San Francisco

Azalea and Michael watched people rush by them, looking for loved
ones, others trying to catch their flights.

"I keep forgetting how much a phone call costs these days," Azalea
commented, watching as a woman counted change from her purse.

"Well, it's 2024. America ain't no superpower, Azalea," Michael
answered. "Come on, let's contact Ryan so he won't stress if we got to San
Fran in one piece."

Azalea took out the envelop and opened it, making sure not to let the
two-thousand-dollar check expose to other people. Having so much money would
mean Azalea and Michael were dead.

Handing the number to Michael, he slipped a few coins into the phone
and punched in the number. "Hello, Ryan? We made it to San Fran. We're still
in one piece. Now how are we gonna survive in San Fran?" Michael asked.

"I have a friend, her name's Linda Loesson," Ryan answered. "I
already told her you guys are staying at her house."

"Okay. What's her addy?" Michael asked.

"2424 Lombard Street. It's a big Victorian style house. You shouldn't
miss it," Ryan said.

"Thanks." Michael muttered, hanging up. He turned to Azalea, who was
looking at people board their flights. "Azalea, Ryan said we're meeting with
a woman named Linda Loesson. She's a pal of his."

"Sure." Azalea hailed a taxi and tossed the suitcases in the trunk of
the taxi. "Take us to 2424 Lombard Street, if you don't mind."

**********

Lombard Street

"This house feels like deja vu," Azalea said.

"No kidding." Michael stared at the house. A woman stepped out of the
house and walked over to the two.

"You must be Azalea and Michael. I'm Linda. Ryan told me to let you
guys in for the night." the woman said.

"Yeah. What's with the ramp?" Michael asked.

"It's for my daughter. She was paralyzed from the waist down in a car
accident 5 years ago. Come on, the sun's starting to set." Linda turned
around and walked back into the house, Azalea and Michael following her.

Once inside, Linda took the two upstairs to a room with two bare
mattresses. "You can put whatever you want in on the empty shelf," she said,
pointing it out on the wall. "I'm sorry we don't have separate rooms for
you."

"No, it's alright, Ms. Loesson," Michael said, throwing his suitcase
on one of the mattresses.

"Call me Linda," Linda said. Then she left.

A young girl in a wheelchair saw Michael and Azalea come in. "Azalea?
Michael?" she asked, wheeling herself into the bedroom.

"You must be Linda's daughter," Azalea replied.

"Name's Isabel. How old are you guys?"

"I'm 17, Azalea's 15 and a half," Michael answered.

"I'm nine. How come you're here?"

"We fled from our boarding school." Azalea felt that using the term
boarding school was much safer than asylum. "Our teachers were pretty bad."

"Dinner!" Linda's voice shouted.

"Well, I guess I'll be heading toward the elevator." Isabel started
wheeling away.

"What elevator?" Michael asked.

"It's at the far end. You can come with me if you want. I can't use
the stairs because of my wheelchair," Isabel explained. "Mom had to get it
installed when we got into a car wreck five years ago. It was pretty
expensive too."

After the elevator they went to the kitchen, which was cramped with
several people Azalea and Michael didn't recognize, aside from Linda.

"I know, it's pretty cramped but we're allow to eat anywhere we
want." Isabel explained. "Come on, I wanna see what's on TV." She grabbed a
plate and wheeled herself to the living room, where the TV was on and more
people were eating.

Azalea was about to grab a plate when she noticed a large photograph
near the entrance to the living room. Getting a closer look, she saw four
people and two babies. On a corner someone had written, "Zack, Irene, Ivy,
and Thomas at Disneyland. The babies are Azalea and Michael. December 25,
2008."

"Aren't you hungry?" Michael asked, chowing down some spaghetti.

"Mike, take a look at the photograph. Do you notice anything funny?"
Azalea asked back.

"Hmmm..." Michael looked at the picture. "Other than the babies who
have our names, nothing else."

"But Mike, look at the four people." Azalea took out her locket and
opened it, comparing the pictures inside to the photograph. Looking back and
and forth, something struck her.

"Are you looking at the photograph? You're blocking me," Isabel
called out.

Azalea and Michael looked behind them and saw an impatient-looking
Isabel. "Sorry. We'll get out of your way," Michael muttered.

"No, actually, it was because you guys were staring at that picture
for some time now," Isabel said.

"You know who these people are?" Azalea asked.

"Mom has a photo album. But she doesn't tell me much about them. Same
with Dad." Isabel answered.

"Can we see the album?" Michael asked.

"I don't see why not." Isabel wheeled herself to a bookcase and took
out an old, burgundy-colored album. Settling it in her lap, she gently opened
the cover of the album, with various photos. "I bet they're friends of Mom.
Maybe that's why she won't tell me more about them."

"'Zack and Ivy with Detective of the Year 2005 award.'" Azalea read
the caption. "Maybe that's a reason why your mom isn't telling you."

"'Zack and Ivy with baby Amy,'" Michael read another one. "I wonder
who's Amy."

"Amy's my older sister. She's away in college right now." Isabel
explained.


Linda noticed the three looking over the photo album. "Keenan, don't
you recognize anything?" she asked.

"No, what is it?" Keenan asked back.

"It's those two newcomers...do you think they're Zack and Ivy's
kids?"

"Maybe. But it's not possible. The babies could never have survived
the massacre, honey."

"Something tells me they are the kids, love..."

**********

Night

Linda crept into Michael and Azalea's room, silently. Kneeling down
to Azalea, she saw the girl's medium-length blond hair, small stature...the
moonlight caught something glittering around Azalea's neck, catching Linda's
eye as well.

Fingering the chain, Linda found the clasp and gently took the
necklace off, hoping it wouldn't wake Azalea. But Azalea just simply stirred,
and continued to sleep.

Linda turned the locket over and saw two hearts and a few branches on
the cover. 'It's Ivy's locket,' Linda realized. Opening the locket, she saw a
redhaired lady and brunette man smiling back at her. 'Ivy and Thomas...'
Quickly she slipped the locket back around Azalea's neck, and went to
Michael's bed.

A small photograph stuck out from Michael's pillow. Linda gently
pulled it out and looked at it. 'Zack and Irene--where did he get this?' she
thought. Putting the photo back under the pillow, Linda quickly and
noiselessly made a beeline back to Keenan and her bedroom.

**********

May 15, 2024
San Francisco

Linda sat in her kitchen, sipping coffee.

"Hi sis." Ruth sat across from her. "You're up early today."

"There's something about those two kids," Linda answered.

"That blond girl and redhead boy? What about them?" Ruth asked.

"Last night I went to their room. The redhead has a picture of Zack
and Irene while the girl has Ivy's locket."

Ruth looked at Linda. "You snooped in their room?"

"Ruth, those two look so much like Zack and Ivy. It's as if our
cousins reincarnated into their only children."

"What are we going to do about it?"

"Tell them the truth. Ruth, don't you understand? Ryan told me these
two kids were orphans, after being freed from the horrible Asylum they were
in. Not since the terrorists killed most of our family and wiped out Acme 15
years ago, Zack and Ivy included. I'm surprised Mike and Azalea somehow
survived."

**********

Azalea, Michael, and Linda were all alone. Everyone else had gone
out.

"Azalea, Michael...there's, um...something I have to tell you guys,"
Linda said.

"What is it? Is Lydexter onto us?" Azalea asked.

"No, it's not that. It's because...um...youtwoarerelatedtoeachother,"
Linda answered in a rush.

Michael blinked. "Say that again."

"You and Azalea are related to each other."

"Is this a joke?" Azalea demanded.

"No. You see that photo?" Linda pointed to the Disneyland picture.

"That's us when we were babies?" Michael asked.

"Yes. Zack and Irene were your parents. Ivy was your dad's sister."

"We were related to each other all this time...but why were we
separated into different orphanages?" Azalea asked.

"Story goes that two of Zack and Ivy's friends from Acme found you
two alive and took care of you until they themselves died of unknown reasons.
Because no one was willing to adopt the two of you together, Michael was sent
to an all-boys orphanage in Oakland. You were taken to an all-girls orphanage
in Alaska. It's unconfirmed, and those who know the true story are sworn not
to tell it to anyone," Linda said.

"What happened to Mom and Dad?" Michael asked.

"They died in a family reunion 15 years ago with Ivy and Thomas."

"Where did Mom and Uncle Zack work?" Azalea asked.

"They worked at the then-famous Acme Detective Agency. They spent
their whole lives trying to catch Carmen Sandiego, who was the world's famous
thief back then. But since the terrorists and Wall Street crash, Carmen's
gone into hiding. Every other detective who worked at Acme are either dead,
disappeared, or sent into exile."

"Is there a map from the 2000s? I want to know more about the
upheaval." Michael said.

**********

Acme (Or what's left of it)

"'Detective of the Year 1985: Carmen Sandiego.' I keep forgetting
Carmen was once a famous detective." Michael said.

"'Detective of the Year 1994: Jasmine...' I can't read what's the
last name for this detective," Azalea noted.

"'Detectives of the Decade 2000: Zack and Ivy.' I wonder how come
their last names were never mentioned on this one," Michael said.

"'Detectives of the Year 2005: Zack and Ivy Darren.' I'll hafta agree
with you on the Decade award, Mike," Azalea answered.

"I can't believe all this rubble was once the greatest law
enforcement agency in the world in Dad's past," Michael murmured, kicking
some pieces of debris. "Hey, what's this?" Michael picked up a CD that was
buried in the rubble before he had kicked it.

"Strange..." Azalea took out her laptop and settled it on a sturdy
block of concrete. Inserting the CD in, she typed something...and a pink
floating screen suddenly appeared in front of the two.

"What in the world?" Michael asked.

"I'M FREE!!!!" a disembodied head shouted. Then he looked around him.
"WHAT'S HAPPENED TO ACME?!"