A Simple Mission

Finding out Nigel Braithwaite had escaped proper incarceration wasn't a genuine surprise. There was no doubt he would slip through the cracks with help from VILE and back into obscurity. This time around, he no longer had an entire organization at his disposal. The current trajectory of the Secret Intelligence Service was in disarray. ACME hadn't left the scene since it all went down. Cover-ups, layoffs and a complete overhaul of the SIS and all sister organisations affiliated were dissolved. It was a hushed crisis shaking London's finest officials to their core. To say Roundabouts influence over it all was minor, a dirty speck floating within. Would be a dramatic understatement. He has his influence spread wide, in some form or another, in every department. Even the Coffee Hut in the lobby of the main intelligence building.

Carmen and her team hung around, although dangerous, in the shadows. Witnessing the spectacle that was the dismantling of an entire wing of UK Government. After a few days, VILE chatter began to once again circulate. A round of suspicious 'packages' was rumoured to be the next hot topic. Stealing Carmen's precious attention. Ivy, Zack and Shadowsan stayed behind in London to track the proceedings left in there wake. While Carmen Sandiego took Player and set off to investigate. It was suspected to be related to Nigel. His disappearance was obscure yet clean, baffling ACME and especially local law enforcement. Once Nigel was confirmed missing, ACME swooped in. They began hustling around any and all government buildings in London like ants to sugar.

They kept an eye on it all, from a distance because of this. Sometimes as a civilian walking through if something spiked inactivity more than normal. If not, on live feeds set up by Player around the SIS building from other establishments. It was boring, uneventful work, but necessary. Zack and Ivy remained determined to do what was needed to be done. Even when Shadowsan had to go himself, they remained positive in continuing. For they weren't as crucial to the physical tactics of it all. They were part of the team, their role more fluid than the others, filling in whatever spot was needed. But now, it was their chance to step up.

After a full week of surveillance from their hotel room, Zack had reached his patience threshold. And after a few more days, after Zack's complaining, Ivy had too. It was dull work, important, but dull. Watching the same few people in suits wander about doing damage control was mentally taxing. Worst of all, they weren't allowed to access the cameras within. It was far too dangerous with ACME live, 24/7 on the network. So all they saw day in day out was the outside of the building, the lobby and the underground car park. They had been in regular contact with the rest of the team, minor exchanges. The other half of the group citing how quiet VILE were, too quiet for the normality of their operations. It was clear the blunder of losing the control Nigel had frightened them enough to scuttle under the bed.

That was the initial assumption until a failed break-in occurred at the main Venice Police Station. No one was caught, nothing was taken and no material evidence left. only papers left strewn across the office as if thrown into a fan. Player expressed that it was unlike VILE to be so careless. Yet the coincidence made it seem too circumstantial. It all felt like a rouse to direct attention away from, something, to that instead. That was one theory, the other being a rushed document steal by fresh operatives. Whoever had done it did an odd job. It was messy, yet clean. The perpetrator had tripped the alarm by trying to enter the evidence vault without turning the power off first. Ivy ended up noting that;

''Maybe it should be checked out when things die down?''

Zack chiming in, mostly because he wanted to stretch his legs with a;

''We can do it!''

As Carmen was far too busy for this to wind up as nothing, they would look into it. Shadowsan was apprehensive about sending them out, that they should remain on their current task. Especially without Player as constant backup and opted against. Player spoke up, after doing a quick sweep of the location during the discussion. Coming to their defence vigilantly.