AN ICE SURPRISE

Job 8: Trailing Through Time

It may be cold as Bentley's fingers out here, but Sly's pick-pocketing anyway. His excuse to Carmelita was that they may learn something, but in reality, the Safe-house just feels a little too crowded right now. Seeing Thaddeus and Tennessee again has been amazing, but... Sly never knew having relatives around could be so stressful.

Though, to be fair, these aren't exactly normal circumstances.

Sly's on a rooftop with a clear view of the compound's entrance when the door swings open. "Finally getting in, Bentley?" he asks, going to the edge of the roof to watch. He's sure Bentley will be fine, Tennessee must have found a way to deal with the guards...

...A robot penguin strolls out through the spotlights, trailing guards like ducklings.

Sly blinks twice, not sure what he's seeing, then pulls out his binoc-u-com and zooms in. "So here's the enemy."

"Morty," Thaddeus supplies.

"Wait, you're manning the binoc-u-com station?"

"Is that a problem?"

"Not with me," Sly says, trying not to grin and failing. "But given Bentley's reaction to Tennessee learning any technology, I didn't think he'd let you."

"Bentley is... otherwise occupied, as is Tennessee. Murray is teaching Miss Fox how to meditate. He seems to believe it will help her 'unlock her spiritual center' and I think she seized the opportunity for a nap."

Sly chuckles. "Okay Thaddeus, any reason I shouldn't follow this guy?"

"Only if you plan to get caught." Thaddeus laughs at the look on Sly's face. "Really, Sly, you've been doing this for quite some time; you don't need me to confirm a proper course of action."

"Yeah, but I also know it's best to keep everyone in the loop... and check in regularly, in case Bentley has some extra fun ideas." Sly puts away his binoc-u-com before Thaddeus can respond.

Tailing Morty the penguin is a little... difficult. It's snowing lightly, filling in the tracks Sly leaves in the snow, but not quickly; Sly has to take care not to leave any footsteps where guards will come across them before they fade. Plus, given the variable heights on the roofs, Sly isn't always going to be high enough to be out of sight; he has to take care to stay out of view.

Still, he's unobserved and close enough to hear what Morty says when they stop by one of the broken cameras. "I suppose it was too much to hope that this so-called 'modern' technology would hold up to a field test," he says, inspecting it. "The temperatures here must have been too much for it. It likely wouldn't have held up to the weather back in London, either," Morty says, shaking his head. "Not that it matters. I hardly need little things like alarms to put that self-important raccoon in his place."

Sly whistles when he hears that, as Morty moves on. "Sounds like someone was seen on the cameras before Bentley disabled them," he says.

"Me, I expect," Thaddeus replies. "I was here the longest, after all. And Tennessee didn't even leave the safe-house until after the cameras were destroyed, I'm told."

That's all they have time for: Morty's on the move. Sly tails him, slipping around houses and onto rooftops, occasionally keeping snowmen between him and his target as he keeps watch. The winding trail Morty walks doubles back on itself more often now, making Sly's footprints a bigger liability. And sure, sometimes he can jump from roof to roof, or use a rope or power line to get between houses, but nowhere near often enough.

Morty stops at last, by one of the alarms... or what's left of it. Murray did good. Morty lobs a snowball at the charred remains and sighs. "This has to be sabotage. My sponsor would say it's impossible to be sure without the cameras, but this has to be Thaddeus's work."

Sly sucks in a breath.

"That self-important toady consorts with the lower class while purporting to be a gentleman," Morty snarls. "Putting people with money and class in jail without considering the consequences. And he's involved in criminal undertakings as well! If I could have proved it before, why..." Morty makes an angry pigeon noise. "That won't continue. Once these weapons get into the proper hands, order will be enforced."

With that, Morty starts walking again, leaving Sly speechless. He hurries to follow. Over the binoc-u-com, Thaddeus remarks, "Morty never liked me, you know."

That startles a laugh out of Sly. "I kinda guessed. So, any idea how someone from your time got in a robot from our time?"

"Not yet," Thaddeus growls, "but I'm working on it. I'm familiar with your previous adventures through time, after all; there must be some sort of clue there."

That seems likely enough, though Sly isn't sure Thaddeus can figure it out without Bentley—or that anyone can figure this out better than Bentley, really. Though... "I don't know, I find it almost comforting that I'm not the only Cooper with people who hate him enough to follow them through time."

Thaddeus actually chuckles, as Sly's footprints get spotted and he has to take some fast climbing action, jumping from roof to roof to avoid being actually caught. "Noted."

At last, Morty reaches the field formerly filled with ice statues and stops there. "These will take time to replace, but not too much," he says, surveying the empty field. "Then I can continue ferrying weapons to those who deserve them, deserve their position in society. But I must deal with that low-brow imposer first. Miss Patch only gave me so much time to prove myself, after all; but I should have no problems doing that." He lets out a birdlike whistle. "And then I can prove that the past methods are superior to modern works."

Miss Patch?

Morty makes his way straight back into the compound, and Thaddeus speaks over the binoc-u-com. "Well, that was certainly productive."

"Unlocked a bunch of mysteries, though," Sly says. "Do you think Bentley—"

"Ah. Bentley is here. He is... perhaps you should return to the safe-house."

JOB COMPLETE

Sly poses, then stops and grins as the sound of Bentley tearing into Thaddeus for using technology comes over the binoc-u-com.