Here's a brief Q & A for this chapter.
EquinoxWolf: Nice to have a newcomer to the Sly Cooper series.
xjesterkingx: And I hope to not disappoint.
MetalFox2013: And here's the chapter.
Finally Disclaimer: The following is a non-profit fan based story. Sly Cooper series is owned by Sucker Punch and Sony Entertainment. Please support the official releases.
Chapter 1: Tide of Terror part 1
The gang's van was pulling up to a cave on the Isle of Wrath that they were now driving on, through the gaps of the canyon, before Murray reversed the Van down the bridge until it was now close to the cave.
Once it stopped at the end of the bridge, Sly jumped out of the back, followed by Carmelita, whom was armed with her shock pistol, and her other weapons in her inventory, and on her back, as they both ran up to the cave mouth, noticing how stormy it was in the Isle of Wrath. Which was not unusual, since it rained here before. But the skies showed no signs of stopping.
But that was a minor concern for them, as they came up to the cave. "Ladies first?" Sly said smiling.
Carmelita smiled back at him for the Gentlemanly gesture. As she always appreciates it when Sly lets out his Gentlemanly side to her as they perform their job. "Why thank you kind sir." She said, moving on ahead through the cave. All while swaying her hips just to flirt with him.
Which had Sly blushing as he followed her through the cave.
Once they got on the other side, they saw two things. The first was at least half a ship that floated on the water in the dock, and the second was a gate that looked to be a pointy, jagged sort of gate in design. Along with the fences that it connected to. And behind those fences was a pair of large bushes of thorns. Each of which, looked like it'd hurt to even poke a single needle on them.
And it seemed that there was two ways over the fence. One being a rope, that connected to another pole on a wide rock spire on the other side of the fence, and from the elevated little lighthouse that they can jump to from the little trees. With the second way, being a ladder that they could use to get to the safe place past the thorns.
As they thought about where they could go, they had a call from Bentley on their Bino-cu-coms.
"Hey Sly, Carmelita, I just came across something that may complicate the mission a little bit." Bentley said.
"Lemmie guess. It involves that Gate?" Carmelita asked.
"That's correct. That gate is what stands between you, Sly, and the only road that leads to Raleigh's hideout. And it's quite a strong gate that Sly's cane cannot break, and I have doubts that your lightning bullets can destroy it. Let alone your own cane." Bentley said.
"Well, we're going to have to go around it then. We can climb over the fences that are around the gate." Sly said.
"Okay. But remember, that you can only climb on certain objects, like pipes, and ropes, and cracks on some mountainsides…"
"And that ladder right there, right?" Carmelita said, pointing her Bino-cu-com towards the ladder that was to the west of the gate, that lead up to the boards that held up a giant lantern. Which was one of the obvious ways that they can get past the gate.
"You're both correct. Just make sure that you're sure that you're gripping onto them when you're climbing, I'd rather not see you two put out of action due to falling." Bentley said.
"I know, yeah yeah yeah. Don't worry Bentley, we live for this stuff." Sly said, with Carmelita in agreement.
"And that's what worries me." Bentley said, ending the call there, before Sly, and Carmelita came to the ladder.
Only to suddenly see that there was a green bottle with a ? on it. And in the bottle, was a rolled up piece of paper in it. Much to their curiosity, as Sly decided to break the bottle for the paper. Where he saw a cryptic message that Sly, and Carmelita knew that Bentley would be able to decipher.
Speaking of which, Bentley piped into the communicator. "How interesting. The message that you've found contains some sort of Clue."
"Can you decipher it?" Sly asked.
"You betcha. But in the meantime, while I decipher it, you both might need to collect more of those messages from those other Clue bottles. The more you gain, the easier it is to crack the code." Bentley said, giving them a secondary objective.
Which they both decided to do too, feeling that it would mean that they can steal something from Raleigh. Possibly gold, or something else valuable. (How else are they gonna get back at Raleigh for his thievery of Sly's book pages, other than stealing them back?)
Looking around, they saw some more Clue bottles, which was near, and on the half of a ship that floated the water in the dock, just across the way to the gate. With a pair of them on the walk way to the half of a ship, and another pair on the mast's horizontal spars that should've had sails on them.
They both saw one of the patrol guards swinging a mallet on the half of a ship though, likely guarding those bottles. So sly took down the guard with a stealth attack after making sure that he was turned away from. Now it was just the bottles on the mast that needed collecting.
Which Carmelita decided to shoot down with her other weapon, being her shock rifle. Which was built like her shock pistol, only with a longer rectangular box-like barrel, and a stock butt of her rifle for stability in shooting, and for the recoil of her shots, and finally a scope that went up to 4-8x the zoom for long distance sniping.
She still uses her pistol for medium, and short range though, but for the long range, she would prefer a rifle, since they're more accurate at longer ranges.
Not only that, but with some tinkering on the settings of those guns, the projectiles that she shoots out are faster moving, which would give those she shoots at, less time to dodge them. (Which would've included Sly, if she still chased him around.)
While she would use her own melee weapon, for melee range fighting in self defense, even though she isn't as good at fighting in melee compared to Sly.
But Sly was teaching her in how to do so, as they take on the Fiendish Five, but she does still prefer her ranged combat against her foes with her pistol, and rifle.
And she happened to be a crack shot with both of them. As she broke the bottles off of the spar, and was able to grab the papers off of them, before returning to the gate, where Sly would use the ladder near the large lantern to move over the fence, while she dangled over the rope on the other end of their side of the gate after using the trees to jump to the rope. While also collecting the four Clue bottles while she was at it.
After they got to the other side of the gate, they knew that they had the thorn bushes, a pair of searchlights, a pair of statues of Raleigh wearing a comically tall Top Hat, and a Guard to deal with, whom also was a walrus, only he wore a leather jacket, and held what looked like golden starfishes for throwing, like shuriken's.
Its too bad for him that Carmelita was there, since she sniped him with her shock rifle to take him down, before he knew what was gonna hit him, before holstering it.
Now they just needed to contend with the search lights. And the Clue bottles that was on the aforementioned statues of Raleigh.
They suddenly got a message from Bentley again, on their Bino-cu-coms. "Be careful guys, see those searchlights?" He asked.
"Of course we do. What about them?" Carmelita asked.
"Those aren't ordinary searchlights. They're also weapons that Raleigh possesses, as they would turn orange if either of you are caught, and the alarm goes off. And one careless step into them, would lead to a spontaneous acute combustion. In other words, it's like using the sun, and a magnifying glass, on some ants. And you're the ants." He then said.
Which did put a little shiver up their spines, having seen that happen before, back at the orphanage. And it looked like it hurts to be those ants under that glass. But they weren't nervous.
"So, are you done whining already?" Sly asked, deadpan.
"I'm just trying to keep you both alive, 'partners.' Fortunately, that path leads to a vantage point to scope out Raleigh's hideout. That should give you quite a view of that place, and where to go while inside it." Bentley responded.
"Nice." Both of them said as they treaded carefully around the searchlights, making sure that they aren't illuminated by them.
Once they were on the other side of them, Sly broke the siren, causing the searchlights to turn off, due to the siren being their power source.
Soon, they were on a hill, which, as Bentley said, had quite a view of Raleigh's hideout. Which happened to be a giant ship, with a lot of buildings that was on it, and even though it had a large piece of it missing on the hull, it was not sinking into the water, likely because of it being shallow. And over the boat, was a large metallic blimp that floated over the boat.
Bentley messaged them on their coms again, as they pulled out their Bino-cu-coms. "According to my Amphibio-positioning system's research, that big blimp is where Raleigh should be inside."
On closer look at the blimp through their Bino-cu-com, both Sly, and Carmelita noticed that there was some sort of twister that was ascending to the sky, likely producing the rainy storm that currently going on around them. "You know, that blimp looks more like a machine, than a hideout." Sly said.
"You're right Sly, it is in fact a storm machine. It's the reason why it continues to rain around here." Bentley said, noting the current weather.
"So that explains the ruined ships that are nearby. That sinvergüenza. (scoundrel.)" Carmelita said, noting the wrecks of some ships that was near the big one. Likely full of valuables.
"But why would he want that bad weather to be near his hideout, 24/7?" Bentley asked.
"Obviously, so he can create a strong storm to sink any ship full of treasures that wanders near his place. And no authority here, or of the UK, or Ireland, would trace his hideout since they'd believe that the storms of the Welsh Triangle, is to blame." Carmelita then said unhappily.
"Either way, rain, or shine, I'm stealing back my family's pages. And if he gets in our way, it's on." Sly then said, determined to regain his pages as he ended the call.
"Just don't let your quest for vengeance consume you, Ringtail." Carmelita said, using her nickname for Sly. "I'd rather not lose my favorite Raccoon to whatever bad thing that could happen, once we're done with the Five." She then said, concerned.
Sly softened up at the concerned tone of Carmelita's, knowing that she's right. After all, they did see some movies that dealt with revenge, as they grew up, and at least 60-70% of them had it end either with the guy either getting his revenge, but dying at the end, or getting his revenge, but aimlessly wondering what to do now that he's done, or finding the revenge to be unsatisfying, or even winning, but also gaining a new life that would be worse than before his quest started. Especially if it involves losing a limb.
Or worst of all, it'd probably end with the person failing in their revenge, and dying, while the target of their revenge would be unharmed, victorious, and free.
And Carmelita was hoping that Sly won't end up suffering the latter, when they're done with the Fiendish Five. And with her by his side, she doubts that it would happen.
After all, seeking nothing else but revenge would merely fill Sly with anger until it hollows out his ability to feel any other emotion, and in the end there's a chance that he will suffer more, than the object of his revenge. Something, that both of them knows from movie experience.
"I'll be sure to keep that in mind. Thanks Carmelita." He said, smiling at her.
"No problem." She responded, as they continued onwards.
While Sly clobbered the walrus patrol when he tried to intercept them, and breathe fire on them with a blow torch.
Now they were both going to go onwards through the path that they were taking, where they suddenly saw a stream of water that was flowing into the sea. And judging by how treacherous the water was, it looked like the current would push both of them into the ocean if they get caught. And that's regardless of the stream being ankle deep. While there was a pair of clue bottles that was on a thick root that connected to the side of the cliff that they were on.
After getting them, both thieves wondered how they could get across the stream without getting swept up and into the water. Until Sly had an idea.
"I know what to do." He said, before he jumped in while close to the wall where the water fall was creating the stream.
Before hopping around in the water, heading toward the other end, while making sure to land on his feet to jump again. That way, he won't get pushed out to sea if he keeps on hopping. Which was good for him in this case, since he couldn't swim.
In fact, none of the gang could swim. Not even Carmelita herself, since none of them had any swimming lessons in their life in the orphanage. As well as after they left it, after growing up, since they didn't think about it.
But nevertheless, they felt that they didn't need any swimming lessons, so far at least. And that they can get them later. After the Fiendish Five is finished that is. Right now though, Carmelita, and Sly got to the other end of the stream after some more hopping.
Only to see another stream, only that one had rocks that was poking out of the water, in three different rows of three rocks, giving them something to jump onto, to help get them across, along with the fact that there was another pair of clue bottles that was on those rocks.
Which they proceeded to collect as they hopped on the stream, while Carmelita hopped on the rocks to get to the other end of the stream. Which was where they saw a fence that got in their way. While a hook was above it on their side. And Sly's quickly knew what to use, and what to do to get across the fence, as did Carmelita.
So Sly used his cane to get across the fence, while Carmelita jumped her way across it to the other end with her high jump.
Now they were at where they could see that they were on the right track to the hideout. They just needed to get past the searchlights. Not only that, but they had to traverse what looked like a bunch of metal water wheels that was currently turning due to the river flowing, which added some risk of falling into the water if they don't keep on jumping as the wheel turned.
And they had to collect the rest of the clue bottles in their path.
They traversed the first set, after Carmelita zapped the mallet guard, knocking him out. Then there was another set of wheels, that had what looked like fences on them that tried to block their path. So they had to use the gaps in between the fences to go around to the other side of the wheels.
After they made it, Sly proceeded to take out the throwing star guard after jumping over the throwing stars that he threw out. Then he and Carmelita found the last set of water wheels, that was just past a nearby large Vault. Which, like the one back in the office of Carmelita's, back in Paris, had a set of three slots that vertically moves up and down, like a combination padlock for a safe.
"That large Vault should be associated with the clues in those bottles that you're both collecting. Once you grab all of the clues, you all may return to the Vault, and get the treasure inside." Bentley said on their Bino-cu-com.
Sly, and Carmelita didn't need to be told twice, as they broke the alarm to deactivate the searchlights, before breaking another clue bottle that was nearby, before noticing the way up to the small lighthouse above them, that made the searchlights, where they would notice that there was more clue bottles that they were looking for, which they hoped would be the last set.
Carmelita proceeded to jump her way up to the lighthouse with her long jump, while Sly waited near the Vault in excitement for what he was going to steal from Raleigh here, whether it'd be something rare that he owns, Gold, or even one of his pages from the Thievius Raccoonus. After all, he knew that there was plenty of pages in his book that his enemies in the Fiendish Five has stolen when he was just a child.
And now he was stealing them back, possibly from this Vault that he was about to Open with the Clue Bottles that Carmelita was collecting the last of, which counted up to twenty. Which they hoped would be enough for this Vault at the least.
Which, according to Bentley, it was, as Carmelita now returned to Sly's side with the clue. "Okay Bentley, are you able to decipher it now?" Carmelita asked.
"Indeed guys. And the Clues have led me to believe that the code for this Vault, is 7-9-2." Bentley said.
Sly proceeded to enter the code, before pulling the safe's doorknob, making it click, showing that the code was correct. Which made both thieves happy as they opened the Vault door, showing that inside of it…
was a page from a book.
"That's it? A book page?" Carmelita asked, feeling a bit bummed out at what they got, as she pulled the page out for Sly to take. (While making sure that it doesn't get rained on, and ruined.)
On closer inspection though, Sly ended up grinning happily when he saw what page it was. "Not just any page, but a page from the Thievius Raccoonus! And it's back in my possession again!" He said joyously, much to Carmelita's surprise, then joy at the fact that her boyfriend has one of the pages back for his book.
It was a good start to his journey to taking back the pages.
"Not only that, but it's a book on old Drake Cooper's dive move. Where I can make a fast dive by jumping forwards while twirling my cane around. Which is supposed to lower the wind resistance on me." Sly said.
"That seems useful." Carmelita said, interested in trying the move out with her own weapon, as Sly put the page in his red backpack to protect it from the rain, before taking out his Icon of a Raccoon, which she knew was an Icon of the Cooper family, that they would leave behind, if only to show those that they robbed, that it was them.
How else would they become infamous among the criminals, among the other foes that they rob?
After he put the emblem in there, he proceed to jump on the water wheels alongside Carmelita, as he noticed a key that was in a glass podium. Which he immediately realized, could unlock a gate that they cannot get past due to it blocking a cave that they could enter, that safely lead to Raleigh's hideout.
Whether Raleigh was overconfident that his guards would stop them from coming, or he was overconfident that even if they get in his hideout, they would be taken down by his other guards, or just plain idiocy, Sly, and Carmelita was looking forward to punishing him, as Sly got the key out to unlock the gate.
Which opened for them as they walked through the cave.
Where after minutes of walking in the dank, yet dry cave, they were able to eventually reach the end of the cave, where they saw that they had to climb up a cliff that was in their way. Which wasn't hard for them to climb over, before they were on a path to the hideout, that looked like a giant wooden boat that they were going to be jumping towards via a bunch of debris, like floating barrels.
Then they took out their Bino-cu-coms to then see the blimp, which looked bigger now that they were closer to it. And they saw that it was quite big, just not as big as the ship that was under it, or as big as the other zeppelins that they saw in some museums, and movies.
They also saw that it was shaped like a sperm whale, or an angler fish without a light extension on its forehead, only it had a glass wall on the lower front of it. And it was tethered to the boat to stop it from flying away.
"That blimp looks like the most secure location on that boat. If Raleigh is as smart as his police file suggests, then that's got to be where he is." Sly said.
"That narrows our search down, tremendamente. (tremendously.) Now we can rob him of those pages that he took from you, and we'll take him, and his storm operation down too. We just need to take him on together." Carmelita said.
"That's a wonderful idea." Bently piped in on the Bino-cu-com. "Unfortunately, your plans are flawed."
"Why?" Sly asked.
"Because it's impossible to get near him. For to access his blimp, you would need to sneak through that high voltage power tube." Bentley responded, pointing them to the power tube that was to the right of the main area. "And to do that safely, you both need to destroy that power generator." Bentley then said, showing a nearby power generator that looked to be 1800s in design. Which happened to be locked behind a fence that had three locks on it. "And to do that, you need to collect three more of Raleigh's treasure keys, all of which, are heavily guarded."
"How interesting. So when are you getting to the impossible part?" Sly asked deadpan. Getting a chuckle out of Carmelita.
"That was the impossible part! But fine! I warned you though!" Bentley then said in annoyance. Then he had them directed into looking at some doors, that had what looked like green suns on them, and all of which were open. "I've marked the places you'll both need to hit with those holographic markers. They'll lead you to your objectives."
"Thanks Bentley." Both Sly, and Carmelita said to him.
"Don't mention it. It's your funerals. Just don't underestimate his patrol guards." Bentley then said, ending the call there.
Neither thief needed to be told twice, as they used a pulley to help descend down to the ground where the river was, and jumped on the debris to the ship, where they would use the ropes to climb on, to make it onto the ship's deck.
Where they then heard a sudden squeak of the intercom as they covered their ears for a bit. "I say, chaps, my heartiest congratulations to you all." Raleigh's voice said on the intercom. "My storm machine has sunk its fiftieth ship that came close enough last night, and the loot is already being unloaded. Our operation is moving on splendidly, with the possible exception being… THE GROSS NEGLIGENCE OF THE LOWER DECKHANDS!" He suddenly shouted.
"I demand that the boilers stay on high pressure, at all times! If you lazy, lowbrow, sniveling, technically incompetent, guttersnipes, DID YOUR JOBS RIGHT, WE'D HAVE SUNKEN AT LEAST A HUNDRED SHIPS BY NOW! But fifty ships is a fine, fine enough job for now. Carry on my gents, carry on." He then said, after inhaling back his breath from shouting, feeling that nothing could stop him now.
It's too bad for him though, that Raleigh was about to get a rude awakening, when he gets robbed of his loot by Sly, and his girlfriend. His days as lord of the Isle of Wrath, was beginning to be numbered, now that Sly was there to stop him, and with Carmelita by his side. Their journey for the pages, was about to begin.
And done.
Sorry that this chapter is short, even though this one is a bit longer than the first one. But I felt that this would be a decent enough segue into the rest of journey through the Tide of Terror. I hope you readers enjoy this chapter nonetheless.
As for the description of Carmelita's rifle, just think about the Fallout 4 laser rifle, have it painted red, have it shoot out lightning projectiles, and then you have her shock rifle. And she's going to be a good shot with it against the goons in the future. Making her the sniper of the operation. (I like snipers after all.)
Finally one more thing.
I hope that you enjoyed the chapter,
please give constructive criticism, just don't be rude,
do not forget to read and review,
hope you all stay safe,
and once again, I do not own the Sly Cooper series. It is owned by Sucker Punch, and Sony Entertainment. Please Support the Official releases.
Theodore the Poet signing off