"And see I did off the port bow, the frightening gaze of an eagle. My strong and seaworthy crew, transfixed in its terrible gaze, lay motionless and silent. All but myself fell victim to its heart-stopping stare - perhaps my eye patch protected me during the ordeal - and I alone manned the ship away from the flying beast. I fear it may strike again..."
Ben finished reading the last page of Henriette's entry of the Thievius Raccoonus with Sly. The two friends had also noticed that the pictures also showed a mysterious shadowy owl in the background. They even read that the reason Dev Cooperinda created the Slow-Motion Jump was so he could outmaneuver a giant bird of 'steel' and 'malice'.
"Whoa... I... I think I remember something..." Sly said with Ben wondering if it was about his incident when he was a kid. "I remember...a giant figure...one that looked like a bird with enormous wings...he slashed his talons right through my mother in one swoop and then jammed his beak right through my father."
Bentley rubbed his chin as he also listened in. "From the little bits of info we've read about him from the case file, that must be referring to the mysterious Clockwerk!"
Even as the gang made their way to England to enjoy a few days of downtime, they couldn't help but feel a sense of unease from what they learned...
After spending a few days in London, the gang made their way to Utau, where they would find the notorious gang boss known as Muggshot, who was the Main Muscle of the Fiendish Five.
He didn't start out the way he did, he used to be the runt of the litter and was picked on a lot as a puppy. He was inspired by famous mobster movies and strove to become strong, feared, and respected. With dedication and will, he realized his dream and became the most feared mob boss in all of Utau.
"You know, if it weren't for the fact he's a ruthless mob boss who helped the Fiendish Five kill your family, I'd actually feel sorry for him..." Ben said, pitying Muggshot's struggles in his childhood.
Soon, the gang arrived at their destination and stopped at a canyon that would lead into Mesa City. Sly and Ben started the trek by climbing up a nearby pipe and standing at the top of the main gate before being contacted by Bentley.
"Hey, Sly, I thought you said Mesa City was going to be loud and busy. This looks more like a ghost town." Bentley said when we saw all the buildings and trailers were empty and now almost all junk.
"Something's happened. Where is everyone?" Sly pondered as Ben rubbed his chin.
"My guess is Muggshot scared the whole town away so he could set up shop. I say we beat some respect into him and help the people of Mesa City take back their homes!"
"That's some logical thinking, Ben! Don't forget to utilize the Ninja Spire Jump and the other techniques on the journey." Bentley said as the thieving duo looked at their first hurdle, a couple of miniature lanterns.
"After you, Sly. You're the Cooper, after all." Ben said, giving a courteous bow to his friend as Sly tipped his hat to him and perfectly executed Riochi Cooper's Ninja Spire Jump on the lanterns. Ben then recalled reading the pages and did just as Sly did, soon joining his friend on the other side.
"Good job, Ben. You're a natural!"
"I guess being part of a family of thieves just like yours mean we share a few skills, huh?" Ben chuckled as he and Sly moved forward, only to come across one of Muggshot's cronies, which appeared to be a normal guard dog tied to a doghouse.
"Lemme handle this, Sly." Ben sai,d holding up a finger as he approached the dog and then flicked his wrist, producing a large dog treat. The dog gasped and began panting excitedly, causing Sly to smirk and try to hold in his laughter.
"You want it? Who's a good doggy?" Ben smiled, the dog then sitting up and barking happily. "Go get it!"
With those words, Ben threw the treat into the doghouse, the dog running inside to catch it. With the guard dog out of the way, Ben and Sly snuck on past. As soon as they were a safe distance, Sly burst out laughing.
"I knew I'd get you to crack up one of these days, Sly!" Ben said, laughing alongside his pal as they moved forward only to get jumped by a thuggish-looking dog carrying a plank of wood with a nail through it. Ben immediately twirled out a customized 44 Magnum Revolver and fired a special concussive blast that knocked the thug out in one hit.
"Thankfully, we Master Thieves only resort to killing as a last resort..." Ben said, twirling his revolver and holstering it back in his coat as Sly gave him a thumbs-up before the two continued onward and came across an area with floor lasers.
"What's with those flashing lights?"
"The latest in high-tech security. Electronic floor lasers. Step on them and you guys are goners." Bentley explained.
"Nice touch."
"They're safe to walk on when they're flashing, but it also means they're about to change to a different sector." Bentley finished explaining as Ben and Sly looked at each other and nodded before using what they knew to get past the floor lasers and then disable the alarm system.
The thieving duo then took out the next group of dog thugs. Ben especially got one on a thug who threw playing cards like shurikens, catching one card between his fingers and then throwing it back, grazing the thug's cheek and drawing blood, shocking him long enough for Sly to finish him off with a strike from his cane.
"Anything can be used as a weapon in the hands of a Master Thief!" Ben said with a chuckle as he fixed his cuffs before giving Sly a fistbump. Soon, they came across a safe, which no doubt contained another page of the Thievius Raccoonus. Ben handled the code deciphering and threw open the door so Sly could get at the pages.
"Looks like this a page detailing Rob McCooper's Explosive Hat Technique. Just get any kind of hat and throw it out for a massive explosion. Can work with any hat and, after it explodes, a new hat will appear on your head."
"What kind of black magic is that?!" Ben exclaimed as Sly shrugged his shoulders, deciding not to question the logic behind that technique. With the page retrieved, the two thieves moved through the tunnel of trailers filled with tons of lasers until they popped out the other side and took out one more card-throwing dog before getting to the first Treasure Key.
Using the key, Ben and Sly unlocked an entrance through a drainpipe, despite Ben's insistence that he could just pick the lock himself. After making their way through, they exited out the other end of the pipe to find themselves face to face with the giant complex of Mesa City and Muggshot's giant casino. He had giant signs of himself, his name was plastered in neon at the rooftops, and he had a gigantic balloon in his likeness on the side rooftops.
"Sheesh, this guy should have just started an honest Casino if he had this much of an ego!" Ben joked.
"Well, we know he clearly isn't shy," Bentley said from the comms. "Okay, well we know he's here somewhere, but how do we find him? Mesa City is a big place."
"Well, he IS a dog...so why not hang out in a penthouse in the shape of a giant fire hydrant?" Sly pointed out to said giant fire hydrant at the top of the tallest tower as Ben laughed.
"Perfect, Sly. Just perfect!" Ben wiped a tear from his eye before noticing something of interest, a car that was currently on and having its wheels moving even while on the jack.
"I think we can use that to get inside the main base...but we're gonna need to free the car from its restraints first."
"That car seems to be self-powered by some kind of metal...it's almost the same as the materials that were used in the tractor beam that was in Raleigh's submarine...how confusing..." Bentley said.
"Sly! I could use your help here!" Murray's voice suddenly came from the comms. Sly listened in to what Murray had to say and nodded before turning to Ben.
"Hey, Ben, I'm gonna need you to do some work on your own. I gotta help Murray out and we get a few Treasure Keys out of it."
"You got it, buddy."
As Sly went to help out Murray, Ben made his way into the casino and snuck his way through, jumping across a few giant roulette wheels before finding what he wanted; The safe. Opening it up, he saw another page for the Thievius Raccoonus inside.
"Suzanne Cooper's Water Safety Technique. With this, Sly and I can swim like professional Olympic swimmers!"
Ben made his way back outside, but not before stealing several fat wads of money right from under the guard's noses. He found Sly with a few Treasure Keys in hand and knew that his missions with Murray were a success.
"Alright, I think we got enough. Let 'er rip!"
Sly smiled wickedly as he unlocked the car's jack and hit the switch. The car slammed full speed ahead into the barricade, getting totaled in the process while the duo were allowed total access to the inside of the casino. They then proceeded into the area and soon found the giant head.
"Would you look at that ugly mug?" Sly asked.
"I am, and I find it infinitely fascinating," Bentley replied.
"Huh?" Sly and Ben asked at the same time.
"My scanners are actually revealing a secret elevator to Muggshot's penthouse that's located within that giant head," Bentley explained.
"But how to open this head up is the question," Ben pointed out with a smile. Bentley then put in some arrows on Sly's Binocucom to look down the stairs and at the locked up switch.
"Behind this wall is a switch to open the head up, but you'll need all seven of Muggshot's treasure keys to open it up."
"Alrighty then. I'll go east, Sly, you go west."
"You got it, pal."
The two thieves once more split up, Ben climbing to the rooftops as he contacted Bentley.
"Yuck, these rooftops look filthy...But they are the only way to the key since my scanners say it's in a jewel case somewhere near Muggshot's penthouse."
"Bents, relax, you're in the van where the germs won't get you. I'm doing the dirty work here."
As Ben made his way across the rooftops, his danger sense went off and he jumped out of the way of a shock blast. After regaining his bearings, he turned to see it was none other than Carmelita.
"Well, well, well, look who just walked into my crosshairs."
"Ah, the lovely Carmelita Fox. You know, I think I can see why Sly has such a crush on you." Ben playfully said. "But still, I'm just helping a brother out with getting his family heirloom back. What's so bad about that?"
"Criminals need to be put behind bars. None of you can escape justice forever." Carmelita said with a frown.
"Ah, you're practically married to your job, such a shame. Well, gotta run!"
Carmelita growled and began the chase, shooting at Ben with her shock pistol, which he was able to dodge effortlessly. He came across a couple of dog thugs and let them distract Carmelita, knowing she'd take them out for him. He soon came across a safe and unlocked it, retrieving the pages written by Sly's Victorian-Era ancestor, Thaddeus Winslow Cooper III.
"Now this is some good old-fashioned stuff...HOLY COW, Thaddeus actually killed Jack the Ripper! Good on him!"
Get back here!" Carmelita yelled as she proceeded to shoot at the footing Ben stood on, making it start to cave in from under him. Acting quickly, he rushed the whole way across the crumbling walkways until he finally made it to the end, where Carmelita perched herself on Muggshot's balloon. Sensing an opportunity, Ben baited her into attacking the jewel case, causing it to open up with the Treasure Key coming to him.
"Thanks for the assist!"
With his prizes in hand, Ben allowed himself to freefall off the side of the building before catching a nearby flagpole and spinning on it before flinging himself into the alleys, where he hid in the shadows until it was safe to regroup with Sly.
"So, anything of interest on your end?" Sly asked as Ben gave him the pages written by Thaddeus.
"Well, I think it would have been better if you went east instead of me because I had a run-in with Carmelita Fox!"
"You jerk!" Sly laughed, slugging Ben in the shoulder as he laughed back.
After collecting a few more pages of the Thievius Raccoonus and putting a damper on Muggshot's operations, Sly and Ben decided to confront the big man himself in his penthouse.
"What? My boys have been yapping about a couple of big mysterious dudes running around crackin' skulls and...and this is it?! You two are the monkey wrenches in my operation? A scrawny rat with a stick and some lame-o main character from one of those fancy Japanese comic books!"
"I resent that! I don't look THAT much like Joker from Persona 5, do I?!" Ben protested as Muggshot took notice of Sly's cane.
"Eh...wait a sec...I've seen that stick before!"
Sly smirked. "Maybe when my father knocked your block off with it."
"Your FATHER? Wow, you're a Cooper?!" Muggshot asked in amazement before chuckling. "You know that 'Thingus Racamagookus' had a lot of nice pictures but WAY too many big words!"
"So you don't mind just handing the remaining pages over then?" Ben asked as Muggshot scoffed.
"Are you kidding?! You break into MY place, steal MY stuff, TRASH the joint! I feel transgressed and violated! Let's rock!"
Muggshot soon approached the thieving duo while walking on his arms like a gorilla, a cage surrounding the three as they prepared to fight.
"Alright, a Two-on-One Cage Match against a guy who never once considered Leg Day existed..." Ben smirked as he took a fighting stance. "This just keeps getting better!"
Ben and Sly knew the massive guns that Muggshot had would cause a problem, so they ran around and used the environment to their advantage, turning several mirrors so that the light refracted onto a large crystal in the center of the room, melting Muggshot's guns as he gasped in shock.
"My beautiful guns are destroyed!" He quickly made his way to a lift elevator. "Good thing I got a spare upstairs."
Ben and Sly followed after the brute and found themselves in a larger room with mirrors. Ben and Sly looked at each other and nodded as Ben took the elevator and rose up while Sly turned all the mirrors while dodging Muggshot's gunfire. Once more, the lights all refracting onto the crystal in the center destroyed Muggshot's guns, forcing him to go on the chandelier but that was what Ben wanted.
"HOW'S THIS FOR A LAME-O MAIN CHARACTER!"
Muggshot couldn't react as Ben's knee rammed into his cheek, knocking him down with a single blow. Muggshot groaned but before he could get up, he felt a gun pressed to his temple.
"Alright, you win! I give!" Muggshot said, knowing when he was beaten as he weakly held up his hands. "You little pipsqueaks are smart...not many people can beat a big strong bruiser like me!"
"Well, another reason you lost is that you skipped Leg Day. ALWAYS remember Leg Day, man." Ben said as Sly went to the safe that Muggshot had and opened it, retrieving the pages of the Thievius Raccoonus detailing the exploits of his Wild West Ancestor Tenessee Kid Cooper.
"You really are bent on getting the rest of that stupid picture book, huh? Well, you gotta go to Haiti and cross paths with Mz. Ruby. Believe you and me when you meet that babe, you don't wanna be you!"
"Sounds like you got a thing for her." Ben chuckled. "I'll be sure you two are cellmates when we bust her next."
"I do NOT-!" Muggshot protested in embarrassment but Ben jabbed two fingers into a pressure point in his neck, knocking him unconscious before he could say anymore. With their work done, Sly and Ben escaped through an alternate route in the complex, which was a good thing too, since Carmelita and her squad busted down the front door.
After getting back in the van and driving off, Ben laughed as he and Sly did a double high-five handshake. Bentley and Murray couldn't help but laugh alongside their friends as they drove off.
"What say we hit Hollywood? I wanna see if Seth MacFarlane is there so I can rip his balls off!" Ben cackled.
"Okay, ignoring that comment, I think it's a great idea!" Bentley said. "We should pick up as many souvenirs as we can, we almost never visit the States!"
"Oh yeah! And try out all the food, too!" Murray excitedly added.
As the gang was driving, Ben and Sly both looked over one of the pages of the Thievius Raccoonus they had recovered, this one detailing the exploits of Sir Andrew Cooper, who had created the Thief Replica Technique.
'I noticed a strange collection of soldiers under the British empire. They were heading to the nearby villas and taking people out of their homes. These poor chaps were roughened up just for not having a pence to spare. So, when the guards weren't noticing, I created my copy to distract them. And once distracted, I then swooped in and defeated the army scum, freeing their would-be prisoners and telling them of a place for all poor. My den of thieves, who stole from the greedy nobles to give to all who were poor. It was a unanimous decision. I had obtained 3 score and 5 persons for my clan',"
"What a chad that guy was. Almost like Robin Hood!" Ben chuckled as Sly nodded his head.
"I can definitely see that."