Theme music plays.
(In Russia, Carmen and Shadowsan enter a government building.)
Soldier: Credentials, please.
(They hand over their IDs. The soldier scans them and the machine beeps.)
Soldier: Thank you, general.
"Did you two seriously just sneak into the Kremlin?" Player asks.
"Says the guy who must of hacked the Kremlin for those fake ID's to work." Carmen points out.
Shadowsan: As you were.
Carmen: Player, Red Hat is in Red Square.
Player: Glad to hear the IDs worked out. The server vault's on sublevel four. If our intel is accurate, VILE could already be inside.
"Of course they are, they're always just about to win before you lot step in." Chase says.
(Neal the Eel sneaks into the vault through a vent, grunting.)
Neal: Whoo! Easy-peasy. Neal the Eel to Dr. Bellum. I'm in. Server 6609 located.
"He's still so massively creepy." Gray says.
"You just don't like him because he's from New Zealand." Jean-Paul says.
"No Neal is really, really creepy." Carmen says.
Dr. Bellum: Well done, Neal. You might make faculty yet.
"Unlikely. He is average at best as an operative, and mediocre at developing his own caper." Shadowsan says.
Neal: Well, I hear there's an opening. And you know how much I enjoy worming my way into those.
"Lets take that sentence out of context." Player says.
Neal: Searching database. And Bob's your uncle.
Dr. Bellum: I have seven uncles, none of whom are named Bob.
Player falls out of his seat cackling making the others laugh as well.
Neal: It's just a turn of phrase, love. Means "I found it."
Dr. Bellum: Then say that. I'm a scientist. Colorful vernacular only serves to confuse me.
"I'm thinking that's just the ADHD." Gray says.
"She has ADHD?" Jules asks.
"I mean... not diagnosed but, probably." Gray says.
Neal: Download complete. Is that direct enough for you?
(He notices Carmen and Shadowsan entering.)
Neal: Dos vidaniya, comrades!
Shadowsan: I will take the Eel.
"Say goodbye to Neal folks." Ivy says.
Carmen: I'll take the server.
(Carmen inserts her lipstick flash drive into the computer.)
Carmen: Player, uplink's live. See if you can retrace Neal's slimy trail.
(Shadowsan chases after Neal, grabbing onto his arm.)
Neal: Ah, Instructor Shadowsan. When they told me you defected over to the red side, I didn't realize they meant Russia.
"He is not funny." Carmen says.
"Someone needs to tell him that." Jean-Paul says.
Shadowsan: I will take the data.
Neal: You will try.
(Neal slips out of his grasp.)
"I know it's just the suit, but that is very much disgusting." Antonio says.
Neal: Butterfinger
Neal: Oh, pretty slick. But I'm slicker!
(Neal slips out his grasp again and knocks him to the ground.)
Shadowsan: Aah!
Neal: Hey, get a grip! Do you mind if I vent?
"I officially hate him more then Paper Star." Player says.
(Neal escapes through the vent, cooing.)
Only a couple minutes into the episode and everyone is already fed up with Neal's antics.
(At Carmen Brand Outerwear, Zack bangs a hammer into wood planks while Ivy caulks something. Player briefs Carmen and Shadowsan.)
Player: It took some serious decrypting, but I pinpointed what VILE was after. Technical specs for an experimental electromagnetic pulse generator, codenamed, "Trip Wire." The Russian government attempted to design the next generation of EMP device, long-range with ultimate pinpoint accuracy.
Carmen: Attempted to?
Player: Yep, they couldn't crack it, so Trip Wire was shuttered.
Shadowsan: Dr. Bellum thrives on solving the unsolvable.
"Oh if she's able to develop that thing it'll be really bad." Gray says.
Carmen: And if she manages to engineer a working prototype from the stolen plans, VILE will possess the means of disabling any electrical grid in the world from anywhere at any time.
Ivy: As in cause instant blackouts?
Carmen: Create power outages that would shut down security systems and allow VILE to steal from the cover of darkness.
"Useful, but bad in VILE's hands." Jules says.
Player: Sounds like the ultimate crackle rod. Any chance the electrician formerly known as Crackle is involved?
"I feel like we would of seen if his memories had come back yet." Jean-Paul says.
Shadowsan: Crackle has no memory of ever being associated with the Villains International League of Evil.
"It's weird hearing the full name." Player says.
Carmen: My old classmate Gray suffers from amnesia, which we now know was caused by Dr. Bellum.
Player: Fair enough. So, what's the caper?
Carmen: What else? We disable Dr. Bellum's prototype before she can use it and delete the plans so she can't rebuild it.
Shadowsan: Judging from the involvement of Neal the Eel, Dr. Bellum's base of operations for this project would most certainly be her laboratory in New Zealand.
"I've been there, hated it." Gray says.
"Why do you hate the Kiwi's?" Chase asks.
"I don't hate them, I just think we Aussie's are better." Gray says.
"You hate Neal." Jean-Paul says.
"Yeah but everyone hates Neal. He's Neal." Gray points out,
Zack: Yes! Back to Australia!
Ivy: Throw another shrimp on the barbie, mate!
Player: Dudes, New Zealand is actually a completely different country.
Zack: Hold on. It's not the capital of Australia? Pfft, news to me.
Gray turns to Zack and Ivy.
"I am not apologizing for future me." Zack says.
"Me neither." Ivy says.
Ivy: You sure? They're both down under.
Player: Technically, I guess. But, yeah, I'm sure.
Shadowsan: I must caution you. The laboratory is Dr. Bellum's highest security facility.
Player: Shadowsan's not kidding. I just pulled it up on the VILE hard drive. The place is a fortress. To even get near Dr. Bellum's computer lab, you'd have to cross a series of four electrical fields with a fail-safe. If more than one field is deactivated at any given time, the entire building goes into lockdown.
"I'm starting to see where Graham comes into play here." Carmen says.
Zack: But we have our own ninja. Ninjas can go anywhere they want, right?
"I am unable to pass through electrical fields as if they were shadows." Sahdowsan says.
Shadowsan: Moving unseen among shadow is one thing. Passing through high-voltage electricity, entirely another.
Player: Dr. Bellum's lab does have one vulnerability. It draws all its power from a nearby electrical substation. If we get into the substation, we can manually shut down the fields, grid by grid.
Carmen: So my movements would need to be perfectly synchronized, like a dancer.
Ivy: Or else crispy, fried Carmen.
"And I prefer my Carmen unfried." Gray whispers in her ear.
Zack: What's the problem? Player has wicked awesome gamer reflexes.
Player: We can't risk the server lag or any voltage spikes that might blow a fuse. We would need someone on site who really knows their electric.
Shadowsan: Crackle was the finest criminal electrician VILE ever had.
Carmen: Gray's out of the game. We can't pull him back in.
"I wonder what would happen if something triggered his memories to return." Jules says.
Player: Not even to play for the good guys? We know he has stage lighting experience.
Ivy: Whoa, are we breaking into a lab or putting on a show?
Carmen: If Dr. Bellum were to lay eyes on Gray, his safety would be compromised.
"That is a good point, if VILE believed he was working with you they might try to bring him back into the fold, or worse, take him out all together." Antonio says.
Player: Two completely different locations, remember? Problem solved.
Carmen (sighing): Alright. We'd need a cover story. Gray can't know what he's actually doing.
"That will make things far more complicated." Shadowsan says.
Zack: What?
Ivy: How do we pull that off?
Carmen: Like you said, Ivy, we put on a show.
Player: Located way down in the southern hemisphere, New Zealand is made up of two main islands and about 600 smaller ones.
"600!?!" Zack shouts surprised.
Carmen: The country is so remote, it was actually one of the last land masses on our planet settled by humans.
(A sheep bleats.)
Player: Whoa! And sheep, apparently. About 30 million sheep live on the islands.
Carmen: You're not pulling the wool over our eyes.
"No! Bad Carmen." Player says booping her nose much to Carmen's bewilderment.
Carmen: That amounts to nearly six sheep for every Kiwi.
Player: The fruit?
Carmen: No, the people. New Zealanders proudly refer to themselves as "Kiwis," named after the native flightless bird that's their national symbol.
"Aww they're so cute." Ivy says.
Zack: So you're saying New Zealand really isn't in Australia?
"OW!"
Carmen: That's right, Zack. It's its own country. Over 1,000 miles southeast of the Australian continent.
(Carmen, Zack, and Ivy are shown on a plane.)
Zack: Then why are we flying to Australia?
"Because that's where Gray is." Carmen says.
Carmen: To wrangle our electrician.
(Gray is drinking coffee across from the Sydney Opera House. Carmen approaches.)
Gray: You're late.
Carmen: Fashionably, I hope. I'm sorry I stood you up, Gray.
"Oh yeah we had a date in the last episode I was in, and that was... ten episodes ago!" Gray says realizing his future self has probably been doing nothing but normal work since that last time he saw Carmen.
Gray: Um, it's--
Carmen: Graham. Right. Look, I was called away on business at the last minute.
Gray: What kind of business?
Carmen: I run an international charity for abandoned children. In fact, that's the reason I came to see you today.
"That's actually true, by the time this episode happens we'll probably have donated millions." Player says.
Gray: Oh?
Carmen: I am sponsoring a big fundraiser in Auckland, New Zealand, this week. Selections from Swan Lake.
Gray: Tchaikovsky. I've lit a few Russian ballets at the old Sydney Opera House.
Carmen: Fortunately for me, our lighting technician dropped out, and I'm hoping you can help.
Gray: On one condition. You have that cuppa with me afterwards.
"Trying to cash in on that date again?" Ivy asks while Gray receives glares from two sides. Cold from behind, and a much more heated one from Carmen's other side.
Carmen: I'll have the foundation book you a flight.
Carmen: All right, crew, let's review. We fly into Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, which happens to boast its most famous skyline, thanks to the Sky Tower. Dr. Bellum's lab is located just outside city limits, not that Gray will ever know it exists. He'll be doing his part entirely from the nearby electrical substation, which we will lead him to believe is the backstage entrance of the children's theatre. This way, VILE never sees Gray, and Gray never sees VILE, the reason we opted to have Shadowsan remain at HQ.
"Smart, Gray spent much time in my Stealth 101 class. My face would be likely to trigger memories." Shadowsan says.
Zack: He's waiting for the cable guy?
Carmen: No. Gray only knows Shadowsan from his time at VILE Academy. Who knows what hidden memories spotting the face of any VILE instructor could trigger?
Player: And we can't risk awakening any memories or criminal impulses, especially not while Carmen's fate is in Gray's hands.
"That makes this a lot more nerve wracking." Ivy says.
"But seriously... what about the cable guy? OW!" Zack shouts.
Carmen: Gray will operate a lighting board from his control booth, shutting down Dr. Bellum's surveillance cameras and security systems, including the notorious electrical fields, one by one and in sequence, all while under the illusion that he's controlling the stage lighting of a live theatrical performance of Swan Lake.
"Okay, I'm seeing where this is going. That's smart." Gray says interested.
Player: His cue sheets will be timed to a prerecorded ballet, the one you'll be hearing in your earpiece as you pirouette your way through Dr. Bellum's gauntlets.
"Cleo's dance lessons are about to really come in handy." Carmen says.
Carmen: As a safety net, Gray will be in constant communication with the stage manager of the ballet, an efficient but friendly Kiwi we'll call "Peter."
Player (in New Zealand accent): Hello, guys. Peter here.
"This will be the first time future me and future you interact." Gray says patting Players shoulder.
Carmen: And when the big show's over?
Player: We tell Crackle the crowd's demanding an encore and have him switch off the grid in reverse order so our swan can take flight.
"Solid plan, I'm probably gonna notice but otherwise solid." Gray says.
"What? How could you possibly notice?" Player asks.
"Just wait, I'll definitely figure it out. Something is going to go wrong, it always does." Gray says smirking. Carmen rolls her eyes and flicks the back of his head getting an indignant HEY out of him.
Gray arrives at the substation, where Carmen is waiting for him.
Carmen: Graham, ready to rock?
Gray: Anything for the kiddos.
Carmen: Good. Curtain's at 8:00, and I'm needed in wardrobe.
"Time to slip into your role as super thief." Ivy says.
(Later that night, Dr. Bellum and Neal watches the Trip Wire generator in her lab, electricity crackling and machines whirring.)
Dr. Bellum: Tonight is the night, Neal. We are nearly ready to beta test.
(Player cracks his knuckles. He clicks on a file and his computer beeps.)
Player: Cue music.
Player (in New Zealand accent): Okay, Graham, you're on.
Player: Remember, timing is everything.
"I got this." Gray says.
"You don't even know what you're actually doing." Player says.
(Carmen sneaks into Dr. Bellum's lab as Gray gradually shuts down the security systems. Carmen closes the door behind her, the lock clicking.)
Carmen: Player, Red Swan is in. En route to secure sublevel.
(An elevator dings as Carmen enters it and dings again as she exits. She arrives at the sublevel. The electrical fields crackle.)
Carmen: Red Swan has arrived at shock corridor.
"Here we go." Antonio says.
Player: Copy that. Okay, mate, fade up center stage on "Dance of the Little Swans."
Gray: Opera, ballet... Here's hoping the next gig involves stadium rock.
("Dance of the Little Swans" plays. Carmen makes her way through the electrical fields in time with Gray's operating and the music. Afterward, a crowd applauds. Carmen sighs.)
"Wow Cleo's dance lessons really did come in handy." Jean-Paul says.
"Nice moves Red." Player adds.
"I liked your dance from the caviar heist better." Gray tells Carmen who laughs.
"Who knew ballet could be so high stakes?" Chase asks chuckling.
Carmen: A nearly electrifying performance.
(She arrives at the server vault and inserts her flash drive into the computer.)
Carmen: And we're live.
Player: Okay, searching for Project Trip Wire files. Located. Scrubbing database. And goodbye stolen tech.
Carmen: Off to find Dr. Bellum's prototype.
(As she exits the server vault, Carmen runs into Neal.)
"Oh no." Antonio groans.
Neal: Of all the sheep in New Zealand to wander in, it had to be a black sheep.
(Carmen grunts as Neal knocks her off her feet. Carmen runs and Neal slides after her, grabbing her ankle and bringing her down again.)
Carmen: Aah!
Neal: Remember me? Neal. You were the island mascot. And I was class of-- Oh!
"Nobody cares Neal!" Carmen shouts at the screen.
(Carmen kicks at him and Neal grunts. He kicks her down.)
Neal: How did you slip in here anyway? You part eel?
"No! Nobody wants that! You are the only one that wants that!" Jean-Paul shouts.
Carmen: Player, time for that encore.
(Carmen rushes at Neal, grunting as she shoves him into the glass partition. Neal groans.)
"Big oof." Player says.
"What does that mean?" Chase asks Jules who shrugs just as confused as him.
Player (in accent): Okay, Graham, curtain call for "Dance of the Little Swans."
Gray: Already?
Player (in accent): I know, right? Crowd's going wild!
"He's getting suspicious." Antonio says.
("Dance of the Little Swans" plays as Gray manipulates the electrical fields. Carmen grunts as she pushes Neal through them with her.)
Neal: Are you mad? You'll fry us both!
"Carmen can still hear the music so she can predict the timing. Neal can't." Tamara says.
(Carmen grunts and jumps backward. Electricity crackles as Gray sends the fields up, separating her from Neal.)
Carmen: Hold faders now.
Player (in accent): Graham, lock faders in current position.
Gray: Wait, what?
"Things are about to go wrong." Gray says.
Carmen: I'd stay put unless you wanna be an electric eel.
Neal: Slick.
(In the substation, static crackles over Gray's screen.)
Gray: Peter, there's something wrong with my feed.
Player (in accent): Technical difficulties, mate. Please stand by. And don't touch those faders.
(Static crackles. The crowd applauds and the curtain falls.)
Gray: Wait. Is this a recording? Why have I been lighting a pre-recorded performance? Peter?
"And there it is." Zack says.
Peter (in accent): Uh, there's a perfectly logical explanation. Just sit tight, Graham. Graham?
(Gray's empty seat is shown.)
"Oh no, this is really bad." Carmen groans.
Dr. Bellum: Neal, we are ready to launch. Neal? Oh, where did that sea snake slither off to?
(Gray exits the substation.)
Gray: Carmen! Must be the main stage.
"I mean, in a way it is." Player says.
Carmen: Player, I'm warm. How's the ballet?
Player: Uh, on indefinite intermission. Our lighting tech walked.
Carmen: What?
Player: Zack and Ivy are combing the grounds for him.
Carmen: Find him. I'm too close to turn back now.
"You better not mess this up Gray." Jean-Paul says.
"I can't control what amnesiac future me does." Gray says.
(Dr. Bellum comes across Neal trapped between the electrical fields.)
Neal: Uh... Bob's your uncle?
"I think she made it very clear of her seven uncles not a single one is named Bob." Zack says huffing.
Dr. Bellum: And who would be my auntie?
"I'm assuming the women married to her uncles." Ivy says.
(She disables the fields, letting him out.)
Neal: Carmen Sandiego. And she took off that way.
(Gray enters the room as they run off.)
"That was a very close shave." Chase says.
Gray: Carmen? Carmen?
Dr. Bellum: Red alert! We have an intruder.
(Carmen locates Trip Wire and is about to grab it.)
Gray: Carmen?
Dr. Bellum: Sandiego!
"Jean-Paul/Antonio!" The couple shouts at the same time before looking at each other and laughing. Antonio places a small peck and Jean-Paul's forehead.
(Carmen runs towards Gray.)
Gray: Uh... What kind of concert hall is this?
Carmen: Experimental.
Dr. Bellum: If that's the game she wishes to play, raise the sphere.
(He presses a button to activate Trip Wire, which rises through an opening in the ceiling.)
Dr. Bellum: Carmen Sandiego will surrender, or tonight will come to be known as the night the lights went out in Auckland.
"Not likely." Carmen says.
(Carmen and Gray sneak through the hallways of Dr. Bellum's lab. Two guards notice them. One powers up their crackle rod.)
"Hey that's my thing!" Gray shouts.
Carmen: Stay down.
(Carmen launches herself at the guard, knocking them down. She grunts as she takes the second one down. A crackle rod slips from the first guard's grasp and lands in front of Gray. Carmen watches him regard it.)
"Oh this would be the absolute worst time for memories to resurface." Carmen says.
Neal: Thought you could give old Neal the slip, eh?
(Carmen rushes at Neal. Neal grabs her and presses his hands against the back of her neck, locking her in place.)
Neal: Little known fact: this eel has quite the grip.
(Carmen grunts. Suddenly, electricity zaps as Neal is shocked. He releases Carmen.)
Neal: Aah!
Gray: You don't run a children's charity.
"Technically I do." Carmen says.
(Carmen smiles and grabs his arm, dragging him behind her.)
Carmen: I'll explain over that coffee.
"So I'm actually getting that coffee date?" Gray asks.
"In that future? Yes. In our present time? You'd better come up with something bigger then coffee." Carmen says smirking at him.
Carmen: Zack, Ivy, bring the car. Graham's ready for pickup.
(Zack and Ivy watch as Trip Wire rises, electricity crackling.)
Zack: Uh, Carm, we may have a bigger problem.
Dr. Bellum (over PA): Carmen Sandiego, surrender, or I will discharge an electromagnetic pulse from my very own Sky Tower, one that will disable every shred of technology in Auckland. Hospitals, emergency services, air traffic control will all be in disarray. Only you can avert this disaster by turning yourself in.
Gray: Carmen, who is that?
Carmen: Do you recognize the voice?
Gray: Don't think so. But what are we going to do?
"At least we can safely say his memories are still buried." Antonio says.
"Yes this would be a most unfortunate time to have them come back." Shadowsan says.
(Carmen and Gray arrive at the rooftop, in front of the Trip Wire tower.)
Carmen: Afraid of heights?
Gray: What? No.
(She gives him her hand and pulls him in close.)
"Trying to get a feel?" Gray whispers in Carmen's ear getting an elbow to the gut as a reward.
Carmen: Hang on tight, don't let go.
Gray (screaming): Crikey!
Player bursts into laughter.
"CRIKEY!" He yells imitating Gray and suddenly most of the theater is yelling it, Gray chuckles.
(They arrive at the top of Trip Wire, where electricity crackles.)
Carmen: Can you deactivate it?
Gray: I--I'm just a lighting tech. What makes you think I know anything about industrial-grade electric?
Carmen: It's a hunch. Roll with it.
"By that she means instincts amigo." Antonio says.
Gray: I don't even know what I'm looking at. [sighing] It won't blow up in our faces, will it?
"Uh... probably not." Carmen shrugs.
Carmen: Focus and hurry.
Gray: I just don't... Oh, wait, what's this? That oughta do it.
(The machine powers down. Alarms blare. Carmen offers her hand to him.)
Carmen: Do you trust me?
"I can show you the world." Player sings under his breath,
Gray (groaning): Hang on tight, don't let go?
(They hold onto each other and step off the tower.)
Gray: Crikey!
"CRIKEY!" The group shouts together.
(Carmen opens her glider midair and they take off. Dr. Bellum and Neal arrive at the top of the tower, watching Carmen escape.)
Dr. Bellum: Very well, then. Lights out, Auckland.
(When she presses her remote, Trip Wire explodes.)
Dr. Bellum: And Bob's your uncle.
"Oh now Bob's the uncle." Ivy says sarcastically.
Carmen: This glider isn't designed for two.
Gray: We're going down like a kiwi? Flightless bird, national symbol of--
"Now is not the time for that Gray." Jean-Paul says.
Carmen: Brace yourself.
(They crash onto the ground.)
Carmen: Gray? Gray?
Gray: It's Graham.
"You're never going to get it are you?" Gray asks.
"Probably not." Carmen says.
Carmen: So, how did you know how to sabotage that device?
Gray: It just felt very familiar. You ever get déjà vu? Carmen, I have to know... are you a spy? Part of some kind of secret service?
Carmen: I do provide a service, and it is secret, so, yeah, something like that.
"Not a legal one, but secret and a service." Chase says chuckling as he's fully on board with Carmen's work at this point.
Gray: But we are the good guys?
Carmen: Absolutely. Only you need to forget this ever happened.
Gray: Pfft, no one would believe me anyway.
"I'd love to see you try and talk about this without sounding like a complete loon." Player says.
"Loon?" Gray asks.
"I'm from Canada." Is Players only response.
(A/N Same Player. Same.)
Carmen: I wired funds to your account for your help.
(She slides him a cheque, which he unfolds.)
Gray: What? H-how could you possibly get my bank account number? Crikey! Carmen, I can't accept this.
"You have to, I'm not giving you a choice." Carmen says.
(When he looks back up, she's gone.)
Gray: You are a cheeky one.
"It's one of the reasons I like you so much." Gray tells her.
Player: So, Gray figured out there's more to Carmen than meets the eye.
Carmen: Wasn't too hard, but I'm convinced he has zero memory of VILE. And we thankfully managed to pull off our little caper without VILE ever laying eyes on Gray.
"Or Gray getting a good look at anyone from VILE." Jules says.
Chief and Agent Zari review footage of Carmen and Gray's coffee meeting.
"Oh, no, no, no. Don't you dare, don't you dare go near him." Carmen snaps turning to glare at Tamara and Zari.
Zari: This surveillance was obtained less than an hour ago in Sydney, Australia.
Chief: Find out everything you can about Carmen's friend. He may be of some use to us.
(End)
Tamara and Zari are on the receiving end of some intense glares.
"ACME needs to back off and get their crap together." Player says as the timer appears on screen.
As everyone gets up to move around a hand lands on Gray's shoulder gripping it tightly. Nervously turning he see's Shadowsan scowling.
"It is time for us to have a talk."