Cool, Calm and Collected

by FelineShapeshifter

Summary:

Prompt: Your character enters the witness protection program.

Notes:

This is my first fan fiction. Please tell me what you think! Constructive criticism appreciated.

Chapter 1: Pacing

“This is really unnecessary.”
“This is a sensitive situation, we need to fallow protocol.”
“I can take care of myself.”
“I don’t doubt that, but it is in your best interest to let us help.”
“No.”
“This isn’t a request Miss Santarosa.”
“I refuse to enter a witness protection program!”
“These are dangerous people. You and your family will be protected. Good day.”
The last of Carmen’s protest were interrupted by the click of the latch as the door closed behind the officer.
“And this is why we don’t give the police tips about Vile. They not only fail to stop the heist, but now they are set on giving us new identities and moving us across the country.” Carmen mutters as she paces from one side of the room to another. Heels clacking against the linoleum floor.
“Look at it this way boss, we have been thinking of taking a vacation, this could be our chance!” Zack tries to cheer her up, his orange curls hanging limply in front of his eyes from the hours spent in a waiting room.
“We can’t take a vacation, we can’t give Vile that chance to recover. They already got a hundred grand from that painting they stole.” Carmen snaps.
“Stop whining.” Shadowsan says, back straight and face as unreadable as ever.
“This is a less than ideal situation but complaining will bring you nowhere.”
Carmen silently turns back to pacing.

He’s right flitters through her head.
What is going on with you? Carmen Sandiego always knows what she is doing. She always has a plan, always watches, analyzing and calculating.
She doesn’t pace around in a police station complaining about how hard everything is, with her hair in a worse condition than the time she let Ivy style it. No matter how exhausted of it all she is. She is cool, calm and collected.

Carmen stops pacing. She feels light headed, the disinfectant smell making her want to hold her breath, and the bright lighting reminding her of the beetles she used to examen under a microscope back on Vile Island.
She takes a deep breath. Reigning in the chaotic energy around her until it is only visible in the hurricane gray of her eyes.
“We will stay where they send us for one to two weeks. When we leave we will make it seem like “the mob” took us.” Carmen decides.
After a moment’s though she adds on:
“This is not a vacation.”
“Got it Carm.” Ivy affirms. Smiling despite the dark circles under her eyes that make her seem even paler than usual.
Carmen settles down on one of the too squishy chairs to wait for someone to come and get them. She pointedly ignores the deep tugging in her chest.
After all, Carmen Sandiego doesn’t get tired.

Chapter 2: Snakes

Summary:

Carmen deals with bureaucracy.

Notes:

Here is the second part! I hope you like it.

The strong flowery scent wafting around the room was making her feel nauseas.
It blended with the smells of the cleaning products they used in the police station, making a scent so revolting, that Carmen was briefly reminded of the time Bellum tried to make what she dubbed “The new and improved sink bomb”.
The source of this sickeningly sweet smell was the equally sickeningly sweet woman sitting in front of her.

Carmen crosses her legs at the ankle and pulls her blood red coat tighter around her, praying it’s scent of vanilla, lint and sweat will shelter her from the stress emanating from the paneled walls.

“I just don’t understand why you need my school records.”
“Honey, I understand this is difficult, but we really do need them.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know, that isn’t my job, my job is just to make sure these forms are properly filled out.”
“You already have my medical records, social security number, financial data, access to all my social media accounts and all my IDs. What’s next? Information on my family back three generations?”
“That would be rather helpful, if you don’t mind” The secretary smiles sympathetically.

Carmen’s eye twitches. She evens out her breath and sits up straighter.
“Could you please give me the forms then?” She asks, smiling with even more saccharine than the secretary.
“Of course sweetie.” The lady hands over the forms, grinning as if trying to outdo them both. Carmen feels her insides contract at the sight.
She twists her lips upward and accepts the papers. Ink slithering like snakes in front of her eyes. Snakes she knows will cost Player even more sleepless nights keeping her background airtight.

Carmen clicks the end of a pen a few times, a pen that had previously lived at a desk on the other side of the station until she spotted it, the rhythm in line with the sound of shiny boots taping against the hallway floor outside.
She then begins to smudge the red ink between the black. Making all the information up on the spot. Forcing her mind away from it’s determined supervision of the door, and towards remembering all of this to tell player later.

Grandfather’s Name: Carmine Vilnius
Grandfather’s Date of Birth: December 1, 1945

Her writing is a simple cursive. Small letters tilted forward slightly with minimal embellishments. One of many handwritings she practiced.
Deep breaths Carmen, she tells herself. You can do this.

Chapter 3: Wonderful

Summary:

Carmen wants to scream.

Notes:

This is the last chapter. I hope you enjoy it. Suggestions for improvements are appreciated.

This was not supposed to happen. The thought was stuck in her head.
She ignored it.
This was not supposed to happen, echoed through her mind as she watched the red ink flow out of the pen in her hand like lava, as it put down more names and dates.
The light scratching sound it made on the paper barely registering.

She wasn’t supposed to be sitting here doing pointless paperwork. She should be paragliding over a city, or pretending not to panic over the comms she got stuck in an air vent, or rushing to plan a museum hist before Vile.
Or maybe, she admitted to secretly hoping, taking a break, burning cookies with the rest of the team, staying up till midnight to finish reading a romance novel.
Not having to worry about an evil crime organization, because for once, the police actually did their job. But of course, they messed it up.

Carmens grip on the pen tightens. She wants to scream. She wants to jump up, kick away the chair, grab the plastic plant sitting on the desk and throw it against that annoying “Hang In There!” poster on the wall.
She wants to rip up the forms and smash that desktop computer that the secretary keeps typing at with it’s clicking keys. She wants to yell.

But she doesn’t. Because she knows the chair will roll away and the plant will bounce of the wall and she will have to fill in the forms again and officers will come to restrain her.
She knows she will feel even less satisfied than before.
Worst of all, the secretary will gently tell her how she understands why Carmen is so upset, but that throwing a temper tantrum won’t help, and would she please sit down.
Besides, she is Carmen Sandiego, she never loses her cool.

“Here are the papers.” Carmen gently places the paper on the desk. Forcing herself not to slam them down.
“Wonderful.” The secretary smiles again, teeth dazzlingly white and straight.
“Yes, wonderful.” Carmen agrees, replying with a smile just as fake and bright as the glaring lights above.
“Now, I understand that you must be exhausted, but there is just a bit more paperwork before you can move on to the next step.” She informed her, papers rustling as she sorts through a stack thicker than Ivy’s toolbox.
“Wonderful.” Carmen repeats, pulling the soft fabric of her coat even tighter around herself.
“Just wonderful.”