A Dangerous Enterprise
Sly 2: Band of Thieves
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Summary: Jenna Sheppard is going into her second year college and has an extensive interest in traveling, however, when she decides to visit her cousin in Cairo, Egypt she finds herself woven into a surprisingly dark web. Stockholm Syndrome has nothing to do with how Jenna feels about her captors, being the infamous Copper Gang, rather quite the opposite. But when she finds out a dark secret about her family and herself will she be willing to put aside what she believes to help aid the Gang in their conquest for the greater good?
Disclaimer: I do not own the Sly Cooper series…all rights are reserved to Sucker Punch Productions™. I'm a poor college student, I wouldn't be a poor college student (or a student at all quite frankly) if I had made this wonderful game-play. I do, however, own Jenna Sheppard and Lawrence Sheppard :)
Story Type: OC Insert
Pairing: Sly Copper/OFC
Other Pairings: TBA
Rating: T
Warnings: Thieveous Raccoons, Turtles, Hippos and crazy Cops with shock pistols o.O;
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Author's Note: Okay I'm not going to lie, I absolutely died of hysterics reading all of your reviews. I knew you would all be mad at me for that move since it wasn't supposed to happen at all ;) But I digress. You're going to find that it was totally necessary for this chapter…I'll admit, it's one of my favorite arcs, but I've recently discovered that I had writing it lmao. I tried seven times to write the arc with Jenna in it and every time I hated it…ergo the end of chapter 9 :) Never fear though, I'm not that mean as to end such a well-received story on such a horrid end :D The whole point is to get them together after all :D
Just a side note:
- If any of you are looking for an AMAZING Pirates of the Caribbean series, Why Fireflies Flash has an amazing Jack/OC pairing that completely blew my mind! If you're interested go check her out! It's a story that'll leave you wanting more for sure!
- If anyone is interested in a wicked Young Justice story, GraNNIeShufflez03 has one that's just simply amazing – no pairings, but defiantly lives up to the original show ;)
- If you want a really interesting Sly Cooper story, I've actually just stumbled upon one while looking through the archive and Deags has an awesome beginnings of a post-Sly 3 story that so far seems to trickle into the anticipated Sly 4: Thieves in Time plotline. It has an amazing plot so far and I highly recommend it :) go and check it out!
- If you really want another really interesting Sly Cooper story, BananaB0mb has a well written Carmelita x Sly pairing that covers the very end of Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves and into post-Sly 3. Very interesting! She also has a one-shot that covers Carmelita and Sly's father's relationship….REALLY brilliant…I suggest reading her stories – they're really good!
- I have recently read another Sly Cooper story by ForeverFreelancer and it's very well written. It's only two chapters and a Sly/OC and a Carmelita/OC and is very good so far. Go and check it out and leave her some feedback. It's co-written with Deags and it's definitely a fiction to keep your eye out for :)
- GO READ THIS STORY NOW:A Little Thieving Magic by wingedknightzero. This is a Sly x OC pairing and it's absolutely brilliant! I just read it and I fell in love with it. It's centered mostly in Sly 3: Band of Thieves, but it's very well written and I feel it deserves more reviews than it has! Please, go check it out and leave a review for this author! It's an awesome story :D
As I come through good stories I'll post them in my chapters so that you can go and check them out…for serious lol. Any of these stories can be accessed through my homepage via the Favorite Authors or Favorite Stories hyperlinks :) if you want the titles of the stories PM me and I'll let'cha know :D
A special thanks to all of my reviewers for chapter 6: (I'll be doing this in order of review because of how many "Guests" I have lol) Deags, BananaB0mb, Guest 1, boona, Razor of DOOM, Carmen Veiga, Guest 2, srade9779, GraNNIeShufflez03, Silver Levi, and Guest 3:
Deags: Noooo don't hold out on me lol! I doubt anyone would've done that to you considering how I ended the end of my own chapter nine lol! And thank you very much :D Vacation for me is visiting family so it wasn't really all that relaxing since it's a bunch Irish men and women as well as Italian men and women…interesting mixed batch of eggs, but I digress haha, but thank you for the thoughtfulness :) (Blushes) Ohhh, not at all good sir, I kind of just throw words onto a word document and redo it seventeen times before I'm happy. A author actually gave me that advice: Michelle Zink, author of the Prophecy of the Sisters series basically said throw words onto a document and you can always go back and edit it, hence the secret of my writing style haha. And I'll admit, I think I just received a similar pang in my heart reading that! I'm glad my chapters keep you on your toes and tugs at your emotions – it's actually what I try to do when I write because I think about what I like to see in stories and try to interpret it in my own way…a really rough diagnostic to my own writing, but it's actually the simplest way to put it. I really do thank you for your reviews, seriously, you really give me that criticism I need while also giving me the drive to see what you'll say at the end of another chapter – seriously it's become a goal of mine haha – so I thank you for being that voice in the back of my head, so to speak :) Anyway thank you (once again) for the amazing review and I hope you had a safe and happy 4th of July and that you enjoy this chapter!
BananaB0mb: Believe it or not I have to agree. While cackling to myself as I thought about what everyone's reactions would be I actually had to stop and think about how realistic it would be and especially how nerve wracking it would be to be in the general vicinity of the argument itself. Let me tell you, while as "cool as a cucumber" as Sly is, I'd hate to be the one to make him angry that's for sure. And thank you :) Curveball is very happy to hear you say that lmao, just kidding. I would tell you how exactly everything will pan out, but then I would ruin the next…three or four chapters for you so I won't do that :P And I love chapter titles, because while it gives you a preview before you read it also leaves you wondering why it's called that :D But believe it or not, I was listening to Pandora radio and that song popped up and I was like "Huh, how fitting!" and threw it in there lol. Thanks for the wonderful review and I hope you had a safe and happy 4th of July and that you also enjoy this chapter ;)
Guest 1: Haha don't worry! Like it says in the summary – it's a definite Sly/OC pairing ;) I wouldn't not make them get together. I'm just making sure it's keeping you on your toes :P Anyway thank you for your review and I hope you had a safe and happy 4th of July and that you also enjoy this chapter :)
boona: I loved reading your review :D It was definitely what the doctor ordered with a definite humor and seriousness to it, so thank you for that firstly lol. I'm glad it came as a shocker to you believe it or not haha, that's definitely the reaction I was going for! Thank you for your review and I hope you had a safe and happy 4th of July and that you enjoy this chapter too :D
Razor of DOOM: Oh yeah…you're gonna see that in the next few chapters for sure. I know that when I've been arguments like that where I regret what I say it definitely takes a while before you start to warm back up to the person (sighs), but thank you so much for your review and I hope you had a safe and happy 4th of July and that you enjoy this chapter as well!
Carmen Veiga: I'll answer both of yours together :D It's no problem if you don't review every chapter lol it's like I say every chapter "reviews are not mandatory for an update", but I'm glad to hear that you were in D.C I absolutely love it there! Ohh don't worry ;) They'll "work it out" in the only way the two of them know how lmfao, just kidding. Anyway I'm glad you enjoyed the chapters and thank you so much for your review! I hope you had a safe and happy 4th of July and that you enjoy this chapter just as much :D
Guest 2: Ask and you shall receive! Thanks for the review and I hope you had a safe and happy 4th of July and that you enjoy the chapter :)
srade9779: Haha you'll see why, I promise you! Thanks for the review and I hope you had a safe and happy 4th of July and that you enjoy this chapter as well! :D
GraNNIeShufflez03: I'm still waiting for that text btw lmfao! And yes, I know I'm evil ;) You lived with me you should know this hahaha xD thanks for the review chica and I hope you had a safe and happy 4th of July, I'm sure you'll like this chapter a lot better than the last one ;D
Silver Levi: You're not a horrible person at all :) Life catches up with us at the worst of times lol, trust me I'm not upset :D I'm just happy to hear from you again! And you ask and you shall receive ;) I hope you had a safe and happy 4th of July and that you enjoy this chapter as well :D
Guest 3: Ask and you shall receive! Here is the next update for you :D I hope you had a safe and happy 4th of July and that you enjoy this chapter!
And another thank you to all who have subscribed or favorited this story :D You're all amazing!
Without further delay…on with the fiction!
Much Love,
timexgone23
P.S. If you're a guest just leave me a name to call you by…it can be Bob, Larry, Moe, Curley, Spongebob…whatever you'd like so that I can answer you a little easier :)
A Dangerous Enterprise
Sly 2: Band of Thieves
10
Falling back into society was odd for the wolf and she found herself becoming more and more antsy. It was the day of Captain Lawrence Sheppard's funeral and she was dressed for the occasion in a pair of black suit pants, tank top and a black button up. Her hair was left down as she didn't have the energy to tame it, the long strands falling to the small of her back in thick layers, her bangs falling flat against her brow and she sighed, pulling on her shoes when she heard the car horn. Everything was blurring together for the wolf and she didn't like it. She missed the whirlwind adventures, the adrenaline while on a job, the bantering between her and Bentley, the joking and coloring with Murray and most of all she missed Sly. With a deep sigh she pushed the hurt look of Sly's face to the back of her mind as it was preoccupied with seeing her father. The night before was his wake and to see him laying there in a casket only made it harder for the she-wolf as she never hated her father. Granted his was more strict than most parents, he tended to be a jerk at times and even so far as verbally abusive, but she knew most of that stemmed from his own childhood as well as the memories of his time in the military.
She could remember the nights where her father would wake up with the night terrors and she would have to make him his coffee to help relax him once more. It was those nights she missed. He would come into her room and wake her up, sometimes he wouldn't, but whenever he did there was such vulnerability there that Jenna understood. She understood why he was so hard on her and as much as she hated to admit it she wished she could go back in time and say all the things she should have. Her mind flashed to the day in the airport and a frown twitched at her lips. He had, in that moment, looked so insecure and so reluctant to let her leave, but there was something else in his stance, his eyes that she had not caught that day: fear. There had been an unbridled fear as well as a deep understanding that had missed the she-wolf's eyes and it was then she realized something: he knew he was going to die while she was away; he knew that she was going to find out who she was otherwise he wouldn't have given her the pocket watch.
Robotically she had gotten into Tauwn's car, Melissa in the passenger seat, and now she looked up from her deep thoughts and looked at the two of them. "Tauwn?"
It was silent for a moment before the lab glanced at her through the rearview mirror, his dark eyes questioning her though he had yet to voice it. "Yeah?"
"Did…did dad tell you to take me for the summer?" By the look that the lab and his wife shared Jenna knew the answer and she frowned, "So this wasn't just a random shoot out was it?"
"We couldn't really tell you much over the phone," Melissa began as her finger played with her loose hair, a nervous habit she had whenever she was uncomfortable with something. "We didn't know if it was being tapped into, so we gave you a very clean version as to what happened. Uncle Lawrence's death wasn't accidental, but we can talk more after you meet with his lawyer."
Jenna wasn't satisfied with the answer, but she knew it would have to suffice for the time being and she sighed, resting her chin on the palm of her hand as her elbow rested against the window. Her hazel eyes were more brown than green today, given the type of mood she was in and she frowned to herself softly. She wanted nothing more than to go back home, not at all a fan of how the funeral procession would be carried out. Since her father was both a Sergeant in the Marines and a Captain in the police department, they had decided to honor him by Military code and so he was to be buried in his Marine uniform – his police uniform folded and tucked underneath his crossed hands to honor his other position.
Sighing softly as the car pulled to a stop she exited the car, looking at the group gathered – each dressed in black, some crying and some just shaking their heads. Jenna recognized many of the people who were in the small chapel, most of them were officers from the department and others were from the community and the rest were men in military uniforms, she recognized these men as officers he served with as well as men that her father had to have commanded, each sending her a nod in respect. Jenna had never been religious and being in a church made her slightly uncomfortable as she felt claustrophobic and as if everyone could see her deepest sins and fears, but at that moment as she glanced up over the alter she had to frown softly at the image on the typical Catholic and Christian cross. Her father had been Catholic and she didn't find it surprising that he wanted to be buried as such. Many people tried to make eye contact with her, but the wolf kept her eyes trained forward. It wasn't until she heard the familiar voice of her childhood friend that she pulled her eyes from the isle in front of her.
"Jen," Stevie frowned softly, his expression concerned and comforting and the wolf immediately fell into his open arms. "I'm so sorry to hear what happened."
"It's not your fault." She told the ferret softly. She looked up at him and took in his form; he hadn't changed much from the last time she had seen him, his dark brown fur was kept neat around his oval shaped face, his white mask trimmed just as neatly, his hair brushed back. He wore an outfit to express his mourning in a different way, a bright red tie closing his button up around his thin neck. His dark eyes stared down at her in understanding as he held her at arms length. Stevie stared at her for a moment and the wolf let out a shuddering breath, "It's just…unexpected you know?"
"I know," Stevie frowned softly, his eyes turning to his partner who stood off to the side to give the two friends space as they reunited.
Kurt was a pine marten, and just as lanky as Stevie with the exception of the dancer's body that the ferret possessed, holding a more frail appearance. His fur was a russet brown with light yellow to highlight his cheeks, snout and underbelly. He wore a similar attire to Stevie with the exception of blazer and bright pink bow-tie, his lighter hair brushed back neatly and his brown eyes staring evenly into Jenna's hazel ones, though his eyes expressed sympathy and understanding. Granted he had not known all of Jenna's problems like Stevie did, but he understood enough to know that the wolf was no stranger to loosing those close to her. As his partner removed himself from the wolf, he stepped forward, hugging Jenna tightly and murmuring his condolences into her ear. Kurt was the same height as Jenna, the ferret only a few inches taller than her, and was the more feminine out of the partnership, often having to dress Stevie when attending a formal function since the ferret dressed for comfort rather than style.
"I'm so sorry honey," He murmured quietly, ignoring the tight grip that Jenna had suddenly taken and she pulled away slightly, offering the marten a watery smile, sniffling slightly.
"I'll be okay, honest."
"If you need anything don't hesitate to ask okay?" When Jenna nodded the marten accepted, nodding softly and taking her hand and moving back into the front pew next to Stevie, who was sitting next to Melissa and Tauwn.
The funeral went on, but Jenna couldn't find it in her to listen to the priest's words instead settling for picking at her nails and receiving many light slaps in the hand from Kurt and a short laugh from Stevie. It was just like they were in Sunday school all over again. The familiarity brought relief to the wolf and she offered her friends a small smile to show that she was thankful for their presence. As the chief spoke about how great her father was, Jenna couldn't help the feeling of despair that befell her and she had to wipe her eyes. Throughout the rest of the funeral the wolf's mind kept working with regret and with guilt. A part of her felt like she was the cause of her father's death and as much as she tried to tell herself that wasn't the case, she couldn't shake the feeling that she had a deep part of the seemingly hidden plot. Mechanically she allowed herself to be led out of the church by Kurt and Stevie, her cousins just behind her, and to the cemetery where they would be burying her father.
Gunshots rang out against the quiet of the afternoon and before she knew it the officers she had seen as she walked down the isle while in the church handed her a folded flag as well as her father's dog tags and she frowned softly as they lowered him into the ground. She leaned heavily into Stevie's side; her head nestled in his shoulder and her hand clasping at his if only to keep her in reality, the ferret squeezing hers in return. She could remember the day they had to bury the ferret's father and she had done the same thing for him back then. It seemed so long ago now that they were in high school and she suddenly felt nostalgic as déjà vu washed over her system as if ice water. She ignored the wetness in her eyes watching as they began to officially bury her father and images of the good times they shared flashed before her eyes. A small smile came to her face when she remembered the comfort her father gave her as well as the advice and while most of the time she found herself constantly in disagreement with him, she learned that he was apparently doing so for a reason, but she was more interested in hearing what Melissa and Tauwn had to tell her about his death.
"You okay honey?" Jenna looked over to Kurt and nodded, sighing softly. The funeral had ended and her cousins had decided to give her some time with her friends since it had been a while since she saw them. The marten cupped her cheeks, wiping the tear trails there and offering her a smile. "Tears don't look good on you sweetie." The wolf couldn't help but laugh at his lisp, the marten grinning despite the tear trails on his own cheeks given that he was the more emotional out of the three of him.
"I could say the same thing about you Kurt."
"Oh hush," he smiled, wiping his own eyes and looking to Stevie who was watching the two with a quirked brow. "Stephen, are you jealous?"
"Naturally," The ferret rolled his eyes. Kurt was the only one who had ever gotten away with calling the weasel by his first name as he insisted upon being called Stevie. "So what're you going to do now that the old man is gone?"
Jenna shrugged slightly, glancing back at her father's grave and sighing softly. "I don't have the slightest idea…but I do have to tell the both of you something later?"
"Does this have anything to do with you going missing out in Cairo?"
The wolf turned to the ferret with wide eyes, the ferret grinning at her, "That's what I thought. Melissa called us asking if we had seen you and then spilled her guts." Kurt nodded at this, his hands falling from her cheeks to her shoulders and a small frown twitching at his lips.
"We were worried you know."
"I'd be surprised if you weren't," Jenna sighed running a hand through her hair. "I'll call you guys in a bit. I have to go and figure out the whole legal thing with my dad's lawyer about his will."
"You sure you don't want us to go with you?"
Jenna shook her head at her friend and offered him a smile. "Nah, that's okay. We'll meet at your place later?" Stevie nodded with a slowly forming smile.
"I think I can manage that."
"Good you didn't have a choice," Kurt grinned at his partner, "She was coming over regardless…I don't like the idea of her staying by herself in that creepy old house."
Jenna's brow arched at the marten, "That creepy old house is still where I live ya know?"
"Of course I do…I don't know how you dealt with it for so long." Kurt shuddered, "It just looks filthy."
Jenna looked to Stevie and laughed, "You had to pick a germaphobe didn't you?" The ferret only shrugged, wrapping his arm around his partner and smiling at him.
"What can ya do?"
"Love is love after all."
Jenna grimaced at the couple, "Save it for behind closed doors boys. While I love you both, I don't need to bear witness to the love-fest."
"Aw need a hug Jen?" The ferret grinned, "We got plenty to go around." Kurt attempted to stifle his giggles behind his hand to remain polite and the wolf rolled her eyes.
"I'm good thanks, wouldn't want to take away from you guys." She rolled her eyes with a smile and it was then the marten noticed something about her and he quickly leaned into his partner to whisper it in his ear. Quirking a brow at the two she crossed her arms over her chest, glancing between the two as they shared a quick conversation before returning their gazes to her, the marten speaking up.
"Did you, by any chance, meet someone over seas?"
Jenna's brow arched higher at the accusation, soon her mind bringing to light a particular raccoon and she had to force down the blush as well as the wave of guilt that had risen as well, "No." Yes.
"Oh dear," Kurt eyed her carefully before turning to his partner and nodding, unbeknownst to the wolf. "You just…look different is all."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You just gave us a look like you were picturing someone is all…" When Jenna shook her head Stevie cut into the conversation.
"Whatever it is I'm sure it wasn't anything important."
"Of course it's important~" Kurt turned to his partner with a cross look and one that the ferret knew not to question. "Looks like our girl is growing up!"
"Shut up," Jenna laughed before turning her head to look at her cousins who were waiting patiently by Tauwn's rented car and sighed. "I gotta go, but we'll meet up later okay?"
"Sure thing," Stevie smiled as he embraced her, placing a kiss on her cheek. "Just give us a call if you need anything."
"Seriously Puffs, let us know?" Kurt inquired, utilizing his nickname for her and giving her a hug and a kiss on the cheek as Stevie had done. Jenna returned both gestures before smiling.
"You'll be the first ones to know." She offered them a wave as she turned to meet her cousins, her friends heading in the opposite direction to where Stevie had parked behind the church. As she approached the two Tauwn turned to her and nodded. "Where are we going now?"
"Well we go back home, the lawyer already called and read us the will so I guess we'll explain what happened."
"Fair enough," Jenna nodded before stepping into the car and glancing out of her window. She only wondered how the gang was doing in India.
~Meanwhile~
Bentley sighed as he looked over to his two best friends; everything had been going smoothly as far as their heist to get the Clockwerk Heart was concerned, but as far as the well being of the team itself was another story. Jenna's disappearance within the group was tangible at the least and it had been bringing the moral of the group down. It was weird for even him, not having anyone to argue with and as much as he loved Murray and Sly, he was getting tired of having to explain everything. At least when the wolf was around things remained interesting, but now that she was gone it seemed as if a never ending storm cloud was hanging over the group. The turtle turned his eyes to Murray, who was coloring lazily, glancing at the other page frequently as it had been one Jenna had colored, his large head resting against the palm of his hand. The normal optimism that his pink friend normally possessed was now dulled as if a dirty lense. Bentley removed his glasses to see if he was simply metaphorical in this thought or if his glasses really were dirty. Cleaning them just to make sure he replaced them on his face and looked to the youngest member of the group. Out of all of them, Sly had taken Jenna's leave the hardest and rightfully so – he couldn't imagine getting into an argument like that and coming out unscathed.
Sly had become visibly lethargic as it was apparent he spent more time in his head than in the present moment, though the turtle had to hand it to him, when he was out on a job the raccoon did an easy one-eighty in perspective and attitude even. It was apparent that the raccoon wanted to get his hands on the Clockwerk part and get out of the jungle and had even voiced that after this job he wanted to fly over-seas to talk to Jenna. Sly had never been someone to sit idly by when he was personally hurt, or even when something was bothering him. He was very straightforward, but he did so tactfully – something that the turtle knew Jenna could learn from, then again, if he remembered right, Jenna was still incredibly young. Shaking his head he threw a towel to the sopping raccoon after he reentered the safe house from destroying the satellite array. The turtle had already set up his power point to go over the next set of jobs with the gang, though he couldn't help but glance over to the empty chair that was between Murray and Sly. Shaking this thought he looked to his younger friend.
"Everything went well?"
Sly nodded, "Yeah, that elephant almost ran over me though…kinda felt bad for the guards for a split second." He remarked, removing his hat and squeezing the water out of it before sighing, leaving the towel around his neck after drying his head. "So what do you got for us pal?"
Murray looked up at the two, setting his crayons to the side and frowning deeply. Sly and Bentley looked at one another, there were very few times that the hippo looked even remotely serious and so they gave him their undivided attention. Murray glanced at Sly and sighed. "I know I might not be the smartest out of you guys, but I wanted you to know that I'm a little lost."
"With what?" The turtle inquired as he looked to his larger friend. The hippo's frown remained in place.
"Why did Jenna even leave in the first place?" Murray questioned, "I really miss her and all, but I don't get why she and Sly got into the fight in the first place."
A silence hung in the safe house for a few moments before Sly sighed, flopping into his seat and kicking his feet up onto the table, taking up a façade of nonchalance in place of the ache that normally was there whenever the wolf's name was mentioned lately and it had only been two days. "I started noticing some things about her big guy and when I asked her about it she told me…remember how Inspector Sheppard showed up?"
"Yeah, I don't like him one bit."
"Well," Sly sighed, "That's her older brother. After he left Jenna and I spoke about her past, I guess you could call it, and she admitted to being abused by her older brother and even before that abused by her father." Murray frowned.
"Why didn't she tell us?"
Bentley decided to continue, "Murray do you remember that kid that came into the orphanage just after Sly? The penguin?" Murray nodded and the turtle continued, "Well he was abused; normally when a child or even a teenager is abused they don't mention it in fear of something happening to them. It's a psychological connection that makes the less dominant more dependant on the abuser because they're told it's either done for their benefit to make them better or that they don't have anyone else. It's a common symptom to someone being abused and they don't talk about it. Sly's lucky she even told him that much given the evidence of her physical abuse."
"Is that why her ear looked all messed up?" Both Bentley and Sly looked at one another once more before the turtle nodded.
"Yes, that's only one of the few things that she admitted to…I bet you that her missing her rib was evidence of another beating she'd taken as well."
"She did admit to fighting with her brother frequently." Sly mumbled with a sigh.
Bentley frowned as he heard his younger friend, "It's a common thing among wolves, Sly." The turtle explained, "They fight each other for dominance and if the alpha feels as if his or her position is being threatened by a less dominant wolf then they fight for that dominance, to keep each other in place. It's a natural part of life for a wolf, but the extent of which Jenna's been submersed to is definitely unnecessary and even concerning."
Sly scoffed to himself, removing his feet from the table and leaning forward on his elbows, his head slouching between his shoulders as his expression became brooding. Bentley noticed this and sighed. "It doesn't matter now," Sly frowned, "She's back where she belongs and we've got a job to do. What do you have for us Bentley?"
Bentley and Murray shared a look and the turtle frowned, shooting the hippo a look that clearly said that they would talk about it privately as it was obvious the subject was still so sore for their younger friend. Clearing his throat the reptile turned to his presentation, the frown on his face expressing the gravity of their own situation. "Well, I've got some bad news; Rajan has gone to hiding somewhere in the temple. I guess the destruction of his satellite array and my invasion of his personal space to get the blueprints spooked him." He shrugged slightly at this suggestion before continuing, "To get at his portion of the Clockwerk Heart we'll need to drive him out into the open. Given Rajan's spice-addled temper, I'd recommend making him angry. First, we'll destroy the center of his operation: the spice grinder, then we'll demolish the dam above the temple in an attempt to flood him out. If that doesn't work, I've made arrangements to exchange one of the temple's visage rubies for some high explosives; which, if necessary, we can use to flood the whole temple grotto. If my psychological profile is accurate, Rajan should pick up the other half of the Clockwerk heart before making his escape, effectively bringing it to us."
"Sounds solid," Sly stated before standing. "I'll go take care of the spice grinder…you two stay out of trouble." His friends could tell that his smile was forced as he replaced his hat on his head, waving at them as he jogged back out into the rain. It was clear to both of them that Sly wanted to keep Jenna off of his mind as much as possible and Bentley couldn't necessarily blame him.
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"Okay, so explain this to me…" Jenna frowned as she sat across the table from her cousins, nursing a mug of coffee in her hands and watching both canines closely. After the funeral they had all gone back to Jenna's house to get into clothes that were more comfortable, the wolf now donning a pair of blue and yellow plaid shorts and matching blue crewneck sweatshirt. Melissa sighed, adjusting the hoodie she wore and looked up at her cousin from behind her bangs. "You said that dad's death wasn't accidental."
"You're right…Tauwn and I have our suspicions that Uncle Lawrence's death wasn't accidental, but that it was a hit."
"A hit?"
"You know…like assassination type of stuff?" Tauwn suggested, earning a nod from the wolf before continuing. "Well, your dad had told us a long time ago now that Sam had been acting weird and he changed his will at the last minute so that nothing was left to him – this way you would at least have something to your name. He knew all about you being a part of an assassin family, it runs in your blood and he understood that and, in fact, cultivated it."
"Cultivated it?" Jenna inquired unsurely, "You mean him screaming at me and forcing me to take up martial arts wasn't an accident?"
"Well…not exactly," Melissa clarified. "Your dad knew that you were an assassin and when he noticed Sam acting extremely weird, especially after he took you up in charges, he decided to bring out your more…aggressive side. He thought by being strict with you was going to tap into that side of you so that he could tell you and then it would all be out in the open and he could begin teaching you about the life of assassins."
"So dad was an assassin?"
"No," Tauwn shook his head, taking a sip of his coffee and running a hand through his short hair and sighing. "Uncle Lawrence wasn't an assassin himself, he was an informant to your actual father's family: the Auteri, however, that wasn't the only group of assassins he was in tight with." When Jenna quirked a brow he chuckled. "Lawrence was married to an assassin Jen…think, why do you think Aunt Claudia taught you about medicine…she left you the biggest hint of all."
"Anyway," Melissa cut in before Jenna could answer. "The night of the shoot out, we later found out through the grapevine of assassins that each member that was at the bar that night was part of a well known crime syndicate right here in Massachusetts, that's not the important part though. We were later informed that one of the members that was killed was a member of the Auteri."
"But I was told I was the last remaining Auteri."
"We thought so too," Melissa agreed, pulling her long black hair into a bun at the top of her head, her full bangs curtaining her brow. "It appears, from our source, that there were two other members of Vincent's clan: Dominic and Christian Auteri, brothers and the cause of the clan's demise." The husky explained. "The one found dead at the scene was Christian, the youngest of the brothers…these two men, Jenna, are your uncles. Our source expressed the importance of meeting with you to tell you all of this because we have reason to believe that you're their next target, but we can't be sure. As far as they know you don't exist because you were the child of an affair."
Jenna took in this information, staring down into her coffee with a frown before she turned her eyes back up to her cousins. "Okay, so I fell off of the map to these guys…but if that's the case the woman that my dad was married to, was she my legitimate mother?"
"Yes…but Claudia wasn't her real name Jen." Melissa nodded. Tauwn watched the two, having stood to get another cup of coffee. "Claudia was a name she adopted as it was the same as Vincent's wife. Now, Vincent Auteri and your mom were rightfully married by Native American laws in hopes of uniting two assassin clans, but in order to keep up appearances in Italy Vincent married Claudia Genovese…Claudia's real name is Delia, but this isn't as important, though good to know. Our source then informed us that the shot that killed Uncle Lawrence wasn't from Christian Auteri…it was from a gun registered under an alias Alexander S. Wolfe…"
"Sam," Jenna frowned, "That has to be Sam…but because he's an Interpol officer I'm sure he'll manage to cover it up."
"Our thoughts exactly," Tauwn frowned.
Jenna once again absorbed the information before a frown twitched at her lips once more. "Why did my mom leave then…if she knew that I would find out about all of this assassin stuff eventually?"
"She thought it would keep you safe."
Jenna's frown deepened, "And you both knew all of this."
Melissa and Tauwn shared a look before the male sighed. "We were told to keep this information from you as long as possible, but after your father was seemingly assassinated we found it fitting to let you in on the secrets. Now Jenna, it's no lie that Sam clearly does not like you…it's because he found out about this too early."
"Too early?" Jenna questioned, leaning her head against the palm of her hand as her confusion was apparent. Melissa frowned softly, deciding to answer the wolf instead of her husband.
"When we were little, Sam didn't like that his mother walked out on them and it only got worse when Uncle Lawrence married Delia. His dislike was obvious because she had a child with another man, which his mother taught him was strictly unforgivable, so he hated you from the start." Jenna snorted humorlessly earning a small chuckle from Melissa, "Anyway, Uncle Lawrence didn't see this at first until after Delia had to leave because she was needed back in her clan in preparation for something – I'm not privy to that information since I'm not a member of the clan – that's when Sam became more violent."
"You don't have to tell me."
"Uncle Lawrence was afraid to admit that Sam was slowly getting out of control, but that's not the reason why Sam attacked you all those times Jenna…you have to understand that Sam was being influenced by a higher power."
"A higher power?"
"Clockwerk," Tauwn answered with a deep frown. "I'm positive you've heard of him." When Jenna nodded slowly he sighed, "I figured as much. The Auteri brothers were working under the European terror, the old bird convincing them to kill off the Auteri…but he knew that Vincent had produced a child. That child was you Jenna."
"So let me get this straight," Jenna frowned. "You mean to tell me that Sam is somehow working for Clockwerk and is trying to kill me because of it?"
"As long as he thinks you're not aware of your assassin heritage."
Jenna's eyes widened. "It may be a little late for that…" She swallowed thickly, pushing out from the table and standing, the wolf pacing as her thoughts raced miles a minute. Finding one thought to stick to she turned to her cousins and frowned deeply, a real fear tangible in her features. "What would happen if I made a connection with someone and Sam knew about it?"
"What do you mean?"
She gulped at the seriousness in Tauwn's voice and the matching looks on both his face and Melissa's. "That day in Cairo, when I went missing, I ran into the Cooper gang – because I tried to stop Sly I was kinda kidnapped and brought along for the ride…back in India we were trying to steal the Clockwerk Wings from the Klaww gang member, Rajan, and Sam was there…he saw me with Sly."
"We you wearing the pocket watch?" Dread began to fill her at the panic in her cousin's voice and she nodded solemnly. "Did he see it?" When Jenna nodded again Melissa's eyes widened. "Oh shit."
"That would mean he knows." Tauwn cursed loudly, his hands slamming on the table. Jenna immediately jumped to the defensive leaning on the table and staring at her cousins seriously.
"It wasn't my fault! We were escaping the ballroom and we were intercepted by Sam. He chased us to the drawbridge and as we were almost there he grabbed Sly, I didn't think I acted! As I was getting away though he grabbed the chain off of my neck and I didn't notice really until I got into the van."
"Damn."
"Jenna this is really serious…" Melissa frowned softly, her expression serious and understanding all at the same time. "If Sam knows that you're aware of your heritage and he knows the Cooper gang is helping you then –"
"Then I just put them all in danger," Jenna finished her eyes wide as realization began to set in. "As if they didn't have enough to worry about already! URGH WHY AM I SO STUPID!"
"You wouldn't have known Jenna, it's not your fault." Melissa consoled gently, "It's our fault for not telling you sooner."
"No, you don't understand Mel!" Jenna fired back, tears beginning to well in her eyes as the severity began to hit her. Reality certainly was a bitch. "That day at the museum, that raccoon you asked for help was Sly! That was Sly Cooper and he was there scouting out the Clockwerk exhibit – when I joined them I found out because of Constable Neyla and –" Her violent rant stopped suddenly as she realized something. Neyla worked in the same department as Sam, there wasn't any way that the tigress wouldn't have run into the wolf at some point or another and the she-wolf wouldn't put it passed her brother to try and get the information from the tigress. "Oh shit!" Without another word she raced up the stairs and back into her room, ripping off her pajamas and replacing them with her black harem pants, stealth boots and three quarter sleeved shirt. Reaching into her closet she pulled out the duffle bag she had while staying with the Cooper gang, throwing in a few different pairs of pants and shirts, ripping her fitted military-like jacket off of its hanger and tugging it onto her slim body and throwing another leather jacket into her bag before running back down into the kitchen where Tauwn and Melissa were looking at her questionably. "I just sealed their fate…I need to get back to India."
"Do you even know where you're going?"
Jenna shook her head slowly, falling into the wooden chair with her head in her hands. "All I know was they were going after Rajan's spice operation somewhere in the deep jungles of India for the Clockwerk Heart." Tauwn and Melissa looked at one another before looking at their distressed cousin.
"We can get you to India in the next few hours…" Jenna looked up at the husky who was now smiling at her. "Aunt Delia kept it hidden in a warehouse downtown…if we hurry we could get there and take it so that we can get you to India."
"?"
"Your mom was a genius Jen," Tauwn chuckled. "Back in her hay-day she used a biplane to get around. She left it in a warehouse downtown that she bought out years ago. She told us to use it in case of an emergency and I'd say this is enough an emergency to bring it back into business."
"But I don't know how to fly!" Jenna yelped earning a laugh from Tauwn.
"Kid look at who you're talking to." The lab grinned before slinging his jacket onto his shoulders and motioning for the wolf to get going. Jenna didn't need to be told twice as she grabbed her bag and headed out to the car, Melissa and Tauwn close behind her. They made fast work of making it to the warehouse before the lab lead them to where the plane was situated. It was small, Jenna would definitely give it that much. The smooth metal was painted black and on the side of the plane was a detailed image of a dream catcher with a paw centered in the middle. She vaguely remembered it being on the back of the picture that had been in the pocket watch and she watched as Melissa and Tauwn got the plane going. "Now remember when I taught you about parachutes?" The lab inquired, fixing a backpack to the wolf's back and strapping her in. When Jenna nodded he smiled. "You're gonna need to jump out of the plane, we'll get you to a safe altitude and tell you when to jump. Count to ten before pulling the lever here," He instructed and Jenna nodded quickly, listening intently. "Now you're gonna need this," he placed a small knife in her front pocket after showing it to her, "to cut yourself loose."
Satisfied that Jenna knew what she was doing they got into the plane and the lab took over the controls, fixing the helmet to his head and motioning that both females do the same. Jenna felt the plane roar to life and lurch slightly before the lab used the empty road as a runway, just missing a cop car and taking off into the dark night. While in the air Melissa turned in her seat and smiled at her cousin. "Hey Jen, before you jump I wanted to give you these." Jenna frowned as a long tube was placed in her hand made out of bamboo as well as a belt of pouches. "The tube there is a traditional blow gun," She explained, "You have toxic darts that have a sleeping serum in them in the pouch that rests on your hip, they won't affect you since there's small rubber balls on the ends to keep you from pricking yourself." The husky explained, "It was your mother's stealth weapon. In each pouch are items that will help you scale walls – bear claws and various grappling hooks as well as the line that goes with them, but this is your mother's main weapon that she wanted us to give you." Jenna's eyes took in the long pole, longer than the one on Sly's cane and the large, abnormal hook at the end. "This is a crook; you've probably seen them before on sheep farms. Your mom used this mostly for offense and it's outfitted with metal underneath the initial wood and separates into two separate parts: the crook itself and the shaft. I undid the two pieces, but it goes into the holster on the back of the belt here," Melissa placed the folded crook into the specified holster that rested near the small of her back. "It has a wire that holds it together and is an effective assassination tool, but for your purposes running around with thieves, you won't need it for that." Melissa then turned to her husband and frowned, "How far 'till drop off?"
"About an hour, you got time."
"This thing can move that fast?"
"Let's just say we're not following the laws that abide to airborne vehicles." Tauwn chuckled earning an incredulous look from Jenna, but she was thankful that it wouldn't take long for her to save the gang.
"Now Jenna, you already know this is a phone." Melissa tucked the mobile device into another pouch of her belt. "It has mine and Tauwn's numbers in it already, but I made a few modifications to it so that it can translate different languages, act as a GPS, highlight thermal frequencies as well as topographical ones and finally, track signals of certain vehicles, cops and say…a binocucom or two?"
Jenna looked up at her cousin and offered her a grateful smile. "Thank you so much Mel."
"No problem. If we all make it out of this alive we're gonna go into business as suppliers for thieves and such." She grinned, "It's a hobby."
"Wait," Jenna frowned. "That means you guys are informants as well right?"
"You got that right kid," Tauwn smiled widely. "We've been informants for Aunt Delia's clan since she left when you turned thirteen."
The rest of that hour Jenna thought about the developments that had just occurred before her eyes. She had managed to figure out that her brother was a huge player in this metaphorical chess game she was a part of, a determining factor to the future of the Cooper gang as well as herself. Jenna knew that if it came down to it, she would sacrifice herself to keep the guys safe. Her thoughts were interrupted by Melissa tapping her arm slightly. "What's up?"
"We're almost at the drop off point where Tauwn picked up the signal from the Cooper gang's van. I just wanted to ask you something," Jenna's brow arched from underneath her bangs, having tied her hair in a loose bun at the back of her head a while ago. "How important is this Sly to you?"
Jenna was at a loss of what to say and she couldn't help the sudden heat in her face and she only hoped that Melissa couldn't see it. The wolf hadn't really thought of her feelings for the raccoon, but she knew that she felt something when he was around. Things felt easier for her and she knew that if she could depend on anyone it was Sly, even though she was still a little hurt by him, she knew it was shy of what he must've been feeling. She felt guilt wash over her suddenly and she sighed, "I…I don't really know to be honest, but I said some things to him I shouldn't have." Melissa studied her cousin carefully, a smirk growing on her lips, though this went unnoticed to the wolf as she continued. "He's a really great guy once you get passed his cocky attitude and his sarcasm…he's actually really sweet. He makes everything seem so easy and so…light?" The husky had to hide her growing smirk. "He…he defended me against Sam." Melissa's smirk fell suddenly. "He was ready to put himself in between the two of us at Rajan's ball and I told him…everything."
"Oh Jenna…"
"I don't know why, but I feel so attached?" She leaned her head back against the plane's inside and sighed loudly in frustration. "I don't know what it is, but I feel connected to him somehow and it's so different than I've felt about other guys before."
"Sweetie," Jenna rolled her head to look at her cousin, her brow arched in questioning at the husky. "You may want to tell him that…I don't know what you said to him, but if he makes you feel this good about yourself and confident enough to share what happened to you with Sam then he's worth keeping around. I think you may just like him."
"No I don't think it's that."
"I do," Melissa smirked. "I say the same things about Tauwn you know." When Jenna snorted the husky laughed. "Remember how mom and dad hated me seeing him?" When Jenna nodded she smirked, "I told them exactly what you told me just now and they let me marry him you know."
"What?"
"Yep," The husky smiled. "Your partner needs to compliment you and not belittle you. Don't fall into some pit with someone like Sam…I pity the woman who marries him, but I digress. Someone who knocks you around isn't worth it…based on what you just said about this Sly…" Melissa smirked. "I better be meeting him at some point you here?"
Jenna waved a hand at her, a blush rushing to her face. "Yeah…"
"Good." Melissa smiled, "Promise me that I'll meet him soon okay?"
Jenna raised her head and sighed, knowing that Melissa would settle for no less and she smirked, taking the husky's outstretched hand and shaking it. "I promise."
"Good, now get going! You have a man to save!"
Jenna nodded as Melissa slid the door open for her cousin giving her a tight hug as the wolf braced herself before looking at Tauwn. The lab nodded at her, offering her a two finger solute before motioning that the wolf get going. Looking back down at the racing forest below her she jumped.
Whoa...lots of information that I just threw at you. Sorry for that. I'm sure some of it is confusing so if you're not sure what's going on I'll answer your questions either via PM or review - but within reason. If it's gonna spoil something later than obviously I can't tell you :( Sorryy!
A lot of filler in this chapter and I'm sorry for that, but it's imperative. You got to meet Stevie and Kurt! My two favorite OCs - they come more into play much later, but just know they are incredibly important to Jenna's character as they are the "Bentley and Murray" to her "Sly"...if that makes any sense lol :) Anyway, Jenna finally admitted that she likes Sly, despite how much she doesn't want to and in her own little way ;) We'll see where this takes us!
Anyway - as always, reviews are lovely and appreciated, but not mandatory for an update :D
The song title for this chapter as inspired by "Towards the End" (Within Temptation) look up the song it's really pretty actually :) Thanks so much for reading!
Much love,
timexgone23
xoxo