The Cooper Vault Job

by imerik001

Sequel to TRATT. After six months had passed since the Clockwerk affair, Sly receives a letter from an old friend of his father's, Jim McSweeney, who tells him about the Cooper Vault: where the entire Cooper Clan had stored their fortunes over the years. After learning how impenetrable the Vault is, Sly and Neyla decide to rebuild the Cooper Gang to get at the treasure.

4. An Opera of Fear, Pt 1

Disclaimer: I do not know Sly Cooper or any of its characters, except for my OC: Jack Howlett

Hello everyone, here is the first half to An Opera of Fear as promised, with a few shocking twists: where Neyla takes Sly's place in the Octavio Snap job while her raccoon and Bentley break into Octavio's Opera House.

Reviews and comments will be appreciated

Chapter 4: An Opera of Fear, Pt. 1

After morning had arrived, Sly and the gang ate breakfast at the briefing table while Bentley had put together a slide show presentation for their upcoming mission assignments.

"Murray refuses to join the gang until the commitment to his Guru has been fulfilled. Whether we like it our not, we're gonna have to deal with Venice's tar problems in order to...how Murray puts it 'make the black water run pure.'" Bentley started off as he went over everything his racoon and tigress teammates had told him during their reunion with Murray yesterday: how the hippo refused to return to the team until he completed his mission here in Venice - which was to cleanse the water of the tar while presenting three separate slide shows: one of the hippo in his new Aboriginal clothing and two slides showing tar dumped into a birdbath and waterwheel.

"Thanks to Detective Howlett's thorough police work, we now know that Don Octavio is somehow connected and as non-law operatives, we'll be able to deal with this situation in a more...head on fashion." The turtle continued as he heard everything Jack had said while Sly secretly eavesdropped on his presentation to his Ape mercenaries: how the local government and police force knew the elderly Barbary lion was behind the water being polluted with tar, but just couldn't prove it without evidence...which was where they came in.

"First, Sly and I break into Octavio's opera house. If he's hiding anything...we'll find it." Bentley stated, claiming he and his raccoon friend would sneak into the Mafia boss's base of operations while presenting a slideshow of the opera house which belonged to the elderly lion.

"Neyla, we'll need you to keep a close eye on the Don: as some photographic evidence of him connected to the tar might be enough to help put the old mobster away." He added while turning to his tigress friend, as he assigned her to shadow Octavio and take photographs connecting him to Venice's tar epidemic, which would help Jack throw the disgraced opera singer turned crime boss in prison while presenting five separate slideshows: two of elderly lion himself and three of different valves scattered throughout the city of Venice.

"Meanwhile, I'll monitor local communication frequencies. With some luck, we might pick up some quality Intel." The turtle concluded, stating he would be monitoring the elderly Mafia boss's phone conversations for valuable information before ending the presentation.

Once they were given their mission objectives, Sly and Neyla exited the hideout and separated to locate their designated RV points: with the tigress climbing up the streetlight outside the safe house while her raccoon sprinted down the alley on the right side of the hideout, where he crossed a smaller bridge leading to the section of the city with the Ferris Wheel, which he and his friends passed as they headed towards the safe house...and spotted his RV point: which was on the roof of a closed fireworks store that was right across the canal from Octavio's opera house. After he climbed/jumped over a wooden fruit cart up to an upper bridge, Sly had swiftly ducked behind the corner of a building as he spotted a Cane Corso guard walking up the pathway leading to the bridge!

But fortunately for the wily raccoon, he spotted a wooden boat dangling from a hook directly above the path...and smiled as the button to the boat was right within his reach. As soon as the idiot thug was directly underneath the boat...he pressed the button and smirked in amusement: as he witnessed the boat fall right on the Cane Corso, who now laid unconscious while paining in pain!

Shortly after the clueless security goon had been rendered unconscious, Sly had casually walked across the bridge and climbed up to the roof of a house adjacent to where his RV point was located and got into a fighting stance...as a Cat guard on the roof spotted him and immediately attacked by throwing a small fiery bomb at the raccoon...who swiftly evaded the explosive by side stepping to the right! After he dodged the Cat guard's attack, he immediately countered and struck the feline mafia goon across his mask covered face with a power swing from his cane! As the Cat guard flew backwards from the blow to his face and bounced across the roof, he swiftly recovered and hissed angrily before reaching into left suit pocket and tossed out three flaming darts which the raccoon once again dodge thanks to his quicker reflexes. The second he dodged the flaming darts, Sly struck the mask wearing Mafia thug across his face with another blow from his cane...which sent the Cat flying off the roof and falling into the canal, where he drowned to his death! Once the mafia thug had been defeated, the raccoon sprinted across the rope connected to the neighboring house where he approached his RV point, pulled out his Binocucom and contacted Bentley.

"This Opera house is Octavio's base of operations." The turtle stated plain and simple as he and his friend had glanced directly at the theatre building that belonged to the opera singer turned Mobster.

"Nice place...there's sure to be plenty of few coins laying around in there. What's the plan?" Sly stated as he was genuinely impressed by the sight of the Opera house Octavio owned and asked his friend/teammate on what their business inside the said building was.

"If you can get me inside to one of Octavio's computers, I should be able to hack his firewall and get the dirt on his operation." Bentley answered, explaining that once they sneaked inside the Opera house and came across a computer, he would work his hacker magic to obtaining the files stored in side which would help Jack put the the elderly lion in prison for polluting the canals of Venice with tar.

"Alright. Have you got a point of entry? I'm guessing the front door isn't the safest option." The raccoon stated as he understood what they were looking for and asked his turtle friend if he had found an alternate means of entering the Opera house: as they both knew that the main entrance was far too obvious before glancing and zooming in on the garden behind the large sized building.

"Indeed I have buddy. That wooden hatch would be ideal for us sneak in undetected. Head on down there and we'll meet up in a few minutes." The turtle replied, informing his friend how the wooden hatchway leading to the cellar was their ticket inside and that he would join him shortly, so they could enter the Opera house together before they broke contact.

After Sly had placed his Binocucom back into his leg pouch, he jumped off the roof of the fireworks store and crossed the bridge leading to the locked gate behind the Opera house: which he easily jumped over after climbing over a wooden fruit. Once he jumped the gate, the raccoon had casually approached the closed hatch behind the theatre building, that was when Bentley had arrived from the hide out.

"Sly, before we head on inside there's something you should know: Octavio is known to rely on special 3D technology to secure to his property. In order for us to see the security measures, we'll need to utilize these Depth Optimizer Googles." The turtle stated, informing his friend and teammate that the elderly Mafia boss had installed a unique security system to protect his Opera house from intruders and handed him a pair of high tech googles with red and blue lenses that would make their field assignment go much smoothly.

"Functional and fashionable...nice touch Bent." The raccoon stated as he complimented his friend/tech support, due to being mightily impressed by the newly built goggles that would allow them to see and sneak past the security system as they navigated the theater building.

Shortly after they had put on their new googles, Sly had opened and jumped down the hatchway with Bentley right behind him. Once they entered the basement, the raccoon and turtle had approached a sealed security door with two switches on both sides of the threshold.

"In order to open this door, we'll need to push the security buttons at the same time." Bentley stated as he informed his raccoon friend that in order for them to open the security door, they'd have to press the buttons at exactly the same time.

"Okay, let's do it." Sly replied while nodding, showing he understood what they needed to do to get past the double button security door.

As soon as the two friends had pushed the buttons, the security door opened and they sprinted/rolled down a staircase which led to a lower floor that was also protected by a double button security door. Once they got past the 2nd security door, the raccoon and turtle had walked/wheeled down another passageway that led straight to the cellar...which was completely flooded with water!

"Drat! My booster won't be able to make it across to that next door! I've made a number of adjustments to my wheelchair, but none that can float through this canal." Bentley cried out softy in disappointment, stating the boosters to his wheelchair didn't have the necessary throttle to cross the heavily flooded cellar underneath the Opera house.

"Don't worry about it pal. I'm sure I'll find a way across and there seem to be plenty of boats hanging around to make a nice bridge for ya." Sly stated casually while pointing out to his turtle friend that there were plenty of gondolas, along with crates he could use to cross the canal.

"Alright. I'll wait for your signal." The turtle replied with a firm nod, stating that'd he'd wait while his friend navigated the canal to reach the next security door.

Shortly after he jumped across the two crates floating on the water right near the dock he and his friend/tech support were standing on, the crafty raccoon had pressed his back against a stone pillar that was connected to a huge sewer grate and crept along the cold steel bars, he jumped across and landed safely on a wooden platform floating on the canal...which was when the loud speakers scattered throughout the cellar had came to life!

"Good evening to you my fine, fine associates! Octavio here. I'm pleased to report that the tar suction levels are at all-time high. However, it saddens me to report that some of you have not been keeping in time with the orchestra, if you know what I mean. So I'd like to see Mario, Rafael and Julius in the main vacuum room immediately! We're going to discuss your retirement package and if anyone catches these boy try to make a run for it well...shoot them in the back." Octavio announced through the intercom, informing his men how their tar polluting operation was running along splendidly...whilst asking for three of his low level mobster thugs to meet him in different section of the Opera house to discuss their 'retirement package' and and giving the rest of his lackeys the OK to shoot the three guards if they tried to run!

After the elderly lion had deactivated the intercom at the end of his announcement, Sly had jumped across two gondolas and latched his cane onto a pipe that was in the center of a contraption with mini flamethrowers spewing out short bursts of flames rotating from the spiraling reddish brown pipes! Fortunately, thanks to his keen eye and observations skills, the raccoon had timed his movements perfectly and climbed across the pipe while avoiding the hot searing flames. Once he had reached the opposite side of the contraption unharmed, Sly had ninja spire jumped across a number of pillars standing above the water towards another stone column, where he shimmied across the steel grate...which was heavily defended by security lasers. But thanks to years of experience, the wily raccoon had slipped past the lasers with extreme ease and after he crept across the ledge of the parallel column, he had jumped over to the gondola floating on the canal and bounced up to the cable dangling above it and immediately began climbing across towards the adjacent dock.

However...as soon as he landed on the dock, the Cat sentry guarding the door instinctively attacked by throwing a number of flaming darts at the raccoon, whom swiftly evaded the projectiles and countered with a powerful swing from his cane...that sent the unlucky feline flying off the dock and landing in the canal, where it drowned to death. Once the Cat guard was defeated, Sly had casually pressed the security button that immediately dropped a number of wooden crates and gondolas onto the water: forming a make shift bridge for his turtle friend to cross the canal.

"Thanks for the assist Sly. Maybe I can return the favor with a well placed explosive." Bentley stated as he leaped across the crates/gondolas and joined his friend and team leader on the dock...where he planted one of his signature bombs onto the security door, which exploded and blasted the door wide open!

Once the security door had been blown open, the two friends had walked/rolled up a corridor filled with security lasers and entered an empty room, where they came across another security door blocking their way.

"Hmm, this door is made of four inch thick bulletproof Plexiglass. My bombs won't even make a dent. See if you can find a way around it through the ventilation shaft." The turtle stated softly, informing his friend that the security door in front of them had been made with bulletproof glass, which made it impervious to explosives and how'd he have to navigate the vents in order to locate and pull the switch in order to open the door with the raccoon nodding in agreement before crawling through the vent opening in the right wall.

Shortly after he entered through the small opening, Sly had crawled through the old and rusty vents that were above a different section of the Opera House which was filled with oil pumps, expellers and other pieces of heavy equipment and thanks to the glass panels/crack openings he was also able to see the occupants: which consisted of two Cane Corso guards pacing around the room Don Octavio himself, standing in front of the door leading to the main vacuum room!

"Well, nice of you two boys to stop by for some 'fatherly advice'. Julius made a run for it, and uh, the curtain fell. Now normally I'd whack the both of ya...but it's Carnevale and I'm feeling charitable. So I'll think of something else." The elderly lion stated while laughing softly, showing that he was pleased that two of the guards he requested to meet had actually showed...while 'lamenting' on how the 3rd guard, Julius, was killed for trying to flee and claiming that he would've had the two Cane Corso guards share their fellow lackey's fate...but decided against it, due to it being Carnevale and stated that he would think of a new job for the two canine thugs to carry out...and smiled, as an idea immediately crossed his mind.

"Okay...here's the deal: you two stoolies are going to be my new eyes and ears. I can't let no one get near my demolition switch or sabotage any part of the operation down here. If you hear any noise from inside of the family that someone's not...uh, NOT CONTENT, then you tell me straight out! I can't be taking no chances this close to show time. Got it?!" He added, informing the two level mobsters that they would act as his eyes and ears during Carnevale and entrusting them to protect the heavy machinery in the main vacuum room: claiming that the pumps, expellers and other pieces of equipment were key to their tar polluting operation...and demanded to know if they understood their orders while snarling threateningly before stepping out of the room.

After he secretly witnessed Octavio exit the main vacuum room, Sly had continued crawling through the rust covered vents, until he stumbled upon an open grate that led him straight to the far end of the room...where he was 'greeted' by the Cat guard protecting the button to the Plexiglass security doors and instinctively dodged the flaming darts that the feline mobsters tossed in his direction! The moment he evaded the blazing projectiles, the raccoon had immediately countered by landing a powerful swing from his cane, that sent the Cat pouncing across the room and crashing into a small cluster of crates...only to swiftly recover from the blow to his mask covered face and snarled angrily before throwing another barrage of flaming darts! Once he evaded the darts a second time, Sly had performed the Knockout Dive technique: knocking the feline guard unconscious and lifting up in the air with an 'uppercut' from his cane...before slamming him down hard onto the red painted tile floor!

As the Cat guard laid sprawled out on the floor, gazing at the stars, the raccoon had approached and pressed the security button, which caused all three Plexiglass security doors to slide open and allowed Bentley to join him.

"Thanks pal, judging from all the security...we must be getting close." The turtle stated casually as he rolled across the room, thanking his friend and teammate for opening the glass security doors for him and returned the favor: by planting a well placed bomb on another standard security door that exploded and revealed a second passageway filled with security beams.

Shortly after they evaded the lasers whilst walking down the corridor, Sly and Bentley had entered another vacant room that was on the same floor level as the main vacuum room...which didn't stay empty for long, as two Cat guards had leaped down from a hole in the ceiling and hissed threateningly before tossing a single fiery bomb directly at the raccoon and turtle, whom evaded the small explosives by jumping over them. After they evaded the bombs, the two friends had swiftly retaliated: with Sly landing a swift and powerful swing that struck the 1st Cat guard across his face while his turtle friend landed an equally powerful spinning strike from his wheelchair to the 2nd Mafia thug's stomach, which sent the two Cat guards flying/bouncing back across the room! As soon as the two feline guards had recovered from the blows to their face/chest, they had hissed angrily before firing a barrage of flaming darts at the two friends...whom easily dodged the blazing projectiles by jumping to the left and right.

Once they had evaded the Cat guards attack...Bentley swiftly retaliated by drawing out his Binocucom and firing two well aimed sleep darts from the built in dart gun he had installed to his wheelchair: which hit the two low level mobsters dead on...as they struggled to stay conscious before collapsing face flat on the floor. As soon as the two Cats were sound asleep, the turtle had softly rolled up to the unconscious thugs...where he placed a single bomb between them and immediately retreated, as it exploded and killed the useless lackeys instantly! As soon as the Cat guards were defeated, Sly and his turtle friend/teammate had approached the double button security door on the opposite end of the room, where they pressed the security buttons at the same time and sprinted/rolled up a stairwell where they entered their main destination: the control room which housed a computer console that was connected to nine separate screens.

"Yes! A Worlitzer-700! I can splice into this easy." Bentley exclaimed excitedly, as he immediately identified the computer he and Sly were looking at and claimed that he could hack into it without breaking a sweat.

"Just as long as you're enjoying yourself, that's the importantly thing." His raccoon friend stated casually as he crossed his arms against his chest, as he found the excited expression on his teammate and tech support's face amusing: especially when it came to computers.

"Aside from a few tense moments that break-in seemed to go perfectly well." The turtle replied, stating that despite the slight setbacks they had encountered as they navigated the lower levels of the Opera house, their field assignment had gone rater well.

"It's not over yet. Hack the system and let's get out of here." Sly softly replied while asking his friend to extract whatever information was stored in the computer so they could leave before they were discovered by the rest of Octavio's goons.

"Oh, it'll be a snap extracting the details on Octavio's operation from this dinosaur." Bentley stated casually, claiming that he'd be able to obtain whatever valuable data that was stored in the elderly lion's personal computer with extreme ease before getting straight to work.

However...the turtle would soon discover that he was sadly mistaken...as a loud ringing had blared out the moment he typed in a few keystrokes and began hacking into the extremely old computer!

"W-What?! A delay switch?! Sorry Sly, seems like this old dinosaur still has some teeth." He cried out with a deeply shocked look on his face...as he just accidently set off an alarm that was dormant and immediately apologized to his friend/teammate for his blunder!

"It's alright Bent. This wasn't your fault." Sly stated casually while comforting his turtle friend, reassuring him that the alarm going off wasn't his fault: as he couldn't have known that Octavio would've had an alarm go off if someone tried to hack his files.

"I'll hack as fast as I can. Watch my back: there are sure to be guards on the way!" Bentley replied while asking his friend and team leader to protect him from the guards as he continued hacking the old computer...which was the exact moment a Pigeon guard had stormed in through a security door on the left side of the control room!

"Intruders!" The Pigeon cried out in alarm before foolishly charging in to attack the turtle hacking into his boss's personal computer...only to fly backwards across the room after receiving a powerful swing to his mask covered face from Sly's family cane!

Shortly after the Pigeon had recovered from the last minute sneak attack to his face...he immediately countered by tugging his wings in against his chest while leaping off the ground and spinning like a top: where he rammed right into the raccoon like a living projectile! Sly had groaned in deep surprise, as he literally felt the wind knocked out of him the second the Pigeon struck him in his stomach...and his eyes widened in shock as the security door on the right side opened and a second Pigeon guard entered the control room! But thankfully he had made swift work of the first security thug: as he struck the idiot lackey across his mask covered face with a powerful swing from his cane...which sent him flying into the fire pit on the left side of the Howlitzer-700, where he immediately burnt to death! Once the first guard had been dealt with, his fellow lackey quickly shared his fate: as Sly had landed a swift and powerful blow from his cane that sent him flying into the other fire pit that was on the right side of the extremely old computer. However...once the first two low level mafia thugs had been defeated, other Pigeon guards had entered the control room: one by one from the parallel security doors!

But fortunately, Sly had made swift work of the idiot lackeys: due to sending them flying into the two separate fire pits, where they chirped/cried out in pain as the flames roasted them alive and after the remaining low level Mafia thug had been defeated, that was when Bentley had completed the hack!

"Sly, the download is complete! Now we'll be able to find out exactly what Octavio is planning." The turtle exclaimed, informing his friend and teammate that he had succeeded in extracting the data from the Howlitzer-700 and how they would be able to discover the true motive the Octavio's tar polluting operation before exiting the Opera House and returning to the hide out.

~Meanwhile with Neyla~

Shortly after climbing up to the roof of the safe house and jumping across to the neighboring bridge, the tigress had ninja spire jumped and walked across a tight rope at the opposite side bridge to the roof of a 2 story house where she spotted her designated RV point: which was on the roof of a building that was not too far from her current location and much to her good fortune: there they were a number of tight ropes and flagpoles for her to use to traverse across the rooftops and canals.

As she jumped and walked across the tight rope that was connected to the roof a parallel building, Neyla had ninja spire jumped and landed safely in the middle of another tight rope dangling over the canal, where she jumped across to a nearby bridge. After she landed safely on the bridge, the tigress jumped and climbed up the side of the designated building...where she was unfortunately greeted by a lone Pigeon guard whom was patrolling the roof! Luckily though...Neyla had made swift work of the idiot security thug: as she delivered a swift and powerful strike from her whip that sent the lackey flying off the roof and plummeting into the river, where he drowned to his death! Once the Pigeon had been defeated, the tigress casually approached her RV point: where she drew out her Binocucom and contacted Bentley.

"Heads up Neyla, I've just intercepted a radio message from one of Octavio's men. The Don is moving towards your location!" The turtle stated softly, informing his feline friend that he had intercepted a message from one of Octavio's goons and how the elderly lion himself would be entering the small circular plaza they were gazing at through her Binocucom!

"Great. Would you like me to take him?" The tigress replied while asking her teammate/tech support for permission to face the former Opera singer turned crime boss.

"No! We need to collect evidence that proves he's behind the city's tar epidemic. With some incriminating photographs, we'll be able to help Jack and the local cops prosecute him and put an end to this nonsense." Bentley answered with a stern and firm tone detected in his voice, as he reminded his tigress friend/teammate that the objective of her field mission was to take photographs linking Octavio to the canals being polluted with tar, not picking a fight with the elderly Mafia boss.

"Don't worry Bentley, I'll get the photographs we need to help Jack put Octavio in prison where he belongs. I just hope we don't end up regretting this." Neyla replied, assuring her turtle friend that she would gather the photographic evidence that Jack needed to help prove that the elderly lion was indeed responsible for the canals/waterways being polluted with tar...whilst secretly muttering on how she and her friends wouldn't regret agreeing to helping her old friend and training partner.

"You having doubts about us trusting Jack?" The turtle asked softly, as he could just tell by the troubled expression on his feline friend's face that she was concerned on whether or not they could continue to trust the wolf detective.

"Of course not...it's Barkley I'm worried about. It'll only be a matter of time before he discovers that Jack is secretly working with us...if he hasn't suspected it already." The tigress answered, informing Bentley that she was concerned about what Barkley would do once he discovered that Howlett was their secret ally inside Interpol.

"I know Neyla. Sly and I are worried about what'll happen too." Bentley replied softly, stating that he and the raccoon were also worried about what the ill tempered badger would do once he discovered that Jack was actually working with them instead of arresting them like he was supposed to...which was when they spotted Octavio approaching the small plaza!

"Hold on. Here he comes, now." Neyla replied as she and her turtle friend friend witnessed the former Opera singer turned Mafia boss entering the small plaza and walking up towards a valve and began turning the wheel...which caused the fountain to be filled with tar!

"That's friggin' sick!" She cried out with a disgusted look on her face as she just watched the elderly lion flood an entire fountain with the black sticky and hazardous substance!

"Get a picture before he finishes! This is perfect!" Bentley cried out, instructing his feline friend/teammate to take a photograph of Octavio polluting the fountain!

Once they broke contact, the tigress had done as her turtle friend asked of her and took a picture of the elderly lion as he continued to pump tar into the fountain.

"Excellent! A few more of these and the cops will be able to bury this guy." The turtle stated, claiming that Jack and the local police would be able to put the elderly crime boss in prison for life once they discreetly delivered the photographic evidence to the police station.

"Follow him. He might be heading off to do some more polluting." He added, instructing Neyla to tail Octavio and to take more incriminating photographs as they watched him walk off in different direction after he finished polluting the fountain with tar.

Fortunately for the tigress, shadowing the elderly lion wasn't that difficult: as she had trailed him from the rooftops and thanks to Octavio's annoying habit of singing opera loudly to himself, she didn't need to worry about losing track of him as he strolled down the streets and alleyways. Once she walked across the tight rope that was right near her and jumped across the neighboring roof, Neyla had followed Octavio to a 2nd valve that was near the bridge leading to their hideout and immediately took a picture of him filling up a birdbath with tar...much to her great disgust!

"That poor birdbath! It's more like a bird's death trap now!" Bentley cried out in sadness, as he couldn't believe that the elderly Mob boss would stoop so low as to pollute an artificial basin for birds to drink and bath in with that sickening black substance!

After Octavio had finished polluting the birdbath, Neyla had followed him to the opposite side of the city: to the wide area with the stage that was right across from his Opera house, where she hitched a ride on a passing gondola and snapped a photo of the elderly lion operating a 3rd valve that clogged a water wheel that was right behind a coffee shop with tar.

"Keep up the good work Neyla. We want to make sure this polluting is fully documented." The turtle stated while complimenting his feline friend on her superb photography skills...even though he was equally disgusted as Octavio just polluted a waterwheel with the black hazardous substance.

Once the former opera singer turned crime boss was finished contaminating the waterwheel behind the coffee shop, Neyla had once again shadowed Octavio from the rooftops as he headed to the area with the Ferris wheel: where she saw the elderly lion jump vanish out of sight after jumping behind an arch building that was right near the river. After she had jumped off the roof of the building she was on and landed safely on her feet on the city street, the tigress had sprinted down to the opposite side of the tunnel, where she leaped onto a passing gondola and snapped a photograph of the elderly lion working a 4th and final valve.

"Bentley, Octavio is working another valve...but there's something strange, though. I'm not seeing any tar." The tigress stated over the team radio, informing her friend and tech support that she just witnessed the opera singer turned Mafia Don operate another valve...but for some strange reason, she didn't see any tar pouring out anywhere!

"Really? Well...it had to have gone somewhere." The turtle stated as he was surprised by what his friend/teammate just reported and equally curious to where the tar from the valve had ended up.

Although, as soon as Neyla had leaped off the gondola as it drifted along and past the opposite side of the tunnel...she stared in completely shock and horror: as she witnessed the tar from the valve flooding into a nearby aquarium and frowned in sadness as the black hazardous substance had instantly killed all the fish inside the tank!

"I...I can't believe it! He just flooded that aquarium with tar! All those poor dead fish!" Bentley cried out in great shock, as he couldn't believe that the elderly lion would stoop so low as to contaminating an entire aquarium with tar!

"As much as I'd hate to see what other heinous crime this fiend will do next, you should probably keep on his tail. Someday, the people of Venice will know the truth due to your pictures and more importantly: Jack will be able to put this creep in jail where he belongs." He added, instructing his tigress friend/teammate to continue shadowing Octavio and stating how their wolf detective friend and ally, along with the Venetian police force would succeed in throwing the former opera singer turned Mafia boss in prison, thanks to the incriminating photographs which proofed that he was polluting the canals and waterways with the black substance.

After Octavio had finished polluting the aquarium with tar, Neyla followed him to the Ferris Wheel, where she saw the elderly crime boss climb into a carriage and pull out a cellphone from his left pants pocket.

"Bentley, I trailed Octavio to the Ferris Wheel. He's talking to someone on his cellphone right now and from the look on his face...I'd say it's extremely important" The tigress reported, informing her turtle friend/teammate that she had followed the demented opera singer turned Mob boss to the Ferris Wheel and how he was talking to someone on his personal phone.

"Neyla, see if you can latch onto the car Octavio is riding in. We should eavesdrop on his phone conversation and from the look on his face, it seems important." The turtle stated while instructing his feline friend and teammate to latch onto the passenger car in order to listen in on the elderly lion's phone conversation: as he was curious to learn who it was Octavio was speaking to and what is was they were talking about.

Once they broke contact, Neyla had silently leaped off the roof and approached the Ferris Wheel, where she immediately grabbed onto the metal bar wedged on the front end of the carriage and had listened in on Octavio's phone conversation.

"Listen Giovanni, this Ferris Wheel was a good idea! She's a pumping the tar fast and nobody. but nobody suspects a thing! But still...is it going to be enough to get ready for my Opera recital?! Bella! When the people come to see me sing I want to make sure they keep a comin'...even if they don't feel like it. One way or another, they'll be Opera fans again! Okay, see you so." The elderly lion stated in a gruff and friendly tone while speaking to a Mob associate named 'Giovanni' and claiming that building the Ferris Wheel was sheer brilliance...while being completely unaware of the tigress, whom had been eavesdropping on his conversation until he hung up on his fellow Mob boss, exited the passenger car and walked away, heading off to another area of the city.

"That sick bastard! He's twisted a time honored amusement park ride into a tool of wrong doing! Smash open the control panel with your whip...I'm on my way to do a little rewiring." Bentley cried out angrily, as couldn't believe what he just heard: how Octavio actually had the nerve to convert a Ferris Wheel into a tool to discreetly pump tar underneath the streets of Venice and instructed Neyla to break open the control panel so he could do some last minute reprogramming!

As soon as she had dismounted from the side of carriage, the tigress had done as her teammate/tech support asked of her and broke open the control box to the Ferris Wheel with a powerful swing from her whip...which was the exact moment Bentley had arrived from the safe house.

"Neyla, you may want to turn around...for you are about to witness the dark side of electrical engineering." The turtle stated plain and simple, advising the feline to look away while he sabotaged the control box to the Ferris Wheel.

"Kill a bunch of innocent fish, will he?" He added with a glare on his face, showing he was still upset at the sight of the dead fish that were killed by the tar as soon as Octavio had dumped the hazardous substance into the aquarium, just for his demented and sick pleasure while inputting a series of random numbers into the keypad in the control panel...which caused the Ferris Wheel to malfunction as two Cats and a single Pigeon Guard casually walked approached the amusement park ride!

"Alright, that should do it." Bentley stated, informing Neyla that he was finished tampering with the electrical engineering to the control panel before they sprinted across the small bridge leading to the safe house: which was the exact moment the three guards had stood in front of the Ferris Wheel, which had been spinning out of control and as soon as the sides holding it in place exploded...it had crushed the poor and unlucky Pigeon guard, whom had been cleaning his right wing/arm to death while his two feline lackeys fled in terror!

~Meanwhile with Bentley~

After destroying the Ferris Wheel as retaliation against Octavio for polluting the aquarium and killing all endangered/imported fish inside, the turtle had wheeled past the hideout and across the bridge while making his way towards the Venetian police station. Unfortunately...as soon as Bentley had crossed the bridge, he was immediately attacked by a Cane Corso Guard, whom snarled angrily while charging forward with his handheld blunderbuss drawn out! Luckily, however...the brainless Mafia thug never got the chance to fire a single round: due to the turtle firing a sleep dart from his wheelchair's built in dart gun, which instantly put the idiot security goon sound to sleep! As the Cane Corso laid on the city street unconscious, Bentley had finished him with a well placed bomb that sent the useless lackey flying in the air and plummeting/sinking into the river!

Once the security thug had been defeated, the turtle had arrived at his main destination and spotted his RV point: which was on the small dock overlooking the river right outside the local police station! As soon as Bentley approached his RV point, he pulled out his Binocucom and contacted Sly.

"Hey Sly, you'd better get over here. Before I left the hideout to help you in the Opera House, I intercepted a phone conversation from Octavio. He's hired the Blue Viper Gondola Gang to take out Det. Howlett!" The turtle started off, informing his raccoon friend that the elderly lion had hired a dangerous group of hit men to assassinate their secret ally inside Interpol!

"The Blue Vipers?! Those guys are nasty! We've got to get to them before they get to him!" The raccoon stated with a shocked expression on his face after hearing how Octavio had authorized a green light on Jack and how they needed to take out the Blue Vipers before they could reach and kill him!

"He's off on his daily patrol...the thugs can't be that far behind." Bentley stated as they watched Howlett drive off in an Interpol issued police boat to begin his daily patrols around the canals of Venice.

"I'm on my way. Just make sure to have one of those police boats hot wired by the time I get there." Sly replied while ordering his turtle friend to have a Venetian police issued patrol boat primed and ready for action...before turning softly to his tigress, whom had been listening on their conversation and was equally surprised to hear that Octavio had actually ordered a hit on her old friend and former training partner.

"Sly...promise me you and Bentley won't..." Neyla stated softly before being cut off by her lover, as he knew what she was about to say.

"We won't let anything happen to Jack, my beautiful tigress. I promise." The raccoon stated softly, promising his feline lover that he and Bentley wouldn't let the Blue Vipers hurt the wolf detective and he had sealed the vow with a burning kiss, which she instinctually returned with an equal passion.

"Good hunting Ringtail." She replied with a soft grin while planting a loving peck on her raccoon lips, wishing him and their turtle friend the best of luck as they hunted down the three assassins after Howlett.

"It usually is baby." Sly replied with his casual grin while calling his tigress by her new pet name before exiting the hideout and sprinting across the bridge, towards the police station.

~Back with Bentley~

Shortly after he and Sly broke contact, the turtle had gone straight to work at hot wiring the police issued patrol boat and thanks to his background in mechanical engineering, he had bypassed the boat's ignition system in a matter of seconds.

"Let's see...just cross the blue wire with the red wire and...Shazam!" He muttered softly to himself while connecting two different colored wires together, which kick-started the engine as his raccoon friend/teammate had arrived from the safe house and boarded the boat.

"Just in time, there goes the Vipers!" Sly stated as they spotted the three hit men driving down the same canal that Det. Howlett had drove down not to long ago!

"I'll shoot, you drive Sly." Bentley replied, ordering his friend and team leader to drive the boat while he would man the boat's front gun as they gave chase.

Luckily for the two friends, they had caught up with the Blue Vipers right away as Jack was far ahead them...but unfortunately, the canal they were racing down was flooded with crates and wooden gondolas! As Sly drove the boat down the canal, Bentley had immediately opened fire on the nearest contract killer's speedboat, which damaged the hit man's vessel...before stopping, as he noticed the twin gun barrels glowing red as they overheated! But thankfully, it didn't take long for the gun to cool down and the turtle had proceeded to open on the first Blue Viper, damaging his boat until it eventually exploded and sent the first contract killer plummeting into the canal!

Shortly after taking out the first Viper, the two friends had continued to pursue the remaining hit men while avoiding the gondolas and crates, along with the wooden gates and piers in the canal. However...defeating the remaining Blue Vipers had proved to be more challenging: as they witnessed the raccoon and turtle defeat their fellow teammate. But thanks to Sly's expert driving and Bentley's sharpshooting, they had eventually defeated the 2nd Viper: causing his boat to collide into a wooden gate and after a heated chase down the canal, they had defeated the Blue Viper leader: causing his boat to lose control as it jumped over a crate...before crashing into bridge!

"Way to go Bentley! That's the end of the Blue Vipers!" Sly happily exclaimed while congratulating his teammate and tech support on a job well down before returning to the dock!

~Meanwhile with Jack~

"Huh, another uneventful patrol. Venice is a beautiful city...but's its way too quiet for my tastes." The wolf detective stated softly while somewhat disappointed that his daily patrol around the canals of Venice ended up being completely dull and unexciting...while completely unaware of the high speed action way back in the canal he was driving through.

~Back with Sly and Bentley~

Once they had returned to the dock outside the Venetian police station, the turtle had leaped off the boat while his raccoon friend remained on the vessel.

"It's a good thing that I had intercepted that phone conversation...otherwise, we would've lost an invaluable asset and good friend." Bentley stated, showing he was glad that he chose to stay at the hide out and monitor Octavio's phone conversations, as they would never have discovered about the hit that the elderly lion had placed on their wolf detective friend.

"I'm just glad that we took out the Vipers when we did. I still can't believe that Octavio actually ordered a green light on Jack." Sly replied with a casual grin while crossing his arms, even though he was still surprised that the elderly lion had authorized an assassination attempt on Howlett!

"I can, especially after all the immoral things we discovered while Neyla was shadowing him." The turtle firmly replied, showing he wasn't the least shocked: due to them encountering high level criminals whom were just like Octavio in the past and pointing out all the inhumane acts he committed while their tigress friend/teammate had followed him: as he polluted a birdbath and an entire aquarium with tar!

"Well, hopefully we'll discover what he's planning from the data we obtained from his computer. I'll stash the boat for save keeping in case we need to use it again. I'm pretty sure Jack won't mind if we 'borrow' it. I'll meet you back at the hideout." The raccoon stated, pointing out how they would discover the true motive behind the former Opera singer turned Mafia boss's polluting operation from the data they acquired from the Opera House before driving off in their newly acquired boat, which he knew would come in handy: especially if he and his gang ever decided to return to Venice to carry out heists in the future.

As soon as he witnessed his raccoon friend and team leader drive off in their new speed boat, Bentley had returned to the safe house and after five six minutes had passed, Sly had returned to the hideout. After the raccoon and his team had congratulated each other for their terrific work while carrying out their field assignments, they decided to call it a day and turn in for bed, as they knew that their next set of challenges would be just as difficult tomorrow.

A/N: There it is everyone, the 1st half to the Opera of Fear chapter is finally finished as promised. I would like to apologize to my fellow Fanfic authors and viewers for the long delay. I had a bad case of writer's block for the past two months and sort of lost focus on it. I'd also like to apologize if the chapter seems off or beating around the bush. It's the best I could with what I could think off at the time. I promise the 2nd half to the Opera of Fear will be posted sometime during mid May. Until next time, bye.