wasn't what she'd expected. She stood up, following them and waiting for the shoe to drop.
This wasn't a prisoner pickup, she was quite literally off the grid for the next hour or so.
"You have not seen us, We were never here," The other suit stated, before she was ushered into the limousine, a screen appearing before her.
"As of right now, Betty Director no longer exists." The President stated, "Someone lit that hornet's nest, and we know it's not you."
"And the rest of my team?" She asked.
"Reassigned to… 'Waste Collection', still under your command..." The president stated, "Whoever set up this investigation, it wasn't to get Global Justice closed down… Well, the only thing. I've had a request to use my powers as President to force ACME to release access to Crimenet to the investigation team… I refused, until they found evidence that would link them to the reason for the investigation..."
"And with us being ACME's bean counters, we got it in the neck..." Betty guessed.
"It's more than that. They might want ACME laid bare, but..." The president stated, "They were asked to provide evidence. They provided evidence of you apparently taking bribes, and photographs of ACME symbols on equipment seized recently. At least some of it I know was faked,"
Betty did as well. It was a well known, within Global Justice, and only Global Justice, that every piece of known ACME equipment was recalled, given completely new shells, and nothing was left with ACME symbols on it. Whoever did this didn't get that memo.
"Now, I will stake my job, and that's a big thing to say, on the legitimacy of the investigation team, but I suspect someone will intercept any backdoor made into Crimenet, and it's them I want dealt with before they get it," He stated, before adding, "Also, I'll have need of your other hat to deal with the fact that Kim Possible has recently shown signs of odd passive-aggressive behaviour..."
Betty sighed. In the months leading up to Global Justice closing down, Wade had sent reports of Kim having become more and more violent, with her bordering on turning, and she hated to say this, evil. And right now, Global Justice, officially, couldn't help her at all.
If it hadn't had been for this olive branch, Kim Possible would be the next Carmen Sandiego… and, worryingly, she had a feeling that's exactly what the bastard that shut her down wanted. They'd come too close to ruining it all, so they were shut down. But by who?
And what value would they have in creating a new super-criminal out of one of the greatest heroes in this generation?