Revamped!

Old Arc Title - The Suavest Spy
Copyright - Totally Spies (Marathon)


Chapter 4: The Kleptomaniac Part One

SHIELD Debriefing Room - 11:36 AM

Angela, now wearing her standard navy SHIELD uniform, sits with one leg crossed over the other in the middle of a dark room. Her hands stay folded on her lap as she looks at her supervising officer from The Academy, the one who assigned her this undercover mission, through a disappointing hologram. Agent Bonnie Moore. She knew that her SO saw the news which means that the Council saw it, and if the Council saw it that means they'd be giving her SO shit for it which means she'll be giving Angela shit.

It doesn't help that the Council just gave Xavier the go-ahead for Project: New Generation and she got some of the most glowing reviews from them, only to start with this embarrassing and disgraceful blunder.

Agent Bonnie Moore: Angela, you had one mission.

"I know," she replies. "You wanted me to disguise as a curator and protect the ring from a thief which I did."

Agent Bonnie Moore: But you ended up being the thief, didn't you?

Angela opens her mouth a little but then closes it when she has no response. She was the one who fled from the museum and into a different state with the ring hidden underneath her clothing inside a beach ball that was disguised as a pregnant belly. She shifts her position in her seat, straightening her posture since she was technically the thief. Her SO was supposed to do this mission but handed it off to her because she was ready to go on her own, and now she did more than fail.

Agent Bonnie Moore: You were supposed to be a spy, Angela, not a bandit. Espionage isn't your top skill but I commend you for being able to think of an escape route with all that pressure. Your execution needs work and was unacceptable for SHIELD standards, especially where you come from.

"I know and I'm sorry," Angela says again. "What do you want me to do with the ring?"

Angela watches Agent Moore look down. She guesses she's currently in contact with her superiors about their next moves. Angela takes this moment of not being watched to take a breath. She didn't realize she had so much tension building up and tightening her lungs. She subtly tugs on the collar of her uniform to breathe as Agent Moore looks at her again. Angela ends up clearing her throat out of nervousness, not because she had anything to say.

Agent Bonnie Moore: We'll take the ring from here. As for your team, I'm sending you a lead we recently found concerning the thief. Get her this time and don't let this mistake go to your head. It happens to the best of us. Understand?

Angela stands up and nods. "I won't let you down."

Agent Bonnie Moore: Consider yourself dismissed.

When the call ends, Angela shakes her arms out to relax as she walks out.

-o-

PNG Quinjet - 12:47 PM

"Her name is Ivory Gates," Angela says, pulling up a holographic file that Agent Moore sent on their table. She puts her fingers on all the pages and opens her arms to spread them out for her friends to read.

"That's a stupid name," Merida comments.

Angela's expression goes firm, ignoring Merida's joke. Sitting around her is the rest of the team and they seem to notice this new level of strictness in Angela from when they knew her as children. They considered her bossy back then but now they notice a new form of leadership in her, different from Xavier's although they come from the same captain. It may have been because of the debriefing but they know Angela to be good at what she does. Not only do they love her, but they also listen to what she has to say - now more than ever.

Besides, she's been on this case longer than them.

"She's a devious spy with a Master's degree in stealing," Angela continues to explain, circling the counter. "Besides her exceptional combat, she's clever - always with her eye on the most valuable items. Hence her name being valuable itself: Ivory, the rare mineral derived from elephant's tusks which everyone wants to get their hands on illegally, and Gates after the software creator, no relation."

"Is that her real name or a cover she made for herself?" Xavier asks her.

Angela shrugs. "I don't think it matters."

"The latter's more likely," Daniel says. "What spy goes out in the world with her real name? Merida's parents are one of many examples."

Merida nods in agreement.

"She needed the ring in exchange for some unknown information that SHIELD has had its eye on," Angela continues. "Since she doesn't have the ring, she's likely to go for the next item on her wish list as a new negotiation. A brooch owned by the Ambassador of Spain. It's a militaristic and familial heirloom dating to at least the 18th century. He wears it at every formal event and will have it on him at a diplomatic gala he's hosting tomorrow night at the Spanish Embassy. Ivory will be there."

"Then let's go," Merida says, getting up to change the autopilot course on the quinjet.

"Hold on." Angela grabs Merida's arm to stop her. "The gala is invitation-only which gives us several problems. One, we're not invited. Two, we can't all show up as guests or else that would raise suspicion. Three, Ivory and I fought in the dark so I'm not sure if she knows my face or not, even with the haircut."

"Undercover mission?" Xavier suggests.

"That didn't go well for me the first time."

"Also, I can't go on those…" Daniel mutters.

"We'll work on those," Xavier says to them. "Meanwhile, I can probably work up some fake invites."

Angela nods. "You do that. Merida, get us to Spain. Daniel, see if you can find Ivory already in Spain. James, get us some disguises."

"Wait," Xavier says, stopping them all from dispersing. "Does your file have a picture of Ivory so that we know who we're looking for?"

"I was covering it to show last for obvious reasons."

Angela swipes some of the holographic pages to the side. Before she reveals it, she looks at her friends, especially the boys. "Ivory will try and compromise your good judgment. No man can resist her charm which is why my SO had this mission and she gave it to me."

The boys look at each other, wondering if Angela was serious. No woman can be that hypnotic. Merida side steps her way over to Angela and sneaks a peek at the picture. Once she sees it, she blinks and looks at the boys the same way.

"We're professionals," James argues.

"You'd be the first to cave in," Merida retorts back.

Angela, still skeptical, shows them the picture of Ivory. She has a face that isn't too thin yet not too round either. Her skin is as white as the mineral that is her first name but flawless; hair as dark as coal but shimmers, cheekbones as sharp as diamonds, eyes as bright and green as jade; all a masterpiece that rests on top of a well-proportionate body. Everything about her was symmetrical which makes her more alluring. Angela and Merida look at the boys, waiting for some response, but when nothing comes out of any of the three mouths, they sigh. Like Angela expected, the boys were instantly mesmerized by the picture of the gorgeous Ivory Gates.

"You three are pathetic," Merida tells them. "Get your act together before we land or else Angela and I are leaving you here."


My model for Ivory Gates was Madame Hydra from the cartoons, appearance-wise and possibly personality.

[2020 - Ivory Gates is a legend in my eyes].