I could hear the engine of a Van revving up. I'm guessing we managed to escape the museum. The sound of sirens slowly dimmed out with every passing second. I sighed in relief with a sensation of ecstasy knowing I'd never have to endure what I went through...I hope never I wouldn't have to ever again. I felt a sneeze coming on, this dust was making it better.
"ACHOO!"
I heard the brakes slam as it suddenly went quiet. Damn it, it's so dusty in this thing.
"Um Sly? What's in there?"
"Well there's no point in hiding it anymore I guess, Come on out little buddy.", Sly called. Guess he was right, I wasn't all that good at making proper entrances or introductions but here I go.
I carefully pushed the sarcophagus open revealing myself to Sly and his friends. I was greeted by a pink hippo wearing a blue shirt and goggles and a turtle wearing glasses. I thought I'd seen everything in this world, apparently not.
"Um hello.", I shyly waved.
"This is Bentley and Murray my friends I were telling you about.", Sly said pointing out his friends for me. Bentley being the turtle and Murray being the hippopotamus. "Bentley, Murray, this is...in fact you never mentioned your name?"
For once in the time I've been here, my own name never crossed my name. It had been forever ago since I've had a name. I'd always been referred to as "It" or "The Human". I'll just have to make up one off the top of my head.
"I-Uh-Um my name's Ace, Just Ace. I thank you three for getting me out of there.", I said whilst dusting myself off. Bentley and Murray still were shocked at my presence.
"Um Sly, Can I talk to you real quick?", Bentley asked dragging sly off while keeping his gaze still focused on me.
-3rd Person POV-
"Sure pal, what's up?", Sly asked in that carelessy manner that sometimes made Bentley worry.
"What were you thinking Sly? Do you realize what you just stole?", Bentley questioned.
Sly turned his head away from Bentley for a quick minute. Ace and Murray had engaged into a friendly conversation over some comics books they'd collected over the years. The sight brought a grin to Sly's face. "Bentley, look. I just couldn't bare to walk past him and just leave him there. He isn't some vicious monster, he's a kid and all alone with people who don't understand him. Ace is an outcast just like You, Murray, and I.", Sly explained hoping Bentley would understand.
"Yeah, I get that and all. But do you realize WHO you stole from?", Bentley questioned once more.
"Uhh...no."
"You stole from Carmine Thornheart!", Bentley blurted in annoyance. Sly folded his arms and decided to listen to his friend. "He's one of the most richest individuals on the planet and we have his most prized possession. It's already enough that we've got Carmelita still on our trail and if Carmine finds out we have Ace we're definitely in trouble."
"Bents, you worry too much. He'll be safe with us I promise. We're certainly gonna have to be a lot more careful now that he's with us. I'll keep watch over him.", Sly promised hoping to at least ease his pal's concerns. Sly gave Bentley awhile to collect himself.
It seemed like Bentley had finally given in with a sigh of defeat, "Why do I let you talk to me into stuff like this?"
"Cause I'm your best friend.", Sly remarked with a cocky smile.
"Sometimes I wonder.", Bentley retorted.
-1st Person POV-
The interior of this van was a lot bigger than how it appeared on the outside. They even somehow managed to install a computer of some sort in here. Did they live in here? I noticed a large blue book sitting on a nearby shelf, titled the "Thievius Raccoonus".
I tilted my head with interest and took the book off the shelf. Opening up I see it's first article dating back to Thirteenth Century, it's original author being Slytunkhamen Cooper. I scrolled past many different articles displaying all kinds of techniques like, the Ninja Spire Jump, The Rail Slide, The Stealth Slam, The Leaping Dragon, and The Catapult Crash just to name a few that caught my eye.
"I see you've taken quiet the interest of my book.", Sly commented. I jumped a bit, I had lost track of my surroundings and got lost in the book.
"This is yours?", I queried.
"Yep, every single page was written by a seperate member of the Cooper Clan Bloodline.", Sly replied proudly.
I'm just now remembering Sly's last name was Cooper. Which means this book was written by his ancestors, it clearly upholds a lot of value to Sly. I closed the book and handed it to him.
"So you're a thief?", I asked.
"Yeah, pretty much.", Sly admitted with no remorse. Guess that answered my question of what he did for a living. That also explains why in the world he'd be in a closed museum after dark, Hold on a second.
"Sly, you mentioned you were looking for something in that Museum? What was it?", I brought up.
"The Clockwork Parts...Wait! Bentley do you have any information on The Klaww Gang? Back in the Museum Carmelita's new partner mentioned a group of individuals called The Klaww Gang.", Sly questioned Bentley who was randomly surfing the internet.
Bentley brought a hand to his chin in a thinking manner, He began typing something on his computer. "The Klaww Gang...Here it is. Apparently it's a three member club of villains, who obviously partake in illegal practices. It's current members being Dimitri Lousteau, Rajan, and Jean Bison.", Bentley answered.
"So they've got the Clockwerk parts?", Murray chimed in.
"Yeah, all seperately too. We can start tommorrow with Dimitri since he's got a nightclub here in Paris and that's where he's got the wings hidden.", Bentley announced.
"Then we should get right to planning guys and let's get back the Clockwerk wings.", Sly nodded with determination. Then abruptly, my stomach gurgled loudly catching Sly's attention. Which I looked in another direction in embarrassment. "Right after we get our new friend here some chow."
SLAM!
It took everything in Carmine to keep his composure. Not only because he was deprived of his sleep due to paperwork. But also because his property had been wrongfully stolen, and not even after the first day of being in this wretched Museum.
At this point he was beyond livid, he was pissed. He could tell by the reaction of officers and the Museum's staff that they could already tell he wasn't in the best of moods right now.
"The Hell Happened Here!?", He roared making others around him cower.
The curator who was a Great Pyrenees by the name of Albert Beauregard. He wore a rather formal greyish suit and tie with black dress shoes. He on the other hand didn't seem all that threatened by Carmine's outburst.
"Is there a problem?", Beauregard questioned in a calm manner. How could he be so calm about this? His Museum was broken into. Did he allow this to happen? Something was off about Mr. Beauregard that gave Carmine second thoughts about this being any ordinary robbery.
"You promised me this wouldn't happen. My property has been stolen, that's the goddamn problem!!!", Carmine yelled in a fit of rage. The lion balled up his fist getting closer to Pyrenees who didn't appear all that threatened or bothered. "You seem abnormally tranquil after what's transpired tonight."
"Are you implying something Mr. Thornheart?", Albert asked raising an eyebrow in suspicion.
Carmine simply put on a smile and regained his composure. He decided not to push this matter even further and cause more of a scene then he already had before. "So what's the plan then? How do you go about retrieving the human?", Carmine repeated.
"I can help."
Standing by the entrance was none other than Carmelita Montoya Fox. "I know who has the Human, Sly Cooper. He and his teammates were here last night looking for the Clockwerk parts as well."
Carmelita had already won over Carmine's attention. Now it seemed like the vixen was the only lead he had right now. "That is quite interesting Ms. Fox, please do tell me more."