The Anti Thieving Duo
"Hello" - (Normal talking)
"What happened?" - (Thoughts)
"What do I do?" - (Flashback)
{"Hey, can you hear me?"} - (Communication)
"\Prepare for departure\" - (Radio and speakers)
Hope that you all enjoy this chapter.
Chapter 4 - The Duke of Vermeer Caper
(Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, a few days later)
It was nighttime, and the security guard was just making his rounds. As he left his desk, he didn't see a shadow that ran past a window outside. The guard stopped, and looked around for a bit before he walked down an aisle. Someone peaked around a corner, revealing to be a woman and when she saw the coast was clear she ran for it.
She ran, until she stopped at a painting. The woman went and put down the briefcase she was carrying, and opened it up before she picked up the painting. She then walked over to the briefcase and placed the painting inside it then she closed it up, before picking it up and ran off.
0o0o0o0
(At an A.C.M.E base)
Chase and Julia were watching the crime on video footage, before Chase said "Freeze! Right there!" just as the two were running off.
"Good, now rewind" Chase said, with Julia doing so until it showed the faces of the two with Chase then saying "Stop" as Julia paused the video. "Zoom in on her face" Chase said as he leaned forward slightly with a frown, with Julia typing on a computer keyboard before the criminal's face was enlarged.
The woman had bleach blonde hair that went to her shoulders, and she was wearing an eyepatch over her left eye. She also wore a black wide brimmed hat, and a white shirt that was under a black jacket with black shoes and trousers.
"That is not Carmen Sandiego or Naruto Uzumaki," Chase said in disbelief with raised eyebrows.
"She calls herself the Duchess," Chief said as her hologram walked over, with Chase raising an eyebrow at hearing the name. Chief continued, as she said "A.C.M.E. had no record of her existence... until late last night when she sashayed out of Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum packing a painting valued at over 30 million euro" as a picture of said painting appeared on the screen.
"30 million euro for that?" Chase said in disbelief, as he narrowed his eyes.
"The painting 'Woman in Blue Reading a Letter' is one of Johannes Vermeer's most important earlier works," Julia said before she zoomed the screen closer to the painting. "See the hallmark of his style? The way he paints natural light makes his subject look so realistic" she finished with a smile.
Chase leaned in closer to her, as he placed his hand on the back of the chair and said "Ms. Argent, need I remind you that you're the only one who cares about such dull facts?" as he narrowed his eyes slightly at her.
"Excellent eye, Agent Argent" Chief said with her arms crossed and a smile, which caught the two of them by surprise, before Julia gave a small smile in return. "Attention to detail is the very cornerstone of A.C.M.E. surveillance" Chief told them both.
Chase fumbled over his words a bit, as Chief raised her eyebrow at him and Julia looked at him neutrally. Chase then cleared his throat, before he said "Precisely why we should further analyze the particulars of this, uh, uh... hmm" as he leaned over and started pressing buttons with Julia watching, as he caused multiple video footage to pop up on the screen, including one of the security guard having a cup of coffee.
Julia then grabbed his hands and gave him a slight glare, as she moved them aside and said "Swipe here," as she swiped along the top of the keyboard and went back to the picture of the Duchess.
"I highly suggest acquainting yourself with our CrimeNet technology, Agent Devineaux" Chief said to him, before she turned around and walked off with Chase and Julia watching her go. She got back to where the holopen was on the ground, and faced them with her arms crossed, as she said "You're not with Interpol anymore. Your first mission as agents of A.C.M.E. will be to recover that painting and ascertain whether or not this Duchess is working for V.I.L.E" before her hologram disappeared.
Chase looked at the computer screen with an eyebrow raised, and his eyes narrowed as he said "Or, whether she is an accomplice to Carmen Sandiego and Naruto Uzumaki."
0o0o0o0
(At a hotel, sometime later)
Naruto and Carmen were sitting down on a couch, while the painting the 'the Duchess' stole was in front of them, leaning against the inside of an open briefcase. "Blue isn't really my color, but I have to admit... I've never stolen anything so luminous" Carmen said, as she picked up the painting.
Naruto gave it a look over, as he said "I might not know much about art, but I think it looks quite interesting."
{"Enjoy it while you can, guys. Carmen has a whole hour before she needs to get back in character"} Player told them on the laptop's screen, as he could be seen leaning back in his desk chair.
They both nodded in agreement, as Naruto said "Right. Let's get the crew up to speed." He then yelled out, "Zack, Ivy!"
He and Carmen then watched as they saw Zack come out of one of the rooms, while wearing the eyepatch. "Avast, me mateys! Arr!" he said, as he pretended to be a pirate.
Ivy came from the room on the other side of the room, and she had the wig on. "Is this a good look for me?" she asked, as she tossed some of it over her shoulder before she took the wig off and tossed it on the ground.
"Those aren't toys, people. They're my disguise" Carmen told them with a slight grin. Naruto then said "Now pay attention. Here's what we know: Player's decryption of the V.I.L.E. hard drive has revealed details of an intricate ongoing operation. V.I.L.E. operatives have been quietly stealing paintings by the artist Vermeer from museums all over the world and replacing the originals with amazingly accurate forgeries."
"What? Why would they bother leaving fakes behind?" Ivy asked, with her eyebrow slightly raised in curiosity.
"To ensure that museum security would never realize the originals had been stolen to begin with, which would allow the entirety of Vermeer's collected works to slowly and steadily be amassed by V.I.L.E. mastermind Countess Cleo'' Carmen said with a raised eyebrow, as she and Naruto stood there with their arms crossed.
Zack was sitting down after he'd grabbed a menu from the table, and was on the phone after ordering some food as he said "What's the big whoop about these paintings anyway? No cars, no clowns, no dogs playing poker" while putting the phone back down.
Ivy gave a slight nod of agreement, as she said "Yeah, and she's reading. Snore" before she walked off, with Naruto and Carmen watching with their arms crossed.
They then both looked at the laptop, as they heard Player say {"You aren't the only ones who thought that. But after some research, I began to see things in a different light"} as he cracked his knuckles before typing away on his computer. {"The Netherlands isn't only known for its tulips, windmills, and wooden shoes. It's famous for its painters from the Dutch Golden Age of the 1600s, Vermeer among them,"} he told them.
"But the ordinary people in his portraits weren't the stars of the show. That would be the mind-boggling way Vermeer captured natural light with his paintbrush. Only 34 confirmed paintings by the maestro exist. Not a whole lot for a major artist. That makes each one an extremely rare and valuable treasure" Naruto said, as he leaned against a door frame with his arms crossed.
{"Which is why we freaked out when we learned there was only one last Vermeer left for Cleo to steal, from the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, capital of the Netherlands"} Player added.
"So I had to act fast and get to it first and make my escape through one of Amsterdam's 165 canals, masquerading as the Duchess" Carmen said, as she remembered being on a boat with Zack driving, while Naruto and Ivy were sitting behind her as she removed her wig and eyepatch disguise. "The 'Woman in Blue Reading a Letter' painting is our only shot at stealing back the other 33. We need Cleo to take the bait so we can push for a direct face-to-face, in the hopes of figuring out where she's keeping the rest" she said, as she briefly looked at the painting before looking back at Player on the laptop's screen.
{"And if she had any suspicion that she were dealing with the master super thieves Carmen Sandiego and Naruto Uzumaki, she'd never let you anywhere near her stolen prizes"} Player said with a smile.
"That's why, when Cleo's courier arrives to authenticate the painting, it'll be the Duchess who meets him at the door," Carmen said with a grin, as she put on the Duchess hat.
"And I'll be the Duchess's lowly servant," Naruto said as he gave a slight bow to Carmen, with a slight grin on his face.
Carmen and Player both chuckled at Naruto's antics, before Carmen pulled him in for a kiss which made Zack and Ivy groan, while Player made sure to give them some privacy as he looked away.
Before anymore could be said, they all heard a knock at the door which made Naruto and Carmen break off their kiss, and look over in surprise.
{"Whoa, that can't be him. He's an hour early"} Player said, as he gave a frown.
"Yowza! Room service is wicked fast here" Zack said with a smile, as he got up and walked to the door.
Carmen and Naruto watched as he walked to the door, with a look of shock on their faces, as Carmen said "Wait!" She then hopped over the back of the couch, and just reached him saying "Don't open that doo-" before Zack opened the double doors with a grin.
Carmen dove off to the side, and hopped over a kitchen island while Ivy hid inside a cupboard, as Player disconnected the video call and Naruto was quick to run into the bedroom to put his disguise on.
"Oh, still running on Moscow time. Hmm" the man at the door said, as he tapped his watch with a frown. He was a tall man, who had medium-long dark gray hair, wore a black bowling hat, and a navy blue trench coat over a blue sweater. He then looked at Zack, and raised his eyebrow in confusion as he said "Um... you're not a duchess."
"And you're not my sandwich," Zack said with his eyebrows raised.
The man gave a slight laugh, and said "I must have the wrong room. I…" until he interrupted himself, as he saw the painting.
He gave a smile as he entered the room, while Zack stood aside. "Oh... there she is." He picked up the painting, and looked it over and said "At last 'The Woman in Blah' is ready for my lady." He looked over the painting at Zack, and said" I was to meet a duchess. You would be her...?"
"Duke. Ah, yes. Ahem." Zack said nervously, before he cleared his throat and spoke in a British accent. "I'm the Duke... ahah, of, uh, uh, uh... Vermeer! Vermeer. Yes. Haha" he said, as he tried to act like royalty while giving a smile with a cocked eyebrow, while Carmen peaked over the island.
"That's a place?" the man asked with a cocked eyebrow.
"Uh, yeah in Boston" Zack said with a nervous look, as he stammered with his accent before he cleared his throat and said "In Boston" with his British accent. He then raised an eyebrow and crossed arms, as he asked "And you would be, mate?"
He lowered the painting, and put his hand on his hip with a raised eyebrow and replied "Dash Haber. Executive courier to Countess Cleo."
"So sorry that the Duchess isn't here to see you sir. But since we didn't expect to see you so soon, the Duchess had gone off out, to do some shopping until your arrival an hour later" the disguised Naruto said with a more deep sounding voice, as he exited the room in his disguise.
He was wearing a livery; which was a white shirt and bowtie, with a green waistcoat over it and a dark blue embroidered coat over that. He also had yellow knee breeches and white stockings on, along with black shoes and a brown tricorne hat with a brown wig attached to it to hide his blonde hair. He'd also put makeup on his cheeks, to hide his whisker marks.
"And you are?" Dash asked with a raised eyebrow, as he looked him over.
"I am Nigel, and I'm the Duke and Duchess's manservant," 'Nigel' said as he gave a slight bow, with one arm in front of his chest and the other behind him.
Zack was briefly surprised, before he got over it as he played along. "Ah yes, so good of you to appear Nigel. Please, get some refreshments for me and our guest," Zack said with his fake royal voice.
"Of course sire" he said, as he walked over to get two glasses and a bottle, along with a tray of biscuits and cupcakes.
"Sorry, but I can't stay," Dash said, as a mechanical monocle came from his hat and examined the painting to see that it was authentic. After a quick scan, he gave a smile as the scan showed it was the real thing, as the monocle went back into his hat.
He put the painting back in the briefcase, and closed it up before picking it up. "I'll wire the funds immediately and take her off your hands," he said as he turned and walked to the door.
Carmen poked her head over the counter, and moved her finger across her neck at them a few times.
Zack narrowed his eyes at her for a bit, before he gained a look of bewilderment and went to the door before Dash walked through it, while 'Nigel' gave her a nod of understanding at what she wanted before he followed Zack. Dash raised an eyebrow at seeing the two of them in his way.
"Does, uh, this mean anything to ya?" Zack asked in his British accent with narrowed eyes, as he copied the gesture Carmen did.
This caused Dash to look shocked, before he gave a nervous laugh as he backed up. "I'll inform the Countess" he said with a worried look, before he turned around and lowered the mechanical monocle from his hat again, which caused an image of Cleo's head to appear on it.
{"Mr. Haber, report"} Cleo said as Zack and 'Nigel' watched him, with Zack raising an eyebrow and 'Nigel' standing there with his arms crossed behind his back.
"The painting checks out," he told her as Ivy watched from the cupboard with shock, as Dash was standing right next to the wig Carmen used as the Duchess. "But, I think the Duke would prefer to deal directly with you" he explained, as Ivy carefully reached out and grabbed the wig and pulled it in the cupboard with her before Dash noticed it.
{"Duke? I was promised a complete collection. If I don't have number 34 in my hands tomorrow night, I'll be the laughingstock of the criminal underworld"} Cleo said with a frown.
Dash looked worried and upset, as Cleo ended the call and the monocle went back into his hat. He then walked over to Zack and 'Nigel' and said "The Countess wishes to invite you to a dinner party and auction."
"Great! Yeah, text me the address" Zack said with his arms crossed.
Dash then pushed the briefcase into 'Nigel's' hands, and said "Good. A car will pick you up tomorrow, 5pm sharp. And no plus-ones, just the painting" he said as he walked out the door.
'Nigel' put the briefcase in one of his hands and gave a slight bow with his other hand over his stomach, as he said "We'll inform the Duchess of the change of plans when she gets back."
Dash gave a satisfied nod, before he stuck his nose in the air and walked off.
Zack then closed the doors, and turned around with a smile just as Ivy came out of the cupboard and threw the wig at him, which hit his face and stayed there.
"Is your brain made of Swiss cheese?" Ivy asked him rhetorically, as Carmen came out of her hiding spot. Zack gave her a confused look through the wig, before she crossed her arms and said "Yes, the kind with the holes."
Naruto took off his hat and wig, while Carmen picked up the laptop and walked over to Ivy just as Player came back on.
{"Why would Cleo auction the Vermeers after going through so much trouble to complete the set?"} he asked in surprise, with a raised eyebrow.
"The thrill of the hunt doesn't last long for her. And the combined value of the art could easily surpass one billion dollars" Naruto said with a slight shrug, as Carmen nodded in agreement with a small smile.
Ivy gave an impressed whistle, as she said "Hello V.I.L.E. slush fund" with a grin and a raised eyebrow.
Carmen and Naruto both slightly frowned, as Carmen said "We'll only have a brief window to steal back all 34 while they're under one roof before they scatter to the winds" with a small shrug.
Naruto nodded in agreement, as he added "The good news is, we're invited to a party" while he gave a grin.
{"And….the not so good?"} Player asked with his arms crossed, as he gave a frown.
"We've only got 24 hours to transform Zack into a convincing duke" Carmen said, as she, Ivy and Naruto looked at him as he walked over, who had a raised eyebrow.
A few minutes later, Zack had the wig off and was standing before a mirror with his eyebrow raised.
Carmen walked behind him, with her eyes closed before opening them as she said "Cleo will expect a duke to speak in proper diction." She then stood in front of him with her arms crossed, and said "Repeat after me: 'Park the car in Aardvark Yard.' Now you try" she told him.
Zack cleared his throat a little, and said "Pahk the cahr in Aardvark Yahd'' in his Boston accent, which made Carmen grimace.
Carmen then frowned, before she walked over to him and grabbed his mouth where she began moving it up and down, as she said "Park the car in Aardvark Yard."
Zack looked unsure, as he said "Pahk the cahr in- hold on, hold on. I'm gonna get it" as Carmen frowned again.
Sometime later, it was Naruto's turn to teach Zack. "Cleo will expect a gentleman to wear appropriate wardrobe" he said with a smile, as he was shown to be holding a tuxedo's jacket.
"Aw no, not a monkey suit" Zack said in disbelief, as Ivy was kneeling on the ground while trying to sort out the trouser ends.
"It suits you. You're way more monkey than man" Ivy said as she and Naruto smiled, as he turned around and walked off into the bedroom. He then turned around and scratched his head like a monkey would with a raised eyebrow, before he closed the door.
After some time, it was then Carmen's turn again and she and Zack were sitting at a table, with different knives and forks around a plate.
"Salad fork," Carmen said, as she pointed at one of the forks.
"Okay," Zack said with a bored look on his face, as he held it up.
"Table fork," she then said as she held it up with a smile.
"Got it," Zack said while holding his one up, as he had his head leaning on his hand in boredom.
"Dessert fork," she told him with a smile.
This caused Zack to perk up eagerly, as he grabbed the fork while saying "Yum, dessert!" with a smile.
Carmen then grabbed the last one, and said "Fish fork."
This caused Zack to hold the fork with his fingers as he gagged in disgust, while stuttering out "F-Fish? Oh, come on! You never said that I'd have to eat fish" with a look of worry as he clenched his hands.
Carmen got up, and walked over to him and placed one of her hands on the back of the chair, and the other on his shoulder as she said "If they serve it, just keep telling yourself it tastes like chicken."
It was sometime later and nighttime, with both Naruto and Carmen sitting down with Zack, with the laptop in front of Zack which showed different paintings and the history about them.
"You need to learn enough talking points about art history to fit in," Naruto told him.
"Oh come on. Why?" Zack whined out.
"Because if Cleo thinks for even one moment you are not who you say you are, she'll feed you to her dogs" Carmen told him, as she leaned forward with a frown while Naruto nodded in agreement.
This caused Zack to look at them with a shocked look, before he said "Just don't let her feed me any fish."
0o0o0o0
(12:15 am)
Zack was pacing about, as he said "Okay, okay, okay. I can do this." He then held up the forks he was holding, and said "Small fork, salad, dessert fork, cake. Small fork, salad."
0o0o0o0
(4:30am)
Zack was still pacing, but it was slower as he was half asleep.
"Park the car in Aardvark Yard. Park the car in Aardvark Yard," he said sleepily.
0o0o0o0
(5:50am)
Zack was dragging his feet along, while holding a fork up.
"Park the fork in salad yard," he said in a British accent. "Park the fork in my mouth," he slurred out before he collapsed to the ground, and dropped the fork with a clatter.
0o0o0o0
(Hours later)
Carmen, Ivy and Naruto stood outside Zack and Ivy's bedroom, with Naruto and Carmen in their mission clothes.
"Hey Zack, you ready?" Naruto called out to him.
The door then opened, and Zack stepped out while dressed in the tuxedo along with his hair slicked back. He took a regal pose, as he said with a British accent "Ready to park the car in Aardvark Yard" while giving a smile at the end with a cocked eyebrow.
Both Naruto and Carmen stood there with their arms crossed, and satisfied smiles on their faces, while Ivy was slumped over looking at her brother in surprise with her mouth agape.
She then stood up straight, and smiled as she said "Dude, that's weird, right?" as she turned to Naruto and Carmen.
"It's showtime," Carmen said, as she and Naruto narrowed their eyes a little.
Zack exited the hotel with the painting in the briefcase, and walked over to the limo that was parked outside the hotel, with the Cleaners both standing before it. While Naruto, Ivy and Carmen watched from a van that was parked quite a safe distance with Ivy behind the wheel while Naruto and Carmen shared the double passenger seat.
"Arms?" Vlad said, as Boris activated a scanner.
Zack set the briefcase down, and spread his arms out while Boris walked over and scanned him.
"No tracker?" Ivy asked in surprise.
"The first thing they'd check for," Carmen said as Naruto nodded in agreement.
Boris walked back to stand next to Vlad, and put the scanner away as he said "Clean."
Vlad then held up a sack, and said "We go."
Zack looked surprised, as Vlad walked over and put the sack over his head before he helped Zack into the back of the limo, while Boris put the briefcase in the limo. They both then climbed in themselves, and started up the limo before driving off. As soon as they were a fair distance, Ivy started up the van and drove after them.
As they drove along, they drove through a town next to a lake.
"You're doing great, Ivy. Just keep a safe distance" Naruto told her, as Ivy had a worried look on her face. Carmen looked at the side mirror, and moved it slightly as she spotted a car following them. "We have a tail," she told Naruto and Ivy with a sidelong look.
"Would you look at that. A tail tailing a tail" Ivy said, as she tried to ease the worry she felt for her brother with that joke, while they drove along.
In the car following them, Chase was smiling along with his eyes narrowed as he said "This A.C.M.E. technology is more my speed" with an arm on the window sill.
Julia then appeared on a screen in the middle of his car, and said {"Agent Devineaux, the hotel guests registered under a fake name, but I was able to connect the payment source to the van rental. You may very well be following the Duchess"} with a raised eyebrow at the end.
"Or Carmen Sandiego and Naruto Uzumaki," he said with a hard look and a smile.
{"I suppose that is possible"} Julia said thoughtfully.
Chase looked at the screen briefly, while giving a smile as he gave a laugh. "Delighted to hear that you agree for once" he said, as he narrowed his eyes on the van he was following.
{"But depriving the world of historic works of art does not seem to be Ms. Sandiego or Mr Uzumaki's M.O"} Julia told him, causing Chase to roll his eyes.
Chase looked out his driver window with narrowed eyes, then waved his hand as he said "Bah! Just see what you can learn in the hotel suite. I am driving" before he pressed the screen.
{"But Agent Devin -"} Julia was saying, before Chase hung up on her and grinned as he leaned forward slightly.
Carmen hummed, as she used her high tech compact mirror to zoom in on the driver of the car so that she and Naruto could see who it was, as she said "An old admirer, and in a new set of wheels too" she added, as she zoomed out so that she and Naruto could get a look at the car. She swiped to the right on the screen, which showed a map and where they were with her and Naruto's hat icons.
Her and Naruto looked ahead, and spotted a road sign that showed a bridge raised above some water. Carmen gave a smirk, as she said "Player, there's a bridge half a klick southeast of us. Can you hack into it?"
{"I'm on it"} he told her.
Naruto then looked at Ivy, and said "Take this turn."
Ivy looked at him briefly, before she narrowed her eyes a little and hunched her shoulders as she turned the wheel, making the tires screech a little before straightening back up and driving off, while behind them Chase did the same thing.
As Player watched in his room, he saw the hat icons and a blue dot were moving towards the bridge on the computer.
"Ah, a drawbridge. Coming right up" Player said with a smile, as he looked up the schematics for it before he started typing as he hacked into it, causing the bridge to rise up.
Carmen briefly looked back, and saw that Chase was still following them. She turned back to face the front, and said "Straight ahead. Step on it."
"Really?" Ivy asked in worry and surprise, with a sidelong look. As they neared the bridge, Naruto and Carmen both narrowed their eyes slightly, as Naruto said "Make the jump, Ivy. We can't let our tail blow Zack's cover" as he looked at her from the corner of his eyes.
Ivy had an unsure and worried look on her face, as she gripped the steering wheel slightly.
Behind them, and to the right Chase had caught up to them enough that he was almost touching them bumper to bumper.
"You jump, I jump" he said with a grin, as he pressed down on the accelerator to go even faster.
As they neared the raised bridge, Ivy was rapidly saying "Oh gosh, oh gosh, oh gosh!" while biting her bottom lip. As they drove up it, she shut her eyes and said "I can't!" before slamming on the brakes just as they got to the edge, while Chase flew through the air.
"Nooooo!" Chase yells, as he looks back while his car landed on the edge of the other half of the raised bridge, and started rocking back and forth. He then opened his eyes, and gave a gasp as he darted his eyes from side to side quickly.
He then looked in his rearview mirror, and saw both Naruto and Carmen.
"You two!" Chase said with narrowed eyes, before he gave a laugh as he turned around. "I knew that you were both behind…." he was saying, before he was interrupted as the car was leaning backwards from his movements.
The car then went over, and fell with Chase saying "No, no, no, no, no... noooooo!" before it hit the water.
Naruto, Carmen and Ivy watched this with wide eyes, as they were dumb struck. "Way to shake a tail," Carmen said, with Naruto nodding in agreement.
The car then sank, until it reached the bottom with a resounding thud. As Chase sat in the car, he had a permanent frown on his face as he watched the fish swim past.
He then heard a beep, and looked at the screen in the car as Julia said {"Agent Devineaux, I've discovered something curious in the hotel roo-"} she then stopped herself, and looked concerned. {"Are you... underwater?"} she asked him.
"Never mind that!" Chase said with a frown. He then gave a smile along with a raised eyebrow, while leaning back as he said "I now know that Carmen Sandiego and Naruto Uzumaki are not only behind these crimes, but working with the so-called Duchess!" he finished with a frown.
"So, you saw them together?" Julia asked him with a cocked eyebrow.
{"Uhm... the Duchess was clearly their driver"} Chase said.
"So... she wasn't wearing her eye patch then?" Julia asked, as she held the eyepatch up to the screen making Chase look surprised.
{"Well, uh... ugh. Why are there always so many questions? I have one for you. Where is the ejector button in this car!?"} Chase demanded.
"Look below the screen and swipe in the direction you wish to eject" Julia told him.
Chase did so while humming with a raised eyebrow. "Ah!" he proudly exclaimed, before he swiped upwards.
Back on the bridge, Carmen and Naruto had got out of the van and were looking into the water as they tried to spot Chase, while Ivy stayed in the van with a look of worry on her face,
"So... do we fish him out, or follow my bro?" Ivy asked them with a raised eyebrow.
Before they could reply, they saw Chase come out of the water while still in his seat screaming. After he went sailing high into the air, a parachute activated that allowed him to float back safely to the ground.
Naruto and Carmen climbed back into the van, with Naruto turning to Ivy with a smile, saying "We're back on the Zack track."
Ivy put the van into reverse, and got back on the road they were on earlier while Player lowered the bridge back down.
0o0o0o0
(With Zack)
After some driving, Zack had arrived at a mansion. The Cleaners got him out of the limousine, and pulled the sack off his head before taking him inside the house and to a room, which they left him in along with the painting which was still in the briefcase.
After waiting for a few minutes, Zack looked away from looking out the window and over at the door when he heard it open, and saw Dash walking in, before he stood off to one side.
"I present to you, Countess Cleo" Dash said, with a slight bow as Cleo arrived at the door while wearing a dress, and her hands on her hips. "The Queen of Mean, the Empress of Distress, the Hostess-" Dash was saying, before he was interrupted by the Countess.
"Zip it," she told him, as she walked into the room.
She stopped before Zack, and held her hand out which he took, and kissed the back of it while saying "Buona sera, mia bella contessa" which took Cleo by surprise.
She then composed herself, and said "The work of art."
Zack looked up at her, before he stood back up with a smile saying "Course!" He then opened up the briefcase, and showed her the painting. "Quite luminous, wouldn't you say?" he told her.
Cleo raised an eyebrow, and said "Wunderbar." She then looked at Dash with a side look, and said "Wire the funds" which made him jump a little, before he went and did as she said.
In Players room, he saw the money that Dash had sent over coming on his computer screen.
"Funds have been received, guys. V.I.L.E. just fed a whole lot of orphans in your favorite charity" he said with a smile, and a raised eyebrow.
"And we just fed security," Naruto said, as he and Carmen threw some steak to some Doberman guard dogs. Ivy was rubbing the belly of one, while the others either ate or played tug of war with the steak.
"Who's a good boy? Who's a good boy? You are! Yeah, you are!" Ivy said to the dog, as it licked her face.
"Come on Ivy, we need to get in the house" Naruto told her, as he and Carmen were walking towards it. Ivy stopped playing with the dog, and ran after them.
Back with the others, Dash had closed the laptop he used to transfer the money before walking over to Countess Cleo, and held his arm out saying "Shall we dine, Countess?"
"Aren't you forgetting something, Monsieur Haber?" Cleo told him with a raised eyebrow, before taking the briefcase from Zack, and shoving it in Dash's hands who took it with wide eyes.
She then walked over to Zack, and took him by the arm as they walked off much to Dash's shocked surprise.
"My assistant... he thinks Vermeer's a neighborhood in Boston" Cleo said to Zack, as she chuckled.
Zack gave a weak laugh, before he said "Imagine! His idea of art is probably a painting of dogs playing poker!" as they both laughed while exiting the room.
Dash was seething with rage, as he walked through the house before stopping outside a room. "Ugh. Duke, schmuke" he grumbled unhappily.
He pressed on a panel, which opened up to reveal a numbered keypad. He then entered in the code, which was unknowingly being watched by Player thanks to a camera on the briefcase.
"I'm seeing a disarm code" he said to the others with a smile, before he looked at another computer screen as he added "And I'm hearing a speech come on," thanks to a small microphone on Zack's shirt, that was disguised as a button.
Cleo was tapping a fork against her glass, to get her guests attention who were all chatting with each other.
Once they'd all stopped talking, Cleo then said "Vilest art enthusiasts, my deepest gratitude for attending this once-in-a-lifetime event" with a smile and a raised eyebrow. "The art auction will directly follow dinner. Allow me to at least fill your bellies before emptying your bank accounts" she added jokingly at the end, with a cocked eyebrow.
They all raised their glasses, as they cried out "Hear hear." The Cleaners then walked out of the kitchen, both wearing butler outfits as they carried the first course of the meal.
A door beeped, and opened up along with several different doors before Dash walked out and waited for the doors to close and the alarm to reset, before he walked off.
As he walked past a doorway, Naruto, Carmen and Ivy poked their heads round the corner to watch as he left. As soon as he'd gone, Naruto and Carmen ran over to the door to the secret room, while Ivy dashed back the way they came before coming back while pushing a cart after them that had a box on it.
Naruto pressed on where the keypad was, and when it was revealed he typed in the security code that Player had told them earlier, before watching as the doors opened. The three of them walked into the room with grins on their faces, and looked at all the paintings there.
Carmen saw a painting of a woman that wore a red hat, and gave a smile as she said "Now, this one really speaks to me."
Naruto looked at the same painting, and said with a nod "Yeah I can see why."
{"So, where are we at, Player?"} Naruto asked.
Player was looking at his computer screen, which showed five different meals on it. "The first course is on the table, fellas."
Ivy was putting plastic gloves on and opened the box up, before she picked up an empty picture frame from the box, while Naruto and Carmen were standing next to the paintings.
{"You guys need to be in and out with all 34 paintings by the time banana Foster is served"} he told them.
Ivy walked over with the empty picture frame, and stood next to Carmen as she looked at the painting with a calculated look.
"Pressure triggers," she said with a frown.
"That means we only get one half second for the swap, or the entire place goes into lockdown," Naruto said as he crossed his arms.
Ivy looked at them from the corners of her eyes, and said "Right, Carm, Naru."
Both Ivy and Carmen gave each other a nod, before Carmen quickly and carefully grabbed the first painting, while Ivy placed the empty frame in its place.
The three of them looked around, but upon noticing nothing happened they exhaled in relief.
They gave each other a smile, and looked at the rest of the paintings as Naruto said "One down, and 33 more to go."
0o0o0o0
(Back with the dinner)
With Zack, he was looking at the glasses of water in confusion as he tried to guess which one was his.
"When the Countess asked me to replicate each of Vermeer's masterworks, I welcomed the challenge to capture their essence" the man next to him was saying.
Zack picked up one of the glasses, and took a sip while Dash gave a smirk as he said "Well, it seems the challenge for Monsieur Duke here is remembering to drink from his own water glass."
This made Zack pause, as he looked at the man next to him who was looking at him with a raised eyebrow.
Zack was quick to put the glass down, as everyone was looking at him curiously while Dash was still smirking.
He pointed at his fingers while wiggling them, as he said "Sticky fingers. Uh, once a thief, always a thief, right?" with a weak smile while his accent was wavering.
He looked at Cleo from the corner of his eyes in worry, before she gave a smile and placed her hand on his arm saying "Well aren't you naughty?" with Zack looking at her with his eyes wide as she did.
Cleo then looked at the rest of the group while still smiling and raised an eyebrow, as she said "We shall all have to watch our billfolds around this one" which made them laugh, while Dash gave a heavy frown.
0o0o0o0
(Back with the other three)
Naruto and Ivy had just swapped a painting for an empty frame, while Carmen was putting a painting away that she and Ivy had swapped earlier, before she and Ivy swapped the painting for an empty frame as Naruto put the painting in the box he'd grabbed, before he and Ivy then swapped again as Carmen put the painting in the box that she had.
The three of them smiled, as Ivy went and put the painting she was holding in the box.
{"Good news guys,"} Player said in their earpieces, which made them raise their eyebrows a little.
Player slouched in his chair, as he said "The main course was poached pheasant. Couldn't taste any more like chicken. Zack's in the clear" with a cocked eyebrow.
{"And the bad news?"} Naruto asked him.
Player looked worried, as he said "Desserts about to be served."
They looked at the rest of the paintings they had left, with Carmen worriedly saying "We could really use more time."
The Cleaners came out of the kitchen, with bowls on the silver platters they were carrying. They walked over to the table, and started placing the bowls before each of the guests.
Zack was smiling, as he said in his normal accent "Oh yeah!" Before he looked at Cleo in worry, and said in his British accent "Uh, whats for dessert?"
Cleo gave him a smile, as she replied "Baked Alaska. But first, a palate cleanser, dredged from the Russian sea just this morning. Fresh beluga caviar." This caused Zack to raise an eyebrow in confusion, as the other guests lightly laughed while the only female guest said "Oh!" while the rest gave noises of approval as they started eating it.
"This, uh... this wouldn't be... f-f-fish?" Zack stuttered out, as he looked at Cleo with a raised eyebrow.
"Uh-oh," Player said with a worried look.
Cleo smiled at him with a raised eyebrow, as she said "Of course not, you cheeky monkey." He raised an eyebrow as the bowl was placed in front of him, as Cleo said "It's fish eggs" which caused Zack to look worried, as he loudly gulped.
"What's wrong, Duke? Not a fan?" Dash asked him mockingly with a raised eyebrow, as he helped himself to his bowl and started chewing with his mouth open, which made Zack wretch in disgust as he closed his eyes.
He then composed himself, as he said "I... in fact, love delicious, tiny, black non-chicken eggs that don't taste anything like chicken" with his eyebrow raised, before he picked up his spoon.
He looked at the fish eggs with an intense look, as he started sweating slightly as he gave a gulp before putting some on his spoon. He had an uneasy smile, as he moved the spoon to his mouth with Cleo watching him, as she raised an eyebrow while narrowing her eyes slightly.
Dash gave a chuckle, as he said "Funny, I never realized: 'Duke' rhymes with 'puke' before now" as he gave a glare.
Zack gagged, as he looked at Cleo, who gave him an intense look with narrowed eyes. Zack gulped, and opened his mouth as he slowly moved his spoon towards it, while Dash watched with a smirk.
Zack was just about to put the spoonful of fish eggs in his mouth, when the doors were pushed open, causing him to stop as he and the others looked over at the doors.
"Do not be alarmed! I am Inspector Devineaux, and I'm here to warn you there may be a criminal in your midst" Chase said from the doorway.
"Is that so?" Cleo asked him with a frown. While everyone was looking at Chase, Zack quickly and discreetly threw the caviar away while looking inconspicuous.
0o0o0o0
(Back in the vault)
Carmen was placing a painting in the box, while Naruto and Ivy were swapping a painting and a blank portrait around, when they heard Player saying {"Guys, I think we just bought you some extra time"} which made them look at each other, before looking at the paintings they had left.
0o0o0o0
(Back with the Zack and everyone)
Chase was walking behind some of the guests who had raised eyebrows, with his arms behind his back and his head held high as they all watched him, as he said "Two twisted masterminds have been stealing priceless works of art from museums across Europe." He walked past Dash, who had his eyebrows furrowed in confusion before he stopped in between Zack and Cleo, with Cleo's eyes frowning before she raised one, as Chase turned around and said "They are a true menace" with narrowed eyes. Zack meanwhile, drank some water from his glass as he avoided looking at Chase.
"They?" Cleo asked in surprise, as her eyebrows were raised.
Chase leaned in towards her, while placing a hand on the table with the other still behind his back, as he said "Yes, indeed. They" with his eyes narrowing, making Cleo's eyes narrow slightly in worry.
Chase then stood up proudly with a smile and his hands on his hips, as he said "Carmen Sandiego and Naruto Uzumaki" not knowing that The Cleaners were standing behind him, with their hands raised while each holding a different item, to use on Chase.
Upon hearing what Chase had said, Zack spat the water in his mouth onto Dash's face, who did not look pleased.
"Carmen Sandiego and Naruto Uzumaki, here?" Cleo said in fake shocked surprise with wide eyes, before she turned away from him and tilted her head up with her eyes closed, as she added "Impossible."
The Cleaners looked at each other, before they lowered what was in their hands, while Chase just stood there with the proud look still on his face.
Cleo pressed a button underneath the table, which released gas into the painting room. The three of them were just swapping the final painting with a blank frame, when they looked up at the gas that came through some vents from the ceiling.
Naruto grabbed the final painting, and quickly placed it in the box before putting the lid back on. They then quickly put gas masks on before the room was completely filled with the gas, and ran out of the room, with Ivy pushing the cart as they went.
"Not only might Carmen Sandiego and Naruto Uzumaki be lurking somewhere on these premises, but I have reason to believe they are working with an accomplice... who could be any one of you" Chase said, as he grabbed the back of Zack's chair and looked at everyone, which caused Zack to look up at him in shocked surprise, while the Cleaners looked at each other with a raised eyebrow each.
Zack then looked out the window, and pointed towards it as he said "There goes one of them!" This caused Chase to look out the window himself in surprise, as he noticed that someone wearing a red coat and hat was driving off on a snowmobile.
"La Femme Rouge!" Chase shouted out with a glare, as he ran towards the door. Before exiting, he turned around with a raised eyebrow and a stretched arm as he said "Return to your meals" before he left the room.
Everyone then looked at Cleo, who stood up with a hard glare and said "Desserts off."
Chase had arrived outside, and almost fell over as he skidded on some ice, before he righted himself and ran off to one side as he looked around, before spotting some extra snowmobiles.
Chase gave a laugh, as he hopped on one of them saying "Two can dance that tango." He then heard the dogs barking, as they chased after him while he chased after the figure on their snowmobile. The two of them jumped over the fence around the house, and drove off into the trees, leaving the dogs to bark at the fence after them.
Back with Cleo, she'd just entered the painting room, and widened her eyes in shock before she glared, as she saw that all of the paintings were gone and replaced with blank picture frames.
She walked over to one of them, and saw that it had what looked like a red and orange stamp of Carmen and Naruto respectively.
She ran her fingers over it while giving it a glare, as the Cleaners came up behind her. "You've cooked. Now it's time to clean. Scrub the chateau" she ordered them, as she glanced over her shoulder. They both gave a bow, before they left the vault as Cleo still glared at the coloured stamps.
Back with Chase, he was still chasing after who he believed to be Carmen Sandiego. They weaved and dodged through the trees, before the person Chase was after moved over so that they were on the other side of the trees. "Not tonight, you scarlet ski demon. I may not know where your partner Naruto Uzumaki is, but I'll get his location out of you soon enough" Chase said, before he moved to follow after her.
As they moved through the trees, Chase did his best to catch her but she always stayed ahead of him. As she sped up, Chase spotted a small ledge ahead that was covered in snow. While she drove past it, Chase drove his snowmobile up it and used it to jump over her and get ahead of who he was chasing.
He then turned his snowmobile to the side, and turned it off before he hopped off it. The person he was chasing slid to the side as they too stopped, as he placed a foot on the snowmobile.
"Stop right there, Carmen Sandiego" Chase said with a grin, as he leaned forwards.
The person removed their red hat, to show it was actually Ivy and not Carmen. She glared up at Chase, and said "Who?"
This caused Chase to look surprised, as Ivy got off her snowmobile and poked him hard enough that he was pushed backwards over his own snowmobile, while saying "You could have maimed me, you maniac!" as she walked over, and placed her foot on his snowmobile, as she glared down at him.
Chase's eyes were wide, as he stammered out "B-B-But... your red coat!" while gesturing at it.
"What about it? Red brings out my eyes, and coats are warm!" she yelled in his face, pushing Chase even more back, as he hit a tree behind him and causing some snow to fall on his head, as he had a deadpan look.
With Carmen and Naruto, they were driving off in the van they'd used to get to the house, with all the paintings in the back, and Zack behind the wheel.
"So Ivy's playing red herring? Huh. That's one fish I don't mind" Zack said, with slightly raised eyebrows.
Carmen was leaning her elbow on the window sill, while resting her head on her hand as she said with a smile "You're not the only one who can nail a role, Duke" with Naruto nodding his head in agreement with a grin of his own.
0o0o0o0
(The next day)
The building was destroyed, and a smoking mess while a drone was flying above it taking pictures, which appeared on a big computer screen at A.C.M.E HQ.
"Seems someone didn't want to leave any trace of this dinner party" Chief said with a frown and her arms crossed, as Julia was typing on her computer and Chase sat with his arms on the table.
"So, you are saying I may have been standing in the very same room amongst operatives of V.I.L.E." Chase said with narrowed eyes, as he raised an eyebrow while looking at Chief with a side look.
Chief raised an eyebrow of her own at Chase, as she said "The very organization I've dedicated my life to proving exists? Yes, Agent Devineaux, that would be an accurate summary" causing Chase to have a concerned and worried look on his face.
"But we may have both been right about Carmen Sandiego and Naruto Uzumaki," Julia said, as she turned her computer around to show a news clip.
"\Needless to say, the mysterious return of 34 stolen Vermeers to institutions around the world has shocked the art community\" a news reporter said, as it showed the Woman In Blue Reading a Letter painting hung back up, along with a few of the other paintings.
Julia closed down the computers lid, and said "Stealing historic works of art doesn't seem to be her M.O., though she may have been working with the Duchess all along" as she raised an eyebrow, while holding up the eyepatch causing Chase to give a groan.
Chief walked closer to the big computer screen, with Chase and Julia watching her and said with a glare "A harsh reminder that we live in a world where villains may not always look like villains. Nor heroes like heroes. All that we can be assured of is that V.I.L.E. will continue to operate from the shadows. So it is imperative that A.C.M.E. view the world in shades of gray."
0o0o0o0
(In Australia, Sydney)
A bus pulled up outside the Opera House, and opened up its doors as Grey got off and looked around with a smile, as the bus closed its doors and drove off.
0o0o0o0
Hope that everyone enjoyed the chapter, and that you're doing what you can to avoid getting this COVID by following the rules. Let's hope that now the vaccines are all done, we can rest a bit easier.
