that-thief-in-red

[that-thief-in-red]

https://archiveofourown.org/works/66566059

@mmaricarmen23 @that-thief-in-red @bisexually-finger-guns I finally got this up!

To anyone who gives this a read, I hope you enjoy!

Title: Morality

Rating: T

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1,876

Summary: There's a fair amount of uncertainty in ACME's line of work, but there are some certainties that Chief can always count on:

That her two newest hires will find a way to tax her patience and astound her at the exact same time. That Agent Argent will find the missing piece to the puzzle of a case file she placed on her desk this morning. That an email from Agent Devineaux admitting he literally sunk yet another ACME car will find its way to her inbox. And that she is a good person.

She is.

No matter what anyone else may think. ***** A quick little character study focused on Chief and questions of morality.

[that-thief-in-red]

[that-thief-in-red]

FFF308

Fandom: Carmen Sandiego

Words: 616

Rating: Teen

Warnings: Referenced kidnapping and torture

Title: What remains

@flashfictionfridayofficial

@backofthepencil11 Hope you enjoy!

@mmaricarmen23 Hope you don’t mind if I tag you

The castle loomed over them, watching as the group approaches. Shadowsan took to the side, hidden by the tree line as he advanced slightly behind the main group. He knew his objective, knew what he could find. It’s been over two years since a red spark had been taken, not just from him, but Zack, Ivy, Player, even some of the ACME agents had lost her. There might not be anything left, and yet he has to try. If nothing else, he has to try.

He breaks away from the main group, making a full turn away from the large doors signifying the entrance. He slips in through a window, blending in with the darkened corridors he now found himself in. Unfortunately, Player was unable to dredge up any floor schematics, and will have to go in blind. He turns away from where the main hall would be, deeper into the depths of the fortress. 

He creeps through the twisting halls, dimly lit as the technological upgrades give way to cold stone. Eventually, he crosses a door, wrought iron, darkened with age, contrasting yet blending with the surroundings. He quickly picks the lock, and the door gives way with an ear-splitting screech. On the other side, a gaping maw of darkness descends deeper into the earth. If Carmen were to be anywhere, it would surely be here. 

He wonders how it could have gone differently, if it could have gone differently, if Player had gotten wind of V.I.L.E’s plan that much sooner, destroyed the weapons before they could be used against those unknowing of the evils that lurk. There was nothing to be said of Carmen’s choice in that moment, she would have never thought to let the innocent suffer under the enemy, believing that her sacrifice was worth it to keep people safe. And yet now she’s locked away, or worse.

He passes by empty cell after empty cell, all the same in the gloom of the dungeon he now found himself in. A.C.M.E has likely finished up already, ensuring that they are unable to hurt anymore. But still, no sign of a red-clad thief. At the end of the hallway, lies another door, wooden and reinforced with steel. This was the end of the line, and if she wasn’t here…. Shadowsan thought better than to dwell on such thoughts.

He again picked the lock on the door, the hinges crying out as it opened. The room was barren, except for the figure huddled in the corner. Shadowsan slowly approached, carefully reaching a hand out. It was clear even in the dark the fear etched upon her face, scurrying back what little more she could.

“Carmen?”

The atmosphere shifted, a weight seemingly being removed, lightening the burden held for so long. She reached back, uncertain, and yet desperate for any contact.

“Sha… Sha…?” She stuttered, the attempts dying in her throat. Shadowsan closed the distance, gently taking her into his arms, as she grasps on to his shirt as if he would vanish if she let go. And all the years catch up in this moment, as she sobs into him, trembling to the point he was worried she might break, whispering reassurances all the while. Eventually, she calms down, curling back in on herself as exhaustion takes hold, and Shadowsan carefully cradles her, picking her off the floor to return to the light of the surface.

And as he glances back, after all Carmen must have been through, now nothing more than a shattered visage of who she once was, the missing pieces scattered in the murky depths, he wonders if this price for the peace V.I.L.E. wished to destroy was truly worth it.

[that-thief-in-red]

Some mall goth Sheena for the soul.

Sometimes you gotta know when to stop trying to make everything perfect n just move on from a drawing. Ik we get attached but you gotta let it go so you can create more great things💔

[that-thief-in-red]

Edited this a while ago simply because I can.

[that-thief-in-red]

hello carmen sandiego fandom

I haven’t posted my art for this fandom yet i dont think bc i haven’t been super proud of it… but here’s one i’m pretty okay with! ^^’

[that-thief-in-red]

[that-thief-in-red]

When Carmen had first left VILE

Carmen: Who even buys an umbrella? You can get them for free from coffee shops in the metal cans.

Player: …Those belong to people.

[that-thief-in-red]

The Nightly Neighbor Meeting Caper

In retrospect, it's Graham's own damn fault for shopping at Walmart. And also for daring to set foot in Canada. How very audacious. Or, the one where Gray and Player are reluctant friends.

@silkoodles @1morefrenchfry

[that-thief-in-red]

Things that VILE Would post:

[that-thief-in-red]

CS Canon Attack rant: Chief/Tamara Frasier’s character needed more

@frozenwolftemplar @explosiontheory @that-thief-in-red

This is my personal opinion but I really didnt like Chief. To me she sorta just seemed like a woman with an unnecessary grudge who jumps to too many conclusions and was very quick to assume Carmen as her enemy at the turn of a hat. ‘Guilty until proven innocent’ is really how she operates, at least for VILE-affiliated persons

(That being said, I’ve never found my disliking for a character to interfere with analysis, I’ll analyse anyone and appreciate understanding them even more with this in mind— if a little “why is she such a bitch” driven haha)

A thought I’ve rolled around for a few weeks now is her backstory.

HOW does she know VILE exist? As she says, it’s near impossible to prove it, let alone how does she know? I wanna hear theories because the idea of this has already made her character feel much fuller to me

Obviously her case against Dexter Wolfe was leveraged to create ACME and unleash her true justice upon them— but I feel this was the last straw in discovering or heavily suspecting their existence, not the beginning of her theories

And then, how does Dexter Wolfe’s case provide evidence?

Supposedly it would be of a man without any trace of his existence beyond the name ‘Dexter Wolfe’ (likely gotten from one of his many passports) has run around thieving rather expensively, openly and in plain sight, catching her eye (you can’t tell me she wasn’t a grind out a case detective before ACME). She gets a warrant, hoping a confession and plea bargain will help tie her case together, until she gets scared of him having a weapon (!) and shoots him dead. His house mysteriously catches fire, and if she knew there was an infant in there, it was missing.

She does say “you’re the baby” when Carmen confesses her backstory in the finale— therefore proving she knew baby Carmen existed, but thought she just vanished.

Random thoughts:

Chief personally exhibits a strong bias and disliking for VILE for whatever reason— I believe this to be why she’s so harsh on Carmen’s character. Either because she’s a justice driven woman in general, or has some backstory that shaped her to be this way

(Her determination, independence, and need for justice is also giving grew up with older brothers)

In those shots we gauge from Chief’s morning routine she is very structured, silent, organised, and has a cat she named “commander” which has to be some joke, favourite tv name growing up, or plushie name from her childhood etc

She does appear professional and well adjusted, if a little hot headed (when your life’s work is hacked by the opposition you finally started to trust you’re going to get pretty heated). Overall she isn’t given enough personal screentime in the show so it is a bit difficult to understand why she operates the way she does

We know she is compassionate— she allowed Julia to leave simply because she no longer believed in their cause and even gave her a letter of rec so she could continue her life happy elsewhere. She uses non-lethal force (gas guns) since Wolfe and the moment Julia went off grid in Stockholm she pulled out all the stops to ensure her safety, sacrificing the mission

I recon she’s therefore scared/cautious of her agent’s safety

So my main question has to be: does Chief chase VILE because she was given a case on them as a detective making her way up and got obsessed— or is it something to do with her backstory? Perhaps she has seen them with her own two eyes and has thus spent her life proving it

Why is she the way she is? What’s her backstory? Any trauma? Any family?

I look forward to your guesses :)

[that-thief-in-red]

WOAHHH not me getting summoned into an analysis rant 👀 I’m honoured to have my name next to the legends pls 😭

OKAY so here’s my uncertified TED talk on Chief (its uhh lengthy):

PERSONALLY, when I first watched the show, she kinda gave me background energy—which is wild considering she’s supposed to be this huge catalyst in Carmen Sandiego’s story?? Even now, when I look back on her, I can’t say I like her. She’s impulsive, quick to judge, and kind of allergic to giving Carmen the benefit of the doubt. Traits she never really overcomes. The quick assumption Dexter was pulling a pew-pew? Immediately turning on Carmen in Stockholm? the pattern is there.

That being said, I’ll give her this: I do think she’s haunted by what happened with Dexter. I truly believe ACME uses gas guns now because she doesn’t want to make the same mistake again. (…ironically, the gas gun still almost got another Wolfe down in Stockholm) But they really could’ve expanded on that guilt arc. She’s def carrying some regret, even if it’s just sitting quietly in the corner sipping tea.

So yeah—she’s not the best. She makes so many rash calls. But I’ll admit she tries and she’s not a villain. Just… emotionally constipated with a badge.

Now for the theories… (rubs hands together like a fly)

"HOW does she even know V.I.L.E. exists?" It’s easy to assume Chief just stumbled upon V.I.L.E. by accident. But I feel like there is more to the story here.

Let’s go back—Dexter Wolfe wasn’t just a thief, he was kind of a legend. His heists were all over the world, super bold, and always out on big capers. We’re talking priceless art, major assets, etc—stolen in ways that just felt too smooth. Like, it didn’t feel like one guy pulling off lucky jobs. It felt organized, hidden, too clean. And Fraser, like any good agent, would’ve picked up on that. This wasn’t just one person

I believe it only gets as personal as Fraser chasing Wolfe for a while. In my opinion, like Devineaux was to Carmen. From a distance. Constantly behind. She likely never even had a full face-to-face. He was always just one step ahead. In their minds clearly the work of something big, possibly an organization.

Then came the night of the villa.

Wolfe's final stand. Wolfe is shot. A villa goes up in flames. That’s her first real, tangible glimpse into something much bigger. The fire wasn’t just collateral damage—it was a cover-up. That villa was likely a safehouse, a hideout, or a data vault for V.I.L.E in her eyes.

For Fraser, the message was clear: V.I.L.E. exists, and they’re willing to burn a man alive and erase an entire house to stay hidden.

So how does the Wolfe case prove anything? In a courtroom? Maybe not much. But for Fraser? I think it was enough to pursue VILE professionally with more help.

Wolfe died with secrets. V.I.L.E.’s secrets. His death was a dead end on many peoples eyes, but also a beginning. That final mistake, shooting an unarmed man became her life's turning point. There was no trial. No answers. Just her supposed guilt.

That’s why she builds ACME—not just to prove V.I.L.E. exists, but to make his death mean something. She can't undo it, so she reframes it: Dexter Wolfe wasn’t a man who got away—he was the thread that pulled the curtain back.

(and we all now how this show loves their loose ends.)

She had to believe that. Otherwise, She chased a man to his death for no reason.

Adding on more on that specific scene-

Now that I think about it more—they absolutely should’ve dragged out that conversation between Carmen and Chief in the café. Like, seriously, how did they just brush past something that heavy?

Here’s this woman—Chief Tamara Fraser—who’s spent her entire career haunted by this big mistake. And now, sitting across from her, is the living consequence of that moment: Carmen Sandiego. The daughter of the man she killed.

So why was the reaction so lackluster when she realises that the girl wasn’t even raised by her own mother? She literally gave V.I.L.E. another tool to use—unintentionally. And if it weren’t for Carmen’s own sense of morality and empathy, we all know how that could’ve turned out.

Still, as far as Fraser’s concerned, Carmen was supposedly working for V.I.L.E. (she was just starting to think otherwise thanks to Jules and everything, but still). So knowing that it’s lowkey her fault that Carmen ends up there shoulda been adressed. She didn’t know Shadowsan was involved—but if she hadn’t shot, the child would’ve still had a father.

She’s a woman of many regrets and mistakes. But she’s not all that bad—as you mentioned, there’s Julia, and how much she seems to genuinely care about her agents’ safety. (Pretty sure she even tried getting Devineaux soup when he lied about being sick that one time—so I guess she scores some points now and then.)

[Carmen and Chief, café scene] Carmen: You shot my dad. Chief: Yeah, and I think about that every day before 6 AM meetings. Carmen: …Okay but like, maybe think harder?

Anyway, this is my first time ranting, so just know I gave it my all, lads 💀

Thank you for the mention @mmaricarmen23, excited to hear everyone elses. <3

CS Canon Attack rant: Chief/Tamara Frasier’s character needed more

@frozenwolftemplar @explosiontheory @that-thief-in-red

This is my personal opinion but I really didnt like Chief. To me she sorta just seemed like a woman with an unnecessary grudge who jumps to too many conclusions and was very quick to assume Carmen as her enemy at the turn of a hat. ‘Guilty until proven innocent’ is really how she operates, at least for VILE-affiliated persons

(That being said, I’ve never found my disliking for a character to interfere with analysis, I’ll analyse anyone and appreciate understanding them even more with this in mind— if a little “why is she such a bitch” driven haha)

A thought I’ve rolled around for a few weeks now is her backstory.

HOW does she know VILE exist? As she says, it’s near impossible to prove it, let alone how does she know? I wanna hear theories because the idea of this has already made her character feel much fuller to me

Obviously her case against Dexter Wolfe was leveraged to create ACME and unleash her true justice upon them— but I feel this was the last straw in discovering or heavily suspecting their existence, not the beginning of her theories

And then, how does Dexter Wolfe’s case provide evidence?

Supposedly it would be of a man without any trace of his existence beyond the name ‘Dexter Wolfe’ (likely gotten from one of his many passports) has run around thieving rather expensively, openly and in plain sight, catching her eye (you can’t tell me she wasn’t a grind out a case detective before ACME). She gets a warrant, hoping a confession and plea bargain will help tie her case together, until she gets scared of him having a weapon (!) and shoots him dead. His house mysteriously catches fire, and if she knew there was an infant in there, it was missing.

She does say “you’re the baby” when Carmen confesses her backstory in the finale— therefore proving she knew baby Carmen existed, but thought she just vanished.

Random thoughts:

Chief personally exhibits a strong bias and disliking for VILE for whatever reason— I believe this to be why she’s so harsh on Carmen’s character. Either because she’s a justice driven woman in general, or has some backstory that shaped her to be this way

(Her determination, independence, and need for justice is also giving grew up with older brothers)

In those shots we gauge from Chief’s morning routine she is very structured, silent, organised, and has a cat she named “commander” which has to be some joke, favourite tv name growing up, or plushie name from her childhood etc

She does appear professional and well adjusted, if a little hot headed (when your life’s work is hacked by the opposition you finally started to trust you’re going to get pretty heated). Overall she isn’t given enough personal screentime in the show so it is a bit difficult to understand why she operates the way she does

We know she is compassionate— she allowed Julia to leave simply because she no longer believed in their cause and even gave her a letter of rec so she could continue her life happy elsewhere. She uses non-lethal force (gas guns) since Wolfe and the moment Julia went off grid in Stockholm she pulled out all the stops to ensure her safety, sacrificing the mission

I recon she’s therefore scared/cautious of her agent’s safety

So my main question has to be: does Chief chase VILE because she was given a case on them as a detective making her way up and got obsessed— or is it something to do with her backstory? Perhaps she has seen them with her own two eyes and has thus spent her life proving it

Why is she the way she is? What’s her backstory? Any trauma? Any family?

I look forward to your guesses :)

[that-thief-in-red]

like father like daughter

[that-thief-in-red]

(inspired by this post)

Zach: So, with Carm outta commission and very cranky about it-

Ivy: Hey. I warned her this would happen if she took that caper when she was already sick as a dog. This one's on her.

Zach: -I decided I'll take over laundry for the week.

Zach: *dumps a bunch of clothes in the washer.*

Ivy: Wait. Half of that's Carm's.

Zach, pouring in liberal amounts of detergent: And?

Ivy: The other half's your shirts. They're white.

Zach, slamming the door shut: So?

Ivy: Like, everything the Boss owns is red. You're s'posed to separate those out from the whites.

Zach: Pfft! That's just being nit-picky. This way I'll get two loads done in half the time and with half the water. It's faster and environmental!

Ivy: (famous last words) So you're not worried about the colors running?

Zach, turning the machine on: That's a risk I'm willing to take. 😎

LATER

Shadowsan: Zach? Why is your shirt pink?

Zach: It's a risk I was willing to take 😎

[that-thief-in-red]

[that-thief-in-red]

Carmen doodles 🩷