"Old Ties", Part 1

A/N: This is my first actual fic since "April Fool's!", so I may suck at 
writing. 

Prologue
San Francisco, California
June 12, 1992

	10-year-old Ivy was inside her bedroom reading the newspaper when 
Zack walked in and asked, "Ivy, who's moving away?"

	"Huh?" Ivy set down her newspaper. "I dunno. Let's check it out."

	"What about Mommy and Daddy?" Zack asked.

	"It'll only take a few minutes. Besides, Mom and Dad aren't going to 
be home till six, and we've got hours ahead of us." Ivy went down to the 
garage and got her bike. Zack got out his skateboard, and the two went down 
the street.

	Stopping in front of a Victorian style house, Ivy recognized who was 
moving away. 'Kassandra's moving away,' she thought. It had been two years 
since Ivy fought against her enemy in a martial arts tournament. She was 
eight at the time, Kassandra was also eight, Zack was only four and probably 
didn't remember any of it.

	Kassandra stepped out of her house with her mother. She saw Ivy with 
her little brother. Two years had passed since she lost the tournament to the 
redhead.

	"Good riddance," Kassandra mouthed at Ivy.

	Ivy gave Kassandra a dirty look. "Come on, Zack. Let's go home."

				  **********

San Francisco, California
July 14, 2000

	18-year-old Ivy watched her brother Zack play chess with the Chief. 
Carmen Sandiego hadn't pulled off a caper in a few days and the three were 
enjoying the time before Carmen would strike again.

	"How many losses, Zack?" Ivy asked.

	"Only two out of five games," Zack answered casually.

	"Cut me some slack!" the Chief whined.

	"You're a computer, Chief. You can think faster than I can in two 
weeks," Zack replied. "Check."

	"Damn..." the Chief muttered.

	The doors opened, catching the trio's attention. A young teen of 17, 
around 5 foot 7 inches with long brown hair, blue eyes, and a thin build, had 
strode in. Ivy stiffened at the sight.

	"Who in the world is that, Chief?" Zack asked.

	"No need for an answer, Zackary," the teen replied.

	"If it isn't Kassandra Morrow. You looked like you haven't changed 
one bit," Ivy said in her most cynical tone.

	"Neither have you, Ivy Darren," Kassandra answered back. "I was 
hoping eight years would've brought some changes, but it kinda looks like it 
didn't."

	"Could I ask you a question?" Zack asked, directing to the Chief.

	Kassandra paused. "You just did. Bye." She left.

	"And the question was for the Chief, not you," Ivy muttered.

	"Who's this Kassandra girl?" Zack asked.

	"She's been working at Acme for some years now, in the Chicago 
branch. Kassandra just moved back to San Francisco after a job promotion," 
the Chief explained.

	"Please don't tell me she's going after Carmen as well," Ivy said.

	"Well, she is," the Chief said. "Now, back to our chess game, Zack?"

	Ivy quickly left the room.



	Getting in her car, Ivy drove to a certain Victorian house. Kassandra 
was inside, putting things away.

	'I thought the neighbors had it?' Ivy thought. 'What did Kassandra 
do, force them out of their home?' She shook her head at the thought. 'Nah, 
it probably was always empty since she moved away eight years ago.'

	Starting the car, Ivy drove back to Acme.