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
I don't own anything
Hi everyone, sorry this chapter took longer than most, it was a sticky one to write. Thank you to everyone who reviewed and fav'd and everything else, it means a lot to me.
NB: Bastion is from Yu-Gi-Oh GX and is the new driver. Entrapta is from She-ra and the Princesses of Power. They are siblings in this fic and their surname is Drill. They have similar personalities from their shows but they are also different people for this story. PLease don't judge and yes this means that Zack and Ivy will NOT be coming back...at all. Enjoy.
Chapter 9: New Teammates and a Holiday
Chase sighed, it had been a week since the sibling's accident. Carmen and Shadowsan had kept themselves busy by looking for those with potential and the skills they needed and they'd also made the house in Poitiers into a nice HQ. As for his personal life, his bruise around his neck was gone, he'd lost another tooth and he swore that he was growing by the second rather than the day. His ears were almost fully straight too, his right ear was still leaning to the one side though and his markings were changing again. He was doing his best to give Carmen the comfort she needed. She was distracted by teaching him how to 'steal' or at the very least, identify real from fake at this point in time. He could sneak a wallet out of a pocket about half the time now. He was just grateful that she wasn't having any nightmares. He sighed and dragged a chewed-up shoe into Ivy's bag.
"Thanks, Chase," said Carmen, she was finishing packing up Zack's stuff, the house in Boston had been bought and so had some furniture. Carmen was sending the sibling's stuff over so they didn't have to deal with it anymore. After today they would be leaving for France's coast, Marseille. Carmen had an idea of where to find new crew members. "Ok Player, we're leaving now, can you make sure that this stuff gets to Boston?"
"No problem, good luck with your search," said Player, typing something into his computer.
"Thanks. Ok, let's get going," Carmen said.
"Who are the ones you want us to meet?" asked Shadowsan, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.
"Well, once again, they're a brother and sister duo but this time the brother is the oldest. He'd be around, twenty-two now and his sister is around twenty. She's the mechanical genius, even better than Ivy ever was and he's such a good driver he could actually drive on a wall and he's also got a pilot's license, he's also really smart too. I met them when I first arrived after escaping V.I.L.E. Island. They took me in for a few months and helped me figure things out. I would have hired them back then but they were busy breaking college academic records. I told them I'd be fine as I didn't want them to uproot their lives for me but I think now's the time to ask them if they still want to join me," she said.
Shadowsan nodded and Chase barked, he thought that these new potential teammates sounded better than Zack and Ivy. It took them seven and a half hours to get there by train. "Finally!" Chase barked, "I can stretch my legs."
"Well, we've got a bit of a walk from here," said Carmen, clipping on Chase's leash.
"Little bit of info for you guys. Marseille is located on the coast of the Gulf of Lion, part of the Mediterranean Sea, it's also the second-largest and oldest city in France," said Player.
"It's also a Gallo-Roman city and has a position as a premier maritime trading hub. It's a major centre for both trade and industry," said Carmen.
"Today it is a regional centre for culture and entertainment with an important opera house, historical and maritime museums, five art galleries, and numerous cinemas, clubs, bars, and restaurants. The rich and poor also exist side by side," Chase barked.
Carmen and Player laughed, "It sounds like Chase is giving his own two barks about Marseilles," said Player.
"Aw, that's a cute thought," said Carmen, petting his head. He sighed but it wasn't as though they could understand him. Shadowsan however now had an even sharper eye on him. They walked for a bit before coming to a door in a block of apartments. "Here we are, number 17, let's hope they're still here," said Carmen. She knocked.
There was a crash and a loud bang, "Just a minute!" came a man's voice. Another bang sound, "OW!" they heard.
Chase was wondering why that voice sounded familiar. Shadowsan was looking at Carmen with a raised eyebrow but Carmen was looking as though this was normal. The door opened to reveal a man of around Chase's height with fair skin, stormy-grey eyes, and raven-black hair that was swept back in a similar style to Chase's but had a lock of it hanging just above his eyes. He was muscular and wore black jeans, a black belt, a red shirt, black and red boots, and a blue jacket. He wore a pair of blue and red goggles on his head, a fingerless black and blue glove on his right hand, and a silver watch on his left wrist. Chase's jaw dropped. 'BASTION!' was his only thought.
"Carmen!" said Bastion, pulling her in for a hug. He had a distinct British accent.
"Hey Bastion, it's great to see you again," she said, hugging him back.
"It's been just over two years, how've you been?" he asked.
"It's a long story, can we come in?" she asked.
"Of course, come on in, everyone, please," said Bastion. Chase was in a daze as he walked inside. This young man was his best friend from college. Granted he was six years younger than him but he had such a high IQ that it didn't matter. Bastion and his younger sister were both geniuses. Chase remembered that Bastion had been only twelve when they'd met and his sister had been ten. It had been two years of college fun for them before he graduated.
"Emily! Carmen's here!" Bastion called after leading them into a messy but neat living room. "Make yourselves at home, I'll get my sister. Can I get you anything to drink? Or anything to eat?"
"I'll have some lemonade please and Chase will have some water," said Carmen.
"I will have some tea," said Shadowsan.
"Chase…?" Bastion asked.
"My dog," she said. "Chase, say hello."
He sighed, and held up his paw for Bastion to shake, "Hello," he barked.
"What a beautiful dog. He's amazing and so well trained. Chase huh, my best friend's name is Chase, though I haven't been in contact with him for a while. But, let me get you your refreshments and Emily as well, then we can talk," he said. Chase looked nervous but tried not to show it.
"Well, what do you think so far?" asked Carmen.
"He is polite," is what Shadowsan said.
Bastion went to get his sister. "Hey, Emily! Get out here."
"Not now, I'm just about to make a scientific breakthrough," said Emily.
"Carmen is back, she's visiting. You know, Carmen Sandiego, the super thief with the red coat, the one who was here two years ago," said Bastion. He backed away from the door after he said that.
"Carmen is back! This is great!" she said bursting out of the room.
"She's waiting with her friend and dog in the lounge, go and say hi, I'm getting some drinks," said Bastion, leaving his sister to dash into the lounge and throw herself on Carmen.
"CARMEN!" she shouted, hugging her.
"Oof! Emily, good…to see…you," Carmen managed to get out.
'Same old Emily,' thought Chase.
"You're taller," said Emily. She was fairly short and a bit stocky, only about as tall as Julia, and had a slightly darker skin tone than her brother, rose coloured eyes, and her hair was long and lilac-coloured, in two pigtails. She was wearing heavy gloves, steel-toed boots, lavender and lilac arm covers, a welding mask with red lenses, and a pair of lavender and lilac overalls. The shoulder straps were left loose over a white undershirt, which was been blotted with grease. "Hi, I'm Emily Drill, it's nice to meet you, I never thought I'd meet a ninja," she said after letting go of Carmen and focusing on Shadowsan who blinked. Emily's accent, unlike her brother's, was American.
"It is a pleasure," he said.
Chase barked. "Oh, you got a puppy, he's so handsome. Hey there little guy," she said, patting him on the head. He held out his paw for her to shake. "Amazing," as she shook it.
"Right, I'm back, I hope Entrapta's been behaving herself," smiled Bastion who had everyone's drinks and a plate of cookies.
"Entrapta?" asked Shadowsan, taking his tea.
"Oh yeah, it's my nickname, everybody calls me Entrapta. Bastion calls me both Entrapta and Emily, I don't mind either one," she said and surprised Shadowsan by using her hair to take a tiny glass of fizzy orange juice and a tiny cookie.
"How?" he asked.
"Oh, Em used science to somehow enhance her hair, making it into an extension of herself, it acts as an extra limb or limbs. It's called Trichokinesis," Bastion explained.
"I needed an extra pair of hands for when Bastion wasn't around," she said sipping her drink.
"So, Carmen, do you want to tell us what's going on and who is he?" Bastion asked.
"Ok, so um…this is Shadowsan, he's my…ex-teacher…"
"You mean the one who failed you right? That caused you to run away from the island? What was his name?"
"It was Shadowsan, Entrapta," Bastion reminded her.
"Oh right, well thanks for that," she said cheerfully and Shadowsan blinked, not understanding them. Chase sighed, no doubt they'd put Carmen's past together like a puzzle already, that's how good they were.
"Why would you… " then his mouth was covered by Entrapta's hair.
"It brought us a new best friend, if you hadn't we wouldn't have met her, so thanks for that. Remember, every action has a reaction. And that means that there was an action that brought you all here to us today," said Entrapta and she smiled.
"Let me take a guess," said Bastion, "Does it have anything to do with the accident that happened last week with the red-headed driver and his passenger?"
Shadowsan looked both surprised and impressed and Carmen wasn't surprised at all and Chase just rolled his eyes, 'Typical Bastion and Emily,' he thought. Carmen nodded in response to the question.
"Oh, I never asked, what's your dog's name?" asked Entrapta. "He's so cute," and she scratched his ears. He wagged his tail at that.
"It's Chase," replied Carmen.
"Chase…Hey, we know a Chase. Chase Devineaux, Bastion's best friend, he's like another big brother to me. He's an Inspector working for Interpol," said Entrapta.
"Wait, you know Devineaux?" asked Carmen in shock. Chase put his paw over his eyes, it was all over now!
"Yes, despite our ages we all went to the same college, Chase looked after us, we helped each other with our studies, and he stood up for us because we got picked on for being so much younger than everyone else. He's an awesome guy, I just wish he'd call us, we haven't heard from him in a while," said Bastion.
"Well, he's back at Interpol as far as I know, he must be on a tough case or something," said Carmen.
"You two have met?" asked Bastion with a grin.
"It's a long story," said Carmen. She told them, from the beginning what had happened since she left them and how she met Zack and Ivy and everything that happened afterwards, including how she met Chase Devineaux and how he got hurt, which made both siblings gasp in horror. Chase felt very guilty and very ashamed, it was ten times worse hearing about his former attitude and blunders from Carmen's point of view. He felt like the biggest jerk in the world.
'Her recounting is spot on. What must they think of me?' he thought miserably. Then Shadowsan surprised him by telling them of his involvement in his capture.
"I regret that I had to hurt him. If I had been alone it would not have happened, I would have searched for Carmen myself without the use of Inspector Devineaux," he said.
Chase was glad to hear that though he was sure he'd heard something similar to it before, maybe in the early days?
"Well, it's a lot to take in but, you're here to recruit us, aren't you Carmen, you need a driver and a mechanic, right?" asked Bastion.
"I know it's a lot to ask, to uproot your lives…"
"Yes," said the siblings.
"Huh?" she asked.
"Silly, we said, yes. We wanted to go with you two years ago, you wouldn't hear of it. So we decided that if you ever did come back to ask us to join you we would," said Bastion with a smile and Entrapta nodded.
"We trained and got better at our skills and also increased at the number of things we can do by learning new things. I mean, Bastion can win any race with a broken hand and driving backwards against ten other cars but he can also fly now thanks to getting a pilot's licence, just like Chase!" said Entrapta. "Bastion can also sail boats and he's also a strong physical fighter. He knows four different kinds of martial arts, let's see, Kung Fu in the Monkey Style, Aikijujutsu, Karate, and Kendo. He also knows how to use a knife," Entrapta told them.
"Well, he certainly seems qualified to join. What about you?" asked Shadowsan, looking at Entrapta.
"When it comes to science and things to do with mechanics then Entrapta is your girl, she can make just about anything, she's made almost all the upgrades to the house, she's a genius. She can also use her hair for many things, it's extremely strong and versatile, allowing her to do multiple things at once and get things done faster. She's great at figuring out puzzles too. She has basic survival skills, she got lost on an island for a month before I found her again. She's also got a doctorate in Astrophysics," said Bastion.
"It all sounds great. Can either of you speak other languages, it would be helpful but it's not necessary," said Carmen.
"We both speak the same languages, English, French, Welsh, Latin, and Italian," said Entrapta, munching on a tiny cookie.
"Welsh?" asked Carmen with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, we're both from England and spent a part of our childhood in Wales and Welsh is the language there. We learned French when we came here to study, Chase was an excellent teacher," said Bastion.
"Oh definitely. Then we learned Latin here as well, you'd be surprised at how many words we say that is actually Latin, like Leo, it's Latin for lion. Bastion got into learning Italian on a whim, thanks to one day going to an Italian restaurant and I just followed," Entrapta explained.
"Looks like you two have a lot of skills to offer. Anything else I should know about?" asked Carmen after looking at Shadowsan and Chase. Chase just barked, he was actually very proud of his two friends.
"Um...I can cook," said Bastion, "Not as well as Chase could but I can still make delicious meals and Emily can…" he was cut off by his sister.
"Bastion, you don't need to build me up, I can cook but not very well, the best I can make is soup, eggs, bacon, sandwiches, tea, coffee and toast, I don't have the gift and that's ok. Carmen will find something that I can be good at," she said.
"Yeah, you're right, sorry," he said.
"It's ok, I know you're just looking out for me, this is technically a job interview," said Entrapta, and then she gave a big smile. "Oh, I remembered what else I can do, I can give first aid, I took a crash course after Bastion was put in the hospital for a time and I said to myself, 'Entrapta, you need to learn this stuff so that if he gets hurt again you can help him, even save him.' So I did. I can treat minor injuries, put back dislocated limbs, stitch up wounds and do mouth to mouth," she explained.
"You guys are perfect, so Shadowsan, Chase are we in agreement?" Carmen asked them.
"Yes, their skills will serve the team well, we can teach them other skills as time goes by. I for one will teach Bastion the way of the ninja and will also teach both of them to speak Japanese," said Shadowsan with a small smile at the siblings.
"Great and I can teach you both things that I know," said Carmen.
"It'll be great having them, I vote yes," barked Chase with his tail wagging like mad.
"We look forward to it, Emily, let's pack our stuff," said Bastion, standing up.
"I'm on it," and she whistled, the whole house seemed to come alive as things were packed away and cleaned. Within an hour the place was empty and Bastion had informed the landlady and paid her the remainder of their rent for the month.
"I'm in shock," muttered Carmen to Shadowsan. He just nodded and if dogs could look amused then Chase managed it, he wasn't surprised, he'd seen this before back in college.
"Hehe, just wait until these unleash their full potential. Then you can be shocked Carmen," he barked. Carmen gave him a scratch behind the ears and he closed his eyes in bliss, 'That's nice, lower, oh, right there. Ah, bliss,' he thought.
"So, where we going?" asked Bastion as they left.
"Well, first we're going to drop off your stuff at HQ, and then we're going on a vacation to get to know each other better," Carmen explained.
"Where are we going for the vacation?" asked Entrapta. Bastion had a firm grip on her shoulder so that she didn't wander off.
"I was going to let you two decide, actually."
"How about…Greece? We've both wanted to go there," suggested Bastion.
"Why Greece?" asked Shadowsan, he had no objection to it, he was just curious.
"I'm an ancient world nut, I love Greek mythology, all the stories about the gods just makes it more thrilling and colourful and it's full of mysteries and culture. For Entrapta, it's all about gaining inspiration from the ancient technology and it's just a country we've always wanted to go to," said Bastion.
"Sounds like fun, let's go," said Carmen, "Player, you heard that right?"
"Copy that Red, booking tickets now," said Player.
"You guys will meet Player later, he's our white-hat hacker, our secret weapon," said Carmen.
"We're looking forward to it," said Bastion and Entrapta nodded.
It wasn't long after that that they were on the plane to Greece. The siblings shared more about themselves and Carmen shared a few things about herself. Shadowsan kept quiet but he liked the siblings. They were polite, even if Entrapta was a bit strange. They also held Chase Devineaux in high regard. Chase was enjoying being around his old friends again but he had to be careful, they were perceptive and might guess who he really is.
"So what was Devineaux like in college?" Carmen asked.
Bastion and Emily looked at each other and smiled. "We've got lots of stories, which one would you like? One of him standing up for us, one of him reaching academic heights, or one of him just hanging out with us? We have even more but we figure that those are good to start with," said Bastion.
"I think…Devineaux standing up for you," said Carmen.
"I can't wait to hear this," said Player, he'd been introduced earlier and liked the siblings instantly. They liked him too. Shadowsan nodded, he was curious about who the man Carmen had a crush on was like.
'I hope they pick a good one,' was all Chase thought. It pleased him that Carmen would get to know him through Bastion and Entrapta.
"How about the one when I was twelve and we'd just entered a new year?" suggested Entrapta.
"Sounds good to me," said Bastion. He began the tale.
Flashback
A twelve-year-old Emily was watching her fourteen-year-old brother bounce a soccer ball up and down. She was watching him admiringly while holding a notepad and pencil. The soccer ball had been modified by Emily to have a magnet inside it. Bastion was helping with her research for finding the earth's magnetic field by kicking and bouncing the ball. "Anything?" she asked. She was wearing a white shirt with the Care Bear cousin, Bright Heart Raccoon on it, and purple shorts with white socks and purple high tops. She had her hair in pigtails tied up by pink ribbons and had a pink and lilac backpack on her back.
"There's some sort of pull around here, the ball is getting heavier," Bastion informed his sister. He was wearing black jeans that cut off at the knees and a green short-sleeved shirt with black and green shoes and a watch that had the genie's face from Aladdin on it. His hair was short and spiked up slightly.
"Keep going, it's for science!" shouted Emily.
Bastion laughed but nodded, he wanted to make her happy. He kept going until he heard Emily yelp in pain. He whirled around to see his sister being held by her hair by one of the new boys. "Let my sister go!" he yelled, running over. He tried to get him to let go by grabbing onto his hand but he couldn't do anything, the boy was too big. The boy pushed him down with his free hand and laughed before kicking him in the stomach, "OW!"
"Bastion! Don't hurt my brother you big bully!" shouted Emily. "Ow!" she shouted as her hair was yanked on.
"What are you going to do about it shrimp? Babies like you don't belong here, I'm gonna send you back to the toddlers' group, where you wear diapers. Stop wriggling you little bit..." the boy never got the rest of the word out. This was because he now had a fist in his face.
"CHASE!" yelled the siblings. Their best friend and big brother in every way but blood was here. He stood tall, his brown hair messy, the blue and red goggles he wore made it even messier. He was wearing a black shirt with two diagonal red stripes on it and also wore dark blue jeans with brown boots. Chase had been trying to find his best friends when he'd heard the yelling and he'd run to the source. Seeing the young ones be bullied made Chase see red, so that was when his fist had introduced itself to the guy's face.
Chase gripped the younger man's collar, "Let Emily go or I send you to the land of men with no teeth," he threatened him. Chase's other fist was now pulled back, ready to make good on his threat. His expression was fierce and downright scary. The guy dropped Emily, she scrambled to her brother who was getting up. "If you bother Bastion and Emily again in any way other than is polite I'll break you," said Chase with a frown. He dropped the guy on his butt and glared at him. The bully ran, clutching his face in pain. "Are you two ok?" Chase turned and asked, his expression becoming concerned and his voice was gentle.
The siblings nodded, thanking him with hugs. He laughed and the three walked off to their dorm room that they shared. Bastion and Emily were quite confident that Chase would always be there when they needed him.
End flashback
"Aw," said Carmen after the story ended, "That was sweet. Devineaux sounds like he was your hero."
"He still is, he's the best friend you could ask for, he had a rough childhood but it's for him to tell you the rest," said Bastion.
Chase was grateful that Bastion and Entrapta kept their silence on that but he was delighted to hear Carmen think the story was sweet. 'Maybe once I turn back she'll let me stay with the team, Bastion and Entrapta are the only people I can count on to put in a good word for me now,' he thought.
It was a while later that they landed and stepped off the plane. "Alright, Greece!" shouted Bastion and Entrapta.
"Take it, easy guys, we should check into our hotel first," said Carmen with a grin. Chase yawned and stretched. He hated long flights. On the other paw, it gives him time to learn new tricks with Carmen. He sniffed the air, he could smell moussaka, olives and wine, and the salty sea. He had a feeling he'd like Greece.
"Where are we staying anyway?" asked Bastion. Player answered on the brand new coms that Entrapta had built, they were smaller and had a few more functions than the other ones had, like the ability to hear other conversations and to turn the volume up and down and they could turn invisible with just a small touch of a button. She'd even modified Chase's dog tag into both a tracker and a com. She was already proving her worth to the team.
"You're staying at the COCO-MAT Athens Jumelle in Athens," said Player, "I booked a suite for everyone. Bastion, you and Entrapta are sharing a room as you requested."
"Thanks, Player," he said.
"Why though? It's kind of…I mean…"
"It's because someone needs to keep an eye on my sister or who knows what she'll get up to during the night. I don't need complaints because she used the coffee machine for parts for an experiment," he said in a joking tone. "Entrapta sees the world differently from everybody else. It's a playground of wonderful inventions and things to use for science. She has a one-track mind and can be oblivious to her surroundings and other people if she's busy with a project," Bastion explained.
"So, you need to keep a constant eye on her? Isn't that um…?"
"I know what you're trying to say Player and neither of us are offended," said Bastion.
"I'm sorry, again…" said Entrapta, looking sad. "I don't really get people, I get tech and science. Our parents wanted a perfect little girl who played with dolls and liked dresses and who wasn't a social embarrassment. They got me instead. Bastion is the only one in the whole world who has always been by my side. Chase too, once he got to know me. In fact, everyone here alongside my brother and Chase are the only ones who have ever accepted me for who I am. I know I get distracted easily and I love learning about science and tech and I love building things, I know that I forget sometimes that my own actions have consequences and it may seem that that's all that matters to me but I honestly, truly care about my brother and my friends. I'd do anything to make you all happy and to be accepted by you," said Entrapta, her normally cheerful face now unhappy and solemn and she looked lonely.
"Entrapta. Your intentions are good, don't ever doubt that. I know you better than anyone in the world. I'll always be by your side, no matter what and I know that when push comes to shove; when it really counts, you're there for your friends," said Bastion, pulling her into a hug.
"But what if we're on a caper and I get distracted right when you all need me the most? You've spent your entire life looking after me. What kind of a life is that for someone like you? You should be out there being praised for your genius. I'm holding you back, I always have," said Entrapta.
"Stop thinking that Em, I won't have. Everyone needs someone to look after them, so what. I'd rather know that you're safe, healthy, and happy rather than living with the guilt of leaving you. I need you and you need me. Who else understands me like you? If it weren't for you, I'd be socially and emotionally inept, doing nothing but pandering to my own ego and I'd probably be friendless. I'd have been our parent's perfect puppet. You being born gave my life new meaning and changed me forever. So what if I need to keep an eye on you? It's fun because I get dragged into all sorts of crazy little adventures and I learn things. This new life we have will give us both opportunities to learn and grow as people. We'll both become more independent and we'll grow as people, you might be surprised at yourself. I'll never regret staying with you and so what if you don't really get people and you only really get tech and science. It's what makes you, you. My special little sister," said Bastion, hugging a now quietly crying Entrapta.
Carmen felt a lump in her throat as she tried not to cry at the heartfelt words and the love between the siblings. She knew Entrapta's faults and weaknesses but she also knew that she would do her best. Carmen wouldn't have asked her to work for her if she didn't believe that she could do it. "Entrapta, it's ok, I won't blame you if you get distracted, I learned about you over two years ago, I know what you're capable of. I can't think of anyone better to be my mechanic and more importantly, my friend," she said and she also hugged the girl.
Chase mentally smiled even though he wanted to cry at the touching words and scene. Entrapta would never willingly or directly harm anyone; unless you harmed Bastion, then the gloves came off. He was proud of the girl, she knew her faults and she still continued to do what she did because that was who she was. Each failure was a chance to learn. He knew she wouldn't let the team down. He walked over and rubbed his head against her leg to comfort her.
Shadowsan could see the honest and earnest intention to help and to be useful. He did not know the girl but he knew that he was seeing her vulnerable side. He respected her for being honest with them. He too offered some comfort to her by placing his hand on her shoulder.
"Thank you, everyone. I won't let the team down, I promise," she said, her smile was back and everyone smiled at her. They knew she wouldn't. They made their way to the hotel and then made plans for what they would see. They would be there for a week.
"So, now that everyone's unpacked, how about the 411 on Greece?" asked Player from the laptop screen.
"Go for it Player," said Carmen.
"Um…actually, can Bastion and I do this one, please, we're such Greece nuts, pretty please?" asked Entrapta.
"Sure thing Entrapta, go ahead," said Player.
"Greece is currently a country located in Southeast Europe, Athens is the largest city it has and is the capital too. Greece is considered the cradle of Western civilization, being the birthplace of democracy, Western philosophy, Western literature, historiography, political science, major scientific and mathematical principles, Western drama, and the Olympic Games," she said and looked to her brother who took over seamlessly for her.
"The end of the Dark Ages is traditionally dated to 776 BC, the year of the first Olympic Games. The Iliad and the Odyssey, the foundational texts of Western literature, are believed to have been composed by Homer in the 7th or 8th centuries BC. Led by Athens and Sparta, the Greek victories in the Greco-Persian Wars are considered a pivotal moment in world history, as the 50 years of peace that followed are known as the Golden Age of Athens, the seminal period of ancient Greek development that laid many of the foundations of Western civilization."
"That's the history tour but when you want to go on a tour of famous places the first stop is Mt Olympus, said home to the Greek Gods and is the highest mountain in Greece. Other things to see are popular beaches in Crete, Rhodes, and Kos, to name a few," said Carmen.
"That's right Red, let's not forget the spas and thermal springs. Greece has 752 thermosprings. Many have been classified as therapeutic by the National Institute for Geographical and Mineral Research. Several of them were known and exploited already since antiquity," said Player.
"Greece is filled with history and things to do, so whether you're here for a vacation or to study the ancient past there's something for everyone," Carmen finished off. This information made Chase wonder if they'd ever see Miss Argent in Greece.
"So where should we go first?" asked Carmen.
"Oh, oh, oh, oh, me, me!" shouted Entrapta, waving her hand. Chase was thoroughly amused but not surprised.
"Ok, Entrapta, where do you want to go?" asked Camren with a laugh.
"The Ancient Agora Museum in here in Athens! They had the Water Clocks there! I wanna see some ancient technology! Please, please, please!" she begged. Everyone laughed at her enthusiasm but no one objected. Even Shadowsan had a small smile at seeing her enthusiasm.
Their vacation began. For the first four days, things were great, they visited Mt Olympus where Bastion went all fanboy over and regaled them with tales about the gods, they ate at wonderful restaurants, enjoying the local cuisine. Seeing Greek Fire was an eye-opener and they took a boat to see the other famous sites like the Temple of Poseidon and the Ancient Olympic Stadium alongside the Lion Gate in Mycenae, Peloponnese, and the Minoan palace in Knossos, Crete. They also caught a movie and took the time to relax on the beach. Chase was very happy to make a game of playing bark and run with the waves and Camren threw sticks for him to fetch and he got her wet by shaking himself all over her, making her laugh. He also was taught how to 'Hug,' and 'Play Dead.' Every day though, he and Carmen carefully practised his stealing techniques.
It was on the fifth day that things changed with Player informing the group that a V.I.L.E. operative was seen being dropped off near the National Archaeological Museum.
"Great," barked Chase, who was annoyed, this was meant to be a vacation. He was also in the middle of some serious training with Carmen, she had slowly been teaching how to count and spell. He'd managed to master numbers one to five, he could tap his paw and bark. Carmen was using meat rubbed onto small wooden letters to teach him to spell, so far he could spell everyone's names in the team, danger, and steal. He was tired from all the work as his dog's body was growing rapidly and he was trying to manage a lot of things at a time. His thievery as a dog had gotten better, he could now easily steal a wallet and not be detected. He could also steal other small things and could finally tell the difference between real and fake. He could also sniff out the real thing when Carmen hid it. But now their vacation had been interrupted.
"Ok, it's not ideal but this works out, it'll allow our new recruits to get their hands dirty and show us what they can do in the field," said Carmen.
"That's the only advantage to this interruption!" barked Chase crossly.
"Easy there Chase, I know, but you might be able to use your newly acquired skills too," said Carmen, petting him. He felt better after she said that.
"Check this out!" shouted Entrapta. Everyone walked over to the young genius. "I've created a cube!" It was indeed a shiny black cube.
"What does it do?" asked Shadowsan with a raised eyebrow.
"Watch!" she said before speaking into a rectangle that was the same colour as the cube. "Activate cat mode!" then the cube somehow formed itself into a black cat. "Tada! Now watch this! Active bird mode!" the cat shifted into a bird that looked like a raven.
"Woah!" said Carmen.
"Sis, you've done it again," said Bastion looking proud.
"I… am very impressed," said Shadowsan.
"This cube is made of highly advanced material that I created from other materials that can reconstruct itself into the shapes that I've programmed into it. Right now there's only a cat and a raven form, anything else would be too complex. However, the cube's programming ensures that they act just like real animals. They've both got the same features of recording things with their eyes and in the cat's case, also its ears. They can send out distress signals, have maps of whatever place we're in, can connect to our earpieces and to these brand new clear contacts I created so that we can see what they're seeing, just in case Player isn't around. They've got USB ports in their mouth and beak and cables too. They can also…actually, this part is easier to demonstrate. Hang on, I'm going into the other room."
A few minutes later, "Hello everyone," Entrapta's voice coming from the raven's beak. "Testing, testing, do you read me? If you do, someone please touch the feather that's sticking up on the raven's head," came Entrapta's voice.
Carmen was about to do as Entrapta said but Chase wanted to experience this, so he pretended to look for Entrapta by sniffing at the bird, he played with the feather and barked happily.
"Oh, hello Chase. I'm glad to see that it works for you just like it would work for everyone else," said Entrapta.
"Entrapta this is brilliant," said Carmen, marvelling at the technology.
"Thanks, she said, coming back into the room. "It's still a work in progress, for example, I haven't been able to get it to survive in cold weather yet, and it shivers and shakes and regresses back into its cube form. The same thing happens with severe heat. I haven't been able to check if it works in rainy weather since it's been so sunny but I'll get to it, that's what makes this so much fun and so fascinating, there's always room for improvement!"
"That's my sister for you," said Bastion proudly. Entrapta smiled and then handed out the new contact lenses to everyone except Chase.
"These will allow you, as I said, to see what my cubimals see, just blink three times and say the activation phrase, "Cat/raven, looking through your eyes and then you'll see what they see. The cat is better to use at night since I've equipped it with night vision."
"Entrapta, you are a genius, there's no way that anyone of us could have thought of something like this, let alone build it," praised Carmen. Entrapta blushed at the praise.
"Thanks, I'm just trying to do my part as a member of the team, I want to contribute," she said.
She got a big hug from Carmen, "You are, Emily, you are." Chase barked and jumped up and down. He even gave Entrapta a hug when she kneeled down to pet him. "Chase definitely likes you and Bastion for more than he ever liked Zack and Ivy," Carmen laughed as Chase jumped up and down in front of Bastion, who laughed and hugged him. Shadowsan said nothing.
"Well, now that we've seen what Entrapta can do for us, let's start," said Player with a smile.
"Right, what's the museum got that they would steal?" asked Carmen.
"Lots of things, like this mask, the Mask of Agamemnon, a gold funeral mask, dated 1550–1500 BC," said Player.
"Agamemnon was a king who fought in the Trojan War and survived," said Bastion. "Legends make him the king of Mycenae or Argos, thought to be different names for the same area. When Menelaus's wife, Helen, was taken to Troy by Paris, Agamemnon commanded the united Greek armed forces in the ensuing Trojan War. Upon Agamemnon's return from Troy, he was killed (according to the oldest surviving account, Odyssey) by Aegisthus, the lover of his wife Clytemnestra. In old versions of the story, the scene of the murder, is usually the house of Aegisthus, and it involves an ambush and the deaths of Agamemnon's followers as well. In some later versions of the story, Clytemnestra herself does the killing, or she and Aegisthus do it together, killing Agamemnon in his own home."
"Brutal," said Carmen.
"The mask, made from real gold was discovered at the ancient Greek site of Mycenae and has been described as the Mona Lisa of Prehistory," said Bastion.
"Ancient Greek nut," said Entrapta teasingly with a smile.
"Little tech nut," he replied, just as teasingly with his own gentle smile.
"Ok crew, here's how it's going to work, we stake out the museum for tonight, Bastion, you're with me. Entrapta will guide the cat, Shadowsan, you're with Entrapta. Player, you'll take out the security," said Carmen.
"What about me?!" Chase barked, looking cross that he'd been left out.
"Oh Chase, don't worry, you'll be with me of course, I would never leave you out. I thought it was obvious," said Camren petting him, "We'll hopefully get to see your new tricks in action," and Chase felt happy again. Everyone put their hands and paw in a circle, to reaffirm that this was it, the first caper of the New Team Red.
"I have his new harness ready. I just need to have his collar for a moment. But here's the leg strap pocket bag you asked for Carmen," said Entrapta, handing Carmen a red strap-on pocket bag.
"Thanks. Hold still Chase," she said.
He barked in confusion but he did as she asked, his collar was taken off and handed to Entrapta and then Carmen strapped the pocket bag on his left leg. It was deep and the top flap had a magnet so it snapped shut automatically. Carmen showed Chase a small diamond. "Keep safe," she said and he took it in his mouth. Then Carmen placed a dog treat in the pocket bag, "Keep safe," she said, guiding his head while he still had the diamond in it.
'Oh, I get it,' he thought and dropped the diamond into the bag while getting the treat. He crunched it up slowly and Carmen looked pleased and praised him and gave him something else, a wallet, to 'keep safe'. He put it in his bag and then looked at Carmen, wagging his tail. "How about that huh?" he barked with pride.
"I'd say Chase has got it," said Bastion with a grin.
"Good boy Chase, I knew you could do it," praised Carmen. She was very proud of him.
"Ok, I've modified Chase's collar, here you go," said Entrapta. Carmen put his collar back on and looked at Entrapta.
"So how does it work?"
"It was tough but I figured out how to do it. The harness is made up of the same material as Cat and Raven, only woven with thread as well. It'll, upon voice command and a bark from Chase, your voice specifically unless you or I give the override command. It'll create a harness like his previous smaller one only it'll be able to do several things. It's easier to explain if you see it. Just say Chase, Thief Form and Chase has to bark right afterwards," said Entrapta.
"Ok, Chase, Thief Form!" said Carmen and he barked. A red harness formed around him, a backpack forming on his back on the straps and what could be called armor was now protecting his chest. There was a yellow and black button in the middle of the armor too. "Woah, this is amazing!" exclaimed Carmen. Shadowsan's eyes were wide and Bastion was grinning. Player was watching with his mouth open.
"The backpack holds a glider just like yours but you can also call for the parachute function, both voice and bark activated. It also holds his block letters and a smokescreen ball. The chest armor will protect him from things like kicks and poison darts but not bullets, the material isn't strong enough, not this version of it anyway. The button on his chest is a voice and bark activated grapple hook. Just say Glider Mode, Parachute Mode or Grapple Mode, it's easy," said Entrapta. "I also added a distress signal to his dog tag, activated with three barks and a whine if you're not around or unconscious Carmen," she said with a smile.
"You've thought of everything. Thank you Entrapta," she said hugging the girl.
"No problem. Oh, Chase will just have to scratch the backpack on the left side for the block letters and scratch it on the right side to get the smoke bomb ball. He needs to pick it up and crack it with his teeth before tossing it on the ground in order to activate it. It's easy, so he'll get it." Chase was pleased to hear all of this, it made him so much more useful to Carmen on capers. He was quickly taught how to use his new gadgets and then Bastion drove them to the museum. Bastion and Entrapta went in as tourists to gather intel on all the possible exhibits that could be stolen.
"Bastion, can I do this tonight?" asked Entrapta, looking at the exhibits.
"You're afraid huh? Afraid of messing up and getting distracted?" and she nodded.
"I'm afraid too, it's our first job with Carmen, you're staying with Shadowsan, he'll keep you focused, you have it easy though, I'm out in the field with Carmen. I'm afraid that I'll be the one to mess up," he confessed.
"You're Bastion, you never mess up and even if you do you always make it work for you, to your advantage," said Entrapta.
"Everyone is scared sometimes, remember how nervous we both were going to college so early?" Entrapta nodded. "This is a similar situation regarding the fact that we're both scared. But I remember some wise words that you say all the time, imperfection is beautiful and we're both failures. I know I don't seem like one but I have my faults like everyone else, my temper being one of the biggest, especially when you get hurt," he said. She nodded, knowing that Bastion's temper was legendary among those who had seen it. Bastion looked at his sister, he knew that she was slightly autistic, demonstrating several behaviours on the autism scale but she was perfectly imperfect, just like him and he wouldn't have his sister any other way.
Several hours later
"Everyone ready?" Carmen asked through the new coms. They all replied yes. Chase stood next to Carmen and sniffed, already searching for their target. He was wearing the most adorable red beret that Entrapta made him, saying that he and Carmen should match. Bastion was dressed in a black stealth suit with, black and yellow backpack, yellow choker, yellow-lined gloves, a yellow utility belt and yellow boot laces. "Let's go, Chase, let's go Bastion," and Carmen started running across the roofs. Chase raced after her, it had been a while since he'd been on a caper, not since Japan and he hadn't been racing across rooftops then. In fact, the last time he'd raced across rooftops was his first caper, the Rio one. Well, he was bigger and stronger now, he could handle the jumps between rooftops more easily. "Player, how're we doing?" Carmen asked. Bastion was easily keeping up with her and Chase.
"The three of you are doing great Red, you're a minute away," reported Player.
"According to the data I'm getting from the world's smallest camera's I planted in the museum earlier, which are connected to Catra, the operative in question is a 5'5, 24-year-old African male with dreadlocks and wears street clothes that you'd find on a street dancer," reported Entrapta, she was holding what she called a datapad, it was purple, and she invented it years ago. It allowed her to do a lot of things.
"Catra?" Carmen asked.
"She names her stuff, the black cat is now called Catra, I called the Raven, Skulduggery, just call him Skull," said Bastion.
"Enough of this, what else can you tell us?" said Shadowsan, getting the conversation back on track.
"The guy is heading towards the Mask of Agamemnon," reported Entrapta. "He's also holding a boom box. Fascinating. Can you ask him why he does that?"
"Why?" asked Carmen.
"Compiling data on the subject or subjects in question is important. Data enables us to understand things better and see any differences at a later point in which the subject is the point of interest again," Entrapta explained.
"Ok, if I get the chance, I'll ask him," said Carmen.
"Carmen," whispered Bastion who was looking at a yellow datapad in his hands, "The boom box is not a normal boom box, the data I'm getting from it, it indicates that it has special features, I'm not sure what though."
"It's good enough to know that; good job, both of you," said Carmen. She saw 'Catra' scan the man again from behind and the rest of the data appeared on Entrapta's datapad.
"Name: George Williams, Codename: Beat Box, Nationality: American, Works for: V.I.L.E.," said Entrapta, there was other information but none of it was important. The three inside the museum nodded and followed Beat Box.
He was going for the mask. "You know, it's not very nice to steal a king's mask," came Carmen's voice and he turned around. "Yo, you must be CS, the bird causing us V.I.L.E. agents all the trouble. You need to chill yo, come back to VILE and enjoy the chaotic vibe we bring to the world man," he said.
Carmen's face was blank, and she looked at Bastion, "What did he say?"
"He identified you as Carmen Sandiego and basically said come back to V.I.L.E., your actions are killing the mood, and he called you a bird, a rather unsavoury term for a woman in my book," said Bastion. He was frowning and Chase was growling non-stop.
"You understand me brother, let's ditch the lame dame and paint the town red," said Beat Box.
"Oh, do shut up, you're giving me a headache," snapped Bastion.
"I have no idea what he's talking about," said Carmen.
"Enough talk; let's feel the beat!" said Beat Box, putting down his boom box and pressing the play button. Rap music started playing and Beat Box started dancing, there was definitely some Kung Fu mixed into his dance moves. Carmen aimed a punch, but he dodged right out of the way and got his own punch in.
"Why you little…!" barked Chase who leapt forward and attempted to bite him.
"Close dog, but no cigar," said Beat Box. Chase growled. It went on like this for a while and Bastion was becoming frustrated.
"That's it!" he shouted and aimed for one of his knees.
"Woah!" yelled Beat Box, dancing out of the way, a little frazzled because of the attack.
"I've figured it out!" said Entrapta. "It's the boom box, if it builds up enough energy by playing then it'll release a sonic wave that'll send all of you flying. You have to destroy the box!"
"Got it, Bastion, you threw him off his game with by aiming for his knee, distract him, Chase, just in case, I want you to guard to mask. I'll get the boom box," said Carmen, laying out the plan.
Meanwhile, Entrapta was talking to Player, "You need to hack the boom box, just in case their plan doesn't work."
"I'm on it Entrapta," said Player. Shadowsan was grateful that Entrapta was on the team but he did have to hold her down to prevent her from joining in.
"They can handle it, you would not want to make things complicated for them, would you?" he asked. He was impressed that she felt so strongly about needing to help them but in this situation, it was best to stay where she was.
"No, it wouldn't but can't help but worry about them Shadowsan. However, I can help in my own way. Catra, initiate USB link to the boom box," ordered Entrapta. The cat obeyed and connected her tail to the boom box. "Player can you hack it?" she asked.
"I'm on it, Emily. One second…I'm in," said Player.
"Disable the sonic wave program, I'm going to give Bastion an edge," said Entrapta and Shadowsan watched as the Hacker and the Genius of the team worked together. He could help but feel pleased about the teamwork he was seeing. "Come in Bastion, get ready for a new sound," said Entrapta.
"Got it!" said Bastion who was trying to fight Beat Box. Carmen was trying to get close to the boom box and Chase was growling and snapping while standing in front of the mask, not letting Beat Box get to it. The music changed to a Tox Box song, Butterfly. It totally threw off Beat Box, who stumbled.
"Yo, you changin' my beats? Not cool dude and dudette," he said, looking angry.
"Two words bro 'dance fight!'" said Bastion, those words threw Beat Box off and Bastion got him with a right hook across the jaw. It was all Carmen needed to finally pick up the boom box and throw it against the wall.
"NO!" he shouted. This allowed Bastion to strike him with a left hook and then gave him a punch to the stomach before using a roundhouse kick to knock him out.
"Nice work Bastion," said Carmen who had opened the case with the mask in it. "Chase, steal," she said.
Chase reared up and gently took the mask in his mouth and presented it to Carmen, "Good boy," she said, petting him before putting the mask in a bag.
"Um, why did you do that? You were right there," asked Bastion.
"I wanted to see how much weight he could hold and to see how gentle he could be with a rare artifact, this was a test for him just as much as it was for you and Entrapta," she explained. Sirens wailed outside. "Time to go," and she said the activation phrase for Chase's grappling hook. He was launched up onto the balcony and Carmen followed, telling Bastion to improvise his way out. He nodded and ran off. Carmen smiled.
Chase felt very proud of his friend and how they'd handled the situation, he'd known they could do it. 'Great job guys,' he thought as he escaped with Carmen. The police would find Beat Box but not the mask, not yet anyway. He soared through the sky with Carmen, thoroughly enjoying the feeling of being her partner and the feeling of the wind ruffling his fur.
They rendezvous later at the hotel where Carmen praised both Bastion and Entrapta for their hard work and contributions to the caper. "I know that you're our driver Bastion, but I had to see what you were capable of in the field, you never know when the driver will be pulled into a fight," said Carmen when Bastion asked her why she'd brought him into the museum with her and Chase. "I also wanted to see if you could think on your feet, nice way of getting out, using the vents, I'm impressed," she complimented him.
"Thanks, Carmen," said Bastion, and he and Entrapta hugged each other, they'd been tested and had passed with flying colours.
"Shadowsan, Chase, and I will be in the field mainly but you two will have to do so as well when needed, so just prepare yourself for any possible situation," Carmen warned and Chase barked, wagging his tail.
"We understand Carmen," said the siblings with wide smiles.
"by the way Entrapta, sorry I didn't ask Beat Box about his boom box," said Carmen.
"It's fine, I got a ton of data from Catra about it anyway," she said cheerfully, sitting on her hair and fiddling with her datapad.
Caren smiled and looked at Shadowsan and Chase, 'Yes, the team is better than it was before,' she thought, drawing Chase to her and even Shadowsan smiled at the siblings. Player grinned from the laptop and everyone was certain that their capers would be even better now and that would make it harder for V.I.L.E.
"Now this is a team I can get behind," barked Chase while wagging his tail, everyone grinned and he knew that V.I.L.E.'s days were numbered.
Xxxxx
Yes – learned
No – learned
Sit – learned
Stay – learned
Shake – learned
Stand – learned
Speak – learned
Hush – learned
Lie down – learned
Come when whistling – learned
Beg – learned semi-automatically
Heel – learned automatically
Please – learned automatically with beg
Hello – learned automatically with shake.
High five – learned
Dance – learned
Roll over – learned
Jump – learned
Fetch – learned
Crawl – learned
Take it, bring it, find it and leave it – learned
Limp – learned
Spin – learned
Open/close door – learned
Leash – learned
Attack- learned
Catch – learned
Guard/Protect – learned
Walk back- learned
Bow – learned
Jump rope/hoop- learned
Weave – learned
Hug – learned
Play dead – learned.
Keep safe – learned
Kiss – learned
Count/Spell – in progress
Steal – in progress
Bang - not yet
Xxxxx
I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter.
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