Archive of Our Own ^beta

“Good morning, Carmen,” Player said with a yawn through the magic mirror, the sun just peaking through the window behind him.

“Oops, sorry for waking you, Player,” Carmen replied, the window behind revealing the midday sun. “I just wanted to see if you have had any luck breaking the enchantment hiding VILE’s next caper?” And with that, they were on to business. 

“You actually called right in time for an update on that,” Player spun his chair around to face his desk, the most recent book of VILE plans open on his desk. “Right before I fell asleep, I managed to break the enchantment on this page. Turns out, VILE’s next heist is taking you to the Big Apple, New York City. In the Museum of Magic in New York City, they have a temporary exhibit right now on display. And you’ll never guess the main attraction of the exhibit!”

“What is it?” Carmen asked, already curious as to what VILE was trying to steal from one of the most guarded magical museums in the world.

“The personal spellbook of the necromancer Rowena! Apparently, she created spells to raise and control the dead.”

“If VILE gets their hands on that spellbook, they will be able to raise an army of undead thieves to steal anything in the world!” Carmen quickly figured out. “Can you book us all tickets to New York City, Player?”

“Already done and sent to your email. The Big Apple awaits.”

-----

At the heart of VILE island, the Faculty’s table loomed over Tigress as she entered their lair.

“Tigress, so good of you to join us,” Professor Maelstrom drawled as she came closer to their table. “We have an item we need you to steal.”

“Of course, anything for VILE,” Tigress replied easily.

-----

“Agent Devineaux! Carmen Sandiego was just spotted leaving at an airport near New York City,” Julia shared as she rushed into his office.

“Miss Argent! Come quickly then! We must capture La Femme Rouge,” Devineaux cried out as he threw on his coat. “To New York City!

-----

While inspecting the Museum of Magic from the top of a nearby building, Carmen gets a call on her magic mirror from Player.

“So here’s what I found on Rowena’s spellbook: over the course of her lifetime of experimenting with magic, she wrote her notes and experiments in that ever expanding book. While she was most known for her attempts at necromancy, Rowena was also a gifted sorceress, with many other spells of her own invention, of which the book contains. To account for the tome’s dangerous potential, it will be kept under lock and key until it is time for it to be revealed. That’s when VILE will strike. You have to prevent them from stealing it first,” Player explained to Carmen as she continued looking on at the Museum of Magic. 

“I’ll sneak in through the party surrounding the unveiling of the exhibit and steal the book then,” Carmen decided, moving to head back down to the ground. 

-----

The next night, the night of the exhibit’s unveiling, Carmen slipped into the party. With her signature red, her hair swept up into a graceful updo, and a long slit down the side of her dress, Carmen was dressed to both impress, and to take down VILE. She easily weaved through passersby as Player watched on through his self enchanted, larger magic mirror that he bespelled to sneak into security enchantments to keep an eye on the heist, all from the safety of his own home. Quickly, Carmen was able to slip into the room where the tome was being kept behind charmed glass. There, Carmen was able to admire the old artifact, with its rich colors and thick, old paper. Just then, Carmen’s admiration of the tome was interrupted by the blare of a siren piercing through the room. 

“VILE’s here,” Carmen murmured to Player as she hid behind a column to avoid being forced to evacuate.

“Give me a second, I’ll see who they sent,” Player replied, already turning back to his mirror to comb through the spellwork. “And….. Got it! Tigress, on your two o’clock!” 

With that Carmen hurried into action as the room was cleared of anyone but Tigress and herself. Sending her magic, nothing more than an extra hand off to steal the tome while Carmen distracted Tigress. 

“Well, well, well,” Tigress drawled as she emerged from behind her own pillar. “Looks like it's my lucky day.” And with that, Tigress shifted into her tiger form and leaped at Carmen. Carmen jumped aside, barely dodging Tigress’s attempt to take off her head. With a whirl, Carmen sent her grapple up, flying into the air before releasing, using gravity to add to the force of her kick that she aimed at Tigress. With a roar, Tigress went flying back into a pillar, returning to her human form as she dropped into unconsciousness. With that, Carmen returned her focus to the spellbook where her magic hand had just finished breaking the enchantments holding it. 

And just as Carmen shot off her grapple once again, leaving the ground with the book in hand, Julia Argent and Agent Chase Devineaux charged into the room after her. As Carmen escaped out the window, she could hear Devineaux yelling after “La Femme Rouge!”.

-----

The next day, and Julia and Agent Devineaux headed to their rented car to return to the scene of the crime, there, perfectly wrapped in the passenger seat was the Necromancer’s Tome. The note on the package only contained the image of a red fedora.