The Anti Thieving Duo
"Hello" - (Normal talking)
"What happened?" - (Thoughts)
"What do I do?" - (Flashback)
{"Hey, can you hear me?"} - (Communication)
"\Prepare for departure\" - Technology Talking
Those who are complaining about how I've done this fanfic, I got the idea from LoneWolf-O1 and his fanfics are excellent with how he's done them in my opinion.
Chapter 3 - The Fishy Doubloon Caper
(Paris Interpol, Nighttime)
Chase and Julia were in the Interpol carpark, with them both walking to Chase's car after getting out of the elevator. "No witness to question, no thieving scoundrels in custody and not one single thread to pull," Chase said with his hands in his pockets while slouched over as he walked, with Julia walking not far behind him while holding some files in her arms.
Chase gave a glare as he looked off to the side, saying "I've pursued both Carmen Sandiego and Naruto Uzumaki all the way to Paris, and back again with nothing to show for my efforts" with an upset look on his face, and Julia had a small one ofher own. When they reached his car, it was still damaged after everything that it went through.
"Eh, almost nothing" he said as he took out a packet of mints from his jacket pocket, and popped one into his mouth.
"I recommend re-examining the penthouse that Ms. Sandiego and Mr Uzumaki purportedly attempted to rob here in Poitiers," Julia said, as she gave him a small frown, causing Devineaux to grit his teeth.
"Did rob, Ms. Argent!" Chase angrily said, as he turned around to give her a glare. "I watched our two super thieves sprint off into the night with stolen objects stuffed in their black sacks," he said before eating the rest of his mints.
"That many mints can't be good for an empty stomach," Julia told him worriedly.
"Good night, Ms. Argent" Devineaux told her flatly, as he walked towards his car.
"Before I go, you may want to check your fuel -" Julia tried to tell him, before Chase cut her off saying "Now" as he turned his head back to look at her.
Julia gave him a hard glare, before turning around and walking off. Chase then opened the door and climbed into his car, as he tried to start it up before noticing that he had no fuel left, which caused him to let out a growl of annoyance as he slammed his fists on the steering wheel.
He then opened the door, and climbed out of the car with a groan while covering his eyes. "It seems you were right. I'm all out of -" he was saying, as he looked at who he thought was Julia, before gaining a look of surprise as the mystery woman held up some kind of gun, which made gas come out of it, that Chase inhaled.
"Gas?" he said, as his eyes started to droop close. He then fell backwards with a groan, just as the woman's partner arrived to stop him from falling over completely.
With Julia, she continued walking with a frown for a few more steps, before stopping as she gave a sigh. She then turned around, and headed back to Chase's car which was still there.
"Inspector?" she asked, while looking around puzzled. "Where in the world did you go?"
0o0o0o0
(The middle of the ocean, other side of the world)
Naruto and Carmen were both in diving suits, with Carmen's being red and Naruto's orange, as they swam amongst the different schools of fish with their helmet lights on.
{"Hola, guys. How's the sunny Ecuador?"} Player asked them.
"Oh, wet" Carmen told him with a slight grin.
"As in very wet," Naruto added.
"I'm sure that you guys'll get to see plenty more of South America after your swim," Player said as he typed on his computer. "Maybe even paddle on further down to Buenos Aires, Argentina," he added as that area lit up on his computer map.
{"Not sure if we're ready to visit our birthplace yet Player"} Carmen said.
Naruto nodded, saying "At least not without any real clues to our past."
{"You mean, why your a Japanese/American who was found there as a baby?"} Player asked him.
Naruto gave a nod, as he said "Exactly."
"Anyway, what can ya tell us about this shipwreck we're looking for?" Carmen asked, as she changed the subject.
Player typed on his computer, while saying "The satellite images that I was able to intercept show you're warm. You just need to keep an eye out for the equator, as it's a giant red line" he added jokingly.
{"Very funny Player,"} Carmen said in a dry tone, while Naruto gave a small chuckle as he did find it kind of funny.
{"The equator is an imaginary giant red line that divides our world into the northern and Southern Hemispheres,"} Naruto said.
"Well, Ecuador sits right on top of the equator, and it looks like the South American country is well known for two big exports: bananas and tuna," Player said.
{"Huh, I wonder how a banana-fish sandwich would taste,"} Carmen said thoughtfully.
{"Ugh, no thanks"} Naruto said in disgust.
Carmen gave a small laugh, before saying {"I bet that you didn't know that the catch of the day is always transported up the Andes Mountains to Quito, which happens to be the second-highest capital city in the world."}
"My nose is bleeding from just thinking about it," Player said, as Naruto added {"Mine too."}
Player continued saying "But back down at sea level, the 19th-century trading vessel you're looking for might have been transporting Spanish doubloons when it sank. A big enough haul of those gold coins could be worth millions today."
{"Which means there's quite a decent chance that the wreck is on VILE's radar,"} he told Naruto and Carmen, as they watched a few fish swim past them.
"With any luck, we'll be able to secure any valuable artifacts before VILE is able to scavenge them," Naruto said with Carmen nodding in agreement.
"Are all hands on deck?" Carmen then asked Player.
{"Surface crew is on high alert,"} Player told them.
0o0o0o0
(On the surface)
Ivy and Zack were on a boat with Ivy looking through some binoculars, while Zack was holding his stomach as he walked to the edge of the boat.
He gagged a bit, before saying "Fish. Oh, why did it have to be fish?" A fish soon jumped out of the water in front of him, causing Zack to lean over the side while throwing up.
As Ivy looked around through the binoculars, she soon spotted a ship off in the distance. "Motor off, no one on board" she said with a frown.
Zack walked over as he wiped his mouth, as he asked "Creepy enough for ya, Ivy?"
"Creepy enough to want a closer look," she said while lowering the binoculars.
0o0o0o0
(Back underwater)
Naruto and Carmen swam for a few more minutes, before they came across the shipwreck.
"Player, we found it," Naruto said as they both grinned, while swimming for a closer look.
They both swam round the shipwreck for a while, before they found a way in through a hole in the side.
"Ha! Look at us Naruto, we're swimming through the past," Carmen said with a grin.
Naruto gave a nod with a smile on his face, as he looked around while they swam through the ship. "Can you imagine sailing on this back then? The men working on the deck, the captain shouting out orders. I'm sure that it was spectacular," he said.
"Yeah, but I don't think women were allowed on ships back then," Carmen told him.
{"Any sign of treasure yet fellas?"} Player asked them.
"Tons of it," Naruto said, as they passed a few items.
"But none that look like they'd be of interest to VILE," Carmen added, as they entered a room. As they looked around it, they soon spotted a treasure chest that still had a padlock on it.
"Actually, scratch that" Carmen said as the two of them swam towards it. They tried to pull the padlock off, but it wasn't rusted enough. After looking around, they soon found a crowbar which they jammed into the chest, and used it to force the lid open. They rummaged through the chest, to see if there was anything valuable inside it before Naruto spotted a gold coin partly buried in sand.
He soon brushed it off, with a smile forming on his face as he did.
He soon picked it up, and said "Player, see what you can learn" as he pressed a button on his helmet, which allowed him to take a few pictures of the coin before sending them to Player.
Soon as he'd done that, a rumbling noise was heard.
{"Whoa. What am I hearing guys?"} Player asked.
Carmen and Naruto looked around, as they tried to figure out where the noise was coming from. A few moments later, the ground beneath them exploded which sent them tumbling forward and causing Naruto to let go of the coin, before he quickly grabbed it. He and Carmen looked towards where the explosion came from, and saw someone wearing a diving suit climbing out of the hole in the ground.
The two of them immediately recognised who it was; their old classmate El Topo.
"You," they both said with a glare.
"You?" he said in surprise, before he saw that Naruto was holding the coin. He narrowed his eyes before pressing a button on his suit, which activated a scuba jetpack allowing him to ram into them both by surprise, which caused Naruto to drop the coin and allow El Topo to grab it before quickly leaving the ship.
{"Who was that?"} Player asked them.
"That was El Topo," Naruto said unhappily. He and Carmen then pressed a button on the side of their helmets, which activated the jetpacks on their scuba suits as they pursued him.
"So, if the human mole is down here" Naruto said, before Carmen finished it saying "Then his pal, the human goat, is most likely somewhere above."
0o0o0o0
(Back with Zack and Ivy)
Zack drove the boat closer to the ship, with Ivy looking through the binoculars to see if she could spot anyone on board. Zack soon stopped the boat, and came to stand next to his sister, as she looked all over the ship before spotting Le Chèvre on the bow of the ship. She then watched as he leapt from there, and onto their boat saying "Ha!" as he did.
This caused Zack and Ivy to fall over in surprise saying "Whoa!" as they hit the deck with a thud. They looked up, and saw Le Chèvre glaring down at them.
0o0o0o0
(Back with Naruto and Carmen)
Naruto and Carmen were hot on El Topo's heels, as they chased him. They were able to get close enough to grab onto a leg each, which caused him to look back at them with a raised eyebrow.
They both pressed a button on their scuba helmets, which caused their jetpacks to turn off briefly and flip the thrusters round before they turned back on, so that they went in reverse while still holding onto El Topo.
This caused him to let out a shout of surprise, as he let go of the coin which was thrown quite far. Naruto and Carmen were quick to let go of El Topo, and switch their jets thrusters back the right way as they went after the coin. El Topo was quick to regain his bearings, as he followed after them, as he grabbed hold of them by their shoulders and pushed them out of the way.
He soon saw the coin within his sights, but before he could reach it he was knocked out of the way by Naruto and Carmen who rammed into him. The three of them struggled with each other, as El Topo tried to push the two of them off of him with Naruto on his back as he tried to blind him, and Carmen grappled with him. They soon saw that the coin wasn't too far, and the three of them reached for it….before a fish swam in front of them and swallowed the coin.
The three of them then just floated in the water with Carmen saying "Wow. That really just happened." El Topo and Naruto just nodded their heads in agreement. They then looked at each other, before Naruto and Carmen both pushed El Topo away from them and reactivated their jetpacks as they swam after the fish, with El Topo soon following after them.
0o0o0o0
(Back on the surface)
Zack and Ivy stood next to each other nervously, as Le Chèvre gave them both a hard look.
"Who are you, and what are you doing out here?" he asked them both, as he leaned in.
"We're, uh, fishermen" Zack said as he gave a weak smile, along with a thumbs up.
Ivy gave him a glare, as she elbowed him in the side, saying "Fisherwoman. Hello!"
Le Chèvre looked at them with slightly narrowed eyes, as he said "You don't look or sound like you're from around here."
Zack gave an uneasy smile, as he replied "Well, uh, Boston Harbour was getting really crowded, ya see -" before Ivy gained a look of worry, as she elbows him again. "Oops," Zack said in worry.
Le Chèvre just cocked an eyebrow at their behaviour, before shrugging his shoulders as he rolled his eyes.
0o0o0o0
(Back underwater)
Naruto and Carmen were swimming as fast as possible to catch the fish, with El Topo not far behind them. Naruto and Carmen were reaching for the fish, when it got pulled up in a net.
This caused the three of them to stop swimming, as they watched the net being pulled to the surface.
"Oh, come on. Seriously?" Carmen said with a frown, as El Topo gave her a sidelong look. Naruto shrugged his shoulders, saying "Well what can ya do?"
The three of them watched as the net was pulled out of the water, before the ship that pulled the net up drove off. El Topo then gave them both a shove, before he raced after the ship.
Before he could go too far though, he noticed that his mask was filling up with water much to his shock until it was completely filled. He then turned around, to notice Carmen and Naruto just floating there with their arms crossed. Naruto then revealed that he was holding the pipe that fed air into El Topo's mask with a smirk and a cocked eyebrow.
El Topo looked over his shoulder at his air tank, noticing he had no pipe before he swam as fast as he could to the surface, while holding his breath with his hands at his throat as he went.
Naruto and Carmen swam underneath him, as they chased after the ship. Naruto pulled a gun from his belt and aimed it at the ship, before he shot a tracker from it which hit the back of the ship and activated once it was attached.
"Nice work honey," Carmen told him with a grin.
Naruto gave a dramatic bow, as he said "Thanks sweetie" before they both swam off after the ship.
0o0o0o0
(Back with Zack and Ivy)
Le Chèvre was heading to a line that would take him back to his ship, while Zack and Ivy watched with bated breath.
At that moment, Player's voice came over the comms as he said {"Wrap it up, surface crew. Naruto and Carmen need an assist."} This made Zack and Ivy cringe, as Ivy was quick to turn the radio off while hoping that Le Chèvre didn't hear anything.
But it was too late, as Le Chèvre pulled the line down which made the rope pile up at the bottom, as he turned around to give the two of them a piercing look. He then menacingly walked towards them with a hook in his hand, as he said "That would not be Carmen Sandiego and Naruto Uzumaki, would it?"
They both had looks of worry, with Zack saying "Carmen Sanfrancisco and Naruto Uzushio," at the sametime Ivy said "Carmen Sanjose and Naruto Uzunami."
They then looked at each other, as Zack said "Sanjose and Uzunami? Sanfrancisco and Uzushio!" with Ivy saying "Sanfrancisco and Uzushio! Sanjose and Uzunami!"
Zack then glared at his sister, as he said "Ivy!" who glared back as she said "What?" before they looked back at Le Chèvre with fear, as he continued advancing towards them.
Before he could do anything though, he faintly heard El Topo shouting out "Help!" which made him stop what he was doing, as he said "Huh?"
He then went to the front of the boat, and saw El Topo off in the distance as he waved his arms about. "Help!" he yelled, as he tried to keep himself above the water.
Le Chèvre gained a look of shock, and picked up a life preserve. He was about to jump into the water, before he had a look of surprise as Zack and Ivy shoved him in.
"Lets motor!" Zack said, before they headed back to the cabin.
0o0o0o0
(Back with Naruto and Carmen)
Naruto and Carmen were still swimming as fast as they could after the ship that had the fish on it that ate the gold coin.
"I have a bead on your tracker guys," Player said to them both.
{"Keep a close watch on it Player,"} Naruto said to him. Carmen added "Yeah, as we need to can a tuna."
0o0o0o0
(At the docks)
Naruto and Carmen were talking to the fishermen on their ship.
"Gracias," they both said with a wave, before walking over to Zack and Ivy who were lounging on their boat.
"He said that his catch is already on its way to Quito for auction, and that our coin-swallowing fish was one of them," Naruto told them.
"For a fish out of water, old yellow-fin sure gets around" Ivy said.
{"Guys,"} Player said to the two of them, as they put their fingers on their comms to hear what he had to say. {"I was able to look up the image of the coin. It's a doubloon alright,"} which made them smile, before Player added {"But it ain't Spanish"} which made them frown and raise an eyebrow as Player said {"It's called the Ecuador eight escudos."}
"So it's an Ecuadorian doubloon?" Carmen said with a frown, as her and Naruto turned around.
Unbeknownst to the group, a woman was standing on a ship on the other side of the docks who raised her eyebrow in interest before she walked to the gangplank.
"It says here that most coin hobbyists know it as the 'Moby Dick doubloon' guys," Player told them.
{"You mean, 'Moby Dick' like the book?"} Carmen asked him.
{"Why on earth would a coin be named after a famous whale?"} Naruto added.
Player looked thoughtful with a small smile, as he said "Because it's the coin the Captain Ahab character nails to the mast of his ship as a reward to anyone who spots the white whale that keeps evading his capture" while typing on his computer, as he pulled up some an image of the coin and said captain with the white whale behind him.
Carmen gave a sigh, as she said "This doubloon is starting to feel like a white whale of our own" with Naruto nodding in agreement as they both smiled lightly.
"I'm sorry, but were you speaking about the Ecuador eight escudos?" they heard behind them, before they turned around and saw the woman who climbed off the other ship.
Zack and Ivy stood up from leaning against the side of the boat, as Carmen said "You've….heard of it then."
"I'm Dr. Pilar Marquez," the woman said as she held her hand out, which Carmen and Naruto shook. "I'm an archaeologist that's leading an excavation team to the shipwreck," she told them.
"Well, if you're going to be looking for one, you won't be able find it down there. Not anymore anyway," Naruto said as he pointed his thumb over his shoulder, with Carmen nodding in agreement.
"What? How do you know?" Marquez asked in shocked surprise. She then looked at the four of them with a raised eyebrow, before she frowned a little as she asked "You're not... scavengers, are you?"
They looked at each other for a moment, before Carmen said "Coin hobbyists, actually" with Naruto nodding as he added "Amateur ones too."
Dr. Marquez put her hand to her chin, as she said "Then you may not realize this, but the escudos was the very first doubloon that was minted here in Ecuador, in the 1830s, shortly after we'd become our own nation." She then shrugged her shoulders, and raised her eyebrows a little as she added "And only a mere handful of them were ever made."
"Whoa!" Zack said in amazement, before he nudged Ivy who gave him a frown as he said "They must be worth millions!"
Pilar gave him a look of amusement as she chuckled lightly, before saying "Despite its rarity though, the escudos doesn't have any high monetary value, even though it is of tremendous cultural value," she said with a shrug. She then added "And as a symbol of Ecuador's independence, it still remains as one of the strongest links that we have to our past," which made both Naruto and Carmen narrow their eyes slightly.
"Oh well," Ivy said with a slight shrug.
"Aw, the fish can keep it," Zack said, as he waved his hand about.
"We'll find it for ya" Naruto said with a frown, as Carmen nodded in agreement before they turned around and walked back to the fishing boat.
"We will?" Zack and Ivy said together in surprise, before they climbed off their boat and followed after them, with Pilar watching them go.
"V.I.L.E's got no idea how much that coin is or isn't worth, which means that we need to secure it before they can figure out where it's heading," Naruto told them as Carmen reached down, and grabbed the tracker from the boat. But unknown to them, was a tracker on the underside of the boat.
0o0o0o0
(Back in Paris)
Chase had his hands handcuffed behind his back, while he was sitting on a chair. He had his head leaning forward, before he groaned and lifted it up as he opened his eyes to see that he was in a strange room, with the woman he saw from earlier and a man that was with her, and they were standing either side of a door with their arms crossed behind their backs.
"What is the meaning of this?" Chase asked, as he struggled to get the handcuffs off. "You really think that these can hold me, an agent of Interpol? Haha!"
The female agent reached into her jacket, which caused Chase to say "No, no" while turning away thinking that she was pulling out a gun, when she just pulled out a pen.
Chase visibly relaxed as he gave a smile, and said "No autographs, please."
The woman clicked the pen, before taking a step to drop the pen between her and her partner and then went back to her previous position.
Chase looked at the pen curiously, as it stood upright without falling over before a hologram of a black woman dressed in a suit suddenly appeared from the pen.
{"Inspector Chase Devineaux, thanks for joining us,"} she told him with her arms crossed and a cocked eyebrow before she gave him a smile.
Chase just looked on in surprise, not knowing what to say.
{"Holographic projection, it's the most secure method of communication. Plus, the calls don't drop,"} the mysterious woman told him.
"Who - Who are you? And why am I here?" Chase asked her with his eyes narrowed.
{"You can just call me Chief,"} she told him with her eyes slightly narrowed, before the man behind her lifted up a remote and pressed a button on it, which allowed the handcuffs on Chase's wrists to open up and fall to the floor.
Chase lifted his wrists up to rub them, while Chief said {"And the reason that you are here, is because I understand that you have recently come into close contact with the certain elusive Carmen Sandiago and Naruto Uzumaki,"} with a glare at the end.
Chase stood up from the chair with a frown, as he said "And I would very much like to get back to work in finding them, if you do not mind" while raising an eyebrow slightly.
Chief gave a chuckle, as she said {"Well, then you and I might be able to help each other."}
Chase raised an eyebrow in interest, as he said "You also seek the Crimson and Yellow Shadows" while narrowing his eyes at the end.
{"We're seeking an army of shadows, and we have reason to believe that they are calling themselves 'VILE' Mr Devineaux"} she told him with her eyes narrowing.
0o0o0o0
(Back in Ecuador)
Le Chèvre had the tracker in his hand, as he deactivated it and put it away.
He then looked at a tablet he held in his hand, before he said "If Carmen Sandiego and Naruto Uzumaki are after this doubloon, then it must be worth a fortune" while raising his eyebrows with El Topo looking over his shoulder.
Maelstrom gave a smile on the tablet's screen, as he said {"How very delightful to hear, Le Chevre, cause Papa is in need of a new pair of cufflinks"} with his eyebrow raised as he looked at his fingernails while having a giant grin.
Le Chevre gave a smile, as he said "Of course, Professor Maelstrom. A vault that is filled with cufflinks, that is of every shape and color" as he narrowed his eyes.
El Topo then took the tablet, as he said "And a gold ring for every finger. Maybe a fancy limousine or even a spectacular yacht. No, wait. Your very own private golf course." Maelstrom gave a frown and a cocked eyebrow, before El Topo said "Uh, I can always chase away the gophers for you" as he raised an eyebrow.
Le Chevre took the table back with a frown, before he smiled as he said "The point being Professor, that this golden trinket will enable you to buy anything that your dark heart desires" as he raised his hand in the air.
{"Buy?"} Gunnar said as he cocked an eyebrow, before he closed his eyes. He reopened his eyes, as he said {"I don't think the two of you understand. I'm intending to melt that doubloon into a pair of solid gold cufflinks"} with a smile at the end.
The two of them had looks of confusion, as Le Chevre said "Melt it? But it's worth at least a-"
Maelstrom interrupted him, while looking at his hand as he said {"I will be the first on the island. Countess Cleo will be so envious"} he finished with a smirk.
0o0o0o0
(With the others)
Zack was driving a bus up the mountain, with the others in the passenger seats.
"Pedal to the metal. If that yellowfin is able to make it to the auction floor, then we could lose it for good," Carmen said with a frown, as Naruto nodded in agreement.
{"A word of caution guys,"} Player told them. {"The air gets pretty thin above 9500 feet. So if you don't take the time to acclimate, then any one of you can get altitude sickness"} which made them look concerned.
0o0o0o0
(Back with Chase)
The hologram of Chief was pacing back and forth, as she was saying "We have reason to believe that V.I.L.E. has masterminded most of the major crimes over the last few decades. Everything from manipulation of the financial markets down to the contamination of cheese" with Chase moving his eyes as he watched her.
Chase raised an eyebrow at her, as he asked "And why haven't you been able to stop them?"
Chief stopped pacing, as she turned to Chase and said "You try stopping something that you can't even prove actually exists. In nearly 20 years, only 6 suspected V. . operatives have ever been apprehended by any law enforcement agency. And each has vanished before they could ever be questioned... without a trace," she finished as she turned around to face the door.
"No leads, no threads, nothing," Chase said with a shrug.
"Exactly" Chief said, as she turned around while pointing her finger, which went through Chase's forehead. This caused Chase to go crosseyed, as he looked at the holographic finger.
Chief had a serious look on her face, as she said "Okay, stay very still, because if I don't pull my finger out slowly, then you could wind up speaking backwards or tasting color." This made Chase gain a look of worry at hearing that. Chief gave a smile and a slightly raised eyebrow, as she said "I'm joking!" as she took her finger out of him, with Chase touching his forehead.
Chief then got serious again as Chase then stood up, and smoothed his hair down slightly before he cleared his throat as he said "And what does this V.I.L.E. have to do with Carmen Sandiego and Naruto Uzumaki?" He looked thoughtful for a moment, before his eyes widened as he said "Ha! They are the ringleaders!" while clenching his fist with a glare.
"Thieves who publicly flaunt their crimes, the leaders of a phantom criminal empire?" Chief said with a cocked eyebrow and narrowed eyes.
"Eh….good point," Chase said as he sat back down.
"Despite the decade of amassing a load of data via our highly advanced CrimeNet technology, V.I.L.E. has remained as little more than a rumor. No faces, no names," Chief said before she turned back to face the door. "And yet two international thieves spring from out of nowhere and, based on their activities, they seem to know more about them than even we do," she said with narrowed eyes and a raised eyebrow. She then gave Chase a side long look over her shoulder, as she said "We need to learn what they know, and that means providing you with the tools to find Carmen Sandiego and Naruto Uzumaki" as she turned back around to face him.
0o0o0o0
(Back with the others, in Quito)
Zack pulled the bus to a stop just near a fish market place, and they all climbed out.
Ivy took a deep breath, before letting it out as she said "Ah! Smell that fresh air" with a smile on her face as she looked up slightly.
Zack took one himself, as he stretched before a look of disgust appeared on his face and said "Oh, it smells like….oh, P.U! Fish!" while waving his hand in front of his face.
Naruto and Carmen came around from the other side of the bus, with Zack and Ivy looking over as Carmen was saying "That's a good sign, Zack." Naruto nodded in agreement, as he said "Yeah, especially since we happen to be looking for a fish mar-ah…." before he stopped talking, as he and Carmen grabbed their heads while wobbling about a bit and their eyes got hard to keep open.
Zack and Ivy both had looks of concern on their faces, as Zack said "Carm? Nar?"
They both gave a groan, before they both collapsed on the ground. They found it hard to keep their eyes open, as they faintly heard Zack and Ivy running towards them and they could just make them out as they stood over them, while they opened and closed their eyes.
"Carmen! Naruto!" Ivy said, as she and Zack looked at each in clear worry before their eyes closed as the two fell unconscious.
0o0o0o0
(Back in Paris)
Julia was on her phone, pacing in front of Chase's car hearing it ring before she heard a beep then Chase's voice saying {"Chase Devineaux. Leave a brief message. If this is about the love seat, it is already sold"} before there was another beep.
"Inspector, it's me, Julia" Julia said with a look of worry. "I'm sorry to call again, but I'd really like to know if you took the train home" she then took her phone away from her ear, while looking around curiously as she said "Or if, like our witness, you'd also vanished into thin air."
0o0o0o0
(Inside a medical tent, in Quito)
Naruto was groaning slightly, with his eyes shut as he was sweating a bit. He opened his eyes a little, to see someone patting his head with a damp cloth.
"You," he said.
He saw that it was 'Coach Brunt', and she gave him a smile while saying in a different voice "Yeah, it's me. You're fortunate that I'd found you and your friend when I did."
Naruto gave her a smile, as he said "Yeah, as a baby. On the side of the road in Argentina with Carmen. Oh, I'd always known that it was you who did that."
'Coach Brunt's' eyes widened slightly upon hearing this. Naruto closed his eyes, and then opened them again to reveal that it was really Pilar, and not Coach Brunt who was caring for him.
She put the cloth down, before grabbing a canister of oxygen with a mask attached to it. She looked down at him in concern, as she said "Please, the air is very thin up here. You need some oxygen" and placed the mask over Naruto's face.
0o0o0o0
(Back with Inspector Devineaux)
Chase narrowed his eyes slightly, before saying "Okay, let's pretend that I believe all your conspiracy stories. Why would I bother helping you find Carmen Sandiego and Naruto Uzumaki?" he asked Chief, with a raised eyebrow. "I'm already with Interpol," he finished while pointing at himself.
Chief raised an eyebrow slightly, as she said "You don't have a choice, Inspector. The arrangements have been made with your former superiors. You're not a gumshoe anymore" while the female agent walked over to him, and handed him an I.D card which he took.
When he looked at it, he saw it had the name A.C.M.E on it, before it did some beeping and showed his name and face on it, which caused him to raise his eyebrows in interest.
"Welcome to A.C.M.E," Chief told him with a smile.
0o0o0o0
(Back in Quito)
Naruto was asleep, with the oxygen mask over his face. He then opened his eyes again, before he quickly sat up as he said "Zack? Ivy?" hoping that they were close by as he looked around a bit, before seeing Pilar was putting some stuff away on a table.
Naruto then got a look of concern, as he said "Where is my friend, the redhead? Is she alright?"
"I'm fine Naruto," he heard from the other side of the table. Pilar moved out of the way, for him to see that Carmen was sitting on her bed. Carmen gave him a small smile, as she said "I just woke up a few minutes ago myself."
Naruto gave her a smile in return, glad to see her alright.
Pilar came over to him with a smile, and said "I encouraged both your colleagues to explore the fish market since they knew little about treating altitude sickness" with a slight shrug. Naruto tilted his head, and raised an eyebrow at her. "Yes, I followed you. Did you think I would trust possible scavengers with our coin?"
Both Naruto and Carmen gave each other a look, as though silently communicating with each other.
They both got out of their respective beds, and grabbed their bags. "Listen, if we're to have any chance of retrieving your doubloon, then we really need to be…." Naruto was saying, before he held his head and fell back onto the bed while dropping his bag, with all his tools falling out. Carmen gave her a sheepish smile, as she didn't know what to say.
Marquez picked one up, and said "Are these the kind of tools of an amateur coin hobbyist?" while raising an eyebrow at them.
Naruto took it back from her, and put it back in his bag while picking up the other tools, with Carmen saying "You helped us. Now please, allow us to help you in return."
Pilar gave the two of them a look.
0o0o0o0
(With Zack and Ivy)
The two of them were in a room that was filled with all different kinds of fish, and some of them were the exact same fish as the one that swallowed the doubloon. And Ivy was using a scanner on the fish, to help find the doubloon faster.
Zack was holding his nose, as he said "Aw, would you find that coin already, Sis! I can't breathe in here."
Ivy was scanning a fish, before she looked over her shoulder with a raised eyebrow. She then turned around and said "If you don't put a sock in it, Zack Attack, then I'm gonna put a fish in it for you. The eyes, the head, the whole enchilada" before she used the scanner on the fish in front of her, which beeps as it was the one that had the coin.
"Wicked awesome! Lucky number 52" she said with a grin.
She then turned around when she heard a door opening, and saw Naruto and Carmen standing there, all dressed in their mission clothes.
"Well, look what just waltzed in. A red snapper, and a Blonde Naso Tang" Ivy said with a smile, before she and Zack walked over to them.
Zack got between the two of them, and said "Hey, don't be embarrassed, you two. The smell of fish gets me woozy too" while rubbing his finger under his nose.
"Please tell me that you guys found it," Naruto said with hope in his voice.
Ivy gave a smile, as she said "Yup. We've been scanning all the tuna carts on deck for the auction floor first to make sure it didn't get past us. It's in that one over there" while pointing over her shoulder, at the fish that was just being taken away.
"Ya mean, the one they just wheeled through those doors?" Carmen said in a deadpan as she pointed at someone pushing the fish along, with Naruto and Zack both looking on, while Ivy turned around in shock just as the doors were swinging shut.
Both Zack and Ivy gasped, while Naruto just facepalmed and Carmen watched with a deadpan look.
On the other side of the door, the fish with the coin was pushed to the stage, while the auctioneer was saying "300 once. 300 twice. Lot 51, is sold to paddle number 7" as he sold the fish that was on the stage next to him.
Carmen and Naruto peeked out through the door, and saw that Le Chevre was up in the rafters watching the auction.
They both gave a glare, while saying "Le Chevre" at the same time before they closed the door behind them.
"Again?" Ivy said, before she crossed her arms with a frown. "That guy really gets my goat."
Both Naruto and Carmen look at the door slightly, as Naruto said "He'd ID us in an instant, with or without the coats" as they both gave a frown. The two of them then looked at Zack and Ivy, before Carmen said "You two need to reel it in" making them both get surprised looks.
They both gave each other side glances, before Zack said "How exactly?" with a raised eyebrow.
Naruto gave a smile, as he said "Bid to win."
The two siblings left the room, and registered themselves as bidders with Zack getting a numbered paddle.
While this was going on, the fish was put on the stage as the auctioneer read from a piece of paper in his hand. "Lot number 52: yellowfin tuna, 97 pounds" he said.
"That's our guppy," Ivy told Zack as she leaned towards him, with her hand on his shoulder.
The auctioneer then gave a smile, as he said "Starting at $100. Do I hear $100?" He then pointed at someone as he said "One hundred dollars. Do I hear $150?" as he gestured his hand at the fish.
Zack raised his paddle with a grin, as he said "$150,000" with Ivy raising her eyebrows at him, as the crowd gasped in shock. This also caused the auctioneer to blink dumbly, while Le Chèvre raised an eyebrow in surprise as Naruto and Carmen both facepalmed, as they looked through a gap in the doors.
After getting over his shock, the auctioneer then gave a smile before coughing into his hand, as he banged the gavel on the stand before pointing at Zack with it as he said "Sold!" while still smiling, as the crowd cheered.
Zack had an eyebrow raised at Ivy, who was giving him a glare, as he crossed his arms and said "What? Naruto said 'bid to win.' I just won."
Ivy grabbed his arm and said "That's not how it works, Bro" as she roughly dragged him off with Zack giving a small gasp of surprise.
Up in the rafters, Le Chèvre put a walkie talkie to his mouth as he said "That's our tuna. Now, now, now!"
As Zack and Ivy ran to the edge of the stage, a light shined underneath the floor as it cut a circle around the tuna cart, which caused the assistant to take a step back in shock, and just as Zack and Ivy were about to reach the tuna it fell through the floor.
Zack kneeled next to the hole, as he looked down in surprise. Ivy looked down briefly, before she said to the auctioneer "We're, uh, not gonna pay for that" as she gave a small shrug with an uneasy smile.
Back in the other room, Naruto and Carmen were both looking through the windows of the doors until they heard a noise behind them. They both quickly turned around, and saw that a tuna cart had been hit from underneath.
They saw the top of El Topo's head, as he hit the bottom of the cart with a tile. They saw him go back down, and popped up in the next tile over as he climbed out and ran off while carrying the yellowfin tuna.
They were both quick to follow after him, as El Topo hopped over a fish cart with them doing the same. Naruto grabbed a fish from the cart they jumped over, and threw it towards El Topo as it wrapped around his feet, which caused him to fall over and the tuna to slip from his grip and get thrown through the air.
El Topo tried to get up to grab it, but Naruto jumped onto him before he leapt up to grab the tuna. He was just about to grab it, until a net was thrown at it and snatched it from the air.
Naruto landed on the ground as he slid for a bit, with Carmen running over to him, and when they both looked up they saw that it was Le Chèvre who had thrown the net, as he pulled it back to him with the tuna still inside it, while grabbing it as he gave a cry of triumph.
They both looked up and gave him worried looks, as Carmen said "That doubloon isn't worth what you think it is. Stealing it would deprive Ecuador of a cultural treasure" with Naruto nodding in agreement, while Carmen put her hand behind her back and secretly put her grappling gun into her hand.
Le Chevre gave them both a glare, while holding the fish close as he said "Tell that to Professor Maelstrom."
Carmen then put her arm out while holding the grappling gun, and shot it at the net the fish was in. Both her and Naruto grabbed the rope, and gave it a hard pull which caused Le Chevre to fall from the rafters with a yell. The fish fell out of the net, and hit the ground with Le Chevre landing next to it on his back.
Before they could run over, El Topo had already grabbed hold of the tuna and was running off with the two of them going after him.
El Topo soon stopped, as he saw Zack and Ivy were blocking his way.
"Time to whack a mole, Bro" Ivy said as she punched her fist into her hand, while Zack patted the paddle into his hand as they both gave El Topo a glare.
"We shall see who will be whacked" El Topo said with a smile, as he swung the tuna onto his shoulder. He then swung the fish at them, and they both gasped in shock before they ducked to avoid it. El Topo then continued to spin around, and accidentally hit Le Chevre to the ground, which caused the doubloon to fly out of the fish's mouth into the air. El Topo went to check on Le Chevre, and Naruto grabbed the coin out of the air with a grin while they were distracted.
"Whoa," Zack said in surprise.
"Catch of the day," Ivy added with a smile.
El Topo helped Le Chevre stand up, then slung the tuna over his shoulder, before they began walking off.
"Uh... I do not feel so well" Le Chevre moaned out.
"Uh, it is the altitude, Mi Amigo," El Topo told him, with slightly raised eyebrows. He then gave a smile, as he said "But I have the coin in hand. Vamonos" as they left through the doors.
Naruto and Carmen watched them leave, before turning back to Zack and Ivy with Naruto flipping the coin in the air before catching it.
0o0o0o0
(With Julia, in the Interpol garage)
Julia was looking around as she tried to find Chase, when she spotted his packet of mints on the ground. She gave a gasp, and saw that there was a trail of mints leading to a door that had a lightning symbol on it. She gave a small frown, as she walked over to it.
Chase looked over the card he was given, as Chief said "A.C.M.E.: Agency to Classify and Monitor Evildoers. We gather data, and we monitor criminals, covertly," with a glare at the end. She walked over to Devineaux, as she added "No one knows we exist. Not any of the law enforcement, not V.I.L.E., not even our own families. We are the only entity more invisible than V.I.L.E. itself, and it's imperative that we keep it that way" with a scowl at him.
The door then opened, which caused Chief to turn around with raised eyebrows, as Julia poked her head through. She then raised an eyebrow, as she said in surprise "...Inspector?"
The two agents that were next to the door looked at her in shock with Chief and Chase. "I... have, uh, I've never seen her before in my life" Chase said as he gestured at Julia while looking at Chief, who looked at him too.
Chief had an impressed look on her face, as she said "Your partner's pretty sharp" while giving Julia a smile, who gave a small one back in return.
0o0o0o0
(Back with the others, at the Ecuador docks)
Marquez had the doubloon in her hand, with a smile on her face.
"My thanks to you, Carmen Sandiego and Naruto Uzumaki. Someday, the world will know your names" Marquez said to them.
"We're just happy to do our part for Ecuador" Carmen said, as they both turned around to head off.
"Interesting to hear, coming from an Argentinean," Marquez said with a raised eyebrow, which caused Carmen and Naruto to look at her in surprise, before it turned to worry. "...During your fever, you mistook me for... someone close to you" she said, before she looked at Naruto and added "And you did the same too."
Carmen and Naruto looked at each other for a bit, before Carmen said "A link to our past. We went our separate ways." Naruto gave a nod, as he put his hand on his chin and said "But maybe a visit home would do us both some good."
They then heard their comms beep in their ears, as Naruto put his finger to his ear and said "What is it Player?"
Player was typing on his computer, as he said "I have breaking news, fellas. That series of art thefts we've been tracking? It's way bigger than we first thought. And I have reason to believe the next one on V.I.L.E.'s hit list is at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam" with a picture of the building on his computer.
They both briefly look at Marquez, before they turned and headed off back to their boat with Zack and Ivy waiting for them as Naruto said "Looks like Buenos Aires will have to wait" as they both put their hoodies up, while Pilar watched them go.
0o0o0o0
Hope that everyone enjoyed the chapter, and that you're doing what you can to avoid getting this COVID by following the rules. Let's hope that now the vaccines are all done, we can rest a bit easier.