Before we begin the Sly 2 Arc, I have something I need to say first.
s82161, your reasoning for harassing people to test their limits because you want to be like a Villain is not a good thing to do. You need to get serious medical help and also leave both me and jumbochamploonrules alone.
A wise man once said 'Think before you talk. Do you ever listen to the things that come out of your mouth?'
Another wise man once said 'If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say ANYTHING at all'
That is all I wish to tell you. Kindly stop trying to harass me and jumbochamploonrules and do something productive with your life. Work for charity, assist the elderly, or anything besides giving people a hard time.
It had been two years since the fateful battle against the Fiendish Five. The Cooper Gang spent that time doing small jobs here and there, always giving Carmelita the slip in the process and harnessing the skills Sly's ancestors left in the Thievius Raccoonus.
Murray had also taken up fighting lessons and soon became the Main Muscle for the team rather than just their getaway driver. In a manner fitting a professional wrestler, he began dubbing himself 'The Murray' and put his newfound skills to good use in getting his friends out of jams.
Then one day, the gang discovered some shocking news; Clockwerks' parts were being stored in a museum in Cairo, heavily guarded by officers because of what they were. The four friends knew one thing was definitely for certain; They needed to retrieve the parts and destroy them once and for all.
After making their way to Cairo, the gang moved out to the museum and took up their positions with Sly and Ben in the area with the giant skeletons.
"Breaker Alpha Foxtrot, this is the Wizard. Do you read me, Sitting Duck and Joker?" Bentley asked via the comms.
"This is Peaking Duck, I hear you, Blizzard," Sly joked, much to Bentley's annoyance.
"No, Sly, I'm the Wizard. And you're Sitting Duck."
"This is Joker. What's your status, Wizard?" Ben said, being a little more serious on the matter, which relieved Bentley slightly.
"I've established myself in the basement and I'm pretty sure I can rewire the surface elevator if you can power it up from the security station."
"Hang tough, pal, we're coming to give that elevator some orange juice," Ben said as he and Sly used one of the giant fossils to sneak over the guards before arriving at the power switch and flipping it on.
"Okay, I splice the wires...Ow! Hold on...there it is!" Bentley said as he appeared from the elevator. Ben then put a hand to his mask and struck a pose as he pointed at Bentley.
"Bentley: The Brains!"
Sly chuckled at Ben's dramatic introduction as Bentley rolled his eyes behind his glasses.
"Okay, enough horsing around, let me at that security computer," Bentley said, him proceeding to the computer and beginning to hack at it, the lights going off first, then the lasers, and finally the gate opened. "Presto, all clear."
"Thanks, pal. For your first time out, you did pretty well." Sly smiled.
Bentley shook his head. "Oh, this operation is FAR from complete! Now that the lasers and spotlights are offline, Murray should be moving into position for your rendezvous. I'll stay and provide computer support while you go on ahead.
Ben and Sly made their way through the next part of the museum while Bentley hacked into the PA system in order to confuse the guards.
"Uh... Attention all guards. This is the network administrator. We're installing some new software into the security mainframe. Now, don't be alarmed, but the system's going to be turned off for a while... uh... thank you, you're all supreme. Great job."
Ben and Sly both looked at each other and smirked, especially when they saw how the guards didn't even question it.
"Those guards are a lot dumber than they look. No wonder it's always so easy to steal from these places."
The duo then made their way to the balcony, with Bentley contacting them via the comms.
"According to my scanners, the Clockwerk parts are being stored up there. Now to get access, you'll need to meet up with Murray at the rendezvous point. Unfortunately, the route through the garden is filled with guards."
"Relax, Bentley. We got this rail across here. We'll be fine." Sly reassured as he and Ben used Tenessee Kid Cooper's signature technique to get across and made it to the rendezvous point but Murray was nowhere to be seen.
"Murray must've gotten lost along the way. Try pressing on ahead without him."
Ben smirked as he held up his hand to Sly then began counting backward. As soon as he reached zero, the two heard a mighty yell above them.
"THUNDER FLOOOOOP!"
Murray landed with a mighty bellyflop, completely trashing the interior. He got up and dusted himself off as Ben did the same dramatic introduction that he did for Bentley.
"Murray: The Brawn!"
Murray smiled and posed back. "Greetings citizens. I hope you weren't harmed by my meteoropic entrance."
"No, Murray, we kept at a safe distance," Sly reassured.
"Good, good. The Thunder Flop knows neither friend nor foe. Only Destruction!"
"Okay, big guy, think you can channel some of that 'raw energy' into that security gate?" Ben asked, gesturing to the security gate nearby as Murray smiled and nodded.
"Of course! it is nothing before 'The Murray'!"
Murray lifted up the security gate with all the strength he could muster. When he was done lifting, Ben and Sly made their way past the gate and Murray joined them on the other side. They came across another balcony and saw a rope that Ben and Sly could cross but there was a barricade on the other side.
"Another barrier stands before you. Fear not, I shall bend it like the truth!" Murray boldly declared as he lifted a solid stone statue and threw it at the barricade with such force, it broke through with a mighty CRASH.
"Solid work, Murray. You're really in the zone!" Sly praised.
"Nothing gets in the way of 'The Murray'!" Ben cheered as Murray looked at the rope and frowned.
"My hulking frame is too much for that puny rope. You go ahead and unlock the doors from the inside, I'll be waiting in the hallways to help you carry out the Clockwerk parts."
Ben and Sly made their way across and into the room that supposedly had the Clockwerk parts in it. Unfortunately, when they arrived, they saw that it was completely empty!
"I don't get it, guys. The Clockwerk parts should be here! This is all wrong! We need to pull the plug on this operation right now!" Bentley cried in a panic over the comms. Suddenly, two of the sarcophagi opened up and Carmelita stepped out of one of them while out of the other came a person, or rather, tigress, that caught Ben's eye.
She was a Bengal Tiger woman with violet fur, shoulder-length black hair, and markings all over her body. She wore head jewelry, a red and golden decorated hijab, emerald green eyes, and had a whip strapped to her hip. She also wore a dark blue tank top, brown shorts with a blue belt and gold buckle to hold them up, and a small pair of brown boots.
"Freeze, you two!"
Sly just smiled. "Inspector Fox...as beautiful and unpredictable as ever."
"Whereas you crooks are SO predictable. You always return to the scene of the crime." Carmelita frowned, much to Sly and Ben's confusion.
"Uh, we just GOT here, lady! We haven't even committed the crime yet!"
"Oh really? Then who broke in last night and made off with all the Clockwerk parts? You two have got the motive." Carmelita retorted.
"SOMEONE ALREADY STOLE THE PARTS!?" Ben and Sly both exclaimed at the same time in disbelief.
"Don't play dumb with me!"
Suddenly, Carmelita's accomplice spoke up. "It might not have been them, Carmelita. The method of entry and guard casualties all point to this being a Klaww Gang job."
"The Klaww Gang?"
"Constable Neyla, I allowed you to sit in on this stakeout as a favor to the Contessa..." Carmelita frowned. "I really don't need any help."
"Oh, I think you might. Look at the facts." The now-named Neyla retorted.
"Facts?! Sly Cooper and Ben Shigura are both right here! I've caught them red-handed."
"And now we're not here!" Ben said as he and Sly had already made a run for it, Ben making the Zoidberg whooping noises as they did so.
"Get back here!" Carmelita shouted, the thieving duo meeting up with Bentley and Murray as they fled from their eternal police rival.
"You guys go warm up the van! Pick us up at the rendezvous!" Sly ordered Bentley and Murray as he and Ben continued leading Carmelita away.
"You're all going to jail!"
Ben and Sly busted through the window and ran across the rooftops, police cars gathering underneath them but the duo was actually diverting them so that Bentley and Murray could drive the van past unimpeded. Soon, Ben and Sly reached the van and jumped inside, escaping Carmelita once more.
"PEACE OUT!" Ben said, flashing a V for Victory out the window as Carmelita cursed his and Sly's names from afar.
*Sly POV*
Carmelita's just as angry as ever. She's really quite lovely when she's angry. And that Constable Neyla...was her mentioning of the Klaww Gang just a slip of the tongue, or an intentional clue? Either way, it's our only lead on the missing Clockwerk parts.
Also, I couldn't help but notice Ben eyeing Neyla when she and Carmelita caught us by surprise...Heh, I wouldn't be surprised if she ends up with him in the same dance that me and Carmelita have been doing.
Still, I don't know what's in our future...but one thing's for certain; We WON'T let it be a repeat of our past.
Next Time: The Black Chateua