Keeping Steady

Pulling her sleek, dark hair behind her ear Inspector Carmelita Montoya Fox looked through the storm with narrowed eyes.

She had been called in with her team to the far off island of Kaine located in the South Pacific. It seems that there was a mad scientist whom had his residence there that was wreaking havoc on a certain criminal of hers. She whispered to herself as he crossed her mind, "Cooper, how could you get yourself in this deep?"

The boat was approaching the teams entry point, the boys were arming themselves and calling to each other to get organized, Carmelita on the other hand was attempting to take in what she saw.

A giant...creature was on the island with a man controlling it in the center. The creature was roaring with fury while his master was grinning from ear to ear. That itself would make anyone stop in their tracks and high tail it all the way back home, but that's not what made the respectable veteran, Interpol cop's heart do a back flip. The cause of her shocked state was what the frightening creature was crushing to death in its left hand.

Sly Cooper. The notorious, master thief himself, the one who always left Carmelita cursing and flustered in the dust was now fighting to stay conscious in the crushing hold of the monster. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. The look on Sly's face as he desperately pounded his fist into the hand holding him could have brought tears to her eyes.

Snapping back to reality, Carmelita gave her orders, "Lieutenant Gronk, get your squad together, we're about to see some action." The lieutenant gave a grunt and a yes ma'm, then went to ordering about his men. As they flew off, weapons at the ready, Carmelita grasped her Interpol badge and whispered, "Hold on ringtail..." Hoping maybe, just maybe it would reach him and everything would turn out ok.

Carmelita armed her shock blaster and cried out "Attack!" as she fired off her first round and her boys began their assaults.

Sticking to Interpol's boat Carmelita used her agility skills to swerve around while firing off shots at the hideous creature. She found it odd that all she could think about was getting Sly out of the thing's claws safely. Why should she care? She of all people? Cooper had always made her feel...empty. She couldn't describe it, but whenever she was left shouting after him in the dirt and cursing him in her native Spanish she felt as if a part of her had gotten away with him.

Had the charming thief stolen her heart?

Carmelita was brought back to earth as one of her mercenaries was sent flying at her, she front flipped out of harms way and then, noticing that a tower on a nearby cliff had fallen near her boat she leaped onto it and made her way to the larger piece of land.

It had cables attached to it and as she looked up she saw what looked like mutated creatures sliding down them to make their way to her. Smirking Carmelita said, "So you have friends? I have a shock pistol, now we're even."

Continuing her pursuit on the creature Carmelita's mind reluctantly slipped back to her previous thoughts.

No. No. No. There was absolutely no possible way that she had any feelings for that ringtail... Not when he was a well known criminal, and for one he always ran, what a coward... And did he really have to flash that cocky smile at her the last minute he got away?...oh when he smiled like that...Wait!

Carmelita shook her head to clear her mind, how could she be thinking like this? She growled slightly as she dropkicked a creature as it approached her. She had to stop this nonsense. What was wrong with her?

As she lashed out at another mutated, almost crocodile looking beast yet another piece of land broke off of a cliff near her, using it to her advantage Carmelita made her way up to the next set of land, yet as she flipped up onto it she lost her balance as a large rumbling shocked through her body. The earth underneath her was crumbling away.

Leaping forward to save herself Carmelita let out a slight whimper as her stomach slammed into the edge of the stronger part of the cliff. She pulled herself up and armed her shock pistol yet again. Her eyes widened as she took a quick glance at Sly.

The once brave, smooth, skilled master thief was now struggling with trying to hold off a large claw coming down onto him. He obviously was having trouble breathing since the hand was clutching him so forcibly, and he was losing conscious even as he was holding up his toned arms fending off the claw.

The sight of a criminal broken down that badly would have stopped any good cop in their tracks.

But for Carmelita, not only did it root her to the spot, but it tore at her heart.

Blinking as a sudden urge for tears came to her Carmelita pulled the trigger on her pistol and shot off a couple of rounds into the monster. As she did that she heard a maniacal voice say, "You're an unexpected annoyance... Let's see how you hold when I smash the life out of you!"

She watched as the monster turned towards her and then leapt at the cliff she was on. The creature latched itself onto the side of it and Carmelita almost gagged at the smell of its breath. Narrowing her eyes and aiming her pistol she whispered to herself. "Not a very smart move..." Then she released the trigger and closed her eyes as the shockwaves bounced off of the creature and blew her hair back.

Never relenting, the horrid monster lifted up its large fists and began to pound at the cliff trying to crush Carmelita under one of them. Even the clawed hand Sly was in was being used as a weapon. It was all Carmelita could do not to leap up to the ringtail and tell him to stay strong. She could see that he had finally lost conscious and she would have to work fast.

Continuing her on slaught of charge attacks Carmelita soon got the satisfaction of watching the beast fall to her pistol...Or at least that's what she had thought.

The babbling maniac that was the center of the beast leapt onto the cliff next to Carmelita.

"You harpy witch! Why are the police invading my home!"

Ignoring his insult Carmelita narrowed her eyes and answered, "I'm here to see that justice is done!"

The man gave her an exasperated stare, "Justice? I'm the victim here! Defending what's mine from thieves!"

Carmelita knew that the statement was most probably half way true. Sly and his gang couldn't have just been here for the scenery. But the Cooper gang were mostly non violent, so there was no reason for Sly to be in the position he was in unless the scientist has been hostile first.

"Looked to me like you were attempting to murder that man."

Waving his hands in the air in a mock action the man said, " 'That man'. Please!" he continued, "You know this is Sly Cooper! You are as transparent as you are narrow minded!"

Carmelita wasn't getting anywhere, so she had to think fast. "Cooper is a criminal, I'm here to bring him and ALL law breakers to justice."

Dr. M shouted at her, "I'm no law breaker! It was all self defense!"

Trying to keep herself from rolling her eyes Carmelita stayed calm and replied, "First things first, put Cooper down and we'll talk terms." Hoping it would get through to the deranged mad man she put Sly's safety over all matters.

But Dr. M wasn't going to give him up that easily. Smirking and then looking down as the creature stirred slightly he said, "Sorry madam cop, I don't trust you as far as I can throw you. Although I can throw you a long long way."

The beast rose and Carmelita turned and raised her pistol as Dr. M said in a voice that could possibly scare someone into peeing their pants. "Go and smash that woman, crush her bones to paste and then toss her in the sea where no one will ever find her." A chill went up Carmelita's spine as the great beast took a swift hand and flung her from where she was once standing.

Body tense, Carmelita took control of her flight and flipped as soon as ground became available for her landing pleasure. Standing up straight and looking around she became aware that the monster had thrown her back onto her boat that had brought her here.

A large shock rippled through her as the whole boat rattled and shook. Carmelita took a few steps back and armed her shock pistol as she looked up at the towering figure that had landed across from her. It was the vile creature, and the thing was out for her fur...

Her eyes immediately shot to the beast's left hand. No Sly. Carmelita's eyes widened and she began frantically looking around while taking steps back away from the large monster. Soon she heard shouting behind it and she craned her neck to see.

There was a small turtle in a wheel chair that had rushed to a heap on the ground. The turtle was a member of Sly's gang, soon after others joined him, a young mouse, what looked like an old koala holding a walking stick, and...was that Dimitri? She had thought he was in jail! None the less she heard the turtle talking, "Sly! He's over here!" There was a pause, "He's still breathing! He's alive! Hang in there pal, your going to be ok! Well get you back to the ship and patch you up."

Taking her last step Carmelita felt the cold bar of the railing against her hip. Yet she couldn't help but smile.

Sly was ok, he was alive. And for some reason, as she shot a shock blast at the evil creature, that's all that mattered at the moment.

Hope you all enjoyed it, I just thought I'd do a little one shot. Havent done one in awhile lol. So like I said, hope you liked what you read. Please review if you did. I'll be seeing you!