Author's Note: my OC along with characters and military forces from Call of Duty are humans in this story.
France, 1992
The night had fallen over France. The light coming from the shining moon was lighting up the land along with the street lights so it wouldn't be too dark for the people to move at night. But most people were inside their homes either sleeping or having a night party with their friends while some were outside either camping or looking at the stars.
France was called the most beautiful country in Europe for a reason but it also had a dark history. The Great Revolution, World Wars, and Cold War. All the great conflicts and hardships the people endured changed France over the years but people who lived in that country still tried to have a happy life despite the horrors that happened in the past.
Speaking of happiness, somewhere in France's countryside was a farmhouse that still had lights on inside. In that house lived a family of three, a married couple, and a child. But this wasn't just any family, it was the family of Coopers.
Conner Cooper, who happened to be the master thief from the famous Cooper Clan, was spending a good time with his family. His wife Marie was making some food in the kitchen while his son Sly was playing in the living room.
Note: I don't know Sly's mother's real name so I'll call her Marie in this story.
While Conner was reading a newspaper and smoking his pipe, he turned his attention from the paper to his son and couldn't help but smile.
"Kids grow so fast," Conner thought happily.
Sly was now eight years old and it still felt like yesterday when he was born. It was probably his instinct but Conner knew that his son would follow in his footsteps and become a master thief one day and make him so proud. Even though his son's birthday was still three months away, Conner felt that it was time for Sly to inherit the most valuable treasure of their family.
Once he made his decision, Conner turned to his wife who was still cooking.
"Soon, dear. Do you have something in your mind?" Marie asked.
"I think it's time to give Sly the book," Conner said.
Marie smiled knowing what book her husband meant so she left her cooking for a minute and headed to the living room to get Sly. While Conner was opening the safe in the bedroom, Marie picked up her son.
"Where are we going, mommy?" Sly asked curiously.
"Your father has a little surprise for you," Marie said.
"What, what, what?" Sly asked eagerly.
"It's a surprise," Marie said with a smile.
While the Cooper family was having a happy moment among themselves, they didn't notice that they were being watched. Some distance away from the farmhouse were fifteen men in Spetsnaz gear and armed with AKS-74 assault rifles watching the house from the nearby forest.
These men were former Spetsnaz soldiers or KGB agents who lost their jobs last year after the collapse of the Soviet Union. And now they were working for the world's most dangerous organization who wanted to restore the former glory of the Soviet Union and Communism.
In front of the armed militants stood a man who was observing the farmhouse with binoculars. He was dressed in a Spetsnaz uniform but he had a Soviet coat and gas mask. This man called himself "Perseus", he was a former Soviet intelligence officer and spymaster who went to hiding after the Soviet Union's collapse.
But the collapse of his nation didn't stop him from continuing his efforts of making the Soviet Union the dominant superpower in the world. And even though the Soviet Union collapsed and the Cold War was over, Perseus still had his contacts and allies around the world who either wanted the same as Perseus or just profit from helping him.
While they were still waiting for the chance to strike, Perseus's top lieutenant named " Stitch" (Vikhor Kuzmin) noticed that some of their men were getting impatient.
"The men are getting impatient, sir. How long do we have to wait?" Stitch asked.
"Patience, comrade. The time will be soon," Perseus said.
Once Conner got the book from the safe, he joined his wife and son in the living room. As soon as Perseus saw the book Conner was carrying, he turned to his men and gave them the order.
"The time has come, comrades," Perseus said.
His men nodded and checked their guns one more time before they got up and started moving towards the farmhouse from the dark forest.
While still not being aware of the danger they were in, Conner and his family were now all in the living room. Sly was quite curious about what surprise his parents had in mind but he was eager to find out what it was.
After Conner made sure that everything was in place, he turned to Sly who was sitting on Marie's knee.
"Sly," Conner said kindly.
"Yes, daddy?" Sly asked.
"Your mother has probably told you that I have a special surprise for you," Conner said with a smile as he was hiding a certain book behind his back.
"Yes, what is it, daddy?" Daly asked eagerly.
"Patience, dear. Your father is about to show it to you," Marie said to her son.
After that, Conner showed Sly the Cooper family's most valuable treasure. It was an ancient book but it wasn't just any book, it was Thievius Raccoonus, the book where the Cooper clan kept all of their secrets of sneaking and stealing.
Sly didn't react at first but soon he let out a gasp of happiness and hugged his father.
"Dad, you're going to give me the Thievius Raccoonus?" Sly asked happily.
"Yes, Sly. Your mother and I think that you're old enough to inherit the book," Conner said as he gave Sly the book.
As he gently took the book, Sly couldn't be happier. But before he could open the book, Conner gently put his hand on Sly's shoulder.
"Remember, my son. This book is our family's greatest and most valuable treasure, and your legacy. When you become the master thief, you'll write your adventures into this book. And then one day you'll pass it on to your children as I pass it on to you now. So keep this book safe," Conner said wisely.
Sly nodded in understanding before he opened the book and started reading the first page. But after Sly read only half of the first page, Marie saw something moving outside in the darkness.
"Conner," Marie said.
"What is it, honey?" Conner asked.
"I think I saw something moving outside," Marie said.
"Maybe it was just a deer," Conner said.
"No, it didn't look like a deer and I think it was moving towards our house," Marie said.
Conner became concerned now so he quietly went to the nearest window and carefully looked outside. And what he saw shocked him. He saw at least fifteen armed men moving towards the house and it was obvious that they didn't have good intentions in mind.
"Conner, what is it?" Marie asked.
"Marie, get Sly to the bedroom," Conner said.
Marie nodded before she quickly grabbed Sly and ran to the bedroom. After his wife and son got to the bedroom, Conner quickly grabbed his cane and turned off the lights.
When Perseus and his men noticed that the lights in the house were suddenly turned off, they knew that they just lost their element of surprise.
"Damn it! They spotted us," Perseus cursed.
"What do we do now, sir?" Stitch asked.
"Shoot that house to pieces!" Perseus ordered.
The soldiers nodded before they aimed their guns at the farmhouse and opened fire. As soon as bullets started flying, Conner and his family went down to the floor to avoid getting shot.
"What's happening?!" Marie asked in worry.
"I don't know! Just stay down!" Conner said.
"Mom, dad! I'm scared!" Sly said as he grabbed onto his mother.
Marie held her son tightly and comfort him and kept telling him that everything was going to be alright. The shooting lasted a few minutes until Perseus's men stopped firing.
Conner didn't know why the attackers stopped shooting all of the sudden but he took the opportunity he just got quickly grabbed Sly and hid him in the bedroom's cabinet.
When Sly was in the cabinet, Conner gave him his cane but he took the Thievius Raccoonus.
"Dad, mom. What's happening?" Sly asked while being scared.
"We don't know, son. You hide here while your mom and I try to lure the attackers away," Conner said.
"But what if something bad happens to you?" Sly asked as he cried.
"Everything will be fine, sweetie. Your father and I will come back to you when it's safe. And remember, we love you with all of our hearts, Sly," Marie said as tears fell from her eyes.
Marie gave a quick kiss on Sly's forehead before she and her husband closed the cabinet to hide their son and left the bedroom. But when they got to the living room, several flashbangs were thrown into the house through the windows.
When the flashbangs detonated, the bright white light and a loud sound stunned both Conner and Marie making them fall to the floor. Then the door was kicked open and the soldiers started storming in and it didn't take long until they found the stunned Coopers.
Once both Conner and Marie were restrained by soldiers, Perseus walked right in and stopped in front of the Cooper couple.
"I believe I once said: come out and play, you're running out of time, and space," Perseus said to Conner.
Conner immediately recognized Perseus's voice and was shocked beyond belief because he thought that Perseus died years ago.
"Perseus?! You... You're alive?" Conner asked in shock.
"Yes, Cooper. It's been a while. I believe we last met 11 years ago when you helped the CIA to stop me from detonating the Greenlight nukes," Perseus said recalling their last encounter.
"I had to stop you! You were going to wipe out half of Europe," Conner said.
The two men were interrupted when Marie spoke.
"Conner! Who is this man and how do you know him?" Marie asked.
Conner knew that he couldn't hide his history with Perseus from his wife anymore so he decided to tell her everything that happened between him and the leader of the Ultranationalists. They didn't notice however that Sly opened the cabinet a little and was listening to what they were saying.
"His name is Perseus. He used to be a Soviet intelligence officer and spymaster," Conner told his wife.
"What?! How did you even meet a man like him?" Marie asked while feeling shocked at who Perseus is.
"During one of my heists in 1981, Perseus came to me and offered me a job and told me he would give me as a reward the identities of three crime lords I could steal from," Conner explained.
"What... What was the job he offered?" Marie asked hesitantly.
"He wanted me to steal some files from the CIA and deliver them to him. And of course, I couldn't resist a challenge so I accepted the job," Conner said.
He then started hesitating to tell Marie the rest until Perseus snapped his fingers and one of his soldiers pointed a gun at Marie's head.
"Go on, Cooper. Tell her the rest," Perseus said.
Conner gave the Ultranationalist leader an angry look before he turned back to his wife.
"I successfully stole the files and delivered them to Perseus. Later I discovered that the files I stole contained the detonation codes for the Greenlight nukes the Americans hid in Europe in case of the Soviet invasion," Conner explained.
"Then what happened?" Marie asked.
"I told the CIA and MI6 what Perseus was planning. Luckily one of their operatives knew where Perseus was going to detonate the nukes so they were able to stop him before he could burn Europe," Conner explained.
"Now you're getting to the good part," Perseus said.
"After the relay station in Solovetsky was destroyed, we assumed that Perseus was killed in the explosion," Conner said.
Once Conner finished telling his wife what happened between him and Perseus, the leader of the Ultranationalists got the Coopers' attention by speaking again.
"Now that the noisy stuff is out of the way, let's get back to business," Perseus said.
"What do you want, Perseus? I know I sold you out but I didn't help the CIA and MI6 to ruin your plans. So why have you come after me?" Conner asked.
"You should know by now that I don't take kindly those who betray me. And I always deal with the loose ends," Perseus said.
But before Conner could reply to what his old enemy said, Stitch walked in and to the Coopers' shock, he was holding the Thievius Raccoonus in his hands.
"We found it, sir," Stitch said as he gave the book to Perseus.
"Excellent work, comrade. I'll make sure that you and the men receive a well-earned reward once we're back in the safehouse," Perseus said while examining the book.
"No! You can't take it!" Conner yelled.
He tried to get up but one of the soldiers hit him with a rifle and pushed him to the floor.
"Where did you find this book?" Perseus asked Stitch.
"It was just lying on the floor in the bedroom," Stitch answered.
Perseus then turned to Conner and smirked behind his gas mask.
"It seems that the marriage life has made you a little sloppy, Cooper," Perseus said mockingly.
"You're gonna pay for this, Perseus," Conner said angrily while being held down by soldiers.
"Perhaps, but you won't be alive to see it," Perseus said.
After he said it, Perseus told his men to put Conner and Marie against the wall. Conner knew what Perseus was going to do to him and his wife so he turned to Marie to see her one last time.
"I love you, Marie. And I want you to know that falling in love with you and marrying you was the best thing that ever happened to me," Conner said with a loving smile.
"I love you too, Conner. You're the only man who made me so happy," Marie said while crying tears of happiness.
Once the Cooper couple was up against the wall, Perseus gave the Thievius Raccoonus to Stitch and told the men holding the Coopers to step aside.
After his men stepped aside, Perseus took his pistol (Stechkin APS) from the holster, pulled the hammer, and then aimed the pistol at Conner and Marie.
"If you have any last words, Coopers, now's the time," Perseus said.
Conner and Marie didn't say anything but they looked each other in the eye while waiting for their end. Perseus let out a sigh before he pulled the trigger and ended the Cooper couple's lives.
After Perseus murdered his parents, Sly started crying in the cabinet as his parents' killer walked away with Thievius Raccoonus in his hands.
Five minutes earlier in the forest
Shortly after the Ultranationalists broke into the farmhouse, three men in the special forces gear landed in the forest with parachutes. Once they landed, the men left their used parachutes and headed towards the farmhouse.
It didn't take long until they reached the edge of the forest but the men didn't go further so they wouldn't expose themselves. When they had a visual on the farmhouse, the men took their binoculars and started watching the house for hostiles.
These men were the CIA operatives named Alex Mason, Frank Woods, and Jack Connor (with white skin, brown hair, green eyes, and small beard on the jaw). Mason and Woods were old friends and brother-in-arms who fought side by side ever since the Vietnam War. Jack on the other hand a freelancer who helped the CIA from time to time. This was because of his dark past with the CIA.
Jack used to be one of Perseus's top lieutenants back in the 1980s until one of the lieutenants tried to kill him. While he was dying, he was found by Russell Adler who saved Jack from death. But later he then brainwashed Jack to use him against Perseus and gave him a codename "Bell".
In the end, Jack discovered that he had been brainwashed and later remembered his true identity and regained his true memories. Despite what Adler and the CIA did to him, Jack helped them to stop Perseus from detonating the Greenlight nukes and saved Europe from nuclear devastation.
Mason and Woods had their regular special forces outfits and hear and were armed with Ak 5 assault rifles while Jack had his unique outfit (Stone's outfit from Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War) and was armed with an AKM assault rifle.
While Jack and others were observing the farmhouse, they had a quiet conversation in the forest.
"No hostiles on sight," Mason said.
"At least not yet," Jack said.
"You think Perseus got here before us?" Mason asked.
"I wouldn't be surprised if he did," Jack said.
"Why is that?" Woods asked.
"Perseus likes to stay ahead of his enemies. It's one of his favorite tactics," Jack said.
"You know this because you used to work for him or because he told you?" Woods asked with a suspicious look.
"I don't work for Perseus anymore if that's what you're asking," Jack said.
"Come on, guys. Don't start this again," Mason said.
"He's the reason why Park and Lazar died 11 years ago," Woods said pointing accusingly at Jack.
"Hey! I couldn't save them because I was too weak to do so," Jack argued.
Their argument was suddenly interrupted when they heard two loud bangs coming from the farmhouse. The operatives quickly stopped their argument and turned their attention back to the house. Several seconds after they heard the gunshots, they saw Perseus along with Stitch and his men coming out of the house.
"It's Perseus!" Mason said.
"We can't let him escape," Jack said.
"Let's smoke that bastard," Woods said.
The three soldiers then aimed their weapons at the Ultranationalists, took the safeties off, and opened fire. As Perseus and his men were about to leave, they were suddenly taken by surprise when the rain of bullets was being fired at them.
"Get down!" Perseus ordered.
The Ultranationalists took cover but three of them were killed before that. While being fired at, Perseus turned to his men and told them to return fire.
"Don't just stand there. Return fire!" Perseus ordered.
The troops nodded before they aimed their guns at the forest and opened fire. Now that the Ultranationalists were shooting at them, Jack and his comrades had to stop shooting and change their positions.
"Shit! I hate it when the bad guys pack heavy firepower," Woods said.
"We can't just let Perseus get away again. He'll disappear for another 11 years if we don't catch him this time either," Mason said.
"In that case, let's try to even the odds," Jack said.
Mason and Woods had no idea what Jack meant until he pulled an M79 grenade launcher from his backpack and threw it to Woods.
"You know, the bad guys aren't the only ones who pack heavy firepower," Jack said while smirking behind his mask.
"Now you're talking," Woods said.
After Jack gave him a few grenades for the launcher, Woods fired the first grenade at the Ultranationalists and managed to kill three more of them without damaging the farmhouse.
"Shit! They got a grenade launcher," Stitch said while holding his pistol (CZ 52).
"Maybe, but we got something bigger," Perseus said before he gave a signal to one of his men.
One of the soldiers then came to the scene with an RPG-7 rocket launcher and aimed it at the forest. When Jack and others noticed an enemy soldier with a rocket launcher, they spread out.
"RPG!" Woods yelled.
"Spread out!" Mason yelled.
Right at the moment the CIA operatives and a freelancer started running in different directions, the soldier pulled the trigger and fired the rocket at the team.
The second before the rocket hit the tree, Jack and his colleagues jumped down to the grass before the tree exploded and dozens of pieces of sharp wood flew all over the forest. While the team was temporarily down, Perseus and his men used the opportunity and started running away from the farmhouse.
When Perseus and his men reached the road, an army truck arrived to pick them up.
"Did you get the package, sir?" The driver asked.
"It's right here," Perseus said showing the Thievius Raccoonus.
"Then hop on," the driver said.
Once Jack and others got up, they noticed that Perseus and his men were getting to the truck.
"Shit! They're escaping," Mason said.
"Let's go!" Jack said before he and others started running after the Ultranationalists.
While Perseus and his men were boarding the truck, they suddenly started taking fire. They quickly turned and saw Jack and others firing on them.
"Get us out of here!" Perseus ordered.
But before the driver could respond, he was shot by the CIA operatives.
"The driver is down!" Mason said.
"Keep firing!" Jack ordered.
"Hell yeah!" Woods yelled liking the idea.
But right after he said, a bullet pierced Woods's shoulder.
"Aargh!" Woods screamed in agony.
"Woods!" Mason yelled as he ran to his friend's side.
Jack turned to the truck and saw Stitch holding a smoking pistol. With one of their enemies down, Stitch told one of his men to take the wheel and get them out of there.
"Get us out of here now!" Stitch ordered.
The soldier next to the dead driver nodded before he grabbed the wheel and started driving them away. Jack couldn't let them get away so he ran to the road and started shooting at the truck. He kept firing until his magazine was empty and reloading wouldn't have done any good because the truck was already too far away.
"Dammit!" Jack cursed.
While they were driving to their safehouse, Perseus was looking at the Coopers' farmhouse as it was getting smaller and smaller as the truck was getting further away.
But his thoughts were mostly on Jack. Even though he hasn't seen his former top lieutenant for years, he still remembered Connor's face pretty well even if it was hidden behind a mask.
"You turned out to be a big disappointment, Connor. You could have achieved greatness if you would have returned to me instead of betraying me. You could have even become the next leader of the Ultranationalists," Perseus thought.
But his attention was soon turned to the Thievius Raccoonus he held in his hands.
"What secrets do you have for me?" Perseus thought while looking at the book.
After the truck disappeared into the darkness, Jack felt disappointed in himself because he once again failed to catch Perseus. He wondered if it was because Perseus was one step ahead of them or if Jack was still somewhere deep down loyal to his former leader.
"I may not see the numbers in my head but I can still see the memories Adler put into my head," Jack thought.
He was then taken out of his thoughts when Mason called for him.
"Connor, I need a little help here," Mason said.
Jack quickly rejoined his comrades and took a look at Woods's wound.
"It doesn't look serious but we should patch it up," Jack said.
"With what? I forgot to bring my first-aid kit," Mason said.
"Don't worry, I brought mine," Jack said as he took the kit from his vest.
They suddenly heard a noise coming from the farmhouse.
"What was that?" Mason asked as he drew his pistol (M1911A1).
"Stay here with Woods, I'll go check it out," Jack said.
After he gave the first-aid kit to Mason, Jack reloaded his assault rifle and then walked towards the farmhouse. But when he entered the house and got to the living room, he gasped in horror.
On the floor was lying one male and female raccoon with rings on their fingers and one small bullet hole in their chests. It didn't take even a second for Jack to realize that Perseus did this.
"Why? Why would Perseus murder a married couple in cold blood?" Jack thought.
Before he could think of it further, he heard what sounded like crying.
"Huh? Is someone still alive in here?" Jack thought.
He turned to the source of the crying and noticed that it was coming from the bedroom. Jack carefully entered the bedroom to check if someone was still alive.
At first, he didn't see anyone until he noticed a partly open cabinet. Jack slowly approached the cabinet and when he was in front of it, he carefully opened it. And what he saw inside both surprised and shocked him.
Inside the cabinet was a small eight-year looking teary raccoon child with a golden-bladed cane next to him. When the child saw Jack, he got scared. Jack figured it was probably because he was wearing a mask and had an assault rifle in his hands so he tried to assure the kid that he wasn't going to hurt him.
"Hey, it's okay, kid. I'm not gonna hurt you," Jack said as he put his rifle away.
"I want mommy and daddy," the kid sobbed while covering his eyes.
Jack knew that talking wasn't enough so he carefully took off his mask, showed his face to the kid, and tried to look friendly.
"Look, I know you're scared. But I'm here to help you, everything is gonna be fine," Jack assured.
The kid was still a little scared but he slowly came out of the cabinet and walked to Jack who then gently picked the kid up.
"My name is Jack by the way. What's your name?" Jack asked after introducing himself.
"S... Sly," the kid sobbed.
Jack couldn't help but feel sad because the little boy he was holding just lost his parents to the man who only cared about power and was willing to do anything to get it.
"Perseus, what have you done?" Jack thought sadly.
Later
After they made sure that there weren't any more Ultranationalists in the area, Jack and his associates called Hudson who arrived at the scene with the police and paramedics.
While the police were investigating the crime scene and paramedics checking Sly in the ambulance, Jack and others were explaining to Hudson what happened.
"So, Perseus got away again," Hudson said as he crossed his arms.
"Yes, I'm afraid he did," Jack confirmed.
"What about the couple he murdered? Who were they?" Mason asked.
"I received their identities from the Pentagon before I got here. Their names were Conner and Marie Cooper," Hudson told the team.
"Why would Perseus break into their house and then kill them?" Woods asked while holding his patched-up shoulder.
"We're not sure but I think Perseus dealt with a possible loose end," Hudson said.
"Yes, but there was more to it than that," Jack said getting his associates' attention.
"What do you mean, Connor?" Hudson asked.
Jack knew what he just said made his colleagues a little suspicious of him but he had to tell them what he now knew.
"I talked with the kid before the authorities arrived. He said that Perseus killed his father because he exposed his plans to detonate the Greenlight nukes," Jack explained.
"I remember now. Cooper told us about Perseus's plans before we attacked Solovetsky," Hudson said.
"What was the other reason Perseus attacked here?" Mason asked.
"He was also after the Thievius Raccoonus," Jack said.
"A what?" Woods asked.
"Some sort of book that was passed on in the Cooper family for generations," Jack clarified.
"Why would Perseus want some old pile of paper?" Woods asked.
"Because it contains all the secrets of the Cooper Clan. Something that Perseus might find useful," Jack said.
"Did you already know this or did you find this intel recently?" Hudson asked with suspicion.
"As I said, the kid told me. He saw and heard everything that happened in the farmhouse," Jack said.
"But are you sure you're not leaving anything out?" Mason asked.
"No, and have you forgotten? I don't work for Perseus anymore," Jack said.
"Doesn't mean we don't have trust issues with you," Woods said rudely.
"I helped you to stop Perseus from detonating the Greenlight nukes! And as a reward, you ordered Adler to kill me because I was no longer any use to you!" Jack said angrily while pointing a finger at his teammates.
Flashback
After they stopped Perseus from burning Europe, Adler took Jack for a walk to the mountains. As they were walking, Jack couldn't help but feel a little nervous around Adler now. Now that they stopped Perseus, Jack wasn't sure what Adler and the CIA were going to do with him now. Were they going to let him serve in Adler's team permanently or did they have something else in mind?
The two men kept walking until they reached the cliff where they could see the ocean. While Adler was finishing his smoke, he started speaking to Jack.
"Arctic air, clears the head doesn't it?" Adler asked.
"Yes, I felt it every time in Siberia," Jack said.
"Indeed," Adler agreed.
He then threw away his used smoke and turned to Jack.
"Bell, you made two extraordinary sacrifices to stop Perseus. One was without your knowledge. The other... You made that decision on your own accord," Adler said.
Jack wasn't sure where Adler was going with this but he kept listening.
"I just want you to know that this little thing that's happened with you and me... it was always for the greater good. You're a goddamn hero, you know that kid?" Adler said.
"Well, I... Uh. I only did what I thought was right," Jack said.
"And I appreciate it," Adler said as he turned his back to Jack.
Jack was now getting this bad feeling in his chest, almost as if something was trying to warn him about what Adler was going to do.
"Heroes have to make sacrifices. That's why when I ask you for one more, I hope you understand," Adler said.
Now Jack knew why Adler brought him into the mountains away from the others. He was going to get rid of him because he was no longer any use to Adler or the CIA.
"It was never personal," Adler said.
Right after he said it, the two soldiers grabbed their handguns (Jack his Colt Python and Adler his M1911A1) from their holsters but the moment they drew their guns, the time slowed down.
Adler had an angry but also desperate look on his face which revealed his will to carry out his orders. Jack on the other hand had a look filled with feelings of anger and hatred that were pointed towards Adler because he was so willing to betray Jack even after everything he did for him and the CIA.
But Jack couldn't die, not now. He had to go back to his wife and son who were waiting for him to come home. Somehow the thoughts of his family gave Jack more speed and he managed to aim his revolver at his backstabbing team leader in time. And a second before Adler could fire his pistol, Jack pulled the trigger.
The bullet went right through Adler's chest and he fell to the ground while Jack was still standing. After he let out a sigh of relief, Jack walked to dying Adler.
"Why, Adler? Why would you betray me like this after everything I did to help you?" Jack asked.
"The CIA didn't want any loose ends," Adler said while coughing blood.
"Is that what I was to you all this time? A tool?!" Jack asked angrily.
"We needed you to stop Perseus. You were the only one who knew how to stop him," Adler said.
"I knew you were just using me when I found out that you brainwashed me. But when you told me that I was still one of you, I believed that I was," Jack said.
"And I meant that when I said it, Bell," Adler said.
"You have a funny way of showing it," Jack said.
Adler couldn't help but laugh a little at what Jack just said. This made Jack a little angrier but since this was Adler's last moment, he didn't stop him from laughing.
"Hahaha. I can't believe that made me laugh," Adler said.
"Well, I rarely have that kind of effect on anyone," Jack said as he sweatdropped.
After Adler was done with laughing, Jack aimed his revolver at him and pulled the hammer.
"If you have any last words, Adler. Now's the time," Jack said while aiming his gun at Adler's head.
"Only that you can't die yet, Bell. You still got a job to do," Adler said.
After that, Jack pulled the trigger and killed Adler.
Flashback End
After Jack killed Adler, he and his family went into hiding. But surprisingly, the CIA never came after Jack or tried to assassinate him for killing Adler. Jack didn't know why he wasn't being hunted but he didn't complain because he had a chance to spend time with his family.
A few years after Jack defected, Hudson sent him a letter where he told Jack to meet him and others at the location written in the letter. At first, Jack wasn't sure if he should go to meet his former comrades but he figured he had to hear what they wanted so he left to meet them.
It wasn't exactly a "happy" reunion by it didn't turn into a fight even though Woods wanted it to. Once they were done catching up, Hudson explained to Jack why he summoned him. Perseus was on the move again and Hudson wanted Jack back on the team to take down Perseus once and for all.
Jack said no at first because he didn't want to leave his family again but Hudson told him that Perseus might go after his family and that the only way to protect them was by helping the CIA to take down Perseus. It was a difficult choice for Jack but he agreed to help them but only as a freelancer and if they try to betray him again, he would expose Operation Greenlight with the files he stole before he defected.
Before the team could continue their conversation, the Interpol inspector walked to them.
"Am I interrupting something?" The inspector asked.
"No, Inspector Barkley. Have you found anything?" Hudson asked.
"Well, it was confirmed that the victims are Conner and Marie Cooper. But you probably knew that already," Barkley said.
"Yeah, you could say that," Mason said.
"What about the kid?" Jack asked.
"Physically he's fine but he's been traumatized by what happened to his parents," Barkley told the team.
"But what's going to happen to the kid now?" Jack asked.
"We'll keep him in the hospital for a day or two and then we'll probably take him to the local orphanage," Barkley said.
"But... Doesn't he have any other family members like grandparents for example?" Jack asked.
"*sighs* I'm afraid not, sir. The parents were the only family the kid had," Barkley said sadly.
Even though they didn't show it, the team felt sad for Sly. The kid was just eight years old and now his parents were murdered, no kid should go through something like that.
The team decided to change the topic so they asked the inspector for intel and clues.
"Did your men find anything from the house, inspector?" Mason asked.
"No, I'm afraid. Besides the gun shells, we haven't found anything that could lead us to the killers," Barkley said.
"*sighs* they planned this well, I'll give them that," Hudson said.
"Shit, I hate it when the bad guys just disappear," Woods said while crossing his arms.
"You and me both, brother," Mason said agreeing with Woods.
While his teammates were discussing with the inspector, Jack was looking at Sly who was still crying under the blanket. He felt great sorrow for the raccoon boy who was crying for the loss of his parents. Somehow it reminded Jack about his rough childhood even though he didn't lose his parents when he was a kid.
"You shouldn't have done this, Perseus. Because now you just lighted up a powder keg," Jack thought.
Later in London
Since Jack and his team didn't find any clues regarding Perseus's whereabouts, he didn't see any reason to stick around so he left France. While he was on his way home, Jack couldn't help but be worried about Sly.
Even though Inspector Barkley assured that the kid would be taken good care of, Jack wasn't sure if sending Sly to the orphanage was the right solution. He thought that what Sly needed was loving parents and family, not some countryside orphanage where he might be until he becomes an adult. It kinda made Jack feel that he could take Sly in and raise him as his own.
But the problem was that Hudson and others may not allow it because they didn't fully trust Jack. And Barkley probably wouldn't allow it either because he wasn't eager to see Sly become another thief to chase around Europe. And Jack already has a family to take care of so adopting Sly might make things difficult for him, his wife, and their son.
The lonely soldier kept walking on the dark streets of London until he eventually reached the house where he and his family lived. Once he opened the door and entered the house, Jack was greeted by his wife named Kya Connor (Kya is from the Legend of Korra series).
"Welcome home, love," Kya said as she pulled Jack into a hug.
"Thanks, dear. It's good to be home," Jack said before he kissed his wife.
The lovely couple stayed like this for a minute until Kya pulled away from the kiss and looked at her husband in the eyes.
"You know, we have a guest in our son's room," Kya said.
"Who? Please tell me it's not Hudson," Jack said.
"No, it's not that CIA agent," Kya said making Jack sigh in relief.
"Then who is it?" Jack asked as he closed the door behind him.
"It's that fox girl our son has been seeing for some time now," Kya said with a sweet smile.
It didn't even take a second for Jack to realize who his wife was talking about.
"Why that doesn't surprise me?" Jack asked but in a good way.
"They've been friends since preschool so our son hanging out with his best friend is kind of expected," Kya said happily.
"Heh, I know what you mean," Jack said while rubbing the back of his head.
While the couple was having a chat, their son and his best friend were sitting on the bed in his room watching one of their favorite movies named Rambo: First Blood. But because they were a little too young to watch the movie, they were watching it without the boy's parents' knowing.
The boy's name was Jason Connor (with white skin, brown hair, and green eyes) and the fox girl next to him was Carmelita Fox. Jason was born in 1980 and was the Connor couple's only child. He was currently 12 years old while his friend Carmelita was 11 years old.
They've been friends ever since preschool and as the years passed, they became a bit closer. Because of it, Jason's mother claimed that he and Carmelita may start dating when they become teenagers. Of course, it made both Jason and Carmelita feel embarrassed every time Kya mentioned it but luckily for them, Jack was able to ease up his wife's eagerness to see if she would one day become Carmelita's mother-in-law.
While they were watching the movie, the kids were having a conversation regarding the movie they were watching.
"How could one guy take down the sheriff and all the deputies?" Carmelita asked.
"The guy was a green beret who fought in Vietnam. He eats foolish and arrogant cops for breakfast," Jason said.
"But those 'cops' we're just doing their job," Carmelita said.
"Rambo was innocent and those cops busted him anyway. I'd say that the sheriff and his deputies were the true villains in the movie," Jason said.
"But still, the law is the law," Carmelita said while crossing her arms.
"Sometimes I don't understand why you want to be a cop," Jason said.
"And sometimes I don't understand why you want to be a soldier," Carmelita said back.
Their conversation was cut short however when they started hearing footsteps coming towards the room.
"Uh oh, your parents," Carmelita said quietly.
"If they see us watching this movie, I'll be grounded for a month," Jason said as he quickly turned off the TV.
"You? My parents will ground me for two months if they hear about this," Carmelita said.
After Jason turned off the TV, he and Carmelita quickly grabbed a few school books and went back to bed. When Jack and Kya opened the door and entered the room, they saw Jason and Carmelita reading their school books on the bed.
"Isn't it a little late to study?" Jack asked.
"You and mom always tell me to prepare for the tests, dad," Jason said.
"It's what my parents say too," Carmelita added.
"But you two can study later. It's a weekend after all," Kya said.
"Sorry, mom. We couldn't help it," Jason said while rubbing the back of his head.
"There's no need to apologize, dear. Studying means better numbers in tests," Kya said with a sweet smile.
"Your mother is right, son. But remember to rest too," Jack said.
"Yes, dad. We will," Jason said.
"And if she wants to, Carmelita can stay here for the night," Kya said.
"Can I?" Carmelita asked.
"Of course. Jason's friends are always welcome to our house," Jack said.
"Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Connor. I appreciate it," Carmelita said happily.
The couple simply smiled at the kids before they closed the door and left. While they were walking to their bedroom, Kya couldn't help but bring up a possible love match again.
"Do you think our son will date Carmelita when they grow older?" Kya asked sweetly.
"I don't know, honey. But everything is possible," Jack said.
"Awe, it would be wonderful if I'll be Carmelita's mother-in-law one day," Kya said dreamingly.
"Come on now, honey. Let's not be hasty. Let's just wait and see what happens," Jack said.
"Sorry, dear. Those kids kind of remind me of the time when we fell in love," Kya said recalling the time she and Jack met.
"Yes, I know. I feel the same," Jack said making his wife smile.
After his parents left, Jason put the books away and Carmelita turned the TV back on.
*sighs* that was close," Jason said while sighing in relief.
"Yeah, I hope we can finish the movie now," Carmelita said.
"Don't worry, Carmelita. Now that my parents have more important things to do, I think we can finish the movie," Jason said.
"Good, because we were getting for the best part," Carmelita said with a sweet smile.
Jason simply smiled at his best friend before he joined her and continued watching the movie. Little did they know however that fate had great plans for them.
SAS Training Compound, England, 2001
The world was in "great" shape. The Ultranationalists were on the move again and this time they were threatening the Russian government with civil war. The war hasn't broken out yet but the situation didn't look good in Russia because it looked that things would escalate pretty soon.
The situation didn't look good in the Middle East either. The civil wars have been raging in the land for years now and it seemed that they wouldn't end for a very long time. There were also rumors that one of the factions in the Middle East was slowly but surely growing in strength and would soon top all of its rivals.
While all these things were happening around the world, the military instructors were busy training their recruits in the SAS Training Compound. Most of them were young men who wanted to be in the special forces out of excitement or adventure while some of them wanted to serve their country.
While the instructors were busy training their recruits, one of the SAS soldiers named "Gaz" was giving two new operatives their final test on the shooting range that would show if they were worthy of being in SAS (Special Air Service).
"Good morning, rookies. Ready for the final tests?" Gaz asked.
"Of course, sir," both of the recruits said.
These two men were John "Soap" MacTavish and Jason Connor, the newest members of SAS, but only if they will pass their final tests. They both passed the selections but they still needed to pass the final tests before they would officially become members of SAS.
Jason was a bit younger than Soap and other recruits but he did have a little bit of experience in modern warfare from his short time in the British Army.
"Alright then, mates. Take your rifles from the table and meet me at the shooting range," Gaz instructed.
"Yes, sir," Jason said while Soap just nodded.
Then they headed to the armory while Gaz walked to the shooting range. When the two soldiers got to the armory, the gunsmith turned his attention to them.
"Good morning, Connor, Soap," the gunsmith said.
"Good morning for you too, sir," Jason said.
"So, anything I can help you with?" The gunsmith asked.
"Yes, Gaz said that our rifles would be here," Soap said.
"Of course. Just a sec," the gunsmith before he went to pick up the guns.
Jason and Soap waited for a few seconds until the gunsmith came back with two G36K assault rifles and put them on the table along with a few magazines.
"Here, these should do," the gunsmith said.
"Thanks. These look great," Jason said as he and Soap took the rifles and magazines.
"Oh believe me. They're more than great, they're one of the best guns the western soldiers can have," the gunsmith said proudly.
The two rookies nodded in agreement before they left and met up with Gaz at the shooting range.
"We got the rifles, sir," Jason said.
"Good. Now, go to your stations and load your rifles," Gaz instructed.
Both Jason and Soap nodded before they went to their stations and started loading their assault rifles. Once they put in the magazines and pulled the charging handles, Gaz told them to begin.
"Alright, start with the semi-auto first. Just shoot the targets when they come up," Gaz said.
"Understood," Soap and Jason said.
Once the two rookies took the safeties off and set their rifles on semi-auto, Gaz pressed the button and brought up the targets. As soon as the targets were up, Jason and Soap started shooting at the targets from their stations. It didn't take long until all the targets were down and Gaz took the exercise to the next phase.
"Okay, now try full-auto mode. But remember, fire short bursts to keep your guns steady," Gaz instructed.
Jason and Soap nodded before they switched to full-auto and Gaz brought up the targets again. Both Jason and Soap did as Gaz said and fired short bursts at the targets and it wasn't long until the targets were down again.
"Nice shooting, rookies," Gaz said feeling impressed.
"Thank you, sir," Jason thanked.
"Now go get sidearms from the armory," Gaz said.
The recruits nodded and again went to the armory to get their sidearms. Luckily the pistols (HK Mark 23s) we're already on the table waiting for them. Once Jason and Soap got their pistols, they returned to the shooting range where Gaz gave them new instructions.
"Ok, now try shooting with your pistols," Gaz said.
Jason and Soap before they readied their pistols. Once the targets popped up, the recruits started shooting. Like with the assault rifles, the two soldiers quickly shot down the targets at the shooting range.
"Nice! Your shooting skills are remarkable," Gaz said while feeling impressed.
"Thank you, sir. It means a lot," Jason said while feeling proud.
"Yeah, same here," Soap added.
"You're welcome, mates. You better go now. Captain Price wants to see you," Gaz said.
Jason and Soap nodded before they put their guns on the table and left the shooting range. When they opened the door, they saw an M1A1 Abrams tank passing through while it was driving out of the base.
"I guess the generals finally bought some tanks from Yanks," Soap said.
"Well, we British are the Americans closest allies so that probably makes us their number one customer when it comes to buying weapons," Jason said.
"Yeah, I suppose," Soap said.
The recruits didn't want to keep the captain waiting so they continued their walk to where Price and other SAS soldiers were waiting.
When Jason and Soap finally got to the main building, one of the soldiers opened the door and let them in. When they were in the building, the soldier who opened the door told Price who they were. After Price was told about Jason and Soap, he turned his attention to Soap first.
"Right. What the hell kind of name is Soap, eh? How did a muppet like you pass selection?" Price asked.
"I guess I got lucky, sir," Soap answered.
"Heh, sure you did," Price said.
Then he turned his attention to Jason.
"And you. You look younger than most recruits. How did a brat like you end up here?" Price asked.
"I'm just good at what I do, sir," Jason said.
"Oh yeah? Then let's see how good you truly are," Price said.
After that, Price told his men to head to the observation before he turned back to Jason and Soap.
"Alright, it's time for your CQB test. All you'll have to do is to run the cargo ship in less than 60 seconds," Price explained.
"Both of us at the same time, sir?" Soap asked.
"Yes and remember, teamwork is the key to passing this test," Price said.
"We understand, sir," Jason said.
"Good. Now climb up the ladder over there," Price said pointing at the ladder behind them.
But before Jason and Soap could go, Price mentioned another thing.
"Oh, and one more thing. Gaz holds the current squadron record at 19 seconds. Hopefully, it will encourage you to try to beat his record," Price told them.
Both Jason and Soap nodded before they walked to the ladder and climbed up. When they got up, both of them took an MP5A3 submachine gun (with Navy trigger group) and a couple of flashbangs.
When they were armed and ready, the rookies walked to the rope and waited for Price's signal. Since they have done tests like these before, they didn't need explaining or instructions this time. They waited for a few more seconds until Price finally gave the signal.
"Go go go!" Price ordered.
As soon as they got the signal, Jason roped down first and then Soap. Once they got down, Price hit the button and popped up the first targets.
"Hit the targets!" Price yelled.
Both Jason and Soap quickly started shooting and soon all the targets on the bridge were down. When the bridge was clear, Price told the recruits to proceed.
"Position 2 go!" Price yelled.
Jason and Soap then ran to the stairs where they shot another target before they reached the next position below the deck.
"Flashbang through the door!" Price yelled.
Jason quickly pulled the pin and threw a flashbang through the door. After the flashbang detonated, the two soldiers quickly shot all the targets in the room and proceeded to the next position.
"Position 4! Hit the targets!" Price yelled.
And again, Jason and Soap shot down the targets with ease and moved on.
"Six go! Flashbang through the door!" Price yelled.
This time Soap threw a flashbang through the door. After the detonation, Jason and Soap quickly shot the targets and entered the final part of the test.
"Sprint to the finish!" Price yelled.
Both the rookies then ran as fast as they could until they reached the finish. While Jason and Soap were taking deep breaths, Price checked the record and was impressed.
"Well, looks like you two made a new squadron record," Price said.
"*breaths* really? How long?" Jason asked while breathing.
"18 seconds. Not bad at all," Price said.
"Wow, I think I'll get us a drink or two," Soap said.
After they rested enough, Jason and Soap walked to Price who was smiling proudly.
"It seems I underestimated you two. You passed the tests well," Price said.
"Thank you, sir," Soap thanked.
"But the real work starts now. I hope you're ready for hardships because what we do is full of them," Price said.
"Don't worry, sir. We were born for this," Jason said.
"In that case, welcome to SAS," Price said.
Jason felt very proud now that he had just become an official member of SAS. Now he could truly follow his father's footsteps and serve his country. But there was also another reason why he wanted this. He also wanted to be in special forces so he could protect a certain someone who meant a world for him.
Paris, France, 2002
Once again the night has fallen over Paris and the lights on the streets made the city look beautiful. The people who lived in the city were either sleeping or working on night shifts in their workplaces. Some people were also having a good time with their friends in the nightclubs around the city.
There were also police patrolling on the streets in their cars but they were being extra careful since the criminals liked to move on the streets at night. Usually, it was the regular police who patrolled the streets but there were also police officers from Interpol who were chasing the most wanted criminals, especially now that those criminals' activity has increased.
While the people were doing their business, a shadowy figure was running on the rooftops jumping from roof to roof and hitting the obstacles with a cane that had a hook-like blade on it. This figure was no one else than Sly Cooper.
Ever since the death of his parents, he was taken to the orphanage where he spent the rest of his childhood. But it wasn't so bad because it was there where Sly met his lifelong friends Bentley and Murray.
When they grew up and got out of the orphanage, the three friends immediately formed a Cooper gang and quickly got quite a reputation for thieving. But now that the gang felt they were ready, Sly and his friends decided that it was time to finally get back the Thievius Raccoonus from Perseus.
But to do that, they first needed a police file that contained all the information about Perseus, his operations, and lieutenants. The only problem was that the file was in the police headquarters and stealing it from the cops wasn't exactly a walk in the park. But because Sly was already an experienced thief, he was certain that he could steal the police file from Interpol.
The young raccoon thief kept running and jumping on the roofs until he finally reached the police HQ. Once Sly reached his destination, he was contacted by Bentley via the Binocucom.
"Sly! Come in! Sly! Do you read me?!" Bentley asked loudly.
"Yeah, I read you. Loud and... Very loud," Sly said.
"Sorry, I'm a little nervous. Trying to break into police headquarters does that," Bentley said.
"Get over it, Bentley. You're safe in the van. I'm the thief here - I've got to steal that file from Inspector Carmelita Fox," Sly said.
"Well, count on me to be your eyes and ears, buddy. I got their security system completely scoped. To get inside, you're gonna have to go through the air vent," Bentley instructed.
"Alright, I'm going in," Sly said.
After Bentley told Sly how to get into the police HQ, Murray told him how to escape once they got the file.
"And don't forget you've got me at the wheel, Sly. All you got to do is grab the file and get back to the van. We'll do the rest," Murray explained.
"Just keep the engine running, Murray. I'll be down in no time," Sly said.
After that, Sly put away his Binocucom and headed to the air vent. But he didn't notice however that he was being watched.
On the roof of the next building was a dark figure who was observing Sly through the scope of his sniper rifle (Remington 700PSS). Once Sly entered the air vent and got into the police HQ, the figure picked up a radio from his vest and contacted his superiors.
"Command, this is Bravo One. Do you read, over?"
"We read you loud and clear, Bravo One. What's the status of the target?"
"The target has entered the police headquarters. How should I proceed?"
"Keep watching him and be on standby in case something goes wrong."
"Understood."
"And remember Bravo One. Don't shoot the target."
"Don't worry, command. I won't."
Once Sly got through the air vent and then the elevator shaft, he entered the part of the building where the detectives' offices were located.
"Bentley, I'm in the headquarters," Sly said.
"Nice job, Sly. According to the schematics, Inspector Fox's office should be behind the red door," Bentley said.
"Understood, Bentley. I'm on it," Sly said.
Fortunately for him, it didn't take long to find the door Bentley described. The only problem was that the door was locked but it wasn't much of a problem because Sly was an expert on lock picking.
"This should be a piece of cake," Sly thought as he took his lock picking tools.
It didn't take long until he picked the lock and got the door open. Once he entered the office, Sly started searching for the safe where Carmelita kept her most important files. The office was pretty much full of all kinds of pictures, maps, clues, everything that was related to the Cooper gang. But it didn't surprise Sly much because Carmelita has chased him and his gang nearly from the beginning.
While Sly was searching for the safe, the mysterious sniper was having his sights on the thief. Fortunately for Sly even though the rifle's scope was aimed at him, the sniper didn't have his finger on the trigger. The sniper kept watching until he received another radio call.
"Bravo One, give us a sit-rep, over."
"The target is inside and is searching for the safe."
"Has he found it yet?"
"Negative, command. But the target is persistent, he'll find it eventually."
"Let's hope he finds it before tangos start storming into the building."
"Understood, command. I'll keep you posted."
Sly quickly checked every place of the room where Carmelita's safe could be but so far he hasn't found it yet.
"Come on, where could it be?" Sly thought.
But when he turned to the wall behind him, he saw something unusual. On the wall next to the map was a picture frame with two people on it. When Sly took a closer look, he noticed that one of the people was Carmelita but she looked like a teenager in the picture. And next to her was a human male with white skin, brown hair, and green eyes and he also looked like a teenager.
Sly couldn't help but wonder for a minute who the guy in the picture was. But based on how close the guy was to Carmelita in the picture, they must have been close.
"Who is that guy in the picture? Is he Carmelita's ex-boyfriend from her high school days or something?" Sly thought.
But he put those thoughts and questions aside for now because time was running out. Sly carefully checked out the picture and he noticed something strange about it. He carefully grabbed the left side of the picture and pulled it towards him and to his surprise, it opened like a cabinet, and behind it was safe where the files were contained.
"Bingo," Sly thought.
Then he contacted Bentley and told him that he found the safe.
"Bentley, I found the safe," Sly said via radio.
"Way to go, Sly. I hacked into the police security mainframe and found the combination for the safe. It's 9-3-7," Bentley said.
"Okay. 9-3-7. Got it," Sly said.
Once he put the combination Bentley gave him to the safe, it opened and revealed all the important files regarding the biggest police cases. But because there were only five files, Sly didn't have to search for long until he found the file with his picture on it.
"Guys, I've got the file," Sly said.
"Nice job, Sly. Bentley and I are waiting for you in the getaway van. Just come down through the fire escape and head through the parking lot," Murray said.
"Got it, guys. I'll be there in the minute," Sly said.
After he put the file into his backpack, Sly left a visiting card in the safe and then left the office. But as soon as he got out to the fire escape, he heard a yell.
"Criminal!"
A second after that, Carmelita herself appeared from the shadows and jumped to the roof of the next building.
"You foolish raccoon! I've caught you red-handed!" Carmelita yelled.
"Ahh... Carmelita... I haven't seen you since I gave you the slip in Bombay," Sly said.
"Which reminds me - you need to return the Fire Stone of India to its rightful owners," Carmelita said.
"Oh yeah? I think it's better that I keep it instead of some dirty Indian drug dealers," Sly said.
While Sly and Carmelita were talking, the sniper on the roof was reporting the command what was going on.
"Command, this is Bravo One. We have a situation."
"What?! What's going on out there, Bravo One?"
"Inspector Fox just showed up. She's currently talking with the target."
"And what is the target doing and does he have the file?"
"Yes, he has the file. And he's talking with the inspector but he's probably just messing with her."
"Very well. Don't do anything unless you have to but not anything that will give you away."
"Roger that, command. Bravo One out."
But as soon as the sniper ended the radio call, he heard the gunshots coming from below. He turned his sights to the parking lot and saw Sly running away while Carmelita was shooting at him with her shock pistol.
"Well, I suppose Cooper doesn't exactly need any help on this one," the sniper thought.
While Sly was running through the parking lot, he noticed a dark figure on the rooftop but he didn't pay attention to it because he was in a hurry. Fortunately for Sly, he quickly got into the van where Bentley and Murray were waiting for him.
"Sly, you made it," Bentley said.
"Okay, we're all in. Go go go!" Sly said.
"You got it," Murray said.
With the whole gang in the van, Murray quickly turned on the engine and started driving them away from the police headquarters. While the gang was getting away, Carmelita yelled at them from the parking lot.
"You can't escape me, raccoon!" Carmelita yelled.
But with Cooper van quickly disappearing into the night's darkness, Carmelita cursed her bad luck before she headed back to the headquarters.
"Damn you, Cooper! I will catch you someday. I swear it," Carmelita thought.
But while she was walking away, the sniper on the roof was telling his superiors the good news.
"Command, the target has escaped and the package is in the van," the sniper said.
"Well done, Bravo One. What about Inspector Fox?"
"She's a little angry but she'll be fine," the sniper said.
"Good. By the way, someone wants to talk to you."
"Who?" The sniper asked.
Instead of answering, the sniper heard someone picking up the radio and then speaking to him.
"Connor, I take it you got the job done."
The voice belonged to no one else than Captain John Price and the sniper was no one else than Jason Connor.
"You know I always get the job done, sir," Jason said.
"Yes, you made it clear during your whole year of service," Price said.
"It's good to hear your voice, sir, but I wasn't expecting to hear from you this soon. What's up?" Jason asked.
"Now that Cooper has the file, the tracking device in it will allow us to monitor his movements. And with luck, he can lead us to Perseus," Price explained.
"But why did you call me, sir?" Jason asked.
"I want you to come back to London for the debrief. Even with Cooper tracking Perseus, we can't let him do all the work," Price explained.
"Understood, sir. I'll head back to the safehouse and call for a chopper," Jason said.
"Good, I'll see you in London," Price said before he closed the radio.
After he received his new instructions, Jason turned off his radio and packed up his sniper rifle. But before he was about to leave, Jason suddenly got this strange but a little painful feeling in his heart. It was almost like he still had something to do, something important. And if he didn't do it now, he would later regret it.
"What is it? What are you trying to tell me?" Jason asked himself.
Somehow the feeling he was feeling right now in his heart was telling him to turn around. Jason didn't know why but he turned around and his sights were turned to the police headquarters where he saw Carmelita in her office. But what got the soldier's attention was that Carmelita was looking at the old picture of him and her from their high school days.
Jason wasn't sure what this feeling in his heart was trying to tell him but it was almost like it wanted him to go to the office and see Carmelita. But suddenly the idea brought up a lot of hesitation in his mind.
"No! I can't go to see her. Not now that I'm in SAS and especially after what happened the last time we saw each other," Jason thought in near panic.
Six years ago during their time in high school, Jason and Carmelita became a lot closer than the time when they were kids. And their bond grew stronger and stronger until they eventually started dating. Jason could still remember when he and Carmelita had their first date, first kiss, and even the first time they had sex.
But four years ago, a month before Jason joined the army, he and Carmelita had a falling out. Because of what they wanted to be, Carmelita was afraid that she and Jason will never be able to be together because their future jobs will take them on different paths and separate them, at least that's what Jason remembered.
After that long argument, Jason and Carmelita broke up and went on different paths. The broke up was probably for the best but Jason still loved Carmelita and he wanted to see her again. The problem was that he had no idea how she will react if he goes to see her, especially after they haven't seen each other for years.
But because he had time and was determined, Jason finally decided to go to see his ex-girlfriend.
"Well, I hope she won't paralyze me with her shock pistol the moment she sees me," Jason thought.
Meanwhile with the gang, Sly's POV
Once again my gang and I have given Inspector Carmelita Fox the slip. I was surprised to see how well she took it. But there was also this dark figure I saw on the roof during the heist. I had no idea who it was or what he was doing but that was the mystery for another time.
Finally, the secret police file I've been searching for all these years. With this, I can avenge my family and regain possession of our most valued treasure.
It all began when I was just a kid, bouncing on my father's knee. You see, I come from a long line of master thieves who kept all their secrets of sneaking and stealing in an ancient book, the Thievius Raccoonus.
Anyone who read it learned to be especially sneaky which is why we specialize in stealing from criminals. After all, there's no honor, no fun stealing from ordinary people. You rip off a master criminal and you know you're a master thief. While on the night I was supposed to inherit the book, nasty-looking visitors came to our door.
My parents hid me and tried to lead the intruders away but the people known as the "Ultranationalists" overpowered them. Then the intruders' leader named "Perseus" walked in and had a chat with my parents regarding my father's history with him.
Once his men found and gave him the Thievius Raccoonus, Perseus murdered my parents in cold blood. With my family's greatest secrets fallen into his filthy hands, Perseus left and began using my family's secrets to commit terrorist attacks worldwide.
Broken alone, I was dumped at the town orphanage. There I met two guys who became my lifelong buddies and trusted crew. Bentley, techno genius and strategist supreme. And Murray, part-time driver, full-time burden.
Together we pledged to track down Perseus, avenge my parents, and steal back the Thievius Raccoonus. I knew I was about to face the toughest test of my life. On this mission, I would either become a master thief like my ancestors before me. Or fail and allow my family name to bite the dust.