Chapter 1 - Home Sweet Home - Phantom

The room was in almost complete darkness, the blinds drawn, the over-head lightly switched off, the only light emanated from a computer monitor which illuminated the sleeping form of Ken. The only sound was that of a Ken's heavy breathing and the incoherent muttering of his sleep talk, his conspiracy rants didn't just reside to his waking hours. The room was near perfect. A tall figure clad in a dark grey suit, brown leather gloves, dark blue wrap around spectacles and his head completely encased in white medical bandages, stepped out of the shadows and walked with purpose, yet making no noise, towards the high backed, mahogany armchair positioned in the corner of the room. He sat down heavily, the chair gave a groan which echoed the aching that raked Phantom's body. "... Don't trust them... all watching..." Ken's sleep talk picked up in volume, shaken by the sudden noise, then returned to its original level. With a sigh Phantom removed a small silver object from his jacket pocket and upon turning it on, bathed the corner in a flash of its red LED. In the brief light of the jamming device gave, he noticed a reflection cast of an item that wasn't usual in 'his' personal area. Who what be foolish enough to leave something lying around his area, he'd make them pay. After a few seconds and a closer inspection he saw a gold and silver crest embossed on the lid. The personal emblem of Carmen Sandiego, he carefully lifted the lid to reveal the objects main purpose, it was an ice bucket. Carmen had obviously called ahead of his arrival to make arrangements for him. He took a cube and placed it gingerly to his face, slowly separating the bandages so it could make contact with his pale flesh. He could feel that his face was already starting to swell; the numbing cold of the ice was quite soothing. As he sat in the comfort of the darkness, his mind pondered over the events of the passed day, trying to figure out how A.C.M.E. and especially Rook had managed to unravel his heist. Phantom allowed his mind to linger over Rook and the events of the 'interview'. Rook was always a 'hot head', sure, but what happened to make him lose the self control and cunning that Phantom gave him so much credit for. Phantom was soon found himself reminiscing over a stormy night in the middle of winter and a seedy bar, hidden in a depressing alley in the heart of Berlin.