To get things set up for the big heist to take the Clockwerk Tail Feathers from Dimitri, Sly needed to go around and pickpocket some of the guards at the nightclub in order to insert a splice clip into some spotlights to disable the printing press rooms' security. Murray needed to take out the exterior alarm horns in order to make sure the guards weren't easily alerted to the heist.

Bentley would go into the disco room of the nightclub and drop the giant disco ball, the resulting shockwave would loosen the nightclub's peacock sign from its moorings. As for Ben, he decided to sneak around town and pick some pockets from the guards to sell the goods on ThiefNet.

As the human thief was running around, admiring the night sky of Paris and even snapping a picture of the Eiffel Tower in the distance, he suddenly felt a presence behind him and whirled around to see Neyla there.

"Well, well, well, the Phantom Joker of the Cooper Gang. I've heard quite a lot about you."

"Oh really? What's my birthday?"

"Don't try to act cute on me, love. I don't think you're quite as good at being a silver tongue like me."

"I can sure try. And here I was hoping to give you this as a gift." Ben said as he showed the Raggedy Ann doll he got from one of the guards. Neyla arched an eyebrow at that before chuckling.

"I have to admit, you certainly know how to make a girl laugh. Has anyone ever tried going after you by yourself before?"

"Nah, it's mostly just been that foxy Carmelita. I've stuck with Sly every step of the way."

Before Ben could react, Neyla lashed out her whip, wrapping it around his waist and pulling him closer to her as she caressed his cheek with one hand.

"Well, how about we change up the status quo? Just our own personal Cops & Robbers game."

Ben smirked. "I think it should just be the Chivalrous Thief and the Corrupt Cop. I know about your backstory, Neyla. I had my pal Bentley dig you up. You've got some deep dirt."

"Interpol found a diamond in the rough inside all that dirt, love. How do you think I got the job?"

"Trust me, I can keep on talking to you all day. I've got a LOT of things to share with you. As for you, I figure you can share some stuff with me~?"

"Oh really, what do you want to talk about?" Neyla asked, smirking but then paused when she saw Ben's face become more serious.

"Who are you really working for, Neyla? Because how would you know so much about the Klaww Gang and why would you drop that hint on me and Sly back in Cairo?"

Neyla saw the piercing gaze in Ben's eyes and sighed, looking around before putting a finger to his lips, causing him to get a tingle up his spine at how soft her fur was.

"Fine, you want me to spill the beans? I'll tell you, but you got to keep your lips shut. Old Ironside wouldn't be too pleased if she heard this coming from me."

"It'll be just between us, Tiger."

Neyla scoffed, a small darkening in her cheeks before she told Ben the truth. "Alright, listen, I'm part of the Klaww Gang. Their leader, Arpeggio, hired me to help you lot out from job to job until he gave me permission to toss you all in jail. It's my job to steal back the Clockwerk parts from the other Klaww Gang members so he can rebuild the old owl for himself."

"REBUILD Clockwerk? Why would he want that?" Ben asked in disbelief as Neyla shrugged her shoulders.

"He says he wants to be 'reborn anew'. Be given the freedom and power he could never achieve by himself."

"Well, that's a stupid-ass plan. I don't think this Arpeggio friend of yours knows the true nature of Clockwerk. Clockwerk's hate will swallow him whole before he even gets the chance to use his body for anything worthwhile."

"Arpeggio is quite the brilliant bird. He'll find a way, I'm sure of it." Neyla smirked. "He knows more about Clockwerk than anyone in the world and his plan is foolproof. So you and your friends should just give up and go home while you have the chance. It might save your lives."

Neyla then broke away from Ben and began to leave but not before swishing her tail back and forth in a hypnotic style as a means to tease Ben, turning her head to give him one last smirk before leaping off the building and running off into the night.

Ben just chuckled as he took out a key he had swiped from Neyla and spun it around on his finger.

"A woman after my own heart."

Turns out, the key Ben swiped from underneath Neyla's nose just so happened to be for the backroom to the disco club that Bentley would then sneak into in order to drop the disco ball from its moorings and knock the peacock sign out front loose.

After Sly, Bentley, and Murray had completed their jobs and Ben had told them the dirt he had gotten on Neyla, Bentley set up the slideshow for their operation to get the Clockwerk Tail Feathers from Dimitri

-Operation: Thunder Beak-

"Okay, fellas, the dominos are all in place. Time to pull off the big heist! First, Murray and I will make our way to the old water tower so that I can shut down the old plaza fountain Once that's accomplished, Dimitri's sure to send someone out to get to the repair truck. Sly will then steal his keys and he'll join up with us in the plaza to make the exchange with me and Murray while Ben and Sly will climb to the top of the nightclub's peacock sign. Once there, Murray and I will shoot the truck's grapple hook up to Sly and Ben and we'll use it to pull down the sign... if my calculations are correct, the impact should create a large enough opening to the printing press room. Then Sly and Ben will jump in, grab the Clockwerk Tail Feathers, and we all get the heck out of here."

"Sounds like a plan to me!" Ben said as he was juggling some dice in his hands before putting them away in his coat pocket. With the plan in motion, the Cooper Gang was ready to retrieve the Clockwerk Tail Feathers from Dimitri.

Next Time: Greasy Sweet!

I apologize to jumbochamploonrules if I ended up copying his stuff.