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.

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."

(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."