Chapter 2

Carmelita swore visciously under her breath as she entered her apartment, slamming her door shut thunderously. "Cooper! That wretched raccoon! How dare he do something like that?" she growled angrily to herself. "I'm out on patrol, and the next thing I know…here's Sly Cooper, and he's pinching my behind! Then, that wretch runs off…way before I can even get a chance to zap his sorry rump!" Carmelita bristled at his act…both for his audacity, as well as the way his pinching her shapely posterior had made her feel. She seethed anew, thinking aloud, "…and, after that, that raccoon had the absolute nerve to ask me to keep my swearing at a minimum! Grr! How dare he?"

"Well…'that raccoon' was right about that last part, at least, Carmelita," a voice commented, making Carmelita's brown eyes snap open. Carmelita turned to see her newest partner, a vixen named Kitty Petro (LOL that woud be my alter ego), calmly sitting in the kitchen, drinking some Coca Cola from a can.

Carmelita sighed forcefully through her nostrils, then closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. Her boss, Chief Rob, had instructed her to treat her new partner, Kitty, with kid gloves…after all, the new kid had only just moved out from her parents' home to take this job. How was Carmelita to know that only after a month, and a whole lot of coaxing and pleading on Kitty's part, that her new partner would be staying with her at her own house. Kitty was a vixen, though just a bit younger and more innocent than herself, but still a good deal alike. There were, however, some differences---both in appearance, as well as attitudes. Differences like the sprinkling of freckles Kitty sported across the bridge of her nose, and the way her hair was much shorter than Carmelita's and light brown instead of raven black. Carmelita opened her eyes, and looked over where Kitty now lounged in her chair. Just how a girl who loathed perfume and makeup with the same passion she herself loathed criminals with, could somehow still manage to look so cute and angelic at times, was well beyond her ability to fathom. Kitty was trim, young, and attractive…with a solid, athletic sort of build…though more like a dancer than a body-builder, mind you (all and all, you guys who have played Star Fox can just picture a red furred Krystal sporting freckles, wearing normal clothes instead of that skimpy outfit and the tail rings).

"What's that supposed to mean, Kitty?" Carmelita asked, frowning, just a bit irately.

"It means, Carmelita…that I could hear you swearing out at the curb while you were still sitting in the car," Kitty replied, shaking her head, looking up at Carmelita with an accusatory look on her face. "From here."

"Don´t give me that," Carmelita retorted angrily. "Besides…I have every right to be mad at that wretch, Cooper."

Kitty finished her Coke, then just nodded her head. "Uh-huh. Yeah, right…of course, you do," she said, grinning.

Carmelita bristled. "Now, what's that supposed to mean?"

"Relax. It's just a little something I've noticed is all," Kitty said mysteriously.

"Noticed?" Carmelita huffed. "Noticed what?"

"Okay, let me try this. Okay, now…let´s say there's this somebody down at police headquarters I know. Hypothetically, of course," Kitty said, and sat down her empty can of Coke. "And, she is seriously pissed off. Why, might you ask? Well, there were various reasons…here's just a few, okay. The other girls at the office are always saying things about her behind her back…as well as to her face sometimes. Now, that would seriously torque me off…but, my friend, nope…she just grits her teeth and bears it. Then, there's how a lot of the guys aren't really much better, the bolder of them taking every opportunity they get to ogle selected parts of her anatomy. Now, if it had been me, they'd be sporting black eyes and be walking funny. My friend, on the other hand, she just seethes and ignores it. And, finally, on top of all that…her boss continually threatens her position…just because he just can´t handle the pressure he's under. Wouldn't that be enough to piss you off too?"

Carmelita wasn't anybody's fool…she knew precisely who Kitty was taking about. "Yeah, so?" she growled.

Kitty dropped her pretense. "So…instead of holding all that anger in, girl…let it out! Vent, Carmelita! Yell and scream! Just…do something, or you're going to have a heart attack!" Kitty then slid her empty Coke can across the table. "There! Blast that. You're a crack shot…give it a shot…"

Carmelita felt the anger boiling within herself grow, and finally when it boiled over, she acted. She imagined one of her more persistent male admirer's face on the surface of that can, and in one blindingly swift movement, drew her shock pistol, and blasted at the can from the hip. She handily tagged the can, which caromed off the wall to fall noisily on to the floor.

Kitty got up from her chair, chased down the slightly scorched can, and replaced it on the table once more. "Great! Now, that's the ticket, girl! Now…picture that can as Sly Cooper. Yep! He's just stolen a rare book from another criminal, and now stands face to face with you, Carmelita," Kitty threw out in her rapid fire fashion, giving her no time to think. "Now, he started talking with you…and, much to your surprise, he's telling you that he really truly cares for you…and not as a fellow citizen or anything…but as a woman. And, trust me, the look on his face tells you that he really means just what he's saying, sister! This is no shameless attempt at flirting with you, Carmelita. He's showing you the respect you so richly deserve…for your being a lady, for being you. Now," Kitty then said commandingly and looked over at Carmelita, who now looked more and more troubled. "Go ahead…shoot the can. C'mon…do it!"

Carmelita swallowed, and then shakily raised her shock pistol, taking aim at the can. She then pictured Sly…and jerked the trigger, her shot missing the can by a good meter, striking the kitchen wall with an actinic flash. Kitty smiled and got up, going over to pat Carmelita gently on the shoulder.

"Don´t you dare start with that matchmaking of yours, Kitty Petro," Carmelita warned the girl, her tail tip twitching in her confusion and frustration.

"Why, whatever do you mean?" Kitty asked innocently.

Carmeltia snorted derisively at her act. "C'mon, give me a break, kid. You know exactly what I'm talking about. Until you arrived on the scene, girl…there was never as many couples within Interpol as there are right now," she pointed out.

Kitty shrugged, then grinned a bit proudly. "Okay, maybe…but, look at the bright side. At least there are now fewer guys taking looks at your behind now, er…and other places," Kitty said delicately.

Carmelita grunted noncommittally, holstering her shock pistol.

"Besides that, Carmelita," Kitty observed smugly, "I think it's pretty darn strange that you can manage to tag a moving target a hundred meters away, time after time after time…and yet, you still manage to always miss that raccoon, even when he´s only three meters in front of you."

"I. Do. Not!" Carmelita seethed, her medium brown eyes blazing. "HE IS A CRIMINAL!" Carmelita yelled into Kitty´s face with enough volume to blow Kitty's short blond hair back. "It's not my fault he's so darn quick!"

"Uh huh. Maybe so, Carmelita," Kitty agreed. "But, if you ask me…I think he´s more of a some modern day Robin Hood. You know, stealing from the rich to help the poor…that sort of thing."

"He is no such thing! How can you say that?" Carmelita demanded.

Kitty weathered the storm of her anger patiently…after all, this wasn't the first time the two had had this argument. "Well, and do correct me if I'm wrong, but, doesn't he only steal from other criminals? And, also…unless I'm very much mistaken…he's helped you bust a good many crime boss, has he not, allowing you to send them off to jail?" Kitty countered.

"Oh really?" Carmelita huffed, but with a good deal less hostility now. "Okay, and when has this happened specifically?" Carmelita asked warming up for an argument.

"Three wee little words to help you remember, Carmelita," Kitty replied, holding up three fingers, one at a time. "The. Fiendish. Five," she stated.

Carmelita rubbed her temples again. "Great. Wonderful. Now I have a headache. Thanks a lot. I'm tired of arguing with you, Kitty. Night, I'm going to bed. See you tomorrow morning." Carmelita, still massaging her temples, turned and trudged up the stairs to bed.

"No problem, Carm," Kitty said, grinning. "Hope the headache's better…"

Carmelita scowled at the precocious young vixen. "Haven't I told you not to call me Carm?" she demanded. "My name is Carmelita."

"Okay, geez! Hey, I know…what about Montoya? That's a pretty name, don't you think?" Kitty asked, smiling roughishly as Carmelita growled in sheer frustration, then stomped off to get ready to go to bed for the evening.

She´ll thank me later, I know it, Kitty thought to herself, tossing her Coke can into the recycling bin before heading up to bed herself.