My Dog is Chase Devineaux

Chase is transformed into a dog after wishing he understood Carmen Sandiego and why she tried to save him. Carmen finds him and adopts him. Chase becomes a part of the team as a dog and slowly develops feelings for Carmen. Maybe she is not the villain he thought her to be or maybe he's just falling in love. Oh help, he's in trouble now. Julia is worried about her partner and V.I.L.E hates Carmen's new ally. Chase/Carmen

Disclaimer: I don't own anything

Thank you to those who reviewed.

Warnings: This is a Chase-centric chapter. I have done my best to make this chapter funny, I'm sorry if it's not. Do NOT eat or drink in case it is some tissues as well for you may need them for the feels. This chapter is also very long.

Chapter 6: V.I.L.E.'s Worst Idea/Nightmare

Chase would not deny it, he was scared. What V.I.L.E. wanted him for he wasn't sure but he had a suspicion that it involved in getting to Carmen emotionally. He let out a tiny whimper at the thought, she would be so upset and might do something drastic to get him back. 'If she cares enough about you to even think of getting you back,' whispered the nasty and cruel voice in his head. He shook it, Carmen made a promise, she would come for him. 'You're fooling yourself, she doesn't care about you, she only cares about taking down V.I.L.E., you are just a means to an end to her,' the voice said. He put his paws over his ears, he didn't want to hear it, even though the voice was in his head. 'Stop it!' he thought. He'd never felt so alone in his life and part of him was scared the voice in his head was speaking the truth.

"Hey, mutt," he jerked and bumped his head against the top of the cage. Tigress snickered, "We're landing soon, be prepared to meet the Faculty." He gave her a growl and she shook the cage. He growled again but softer this time, he had no desire to get another headache and he needed to be alert right now, meeting the Faculty would be a great asset to him, not only would he know who Carmen was talking about but he'd be able to do something with the information if he ever became human again. They landed and Tigress grabbed the cage, Chase sliding about in it as she let it swing from her hand.

'I hate her,' he mentally grumbled. He was going to get back at her one way or another. He was able to see out of the cage door and was amazed at what he saw, the impressive building and everything. 'Mon Dieu, this place is huge, how has it not been discovered yet?' he wondered. He was taken down a hallway before they arrived at two large doors. 'Is somebody trying to compensate for something?' he asked himself mentally, with a mental smirk.

Tigress knocked, "Enter," said a male voice. It made Chase shudder, that voice was evil. Tigress walked in.

"I have Carmen's dog as you ordered, Honoured Faculty," she said, placing the cage on the floor.

"Good work Tigress," said the same male voice. The Cleaners walked forward and one of them opened the cage, catching Chase by the scruff before he could bolt.

"Well, let's see the little guy," said a voice he knew, it was Brunt! He was held up in front of the Faculty and he blinked at what he saw. A man who looked like he could be a vampire, the bowling ball that was Brunt, a beautiful woman whom he recognised from the dinner party in the Swiss Alps, and a short, mad scientist woman. This was the fabled and feared Faculty? To be honest, the only one he was currently afraid of was Brunt. He growled, snarled, and barked at them all anyway. "He's a little scrapper, ain't he?" asked Brunt, looking amused.

"He's obviously a pedigree, I can't say much for his manners though," said the beautiful woman with a sniff of disdain.

"Quite my dear Countess," said the man.

"How can you tell Cleo?" asked the scientist.

"I'm associates with a breeder myself, I also have an eye for these types of things Saira," said Cleo.

"That being said, he's a fine specimen, Dr. Bellum, can you work with him?" asked the man.

"You only have to ask Professor Maelstrom," she replied.

'Professor Maelstrom, Countess Cleo, Dr. Bellum, and Coach Brunt, the names of the Faculty,' Chase thought. 'What does Maelstrom mean, work with me?' he was worried. Another thought struck him, it was random but it made him blink, 'Saira Bellum…Cerebellum! Were her parents serious?! Her name is a pun?'

"I've never used my creations on a dog or any animal before, it'll take me some time to create and recalibrate a few things but we should have an obedient, mind-controlled dog by the end of the week," said Bellum.

"Excellent and by using her dog, Carmen will come to us and we will have both, V.I.L.E.'s perfect operative and her vicious and loyal dog working for us," said Maelstrom with an evil smile.

Chase's whole body froze, 'What…?' was all he could think. 'Carmen!' was his next thought. He felt rage boiling up inside of him, he began barking and snarling again like a dog possessed.

"First we're gonna have to break 'im. We can't have that fighting spirit of his getting in the way," said Brunt.

"Correct, would you do the honours Coach Brunt?" asked Maelstrom.

"I'd love to Gunnar. First off, I'll give him a few smacks so that he knows who's in charge," said Brunt getting up.

"Wait a minute," said Cleo, causing the Faculty to look at her.

"What is it Cleo?" asked Bellum looking curious.

Cleo got up and walked around to him, "Keep his teeth away from me Vlad," she said.

"It's Boris," he said but he kept Chase's mouth shut, despite his wriggling.

Cleo leaned down and lifted the tag on Chase's collar up for her to see it. 'Get your hands off my tag,' Chase thought, still wriggling.

"His name is Chase," she announced.

"You wanted to see his name?" asked Brunt.

"It's undignified to simply call a dog by anything but its name. You'll have an easier time with him if you use it," said Cleo, returning to her seat.

"Hmm, Chase….wasn't that the name of that Frenchman whose A.C.M.E. ID I cracked?" asked Bellum, looking thoughtful.

'She did that?' he was shocked.

"That man was a fine, tall drink of water. Too bad I couldn't keep him," said Brunt. Chase wanted to throw up upon hearing that so he did.

"What's wrong with him?" asked Bellum.

"Ugh, who cares, just clean it up and get him out of my sight," snapped Cleo. Vlad went to go get a mop and Chase was held firmly by Boris as Brunt got up and walked towards him.

"Dogs need a firm hand and I'm gonna be that hand," she said, taking him away from Boris by the collar. He felt like he was choking and although the taste in his mouth was awful he still snarled at her, attempting to bite her. She raised her hand and gave him a hard smack on the bum. Chase yelped, that hurt! He lashed out with his teeth and got another smack for his troubles. "Looks like Lambkins hasn't been firm with you. Figures, that girl always was trouble and she's raising a trouble makin' dog too."

"I'll get you for this, you obese elephant!" he barked furiously at her. She raised her hand again but this time he was spared by Maelstrom telling her not to damage him too much on the first day. "At least hold him by the scruff, we don't want the dog to die via choking," he said.

"Alright, I'll put him in his cell," she said, walking off with him. Chase barking furiously all the way. Yes, he was scared and hurt but he was also furious. He didn't do anything wrong, this great pudding had smacked him twice, basically choked him and he was being used as bait for Carmen and he was going to be brainwashed once that Quack figured out how to. He was tossed into a cell, landing hard, making him yelp. He heard the door slam, Brunt had closed it. "Now you'll stay there without food or water until I fetch ya tomorrow morning," said Brunt. "A little starvation will make you nice and compliant," and Chase got up and ran to the door barking and snarling but she laughed and walked off.

"Great, I'm stuck here. Stupid cow. Oh, this is all my fault, if only I hadn't lost my temper and run toward Tigress, I'd be safe with Carmen and not sore, hungry, and miserable," Chase barked sadly. He looked around, there was nothing in the cell and the window was too high for him to reach. He sighed, he had no way of getting out and he hadn't eaten since breakfast, he was also thirsty. He sighed again and tried to find a place that at least looked comfortable. He flopped down, the floor freezing cold and he shivered. 'At this rate, I'll get sick and be an easy target for their plans. I wish you were here to rescue me, Carmen, I need you,' he thought miserably. His throat hurt and his bum ached and he whined, Carmen had never once held him by the collar to choke him, she had never even struck him, even when he misbehaved, he normally just got a scolding and a time out in his basket if he had been really naughty. She was firm with her discipline but not unfair, she even didn't mind his naughtiness sometimes, like when he chewed on Ivy's shoes that one time, saying that they had been a horrible colour anyway, she'd pretended to scold him for that and even winked at him! Just thinking of her and all the good times they'd had had since his becoming a dog made his heartache. He was so miserable that he started howling in despair, his heart breaking.

Unknown to him his howling was heard by the Faculty. It made them put their hands over their ears. "Someone stop that dog!" shouted Cleo.

"I'll go!" shouted Brunt. She walked off with her hands over her ears. She reached the cell he was in and kicked the door, startling Chase. He stopped howling and she came in, "Shut up! You're making our ears bleed!" she yelled at him, she also smacked him hard and stormed away, locking him up again.

He whimpered at the pain and the loud yell that hurt his ears and he wished he could cry. He laid there for a while, shivering and aching. He soon realised something and then an idea crept into his brain, an idea that would make V.I.L.E.'s life hell. He mentally grinned while his tongue hung out. Time for V.I.L.E. to pay! Chase got up slowly, mindful of his pain, and began to sniff around the cell carefully, trying to find some way to get out. He looked so carefully it took him just over an hour but it was because of his caution that he found it, a small hole in the corner in which fresh air came through. "Bingo!" barked Chase, he then set to work, slowly digging a bigger hole and slowly crawling through it as he dug. He eventually stopped, very tired, thirsty, sore, and hungry. "I…I…" he whined. He was about to flop on the ground when a scent caught his nose. It was meat! 'Food!' he thought, it gave him the strength to start digging again. He wiggled his way through his hole, continuing to dig until he came upon a wall. "No!" he barked in frustration, he was so close. That meat was calling his name. He pushed and dug until finally the wall, which obviously wasn't repaired/built/maintained very well broke open with a small hole, small enough for him to wiggle out of. Chase looked around, he was outside the building and he was able to see that it was now night time. His heart dropped, he'd been on this island for that long already? Carmen wasn't here to rescue him yet either. 'Do not be stupid, V.I.L.E. has bases everywhere in the world, she wouldn't know where to look. She'll look in the places closest to Japan first. It's how she works,' he thought and he knew he was right, after being with her all this time, he knew how she operated, so a rescue might take a while. Until then, he was going to devote his time and energy to make V.I.L.E.'s life miserable. Chase was tired and he was still in slight pain and wanted to sleep but he was hungry, thirsty and he needed to go.

Meanwhile, Brunt had found out that he was missing, having gone to check on him just a moment ago. She didn't see the hole as it was small and in the darkest corner of the cell. Chase had had the common sense the try and block it up as well with his hind legs and it worked. She ran back to the others, "The dog is missing from his cell! I don't know how he got out," she said upon arriving back.

"Alert the students and the Cleaners, find that dog," said Maelstrom with a smile.

"What are you smiling about Gunnar?" asked Bellum curiously.

"The dog, Chase is more intelligent than we realised. He'll be playing keep away. We can use this to test him and see what Carmen Sandiego has taught him. Let the game begin," said Maelstrom with an evil smile.

Brunt and the others grinned but an alert was sent out to the students and Cleaners.

Meanwhile, Chase was now back inside following his nose to where the smell of meat was coming from. He stopped at a door where the smell was strongest. He looked up at it and saw that it was closed but he could open it as it was a pull-down handle. Chase grinned to himself, thanking Carmen for teaching him how to open doors as a dog. He took a step or two back and then jumped as high as he could. He managed to grab the handle with his mouth the first time. He let his weight pull it down and pushed on the wall with his back legs, voila, the door was open. He let go of the handle and went in. It seemed to be a private dining room. There, a table laden with exquisite food! Chase happily jumped up on to it, he'd never do this if he was with Carmen but the Faculty needed to be taught a lesson and he also wanted revenge.

"Let's see, fish rissoles equals Dr. Bellum, tons of meat and potatoes is Brunt, obviously. Next is, oh, nice, pasta and pita bread, Countess Cleo's and then Maelstrom… Black pudding with bacon and jam. Oh, so many decisions. I'll have the bacon, a rissole, some pasta, and some meat, thank you very much," he barked softly, digging into the Faculty's dinner. He was glad that he was such a foodie. He ate his fill and it felt good to have a full stomach again. He then grabbed another piece of meat from Brunt's plate and dropped it on the floor. 'Best to keep that for breakfast just in case,' he thought. He looked at the remains of the dinner and then mentally grinned. He carefully knocked over the glasses filled with the Faculty's drinks but nudged Brunt's glass up again. He then proceeded to do his business at last. He also left a present on Brunt's plate. He knew that he shouldn't do it, he was better than this but to heck with it, he was currently in a body of a puppy and everyone knows that the whole world is their bathroom.

"I hope you know what you're doing Gunnar, allowing the little beast to run free," said Cleo's voice.

"Trust me, my dear Countess, this will tell us exactly what he's made of," said Gunnar.

Chase looked around and spotted an open window. He leapt down, grabbed his meat, and then scrambled up to the window, quickly wriggling out and making it safely to the ground. Thankfully it wasn't a far drop so he was ok. He ran off to find a place to sleep for the night and to put his meat.

"Why is the door open?" asked Bellum.

"Dunno, I'll go in first," said Brunt, who walked in carefully. "HEY!" she yelled and the rest of them rushed in.

"What is it?" asked Cleo and Brunt just pointed to the table, there were dirty paw prints on the tablecloth, some of their food was missing and their drinks, save for Brunt's, had been spilled.

"That filthy creature, helping itself to our food, how did it get in?" asked Cleo who was outraged.

"It would seem that Carmen has taught the dog to open doors and to steal….steal our food in this situation," said Maelstrom.

Dammit!" yelled Brunt, she slammed her fork into some of her meat angrily and put it in her mouth. The others watched as she turned a lovely shade of V.I.L.E. green. Brunt choked and spat it out.

"Eww. Such manners," said Cleo in disgust.

"It's dog shit! The dog left its shit on my plate!" Brunt shouted and grabbed her drink, gulping it before spitting it out. "I'm… It's piss, the rat pissed in my drink!" she shouted and ran over to the sink to throw up.

"Bait and switch," said Maelstrom. Everyone turned to look at him. "Think about it. Brunt's glass was supposedly the only one that hadn't been knocked over. The dog did its business on her plate, making her think it was probably a sausage and he filled the glass, somehow knowing that Brunt would grab it to get rid of the taste. Carmen has been most thorough in her teachings," he said.

The girls looked at their plates nervously and it was unanimous amongst them all that they threw their remaining food away, just in case a present had been left for them as well. No one saw the paw prints by the window.

Xxxxx

Meanwhile, Chase was still trying to find a place to sleep. He was near a part of the building that was rather far from the main part, close to the dock. 'I wonder if I got Miss Elephant,' he thought. It was nothing more than she deserved for choking and smacking him. He stopped upon catching a scent, a faint one but, it was familiar. 'Carmen,' he wondered and looked around. It seemed to be coming from the building. He went around it, trying to find an opening. He came across a low-placed air vent. It was old and well used, he nudged his way inside and started walking through the vents, following the faint smell of Carmen.

Xxxxx

Despite the fact that it was now late everyone was looking for Chase and the Faculty were furious, especially Brunt, who planned a lot of things to punish Chase once she found him. She was currently throwing up again in her room. 'I hate that dog,' she thought as she made friends with the porcelain bowl.

Xxxxx

The dog in question eventually, after ignoring a lot of other pathways, came to where the faint smell was strongest and saw, through the vent bars that it was a bedroom, it was bare except for the bed, desk, chair, and old dresser but he could smell Carmen's smell. He mentally smiled. This must have been her old room before she left. He pushed against the vent, the screws were very loose and he tumbled down onto the bed thankfully. Chase got up and shook his head, a little dazed but he was ok. He looked around, the room was small but it seemed like it would be a great hideout for him. He would have a soft place to sleep, somewhere to put his food and he had a place that smelled like Carmen which comforted him. He felt a pang of loneliness but pushed it aside, he didn't want to think about that now. Chase put down his meat on the desk after hopping onto it and went to sniff around. "Hello, a bathroom door," he barked quietly. He pushed the door open and discovered, much to his delight that he could open one of the taps, which meant he had water too! Happy with his living arrangements he took a drink of water and then curled up on Carmen's old bed, dog tired but at least he was comfortable and he had a plan. 'Good night Carmen, wherever you are,' he thought before falling fast asleep.

Meanwhile, the Faculty had finally had the Cleaners clean up the mess and went to bed themselves, none of them happy with the results of the night.

The next day

Chase woke up and yawned, stretching as he did so, he looked around, not sure where he was for a moment, then he remembered. "Oh that's right, I'm on V.I.L.E. Island. Hmm, well, I better get going and get the lay of the land if I'm going to implement, 'Annoy all inhabitants on the island to death,' but first, I should check myself over after yesterday's smacks and being choked." He took a careful look at where he'd been smacked, prodding it, it didn't really hurt any more thank goodness. He then hopped onto the sink in the bathroom so he could look in the mirror at his throat. It was difficult and he had to pull his collar off but he managed it. He took a good look and couldn't see anything but he had to admit, it still hurt, not as badly as yesterday though. He probably had a bruise though.

He whimpered, thinking of what Carmen would say if she found out, her voice in his head, 'Chase, what's wrong? What happened to your collar?' He could feel her soft hands around his poor neck, 'Did they hurt you?' He would look at her with sad eyes. He would bark with a nod of his head. Her expression would get scary but it would be in his defence, 'I'll make them sorry for what they did to you.' He actually shuddered a bit but just imagining it made him feel a bit better. He nudged the tap on and did his best to put water on his neck to try and help himself feel better. He nudged the tap off.

"It'll have to do. Now for breakfast," he barked. He hopped up to the desk and began to eat the meat he stole last night. It wasn't bad, it would have been tastier warmed up but he didn't have a choice at the moment. 'Hmm, I wonder if I can steal some more food today.' He finished up, got a drink, and then went through the air vent again to get outside. He began his exploration, the first thing he found out was that the island was very large and that the only way off it was either by boat or helicopter and the helicopter was gone. The second thing he found out was that it had a little bit of wildlife, not much, just some squirrels, hedgehogs, shrews, and bats. He also found that there were little springs of water here and there so he didn't have to worry about getting a drink.

"Alright, thieves! Get ready! GO!" he heard Brunt's voice and he had to dive out of the way into the bushes to avoid being flattened by many feet.

'That was close!' he thought, popping his head out of the bush a little bit to watch them run. He decided to go back to his hideout and explore the vents, it would be safer. It would also allow him to learn more V.I.L.E. secrets as Carmen had told him once, vents are a thief's best friend. Under the cover of the bushes, he ran back to Carmen's old room and from there he started to explore. His ears twitched as he heard Bellum talking to herself after a little while of walking through the vents. He started to crawl instead of walk, making less noise that way until he came upon Bellum.

She was in what was most likely her lab, again talking to herself, "Hmm, what to use on the dog and which reprogramming idea to use on Carmen? So many things to try out, so little time. Perhaps this one for Carmen, the 'Behaviour Modifier!' or this one, the 'Attitudinator!' or this one, or this one, or…" she rambled for some time, leaving Chase board as he listened. "So many, I'm so excited!" she said, rubbing her hands together. "The dog is a conundrum, how to modify his behaviour? A challenge worth my time, I guess if I linked up his loyalty to Carmen when I reprogram her then it should be easier to reprogram him. It would be easier in general if I had him here to collect my data. It's still so exciting!"

'She is nuttier than squirrel shit!' Chase thought, he didn't like hearing any of this at all. He gave a soft growl, he would not see Carmen undergo any behavioural changes if he had anything to say about it! Especially if he could stop Bellum's creations from working, on Carmen and on him. He waited until Bellum left and started working on getting out of the vent. It took him a few minutes but he did it. He jumped and landed on the table, thank goodness, even though it was cold and hard and he could have landed on something sharp, he was lucky. 'Alright, what can I mess with?' he thought, looking around the table. There were the two devices Bellum had mentioned earlier, he might as well start there. Chase was lucky as the Behaviour Modifier didn't have the back attached to it, so he reached in and yanked hard on the wires, thankfully the thing was turned off or he could have hurt himself. He tilted his head at the Attitudinator, it looked delicate. He rolled it to the edge of the table and pushed it, watching it smash to pieces was satisfying and then he jumped off the table. Chase looked around, what else could he mess with? He heard footsteps and dove under another table.

"I can't believe there's a dog on the island," said a girl's voice.

"Yeah, Sandiego's dog. We get extra credit if we find it," said a boy's voice.

"Should we look in Dr. Bellum's lab?" asked the girl and Chase's heart pounded. He hoped they wouldn't come in. He swore his heart stopped when they stopped outside the door.

"Are you crazy? We don't go in there unless it's class time. You wanna be Dr. Bellum's next test subject?" asked the boy. The girl agreed with him and they walked off. The girl mentioning that it would be lunch in half an hour.

Chase was very thankful that they hadn't come in, he still had work to do. He looked at the clock, noting that it was one o'clock on the dot. "So lunch is officially at half-past one. I'll keep an eye on the clock from now on. Now to figure out the rest of the mealtimes. But that's for later, I have more chaos to cause," he barked quietly to himself. He quickly found the main plug for the lab and with a few pulls, got it out of the wall. Then he proceeded to chew it into a state of disrepair. He sniffed around and found an extra one, which he also chewed to death, basically, Chase ruined Bellum's lab by tearing up her papers, breaking as many things as possible which included beakers, half-completed projects and he look a leak on the computer which started to spark. At that, he leapt down and ran, a few moments later and the sprinkler system was set off, causing everyone, who had been at lunch to stop and look at each other.

"It's coming from your lab Dr. Bellum," said Boris, who had looked at a device to see where it was coming from. Bellum raced off and tripped over Chase who was lying in wait for someone to come and check on things. She groaned and held her head as she had crashed hard on the floor.

"Later Dr. Quack!" he barked, running off.

"Get him!" cried, someone. It was madness, everyone was trying to catch Chase but he always slipped through their fingers or made them crash into each other, his barking startling them or his growling giving some of them pause. He snatched a roll right out of someone's hand and made them piss themselves because they were scared of dogs, thankfully the roll was small and he was able to toss it out a nearby window. He grabbed another student's biscuit and tossed it out the same window. A student who was actually quite dumb looked at him and Chase gave him a full blast of the puppy dog eyes, which not only allowed him to escape but also allowed him to actually eat the student's three fish fingers. He was able to do that because this student was a big guy and his body shielded Chase from view.

"What is going on here?" asked Brunt, walking in. She saw him and growled, starting to chase him.

"Catch me if you can grandma!" he barked, he slid under a table, causing Brunt to crash right into it, and from what he saw she looked really dizzy. "Haha, payback's a bitch!" he barked. He saw that the rest of the Faculty had just arrived with their food. They obviously weren't taking chances with him being in their own dining area. They looked in horror at the chaos.

The grand finale was Chase leaping onto Cleo, causing her to shriek in surprise and for her to drop her plate. The food rolled everywhere. He then grabbed her huge lamb shank and ran off with it before she could react. He made it out the building (barely) and hid in the bigger and thicker bushes, his eyes twinkling as he watched the students and Faculty run around like headless chickens, looking for him. He was certain that everyone hated him now.

'That was fun. Time to go back to the hideout,' he thought. Carrying the lamb in his mouth he made it back safely before going to retrieve his roll and biscuit. He sighed, as much as he'd like to eat his food he had one more thing he had to do. He made his way through the vents back to Bellum's lab to see that the sprinklers had been turned off by now but no one was there, that was good. It allowed him to, though not very easily, pull up the open vent, therefore protecting his secret passageway. He was tired after that but lunch was calling and so was his thirsty and still sore throat. He flopped down next to the food and wondered what to eat, the lamb or the roll and biscuit? He sighed, deciding that he'd save the lamb for dinner, he had had those fish fingers as well after all. He wolfed down the roll and crunched up the biscuit, going outside for a quick drink at a nearby spring before coming back and settling down on the bed and yawning. He'd had a very tiring day, it was time for a nap.

Xxxxx

"That dog is a nuisance!" fumed Cleo.

"Try being me, all of my work, ruined by one puppy. Ow, my head hurts. Are those kittens on the wall dancing ballet?" asked Bellum, who had a cold compress on her head. She was a bit out of sorts. Everyone ignored that question.

"Gun, this is madness, the students couldn't catch him at all. The pup was slipperier than Houdini in a buttered bikini, somehow he avoided everyone's attempt to catch him and he stole the food," said Brunt, looking quite cross, as she too wasn't in the best of shape.

"Indeed, this is most disconcerting. I never expected Carmen to teach the dog such things. We must be wary and ready to catch him at a moment's notice," said Maelstrom, tapping his fingers together. He was actually pretty amazed at what Chase could do, the dog was seemed to be almost as intelligent as a human but Carmen must have been the one to teach him. It was the only thing that made any sense. What he wouldn't give to somehow psychoanalyze the dog.

Xxxxx

Chase awoke early the next morning and yawned and stretched like he always did. "What happened?" he barked quietly to himself. He smelt the lamb shank and realised that he'd fallen asleep and had slept the rest of yesterday and the entire night through. 'Sacré bleu! I must have been exhausted to sleep as much as I did. Oh well, time to eat.' He stopped though. Should he eat the lamb? He could save it but then it might go off and that would be a waste. He decided that he'd eat it and get something else for lunch and dinner later. He mentally frowned as he realised that it was his third day here on the island and still no sign of Carmen, he sighed, he missed her but the conversation with that dog was still bothering him. 'A badge of respectability aka my collar, a house dog, an owner, a human, my human, my owner…Carmen, who is she to me really? Just as importantly, who am I right now? Who am I to her, am I a pet, a friend, a guard dog, a sidekick, an equal? I'm a part of the team and I'm doing my best to prove that I have value to the team and to Carmen. Who am I? What am I? I'm not sure if I'm a dog with a human mind or a human in a dog's body or even human anymore. Which am I?' he thought and he rubbed his aching head. 'I need a drink, maybe a small walk will clear my head and maybe a bath too,' he unintentionally scratched himself as though his subconscious wanted to prove a point. He stopped at the thought of a bath and then mentally smiled, he had an idea for that.

Xxxxx

Cleo was busy getting ready for the day, it took time to look as good as she did all day every day, so time was needed in order for perfection to be obtained. A nice scented bubble bath was the perfect way to begin the day. She drew the water and left to change into her bathrobe.

Xxxxx

Chase was on a mission, he needed a bath; Carmen would never let him go this long without one. The last time he'd had a bath was the morning they'd arrived in Japan, so about four days ago. He knew that he'd passed a bedroom when exploring the vents yesterday and he was trying to find it again. He needed human hands to draw a bath, his paws were not made for that. They could handle the loose tap in the sink in Carmen's old bathroom and that was it. His skin felt itchy and he knew he needed a good brushing. 'I wish I had a flea collar. In fact, I wish my tag was also a tracker, I'm sure Player could do it,' he thought to himself as he softly padded through the vents. He then stopped and shook his head, 'Damn it, I'm thinking more like a dog again, come to think of it, I've been acting like nothing but a dog the entire time I've been here. That's not good, or is it? Argh! I'm still so confused.' He sighed, 'Never mind, I need to focus on getting clean, then I can focus on my identity crisis!'

Meanwhile, Cleo was almost ready to soak in her bath, "I can't wait to relax, the dog being here and free has me on edge, I need to unwind for class this morning," she said, tying the girdle of her robe.

Chase had finally made it to Cleo's bathroom, bypassing her bedroom. He was surprised to see that a bath was already drawn. He mentally smirked, he was going to enjoy this. He was lucky that the vent, which was near the floor this time, was easy to push open. He made sure to close it. He carefully and quietly hopped up onto the fancy, white-covered stool and used it to jump into the bath. 'Oh that's nice!' he thought and he sank beneath the bubbles in bliss. He liked that Cleo apparently liked deep baths, it gave him an opportunity to really get clean, well, as clean as he could, considered Carmen wasn't there to wash him properly. He didn't hear Cleo walk in as his head was under the water.

Cleo hummed as she walked towards her lovely, warm, rose-scented bath. She lifted her leg, revealing some of the soft, silky, and delicate, dark mocha skin. Chase popped his head out at the same time, they blinked at each other before Cleo let out an ear-piercing scream that rang throughout the island. It had Chase leaping out of the bath and barking, tearing around the bathroom like a mad dog while Cleo was screaming. "Get out of here!" she yelled. He jumped onto her bathroom vanity and knocked down tubs of skin cream, smashed bottles of perfume, and tossed her hairbrush out the window. He raced, still dripping wet into her bedroom. He saw her clothes were out on the bed and he mentally grinned, rather evilly. He jumped onto the bed and shook himself, rolling around as well, all over her dress and bedclothes before he bounced from the bed to her main vanity and wrecked everything there. "You horrid creature!" She had rushed out of the bathroom now, her bathrobe was slightly undone. He grabbed her lipstick and somehow managed to leave a very nice black mark on the expensive, lush carpet. The last thing he did was grab one of her shoes before making a break for it as the rest of the Faculty had finally arrived.

"Countess, what in the wor…" Maelstrom trailed off, seeing Cleo in her bathrobe and he turned away instantly, covering his eyes and putting a hand to his nose as well, just in case. He was only a man after all.

"Get the dog!" she yelled. Bellum tried to catch him but he was too fast for her. He leapt over Brunt's hands, raced down the hallway, saw the Cleaners, and jumped, he landed on two bars of soap, which he used to his advantage, for a speedy getaway. The Faculty had dropped jaws at the eerie resemblance to one of Carmen's getaways. Chase tumbled out the door and down the hill, landing right into some thick bushes.

'Yow!' he yelled mentally once he got up. He took a look at himself and found a thorn in his butt. 'Great,' he grumbled to himself. He put the shoe down and turned around to try and get the thorn out. 'Stupid thing, get back here,' he wasn't having much success as he'd never had to use his teeth like this before. He let out a tiny whine and that whine was heard by El Topo who had just got back from a rare solo mission.

"What?" he asked himself and knelt down, peering through the bushes. He found Chase trying to get the thorn out. "You are Carmen's dog!" he exclaimed.

Chase jerked his head up and backed away, growling. He'd been so preoccupied with the thorn that he'd failed to hear El Topo at all. He winced as the thorn was accidentally jabbed even further into him as he back away. 'This is the last thing I need right now,' he thought.

El Topo was a genuinely kind man and he liked animals, even if they were his enemy's pet. He reached forward and grabbed Chase by the scruff, gently but firmly, pulling him out of the bush. Chase struggled against him, growling fiercely. "Come now, I am not going to hurt you. I'm trying to help, hold still while I get the thorn out," he said. His words shocked Chase into staying still, allowing El Topo to quickly pull the thorn out. Chase was surprised when the man let him go. He tilted his head up at him questioningly. "I have to go but I will not tell anyone where you are," said El Topo. Chase had a surprised look on his face. El Topo smiled at him, "I can't take you to Carmen, I don't even know where in the world she is, so helping you with a thorn is the least I can do. I don't like knowing that you may be brainwashed. I love animals and I have had more than few dogs in my younger years. I have just gotten back from a job and haven't been given any orders concerning you. I will give you a chance to run and I hope you get back to Carmen somehow," he said before turning and walking away.

Chase was in awe, it seemed that El Topo was the exception to all V.I.L.E. members being evil and cruel. The man was pretty Zen from what he'd heard Carmen say when she had spoken about him to Player one night. Chase sighed in relief, he was safe. He grabbed the shoe he'd stolen and ran off in another direction and not to his hideout. He didn't want to take the chance that El Topo would follow him and rat him out to the Faculty.

El Topo smiled as he watched Carmen's dog run off. "Good luck," was all he said as he turned and walked towards the main building.

Chase made sure he wasn't followed and then took another way to his temporary home, 'Well, that was a surprise, a welcome one but the next time I see him he'll be under orders to catch me, it's fine though. He's pretty solid for a V.I.L.E. agent. Now, to have some fun with this shoe,' he thought as he hopped onto the bed. He spent the next hour or so chewing on it before taking a nap. He woke up a little while later and went to look for food and his next victim for chaos. He smelt something yummy that wasn't coming from the main building. It was coming from the same place the El Topo took the thorn out. Chase discovered that it was a ham and cheese omelette and as he sniffed the plate he realised that this must be El Topo's doing. He sniffed it carefully, making sure there were no drugs in it but he actually doubted it. It was still slightly warm. His stomach rumbled, he remembered that he'd had an early breakfast and it was definitely past lunch. He sighed, his ears pressing against his head, if he was with Carmen he wouldn't have to worry about getting three square meals a day. He missed her so much. 'I really wish she was here,' he thought miserably and without anything else to do, he ate the omelette, even though he no longer felt hungry. He mentally thanked El Topo. 'At least lunch is out of the way.' He finished but he didn't feel any better. He was still miserable, he felt sick, he guessed the omelette wasn't agreeing with him and he was feeling very lonely. He sighed, having El Topo around for those few minutes and his kindness to him, well, it really made it hit home that he wasn't home with the woman he loved. "Wait, what?" he barked in surprise at the thought. 'Love her…? Like a best friend or care very deeply kind of love?' he wasn't sure but he was confused even more now.

He heard someone and hid in the bushes but it was just a squirrel that looked around and then it noticed him. It bounded up to him, having not seen a dog before. 'Hello, I'm Skipper, who and what are you?' he asked.

'I'm Chase and I'm a German Sheppard puppy,' he replied, he felt grateful that he had someone to talk to, even if it was only for a little bit. He got out of the bush and sat in front of Skipper, wagging his tail.

'What are you doing here?'

'I was dognapped and taken away from my…' and here Chase hesitated, was he going to say it?

Skipper tilted his head, 'Your what? Wait, are you one of those uh…what's the word? Oh yeah…pet! Are you a pet?'

Chase hesitated, 'It's…complicated Skipper.'

'I've got nuttin' else to do and you've got nothin' else to do, so tell me, talk to Uncle Skipper.'

Chase was amused at Skipper but it wasn't like he was going to get advice from anyone else around here. 'Well, it's a long story but it all started when…' and for the first time he told someone the truth, even if said someone was a squirrel.

'So long story short, you're a human turned into a dog, you've become really fond of Carmen but you can't admit that Carmen is now your owner, your human, someone you love because you're, put simply, afraid of admitting it. You're afraid that if you admit it, you'll, what, lose your humanity or something? That by admitting it you'll have accepted your situation? You don't if she loves you as her pet, best friend, or teammate? You also have no idea what you feel for her now either?' asked Skipper and Chase nodded, it was tough to hear someone voice all the things he was afraid of. He got a smack on the head from Skipper.

'Ow, geez, what was that for?' he asked, surprised.

'Dog, you are so confused you make navigating a rabbit's burrow look simple. I knew Carmen when she was here, I've been alive since she was around eleven years old. She was a kind kid, a real prankster but lonely, she no other kids to play with. She finally got friends when she joined the Academy even though they were older than her, Graham aka Gray, Sheena, Antonio, and Jean Paul. They became known as Crackle, Tigress, El Topo, and La Chèvre, she was called Black Sheep. When she joined the Academy, well, I thought that that was gonna be the end of the girl who would sometimes bring me scraps from the kitchen. I was wrong. When she came back from that mission she wasn't meant to go on because of not graduatin', she was different, she had a new purpose, kept her head down and the next year she managed it, she got away. I saw the look of secret relief on Shadowsan's face that night, he was glad she got away and so was I.'

Chase was stunned to learn all this about Carmen but he was glad to know more about her. He paid attention once more as Skipper continued.

'So you see, she's got real emotional issues but she'd never abandon you, it sounds like she relies on you a lot,' said Skipper.

'She does, but Skipper, if she abandoned her home, her friends, and the people who raised her for eighteen years, what makes you think she won't abandon me?' Chase asked, worried about the answer.

'You are missing something Chase. She abandoned those who lied to her whole life, who betrayed her, who wanted her to steal and murder. Her friends changed once they graduated and they too would walk the path she wasn't willing to walk. Shadowsan was the only one who didn't want that but he had to play the same part as the rest of the Faculty. She won't abandon you, she loves you. I guarantee that she's turning the world upside down to find you right now, as we speak,' said Skipper.

It brought Chase comfort to know that Skipper would think that, 'So what about my identity crisis?'

'You won't have one if you admit what you've been denying. I can tell you but you're the one who has to admit it. You are a dog, she's your, by legal rights, owner! You're Carmen's pet, but you're more than that, you're her best friend, her emotional confidant, the way you've said it and what you've told me, you are keeping her from stressing, from breaking down. Don't you see Chase, you are the most important member of her team? Do you think she'll tell those redheads, Shadowsan, and Player her emotional troubles? I don't think so, in her mind she has to be strong for them. She feels emotionally safe around you,' said Skipper.

'What about when I turn back to human, what then?'

'Good question, one I can't really answer, all I know is that you've got to somehow show her that you are the inspector she knows and you'll take her secrets to the grave, other than that, I can't help you there,' Skipper shrugged.

'I'm afraid that I'll like being a dog so much that I won't want to turn back and I'm afraid that if I do turn back she'll hate me. Her approval and love mean more to me than anything in the world,' confessed Chase.

'She'll hear you out, besides, why would she kick you out after months of you helpin' her with capers, stoppin' V.I.L.E., and her emotional distress? I am sorry but I just cannot see her throwing you out. Honest truth, friend, honest truth,' said Skipper and then he bounded up a tree.

'Hey, where are you going?'

'I gotta get back to work. I'm a busy squirrel but the break was nice. Oh, by the way, tell Carmen I said hello when you do turn back, think about all I said, and keep on making everyone's lives here hell while you're here, alright? Later,' and he bounded off, leaving Chase alone again.

He sighed, well, at least he had a lot to think about. He still had issues though but he did feel better about them. He trotted off to find some trouble to cause. It came in the form of Brunt leaving her classroom door open. He grinned, there may not be a lot of daylight left but he could do his best to make trouble for her. He snuck in and looked around. There wasn't much he could do, considering he'd need to be human to do some real damage but if he was creative enough…

A little while later Chase grinned mentally, his trap was set, nothing too complicated but it would give Brunt a headache. He looked at his handiwork, 'If I ever turn back to human this will make Carmen laugh when I tell her,' he thought. He started barking loudly, drawing the attention of everyone, especially Brunt as his barking was coming from her classroom.

Cleo put her hands over her ears, "Someone shoot that mongrel!" she yelled, she was beyond pissed because of what happened earlier.

"I'm gonna get that dog and turn him into sushi and then send him back to Carmen Sandiego in pieces!" roared Brunt as she stomped her way to her classroom. There sat Chase, looking smug. On the floor was a gym sweater of hers that was all chewed up and a lot of her things were out of place like the bo staffs were all over the floor and the box of protective gear was overturned and there were pieces of fluff from the mats all over the place. "I'm going to skin you alive little pup," said Brunt, cracking her knuckles and taking a step forward.

"Bingo!" barked Chase as she placed her foot right into his deliberate business puddle and slipped forward. He yanked on a rope he'd managed to secure under all the protective gear and Brunt tripped forward, her weight working against her and leading her to crash into the weights that were right in front of her. 'Another one bites the dust, another one down, another one down, another bites the dust," barked Chase joyfully. He left the gym only to be caught by Maelstrom. "Let me go!" he snarled, wriggling in his grip.

"Finally, we have you. Someone help Coach Brunt, I'll be taking Carmen Sandiego's most precious treasure…with me," he said. Fear struck Chase in the heart as he was carried off by Maelstrom. He whimpered and Maelstrom smirked. "I've done many things but psychoanalyzing a dog will be new. I had to re-psychoanalyse Carmen when she got you and our operatives reported what her attitude towards you was like. She would do anything for you, that much is clear and I do mean anything," he said softly. Chase gulped. He knew he had to get out of Maelstrom's hands or he was done for! He turned and bit him hard on the chest, unintentionally biting right on the nipple, making Maelstrom drop him instantly, yelling in pain. Chase let go and landed on his feet, "Paws don't fail me now!" he barked and bolted, running past everyone in the hall, snapping at fingers, and leaping out an open window. He didn't stop running, even as everyone chased him. He eventually found a hole big enough for him to hide in. He panted and hoped that no one would find him. He hung his head as his breathing slowed down. He sure learned a lesson today, never be cocky until you're safe. It had almost cost him his freedom and maybe even his own mind, he'd have to be really careful now.

He could hear shouts of 'Find him!' all over the island and he knew that he wouldn't be getting out of this hole any time soon.

"That dog is a nightmare come true," said Cleo as she helped Gunnar to the infirmary as he was bleeding from where Chase bit him.

"In all honesty, I want Carmen Sandiego to come and fetch him; that dog does more harm than good. He'd probably be able to snap her out of any brainwashing anyway," said Bellum who was getting the medical kit and tending to Brunt's head, which was already wrapped in bandages.

Runt just groaned and Cleo sat Maelstrom on the bed next to her. Bellum got to work, all of them regretting bringing Chase to the island.

Xxxxx

Chase had decided to explore the hole he was in until everyone stopped searching for him and his skin. 'Weird, this hole actually becomes a tunnel, I wonder where it leads.' He kept on going, his stomach rumbling because it now way past dinner. 'No dinner for me tonight,' he thought miserably. He was sick and tired of being on the island and wished with all his heart that Carmen would come and rescue him. He hadn't even gained any truly useful information, except for the Faculty's names and faces and what they taught. 'Some detective I am, I can't even get information when it's presented to me. I can't help but think I'd do better if I was a human. If I am a human…what am I these days? I wish I knew. Carmen, if only you knew the truth, what would you do? Keep me? Chuck me out? Look at me in disgust? Help me get back to normal? Again, my head hurts with all these questions? Who am I really?' were Chase's thoughts as he continued to explore. He soon came upon a sight he never thought he'd see. A black wolf with a white crest on his head was sitting in the cave he'd walked into. Chase began to back away, there was no way he'd ever stand a chance against a wolf!

"Fear not. I am Kiba. I am here to guide you, Chase," said Kiba, looking at him with wise eyes. Chase was stunned.

"Guide me?" and he put his paw over his mouth, for the first time since he'd transformed into a dog, he spoke with his human voice. "How?"

"This is one of the many spiritual places in the world and I am your Spirit Guide. Everyone has one, including Carmen. You must not be afraid Chase," said Kiba.

"Afraid…of what?" asked Chase, his heart was starting to pound.

"Let me ask you Chase, who are you?" asked Kiba. "You are conflicted about your identity. Who are you?"

Chase couldn't answer and he hung his head, "I…I don't know who I am…I don't know…but I know who I have been, I've Chase Devineaux, the jackass, an ignorant, inconsiderate, reckless, buffoon, who was only good for being laughed at by his enemies and scolded by his superiors. I didn't like how I was."

"Why?" was all Kiba asked.

"It was not who I was raised to be. I was raised better than I portrayed myself, once I was better, but, before this happened, I was that fool. No one likes me and no one probably even realises that I'm not around anymore. No one cares about me," he said, his head still hung, and then he felt a gentle nudge from Kiba.

"Chase, close your eyes for me and then tell me who the first person is who comes into your head," he said. Chase sighed but he did as he was told.

"Carmen," he said without hesitation, "It's Carmen, she's first, she's been first since the night I met her," he admitted.

"Good, now think of what's happened since you've been with her. Has your perspective on Carmen changed? Do you know more about her, understand her? Has she ever turned you away or done anything to you to cause you to doubt her care for you? Just tell me the truth," said Kiba.

With his eyes still closed Chase spoke, "Carmen has been there for me ever since she tried to save me from Brunt and that Mind Machine. Maybe even before then. She tried to save me at great risk to herself and she came to visit and say sorry. She's bought me things, been patient with me, and firm with her discipline because she wants to be a good owner. She's encouraged me, protected me, taught me tricks, praised me, appreciates me, and has shown me loyalty and given me all the love I've been missing ever since I lost my parents all those years ago. Carmen…Carmen cares about me…she…loves me…" his voice cracking and he started sobbing. "I miss her so much, Kiba, I want to go home."

"Where is home for you, Chase?"

"Carmen, my home is…. Carmen, wherever she is, is my…home…"

"I'm glad you've realised this. Now what else bothers you?" asked Kiba, who was pleased with Chase's progress, he would guide him until the day he was no longer of this world.

"I don't want…to admit that I'm a pet with an owner because I'm scared…I'm scared…will I lose myself if I do? Does Carmen love me as her pet or a human or a friend…? What…what will happen if I admit it?" he asked.

"There's only one way to find out," said Kiba, sounding very wise.

Chase gulped, "O…ok…" He took a deep breath, "I am Chase Devineaux and I am a human but I am currently a dog, a German Shephard puppy and I was adopted by Carmen Sandiego. She's…my best friend, my owner and I'm her pet…Carmen…" and that's when Chase realised it and he smiled, a big, happy smile. "She doesn't care whether I'm a dog or a human. She loves who I am, not what I am, whether I have skin or fur, it's my true self she loves and cares for. I care and love her too. I want to see her smile, hear her laugh, I want her to be happy and safe. I'll protect her and even if I'm a human again, I'll chase her around the world to do that. I'll always be there for her, I won't let A.C.M.E. or V.I.L.E. hurt her and if they do…they'll answer to me. Because human or dog, my feelings will always remain the same, and so will my personality…I am Chase Devineaux and I am Carmen Sandiego's protector and friend and she is my friend and protector."

Kiba just stood there looking as proud as a father, "Well done Chase, well done. How do you feel?"

"I…I feel liberated, clean, far less stressed, happy…I miss her even more now though. I want to go home Kiba."

"Carmen will come for you that much I can sense. Use your remaining time here wisely Chase. You will need the information that you gather later on. It is time for you to leave this place," said Kiba.

"I understand, thank you Kiba. I feel as though I finally have my head on straight and my once-raging emotions are now calm," said Chase as he turned to leave. Kiba just nodded and disappeared causing Chase to blink. "I guess he's gone back to being invisible until I find another spiritual place, at least I know someone's watching over me," he said to himself before leaving. He finally made it back to the hole and wriggled out. "Finally," he barked. He sighed after hearing that he was barking again but he'd gladly live with it now. He looked around. It was very late, the stars were shining and the moon was full. 'I wish she was here,' he thought, he wasn't going back to his hideout tonight, he didn't feel like it, so he decided to stay where he was. He looked up at the beautiful starry sky feeling very lonely, sad, and homesick. He had a flashback to a night similar to this;

Flashback

"Chase, come here," called Carmen. He looked up from chewing on one of Ivy's shoes and barked, getting up and walking over to her. Carmen picked him up and took him outside. She sat down on a chair, placing him in her lap, Chase wondering what she wanted. "Look up at the sky Chase, isn't it beautiful?" she asked. He looked up and found that the stars were shining like diamonds tonight, but they were in an area with low pollution and little artificial lights so it was no wonder that he could see so many stars. She was right, it was beautiful. They sat there, happy and content, it was their special little moment.

End flashback

His heart ached upon remembering that night and before he knew it, he was howling a song, the words just coming to him.

"On this moonlit, star-filled night

Someone out there is calling my name

Please tell me now, does she feel the same?

Carmen Sandiego is her name

Tears in my eyes

I know that you're crying too

It is so clear, that I need you

So that you can take away all my fears

Rescue me, rescue me

Oh please come and rescue me

Oh Carmen, where are you?

Are you coming?

Oh please come and rescue me

Carmen, we are one and the same

Can you hear me calling?

Our hearts beat as one

And our journey has only just begun

Can you hear me, Carmen?

My lady in red,

So good and brave

Oh, Carmen, where in the world, are you?

Rescue me, rescue me

Oh please come and rescue me

Oh Carmen, where are you?

Are you coming?

Oh please come and rescue me

With a heart of gold

And a goal so hard

I will be there when your arms are opened wide

You need me by your side

Oh Carmen

Do you miss me?

Oh Carmen

I miss you, La Femme Rouge…

Rescue me, rescue me

Oh please come and rescue me

Oh Carmen, where are you?

Are you coming?

Oh please come and rescue me…"

"Oh Carmen, please come soon," he barked. What he didn't know was that he'd woken everyone on the island with his howling, causing the Faculty to send everyone out on a search but Chase heard them, mentally grinned at the realisation of what he'd indirectly done, and ran off making sure they didn't find him. He made it into a night-long game of hide-and-howl, only stopping at around four in the morning when he finally returned to Carmen's room and collapsed on her bed. He was exhausted but he woke up about four hours later with a rumbling stomach. "Oh, I'm starving. Better go and see what I can steal from the kitchen," he quietly barked to himself. He also decided to give the Countesses shoe back. Fully chewed up of course.

Xxxxx

Chase made his way to the kitchen through the vents and mentally grinned seeing Maelstrom making pancakes. 'Time for a bit of misdirection,' he thought. He made his way back to where Cleo's room was, which wasn't far away from the kitchen actually. He dropped her shoe in front of the door and started barking his head off.

Everyone in the vicinity heard him. Maelstrom turning off the stove just as Cleo shot out the door and tripped over her shoe. Chase swearing he heard a crack after she fell, he did cover his ears after hearing her scream blue murder though. Maelstrom leaving the kitchen and running to Cleo's aid.

"Bingo!' he barked quietly. Chase quickly ran back to the kitchen and dropped out of the open vent onto the floor. He jumped up on the counter and practically drooled at the sight of the fluffy golden pancakes with melted butter on them. "For me Maelstrom, why, I don't know what to say, don't mind if I do," he barked and began to eat while everyone fussed over Cleo, Maelstrom carrying her to the infirmary, where Brunt still was. Bellum sighed, she was working overtime these days. "It's a minor fracture, you'll need a small cast," she informed Cleo who was alternating between screaming in pain and cursing Chase. Maelstrom just sighed.

"Keep it down Countess, ya ain't dying," said Brunt who was holding her head.

"SHUT UP!" she yelled at her and carried on screaming and ranting.

Chase on the other paw had had a delightful breakfast and had stolen a string of precooked sausages for later. "A good morning's work if I do say so myself. Now to gather Intel. I've been along almost every path in the vents. First up, Maelstrom's room. He seems to be somewhat in charge here." He knew it was a risk going into what was basically the lion's den but he needed information. He made his way there and got the door open. He made sure that he had an escape route, just in case. "Let's see, if I was Maelstrom, where would I put my things?" he asked with a small bark. His eyes landed on Gunnar's desk, he jumped onto the chair and took a look. There were papers with inkblots and other things used for psychology. 'Let's do a little damage,' was all Chase thought and proceeded to ruin the inkblots and all the other papers laying around. He found a file full of passwords and codes, which he proceeded to try and memorise as best he could before ripping up all of those as well. Then he left through the vent behind Maelstrom's bed and made his way to a place he'd never been before but he'd seen on a map in Maelstrom's room.

"I hate that dog," and he stopped walking, hearing that it was Tigress's voice. He peered down and saw her talking the Mime! The same street clown from San Francisco! The mime nodded and yawned. "I lost so much beauty sleep last night, when I see him I'm going to make him into a pair of slippers, then' I can walk all over him," Tigress snarled.

Chase didn't bother seeing what the mime was trying to say, he simply crawled forward on his belly until he was out of hearing range and then proceeded to go on until he reached the room that was on the map. He had some trouble pushing the vent open here, it seemed as though Carmen hadn't travelled here often or had been banned completely from this area. He eventually managed it though. "Finally!" he barked. He saw that he was in a huge room with the largest computer he'd ever seen. "They must be confident about their security, there's no one here," he barked quietly; unless they had cameras on. He couldn't allow that. Chase started exploring and came to a storage closet, which he opened with ease. He walked in to look around, extra cables, tool kits, power box…power box! He mentally grinned, it was time to turn off the cameras. There was a stool that he could use to get to it, so he hopped onto it and stood up on his hind legs. 'Let's see, 'computer, no, lights, no, external power, not that, cameras! Bingo!' Chase, very carefully and with some difficulty managed to flip the switch to the cameras.

Xxxxx

In the main part of the building, Cleo and the others had finally been fixed up to the best of Bellum's ability and they'd gone to eat breakfast only to discover that it had been eaten already. They all just looked at each other, knowing who the culprit was. Maelstrom sighed, "I'll cook some more pancakes," while the rest of the Faculty grumbled about being hungry, stressed, in pain and tired. It was looking to be a long day…again!

Xxxxx

Meanwhile, Chase was currently on a mission to decode a cipher that would let him get into the computer. Using his paws was difficult and he had to be careful not to make a mistake. 'Good thing I was good at cracking codes and ciphers when I was in Interpol otherwise this would be a nightmare,' he thought and glance up to see if he's gotten it yet. 'Almost,' he encouraged himself. He almost barked for joy when he cracked it but remembered to keep his mouth shut, he had worked too hard to be stopped by his own stupidity. He began to click on files, coming across one that had lists of every V.I.L.E. operative for the last twenty years. Their real names, ages, countries, what they specialised in, how they were found and recruited, their codenames, missions, everything was on these lists. He was ecstatic, this was a goldmine! He read about the upcoming missions. He came across information on the Faculty too, and eventually, information on Carmen, it basically was her entire life on the island. Chase read only a little bit, that her real name was unknown and the bit at the end about her betrayal of V.I.L.E. before going to another file. That was Carmen's personal information, she should tell him. He managed to access the files of the previous Faculty, coming across Shadowsan and a man named Dexter Wolfe. Chase tilted his head, studying the man's picture. He then realised that Dexter had the same eye colour as Carmen! Chase frantically scrolled through the profile until he came to Dexter's status, 'Dead' was what he read. Chase then read that he died twenty years ago in Argentina. He had a bad feeling in his stomach about what he was going to read next. "Children…Black Sheep aka Carmen Sandiego. Spouse…unknown. Killed by…Shadowsan…" was all Chase could whimper. If Carmen ever found out… Why...? He knew Shadowsan wasn't telling the truth but this was too much. He also knew that the man cared for Carmen. He sat there, just numb and thinking. He slowly shook his head after a while and decided that he'd wait until either Carmen found out, Shadowsan told her the truth or he turned back and could confront him.

Chase read through a few more files before turning off the computer and going to pull the power and chew the cables before leaving. He felt tired and heavy, as though he was carrying a weight around him. 'I need to stop thinking about it, it'll only ruin my relationship with Carmen somehow and Shadowsan…well, he'd better have a good explanation for what he did. Carmen had V.I.L.E. blood, but Dexter was trying to run. He didn't want Carmen to live this life but she did anyway. What about her mother? Where is she now, is she even still alive?' he wondered and then he sat down and shook his head. 'Stop it,' he told himself firmly, 'focus on getting off the island and helping Carmen, all will be revealed one way or another. That's what my gut is telling me….or that I'm hungry,' as his stomach rumbled. He shook his head once more, deciding to give Shadowsan a chance, and ran off to his room where the sausages he stole earlier were calling his name. He'd spent so long at the computer that it was night time and he'd skipped lunch. Not good. Chase had nightmares that night but thankfully didn't remember them when he woke up.

Xxxxx

"Has anyone seen the dog recently?" Maelstrom asked the rest of the Faculty and the students at breakfast that morning. Everyone shook their heads. "Keep your eyes peeled at all times, he must be captured!" Maelstrom was mad because of the damage done to his room the previous day, he wanted Chase to pay for that.

Chase took advantage of everyone offering suggestions to outright steal Bellum's plate and eat her scrambled eggs and he managed to steal brunt's bacon as well.

"What the…? Get him!" Brunt yelled and Chase mentally grinned as another chase began. He raced past Tigress, scaring her. From then on it was pandemonium. He spilled the buckets of water that the Cleaners were using to clean and as such caused everyone to slip and trip. He ran outside, dug up Cleo's flowers, and then back inside, leaving muddy footprints everywhere, even on the students' faces as he ran over those who had fallen. He managed to cause all four of the Faculty to bump into each other and go down in a heap. He then ran through each of their rooms, tossing one of Maelstrom's black coats outside onto a thorn bush, chewing up Brunt's prized tracksuit jersey, ruining Cleo's dress that she'd put out for later that night by getting his paws muddy again and destroyed Bellum's new invention. No one was safe from him, even the Cleaners. Vlad got a hole ripped in his pants and Boris got a bitten hand for his troubles. Chase somehow managed to also set off the fire alarm, which caused a lot of headaches alongside his constant barking. Chase raced outside panting but feeling very exhilarated.

"That was fun!" he barked and then he smelt something that he hadn't smelt in six days, "Carmen!" he barked. The smell was strong. He ran towards where it was coming from. He reached the top of the small hill…he saw…

Xxxxx

Yes, cliffhanger. Next we see Carmen's side of the story.

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