A/N: Sorry, the last chapter was missing some stuff. I fixed it, in case you just skipped over that one.
Seven years later
Selenay Alexandria Cooper, also known as Lucky, was reading the paper when there was a knock on the door of her apartment. Following that was ten quick raps that sounded like a woodpecker eating her door. "It's unlocked!"
A middle aged German Shepherd came in, closing the door behind him and sitting on the couch. Instead of looking at her, the Shepherd stared at the painting framed on the wall behind Selenay. It was of five people having a picnic, two adult foxes, one young fox, a kid turtle, and a little raccoon.
"Earth calling Constable Rudolf! Anything in that thick skull, send a message!" Selenay folded up the newspaper.
"My name is Rodolfo!" the dog growled.
"Why are you in my apartment at six in the morning?"
Rodolfo sighed. "There's been another theft. The Mona TIgressa has been stolen and we were wondering if you knew the name of the thief."
"They say Sly Cooper's in town," said Selenay, absently picking up the newspaper again.
"Yes, they say that. But we have nothing to worry about, since neither of us are thieves, eh Selenay?" She eyed him for a minute. All the cops in town knew she played for both sides, but they had no way to prove it. "We know the better thief. You always know when Sly Cooper stole something, but the other suspect never leaves a trail."
"The other person never leaves a trail, but it seems the other person doesn't always make the catch, either. It is a matter of opinion on who the better thief is. Coopers in the line have a tendency to show off, anyway."
"And you?"
"I have the name, not the heredity. The title of Cooper Thief goes to the oldest son, of in the case of all girls, oldest daughter. Either way, my dad was a younger brother, so I would never be a Cooper thief or get the Thevius Raccoonus." This was true; the person she thought of as dad was a younger brother.
"So you don't know who took the Mona Tigressa?"
"I swear on my grandmother's grave I don't know who took it out of the museum."
"All right then, Selenay, I take my leave." Rodolfo stood up and walked out.
Selenay put some oatmeal in the microwave and changed into her work clothes. School janitor by day, thief ringleader by night, what a strange schedule. I need to get food tonight. Her lifestyle reflected that of on living on a janitor's income, from her tiny apartment to her secondhand clothes. What they made off selling stolen items went to her group, barely any of it came to her, and she preferred it that way.
Her janitor routine was simple: come in before all the kids arrived and clean, go home and sleep for four hours until lunch, clean the lunchroom, stick around for an hour until the kids left, and clean again. When she got home it was usually four-thirty or so.
Selenay got some instant oatmeal before coming home. She didn't get a paycheck until Friday, two days from now. At the apartment, Selenay put the oatmeal on the counter, and then switched on her laptop.
All right peeps,
Whoever it was who misplaced the Mo Tig needs to put it back where it belongs. That is not something that should have been touched. I probably won't be at the meeting tonight. Snickers is in charge.
Lucky
She sent this to everyone in the ring. Then she turned off the laptop and put it back in her quick escape bag. Selenay set her alarm for nine p.m. and went back to bed.
xxx
Selenay woke up to someone knocking on the door. Have I overslept? she thought. No, I'm not going to the meeting tonight. She looked at the clock. Six p.m. "Go home, terrorist!" she yelled as she pulled a dark blue dress on. If it were someone from the ring, they would answer correctly.
"Terrorist? I'm no terrorist." Wrong answer. Not knowing who to expect, Selenay opened the door. Standing outside was a raccoon who had made life hard for her since they'd first met.
"Sly Cooper."
"Selenay Cooper, I presume. May I come in?"
"Be my guest." Sly came in and sat on the couch, exactly where Rodolfo had earlier in the day. He was lightly perched on the edge, ready to move at a moment's notice. Selenay locked the door behind him and opened the window. "I would offer you something, but the only thing in my kitchen is instant oatmeal." Selenay sat down in her normal chair under the painting.
"I'd like to ask you some questions."
"Well, don't wait for a written invitation."
"Do you know the Fiendish Five?"
"Not personally."
"But do you know who they are? Where they're at? Do you know what they've done and what they're up to now?"
"I know their names, where some of them are, a few of the things they've done, and what a couple of them are up to. The closest one to where we're at is Sir Raleigh the Frog."
Someone pounded on the door. "Cooper! Open up, now!" It was the unmistakable voice of Carmelita Fox, now a cop for real. Sly snuck out the window as Selenay unlocked the door.
Carmelita burst in, shock pistol in front. "Where is he?" she demanded.
"Where is who?" Selenay casually picked up her quick escape bag.
"Sly Cooper! I know he's been here! We spotted him on camera!"
"Oh…he's gone now. He just wanted some answers."
"You knew! You knew Cooper's an international thief and you did nothing! Cooper, you are under arrest for harboring a criminal!" Carmelita pointed her gun at Selenay.
"Catch me if you can." Selenay's voice was deadly angry as she disappeared.
"I'll get you! Both of you!" Carmelita screamed. Then, her voice under control, "Rodolfo, we lost them both."
"I'm sending people in. Stay put and don't touch anything."
xxx
Selenay was still invisible when she came to a house on the outskirts of Paris. She flickered back and knocked on the door. "Who comes to my home?" said a voice from inside.
"An orange seller." Selenay replied.
The door opened. "And what would you have for me today?" Selenay gave him the chocolate orange.
"I need a plane out of the country."
"I was going to take a vacation to the United States, but it seems you need this more than I." the person gave her a ticket and a passport. Both were filled out with her information, under the name Alexandria Coopenski.
"Thank you."
"You gave me an orange. No thanks needed."
