Disclaimer:
This is Part II from Zack's Journal Post  A Surprise For Sis and will lead to La Vie de Luxe, Vive la France (Site-wide RP); Written in emails between Ivy and Zack. Permission was granted by both parties for it to be posted here.

It was near the end of the semester and everyone was acting off their usual game.  Some agents became particularly credit-hungry, going overboard on assignments and grabbing as many extra projects as they could; some already had their heads in the coming break; and a few were contemplating internships that would determine their future at ACME.  For Ivy, this meant she would complete her time as an ACME instructor.  There was no telling what the next few months would bring.

"Remember, those that haven't logged the required hours on the obstacle course need to do so by next weekend."  Ivy announced as the class began to leave. 

She just might miss teaching, but she was also itching to get back to field work.  Watching the class exit in a massive crowd she wondered how many of them were going to be assigned a new case over the break.  She remembered that Zack used to always get wind of Carmen's cases first, he'd... wait, was that Zack?!

Zack's clothes were still damp from the surprise shower on the main floor.  When he left Chase in the elevator, he placed his skateboard down and started to roll down the hallways like he always did. He began reading the numbers of the classroom as he sped down.

When Zack turned the corner, he saw a large group of students leaving a classroom, some with books up to their noeses, others with papers flying everywhere. He jumped off his skateboard and kicked it into his hands before he squeezed through the group of people and peeked through the door, seeing a familiar redhead relative.

"Hey Sis!"

"Zack!" Ivy was completely floored, "How did? When did?  What are you doing here?!?" 
Walking over to give her brother a hug, she continued, "And, I'm going to forgive you for calling me ‘sis'... just this once."

Zack embraced his sister back.

"I just got back today- extended "Reading Week" because of my high grades- so I decided to come and surprise you! Guess you really are surprised."

He looked around the now empty classroom, "Still teaching I see. What have you been up to lately?"

"Just about a thousand things... it's been hard to keep a cool head when my students keep missing class for important cases.  Now I know how our old teachers feel..." Ivy started when suddenly her communicator began to beep.  Looking at the screen she saw an urgent call to action for senior detectives.  A famous gargoyle statue was stolen in Paris and ACME needed agents on it ASAP.  With cases going on all over the world, the agency was at lacking man power.  Even the special operations division was preoccupied.  "Wow, VILE's been busy.  Looks like our team's down in numbers.  What do you say, Zack?  A quick case for old time's sake?"

Zack nodded once again and smiled.

"For old time sake! Let's get the show on the road!"

(This is a highly edited Chat RP between Carmen Sandiego and Ivy.  Story is for entertainment purposes only.  Enjoy!)

Ivy's life was changing significantly. Only a few months after she thought she would decline her job offer as an instructor at the Hong Kong branch of ACME Academy, she changed her mind and accepted. She realized how much she wanted the experience, and Zack could use experiences of his own. They couldn't stay the teenage brother and sister team they were forever. Change was evident.

She was now enjoying a news magazine in Excelsior Caffé, a small coffee place in the South Wing of Terminal 1 of Tokyo's Narita International Airport. The night before, she was still in San Francisco, packing after a long day of saying goodbye. The occasional cake and food weren't bad either. In a few minutes, she would board her connecting flight to Hong Kong.

"Is this seat taken?" A woman asked. She was dressed well for the summertime in a chiffon shirt with long, loose sleeves and a matching skirt with ribbons that flowed just past her knee.

"Uh, no, go ahead," Ivy knew how crowded it was today, an open seat shouldn't go to waste. She barely made eye contact, returning to her reading and a cup of iced cappuccino.

The stranger sat down with her white shopping bag and said nothing, which eventually made the Hong Kong-bound detective feel an awkward need to start some kind of conversation.

"Where are y--?" Ivy put her magazine down, now having seen the woman, she was fully aware of why it felt so awkward. This was no stranger.

"I haven't congratulated you on your new endeavor," Carmen stated with an air of confidence, "It's truly inspiring how you've managed to tenaciously remain on this path."

"You mean like how I don't throw my life away?"

"Precisely," a smirk appeared, "you are simply that stubborn."

"I hope this isn't an attempt to get me to switch sides, Carmen," Ivy was now confident in her own right, "It's getting a little old."

"Nonsense, you make a much better adversary than you would a partner."

"At least that's something we can agree on."

"We can also agree on this being the right choice for you."

Ivy stopped short. No one had said that, not even some of her best friends. They've been telling her it was good, or nice, or necessary, but the word 'right' was never used. Boy, did it feel good. "You think so?" she lowered her guard a little.

"I know so, emphatically." With that and a pause for minor theatrics, Carmen placed the shopping bag she had with her atop the table.

"For me?" Ivy gave the bag a good gander. A leather bound book was inside, padded with fabric. It was impressive to look at and a real honor to hold.

"You seem the type to write if given the means," Carmen added. "This is a new chapter for you, it should come with a new book."

"You didn't have to..." flipping through the pages, Ivy imagined what kind of pen she'd use. At the same time, a boarding call for Singapore Airlines Flight SQ11 from Tokyo to Singapore was announced.

"That's my cue," Carmen stood up and offered a handshake. "Good-bye, Ivy."

"Don't be so sure, Carmen," the soon-to-be instructor shook Carmen's hand firmly. Saying that felt more like a formality because the chance that Ivy was going to see another International Grand Theft case from her new position in Hong Kong was slim.

"Hey!" Ivy called out with a sly smile as Carmen stepped away. "This isn't stolen, is it?"

"Keep it anyway," the infamous Carmen Sandiego returned her humour, "And ask me again the next time we meet."

Ivy paced down the riveted steel floors of the Hong Kong Police Department's detainment facility. The hall was lit, one pulse at a time by iron glazed pendant lights that hung from an exposed ceiling. She wore only dark grey, a tank top covered by a one button blazer and stove-cut pants. All ACME agents under the Hong Kong division wore the same ashy shade. The color was chosen to build equality among all ranks and to make them instantly distinguished from other local law enforcement. Ivy could stand to be a little less distinguished. Sure, she certainly wasn't the only foreigner here, but at 5'9 without heels, she was the tallest in the room.

"Here he is." An HKPD officer in bright blue showed her to a sealed door with a Plexiglas window.

Through it, she saw a man with dark hair and an orange leisure suit. She recognized him as Lars Vegas, one of Carmen's more flamboyant henchmen. He sat nervously on a chair twiddling his thumbs.

"That's him." Ivy said definitively as she stepped away from the door, then motioned to have it opened.


Lars straitened himself momentarily when he heard the door. "Ivy?! Well you're a blast from the past!" the henchman's accent was exaggerated, but to anyone who knows him, this was the norm.

"You might want to save the small talk, Lars. Want to tell me why you were trying to get into Macau?"

"Lights? Luck? Cash?"

"How about... Probation?" Ivy flipped through the manila folder on the desk. "You're not supposed to go anywhere within a hundred miles of a casino. This is calling for Jail time, Lars."

"Woah, woah now... could I maybe, hmm... cut a deal?"

"I'm shocked to hear you say that." She said flatly, "But you're going to have to do really good to get out of this one."

"Eh? How good?"

"How about telling us what Carmen is up to?"

"Hey, I was supposed to be following my best buddy Vic, and then he ditches me for some fuzzy haired kid. I don't know what they're up to now."

"Sorry Lars, I guess it's back to the High Desert Prison for you..."

"Wait!" Lars Vegas looked around, and then lowered his voice, "What if I told you I saw Lee Jordan, and I have a good idea of where he'll be in Macau..."

Lee Jordan? Ivy thought. The idea that Lee Jordan was back in the game made her very angry. After all, he betrayed ACME, kidnapped an innocent man, and if memory serves, he tried to kill her. Twice.

Ivy's eyes narrowed and she placed her palms on the table, bending down slightly to get Lars's attention. "Tell me everything you know. Now."

For Ivy Monaghan, there was nothing more refreshing than waking up to the harbor sunrise. Her apartment was small, meant to be inhabited by only one person, and with standard furnishings that could best be described as plain and unimaginative. But she could forgive it all in an instant for the view. Out from the room's floor to ceiling windows, Ivy could see colorful Victoria Harbor nestled between a frame of nearby skyscrapers. The dawn light was heavy, staining her beige furniture violet and pooling on her hardwood floors. She also had a front row view of the ACME building - Hong Kong.

Way to remind someone of work, ACME. Ivy thought to herself as she towel dried her hair.

Just as the detective was about to leave the apartment, her ACME communicator began to beep. Clicking it on, she responded, "This is Ivy."

"Good morning, Ivy." The voice of Venus Liu, the Hong Kong branch's executive secretary greeted. "The H.K.P.F recently apprehended a man suspected to be V.I.L.E. henchmen, Lars Vegas. Suspect was on his way to Macau island with forged documents. Your assistance is urgently requested for identification and interrogation."

"No one else is available, Venus? I'd hate to cancel class."

"I'm sorry Ivy, you're the only one in the area who has seen the suspect first hand. We've secured a substitute for your students this morning."

"Got it, Venus. Thanks." Ivy sighed.

Being V.I.L.E.'s greediest member, it wasn't out of character for Lars to try sneak into Macau. They might be able to hold him a while, but an arrest would be unlikely without a warrant. Besides, he might not even be working for Carmen anymore.

Oh well, it never hurts to ask.