A/N: Me: Hey everyone! Hope ya'll are doing well! I got Tennessee Kid Cooper with me today! Isn't he the handsomest thing?
Tennessee: *blushing and tilting his hat over his eyes* Aw shucks!
Me: I'm sorry about this whole posting late thing, I can't help it!
Tennessee: Ya know it's about 12:40 am here, Perfect time for a Heist! Let's go PG! *starts dragging her out with him*
Me: Wait! Disclaimers! *pulls away for a second* I don't own Sly Cooper, any of the Characters, games or plots. I only own my OC Erica. Thank you all who reviewed and favorited this story! Any Questions, Comments or Reviews can be placed in the Review Box below or PMed to me. A Bucket of Water is placed aside for any and all Flamers! So Flamers, don't even think about it! Don't make me sic Tennessee on you.
Tennessee: *twirls and cocks his gun*
Me: Enjoy this chapter! *leaves with Tennessee*
*Screen fades to black with the Cooper Logo in the Center of Screen.*
VII: Sly and Erica Cooper and the Gang in: Go West Young Raccoon-Part Three
~Narrators POV~
The blank screen lit up to reveal Toothpick's office. The only part of the Sheriff that could be seen was his arms and gun.
"Alright, listen up!' Toothpick said pointing his gun at two of his men. 'My pardner's got an ace up his sleeve and we're about to go all in! This Trump card's gonna crush Cooper and the rest of his claim-jumpin' gang! We'se gonna learn 'em you don't yank a rattlesnake's tail less'n yer lookin' to *hiss* get bit!' He laughed. 'Then, we're gonna finish loadin' up that train and haul our keesters outta this one-horse town! Once, we get that loot back to the present day, I, Toothpick, am gonna be worth billions!"
With that last word, Toothpicks gun went off and one Bull fell forward on his desk, dead. "Eh... Ooopsie." The only other bull in the room then spoke up. "Dangit, boss! Would ya watch where you're pointin' that thing?"
Suddenly, the Bull looked terrified and backed away as a large shadow overshadowed him. "ARE YOU TALKIN' TO ME?!" A deep scary voice said. The Bull started stuttering. "Whoa, boss, whoa! I'm sorry! I didn't mean nuthin'!" The screen went blank again.
Erica and Bentley looked at each other before straitening. "Erica do you know what that was?" Bentley asked. She nodded. "That was Toothpick. I don't know how but somehow he can grow three times his height." Bentley nodded and hummed. He suddenly pulled out an empty syringe and pricked a vein in Erica's arm. "Ouch! What's that for?"
"I need some of your blood for a test. If I can use your DNA to figure out what Le Paradox injected into you I might be able to reverse it so you can go to and from Cooper and Human form with no pain." She looked at him and blinked before she hugged him muttering a Thank You. "Now, I'm going to go make a Copy of Tennessee Kid Cooper's gun."
~~~~~-~~~~~-~~~~~-~~~~~-~~~~~-~~~~~
~Time Skip~
~Tennessee Kid's POV~
I sat on the roof waitin' for Erica to return my gun to me. She had asked to reload it and polish it up a bit and I told her yes. Her smile was brighter than the stars. She now came rushing back with my gun all polished and reloaded. "Here's your gun back Tennessee!"
She held it out to me and I took it back and looked it over. "Very nice job Erica." She rubbed the back of her head and looked away embarrassed. "Yeah, thanks. I had a couple of guns back home when I lived in Texas for a few weeks. I had a heist there." She sat next to me ready to tell the story.
"I was living in a town much like this one save it was a bit bigger and had more people. There was a man like Toothpick except he was selling anything he dug up to the black market, including women.' I growled. Treating a ladylike an object was just not right in my book. 'He had stolen some gold and a priceless item from the largest bank in Texas, I thought it fair he 'share the wealth'. So, two days after I had gotten to town, I was invited to the fair they were having. There were games and food and fun, but mostly food because most of the ones who were in charge were Baptist, and everyone knows Baptist love food."
She paused before she started crying a bit. "What are you cryin' about?" I asked whipping away some of her tears. "Sorry.' She said calming down. 'It's just before my Church Building and Church Family were destroyed, we were a Baptist Church. Every time we had an excuse to make and/or eat food we did! One member made the best lasagna and my dad made the best Black Bean Burgers. Le Paradox took all that from me." She cried again and I held her, rubbin' her back and comforting her best I could.
She calmed down again and wiped her tears from her eye. "Oh, sorry. Where was I? Oh yeah! There was going to be a shooting contest and the guy I was after was said to be the champion four years running. Never been beat before. I stepped up to the challenge, especially when he said the prize would be a rare gem, the very one he stole from the bank! The gen is called the Texas Star. A Texas shaped sapphire with pure white pearl and ruby with a diamond star on the side. All the Texas Flag Colors! Worth the entire state of Texas and Oklahoma!"
She smirked at me. "The guy thought he'd put that up for the prize and since he's never been beaten before he would get it back every time. The Challenge was simple: hit as many live targets as you could. Coyotes were worth fifty points, Jackrabbits worth a hundred. I was in Cooper Form but kept myself mostly hidden under a cowboy hat and had my tail hang limp to make it look like a decoration on my belt. Thanks to my Coon side I could sniff out where all the targets were, even if they were hidden. In the end, I won with twenty Jackrabbits and ten Coyotes: all together two thousand five hundred points."
I whistled. "Impressive." She gave an almost cocky smile. "Thanks. As soon as I got the Star, I left a message to the State authorities about him, along with proof about his black market business." She opened the bag on her hip and pulled out a large something wrapped in a white cloth. She smirked at me as she began unwrapping it. "All but one item was returned to the Bank..." She pulled the last bit of cloth away to reveal the Texas Star Gem itself.
She held it out to me. I held it gently in my hands. "I doubt you'll find anything like that here. It's one of a kind. And now it's yours Tennessee." I looked at her in shock and tried handing it back to her. "But you're the one that took it!" She shook her head and pushed it back into my hands. "Yeah, but I told Sly the only reason anyone would get something from my trove is if I gave it to them personally. Before we left my home, I grabbed a couple of treasures I wanted to give to any of Sly's ancestors I might meet. I gave Rioichi a golden statue of a Samurai that was a couple hundred years old. This is your gift. No take-backs!"
She then was about to run off when she froze. She was trembling real badly. Putting the gem in my bag, I went over to her and asked, "What's wrong?" She pointed towards the windmill and muttered one word, "Clockwerk." I pulled out that Binnocucom Thing Bentley had given me and looked to see what she was talking about.
On top of the windmill was a large metal owl. "What in Tarnation...?" I muttered. Suddenly, the owl turned its head towards us and looked at me for only a second before turning its gaze to something else. I tuned to look at what he was lookin' at only to see a trembling Erica. "Why is he looking at me again? In Rioichi's time he always looked at me."
"Who's that Erica?" She then began to explain to me who that owl was and just how dangerous he could be. I nodded seriously, understanding the danger this bird could be to the family. "But he only glanced at me. Why'd he look so intently at you?" She shook her head. "I'm not sure, really. He did the same in Rioichi's time. It scares me to think what he is thinking when he looks at me." She then left.
~~~~~-~~~~~-~~~~~-~~~~~-~~~~~-~~~~~
~Time Skip~
It's been a few hours since I'd seen Erica. I got up from my chair in the hideout and told Bentley I was going out to find her. After searchin the town three times over and still nothin, I was about to go back when I saw somethin. Looking through the Binnocucom I shook my head at what I saw. "Hmm, that's not good- looks like Toothpick rustled himself up a pretty lady!"
Bentley suddenly jumped in his wheelchair. "Sweet jumping jackrabbits! That's no lady, that's Carmelita! What is she doing here?"
"You know her?"
"I'm afraid so! Something is very wrong here, Tennessee! But all quantum physics aside, we have to rescue her! Nobody can get there faster than you! I'll grab Sly and Murray and we'll meet you with the van. Just get goi-"
"Hold on a second Bentley! There's another figure tied up there." I zoomed in closer to see...
"ERICA!"
~~~~~-~~~~~-~~~~~-~~~~~-~~~~~-~~~~~
~Erica's POV~
I can't believe I was so stupid. I had let down my guard and now I'm tied up and about to be thrown into a runaway Stagecoach. I'm in my human form and I'm getting very uncomfortable as the ropes are cutting into my wrists and the blindfold is making me nervous.
"Phew, I'm only too happy to get rid of this one. Her tongue's sharp enough to cut leather!" I heard Toothpick say. Then I heard a voice I knew only form the game and only a fourth of me was shocked she was here.
"Stinking Cowards! Afraid to untie me and fight like men? I swear when I get out of this...!"
"No sense frettin' about that, little lady! Just enjoy the ride! Har har!" I then felt the blindfold being torn off. "Finally! Never thought I would get that thing off my eyes!' I blinked a couple of times before I got a clear view of my kidnaper. 'On second thought perhaps I should have the blindfold back on so I wouldn't see this ugly sight."
My head snapped to the side as the armadillo backhanded me. "You will respect your elders Girly." I spit in his face saying, "Yeah, I'm sorry. I don't see any elders around here. Only a wimp pretending to be Sheriff." My cheek was hit again and I was thrown into the coach. I winced.
The cart started moving and I sat up and looked out the window, looking for Tennessee. "Who are you?" I looked at Carmelita. 'She's prettier in person.' A sneering voice in the back of my head says. 'Sly is a lucky man to have a non-Half Breed like her.' I push that voice back and say over the rattling of the stagecoach. "Erica Monica Thomson. But since Le Paradox murdered my entire family to claim me as his experiment, I've gone by a name I'm not sure if you love or hate, considering your connection with the man I think of as a brother, Inspector Carmelita Fox."
Before she could reply, the coach bounced and I hit my head on the ceiling. "Ouch!" I muttered. "You alright?" she asked. I nodded a bit before we both heard a shout of, "I'm-a comin' Miss Carmelita and Erica!" I looked out the window to see a brown figure rail-sliding and shooting obstacles in the way of the carriage. "Who's that?" Carmelita asked. "A true gentleman who, despite his daily career, never lies, never lets his friends down and is a hero in the eyes of everyone in this town."
I looked out the window and gasped seeing we're getting closer to the edge. We both lurched forward as the coach reached the edge and before it and we fell to our doom, Tennessee Kid grabbed both of us and pulled us to safety. As soon as I was untied, I hugged Tennessee. "Thanks, Uncle Tennessee." He holds me at arm length and asks. "Uncle? Since when did I get that title?" I smiled. "Well, you just remind me of one of those uncles who convinces you to do all those Dare Devil stunt that could make the parents very angry." He chuckled as he untied Carmelita.
"Who ARE you?!" she asked.
Tennessee took off his hat and placed it over his heart. "Pleased to meet ya, Ma'am.' He placed his hat back on his head. 'Why I'm Tennessee Kid..."
"Don't tell me! You're a Cooper, right? I knew it!"
"Yes, Ma'am. Bentley told me tha..."
"And stop calling me 'Ma'am!' The name's Inspector Fox. Wait...' she looked up at him with concerned eyes. 'Bentley's here?"
Tennessee looked up to a cliff behind him and said, "Well, looks like they're right behind us..." Both Carmelita and I looked up to see the Van, Murray, Bentley and Sly. "Carmelita! I'm glad you're okay!" Sly said. My face dropped into a sad look and it felt like a shock pistol hit my heart. It seems that he only saw Carmelita. I'm invisible. I felt the tears in my eyes but I held them back. I didn't see Tennessee look at me in worry as I ran my hand over my eyes.
"Why that conniving little..." the Fox grumbled before Toothpick surrounded Sly and the Gang. "Much obliged for the helpin' hand, Inspector Fox and Miss Erica Monica Cooper. Lemme run these bandidos over to the prison and I'll be back for you all lickety-split! Of course, if you're still feelin' neighborly, you could just turn yourselves in! Hahaha!" With that Toothpick led the three and the van away.
"As much as I like the idea of Sly in a cell, nobody kidnaps Inspector Carmelita Fox and gets away with it!" The Fox said.
"I reckon that also includes tyin' her to a runaway stage?" I heard Tennessee ask.
She glared at Kid Copper. "Watch it! I'm in no mood for smart remarks! Now, are you ready for another rescue mission Tennessee?"
He tipped his hat with his cane/gun. "Yes, Ma'am- I mean- I surely am Inspector Fox!" He gave her a little shy smile. I looked at Tennessee with a raised eyebrow, he seemed a bit... different. I immediately rushed to the riverside, knowing Tennessee and Carmelita were behind me. While Carmelita went to grab us a raft, I asked Tennessee, "Uncle Tennessee? You alright? You're acting a bit weird around Carmelita."
He looked at me and sighed. "Every Cooper has this inner Coon. This Coon helps us find our Soul Mate. When our inner Coon senses our Soul Mate, it will do anything to get us to acknowledge it and tell us to do stuff for him or her. Tell me, just out of curiosity, how did ya feel when Sly acknowledged Carmelita and not you? Like something hit your heart so hard tears came to your eyes?' I looked at him in shock and nodded. 'And tell me, as he done anything that could be considered interment between Female and Male Raccoons, like the Male brushing the Female's tail?"
"He... he did. That night they first met me. I gave him my bed to sleep on while I took the couch. I went to take a bath and he got into the water with me and brushed my tail. And... and at the saloon, in my private room when I was bathing, he had his back to me but he was trembling. Almost as if he wanted to care for me himself."
Tennessee nodded. "Near Miss Carmelita Fox, I can feel my inner Coon telling me to court the Lady. I can feel it right now yellin' at me to court her even now that she's not here. Sly's probably fighting his inner Coon because he loves Carmelita."
Before he could continue, said fox came up the river with a raft. "This river is dangerous, but it leads back to the prison. Way I figure it, they won't be expectin' us to come this way.' He said. 'You sure you're up to this Miss Fox?"
"That's Inspector Fox, but just call me Carmelita. Thanks for the rescue, by the way." She said, seeming to have calmed down a bit.
"My pleasure.' Tennessee replied before asking, 'Inspector? You some kind of Sheriff? How'd you get mixed up with Sly?"
She sighed. "It's a long, complicated story. Right now, I need to rescue that ring-tail so I can wring his neck." I blinked looking at her. That's what I call 'Tough Love'.
I could hear a purr come from Tennessee and I knew his inner Coon was happy. "Hoowee, you are feisty! You remind me of this one little gal who..."
"So,' She interrupted. 'What's this like, anyway?"
"Fire. Lots of Fire." I said climbing onto the raft.
"Terrific.' She said sarcastically. 'Let's get going." Tennessee nodded and took control of the helm while I grabbed the two guns I had brought and stored when I left my home. "You know how to shoot?" Carmelita asked me. I looked at her with a blank face before shooting a Jackrabbit who was high on a bridge fifty feet away. Not saying anything else I turned forward and loaded up, ready to shoot anything in our way.
As Carmelita started shooting guards, I started shooting any TNT that popped up in the way on the river. When we reached the first gate, Tennessee complimented us. "Nice shootin', you two!" "How about less sweet talk and more action?" Carmelita asked. Tennessee jumped out and went to open the gate while Carmelita and I waited. "So how did you get mixed up with Cooper?" she asked.
I looked at her and pulled out one of the Sly Cooper game Cases while going into Cooper Form. "If Le Paradox can travel through time don't you think he could also travel dimensions too?" She raised her eyebrows as she looked at the game case and then at me. "Le Paradox wanted a Backup plan in case the one he's doing now failed. He took some DNA from a raccoon here in this detention and then went to mine to find it's match. Long story short, I'm half human, half Raccoon. I escaped him but he injected something in me. Bentley has been researching what it was just in case. Ever since I escaped I've been waiting for Sly and his friends to get me from my home dimension and bring me to this one. Since the Coopers don't really exist there, I took up the mantle.
"There have been a lot of Black Markets and Human Trafficking systems that I have stopped. Most of the stuff I take are stuff that don't belong to anyone anymore. My last one before I met Sly was the property of an old friend of mine who was assassinated a few weeks before. He left some Egyptian Treasure's he had dug up on one of his archeological dig sites for me in his Will. It was sealed by the man who ordered his assassination and when I exposed him for what he did, it was revealed that the treasures belonged legally to me but the Museum refused to give them up. I didn't have enough money to sue them, so I took them back. The night after I took them I met Sly. I had left a note in the Dagger he stole from the Museum you were researching."
Tennessee then dropped in. "Did I miss anythin'?" I shook my head going back to Cooper Form. "Not really." He nodded and we traveled on. We finally reached the prison and I said, "I'll stay out here and watch the raft." Tennessee and Carmelita tried to convince me to come with them cause we would be safer together but I shook my head. "You'll need someone out here if you two get caught."
The reluctantly nodded before heading in. I heard lots of gunfire and blasts then a Bang! as something heavy hit the floor. I saw a lot of guards heading inside and I followed. I heard the voice of Sly. "Carmelita! Are you alright?" But I heard Carmelita reply, "I am, no thanks to you!' I inwardly smirked. Sly was getting a tongue lashing that was obviously deserved. I mentally pretended it was for ignoring me when Tennessee rescued us girls from the stagecoach. 'I should leave you in that cage after what you pulled, Sly Cooper!"
"I know! Look, I can explain everything-"
"Why if it wasn't for this handsome and charming gentleman, I wouldn't even be here..." Was that a bit of adoration I heard in her voice?
I could practically see Tennessee Kid blushing. "Aww, shucks..."
"Handsome and charming? Really? Look, Carmelita, I know-"
"Save it, Sly! All I want to know right now is how I get back to Paris!" Carmelita said and I could hear her coming my way. But it was then that Toothpicks minions surrounded them. "Stop right there!" one said.
I looked around for something to help them. I saw some fireworks and they were right next to every guard. I crept to the Master Fuse and stood by it. "Hey Bulls!" Everyone turned to look at me and I realized I was at the highest point here and I was a real easy target for their guns. I smirked a bit and pulled out my cane twirling it a bit before putting it on my shoulder like Sly does.
I connected to the dark side of me that I usually don't bring out unless someone I care about is in real big trouble. I crouched a bit and my eyes darkened a bit as I glared at the Bulls one whose eyes were too familiar. "You should know better than to trap Friends of the Cooper Thief, especially you Conner Bulltrude." The biggest of the Bulls laughed and before everyone's eyes transformed into a Human, the very Human I had put into prison for stealing the Texas Star Gem.
"Well, well, well! The Cooper Thief! How lovely to see you again! I've been meaning to speak to you. If you hadn't placed me in jail for stealing the Texas Star Gem, Le Paradox wouldn't have found me and given me the sweet offer of getting revenge on you.' He looked me up and down before leering lustfully at me 'And I think with the way you look I know just how I will do it!"
My head snapped at the growl that came from Sly's throat as he glared up at Bulltrude. "You will not touch her!" He said in a voice that sent a shiver down everyone's spine. That was Sly's inner Coon growling out. I stood up. "Nor will you touch them!" I yelled down to Bulltrude motioning with my cane to the Cooper Gang. Then with a swing of my cane, the metal part of the hook scraped against stone and created a spark that lit the Fuse. The next thing everyone knew, all the Bulls were dead by firework and Bulltrude was blasted below where I was standing.
With a single leap I landed in front of him and said, "Never come near my family again." With a whack of my cane, he was unconscious. I chained him up so tightly that even if he became a Bull he wouldn't escape. I saw a brand on his shoulder like mine. 'So Le Paradox gathered some of my old enemies and turned them into lab rats like me but they get something in return... wait this brand is different...' Looking closer I saw that it was in the shape of an Owl with blood red wings.
'Not Paradox. Clockwerk.' I composed my face before going over to the others. I brushed past Sly as a bit of my version of punishment for ignoring me on the Cliffside. "Carmelita, I'm sure the others are wondering how you got here. And Murray we'll find the Van later. Let's just regroup back at the hideout and figure out our next move." With that I led the way out of the prison, wondering why Clockwerk seemed desperate to get to me.
~~~~~-~~~~~-~~~~~-~~~~~-~~~~~-~~~~~
When I saw that arrogant, little... no good, lying... oh! I should've tied his mangy tail around his neck. I should have blasted that smug look right off his face! I... I... I...
I should probably just finish my story...
After the Cooper Gang escaped me at the Museum, I decided to follow my nose and take a look around. I'd been investigating the trading of stolen antiquities on the Black Market, but I never guessed that Two-faced ring-tail was involved. Then as I turned the corner, I was stunned to see a huge stash of stolen treasure right there in the Museum. And even more shocking, Cyrille Le Paradox himself unloading them!
I couldn't believe it! The Billionaire Art Collector and Museum Patron was behind this?! I was so surprised that by the time I reacted his goons already had me covered. Then that Slimy, Sod-off Runt had me thrown into some vile machine. And the next thing I knew, I was playing Cowboy's and Criminal's.
The Old West? Time Travel?! It was completely Loco!
Sure Le Paradox had done some time in his youth, but he'd been squeaky clean ever since and Interpol had never considered him a suspect. There were rumors about the source of his wealth but nothing had ever been proven. Now I knew I solved that mystery! And of course Cooper and his friends were involved somehow... Why am I not surprised?
The flea bag tried to feed me some story about having to rob the Museum to save the future, but I was done listening to that liar. I needed to get back to Paris but that toad Toothpick had stolen Murray's Van and Bentley's Time Machine along with it!
I finally cracked the case and now I was stuck in this lousy dustbowl with the Cooper Gang! I don't know what made me angrier: not being able to bust the lowlife skunk or being trapped here with that lying Ring-tail!
*Sigh* The only bearable thing about this whole mess was that at least Cooper's Ancestor was a Gentlemen and I had another Girl to keep me company. Half-Raccoon or not.