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Academy

Original V.I.L.E. Academy

V.I

Front steps of the original V.I.L.E. Academy

New VILE

New V.I.L.E. Academy

V.I.L.E. Academy was a vocational school where students underwent a one year training program to become professional thieves under the employ of the Villains International League of Evil. It served not just as a school for learning how to become a V.I.L.E. agent, but also as the main headquarters of V.I.L.E.

It was previously located on the Isle of V.I.L.E. in the Canary Islands off the coast of Western Africa. However, the original Academy was evacuated and destroyed following confirmation that Carmen Sandiego and Shadowsan had allied themselves with the secret police force known as A.C.M.E. The academy was then relocated under the radar to an abandoned castle in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, with the assistance of the newest V.I.L.E. Faculty member, Roundabout.

For most of Carmen Sandiego's life, she lived on the island. While she learned most of her schooling from a series of nannies over the years, Carmen, (then known by the code name Black Sheep), didn't enroll at V.I.L.E. Academy until her teenage years. For the most part, she hung around the academy, pulling pranks on "the big kids" and often getting away with it too, mostly due to Coach Brunt's protection.

Staff[]

A group of five known as the Faculty were the instructors at V.I.L.E. Academy. The five members of the Faculty were also the council criminal masterminds who lead V.I.L.E. as a whole. The academy was also secured by guards, loyal students, and two men who are known as The Cleaners.

Admission[]

V.I.L.E. operatives all over the world are constantly on the lookout for potential students to send to V.I.L.E. Academy. The ideal candidates are orphans who are young and naturally talented in the thieving arts.

Potential V.I.L.E. recruits are tested with minor heists, such as stealing paintings from low security museums. Once the candidate has proven themselves, the overseeing V.I.L.E. operative informs the Faculty of the candidate, and attempts to convince the young thief to enter the vocational school.

Once the candidate agrees to enroll, they are flown to V.I.L.E. Academy.

There is a minimum age for enrollment at V.I.L.E. Academy, that minimum age is unknown, but it appears to be around 20. However, if a majority of the Faculty saw enough talent and potential in younger candidate, an exception could be made, allowing a younger student to be enrolled. Such an exception was made for Black Sheep, who was raised on V.I.L.E. Island and already had more training than most new recruits, even if only by osmosis.

Student Life[]

Students were forbidden from having contact from the outside world. This included a strict ban on unauthorized communications devices, such as cell phones. As part of the Isle of V.I.L.E.'s security, electronic jamming devices were used to block out GPS signals, as well as shut down telecommunications if there was a security breach.

There was a curfew at the academy and all students must be in their bunks by then.

All V.I.L.E. operatives go by code names, students came up with a code name for themselves while still in school. They usually chose something to represent an area of expertise that they specialized in, or a theme that they liked to keep to. Until they selected their V.I.L.E. code names, it was a rule of V.I.L.E. Academy that they only give their first names, sharing their last names with each other was not allowed.

Only forty students graduated from V.I.L.E. Academy each year, these graduates were known as "The Forty Thieves". There were final exams at the end of the one year training course. If a student failed to meet the requirements for graduation, they were held back and must redo the whole program the following year.

If at any time a student was caught by police or other authorities, they are extricated by The Cleaners before they can be interrogated, sent back to the academy, and deprogrammed of any knowledge they had of their time at V.I.L.E. before being sent back into the real world.

Player suggested that if a former V.I.L.E. operative's mind is wiped it would be in Carmen's best interest to stay away from them, as V.I.L.E. could have still reprogrammed them to be sleeper agents and carry out tasks due to subliminal messaging.

Classes[]

Stealth 101[]

Shadowsan taught this class before his defection. Here, students learned how to stay hidden from others and move undetected, as well as stealthily acquire something from someone else's possession. This class also taught students how to achieve a mastery of hand-eye coordination and a well developed nimble touch necessary for the successful picking of pockets, the best way to achieve which was by practicing the art of origami.

For the final exam, the teacher would wear a coat with many pockets. Hidden somewhere in the coat was a single dollar bill. The students task was to locate the target and acquire it within a two minute time limit. The teacher did actively fight back, though only to defend and trip them up. The students took turns one by one for this test.

The classroom at the original academy on V.I.L.E. Island resembled a Japanese zen dojo; the floor was lined with tatami mats, there were patches of sand with bonsai trees growing out of them, students sat cross legged on cushions on the floor, the entrance was a sliding canvas door, and there was a mural of a Japanese demon-god on the front wall and shinigami masks mounted on the side walls. This classroom looked very different back when Dexter Wolfe was the Stealth instructor; it resembled a Vegas lounge, with fancy dining tables and chairs, a chandelier, and a grand stage with two large statues of posing women at its sides. The classroom at the new academy in Scotland was never seen.

Self Defense[]

Coach Brunt taught this class. Here, students learned about the physical element of being a master thief, this included rock climbing, repelling down with a rope, and the art of combat, as well as other physical techniques. The most important rule of this class was "always protect the face".

The classroom at the original academy on V.I.L.E. Island resembled a more militarized version of a school gymnasium; it was a wide open space stocked with assorted workout equipment, and a rock climbing wall. The classroom at the new academy in Scotland was never seen.

Support Equipment[]

Dr. Bellum taught this class. Here, students learned about the various gadgets and weapons used by V.I.L.E., as well as how to operate them and use them effectively. Her classes also tend to deal with the use of technology and science in heists.

The classroom at the original academy on V.I.L.E. Island resembled a science lab, with various machines lining the walls and an assortment of beakers and test tubes that contained unknown liquids. The classroom at the new academy in Scotland was never seen.

Upper Class Evil[]

Countess Cleo taught this class. Here, students were instructed on undercover work and how to be both cultured and calm, even under pressure. This class also taught students to develop an eye for detail and how to tell the difference between something valuable and something worthless, no matter how similar the two may look.

The classroom at the original academy on V.I.L.E. Island resembled a fashion show hall, it had a grand stage from where the teacher could stand with a pair of doors that allow for the teacher to make a grand entrance. The classroom at the new academy in Scotland was never seen.

Tricks of the Trade[]

Professor Maelstrom taught this class. Here, students learned the general aspects of committing a successful crime that weren't covered in the other classes. This included psychological manipulation, performing tricks like the 'Bait and Switch', and successful infiltration strategy.

The classroom at the original academy on V.I.L.E. Island resembled a stereotypical evil mastermind lair, it had a pair of large book cases will a giant ink blot painting on the wall between them, and there were large aquariums on both sides of the room. The classroom at the new academy in Scotland was never seen.

Alumni[]

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • V.I.L.E. seems to remodel classrooms when the Faculty changes; given Stealth 101 changed from an opera theater design to one of Japanese influence when Shadowsan replaced Wolfe.
  • The numbers of graduates allowed seems to come from the story "Ali Babba and the Forty Thieves"; another nod to criminal activity.
  • Extra credit is awarded to students if they manage to steal from the staff without being caught.
  • V.I.L.E. likely searches through security footage around the world for potential recruits. Plus, they may try recruiting independent thieves to boost their ranks with self-taught professionals.

See Also[]

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