Dangerous threats

Sly's POV

My name is Sly Cooper. I'm a thief, from a long line of Thieves. And not just ordinary thieves, but Master Thieves; people that don't steal from just anyone, but rather criminals and bad guys and other people who just don't deserve what they have. However, while my life has not always been easy, last week it all turned to hell.
My team and I were actually collecting new members to get into a Vault that we discovered was filled with all the treasure and loot my family has been collecting for generation upon generation, yet just when we had salvaged a favor that Dimitri Lousteau owed us, did something happen of which I'm still not sure what.
What I do feel sure of is that, after it happened, I somehow woke up in the outskirts of Paris by myself and with no ability to connect with any of my team members and none of them responded to my calls through the ear communicators or the Binocucoms. This worried me and I decided to return home to my hideout.
However, this turned out not to be an option either as my family ancestral magic had been turned against me, making it so that the roof, garage door and front door were all blocking my entrance with a special force field. Getting in through the sewers wasn't an option either as there were twenty men there waiting to get me.

After discovering all of this, did I finally get to see who exactly was behind all of these weird events and from then on, everything went down the drain. The man in charge for this whole mess was an Arabian Wolf going by the name of Rendell Akudo, who's right-hand man Heffer was as mean of a lowlife as he was.
He then told me exactly why he had done this and what he wanted of me and when I told him he wouldn't get away with what he had done, did he tell me exactly what would happen if I tried to stop him. And let me tell you, this wolf had definitely thought out each and every step of his plan before conducting it.
If I were to try and save even one of my friends, the others would be Hate-Chipped and ordered to kill me. If I tried getting back my own hideout, Akudo would send message to one of his men at the Krack-Karov Volcano and have that person throw my cane in there. However, it was his final threat that made me want to give up.
If I were to try anything that would alert my beloved Carmelita Fox, she would be kidnapped and raped and Akudo even went so far as to tell me how all of his men – which were loyal followers of the menace known as Clockwerk – had a chemical going through them that would make Carmelita pregnant of any men that raped her.
He then told me how he had 20 men at each of his hideouts waiting with that order and he smirked at me at seeing my absolute devastation before he said: "Now run along and be a good citizen, cause the Cooper Line Profession is officially history." Before closing the windows of my own hideout in my face, leaving me out on the road.

I had, at first, not wanted to believe that the situation was as hopeless as Akudo had portrayed it and, while keeping his little lackeys of my chest, had I tried doing some recon every now and then over the course of the week, yet the more I researched each of his safe-houses the lonelier and distraught I began to feel.
Akudo knew exactly how to keep my friends captive and because I just didn't have Bentley's brains, Murray's muscle or any of the talents of my other team mates at my beck and call, did I really start to believe that Akudo had done what no other criminal had ever been able to; get one over me and hit me where it hurts the most.
Sure, Clockwerk had used the Fiendish Five to kill my parents, yet I had recovered from that with help of Bentley and Murray – and now those two were taken from me as well and that was a blow that I realized with every passing day, making me more downtrodden and ready to throw in the towel every morning that I woke up on.

To make matters even worse, had I been sleeping in nothing more than a broken down cardboard box and the rundown blanket someone had thrown out her window two days ago last night and this had done nothing to protect my already weakened body against the frightening thunderstorm that raged through Paris last night.
Now, I am just reeling in my old, dirtied and smelly shirt, boots, hat and gloves, wishing I wore pants some more and trying to hold back on my umpteenth coughing fit while hiding myself in the shadows across my own hideout, wondering why I am here as the sight of what I cannot have just tears at my heart with every gaze.
Yet my answer as to why I'm here is answered momentarily as I suddenly see something very strange through my bloodshot, teary eyes; a raccoon that looks so familiar I feel like looking into a mirror that walks the street together with a brown and beige colored badger, a black panther, an alpine goat and a slim looking hippo.

The raccoon pulls halt in front of my own hideout and with a voice I haven't heard myself speak with for over three days, does the Sly Cooper imitator shout: "Akudo, show yourself, you mongrel. Your days are numbered and I'm here to prove it!" And while I fear for whoever this person is, does Akudo listen to him nonetheless.
The Canadian Wolf with his Mexican Wolf sidekick shows his face through the same window he used to talk to me a week ago and the smirk that is on his face makes me shiver as he asks: "Cooper? You certainly have a lot of guts. And you even have Interpol with you? Didn't I tell you about the consequences of doing so?"
This makes my very stomach disappear, but then the badger speaks and says: "I, James Barkley, hereby swear upon my honor as Chief of Interpol that Carmelita Montoya Fox does not have any idea of the events that are taking place at this moment." And while these words make me feel relieved, does the badger growl:
"However, that doesn't mean that my men and I won't finally get done what we wanted to when you suddenly disappeared, you lowlife mongrel." And while I really want to concur with that name, do I suddenly smell something; something that again makes my stomach disappear and my heart flutter at the same time.

I look up from where I am watching this confrontation take place and my whole fur whitens as I see a orange-brown-furred fox with cobalt black-blue hair crouching at the roof of the house beside me, her chocolate brown eyes aimed for the building where Akudo is now leaning over the windowsill as he smoothly asks:
"Oh really, and how do you people think you can get past this ancient force field, huh?" To this I decide to keep my ears onto the confrontation, while at the same time trying to get higher up through the fire escape that is located closely behind my own hiding spot and while I climb one ladder after another, do I hear a male voice say:
"By forcing you out. You may think that you have Cooper cornered, but anyone with brains knows never to corner a Raccoon. They do things you would never expect them; such as putting their own place on fire to smoke you out." And while these words make me almost fall down the staircase I am on, do I turn my face to them.

The one who spoke is the male alpine goat, who now has a small remote control in his hand and while the female slim-looking hippo breaks a very familiar sewage pit open, does the goat push a button which makes a small green looking Remote Controlled Car ride into the sewer, Akudo looking at it before the Goat says:
"That sewage pipe leads to a ventilation system that is connected to Cooper, Turtle and Hippo's bedroom and we all know what is stalled within Cooper's room." To which the fake Cooper growls: "Something you don't deserve to keep your hands on." The glare he sends Akudo actually showing the anger I feel in my heart.
This makes me look at whoever this fake is before, with the fact that I don't want to see my own place be turned to ashes, I continue the climb and finally, quietly, reach the incredible vixen that is crouched down on the flat roof at the corner near the side road I was in and do I stealthily approach her, lying a hand on her shoulder.

The vixen tenses in shock and turns to me, her chocolate brown eyes widening as she whispers: "Cooper? Is – is that you?" And because I haven't seen a mirror in over a week, do I not even want to know how I currently look, yet I nod nonetheless before Akudo's words about what he'd do to her if she came here make me hiss:
"What are you doing here? Didn't you just hear Barkley? You're not supposed to know what is going on here." But the fox just smiles at me caringly, something I never expected to see from her and she whispers back: "That little mouse friend of yours needs some stealth and environment training if she ever has secret info to share again."
This shocks the living daylights out of me and makes my stomach drop at the same time as I ask: "Wait, what? That's Penelope?" Carmelita nods and I start to shiver, fearing with all that I am that I will see my friends sometime today and that it will mean my end, but then Carmelita breaks my train of thought and whispers:
"Cooper, relax. Your friend assured Barkley that no one at the hideout where she was held knows that she's gone. She had a RC car that she adapted and modeled to show some kind of virtual reality image of her. They won't find out that she's gone for another 2 days." And these words have the desired effect of calming me down.

Then, as I rethink what Carmelita just told me, do I realize something and ask: "Wait, virtual reality? Does that mean –?" And when I look back at where my hideout is located, do I see Carmelita nod her head from the corner of my eye and do I let out the first sigh of relief I have allowed myself to release all week.
I then want to continue observing the scene before me, one where Akudo is still visible, but where Heffer has disappeared from sight when suddenly I notice something glimmer besides me and when I turn my face back, do my bloodshot eyes widen in absolute disbelief at what I see is being held in Carmelita's hand.
Hardwood black wood, a slim circular build that feels smooth to the touch and easy to hold, a golden end at the top that is shaped and bend like the letter C; my father's cane – which I believed was taken to Krack-Karov Volcano is now in the hand of my actual crush and when I look from the cane, to her does she softly say:
"Penelope and Barkley decided to take the risk of you losing your cane, but I've been on your case long enough to know where that thing came from. Like I said, they didn't even notice I was there, so I decided to take matters into my own hands. How about you and I crash that party when Akudo brings up this little problem?"

This makes me shiver in fear for her, but while she keeps one hand on my cane, does she let the other return to my shoulder as she says: "I promise I'll be careful. I took one of Barkley's new water guns that has the same firepower as my own shock-pistol and I will use all of my abilities were I to feel threatened, I swear it."
This makes me take a deep breath before I nod reluctantly and whisper: "Do not leave my side under any circumstances, understand?" Carmelita nods and then suddenly I feel something being released from the house across the street, making me turn back to the hideout and the events taking place there with lightning speed.
There I see Akudo and Heffer running out of the Hideout, the fury on Akudo's face only temporary as he suddenly gets assaulted by Barkley and his water gun, yet even from this distance can I easily see that it's not water that Barkley is shooting down Akudo's throat and while the panther runs for Heffer, does the fake rush for Akudo.
There he shockingly enough clamps both his hands – or should I say her – over Akudo's muzzle and nose, forcing the wolf to gulp down whatever Barkley just forced down his throat before he punches the person, yet Penelope Cooper seems not to care for the harsh blow dealt to her as she just grins and speaks with her own voice:

"You're officially done for, Akudo." The wolf looks shocked at hearing Penelope's voice and the mouse goes on: "Also –." She then pulls at something near her neck and actually pulls a perfect full body mask off her face, revealing her rodent appearance and long curly blond hair, shocking the wolf as she says:
"Also, never underestimate anyone who's a member of the Cooper Gang. Just because I was a Flight expert for the ACES competition, doesn't mean I don't know my way around small little RC cars or –." And while she moves her head over to his ear, can I still hear her loud and clear from across the street as she happily whispers:
"Virtual reality." This makes the entire stance of the large Arabian wolf tense in shock before suddenly he starts to heave, fall on his knees and starts to actually throw up several meals, gasping between heaves as he asks: "What – what did – what did you – did you – did you feed me, you – you – YOU –!"

Yet when he seems unable to insult her, does Penelope grin with her hands on her hips as she says: "Just a mix of water, the chemical your metal can't stand and bitter orange, which Barkley was kind enough to inform me about that you're allergic to. But don't worry, I only put enough into it to make you heave and faint."
And the wolf himself proves my team mate right as he actually faints, to which I decide to put my focus on Barkley, who actually has Heffer by his tail, the Mexican wolf tense with pain as he seems completely paralyzed while his face is showing his feared shocked reaction to what actually happened to his boss.
Then the wolf tries with great strain to grab his radio and when he has it in front of his muzzle, does Barkley aim his water gun at the back of the wolf's head and does he say: "Yeah, you better use that little radio of yours, buster. And you better tell that little friend of yours in Russia to get Cooper back his cane pronto."

At this Carmelita sends me a playful grin with a raised eyebrow as if silently asking me: "Shall we?" And while I send her a quick look reminding her of the promise she made me, do I nod and focus on the energy I felt being released from my hideout earlier and do I make a perfect jump with several summersaults before landing.
Everyone looks at me shocked and then Heffer shouts: "What is she doing here?" To which I see Carmelita landing besides me and she happily aims her shock-pistol at the wolf as she says: "I'm only here because little Penelope – while very clever to contact Interpol – needs to keep a better eye on her surroundings from now on."
The mouse turns red and asks: "How – how much did you hear?" And the shiver that runs down the fox's spine makes me worry greatly for the precious little creature beside me before she harshly growls: "Everything, including what these lowlifes were planning with me were I to get involved in their little scheme against Cooper.
I also heard how you were planning to risk Sly's cane and decided against that, so while you guys started thinking up your brilliant counter plan, did I use some of my own connections within Interpol to get me a jet plane and did I land several feet away from the Volcano, far enough I could easily sneak up on the Cane Holder."

This makes both the mouse that is still standing over Akudo and the badger that is holding onto Heffer's tail smile at the fox before the wolf himself growls and says: "You're going –." But before he can even finish his sentence, have I rushed over on what little energy I have left and do I have my cane pressed against his throat.
The feeling of that smooth black wood in my gloved hand makes me get a rush of serenity and contentment that makes the little energy I have left within me – which is dwindling thanks to the cold I have – stay strong and while Heffer looks shocked to see me actually having my cane back and aimed at him, do I growl:
"You will do absolutely nothing to her, do you hear me? You and that disgusting leader of yours used Ancient Cooper magic against a Cooper and now that that magic has returned to me and is protecting and strengthening me once more, do we both know what this means for you, don't we you insolent little pup?"

And by the way that the wolf's very fur whitens do I know that I am correct, which makes me smirk as I say: "Exactly. By using ancient Cooper Magic against me and failing, do I now have rights for revenge for as long as the magic is old. And we both know that the spells you used to keep me out of my own hideout – are 500 years old."
Everyone tenses in shock at this and then I take the radio out of the tense wolf's hand and press the call button as I say: "This is Sly Cooper calling all men working under Rendell Akudo and Heffer. The spellwork used to keep me out of my hideout has fallen, the Cooper magic is mine again and I have my cane back in my possession.
Furthermore are both your boss and his partner now in custody of Interpol and has the magic of the Cooper Line granted me a full 500 years of retribution against anyone working for the caster, Akudo. So you all have two options; keep my friends hostage and get me on your neck or try to flee from Interpol with my friends released.
Your choice." I then hiss at the end before using the radio still in my hand to give a brutal punch into the back of Heffer's head, causing for the wolf to lose consciousness like his leader and then carelessly throw the radio back to him, before suddenly my fur starts bristling like a warning and I instantly rush back to Carmelita.

The fox looks shocked as I rush at her and when she sees me raise my cane in an attack does she duck, which is exactly what I want her to do as it allows me to swing the golden tip of my cane straight into the jaw of a large, overgrown Black Shepherd, knocking the fully furred animal straight into the building behind him.
Carmelita looks behind her in shock and I hiss at myself: "I should have stayed close to you, damnit." But the Fox smiles at me and then suddenly sees something at her feet, making me look down at where I see another manhole cover be slightly tilted and where a pair of greedy brownish black eyes are staring up at the fox.
The vixen glares at the greedy look in the eyes and aims her shock-pistol at the creature, which strangely enough shocks him, but makes me lay a hand on her weapon. She looks at me and while I aim the tip of my own cane at the rotten beast, do I say: "Don't bother, their metal resists the shocks coming from your gun."

But then Penelope aggravates me as she asks: "What are you talking about, Sly? Their metal is weak to electricity, it causes for the whole system within them to shut down." This shocks and aggravates me and then I scream out in pure, unadulterated rage, shocking everyone around me before I glare at the two unconscious wolves.
"Are you kidding me? Those two there swore no weapons of Interpol could be used against them. Said they were resistant to any and all electricity. Are you telling me they lied to me? That I could have just nicked some shock-pistol from Interpol and solved this entire mess the same day they took us all apart and started all of this?"
And while the officers around me look a little agitated with the idea of me nicking their stuff, does Penelope still nod at me and ask: "Are you really that surprised that they lied to you, Sly? It's not just about that that they lied, you know?" This doesn't do anything to the anger I feel keeping my weakness at bay and I ask:
"What else did they lie about?" And when Penelope doesn't answer me, but only looks at Carmelita with an uncomfortable look on her face, do I instantly feel all of my anger disappearing and being replaced with an even greater concern for the vixen besides me and while feeling my weakness returning, do I mutter:

"How?" The mouse cringes at hearing my weakened voice and says: "I – I know what they told you they would do to her if they caught her, Sly, but – but while they were in the intend to capture her, did you getting her involved or not involved not really matter to them. They intended to capture her whether you did or didn't."
This makes sweat break out and makes the fox besides me whiten, making me reach out to her on instinct and pull her close as I silently ask Penelope to continue and while the mouse now wraps her arms around herself in distress, does she say: "Sly, they – they wanted her – to ehm – produce the next generation of the Criminal Empire."
This makes the officers around Penelope look at her in pure shock, while Carmelita lets out a high-pitched sound of sheer distress and while my tail tenses with raging fury at what I hear, do I ignore the anger surging through my veins as I instead focus on the terrified vixen in my arms, pulling her closer to offer her my comfort.
The fox hides her face in my dirty shirt and while hoping that I can soon clean myself and give her the strong powerful person that can protect and guard over her that she currently needs, do I keep my hold on her soft and caring as I turn to the shocked Badger standing besides my youngest team member and angrily hiss at him:

"Chief, these three are leaving now and Carmelita is not to return to Interpol until you have made sure they and all of their men are in several prisons across the world, securely watched and contained and without any possible chance of escaping or coming after her, understand? I will not risk her, not around those sick minds."
The badger nods and with help of the panther, the hippo and the goat, does he drag his three suspects out of the street, Penelope looking after them and me keeping my focus on the trembling fox in my arms, my illness catching up with me yet again, yet my personal strength keeping me from showing this to the terrified fox in my arms.
I then turn to Penelope and say: "Go into the hideout, Penelope, and pull my blanket off my bed. Carmelita and I need it." The fox keeps shivering in my hold and wraps one of her arms, which at first had been resting against my chest, around my waist, while Penelope nods and rushes into the small square shaped house.

I then refocus back on Carmelita and move her gently over to the small set of steps that is staged in front of our hideout and seat her down on my lap as I sit down myself, the cold stone of the steps not really reaching me as I already feel badly affected by my own cold, and instead of that do I just pull Carmelita closer against me.
A few minutes later does Penelope come back with a large, dark blue blanket and she wraps it around both me and Carmelita, the cold of the outside air and the stone steps under my furred bottom making me finally feel my cold more than I feel the warmth coming off of the fox in my arms and I shiver as I smile gratefully at the mouse.
The mouse smiles back and asks: "Are you okay, Sly? You look pretty bad, you know?" And while Carmelita now looks up at me, the concern that shines in her eyes warming me from the inside, do I take a deep breath as I say: "I'm not a solo guy, Penelope, and sleeping under the stars is a little hard when there's a storm passing by."
The two females look at me in concern and then, while tightening my grip on Carmelita and turning my face away from both of them, do I release a large bout of painful coughing, part of me feeling as if I will follow Akudo's example and start puking, yet the way that Carmelita hugs me and Penelope slaps my back helping me.

I take some deep breaths, pull part of the blanket closer against me and sit up a little to allow the blanket to fall under my legs, keeping the cold floor from reaching my fur and skin and then look up, my eyes widening and my heart soaring as I suddenly see two people I have been missing like nothing else coming my way.
A green turtle with very thick glasses who is riding a wheelchair and a large pink hippo whose muscles seem hidden within his thick fat and who has a pair of large brown eyes that are staring at me in great worry as he runs at me behind the turtle, who moves his wheelchair at breakneck speed to reach me and the girls.
"Sly, are you alright? You look awful, buddy." The hippo then says, yet the sight of them both alright and well is the last thing my fragile grown mind can take and while feeling slightly sorry for Carmelita for dropping her, do I rush at my two friends, pulling Bentley out of his wheelchair as I crash myself against Murray's bulk.

The Hippo apparently expected this as he quickly hugs both me and Bentley and pulls my legs off the floor as he does, moving us both over to where Carmelita is now standing next to Penelope and seating himself down on the open blanket, pulling it around the three of us as he seats me on one of his legs and Bentley on the other.
Bentley then starts to rhythmically slap his fists on his own shell while Murray moves his hand up and down my back in an even pattern and while Penelope moves to cover all three of us with the blanket once more, do I close my eyes as I lean against Murray, the petting and sound of the Bentley knocking on his shell lulling me to sleep.

And that is it!
OKAY, so the first chapter was mostly about an OC event that took place after the defeat of Captain Lefwee and while I am sure many of you wonder what exactly happened, how it all took place, who Akudo is and whatnot, did I decide to start this story just when Sly was proven to have over won another enemy.
Yet, because he didn't do it himself and because of what he said before Bentley and Murray arrived, will this story still have plenty of content to deal with as it will mostly be about Sly when he is at his weakest and how a Raccoon like him gets back on his feet after dealing with something as personally painful as this.
Also, yes! This will be a SlyxCarmelita story, this will be a BentleyxPenelope story and no! This will not have any inclusion of either the Cooper Vault – other than a few mentions perhaps at the epilogue – or anything regarding Sly 4. Penelope stays with the Cooper Gang and so does Sly, so no time machine for Le Paradox.
See you next month,

Venquine1990