Disclaimer: I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; they belong to Sucker Punch Productions.
Claimer: I own all of my original characters.
Well here's chapter 1! This was a completely random idea but I think it'll work. Anyway, please read and review and let me know what you think. Thanks!
Who Framed Inspector Fox
Chapter 1: Up in Smoke
I shoved my glasses up on my snout as I looked over my paper work. I was up to my eyeballs in paperwork and it was the last thing I wanted to do. Going over booking papers, criminal backgrounds, physical traits and personalities of criminals, and even what certain criminals were wanted for; such as Cooper and my sister. I had a new partner but he didn't do anything helpful. He looked like he was always busy at his desk doing either paperwork or something on the computer, but I knew he was either doodling, writing love letters, or playing solitaire on the computer. Robert Harrison had to be the worse partner ever in the history of partners. He was lazy, boring, could never focus on his work, and was always trying to flirt with me. I'd fire him right now if I wasn't buried up to my eyes in paperwork; as if he helped. Robert was a rookie, new to the Interpol station and I was the one in charge of training him. Which I wouldn't mind doing…if he did his job like I told him to. I huffed and threw my hair from my eyes as I scribbled on the papers in front of me. I swiped my glasses of my face and slammed them down on the desk before rubbing the bridge of my nose. My head was pounding and all I wanted to do was relax.
"Did you get the new evidence folder from the copier like I told you?" I turned to the rookie in the desk next to mine. My desk faced the door to the office while his desk was to my right, facing the windows and couch to my left.
"No, not yet, sweet cheeks." I growled and stared the fox down. I was tired of his flirting games and all I wanted him to do was get his work done.
"One," I said firmly, "if you call me that or any other name one more time I will break your jaw. And two, go get that file! I would appreciate it if you would actually do your work!" he chuckled and stood.
"Just calm down, Inspector," he laughed, "I'll get your file." He left the office and I rolled my eyes. I spun my chair around and looked at the evidence board behind my desk. I had information on the top five criminals I had been chasing for the past year. Along with Ramona and Cooper, I had the head of a drug dealing ring, a mafia leader, and corrupt government official accused of murder. Cooper and his gang were somewhere in Egypt doing who knows what and the last time I checked, Ramona was in Paris. If I timed everything right, I might be able to arrest her. I needed that evidence folder Harrison was supposed to get. It had details on all five of my case that were critical to the cases. If he could get back here in a timely manner I could put that stuff on the evidence board and have one less thing to worry about.
I shoved my glasses back on my face and turned to the paperwork on my desk. I rested my head in my paw as I continued to scribble information down. I stopped writing however when the smell of something burning filled my nose. It smelled like someone had left the coffee pot in the break room on and the coffee was starting to burn. I shook it off and returned to my paperwork. My office was quiet but there was a sound in the distance that made me curious. It was a crackling sound and the burning smell had gotten stronger. I placed my glasses on my desk and stood with one paw on my holster with my shock pistol. I gripped the gun as I made my way to my office door and I pulled it from my holster when I opened the door cautiously. I looked out into the hallway, my pistol held out in front of me, and I searched for anything suspicious. I was completely alone in the halls, something that was rare. I walked cautiously down the halls and inspected each room briefly. I wrinkled my nose when a strong smell of smoke hit my nose. I noticed thick, black smoke bellowing out of the copy room. I shined the light from my pistol in the room in an attempt to see if anyone was in there. I knew Robert had just gone in there to get a folder and I hoped he hadn't gotten stuck in there.
"Harrison!" I shouted into the doorway, "Harrison!" I didn't think he was in there, but I had to put that fire out. I could see flames shooting up the wall in the room and the smoke was getting thicker and more was coming out. I reached for the fire extinguisher in the holder behind me, but it wasn't there. The next extinguisher was on the next floor down and it'd be pointless to get it. I couched as smoke filled my lungs and my eyes started burning. I felt around for the fire alarm as the smoke filled the entire hallway. My fingers searched the walls for the red device and felt victorious on the inside when I finally found it. I pulled it but no alarm went off. I pulled it again and nothing happened. I could tell the fire was starting to spread and I had to get out of there. Hopefully someone had called the fire department and they were already on their way here. I stumbled blindly down the hall in an attempt to find the stairwell. The light on my shock pistol only reflected in the smoke and didn't help me see at all. The smoke was starting to rise so I went to the floor, crawling on my paws and knees and staying under the smoke. I could see a little better under the smoke but not much. I coughed again when I finally found the doorway to the stairs. I stood and stumbled down the stairs as smoke flooded the stairwell and I noticed that the fire had spread to the next floor down. I had to get down six flights of stairs until I could make it outside.
I quickly made my way down the stairs. I kept my nose and mouth covered with the bend of my elbow but my eyes were constantly watering. It was getting hard to breathe when I made it to the main floor and all I had to do was make it to the front doors. I could hear glass breaking behind me and I went to the floor. I shuffled quickly across the tiles of the floor and finally made it to the front door. I stood and tried to push through them, only to find that they were locked. I rammed my side against the door repeatedly with my shoulder, trying to bust it open. I cursed when red, hot flames shot up close to me and I coughed at the smoke. I hit the door a few more times and it finally opened. I hit the ground when more flames shot up and I crawled out into the streets in front of the station. I coughed as I inhaled fresh air and I crawled away from the burning building. I could see the other workers standing in front of the building, murmuring and whispering to themselves. I noticed most of them were giving me dirty looks as I finally made it to my feet. I stumbled away from building and heaved in lungful after lungful of fresh air.
"Inspector!" I heard Barkley's voice and I turned to face him, "You made it out! I was afraid you were stuck!" I shook my head and he ushered me to one of the ambulances to the side to make sure I wasn't hurt. I sat on the edge of the ambulance while the workers looked me over.
"What happened, Inspector?" I asked when Barkley walked up next to me.
"Well you don't need me to tell you that there was a fire," he slapped my arm with a laugh, "but that's all I know. Did you see anything while you were in there?" I nodded.
"I think it started in the copy room." He nodded and shoved his paws in his pockets.
"That's what Harrison said. That blasted idiot came running into my office screaming fire and didn't do anything about it. Remind me to fire him when this is all over." I nodded and he sighed, "Why don't you go home and get cleaned up? Then go to the jail and meet me in the office I had there." I nodded again and stood. I headed for my apartment and thought. Inspector Barkley had tow offices; one at the Interpol station and one at the jail. We didn't keep prisoners in the Interpol station unless they were wanted. We took lower crime criminals to the local jail. Then the fire popped in my head. It was so random and the building was in pretty bad shape.
I sighed as I opened the door to my apartment and shut it firmly behind me. I quickly made it to my bedroom and changed into a clean Interpol outfit. I didn't want to keep Barkley waiting too long but I wasn't ready to go back out. I sat on my couch and thought. I didn't know what could have started the fire; frankly I didn't know that much about fire other than they were hot and burned. I ran my fingers through my hair and groaned at my next thought. Every piece of information on Cooper, my sister, and every other criminal in the city was in my office and I was sure it was all toast now. Years of hard work down the drain. Not to mention files in the filing room were now dust in the wind. I flopped back and sighed softly. My head shot up when I heard a knock at my door. It seemed a little suspicious that someone was knocking at my door thirty minutes after a fire at my job. I stood and put my paw on my shock pistol. My finger slipped on the trigger as I looked through the peep hole on my door. My eyes widened and I opened the door quickly.
"Inspector Barkley," I said with surprise as I opened my apartment door, "What are you doing here?" Why would he be here? He was busy dealing with the fire at the Interpol office. I watched as he sighed and shook his head.
"Listen Carmelita," he said eventually, "my hands are tied in this situation. I don't have a choice." I furred my eyebrows and was taken back.
"You don't have a choice in what?" she shook his head and I noticed he rested his paw on his handcuffs.
"Miss Fox, you're under arrest in connection with the fire at the Interpol station." He gripped my wrist and I heard the unmistakable click of handcuffs as they snapped on my wrist.
"But I had nothing to do with that! I didn't set that fire! I was stuck in it, remember?" I shouted as he put my other wrist in the handcuffs.
"I'm sorry, Inspector, but the evidence is stacked against you." I shook my head as he pulled me from my apartment.
"What evidence? I didn't do anything!" he closed my apartment door and started heading down the hall with me in handcuffs. Usually I was the arresting officer arresting some criminal that had been caught. But now, I was the one being arrested in a crime I had no involvement in. I didn't burn down the Interpol station.
"Inspector, I didn't do this!" I said as he opened the door on his car and pushed me inside.
"I don't think you did, Carmelita. But you know how this works; I'm simply doing my job." He shut the door firmly and walked to the drivers' seat. Now I knew how it felt to be on this side of a cop car. Now I knew how it felt to be Ramona.