Chapter 2: Introductions and Training: From IS Students to Thieves in Training

The Cooper Gang Van arriaved at the Cooper Gang's hideout on the outskirts of town. The IS girls were amazed that they're going inside the Cooper Gang's first hideout since they arrived in Sly's world.

As soon as Bentley got to his desk, and Murray snacking on some snack, Sly turned to the IS girls with a smile.

"Welcome to the Cooper Gang's hideout. Since I can trust you, mind telling me your names?"

"My name is Houki Shinonono. A student of the IS Academy." Houki introduced herself politely.

"M-My name is Cecilia Alcott… I'm a wealthy girl who follows the rules and I have no intention of helping a thief like you!" Cecilia huffed, puffed up her chest and crossed her arms.

"Don't mind Cecilia, Mister Cooper. My name is Charlotte Dunois. It's nice to meet you." Charlotte introduced herself with a shy smile.

"Laura Bodwig…" Laura looked away with a cold demeanor.

"And I'm Haung Lingyin. But call me Ling." Ling winked like an adorable girl seen in the classic American movies.

"As you girls somehow knew, I'm Sly Cooper, leader of the Cooper Gang." Sly tipped his cap like most gentlemen do.

"Um… My name is Bentley, but I'm still having trouble trusting you five girls." Bentley said a little bit smugly as he types away on his computer.

"And I'm Murray. It's nice to meet you, Houki, Miss Alcott, Char, Laura and Ling." Murray waved causally as he continues to eat his popcorn.

"Now we got the introductions out of the way, I have never seen species like yourselves. Aren't all people on Earth supposed to be like animals or something?" Sly leaned on a wall while looking at his new comrades.

"Um… How to put this?" Ling placed her hand on her chin as she began to think. She turned to her friends to see if it is okay to tell Sly and the gang that they're from another dimension, but scratch out the part that Sly's world is based on a popular video game series. To her luck, they nodded, signaling the OK to tell them that they're from another dimension. Ling acknowledge with a smile before turning to the Cooper Gang.

"Okay. We're from an alternate Earth. In our Earth, there were no anthropomorphic animals such as yourselves, only species called humans. The animals who were like you are often kept as pets in our world."

"Interesting…" Bentley adjusted his glasses. "So in your world, these humans are the dominant species of your Earth while people like us are the dominant species in our world. Mind telling us more about your world?"

"I'll do it on my part." Houki volunteered as she cleared her throat. "Our world is a highly advanced one. Medicine has improved and we even found the perfect cure for cancer. Our race may be the descendants of the apes because rumor has it that apes evolved into humans during the prehistoric era, but scientists are still debating on that. In the future, we have people exoskeleton weapons called IS, short for Infinite Stratos…" Houki said flatly, still holding a grudge against her sister for ruining her chance at being the kendo champion when she made those accursed things and for sucking her and her friends slash rivals into Sly's world with that portal of hers.

"I-I continue for Houki." Cecilia was at first, concerned about telling Sly about the ISes, but seeing Houki still angry at her sister for over the years has given her courage to continue. "ISes are powerful machines that can only be piloted by girls, hence the power shift in which woman dominated men on society, not a bad way, but political way."

"Whoa…" Murray's mouth dropped a little as chewed up bits of popcorn dropped from his mouth. "It's kinda like the Gundam series or other mecha anime I saw, only with girls."

"Well, yeah. We have those things too in our world." Charlotte nodded as she pressed her fingers nervously. "But ISes are too dangerous to be used as weapons, if they were used for war, the world as we know it could have ended."

"Ouch." Sly oohed. "Such a price to pay for creating an achievement like that."

"Yeah, so rules were placed so ISes will never be used for war or injuring people." Ling nodded in response.

"But… what I don't get is… How exactly did you five girls get here?" Bentley questioned from behind his computer.

"Tabane…" Houki closed her eyes, gritted her teeth with fury and emitting a black aura around her, making Murray a bit scared of Houki's ticked off mode.

"Who?" Sly asked, titlting his head and looking at the five lovely ladies.

"Houki's sister and the creator of the ISes. Houki's still mad at her for ruining her chances at becoming the kendo champion when Tabane created the first IS." Charlotte looked away timidly, intending to avoid Houki's wrath.

"Ah, I getcha. So one of Houki's sister's invention landed you five here, in our world. I now know what's going on." Sly nodded in understanding, feeling sympathy for Houki's pain.

"Well, their story checks out. Plus, I bet I can invent a machine that can get you five girls back into your world. All I need is the equipment we can, ahem… 'borrow' to create a portal device that can guarantee you girls a way home." Bentley theorized, now feeling he can trust the IS girls.

"Really?! You can get us home, Bentley! I knew you're a super genius!" Ling gasped happily as her mouth shows a tiny heart in the tongue.

"But… In return, you have to help me get back a valuable treasure of my family. You see, I come from a long line of Master Thieves." Sly walked over to a pedestal in the hideout and picked up a book that has no pages in it. It is none other than the Thievius Raccoonus. "But a gang of criminals called the Fiendish Five have stolen all the pages to this prized book of the Cooper clan and killed my father." The beginning thief sighed despondently as memories of his father's death came flooding into his mind.

"So you want us to steal back the pages of the Thievius Raccoonus from the Fiendish Five and avenge your father, right?" Laura smiled slightly. She can understand Sly's feelings of losing his family at the hands of the Fiendish Five. She was genetically created as a weapon and knows what it feels like to be born in a lab without a family.

"You got it." Sly nodded as he placed the book back in the pedestal and turned to the IS girls. "Me and my gang could really use the help we need to help me become a master thief and steal back the pages of my family's prized treasure. So what do you say? Are you in?"

"Of course we will!" Ling spoke without hesitation.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait!" Cecilia waved her arms up and down frantically. "We don't know a thing or two about thieving. Plus I won't steal from innocent people!"

"Relax. We Coopers only steal from bad guys and corrupted nobles. There's no honor in stealing from normal people. I'll show you the ropes of being a thief. I learned a bit from the Thievius Raccoonus so I can be your mentor." Sly offered with a kind smile.

"Arigato, Sly." Houki bowed lightly in gratitude.

(Secret Cooper Gang training ground. 11:45 PM)

The IS girls find themselves in a huge cavern filled with thieving equipment and thieving dummies. Sly walked over to a lever and pulled it down, turning on the giant light switches.

"Welcome to my gang's secret training ground. I have used this place when I started becoming a thief. Now, we need to get you girls some weapons." Sly explained the purpose of this place.

'Strange… I don't remember Sly and his friends building a training cave… Oh well.' Ling smiled slightly as she placed her pinky on her chin.

"Give me a sword or wooden sword and I'm good." Houki told Sly quickly.

Sly gave her a thumbs up as he walked over to the Cooper Gang's treasure they have stolen from crooks and noblemen. He got out a regular Japanese katana and gave it to Houki. "I stole it from a corrupted Japanese nobleman in Rome. So it will suit you well."

"A sword as well, but one from England." Laura told Sly stoically. Sly winced, Laura's icy cold persona may creep him out a little. He got out a small standard, still new Medieval English sword and gave it to Laura.

"Got any brass knuckles I can use?" Ling grinned with confidence as Sly nodded in response and gave some modern day knuckles to Ling.

"Um… A grappling hook would be nice so I can steal from some bad guys." Charlotte looked down with a shy expression.

"Got just the thing." Sly replied as he gave Char a good almost indestructible grappling hook. "This was one of my dad's old tools for thieving back in his early thieving days. May it serve you well."

Cecilia looked away timidly, still feeling nervous about becoming an apprentice thief to a video game character she doesn't like. Sly got out a BB gun, but this BB gun is well modified and throws it to Cecilia. Cecilia looked at Sly with a surprised and miffed look.

"This BB gun is equipped with sleep pellets and knock out ammo to put your enemies to sleep. So I figured it would be good for a sharp shooter like you." Sly smirked.

'H-How did Sly know I was good with a gun? Lucky guess, perhaps? Oh… Why are you falling for a dirty thief like him?!' Cecilia was flustered with embarrassment as her face turned red.

"Alright, thieves in training, time for your beginning lessons." Sly declared as he began showing the IS girls the ropes of thieving.

(Sly's POV)

It took them around 1:00 Am, but Houki and her friends were beginning to learn the basics of being noble thieves. Ling looked like she knew how to be a cunning thief, Charlotte and Laura were having trouble, so I had to show them a few pointers. Houki has no trouble using the katana I gave her to learn how to knock out an enemy. Cecilia, on the other hand… have trouble learning how to use the BB gun I gave her, so I had to help her, even if she said no. At 2:00 AM, the girls have learned the basics of thieving and we rest up until 6:00 AM to begin our first mission in stealing back the pages of the Thievius Raccoonus.

To be continued…

Next chapter: Tide of Terror: Part 1: The Thief and the Half Demon

A/N: Here is a list of crossovers to appear in Season 1, the same anime in Season 1 will appear again in Season 2 with new crossovers of that season. Also, there will be interludes after an episode.

Inuyasha

Mai-Hime

Green Green

And Fruits Basket.

That's right, I'm lowering the crossovers this time around. So hopefully, it would be an improvement on my part. See you next time.