London London

Competition is the struggle for possession of reward which are in limited supply-money, goods, status, power, love-anything. It may be formally defined as the process of seeking to obtain a reward by surpassing all rivals. It is based on the fact that all people can never satisfy all thier desires. Sociology-Third Edition Western Michigan University

London, England ( GMT ) The British Museum

Kali hated these first moments. There was always a question in the back of her mind, it was a time when she could still turn back and decide against going any further with the preconcieved notions of illegal activity. If she could just walk away and just forget it ever happened....

The crackle across her headset jarred her thoughts back to the reality of the situation, and back to the task she had been sent to do. Funny, how Jerard seemed to press the issue of continuing with this mad scheme of his, but sent her to do the dirty work. It would even be tolerable if only he didn't insist on speaking to her in that deep softened tone. There were times when that voice could be filled with a sickening honey sweet sarcasm, and suddenly turn so ice cold and cruel it sent a chill of terror down her spine.

"Kali? What's taking so long? I don't pay you to sleep on the job. Especially at a crucial moment like this. Give me an update."

"You want it done any faster? Get your pompous ego down here and do it yourself! You think rewiring the entire museum security system is such a cakewalk, maybe you should be here watching this."

"Perhaps you're right. I'll be there in two minutes."

Kalista growled under her breath and began to regret her invitation. The one thing she didn't need was Jida breathing down her neck over such matters. The circuitry was designed slightly different from others she had encountered, but no alarms had sounded and there weren't any security personnel rushing to the scene, so obviously, she was doing it right. Her employer acted as though the request to break into one of the most secure systems ever rigged in a museum was as a simply as making a cup of coffee. With a quick sparking of foreign wiring, she attached two alligator clamps to the last of the wires, creating a parallel path and took a deep breath. As a last thought, she cut the line to the dialer completely. In the event that anything would go wrong, it would take longer for the authorities to be notified. Now, to see if it worked...

She turned and jumped with a startled gasp, and whispered with a growl,

"Stop doing that to me! How long have you been here?" Jida merely crossed his arms with an irritated glare, the violet half cape around his shoulders rustling softly against the blackened silhouette.

"Are you ready yet? I was under the misunderstanding that we were in a hurry..."Kali pulled out a cigarette and smiled,

"Oh, and waste a perfect evening like this? And I was just starting to enjoy myself..." He gave her a sharp look, walking past her and toward the side entry.

"I thought you gave that up...I mean, if you want to die young you could always take up armed robbery..."

She walked beside him, paused before the doorway, and exhaled across the threshold. Within the particles of smoke one could see the tiny blue glare of laser beams, cutting lengthwise in a complex web of light. She then threw the cigarette to the ground with a smile and replied,

"Oh? And give up this dead end job? Now, listen carefully. The path I created for you will glow blue, but anything red means stop. You have exactly eight minutes to get in, five to take care of business, and three to run. The last of the lines for the marble piece are ready, all we have to do is finish creating an opening big enough to lift this thing through and we're done. You get to distract Sandiego if she decides to show up."

"Oh, she will, I'm certain of it." Kali shook her head as she leaned against cold grey brick behind her and let out an exasperated sigh,

"I still don't understand why you're going through with this. You have plenty of professionals who could have handled this alone..." He turned to face her, his dark orange eyes narrowed and glinting an almost red hue in the sparse moonlight,

"...I have to do this. How do you expect me to equal the competition if I'm not willing to come face to face with danger myself? " His face showed a profile of complete confidence, but when his coppery eyes met hers, Kali could see a faint glimmer of doubt as well as fear. But the look quickly shifted as he smiled and added,

"No need to worry, the odds are planned in our favor." She just nodded and apprehensively watched as Jida retreated into the darkness.

He flipped the half visor down over his left eye, now visualising the color coded pathway created for him. There was a slight nervousness as he passed through the blue threads of light. No alarm. Kali was one of the best...

He followed the beams to the main room on the second floor, across from the room a diplay designated to a marble tablet once stood. The scene depicted on the marble frieze was the hunt of a lioness, discovered by the famous Henry Layard along with the ruins of a before undiscovered captitol of Assyria. At the time, no one had cared or recognised the importance of this find, indeed, the native people themselves occasionally found such pieces and ground them down to use as a plaster base. But this particular scene was only one of a series of such artifacts, many of which had been preserved by private collectors and later donated to museums around the world. Back then, who would have thought these pieces would fetch the highest prices ever paid for such exquisite antiquities? Once believed to be the very visions of Ezekiel, half human and half animal forms, outdating pivotal finds such as the Elgin Marbles and the very pyramids of Giza...

But these relics were more than just a costly prize to be plucked from the grasp of legality for Jida von Chera Jerard. No, they were much more, almost symbolic in meaning. A meaning beyond the simple musings of a common criminal. The Assyrians had been known for thier ruthlessness and cunning, conquering many people in the wake of battle. And while they weren't known for attributing anything original in art, they adopted the styles of each of the cultures they conquered, improving on what was taken from others.

It was then that another display caught his fancy, and he decided abruptly that since he was already there, he was going to utilise this free time constructively. ,p He reached into the black leather pouch and withdrew a small steel cylindrical device. With a simple touch of a blue button positioned along the side and turned his attentions to a metal and glass display case. A thin red laser light permeated the disc-wafer lock without tripping the proximity alarm attached beside it, with a considerable amount of skill exerted merely in keeping a steady hand. Jida had experience with this sort of circumstance before, years ago when he was still young and prying into the secret files his father had kept away from public eyes. Something was even strangely reminescent to all the times he had stole away from the boarding schools, lurking far into the darkness until he once again returned only to understand no one has noticed his abscence. Yet something felt different, enough to sway the usually impassive mood he had come to display whether he was nervous or not.

It was then that a familiar form stepped from the darkened shadows, almost intrusive and aggressively confident despite it's grace. From the limit of Jida's vision he could barely see, but something inside of him told him he was not alone.

At first glance, Carmen wasn't sure what to think of this situation. ,p Surely, this new adversary had bargained for more than he could handle. The clue had been more than just obvious, it had also been mocking. She observed a moment in an undisturbed silence, somehow amused by the cold eccentricity and mannerism one would not expect to find at the scene of a crime in progress. Black, purple and gold...not only was he bold, but consistent. She sighed for a moment at the seeming foolhardiness this new competitor showed, but there had been several before him. And all had failed, miserably. It was time to start this little dance, the sooner it began, the sooner it would end. A familiar thought echoed in her mind, an analysis of an obvious theme, and she wondered why he concentrated upon similiar artifacts. Well, that wasn't a first either, she remembered a certain vengeful adversary who was preoccupied with the sea...

Her voice stated calmly yet in an obviously displeased intonation,

"The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold, and his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold. "

Jida looked up with a feigned look of astonishment, which faded to a smug grin,

"Ah, Lord Byron from "The Destruction of Sennecherib". I was thinking of something more along the lines of "She walks in Beauty." Carmen seemed unnerved by his quick response, and assessed the scene within her mind. Two possible exits, one already inactivated. She smiled calmly as she walked in front of the

easiest route of escape yet retaining a poised aura of sang froid, "Is that your attempt at flattery?"

Mentally, Jida saw the ploy. How easy, how educated the move had seemed.Had it been anyone far less calculating, it would have appeared almost taunting Carmen thought she could block him from an obvious exit. How easily she had underestimated him. Jida did his best to suppress another grin, placing a hand over his heart,

"Really, Carmen, I would love to recite the poem in full, but this is a robbery in progress, not a poetry reading. My deepest apologies for the lack of civility, I should hope a thief as yourself sympathetic to the need for urgency in such matters." A small laugh escaped her,as her eyes narrowing slightly,

"You should not have invited me if you expected sympathy, given the current circumstances. I don't take the audacity one must possess to steal in my good name lightly."

"That was a misunderstanding on ACMEs part. Surely you can't convict me for the preconceived notions of others! By the way, I read your dossier. I'm quite impressed by your work." An almost cynical sneer replaced her previous demeanor,

"Then you should know about my previous career and how I dealt with those with no respect for the law." He sighed and leaned forward, taking great care to show he was not affected by her words, controlling the strange excitement he felt standing in the same room with someone he admired, beyond the mere expression of any language he knew. But he had not expected this, she was openly affected by his impervious additude,

"Touchy, touchy! I have the utmost respect for the law. It weeds out the sort of individual which is incapable of adaptation within the boundaries of the criminal underworld, thus clearing the path for revolutionaries such as myself. Why, without the balancing element of the law, I would be forced to deal with the opposition of inferior adversaries."

"I see." A mischievously demure smile danced fleetingly across her lips, the glimpse of sapphire blue eyes momentarily revealed among wisps of raven black hair, countering Jida's stare from beneath her wide brimmed red fedora. She stepped back and added

"Then you understand my intentions in doing this..." A black gloved hand flicked across the opposite archway from Jida, tripping a proximity circuit. Within seconds, the blare of the museum alarm could be heard as well as the distant shouting of the museum security guards. Jida shook his head and let out an unnerved laugh, swinging the glass case open and removing a jeweled choker,

Well, since we know longer have to deal with the formalities of unknowing trepidation, I will do my best to escape from my crime of convenience." Jida stepped back from the display case, swinging the purple cape back from his left shoulder with a simple movement.

"Convenience?" Her eyes widened at the obvious lack of concern

"Yes, you see, I've already stolen the marble frieze of the lioness. This small chit chat was merely a diversion of your attention. I only needed to place you at the scene of the crime." The pounding of footsteps grew closer and Carmen instinctively looked in the direction of the sound. This was not good...

"Stop, Carmen Sandiego, you're under arrest! Give up, there's no way out this time, you're surrounded!" Carmen turned back only to realize that Jida had disappeared. Her mind searched the room hastily and her eyes looked up. She raised her right wrist up and pressed a release for a small grappling hook and cord, which wrapped around on of the rafters overhead. An opening in the ceiling revealed the escape route. He had planned this from the beginnning, showing signs of being both meticulous and intelligent. A dangerous combination.

"Sorry boys, I've got more important things planned." She grasped her wrist with her free hand and the cord quickly retracted, pulling her from the midst of certain apprehension. She swiftly found her footing and released the hook as she once again searched for the direction Jida had taken. The outline of a black helicopter glimmered on the toward the right, the sounds of her pursuers compromising a jammed door to the left. A sudden frown became apparent as she remembered that her vehicle was also hidden to the left, and two floors down. Jida stopped and turned to face Carmen,

"Having a problem, Carmen? What a dilemma! You can either try to catch me, or take advantage of these few precious moments and flee. But if you run, the blame of this crime will be placed on you ... yet if you resume your chase you stand a good chance of being caught. They are almost through that door I rigged, make your decision with haste."

A snarl returned to her lips and she made her decision. After all, Carmen thought to herself, if she was captured, she could always escape...

She paused briefly and almost appeared to turn away as she reached inside of her scarlett coat. Then she leapt suddenly forward, hurling a smoke bomb in the direction of the helicopter and obscuring all from view as she retorted,

"Sorry, this game ends now!..." ,p Jida reeled backwards in suprise, but recovered swiftly as he anticipated a possible strategy, much like a player of a chessgame who has made a bad move. In the next instant he was knocked completely off balance, yet he recovered with the grace of a cat landing on all fours. Carmen paused as they once again came face to face, an almost delirious grin on Jida's lips. He breathed heavily and could see that the master criminal now stood in between him and the route to escape,

"I find you a rather surprising individual, Carmen Sandiego. But soon you will see I have a few suprises of my own. " He whispered into the headset, "Kali, let's go!"

Jida then rushed right toward Carmen and she met him halfway, extending a blow meant to stop and incapacitate, but not permenantly harm. However, Jida had expected such a manuever and grasped her wrist firmly, counterbalancing her weight and promptly twisting her backwards, releasing her halfway through and regaining his previous position. He froze and watched as Carmen hit the surface of the rooftop hard, somewhat concerned that he had perhaps used too much force in turning her head over heels. She turned from her back and Jida could see she was unharmed but somewhat dazed as she put a hand to her head and began to regain her footing. Her trademark red and gold fedora had fallen to the white gravel and landed close to his boot. The rotors of the helicopter began to turn as he reached down and retrieved her hat, now certain she wasn't seriously injured and turned to flee, pausing once before dissapearing into the stygian darkness,

As you say Carmen, until next crime..."

The Blackhawk turned 180 degrees, shining its spotlight in her direction. She had regained her stance and glared in the brilliant light which flooded around her, her raven hair whipping about wildly in the gusts of air forced rapidly through the rotors as the craft spun another few degrees, cutting its lights completely before melting into the night sky.

The guards bursted through the jammed door, the echo of the helicopter fading into the distance. Carmen was nowhere to be found.