Cooper & Sandiego Thieves United Chapter 8: The Lucky Cat Caper, a Sly Cooper + Carmen Sandiego, 2019 Crossover fanfic

Authors Notes: Where in the world has this story been? I'm sure you're all asking. Apologies for the delay a lot has been piling on at work and in my personal life. But now I've had the time to write chapter 8 of this story. So we begin with a certain foxy inspectors perspective on the events before Monte Carlo before we land into a stamp collecting caper.

Enjoy

Sly Cooper (c) Sucker Punch Productions

Carmen Sandiego 2019 (c) Netflix Animations

Cooper,Sandiego & The Gang In:

:The Lucky Cat Caper:

Carmelita's POV:

Inspector Carmelita Montoya Fox stands on the Paris harbour with Bentley and Murray. Looking up at the burning flames of the blimp of Le Paradox, She looked in deep concern as a certain ring tailed thief was still on board.

"That night in the skies of Paris, is one that haunts me to this day."

The blimp exploded in a bright flash of light blinding everyone below. As Carmelita opened her eyes she saw the blimp was gone all that was left was pieces of the blimp. A lone tear ran down her face knowing that Sly was caught in the blast.

"What started for me as an investigation into stolen antiquities turned into a crazy time escapade with Sly and the Cooper Gang. He lied to me, making me think he had amnesia after what happened at his family vault!"

The scenes flash back to the aftermath of the Cooper Vault job, of the time she spent in Paris with Sly. The two danced on a ballroom floor but the foxy police inspector somehow noticed her dance partner was eyeing a Russian golden egg on display in the ballroom.

Then several nights later as she watched on the security monitors of a museum. She suddenly spotted a certain ring-tailed thief was robing the museum. She grinds her teeth in anger as she pulled out her shock pistol and blasted the monitor.

"I wanted nothing more than to put that lying, thieving ringtail behind bars like I should've done long ago!…"

The scene then flashes to her being sent through time by Le Paradox straight into the wild west to be ambushed by Toothpick and his gang. To then be rescued by Tennessee Kid Cooper and Sly. What followed after that was a caper through time saving Sly's ancestors and a final confrontation with Le Paradox.

"…But instead I get pulled into a crazy time travel escapade! I wasn't liking the idea of being stuck with the Cooper Gang, much less Sly, but after fighting along side him, his crew and ancestors I realised we weren't so different. After what happened that night I realised how important Sly was to me..I just…I never got the chance to tell him that…"

Several weeks had past since that night, and Carmeltia was deep in her work at Interpol. She kicked her foot through the door of an old warehouse where a group of alagator gangsters were hiding their loot. She blasted them all with her shock pistol stunning them upon contact. Then slammed them against the wall hand cuffed whilst her unit took them away.

"…Weeks passed since that night, and its been business as usual taking down low life criminals left and right…"

Later Carmelita was driving a boat onto the Paris waterways. She was going back to the scene where Le Paradox's blimp crashed down.

"But in my down time I've been investigating what happened to Le Paradox's blimp looking for any clues that could tell me if Sly survived…"

The interpol inspector surveyed the area, but so far found nothing but old pieces of wreakage that were yet to be collected. Just then she found something among the rubble. It was a piece of paper. Except when she looked at it, the paper was a ruined photo of her and Sly with the ringtail thief giving her a peck on the cheek.

"…But the more I look the more I'm reminded that he maybe gone…(sniff.) And may not be coming back…"

Two weeks later:

Carmelita was in her office at Interpol. She sat in the quietness of her desk looking over her caseboard her jacket was hanging off her chair. She was looking at everything photos of Sly and of Le Paradox's blimp. She growled in frustration and slammed her fist into the board. Her eyes streamed with tears. She went down to sit at her chair.

"More weeks had passed and I was no closer to finding him. I hadn't talked to Bentley and Murray in weeks we sort of drifted apart after what happened that night."

Just then a knock at the door came and Carmelita opened the door and an Interpol agent entered the office and handed her a file. The agent left leaving Carmelita to look at the files contents.

"But that doesn't mean I didn't keep track of them. I know Bentley had been looking for Sly too since that night, and now he had plane tickets bound for Boston." Carmelita wondered what Bentley could be doing then she remembered. "An old contact of mine in the Boston City Police department had tipped me off about a wrestler matching Murray's description at the wrestling arena there tonight."

Carmelita picked up her jacket and pulled her shock pistol out of the charging port and hurried out of the Interpol Paris building.

"Wasting no time I headed off for the first flight to Boston…."

Boston:(Sly's Dimension)

Later in pushing through the crowds of the wrestling arena, Carmelita had just caught sight of Bentley and Murray talking backstage.

"Because of the crazy crowds I could barely make out what they were talking about, but what words I could make out were trail..and …found Sly."

Carmelita's eyes widened with shock and hope, could it be that Bentley and Murray may have found Sly. If so why didn't Bentley call her?

"I needed to know if this was for real, so I tailed those two all the way back to their old Paris hideout."

Paris (Sly's Dimension)

Carmelita kept following the two thieves back to their hideout in Paris. She kept out of sight and upon entering the building she saw Bentley was attaching some kind of device to Murray's van. She was curious.

"It looked like they were going on another time travel escapade. So I quickly stowed away before they left…"

Carmelita grabbed onto the back of the van as it sped out of the building and zoomed at top speed. Suddenly they entered a large vortex and were spiralling through the very fabric of space and time. The foxy Interpol inspector was trying desperately to hold onto the van. Eventually they exited the vortex and landed in what looked like the outskirts of Agra City India.

"One crazy trip later we were in what looked like India, but it wasn't the past it looked more modern-day."

The trio traveled for days and weeks in the van traveling across the country trying to track Sly. Bentley and Murray were still unaware of their stowaway who held onto the roof of the van.

Monte Carlo:(Carmens Dimension)

"We soon ended up in Monte Carlo, because after listening into Bentley, they tracked Sly here. But what happened next I got more than I bargained for."

The scenes then flashed to events that transpire. Carmelita watched from a building rooftop from afar as she noticed a couple of figures approaching the Monte Carlo Casino. One of the figures she made out to be Sly because of the silhouette of his after entering the building she saw Sly in the company of a lady in a red coat. The ring tail had cracked a rather large safe and it opened to reveal an elevator. Then lead to the underground printing press room. She sadly lost track of Sly but decided to follow the lady in red for answers.

"I managed to catch up with Cooper only to find what looked like the biggest counterfeiting operation I'd ever seen. Then I find this lady in red with the ringtails what the heck was going on here!"

The scene then cuts to Carmelita seeing Sly at the other end of the corridor with Bentley and Carmen. She froze in complete shock seeing the man she thought she'd lost.

"Then I saw him…It was Sly….he was alive. I knew somehow he was alive but I never dreamed of it…"

However before their reunion could even happen a massive explosion caved in the hallway separating them once again. The scene then cuts to her escaping the blaze and pursuing them in a grey Jaguar car, ramming and chasing Dash Haber and El Topo who were pursuing the Cooper Team Van. However in all the chaos she was forced to jump from her vehicle just as it soured off the cliff roads.

"Seems no matter what I do I can never get close enough to him for more than a minute…"

Carmelita looked up to see the Cooper Team Van glide down to the ground on parachutes. Suddenly she saw a puff of smoke she breathed in and suddenly collapsed.

"…Suddenly I was ambushed by who I didn't know, I don't remember much after that but what happened next well…"

POV Paused:

The foxy Interpol inspector soon began to stir from her unconscious state. She looked around just as her vision was coming back. She saw she was in a metal room handcuffed to a chair. Seeing two people in black suits and glasses with pale and tanned skin in the shadows.

"What? What is this where am I!" Carmelita demanded. "I am an inspector of Interpol!"

The agents said nothing but Agent Zari simply reached into her coat and pulled out strangely a pen. Carmelita looked confused. Agent Zari clicked the top of the pen then tossed it to the ground. It stood up straight and displayed a hologram of Chief.

"Good afternoon." She greeted.

Carmelita was completely bewildered by this. "Huh nice trick."

"Why thank you I like to think so." Chief said.

"Who are you? Why am I here?" Carmelita then asked.

"You can call me Chief, and your here because you are a person of interest, you were found to be pursuing these two correct?" Chief then displayed the security footage of Sly and Carmen outside the museum in Mumbai India.

"Sly?" Carmelita said surprised.

The fact this fox woman knew the raccoon man's name was all she needed to confirm her theories. "So you do know him, he's a figure of mystery to us. And much like him you appear out of nowhere."

"Why are you so interested in Sly Cooper? And who is that girl he's with?" Carmelita demanded.

"Well in that case, you and I have a lot to talk about." Chief explained.

POV resumes.

So Chief explains the whole story to the foxy Interpol officer, and she listens carefully. Chief told her of the shadow organisation she had been trying to prove exists for about twenty years. And her theory of how a certain lady in red maybe tied into it.

"So this Chief explained to me how for 20 years they were on the trail of this mystery crime organisation, calling themselves V.I.L.E. A crime organisation thats completely invisible with suspected agents disappearing without a trace before questioning this was completely loco!"

She was still processing all that Chief had told her, and still couldn't believe it. However she had seen crime organisations and criminals that she never would have suspected before.

"But then again after what I've seen after all these years who am I to dismiss anything. Then I find out about this lady in red Carmen Sandiego, someone who seems to know more about this than they do. I don't know what to think of this girl and seeing them together what was this some kind of budding romance or just honour among thieves! I in turn shared what I knew about Sly and myself minus the uh 'ahem' personal connections."

POV Paused.

"It sounds crazy but I believe you." Chief said after hearing Carmelita's story. "It all adds up, why theres been no record or face belonging to this raccoon man, because your not of this world at all. The concept of parallel universes, it's quite unbelievable."

"Tell me about it Chief, try traveling through time to meet the ringtails ancestors sometime." Carmelita explained. "But enough of that suppose I do believe this VILE exists why would I help you find Sly Cooper and this Carmen Sandiego?"

"Because, we maybe able to help each other." Chief explained. "I know from your story you're an honest cop, and our objectives are one and the same. You want to find Cooper we're your best bet to find him and we can provide you with resources and you can help us bring down VILE."

Carmelita took a moment to consider what Chief had told her and she was left with a choice. One try and track down Sly on her own, or join these people to track down a hidden crime empire. She was questioning it, but she knew if this VILE was for real she couldn't just let this go unanswered.

"Alright Chief….I'm in." She decided.

Chief smiled at that decision and so Agent Zari handed the Foxy inspector a certain key card and with one touch her own ID photo appeared as did the name of the organisation.

"Well then, welcome to A.C.M.E, Agent Fox." Chief smiled.

P.O.V Resumed:

"So now I'm part of this secret organisation A.C.M.E, and Chief decided to partner me up with people who had been chasing the ringtail and the scarlet thief…"

Soon Chief introduced Carmelita to her new partners, who were Chase Devinaux and Julia Argent. They were a little startled by her appearance but soon got over it.

"Chase Devineaux and Julia Argent, they came from the same background as me from Interpol. But that Devineaux is all kinds of arrogant. Just what have I gotten myself into I come here to find Sly and now I'm part of a super secret organisation looking for a secret crime syndicate…."

Soon Chief had briefed the team on the recently known whereabouts of the two super thieves the screen of the globe showed a photo of Sly and Carmen with their crew in San Francisco California. Chase stood with an arrogant smile whilst Carmelita looked with an annoyed face.

"I don't know what gave me more of a headache, not knowing what that ringtail was playing at with this lady in red, or being partnered with an arrogant, one track minded bafoon! UGH!"

The foxy agent then looked to see Julia had the same questionable look on her face about Devineaux. The two then shared an understanding smile.

"The only bearable thing about this situation was that at least Julia was more open minded than he was."

POV Ended:

Isle of VILE Some years ago:

In the dojo/classroom of Stealth 101 Shadowsan wore a long coat and facing him was a younger looking Carmen back when she was known as Black Sheep. She wore a black and green stealth suit. It was her final exam and she was ready.

"Somewhere in my coat lies a single dollar bill." Shadowsan briefed. "The coat has many pockets. Locate the target and acquire it... if you can. You have 2 minutes."

The master of stealth held up a small hexagonal stopwatch . He activated it and placed it down on the table. Carmen bowed to her teacher then took a combative stance. The exercise had classmates Mime Bomb, Crackle, Tigress, Le Chèvre and El Topo watched kneeling on the ground.

The two stared each other down in silence before suddenly Carmen ran forwards and moved to pick the coat pocket, only for Shadowsan to dodge to the left. Carmen quickly turned and thrust her hand into the coat's left pocket only to find it empty. The ninja moved away and as Carmen thrusted her hand into his sleeve he then blocked the next strike. Carmen managed to get her hand into the coats inside pockets only to find them empty then thrusted her hand into the sleeve.

Crackle looked with an eager smile hoping she succeeded. However much to her disappointment her hand was empty no dollar bill what so ever.

She had one minute and twenty two seconds to go. She changed strategy and moved slowly before lunging forwards and thrusting her hands into the pockets again and again, but nothing came out. As the seconds count down she thrusted her hand into the other sleeve but came out empty again.

She was now down to fifth nine seconds and counting. She grunted as again and again she picked the coats pockets only to come out empty. Shadowsan backed up to a wall close to one of his Japanese ornaments. Carmen thrusted both hands into the coat only for Shadowsan to push her back to the floor.

"Ha this is going well." Tigress said in amusement. Crackle was now generally worried for Black Sheep.

Young Carmen got up from the floor and looked to see she was running out of time down to twenty nine seconds. Flustered and frustrated she thrusts her hands into the coats pockets again and again but still no dollar bill in hand. Shadowsan dodged and pushed Carmen away as the timer reached 15 seconds. Carmen breathed in frustration and grunted picking the coats pockets again and again and again while Shadowsan blocked her movements.

Until eventually. The clock reached zero and made a loud buzzing noise. However this was the sound of a phone ringing.

Carmens eyes shot open. She was in a bed it was a dream she reached for her red phone and the ID showed a white baseball cap.

"The coat was empty, wasn't it?!" She shouted with sweat running down her was wearing a white and red shirt with grey pyjama bottoms.

"What?" Said Players voice in confusion.

Suddenly the sound of snorting and grunting was heard from next to in the bed next to hers was Sly who wore a white shirt with blue checkered pyjama were in a joint room in a hotel room. It had been a week since Monaco and reuniting Sly with his crew and after that they landed in this very hotel but due to the lack of space Sly and Carmen had to share a room which had two separate beds.

Sly had woken up from Carmens screaming."WHAT HUH Who's coat was empty?" He mumbled as he woke up.

"Sly." Carmen said getting his attention. "Its okay, I just…had a bad dream thats all."

"Oh boy, you're having that dream again, aren't you?" Player said knowing what dream she was referring to.

Sly could only guess what she was dreaming about. "Was it about the same thing?" He asked.

Carmen calmed down and took a breath before she answered her friends. "Yeah…but 'Dream' makes it sound like make-believe, guys. This actually happened." She explained putting Player on speaker.

"For the best, right, Red?" Player reminded as Carmen stretched out of her bed while Sly got up and stretched his arms up in the air and his tail shook. "I mean, if you'd actually aced crime school, you might be stealing for VILE instead of from them."

Players Room:

Player meanwhile was throwing a small basket ball through a small hoop in his room. He threw the ball again and it went through the hoop again to then catch the ball a third time.

"For the Villains International League of Evil? Highly doubt that." Carmen said.

The Hotel room:

"Yeah cause I doubt you can pull off that green armour look." Sly then joked which did put a small smile on her face. But genuinely he was concerned. Ever since reuniting with his gang and them joining the team Carmen was still having this same dream.

"So, how come failing Shadowsan's finals still bothering you so much?" He then asked.

"He has a point red." Player agreed from his room.

Carmen herself was still unsure how to answer that very question. "I don't know." She said taking a breath. She got out of bed and stretched as she made her way to the front of the beds.

"Maybe because I never got to see where the dollar bill was hiding when the exam was over." She used her foot to kick her jeans into the air and before they fell she picked a dollar bill out of its back pocket. Sly was very impressed.

"Guess it had to be pretty well hidden to beat a move like that." Sly said.

"But thats just it Sly." Carmen said as she went to the window. "I was the best pickpocket in Stealth 101. Way better than Tigress. Guess I just feel like I still have something to prove."

Before she pulled back the curtains she felt a hand on her shoulder and look to see Sly. "Hey, from where I'm standing you don't have anything to prove to anyone. And anyway you said so yourself the test could've been rigged, I've seen what you can do Carmen you're nothing less than a skilled pick pocket." Carmen listened to what her new partner in crime had to say. "I'm not sure what the deal is with this ninja guy but in a way Player's right if it wasn't for that fail you wouldn't have found out the truth about VILE."

The thief in red had to admit, he had a point, she'd been obsessing over that test for so long now that she felt maybe it was holding her back and couldn't put it to rest. She smiled as she looked up at Sly.

"I guess your right." Carmen said as she pulled open the curtains to look at the morning view. "Mm, what a view…" The two looked at the view, but all they could see was nothing but fog and the sky scrapers in the distance. "Pea soup." Carmen said.

"Yeah not quite the view you want to see in a big city like this." Sly agreed a little disappointed.

"Well Sly they don't call San Fransisco California Fog City for nothing you know." Said another voice on the phone line and it was a certain turtle avatar.

"Good morning to you too Bentley." Sly chuckled. "How'd you sleep?"

"Well minus Zack and Murray snoring the place down not so bad." Bentley said from his room on his computer where Zack was in his own bed while Murray slept on the floor with a blanket over him. Given how when he tried the bed it nearly broke from his weight.

"Well Bentley theres a lot more to the fog than you know." Player then chimed in as his computer showed his facts.

"The fog blows in so often that the locals gave it a name: Karl." He explained.

"Karl huh? So Foggy was already taken or they just couldn't see it?" Sly cracked.

"Very funny Sly." Bentley said.

"But when the fog lifts, what a view. The Golden Gate Bridge towers 746 feet above the bay." Carmen shared her facts as they appeared on the screen one by one. "It's one of the city's iconic landmarks, along with cable cars, the oldest and largest Chinatown in America, and "The Rock": Alcatraz Island, home of the famous prison."

"Right and according to my research before it was used to house common criminals it was also used as a military prison back in 1859 and a year later housed Civil War POW's." Bentley added.

"Wow you really did your research pal." Sly said.

"Don't I always?" Bentley cracked.

"Too bad it hasn't been used to jail criminals since 1963." Player continued as Karl the fog was now behind bars."Since VILE loves hanging out on islands, it would've been the perfect place to lock them up."

"That it would Player, the place was a fortress about thirty six prisoners attempted about 14 escapes. All of which failed, since they had no means of crossing out of the bay." Bentley added.

Carmen just shook her head smiling knowing that her new partners crew was settling in nicely. "Well boys until that day comes, I'm happy to keep stealing their money to spend on worthwhile causes, like the Children's Foundation charity auction tonight."

"You sure know how to spend your nights Carmen, I was thinking of a night in China town." Sly suggested. "You know since I've never been to San Francisco before."

"Wait never?" Carmen said rather surprised after hearing about Sly's global adventures, this was actually a place he'd never been before.

"Yeah never had the time to explore America much considering we're known criminals and we were busy finding out about the Cooper Vault." Sly explained.

"Well don't worry there'll be plenty of time for sight seeing another night." Carmen smiled as she opened a slide cupboard and inside was her trench coat and Sly's thief gear.

"A foggy night seems like perfect trench coat weather." She pushed the coat aside and looked at a red dress with gold linings. "But I really should dress for the occasion."

"And I suppose you'll need an escort to such a prestigious event." Sly bowed rather gentlemanly.

"Sorry Sly but I don't think they allow raccoon men inside auction houses." Carmen said realising that Sly couldn't very well blend in with a trench coat disguise.

"Oh yeah sure." Sly too realised this.

"Normally I would be surprised you got rejected Sly, but don't be too dismissive of your escort yet Carmen." Bentley then said on the coms. "I may have an idea to fix Sly's blending in problems."

Sly wondered what Bentley's idea could be, but knowing him it would be something high tech.

Later that evening:

The foggy nights drew in and at the event house for the Children's Foundation charity, the auction was underway. Inside everyone sat for the event. One item being auctioned was a red and black Dodge Charger.

"Going once…" Said the woman auctioneer. "going twice... sold for $78,000 to the generous lady in red."

Said lady in red now in her dress with her hair tied in a bun with a gold necklace black long gloves and black heels sat in a chair next to someone.

"You really bought the car from Rogue Vendetta 5? Who knew you were into action flicks?" Player asked on the com link in Carmen's ear.

"It goes with my dress, and Zack will totally flip." Carmen said.

"Yeah Murray too." Said a voice. "Him and Zack have been binge watching those movies since he and Bentley got here."

Next to her was a gentleman in a violet purple tuxedo with grey pants, navy blue shoes. He had tanned skin with grey hair and brown eyes. He also sported a cane with him. No one would know this was actually a certain someone else.

"By the way how's the disguise holding up Sly?" Bentley called on the coms.

"Bentley you never cease to amaze me, this looks so real even I don't recognise myself." Sly said admiring his disguise.

"Neither would I, you look so human and it feels real too." Carmen said feeling the side of his face.

"Thats the idea." Bentley explained from his location which was the team van parked across the street Murray was in the drivers seat listening in. "Its a holographic disguise to conceal the users true appearance and it even simulates certain attributes."

"Okay I gotta ask where'd you get the idea for that?" Player asked on one of his computer screens.

"Oh just something a friend of mine came up with, he shared it with me if we ever needed it." Bentley said. "It was a rather inter dimensional encounter." remembering an inter dimensional encounter he and Sly had with a robot and a strange yellow furry creature some time ago.

Back in the auction house Carmen and the disguised Sly were drawn to the attention of the next item for the auction.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this next item is what you've been waiting all evening for" The auctioneer announced. "an extremely rare postage stamp donated by an anonymous private collector. 'The One-Cent Black on Magenta.'"

Sly was completely puzzled. "A stamp? Not what I'd call valuable?"

"Hehe we can use it to send a postcard to VILE." Carmen joked.

"Heheh good idea wouldn't want them to feel left out." Sly chuckled back.

Player and Bentley however saw differently as they looked up said postage stamp and made a starting discovery. "Whoa. It's actually really valuable, to the tune of a cool 10 million."

"Cents. Very funny, Player." Carmen thought he was joking and Sly couldn't help but smile at that.

"No, seriously, dollars." Player explained. This took the two super thieves aback. The thought a mere stamp was worth so much money.

"You're kidding me!" Sly gasped.

"He kids you not Sly." Bentley pitched in.

"How is a one-cent stamp worth 10 million dollars?" Carmen wondered in genuine surprise.

"Yeah where was it printed the federal mint?" Sly asked.

Player did more research in his room into this very valuable stamp. "Only a small number of these black on magentas were ever printed, and this is the only one known to survive."

Bentley was doing his own research in the van on his tablet. "Right which makes it extremely rare and valuable as the rest of these stamps were presumed destroyed." He said.

"Whoa and it's worth that much hello burger funds!" Murray gasped.

"I'm taking up stamp collecting." Player then said on the coms.

"That makes two of us." Bentley agreed.

"Make it three." Sly agreed. Carmen smiled at this.

"Great, we'll win it for you. VILE can afford it." She said.

The item was under a sheet framed in a picture frame. The auctioneer's assistant wheeled it out onto a rolling trolly. "A reminder that all proceeds go to the Children's Foundation, so don't be shy." The auctioneer said and just as the assistant unravels it.

"Bidding begins at…" Everyone gasped as the golden picture frame was blank, no trace of the stamp what so ever. It had been stolen.

"Its gone!" The auctioneer gasped.

Carmen and Sly looked in shock then at each they realised something was a foot. "Player." "Bentley." They both said as they stood up abruptly and made their way to the doors.

"We're on it!" The two hackers said. Bentley made a few key strokes then a controller appeared on his wheel launching from the vans sun roof was his trusty RC helicopter which flew into the fog towards the auction house. Its eyes glowed green fitted with night vision.

"RC chopper airborne doing recon." Bentley reported.

"Checking CCTV." Player said from his room as he was looking through the security cameras. Suddenly he noticed something.

"Hold on I have something." He said. "Bentley what do you think." He quickly forwarded the footage to Bentley in the van.

The turtle genius recieved it and saw what Player had seen. He moved his chopper to that area and though it wasn't clear on the night vision he could see a silhouette within the fog.

"I see him I think we found our stamp thief." Bentley said.

"Red, Sly we've got something security feed and recon from Bentleys RC chopper show movement on the south side of the building." Player relayed.

Carmen and Sly meanwhile were heading for the main exit in hopes to pursue the thief making off with the stamp. However there was a catch.

"You'll just have to get through Karl."

"Who?" Carmen asked. "Oh, Karl…" She opened the door to see that the courtyard was completely covered in fog, it was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

"..the fog." She said a little frustrated.

"Well guess theres no need for this." Sly said as he pressed a button on his shirt collar deactivating the holo disguise revealing his raccoon features and tail. He pressed a button on his cane which changed the normal hook into his signature cane hook.

The two entered the fog staying close together, not just so they don't get separated but in case the thief wasn't working alone. Carmen took out a pen and clicked the tip shining a torch light from the bottom of it.

They looked all around but the lack of visibility was making the search all the more difficult. However Sly caught glimpse of something in the fog. He tapped Carmens shoulder getting her attention. They looked and saw someone was coming towards them. The two looked and judging from the poster and smug movements they knew exactly who this was as they both looked with smirks and raised eyebrows. For it was none other than…

"Carmen Sandiego and Sly Cooper." Chase Devineaux who looked with a rather smug look on his face.

"Chase Devineaux." Carmen said not surprised.

"Funny seeing you here, but then again I never pegged you as a creature of the night." Sly smirked slinging his cane on his shoulder.

"Ah but the thieves of the night are all predictable, I get wind of the theft of a ten million dollar stamp, and quite coincidentally you're here." Chase said deductively arrogant.

"Very observant." Carmen said. "But not quite observant enough to know we don't have the stamp."

"Oh I wouldn't try to slip away for this time it is I who has the upper hand." Chase said.

"What makes you so sure of that?" Sly chuckled. However that smirk was wiped from his face when the two heard an electrical charge from behind them. Sly turned his head slightly and to his surprise standing behind him.

"Hello ringtail." Was Carmelita with her shock pistol trained on the two thieves. From above the RC chopper watched the scene unfold and on the other end Bentley and Murray were taken completely by surprise.

"Carmelita!" Bentley exclaimed. "Whats she doing here!"

"Oh boy just like old times." Murray said as he quickly started up the van.

Back in the courtyard Sly and Carmen were caught between Devineaux and Carmelita. "Why Carmelita, how is it we can never meet without you pointing a shock pistol at me?" Sly flirted.

"Old habits die hard don't they." Carmelita merely said but deep down in both their hearts they were glad to see each other. The foxy Interpol agent more than most to know Sly was alive and well.

However her attention then turned to his accomplice. "And this must be the mysterious Carmen Sandiego. Remember me?" She asked.

"Hm your well informed, and sorry about that little mishap in Monte Carlo, I was in a hurry." Carmen said.

"So your running with Devineaux now, have I got competition for your affections?" Sly teased.

"Your the only man in my sights right now you and your lady in red." Carmelita said with a slight scowl as her shock pistol glowed with electricity.

"For master thieves you are very foolish." Chase then said. "For if one wishes to vanish into the cloak of night, perhaps one should not shine a beacon."

The two thieves looked at each other with the same thought as Sly then directed her attention to a silhouetted shape above them. They smiled and turned their attention to Devineaux.

"Thanks for the tip." Carmen said as she then shone the torch in the agents face blinding him.

"Gah!" he cried. Carmelita was about to act and fire her pistol when suddenly a bright light from above shone in her face blinding her. This gave the thieves chance to slip away into the fog. The agents recovered and Carmelita just glared at her new partner.

"You just had to say something didn't you!" Carmelita said Chase just growled as the two headed off in pursuit of their fleeing criminals. Thankfully they had one idea of where they could be. By the click clacking sound of a pair of high heel shoes on the pavements.

"And perhaps one should not wear loud, clacky shoes." Chase smirked.

However just as they ran. The sound of footsteps stopped, they looked around in confusion. Suddenly a high heel shoe hit Chase in the face. This told the foxy inspector that Carmen had ditched them.

"This way!" Carmelita said as she and Chase maintained pursuit and soon spotted a shadow in the distance. Assuming it to be the two thieves.

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE RINGTAIL!" Carmelita exclaimed.

"I HAVE YOU NOW YOU CRIMSON PHANTOM!" Chase exclaimed.

However it wasn't the Le femme rouge or the gentleman raccoon thief, they had spotted in the fog. "There you are." It was Julia who had gotten lost in the fog.

Carmeita was startled as she quickly holstered her pistol and powered it down. "Ah!" She gasped. "Oh its you Julia, its lucky you warned us I could've given you a nasty shock with this thing." She said.

"I'm rather grateful that you didn't." Julia said understanding her new partner.

"Yes yes, I am here, she is there and you are there, Ms Argent." Chase then said after catching up. "But where on Earth is Cooper and Sandiego?!" He exclaimed.

In his frustration he soon walked away with Carmelita and Julia close behind as they walked side by side to compare notes.

"I gotta say somethings off here." Carmelita said suspiciously. "Stealing from a children's charity event that doesn't sound like Coopers MO."

"Ms Fox, you have been with us for a few days now." Chase then said "While your knowledge of the blue raccoonus is beneficial. we must remember he and Le Femme rouge are criminals and it is our job to bring them to justice."

Carmelita just rolled her eyes at him. She'd known him for only a few hours and already she saw him as an arrogant idiot. She could suspect something else was a foot as could another.

"Be that as it may agent Devineaux." Julia said. "Carmelita is quite correct. "Stealing from a children's charity makes very little sense for Ms. Sandiego much less Mr. Cooper, especially following the events in Mumbai where they left the stolen Magna Carta for us to find."

Carmelita picked up something from what Julia had just said. "Wait what did you say?"

"Well during our last mission in Mumbai…" "Mep mep mep!" However that story was cut short by Chase who pointed to a figure in the fog. It appeared to be ran towards the figure with Carmelita close behind him. As they got closer they thought for sure they would catch the scarlet thief.

"AHA!" Chase exclaimed but his joy was short lived as it turned out to be a certain mime standing in the streets with his creepy smile.

Chase yelped rather startled by the mimes appearance as was Carmelita who thought his smile was very disturbing. Julia soon arrived and saw the mime in front of Bomb just gave a natural smile looking at the three agents.

"Go on, get out of here!" Chase said shooing him away.

Mime Bomb merely smiled as waved back to the three of them and disappeared into the fog. Carmelita was very taken aback, that mime just happened to be at the scene of the crime and Chase just let him go.

"You let him go?" Julia questioned.

"What he was merely a street clown?" Chase questioned.

"At City hall, standing in the fog where a crime has just been committed?" Carmelita questioned. "Seems too coincidental."

"Indeed." Julia agreed. "Such performers are typically relegated to tourist areas like Fisherman's Wharf."

Chase tired of hearing dull facts about boring things just changed the subject. "Please remain on task, Agents Argent and Fox. Once again, Carmen Sandiego and Sly Cooper has slipped away." He said looking out into the cloak of the fog. "This time with a 10 million dollar stamp in their little red and blue hands."

Little did they know the mime they ran into was actually holding the stolen stamp in his hands. He placed it into his pocket as he rode the railcar into the dark mists of the fog.

Isle of VILE:

Later at VILE Academy the Faculty were gathered in the faculty cleaners were hard at work mopping the floors living up to their namesakes. Meanwhile Maelstrom, Countess Cleo and Shadowsan were being briefed by Mime Bomb on the screen. Dr Bellum on the other hand was deep in her computer screens.

The VILE mime was pantomiming his report acting out a certain red super thief, and of a certain raccoon man holding a cane. Which he showed by spinning a stick. Maelstrom soon got the message.

"Carmen Sandiego and Sly Cooper, I see." He said. "Stand by, Mime Bomb. We will contact you with instructions on how to proceed."

The mime took a bow as the transmission ended and the screen retracted. "If our former pride and joy and her Raccoon accomplice is on our snitch's trail, I would suggest that a more suitable operative transport the stamp out of San Francisco." Gunnar notions.

"Hm, Mime Bomb's not exactly what I would call the strong, silent type." Coach Brunt admitted.

"I would recommend Tigress." Shadowsan then suggested getting the attention of his fellow faculty members, minus Dr Bellum.

"Would this be because she failed to stop Carmen Sandiego in Indonesia?" Coach Brunt then said. "Or because she failed to stop Cooper in Paris?"

"Tigress is my finest student and the most vicious." Shadowsan then replied.

"I agree with Shadowsan." Called a voice from the shadows. Coming before the faculty was Dr M who walked down the hall way over the cleaners and standing to attention.

"Okay seriously how does he get in here?" Cleo then asked.

"Being Seira's lab partner has it's perks my dear Countess." Dr M said in respect. "Anyhow onto the matter at hand, I do concur with Shadowsan's choice of operative. Plus I'm sure Tigress is more than eager to deal payback on your dear Black Sheep and dear Sly for making a fool of her."

"Oh and what makes you so sure of that monkey boy." Brunt said unconvinced.

Dr. M took an offence to that monkey brains comment but chose to let it slide. "Because my dear Coach Brunt, vengeance is a strong motivation, when a prey alludes the tiger it merely waits for a better opportunity."

"Vengeance does also welcome mistakes dear Doctor M." Gunnar merely said.

"Yeah and I suppose you'd be the expert on that given your own failure to deal with Cooper right?" Brunt then hinted at how Dr M told the story of his past encounter with the raccoon thief only to have the treasure of the Cooper Vault stolen from him.

He clenched his fists in anger and was close to loosing his cool. However he simply responded. "Oh my dear coach you talk to me of failure yet if I'm not mistaken the air of hesitance hangs in the room." Dr. M said.

"Indeed it does doctor." Shadowsan agreed before turning to Coach Brunt. "The coach does not wish me to send Tigress, because she continues to be soft on Black Sheep."

An air of silence entered the room as the Cleaners stopped mopping the floor to see the tense conversation. That truly stung the brute coach saying she was always so soft on the scarlet super thief when she was a student.

"Do I need to remind you that we were all soft on Black Sheep, before she betrayed us and took a new name?" Coach Brunt reminded.

"Do I need to remind you that I never thought she was fit to enroll in VILE's program to begin with?" Shadowsan reminded back in a harsh tone.

A fight would've broken out if Maelstrom didn't call everyone to attention. "Faculty, please. Why squabble when we can simply vote?" He moved. "All in favor of sending Tigress, raise your hand."

Shadowsan, Cleo and Maelstrom raised their hands however the member yet to cast a vote was Dr Bellum who was still staring at her screens.

"Ahem. Dr. Bellum, your participation is mandatory for us to reach a decision." Maelstrom reminded.

"I happen to be preoccupied at the moment, Professor." Dr Bellum answered. "You do want me to hack into this keycard and learn what I can about ACME, don't you?"

She was trying to find information regarding the key card Paper Star had pickpocketed off two thieves who'd taken it from a certain agent back in India.

"Indeed, that card has become something of a curiosity to me as well." Dr. M agreed. "Seira perhaps we should retire to the lab I have a few ideas on how we may crack this mystery."

"I do agree, doctor two minds are better than one." Bellum was about to leave but then looked to her fellow faculty members. "Fine fine, send whomever." She said raising her had and she and the monkey scientist left the room to continue their studies.

"I shall notify Tigress." Shadowsan said who looked with a rather prideful smirk on his face.

However Coach Brunt wasn't one to let this one go. She looked to the Cleaners who were still in the room who looked back at her. They nodded at each other silently giving them the message. Brunt smirked in anticipation when she would show up her rival and show she wasn't soft at all.

San Francisco: The Hotel:

Meanwhile back at the hotel everyone was gathered in the room where Carmen and Sly had been staying in. Sly was still in his tux with his tie untied whilst Ivy sat on the bed with Zack. Murray was stood up as Bentley was setting up one of his presentations. Carmen arrived in the room with her hair down still in her dress as she walked barefooted into the then called everyone to attention as he activated his holoscreen.

"Alright since the events of last night Player and I have been reviewing the security tapes from City hall and we may have an ID on our stamp thief." Bentley said as he brought up the security footage. He then enhanced it and it showed a certain mime.

"Mime Bomb." Carmen guessed.

"Whoa thats one creepy clown!" Murray said a little creeped out.

"Uh he's a mime Murray, street entertainers." Ivy pointed out.

"Your not scared of clowns are you Murray?" Zack asked.

"What, the Murray knows no fear!" Murray proclaimed. "But still why go through this just to steal one little stamp?"

"Because it's not the stamp they're interested in Murray its what it's worth." Sly said.

"Right, the worth of the stamp is over ten million dollars, enough to fund more than enough capers for VILE." Carmen agreed.

"Who would've thought a tiny stamp would be worth ten million bucks." Zack mused.

"Yes well since last night this Mime Bomb has gone underground." Bentley said showing footage of Carmelita, Julia and Chase at the scene. "And the appearance of Carmelita and her new friends only make things more complicated. But we maybe able to use this to our advantage."

"I don't get it Sly I thought you said you and that foxy cop lady were an item?" Zack asked.

"Yeah maybe you can charm her to back off or at least help us." Ivy agreed.

"True Carmelita has helped us in the past, but things are complicated now. Plus since she's running with Devineaux if she's seen with me it could be trouble." Sly said.

Carmen could tell that Sly hated the idea of him and Carmelita once again being on opposite sides of this fight against VILE. But she knew if she was seen with him it would put her in a bad position with whoever Devineaux was riding with now.

"Thankfully however we may have an opportunity to snag our runaway mime." Bentley then said. "Player if you please."

Player then appeared on the holo screen and brought up a map of San Francisco. "According to some intel we decoded from the hard drive it seems theres a hand off going down with a valuable item." He relayed.

"If that doesn't say special stamp delivery I don't know what does." Sly guessed and Carmen nodded at that notion.

"Wheres this hand off taking place?" Carmen asked.

Meanwhile: China Town:

"The hand-off will transpire in Chinatown." Shadowsan relayed on a communicator to Tigress. "Mime Bomb has been instructed to sit tight until the exchange can be facilitated."

As the fog cleared it revealed the famous dragon gate of San Francisco's China Town. People were at large. Mime Bomb meanwhile was sitting on an invisible chair hiding in plain sight. For to the public he was merely a street performer doing a performance. On the bench next to him was a small statue of a lucky cat. Someone placed a dollar into it to pay for the Mime's performance.

"The stamp is hidden within the statue of a lucky cat." Shadowsan further instructed.

Meanwhile a couple of blocks down the street Tigress without her mask on had arrived wearing a dark green coat over her mission outfit. She had her phone talking to her teacher.

"How fitting. I consider myself VILE's lucky cat. Meow." Tigress said.

Soon a map with the symbol of a bomb with black and grey stripes appeared. Indicating Mime Bombs position. "This tracker will triangulate his location. Do not fail, Tigress." Shadowsan instructed before Tigress closed the line to head for her rondevu.

China Town:

Meanwhile hiding in the concealment of a dark alley. Carmen and Sly now clad in their thieves attire peeped out and spotted a certain mime across the street.

"Yours and Bentley's intel is impeccable, Player." Carmen said. "Mime Bomb's here, hiding in plain sight behind an invisible newspaper." Mime Bomb then did a pantomime of holding a newspaper while sitting on an invisible bench.

"And looking casual about it." Sly observed. "You know I could never get the hang of how mimes do their tricks."

"I have to admit, it's rather smart." Bentley said on the coms. "Sending an operative disguised as a mime to steal a stamp and he walks in public without alerting the authorities it's..it's inconceivably brilliant."

"Stay in the light Bentley." Player then said.

"Sorry sorry." Bentley apologised.

"So you think he has the stamp?" Player asked.

"Hard to say. He could be receiving or delivering." Carmen guessed.

While Mime Bomb red his newspaper his gaze then turned to the alleyway. Sly saw this. "Get back." Sly whispered as he pushed Carmen to the wall he was against. However it was too late they'd been made. Mime Bomb picked up the cat statue and quickly ran away. It didn't take them long to deduce where the stamp was.

"It's in the cat." Carmen guessed but before she could pursue him Sly stopped her.

"We got company." Sly said as they both hurried to the wall.

They looked and saw Tigress had just arrived but to her surprise there was no sign of the elusive mime. "Ugh, where is that buffoon going?" She groaned and continued heading down the street.

The two thieves knew Tigress had to be here to pick up the stamp. Sly then looked up and saw the ideal way to follow her without being seen. He prodded Carmens shoulder drawing her attention to the cables above them. She nodded in agreement, so the two fired their respective grappling hooks and took to the rooftops.

While Tigress was oblivious down below, above on the cables Carmen and Sly were sliding down the cables and performing ninja spire jumps on the cables to reach the rooftops.

"So you trained her like a Copper huh Sly?" Bentley asked.

"Yeah she has been paying attention to the Thievious Raccoonus huh." Sly said to him.

"Well a students only as good as the teacher." Bentley said.

Meanwhile Mime Bomb was running down the street until he passed a certain store. He slowly backed up and looked at a store with a red sign on it. He had an idea. Looking around he saw no sign of his pursuers, unaware they were hiding on one of the rooftops. They watched Mime Bomb enter the store then after a few seconds he left the store. However he no longer had the cat statue.

"Well aren't you a sly one." Carmen said.

"Hiding it in a convenience store? Hm gotta admire his creativity." Sly agreed.

They headed down to the street. However before Sly could enter he placed a small bracelet like device on his wrist and twisted it. This activated his holo disguise hiding his raccoon features and now appeared human. The two thieves then entered the store, and saw it wasn't just a convenience store. It was a store selling lucky cat statues. And somewhere in one of these cats lay a single stamp.

"Oh boy this became difficult." Sly breathed.

So the two of them looked around for any signs of their statue. Carmen looked at one on the first shelf and saw it didn't have a hole in the head for money.

"Can't feed this kitty." Carmen said rubbing her finger over its meanwhile was looking at the statues big and small and tried to figure out which one was which. When suddenly he spotted one that took his interest.

"Hey red." Sly said getting his partners attention. "Unless I miss my guess we've found our lucky cat." Carmen looked at the statue Sly was talking about and she nodded in agreement.

Just then Tigress was passing by said store, and as she passed the window. She spotted a certain scarlet thief about to purchase a lucky cat statue. She was in the company of a gentleman with tanned skin and wore blue and grey clothing. Though she couldn't tell it was a certain raccoon thief in disguise.

"Within a statue of a lucky cat." She instantly guessed.

Just as the disguised Sly and Carmen were about to buy the cat the store bell rang and they looked to see the VILE tiger operative standing in the doorway.

"I'll take the tchotchke." She threatened.

"Well well, Tigress, I almost didn't recognise you without smashing into a pile of crates." Sly said charmingly.

"Uh I'm sorry and you are?" Tigress said confused.

"You used to claw after me back in Paris." Sly hinted.

"Paris?" Tigress wondered and after she took a good look at the gentleman with Carmen she saw a certain Raccoon thief standing in his place. She gasped. "Cooper!" She growled. "Oh goody I come her for a cat but now I get to skin an annoying rodent too! Now hand it over!"

"Or what? You'll claw my coat into a bolero jacket?" Carmen asked not feeling intimidated.

"Or skin me alive?" Sly asked.

"I didn't just ace that exam. I shredded it." Tigress said sheathing her claws remembering how Carmen failed her exam. "Which is what I'm about to do to your faces."

"Not the way I heard it kitty, you sure that coat wasn't empty maybe your not as good as you think you are?" Sly teased as he reached for his cane.

Tigress growled in fury like her namesake as she lunged forwards. She sliced at the two of them Carmen ducked to the left whilst Sly ducked to the right. Tigress tried to snatch the cat from Carmen only for her to toss it to the disused Raccoon who caught it with his cane. It had become a game of keep away.

Tigress leaped at Sly who dodged out of the way then kicked Tigress into the shelves. She got up as cat statues fell to the ground. The VILE operative became more angered and lunged at Sly to take the cat only for him to throw it to Carmen which she caught then performed a roundhouse kick to knock her into the table. Tigress crouches on the table knocking off and smashing the cat statues that lay on it.

"I'll take that kitty." Tigress smirked as she leaped back towards the two thieves.

The female shopkeeper on the other hand was more concerned about the toll this was taking on her shop. "We have others you know." She called.

Carmen and Tigress were both holding onto the cat trying to pull it away from each other. "I always pegged you as a crazy cat lady." Carmen growled.

Tigress then tripped Carmen up forcing her to let go of the cat as she fell to the ground. Tigress was about to take the cat but Sly quickly grabbed it with his cane. She turned and growled at him.

"I think I liked you better with the fur!" Tigress growled. "It hides the claw marks!" She lunged at Sly and slashed him but he blocked her attacks with his cane. She then tripped him up and slammed him to the ground taking the cat statue from him.

She then exited the store before she turned back to her least favourite people. "Finders keepers." She cracked as she left the store with her prize.

However Carmen and Sly weren't disappointed they lost the cat. "Should've slashed my coat." Carmen said as she pulled it back to reveal the real cat statue hiding in her lower trench coat pocket.

"Trench coats do have their uses." Sly said impressed. "The old switcharoo."

They then turned their attention to the store owner, as Carmen tosses her a roll full of cash. "For the kitty cats. Keep the change." She said as they took their leave.

"Sayonara." Sly tipped his hat as the Shopkeeper smiled at her expenses being covered.

Meanwhile:

Tigress looked at her cat statue then proceeded to drop it to the ground where it shattered into pieces. She then inspected the pieces only to find what she sought wasn't there.

"What? No stamp?!" She growled. "GRR Unlucky cat!"

Elsewhere:

Carmen and Sly were inspecting their own cat. The lady in red removed the bottom of the statue to look inside its money box. However she soon found it was.

"Empty?" She said surprised.

"What?" Sly said surprised as he took the statue to look for himself and she was right there was no stamp inside it. "But how did…" Then suddenly it dawned on them.

"Mime Bomb!" They both gasped.

"Apparently not as dumb as the mime make up leads you to believe." Sly said a little frustrated.

"Player, Bentley we've been duped, Mime Bomb still has the stamp." Carmen called on the coms.

"Don't sweat Red we're on the case." Player said.

"I have my RC chopper and Red Drone doing recon all over China town if he's still here we'll pin him down." Bentley agreed.

"Yeah if Tigress doesn't find him first." Sly said.

Meanwhile many streets away Mime Bomb still had the stamp in hand. He looks around to make sure he's not being watched. Then places the stamp in his right pocket before heading down the street.

The Dragon Gate:

Not to far away Carmelita, Chase and Julia had just arrived at ChinaTown apparently they were here for the same reason. Carmelita had a scarf round her head and sunglasses to hide her fox appearance.

"ACME intel indicates there will be an exchange of an unknown commodity here tonight." Julia explained. "It could be the stolen stamp."

"More than likely Julia." Carmelita agreed.

"Then perhaps today we shall catch Carmen Sandiego and Sly Cooper red-handed." Chase said, causing Carmelita to roll her eyes.

"Is he always this arrogant?" She whispered to Julia.

"Ah well most of the time yes." Julia said.

"So Julia, what did you mean when you said Cooper and Sandiego left the Magna Carta for you to find?" Carmelita then asked out of earshot of Devineaux.

"You're wanting to hear my theories?" Julia questioned.

"Look I'm not so dense as Devineaux , I'm willing to listen so let's have it." Carmelita explained.

"Oh well during a case in Mumbai when the Magna Carta's were stolen, we assumed it was Ms Sandiego and Mr Cooper, but then they left them on my train seat presumably for me to find." Julia explained before she pulled something out of her pocket.

"I found this lying next to it." Julia said and Carmelita looked to see it was indeed one of Sly's calling cards only it sported a familiar looking fedora.

"Theres more." Julia said. "Some weeks ago paintings made by the artist Vermeer had been stolen from art institutions around the world, yet somehow they'd all been returned, by both Carmen Sandiego and Sly Cooper."

Carmelita honestly didn't know what to make of all this, she may not know this Sandiego woman but she knew Sly. She knew he only stole from other criminals and corrupt people, but never once had he returned anything of value. Just what kind of thief was Carmen Sandiego to steal things only to return them?

"Sly what have you gotten yourself into?" She whispered to herself.

Just as they past the Dragons gate Julia then spotted a familiar face. She grabbed Chase to get his attention which also drew Carmelita's attention as well.

"Do you find that suspicious?" Julia pointed out and the two former Interpol inspectors looked to see a certain street performer walking down the street.

"Another street clown. So what? San Francisco is filled with them." Chase doubted.

"I don't know theres something off about this." Carmelita said suspiciously. "Not to mention he looks familiar."

"I think it's the same one from last night." Julia realised. Mime Bomb looked over his shoulder to see the three people he'd run into the previous night. His pace soon quickened after looking back a second time.

"Its him!" Carmelita realised.

"You there!" Chase exclaimed as he ran after him. "STOP!"

Mime Bomb pantomimed running but suddenly received a rather nasty shock before Devinaux could even tackle him to the ground. He looked back and saw Carmelita with her shock pistol in hand.

"What you were too slow?" Carmelita smirked much to Chases annoyance.

The two then took Mime Bomb into custody. Unaware that two certain super thieves were watching them from above. Carmen smirked.

"Well Sly your girlfriend had better be good at charades." Carmen said to him.

"Don't worry about Carmelita, I'd be more worried about Devineaux. Or better yet Mime Bomb." Sly said. "Cause when a thief is in her sights well let's just say she can be persuasive."

Soon on a street overlooking Alcatraz island, the three ACME agents escorted Mime Bomb who's head was now covered by a bag so he didn't know where they were going. Arrived in an alley way with graffiti on the wall. Whilst walking it appeared Chase was looking for something in his coat pockets.

"What do you mean you can't find your keycard?" Carmelita asked surprised.

"I have not lost it!" Chase protested.

"Perhaps you left your keycard in another jacket." Julia suggested.

"I always wear my lucky coat when I am working." Chase said while searching his other coat pockets. "And I only have one lucky coat."

"So you have lost it?" Carmelita said with an unamused raised eyebrow.

"Sir, were you wearing this coat when you drove into the Swiss lake? Or when you fell onto the windshield of your car?" Julia wondered.

"Whoa, sounds like you not only misplace key cards but also a bad luck with vehicles huh Agent Devineaux?" Carmelita said still questioning this so called former officer at Interpol.

"Never mind that!" Chase dismissed quickly. "Please one of you just use your keycards." He then gestured.

Carmelita rolled her eyes as Julia pulled out her keycard and placed it on one of the bricks. Miraculously it then beeped and in the wall it soon revealed a secret concealed door. The foxy inspector had to admit she was becoming more impressed with ACME's efficiency. The three with their suspect in hand entered the room as the door shut behind them.

The bag was quickly removed from Mime Bomb's head by Devineaux now in a dark room with a lone light source from the ceiling. He looked and saw the three agents and the disguised foxy inspector in the room.

"What is your connection to Carmen Sandiego and Sly Cooper, hmm?" Chase asked in interrogation.

Mime Bomb however just maintained a silent smile on his face. "Speak up! You do not have the right to remain silent!" Carmelita then said. The mime just gestured to his handcuffs signifying he can only answer in sign language. This much Julia understood.

"Perhaps we need to allow him to answer in his own way." Julia suggested.

Carmelita nodded in agreement whilst Chase who was becoming frustrated saw no other ideas. "Ugh. Go on." He gestured.

Julia pressed some keys on her tablet which released the locks on Mime Bombs cuffs which dropped to the ground. He rubbed his wrists.

"Now answer our questions." Carmelita then said.

With that Mime Bomb started pantomiming his response. Chase followed along as did Carmelita. "Three words, first syllable." He said guessing the gestures. "An elephant? Getting a pedicure? Giving you a pedicure!" Carmelita just face palmed her self as thats not what the Mime was saying at all. "While spreading cheese... on a baguette? On Bastille Day?!"

Mime Bomb just face palmed himself too as he leans forward with a look that said 'seriously?' Chase had had enough of this game of charades.

"This is ridiculous! What is he saying?" He finally gave up.

"He insists he was merely performing on the street." Julia translated. "He has never heard of any Carmen Sandiego. He says he is innocent."

Mime Bomb nodded at that response. However Carmelita wasn't really convinced. She had experience with meeting people who claim to tell the truth but were really lying through their teeth. Namely Nyla and the Contessa.

"Really? Then tell me what were you doing last night at city hall?" She then questioned.

The mime performed a pantomime of his response and Chase was still more confused than before. "You were doing a midnight performance?" Carmelita said to which the Mime nodded. "In the fog at night?"

"Huh how do you know what he is saying?" Chase questioned.

"You never played charades as a kid did you, nor understand modern psychology." Carmelita merely said.

Mime Bomb then pantomimed his next response to which Carmelita understood. "You were acting out a man lost in fog?" She guessed to which he nodded. "Hm a crime was committed on that night did you happen to run across any suspicious looking…."

"GAH!" Chase growled having lost his patience. "THIS IS A WASTE OF TIME HE IS NOT INNOCENT!" He growled. "CARMEN SANDIEGO AND SLY COOPER STOLE A STAMP AND THIS MIME IS THIER COURIER!"

Chase then grabbed the mime by the shirt and pushed him to the wall. Carmelita was taken aback was this guy for real? "You are carrying the stamp! ADMIT IT!" He demanded and didn't even notice the mime placing said stamp into his coat pocket.

"GIVE IT TO ME!" Chase felt him all over pockets and shirt to see if he was carrying the stamp but found nothing. Carmelita and Julia pulled him away before this got out of hand.

"Perhaps he is working for VILE." Julia whispered to them. Carmelita nodded in agreement to her that seemed the reasonable explanation. From what Chief had previously explained VILE has remained nothing more than a ghost story, one that this mime could fit the profile of.

Chase took a moment to ponder all this before he came up with an idea.

Soon they were back in the alleyway where Chase removed the mask from Mime Bombs head and his hand cuffs were removed. He was being released?

"Our sincerest apologies. You are free to go. Uh, tell no one about this, please." Chase said in an apologetic way.

Mime Bomb merely pantomimed him zipping his lip then took his leave. Carmelita was questioning this move on Chase's behalf.

"I don't see why you are letting him go, again." Carmelita said.

"I must agree sir an innocent mime does not evade agents he encounters on the street." Julia agreed.

"Which is precisely why I let him go, Ms. Argent." Chase said rather cunningly "I guarantee you and Ms Fox that he will lead us straight to Carmen Sandiego and Sly Cooper."

"Or maybe this VILE." Carmelita said under her breath, she knew they did want to catch the two thieves but if this was a shot to uncover a VILE operative that seemed to take more priority.

Far away from the city Tigress was still trying to track down the elusive mime. His tracker showed he was heading towards the water front. So an annoyed Tigress followed the trail.

Fishermans Wharf:

As the sun began to set on the city Tigress arrived at the waterfront where she found Mime Bomb doing performances on the wharf to blend in. As he was picking up an invisible flower and presented it to an annoyed Tigress.

"Where have you been?!" She questioned under breath.

Mime Bomb then did a pantomime and his eyes shifted to the trio of agents who were at the wharf after following him. Tigress looked and saw them too.

"There. A street clown performing at Fisherman's Wharf. Are you happy now?" Chase said to Julia and Carmelita.

Tigress began to see what Mime Bomb was telling her. "You're…. being followed." She realised and decided to play along.

The mime bowed as Tigress gave a round of applause. "Bravo, mime! Can you do 'pulling on a rope?'" She then asked and Mime Bomb acted out pulling a rope.

"How about "where did you hide it"?" She then asked rather serious. Mime Bomb just gave a sad face at that but then smiled as he tilted his head then made a gesture to his money collection cup.

Tigress frowned as she knew he was asking for a tip. "Are you kidding me?" She questioned as she pulled out some loose change from her coat pocket and tipped it into the cup.

Unbeknownst to them they were being watched from afar. By Carmen and Sly who were watching through their Binoucoms. They watched as Mime Bomb performed a pantomime of where he placed the stolen stamp. gesturing he placed it into a strict mans coat pocket. Sly couldn't make sense of this.

"Oh I wish I played charades more as a kid." Sly said to himself. Carmens attention however was drawn to the trio of agents on the wharf it didn't take her long to deduce where the stamp was.

"Somewhere in that coat lies a single 10 million dollar stamp." She said and Sly eventually caught on but suddenly as their gaze turned back to Mime Bomb. Tigress was nowhere to be seen.

"Carmen we have a problem!" Sly said getting her attention and she saw what Sly meant. Mimebomb walked away.

They looked back to Chase, Carmelita and Julia walking down the pier. They could see they were following Mime Bomb, but Sly looked ahead of him and spotted Tigress leaning casually against the posts. He gasped in horror realising what she planned to do.

"She's going for the stamp!" He exclaimed and Carmen realised this too.

"No!" She gasped and the two hurried off the roof Sly pointed to the cables ahead and they quickly slid down them to get to the ground quickly.

On the wharf Mime Bomb was walking along rather casually while not too far ahead Tigress waited like her namesake ready to pounce on her prey. Namely Chase Devineaux who he and his unsuspecting partners walking along unawares.

Carmen and Sly leaped from more cables to the rooftops and leaped from one to the next then jumped down into an alleyway.

Tigress waited in anticipation as her prey drew ever closer. Sly and Carmen ran as fast as they could to get to the street. Mime Bomb had passed Tigress which gave her the signal ready to act. She sharpened her claws as Chase's coat blew in the wind. He passed Tigress and with a fingers slice she cut away the bottom of the coat almost in slow motion grabbed it in her hand and fled.

Sly and Carmen arrived on the scene and looked at Chase's destroyed coat which meant the tiger had beaten them to it. "Grr too late!" Sly said and Carmen growled in frustration that she'd been one upped again.

The two quickly pursued the fleeing VILE operative. Meanwhile as a gust of wind blew Chase felt a sudden chill which got Carmelita and Julia's attention.

"They were not kidding about brisk ocean air." Chase said feeling the biting chill.

"Oh please thats nothing compared to…" Suddenly Carmelita noticed something different about Chase namely how short his coat had become. "Chase!" She gasped.

"What?" He asked and it was then Julia noticed it too.

"Your coat?" She said and eventually Chase looked to see his lucky coat had indeed been cut down to size, quite literally.

"What?!" He gasped and it was in that moment Carmelita caught sight of two certain thieves fleeing the area. Chase saw them too.

"Cooper!" She exclaimed.

"Le Femme Rouge!" Chase shouted. "She and the Blue Raccoonus are vicious and cruel!" He said dismayed thinking they were responsible for destroying his coat.

"Yeah…" Carmelita pulled out her shock pistol and charged it up. "..Well so am I!" She then ran after the thieves with intent to capture them and Chase wasn't too far behind with Julia tailing them.

Tigress flees from the scene with Sly and Carmen close behind her, with Carmelita, Chase and Julia behind them. Tigress slips into an alleyway to lose them but Carmen and Sly follow her down the VILE operative emerges from the alley just as a brightly green coloured Lamborghini pulls up. Tigress pulls out the man driving it and she lands in the drivers seat herself. The owner wasn't having it.

"You can't take my…" His sentence was cut off by Tigress showing her claws.

"Care to tell it to the hand?" She said which resulted in the owner whimpering and running away. "Didn't think so." She smirked.

Carmen and Sly soon arrive at the scene only to find Tigress leaning out the car window and holding up the torn coat piece.

"Check it out! I aced the coat exam again!" Tigress gloated as she placed on her glasses laughing as she drove away long before Sly and Carmen could reach her.

Sly growled and he called Bentley. "Bentley, Murray any chance of a quick pick up for two?" He asked.

"Sorry Sly, we're just too far away even with the van we'd never get there in time!" Bentley relayed.

However help was still at hand. "I got you guys. Roadside pick up is on the way." Player relayed.

At that moment a certain red dodge charger appeared at the roadside with an excited Zack at the wheel. "Thanks, Carm! I got to drive this baby right off the auction lot!" He said excitedly. "I can't believe it's the actual car from the movie!"

Carmen got in the car's front seat and just as Sly was about to hop in back. A jolt of electricity surged passed his fur. Then he heard a familiar cry. "COOPER!" He turned round and saw a very angry Carmelita running towards them. He had no time to get in the car so he had an idea.

"You guys get Tigress, I'll meet you up ahead!" He said shutting the door behind Carmen.

"What are you gonna do?!" Carmen exclaimed.

"What I do best, deal with Inspector Fox." He then leaped over the car and made for the fire escape on the building across the street to make for the rooftops.

Carmen knew Sly had this covered they had a bigger prey to catch. "Zack!"

"Starter flag waved, and we're off to the races." Zack said putting the car in gear and floored the accelerator the wheels squealed as the car raced away just as Carmelita and Chase arrived on the scene too late.

The foxy inspector looked up and saw Sly had climbed to the rooftop and tipped his hat at her as he fled. She wasn't about to let Sly get away that easily.

"You can have Sandiego, Devinaux! The ringtail is mine!" She said angrily at Chase as she climbed up the fire escape and made it to the roof in pursuit of her quarry.

"That fox scares me." Chase grimaced. He pulled out a small remote from his coat and pressed a button. Just then a new black Aston Martin arrived to pick him up. Julia arrived to see Chase getting into the car.

"Sir! A word of caution before you engage in another high-speed pursuit with ACME property…" Julia tried but Chase wasn't in the mood.

"Gah! This is exactly why I'm not inviting you along. I cannot be slowed down by "caution words.'" He dismissed as he got in the car started it and zoomed away leaving his partner in a cloud of smoke.

The car Tigress was fleeing in raced down the street with Carmen and Zack close behind them. Chase wasn't too far behind as the engines raved down the looked in her rearview mirror and saw a certain red car with a lady in red in the passenger seat wasn't too far behind her. She glared as she powerslided round a sharp bend.

Zack made a quick power slide following her whilst Carmen held onto the doorframe as the turn was sharp. The Aston powerslided behind them and was closing in.

"So you think this baby can drive straight up a wall?" Zack asked in excitement. "You know, like it did on Rogue Vendetta 7: Drive 'Em Up a Wall?"

"Lets try not to find out!" Carmen exclaimed. However despite the circumstances she remembered she had a partner on the run. "We shouldn't have left Sly back there."

Bentley then called in. "Relax Carmen, we'll get Sly you focus on getting the stamp. And don't worry he knows how to handle himself especially where Carmelita's involved."

"I don't know that fox lady looked pretty pissed." Zack noted in concern.

Elsewhere:

Sly meanwhile was having problems of his own. He ran along the rooftops with blasts of electricity zooming past him. He looked back and saw Carmelita wasn't too far behind. She soon received a call from Julia.

"Agent Fox, Agent Devineaux is in pursuit of Ms Sandiego where are you?" She asked.

"In pursuit of Cooper can't talk now over and out!" She said hanging up the call.

Sly leaped off the rooftop and drew his cane. The hook caught a cable hanging from across two buildings he swung on the cable and landed on a car below him. He looked back then leaped from the car he was on. Carmelita leaped from the roof top and bounced on the cable to the opposite roof ran along then jumped from it and onto a truck. Just as Sly landed on the car in front.

"Hey get off my car!" Called the owner inside.

Sly leaped off it Carmelita leaped off the truck and grabbed the ring-tailed thief by the waste as they crashed into a fire escape. The foxy agent lost her grip and fell down the ladder which flew downwards. Sly climbed up the fire escape and Carmelita quickly climbed the ladder just to see Sly running ahead. She growled as she maintained her pursuit.

Back on the streets the Fast and Furious chase was continuing down the roads of the city. Tigress swerved round a corner down the street with Carmen and Zack following her who was being followed by Devineaux.

On a hilly stretch of road the cars bounced up and down up and down the roads like they were jumping off ramps.

"WHOOO!" Zack cheered as inside the Charger they were bouncing up and down in the car.

Isle of VILE:

"I have the stamp. I just need to shake a little red and blue tail." Tigress reported to the faculty minus Dr Bellum who wasn't present.

"Proceed to higher ground where the Cleaners can provide pickup." Coach Brunt instructed.

"Pah! The Cleaners? They will never arrive in time." Shadowsan doubted.

However Brunt could only smirk at the master of stealth smugly. "Well, they already happen to be on site. I suspected there might be a mess to clean up. Was I right?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

All Shadowsan could do was frown in anger.

San Francisco:

While the car chase continued roaring through the streets the Golden Gate bridge was homing into view. Not too far away Sly continued to flee from Carmelita. He jumped to yet another rooftop with her very close behind.

However when he reached the edge of the roof he saw all that was in front of him was the road below and the bay. He was trapped. He heard the humming noise of electricity behind him and very heavy breathing. He slowly turned round and was now face to face with Carmelita.

All was silent between the two of them as night was closing in. Sly eventually broke the tension.

"Hey Carmelita." Sly said friendly like.

*SLAP!*

Sly felt his cheek as Carmelita had slapped him across the face she had an emotionally angry expression across her face. As the ring-tailed thief looked back at her.

"Okay I supposed I deserved that." Sly admitted.

"You're damn right you deserved that!" Carmelita shouted. "You go running off on Le Paradox's blimp just to honour your clan! Then it explodes! I THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD!"

"Well come on Carmelita, you know we Coopers aren't that easy to put down." Sly said jokingly only to receive a shock blast close to his foot which spooked him.

"YOU THINK THIS IS A JOKE!" Carmelita shouted as tears were on the verge of running from her eyes. "Do you have any idea what that night did to us! To me! Everyday I searched for you thinking you were still alive! I wondered if you were it scared me to think you were gone forever!"

Sly listened with a hung head of shame as he realised how much his absence had hurt her. "I..I'm sorry, but I was in a parallel universe kinda hard to call and say I'm not dead."

"Oh so I find out your alive Sly and I see somethings haven't changed!" Carmelita then said wiping away her tears. "You're still a thief and now I find out you're running around with some girl in red who may have a connection to some secret crime empire!"

Sly's eyes widened at the mention of that, how did Carmelita know about VILE. Perhaps the same way Devinaux keeps popping up out of nowhere outside his jurisdiction. Before he could process anymore.

"Sly we're nearly at your location hang tight." Bentley called in. "Carmen and Zack have Tigress heading for the bridge."

"Just what is the deal with you and this Carmen Sandiego Sly?! Is there something between the two of you or is it something else you're not telling me?!" Carmelita then demand.

"Carmelita? Are you jealous?" Sly then teased but this just pissed the foxy inspector off more and more as she trained her Shock Pistol at him.

"Sorry sorry, look theres nothing between me and Carmen we're just friends." Sly explained.

"Humph honour among thieves huh?" Carmelita said.

Sly then turned serious. "Look I'm sorry I screwed up okay I thought I could escape the blimp I didn't count on Le Paradox tricking me." He said. "But I'm alive and I'm here but there are bigger things happening now, this crime syndicate you don't know what you're up against."

"Oh and how's that news?" Carmelita questioned.

"Because these guys aren't like the Klaww gang or Clockwerk or heck even Le Paradox, they play for keeps." Sly explained. "Carmens like me a master thief, she's trying to stop them and right now VILEs about to get away with that stamp they stole. If they do it'll cost San Francisco a rare archaeological treasure." He realised what he just said.

"I can't believe I just said that?" He said to himself for a moment he sounded like Carmen.

Carmelita honestly didn't know what to say in the past she knew Sly was a liar, but when she looked in his eyes it was a look of pure honesty. The only time she saw that was that night on Le Paradox's blimp. But there was one thing she had to know.

"So since when does Sly Cooper steal things only to return them?" She then asked.

"Lets just say I'm trying something new. Look, you have to trust me I have to stop these guys…..Please." He said with genuine begging in his eyes.

Carmelita kept her shock pistol trained on Sly and it was a tense moment. Slowly however she lowered her weapon. "I did owe you a five second head start didn't I?"

Sly gave a smile. She was letting him escape, however he didn't move from the roof. Carmelita was a little confused how he wasn't running, but what happened next she didn't expect. Out of nowhere Sly ran up and kissed her on the lips much to her he broke from the kiss and ran off the roof. Carmelita was so flustered and blushed from that she snapped out of it and ran to the edge of the roof and saw him race away on the roof of Murray's van towards the Golden Gate Bridge.

Though her thief got away she at least had comfort in the knowledge that he was alive. Suddenly she heard her phone beep. She looked and saw Chase was calling her.

"What is it Devineaux?" She asked.

"Agent Fox we're you able to apprehend the Blue Raccoonus?" He asked still driving. Julia was also on the call line.

"No, he got away." She replied.

"What! Then he's probably heading for the Golden Gate bridge!" Devineaux said driving his car towards the bridge.

"What makes you think that?" Carmelita asked.

"Because thats where Carmen Sandiego is heading!" Chase replied. "Agent Argent, notify the Chief, have her shut it down."

"The entire bridge?" Julia questioned. Carmelita also had a questionable look on her face.

"The woman beams herself from a fountain pen! She can do anything!" Chase exclaimed then started prodding and swiping on the screen to end the call.

"You must swipe down and then up." Julia tried to instruct him.

Chase was so busy trying to switch of the call he forgot he was driving on a road into incoming traffic. The Aston swerved right to left with car horns wailing in alert. The car then zoomed off the road.

"That is the radio, Sir." Julia tried as Chase kept trying to end the call.

"Devineaux quit fooling around with that thing and keep your eyes on the…" But Carmelita was too late.

Chase had swerved off the road and onto the mountainous terrain close to the bridge bouncing around. He was heading straight for a cliff edge. "No, no, no, no, no, no, no…" Chase panicked but it was too late he zoomed off the cliff in slow motion. "NOOOOOOOOOOO!"

The car plummet into the water and sank to the bottom of the bay. Again. Carmelita had witnessed the whole thing from afar. Her jaw was dropped with a look of disbelief and she just pinched the bridge of her face with embarrassment for her new colleague.

"I'm partnered with an idiot." She breathed in frustration.

Devineaux was too busy sulking at the bottom of the bay to hear that remark. Julia was once again telling him where to find the eject button. "Scroll until you see the letter E, then swipe up to eject." Julia explained unamused.

The Golden Gate Bridge:

Meanwhile on the bridge itself the Lamborghini zoomed onto it then suddenly braked hard and swerved to a stop. Tigress got out of the stolen vehicle and looked up at one of the archways and saw a helicopter was waiting for her.

"Hello, gentlemen. I've got an airmail delivery." She said on her phone and holding up the stamp in its sealed bag. She hung the phone up then made her way to the arch.

As the Cleaners were descending the helicopter towards the front arch. Tigress was using her claws to scale the bridge arch. Just then the red Dodge Charger arrived on the scene.

"Keep the motor running, Carm?" Zack asked as Carmen got out of the car and shut the door behind her.

"I'll catch a flight." Carmen said as she extended her grappling hook from her coat sleeve and fired it up at the arch.

She soared into the air at top speed zooming past the railing on the archway then landing on the catwalk where Tigress had her back turned. The VILE operative turned and saw Carmen was standing behind her. They faced each other under the light of the helicopter search light.

"The stamp, Tigress." Carmen demanded in a fighting stance.

"You want it so badly?" Tigress said in a teasing way. "Here. For your little 'save the kids,' or whales, or whatever charity."

Out of nowhere she tossed the stamp away into the wind. Shocked Carmen tried to grab it but missed. It flies right off the bridge. The thief in red tries to grab it again but it slips through her fingers. Suddenly she heard the sound of clanging metal. She looked down and saw a familiar looking hook on the pillar. Suddenly zooming up and grabbing the stamp was Sly who landed on the pillar and whipped his grappling hook back into his cane.

"Hope I wasn't too late to crash the party." Sly said.

"Actually you're right on time." Carmen said relieved. "So what kept you?"

"Don't ask." Sly said in a downhearted tone. "But hey at least I saved the…huh?" He looked at the stamp only to find it wasn't the stamp but the empty sealed bag. He and Carmen looked to see Tigress laughing at them.

"Ha! Made you look!" She teased holding the stamp between her fingers. "An itty bitty stamp is probably even harder to snatch than... oh, I don't know, a dollar bill."

Tigress moved to place the stamp in her long boot. Sly just twirled his cane. "Oh is that a challenge?" He said but Carmen stopped him in his tracks.

"No…this ones on me." She said rather serious.

Sly could see that Carmen had to prove once and for all to Tigress and to herself that she was a better pick pocket than her. He nodded at her knowing she needed closure on this. He stepped back and let Carmen take the pull.

"Why don't we find out?" She said standing ready.

"We don't we?" Tigress said readying her claws.

The moment was so tense on the bridge, the two thieves glared each other down in a Mexican stand off ready to make a move. Their hair blew in the wind and the tails on Sly's mask blew in the wind of the helicopter blades as he watched this tense stand off.

Then quite suddenly it happened. The two lunged forwards at each other. Tigress ready to slash her claws but with one swift move Carmen slid on her knees and picked the stamp clean out of Tigress's boot. The world was in slow motion. Tigress looked back and saw her boot was empty and the stamp gone.

"Hey!" She growls then out of nowhere Sly slips by her and she nearly lost her balance. Carmen looked back with a smirk on her lips with the stamp in hand as she leaped away and jumped from the looked back at Tigress with the same smirk.

"I'm sorry are you sure you shredded that exam?" Sly cracked as he leaped away and jumped from the pillar.

The two thieves then pulled cords on their backpacks and their respective gliders swung into action. They flew away from the bridge. Tigress ran to the edge of the bridge and saw them fly away. She reached into her belt pocket for her phone. Only to find it wasn't there. Instead she pulled out a certain Raccoon thief's calling card. Then it hit her she'd been pick pocketed twice.

"GRRRR COOOPERRRRRR!" She yelled from the top of her lungs.

Said raccoon thief was now gliding along side Carmen who had heard her former classmates yells from afar. Just then the phone Sly had pick pocketed buzzed.

"Tigress, confirm that you have secured the stamp." Shadowsans voice called.

Sly brought the phone up to his face and saw the ninja masters frowning face as he greeted him. "Oh it's been secured alright." Sly said.

On the other end of the line the faculty looked to see the Raccoon thief's face on their screen. "So you must be this ninja teacher I've heard so much about." Sly guessed then looked to the other faculty members. "And this must be the rest of the faculty?"

"Ah so you are this Sly Cooper if I am not mistaken." Professor Maelstrom addressed the call with a twisted smile.

"That would be me prof." Sly said. "Sorry to have to tell you your lucky cat is coming back rather unlucky."

Sly then handed the phone to Carmen. "Yep, and with a bruised ego." She turned her attention to Shadowsan. "So, now will you admit the coat was empty?" She said with a smug look.

On the phone screen all they were greeted with was the displeased and frustrated look of the master of stealth. To Carmen that didn't matter.

"Like I need your stamp of approval anyway." She said as she dropped the phone into the bay with a splash.

"So glad to put that to rest?" Sly asked.

"Absolutely." Carmen smiled back.

"Well then when we meet up with the guys, night out at Chinatown on me." Sly then offered.

"Its a date." Carmen cracked as they glided away into the night towards the city.

Tigress disgraced and humiliated watched as the helicopter came in to pick her up. She had a look of humiliation as they picked her up. Maybe next time she'll think twice before she cracks pick pocketing jokes at the Lady in Red and her Thievious Raccoonus companion.

Meanwhile down below close to the Bay. Carmelita eventually caught up with Julia who was pulling Chase out of the water after he ejected from yet another waterlogged car.

"Wow…" Carmelita said. "You do know which pedal the brake is right?" She genuinely asked. Only to receive a dismal groan from Chase.

"A shame about the car, Sir. And your coat." Julia said in some sympathy.

Chase merely shook himself dry as he looked up to the sky and saw the silhouettes of two certain thieves head towards the city.

"I may have lost my lucky coat, but it is the luck of Carmen Sandiego and Sly Cooper which will soon run out!" Chase vowed. Carmelita looked up to the night sky and saw the two thieves glide into the city and then vanish without a trace.

Later that night:

Later at the hotel, where the three agents were staying at they were getting ready to leave the following morning. Carmelita walked down the hallway after leaving Julia to her packing. However when she reached her room and opened the door, she felt a gust of wind blow past. Someone was there.

The pushed the door open fast and drew her shock pistol in a quick motion. However there was no-one in her room. The window was open though. Just then she noticed something on the windowsill. She picked up a certain calling card from a thief she knew it was Sly. When she opened it to her surprise falling out of it. Was the One-Cent Black on Magenta. She gasped in shock as it fell into her hands.

She also saw a small bracelet where the calling card was. Suddenly when she looked across the street she saw Sly standing on the street corner. He tipped his hat at her then blew her a kiss. When a truck drove past he vanished without a trace. Carmelita then looked at the calling card and inside it read.

See the children's charity gets a good price for it.

P.S To help blend in when in public compliments of Bentley.

Love -S x

The foxy inspector just shook her head chuckling as she looked out onto the night sky. "I'll see you soon. Ringtail." She smiled.

From the far rooftop Sly was looking back to the hotel he had just left. He had a faint smile as he looked at his beloved through his Binocucom. Carmen was there and could see he was still hurting inside about once again being on opposite sides of the law.

Slys POV:

"Well what can I say about Carmelita? No matter what universe we're in somethings never change. I…I just hope she understands why I'm doing this. Here I thought I had a chance to make things right, but now things are more complicated. I honestly don't know whats worse being separated from the ones you love, or not being able to be with them because of the lives we lead? But now… theres no turning back."

Sly gets up as he walks away from the edge with Carmen seeing the regret in his eyes. She couldn't help but sympathise with him. He made a choice, one he's not sure can be redeemed. Only time will tell.

POV ends.

Isle of VILE:

"Good call, Shadowsan. Tigress and Mime Bomb, VILE's new dream team!" Brunt joked laughing at Shadowsan who just had a glare in response. To which she smirked.

Just then the door slammed open. "Eureka!" The Faculty looked to see Dr's Bellum and M enter the room with a tablet in hand.

"Please tell us you and Dr M uncovered the meaning of ACME, Dr. Bellum." Maelstrom hoped for something to be salvaged from this failure.

"Sadly no Gunnar but, in actual fact we may've found something even better." Dr M explained passing it over to his lab partner.

"Yes by hacking the data files embedded in this keycard" The robot arm from her tablet showed said keycard. "we learned that it is registered to this man…"

Everyones attention turned to the screen where it showed the face of a certain former Interpol inspector turned secret agent.

"Chase Devineaux."

Authors Notes: DUN DUN DUN! Uh oh this doesn't look good. Thats it for chapter 8 of Thieves united. Now I'm sure most of you can guess that I've made a reference to Playstation Move heroes game, also a few other references. And yes as many of you will have guessed in the reviews Carmelita's now signed up with A.C.M.E on the tail of Cooper & Sandiego.

But now whats to come next the Faculty now know of Devineaux from the key card, some conclusions will be drawn and who knows what other information may present itself. Or rather what revelations are installed.

Until next chapter Where in the world is Cooper & Sandiego?!