Focus, Carmen. If all goes well today, you'll recover an artifact that's been stolen from the world for 44 years.

The last metal door swung open.

And there it was.

The sword of Charles X. Its diamond encrusted handle glittered in the light, and the intricate gold blade could keep you looking for hours.

Adjusting the black gloves she always wore, Carmen gently picked it up. The doors of the different safe rooms were open. It was a straight shot out.

Until the door was blocked by a certain humming operative.

"Paper Star." Carmen acknowledged, annoyed. "Always with the swords, isn't it?"

A deceptive, playful smile stretched over her lips. "Roundabout is sooo helpful! All he had to do was call his little law-enforcement friends and they told him about a little red someone knocking out security guards at this....museum."

Paper Star smiled wider. Carmen frowned. It had been VILE's cruel joke to hide the sword, stolen from the Louvre over 40 years ago...in the basement of a fake museum in France. However, she thought she'd been careful when knocking out the security. Apparently not.

"And you just happened to be in the area to come threaten me?" Carmen asked irately. But, she realized, it was a good question...why was Paper Star here? And why wasn't she going berserk with her origami yet? Something about the sparkle in her eye scared Carmen a lot more than usual.

The origamist smirked. "Oh, I'm just keeping tabs on your girlfriend here."

In a fluid movement a shadowy operative stepped out from the doorframe.

Julia Argent was held to him, unconscious, with a blade at her throat.

The red thief's eyes widened. "Jules." She whispered, her blood running cold. She instinctively clenched her fist around Charles X's sword. "What do you want with her??"

"Surrender, Sandiego. Or your little agent friend gets it." Paper Star's tone went low and dangerous.

Lunatic. Let her go. Jules cannot be here. Disjointed, frantic thoughts chased each other through Carmen's head. There was no choice to make. La femme rogue could get out of this later. Jules could not. She lowered the glittering sword she had been gripping to the floor.

"And empty your coat." Paper Star's cheery singsong burrowed into Carmen's already panicked brain like a rat.

With her heart in her throat, the thief first removed the glider backpack on top, then began on the coat.

Poor Player, listening to this, she thought for a moment, before casting the thought out of her mind. More important things right now, Carmen. Such as Jules being held at knifepoint.

"Well...the big bad wolf is tamed." Paper Star's high-pitched voice again cut through her internal worry. Carmen glared into the operative's dark eyes as she flipped open her jacket, showed that it was empty, and let it hang open. Paper Star was barely restraining herself.

How did they find out about Jules?

"Now put your hands where I can see them and walk towards us.....slowly." She gently brushed the paper in the pouch strapped to her leg, almost carelessly glancing at Julia as she did so.

One step. Disarm Paper Star. Another slow step. Then disarm the one with the knife. A third step. Get Julia out of here none the wiser.

Julia's eyes fluttered half-open.

Shit.

The agent stiffened imperceptibly, freezing and glancing around. Her eyes slid from the knife at her throat, to Paper Star, and finally to Carmen.

Carmen, with nothing, surrendering. The thief saw her register what was happening quickly, and she glanced up, barely, to meet her gaze.

Carmen looked back at her for a split second, trying to convey that she had a plan- but its hard to convey something you don't have. What the hell could she do here? How on earth could she get them both out of here without one of them getting hurt?

Or killed, her brain whispered.

She preferred not to think of that as an option.

Carmen reached Paper Star and the huge operative holding Julia captive. The origamist looked gleeful. "That was easy." She whispered, her eyes darting between Carmen and Julia, who was pretending she was still unconscious.

Paper Star demonstrated folding a throwing star in about two seconds, while the shadowy guy held up a crackle rod. They didn't handcuff her. The message was clear. We're watching. Make a move and someone gets hurt. They knew she wouldn't risk it. Carmen narrowed her eyes, realizing fully that the other operative was strong enough to hold Julia in a one armed grip as he used his free hand to grab (or crush) Carmen's shoulder and shove her in front of him.

Which was worrying. To say the least.

The thief pursed her lips. She just needed to get out into the open, then she would have the upper hand. Enclosed spaces like these set her back.

She waited for the right moment, hoping there would be one. Paper Star parading in front, Scary Dude (as she'd started to think of him) dragging Julia behind, and the vault doors banging shut after them. The sword she'd dropped was safely where VILE could retrieve it later.

The right moment..

Scary Dude sneezed.

Quick as a flash, Carmen whipped her hand out and took the papers in the pouch on Paper Star's leg, dropping them inconspicuously behind them as another heavy metal vault door slammed shut. The papers were now locked behind two feet of steel.

One weapon down.

Paper Star turned to glare at Scary Dude and he shrugged semi-apologetically. "Her hair smells flowery," he muttered in a disgusted tone.

Carmen almost wanted to laugh.

Except no part of this was funny.

Carmen and her "entourage" made it out to the museum cover, and then out onto the street.

"We'll just wait for the Cleaners here." Paper Star smirked. "I didn't expect it to be this easy...even with a hostage. I think she'll be helpf-"

Paper Star did not get the privilege of finishing.

Carmen pounced on Scary Dude, shoved the blade away from Julia's throat, and simultaneously switched the crackle rod's settings to EMP. She fired it and broke it.

No deadly weapons or tracking devices for you.

There was a livid shriek as Paper Star discovered the absence of her papers.

Okay, this is going alright.

She whirled around and backed up a little, surveying the threats. Paper Star didn't have anything except her fighting skills, which were formidable but manageable.

Scary Dude was both formidable and unmanageable.

Julia was on the ground and scrambling away, out of the fight's path, a hand pressed to her neck. Carmen noticed blood as it moved and for a moment her heart stopped; however, it was only a thin cut from when the thief had hastily shoved the blade away.

Guilt struck her but she made herself push it aside and focus. Could be worse. Could be much, much worse.

She whirled around and barely took a moment to decide how to tackle Scary Dude before she took a flying leap and hooked her arms around his neck, swinging around and landing an awkward but effective kick to his face. He overbalanced and they fell, his bulk nearly crushing her.

Before either one could launch an attack again, there was a shriek and a flurry of movement.

Julia, who had been sitting to the side, was now in Paper Star's clutches in a choke-hold, thrashing but avoiding a-

No.

Paper Star was holding the forgotten knife.

She took one moment to grin before she plunged it into Julia's chest.

There was a spurt of blood and Julia's struggling slowed to a stop.

She crumpled.

Someone was screaming.

Carmen's world slowed.

And then she nearly killed Paper Star.