Chapter 1
Cleo frowned.
She’d been doing that a lot lately.
She just didn’t have any reason to smile anymore, other than Saira.
Since that fateful day, she hadn’t seen anything other than her prison cell- which let’s face it, was honestly ugly, and a crime itself against interior design. And the food- ? God awful.
She and her fellow VILE members had cracked a plan, however!
…
Do nothing!
Yeah, that’s it, that’s the plan.
Do nothing and be on your best behaviour so that you get less years.
The mime was already out, followed by tigress, and now…
Now it was finally her turn.
Saira and she could finally be free again.
Well… Not exactly “free”, because ACME – the bastards- decided that one of their agents would serve as their parole officer. And worse, they wouldn’t just be a normal officer, no no no, they’d serve as their proverbial babysitter.
They are grown adults! They do not need a babysitter!
And yet, here they were. Waiting for whichever bluecoat was about to become part of their daily life.
The door finally opened, and in walked the woman. A slight figure with short hair and glasses, whose face was dotted with freckles, and her expression was steely and professional.
‘Oh shit.’ Cleo thought. It’s this one. What was her name again… Jules?
She turned to Saira, reaching out to clasp one of her hands. If the woman she’d previously kidnapped and held hostage was in charge of them… That didn’t bode well for them.
“We meet again.” Jules spoke with a clipped British accent, offering a small, uncertain smile. “Cleo, was it?”
“It seems we do.” Cleo responded, biting back the harsh words bubbling within her at the face of the woman who’d denied VILE their treasure. “I don’t seem to recall your name, what was it again?” Her intonation was purposefully snide, but she was careful to watch her words. She really wouldn’t want this woman to hate her any more than she already does. But her face is just so annoying, Cleo physically couldn’t stop herself.
“It’s Julia. Julia Argent.” Was the response, in a measured tone worthy of a secret agent. She really had gotten stronger from the last time they’d met. The woman before them was a far cry from the skittish academic she’d kidnapped.
“Uh… Wait, don’t tell me, don’t tell mee…” Saira mumbled, rubbing the sides of their head in contemplation, “You’re…AHA!!!” she suddenly burst out, “You’re Carmen Sandiego’s codebreaker, right?”
Julia raised an eyebrow, “Yes, that would be me.”
Saira lit up at the confirmation, turning to Cleo with a bright smile.
The bespectacled agent let out an amused huff, before pushing up her glasses and pulling out a contract.
Laying it on the table for the two to peruse, she continued on, “If you would just sign here, everything else has been sorted out.”
And in a matter of seconds, Cleo’s elegant penmanship accompanied Saira’s doctor’s scrawl. Or at least, that’s what she called it after Cleo had first seen how they write.
It really was horrendous.
Cleo did love her partner, of course she did! She adored every little unstable part of Saira, but damn, her handwriting genuinely gave the fashionista whiplash.
The agent picked up the contract and tapped them gently on the table to level the documents. “Well then, off we pop!” She spoke in a cheery tone, not at all reflecting the situation she’d just resigned herself to.
The journey there was…uneventful. Rain pounded on the sleek ACME car, and Saira was looking out of the window, contemplative. They were almost ethereal like this, when they were lost in their mind, almost glowing with thinly veiled brilliance.
Cleo smiled.
‘She’s so beautiful…’
Her smile faded when she noticed Argent looking at her from the back mirror. With a frown tugging at her lips, Cleo turned her head to the other side to look at the blurred view from the window.
The ‘there’ in question was, in fact, Kingston. ACME had gotten a place for them there, and while it was no mansion, well… It was acceptable.
Better than a prison cell, at least.
Taking a deep breath, Argent opened the door to the premises and allowed the couple inside.
Tossing Cleo the keys, she turned to leave.
“Well, I’ll be seeing you two tomorrow. Get comfortable and get some sleep.”
Welp. This is the start of something indeed.