Hello and welcome. It's taken a bit to update again, but that's because school started. BLEGH! Anyway, I have a question for my assembled colleagues. How do you write the bio that appears when you click your penname? Cookies to anyone who can tell me!
Note: Italics are flashbacks and thoughts
"You need my help?" Sly asked with a quizzical note in his voice. "You comprise of some of the world's best criminals. You supposedly have huge resources at your disposal. What would you want with a thief like me? Even with my oh so deserved title of "master thief."
Xhavius removed his mirrored sunglasses, showing for a moment ice-cold blue eyes. He rubbed his eyes with a paw and spoke.
"Mr. Cooper, you see the Obsidian League is at the worst it has ever been in centuries. Once we numbered forty members, but now our ranks have been reduced down to only those you see before you. Only those that by skill, cunning and no small amount of luck have been spared. You see, one and a half years ago, we came under attack by an enemy that we still don't know the identity of. It started with the disappearance of one of our members, but soon escalated, with members being assassinated, disappearing or being arrested every few weeks, or days! You knew Joan D'Angelo, did you not?
I knew Joan. She was a fellow thief with a pen chance of stealing items that belonged to great females in history. We had crossed paths once or twice, and become friends. She was a charming individual, with a way of being absolutely blunt without seeming offensive.
"You said knew?"
"Yes Mr. Cooper, Ms. D'Angelo was one of our members,"
"And a personal friend of mine." The fox that had been introduced as Kitsune said.
"She was visiting some archaeologist friends of hers in Northern Africa. She didn't report in after a few days and we investigated. We found the bodies of her and her friends. They had been killed by machine gun fire. You also knew Hideski, correct?
Hideski was a happy, jovial chipmunk who ran a pick pocketing ring in Munich. I had met him at an underworld gala. He was one of those men who you just couldn't help but like immediately. He was also the only person I knew who could stuff more food in his cheeks than Murray.
Sly just nodded.
"He disappeared from his flat seven months ago. Despite scouring most jails and criminal organizations, he has yet to be found. We fear the worst. As I said, our mysterious enemy has reduced our ranks drastically, and we have been completely unable to retaliate or aid our members. We require outside help, as our skills have been woefully inadequate. Even I, as the Chairman of the League, was attacked only a month ago. So we sought out you."
A dark night on a poorly lit dock in the U.S. Xhavius was fighting fiercely against three darkly clad assailants. Two others already lay on the ground, badly injured. The assassins kept up a fierce attack, punching and kicking, keeping Xhavius on the defensive. Then the tawny cougar struck an assassin's nose with the heel of his hand, snapping the creature's head back. He then launched a furious wave of blows on another target, overwhelming his defenses. The last assassin prepared to attack from behind, but didn't notice a large dark shape behind him. A large shape with very sharp teeth.
"I understand your plight," Sly said, still not completely understanding, "but again, why me?"
"Mr. Cooper, you are legendary! Your lineage is that of the greatest thieves in the world." Xhavius became more and more excited as he spoke. "You have brought down criminal organizations that made even us wary! You defeated a criminal mastermind with THOUSANDS of years of experience. Then you again defeated his reborn body. The question we asked, when we thought of one who could help us, was why not you?"
Sly thought, and eyed his would-be employers. He couldn't tell what the snake was thinking, the reptile's eyes were closed, and he almost seemed asleep. The bear and the squirrel were holding a whispered conversation, while the fox sat in her chair, her face a blank mask. He finally brought his gaze upon the spokesman, this Dr. Xhavius. He was obviously tall, wearing a long black leather trench coat, while stylish pair of mirrored sunglasses hid eyes that had caused a shiver to run up Sly's spine when he had glimpsed them.
As he considered his options, a different set of events happened below. Yuri Yahrakov stood at the front of the building, his ramrod posture betraying his former military profession. As head of Vladimir Zhaov's bodyguards, he didn't need to stand out front. But the cool air of the French evening was refreshing, especially to one used to the near-freezing temperatures of eastern Russia. He became mildly suspicious as he saw a van make a sharp turn to face the building's iron fence gate. He became even more suspicious as the van picked up speed, then made a decision and ducked inside, yelling out a warning as the van continued to speed, a fleet of police cars and SWAT vans driving behind it. The van continued and rammed the gate at high speed. Despite the reinforced gate, the van tore right off its hinges and continued on, skidding expertly so the rear doors faced the front of the building. The doors burst open, and a SWAT team poured out. The other vehicles quickly set up a perimeter and several more SWAT teams approached the building. Gunfire was audible as the police fought it out with the various enforcers the Obsidian League had brought with them.
Back on the windowless 8th floor, everyone heard a crash. A few moments later Kitsune pulled a cell phone from her kimono, her face still a blank mask.
"Yes, they've done what, right away. That was my lieutenant Hikaru. INTERPOL has found us. They've surrounded the building and are attempting to storm it. I suggest we implement a rapid retreat, as our men will not be able to hold them."
"I will go to assist them," the bear known as Vladimir said. He pulled a large revolver from his great coat and stood up. It was only then that Sly realized his size. He had to be seven ft tall at least, and very bulky. He disappeared into a door in the wall and Sly could hear him pounding down the steps.
"Well Mr. Cooper," Xhavius said as he stood up, "will you help us or not? I suggest you make your decision quickly, as INTERPOL wants you almost as much as it wants us."
"I can't guarantee anything until I talk to my friends," Sly said, "but I'm willing to consider your proposal."
"Excellent! Here is a disk that can be used to initiate a web cam chat with one of us. If you decide to help us, just use it and I promise we pay well. This was our last communal safe house, so with its discovery we'll be forced to retreat to our personal havens. Can you make your own way out?"
"I'm sure I'll figure out something."
Back in the foyer the gunfight had become a vicious stalemate. The SWAT teams had been driven out of the building and into the yard, but they had the Obsidian League pinned down. Vladmir hugged the side of the large hole that had once been the double doors until a breach charge had blown it open. He snapped off a shot and was rewarded with a glancing hit, the power of his gun spinning the Swat team member, despite only clipping him. He looked at his subordinate, Yuri, from across the hole.
"Begin moving the men out and back towards their bosses. Take our men and escape through the vehicle tunnels below. I'll cover our escape. These decadent French pigs will learn their lesson!
Sly had gone up a floor to get a better perspective. He heard a noise behind him and turned to see the fox, Kitsune behind him. She had shed her kimono to reveal loose-fitting black clothes. She ran towards a window and out of it. To Sly's amazement, she kicked off the windowsill and leaped several floors to the roof. She then kicked off the top and with a jump the likes of which Sly had never seen in his life, leapt to a neighboring building and onward. On the roof, several rats fired at their attackers from the heights, their strange, futuristic weapons making a noise similar to a buzz saw. Van Trysk bounded on all fours towards his helicopter, avoiding the fire from the auto-target turret set on the side of a circling police chopper. Xhavius walked slowly, then stopped. He reached inside his jacket and pulled out a black pistol. He took aim, and shot out the spotlight the auto-turret was using to acquire targets. He then strode swiftly into the helicopter as the rest of the rats piled in and it took off.
Back on the ground floor Vladimir emptied his gun at a pair of police. He had just used his last bullets, and both he and Apep were still trapped within the blockade, Apep's special truck unable to leave with the blockade in place. Vladimir felt his anger building. These fools dared to attack both him and his comrades. His vision began to turn red, and he stepped from cover, quickly picking up speed until he was at a full run. He ran straight at the police line, screaming obscenities in Russian. The police opened fire with both shock and regular weapons. The fire just seemed to be absorbed by the raging beast rapidly rushing toward them. He took a dozen bullets and countless shock rounds but continued to charge, smashing straight through the police line, upturning cars and knocking officers aside in his fury. A sleek black truck pulled out right after him, and Sly saw his chance. As it began to speed away he leapt out the window, and just grabbed the back of the truck. He climbed on top, riding as it blew through the gaping hole in the blockade left by the rampaging bear. As it screeched a turn, he leapt off and rapidly ran to the Cooper van, still sitting where he had left it. He leapt inside and Murray sped off. As they were driving Bentley turned a worried gaze on Sly.
"What happened? You went in, and then a whole army of cops showed up. We were worried you'd been arrested or worst."
On the way back to the hideout Sly explained everything that had happened to him. Bentley was dubious at first, but agreed to look into it. Murray quickly agreed, as he had been almost as bored as Sly when no jobs turned up, hence the dancing lessons, later to be revealed as Dimitri's Dance Beats.