*Sly POV*
This was it. Arguably the biggest job ever in Cooper Gang History. We had assembled all the necessary members and we were ready to storm Kaine Island. It wouldn't be easy, Dr. M had tons of security measures but I had faith in my team that we'd get this job done no matter what.
Ben also seemed to be quite invested with his special contact to Inspector Fox. While I appreciate the fact he's in her good graces, which means she won't try and hinder the mission, I wouldn't mind my favorite policewoman coming in to witness the big event.
But right now, it was time for the ultimate heist. Bigger than even taking down Clockwerk and reforging the Thievius Raccoonus. It was now or never and I just had to have faith.
Sly, Ben, and Neyla all proceeded to the main area, where they'd go to the main part of the island.
"Okay, guys, this is it, the main event! For the rest of the operation, Sly, Ben, and Neyla are the Ball, the Paddle, and the String." Bentley said.
Roger, Bentley. We're starting the approach. Getting over these fortress walls shouldn't be a problem. Look, we're running five by five here, make sure everyone's in sync." Sly said.
Bentley nodded as he paged into the comms. "I hear that. Artillery, sure you can make that shot?"
"I endeavor not to miss," Panda King said.
"Great, aerial support?"
"In position," Penelope smiled.
"Recovery team?"
"I'm pumped!" Murray cheered.
"Submersibles?"
"Showtime, baby!" Dimitri smirked.
"Telekinetics?"
Guru spoke in his Aboriginal tongue but it was clear he was saying 'Yes'.
"Alright, it's the crime of the century, and the Paddle, Ball, and String are in motion!" Bentley smirked. Ben, Sly, and Neyla proceeding forward across the ropes and on their way to the area with the guards looking over the edge.
"The trio has stopped moving, requesting a yank 86!" Bentley said.
"I got a visual," Penelope said as she pulled in her RC Chopper yanked the elephant hybrids off the edge. "First is away! Second guy is pulled! Third one's down. Move on, paddle ball string, over," Penelope smiled, the main trio then moving forward and seeing the next obstruction.
"Agent Old Rock, prep for tipper," Bentley said. Guru spoke in affirmation as he used his Dreamtime Magic on the antenna, making it fall over to make a bridge for the trio.
"Good job, Mr. G!" Ben said as he, Sly, and Neyla crossed the makeshift bridge but came across another obstacle; a large barricade.
"Obstruction insight. Requesting removal via Agent Monarch, over." Ben said into the comms
"Launching, stand clear," Panda King said as the trio looked up to see the firework come from the distance and obliterate the obstruction for them to enter.
"All eyes, the paddle, ball, and string are nearing the lab. Agent Deep Six, you ready?"
"Speargun loaded," Dimitri said as the trio headed down and saw tons of security.
"Agent Deep Six, deploy!" Dimitri blasted the areas for both laser fences while also making the water start to flow within.
"Strong work, Deep Six," Bentley said.
"Anytime," Dimitri smiled. Sly then looked below and turned invisible, prompting Ben and Neyla to do so as well. It was Doctor M.
"How's your wife doing, Richards?" I heard Doctor M asked his henchman as they came to the trio's position on the elevator.
"Oh, she's doing very well, thank you for asking Doctor M, very thoughtful!" Richards said as I tried to think of some way to prevent an innocent man from death today.
"And your son...uh, what's his name, Mike?"
"Mark, sir. He's well too, yeah."
They then boarded the elevator and it started going up.
"Shame you won't be seeing them again," M frowned.
"Uh, sir?"
"Afraid I poisoned your drink at lunch. Sorry, Richards, but I don't tolerate poor performance. You should've changed the security code from 1-2-3 AFTER you installed the new system!" M said angrily.
"I'll improve, I swear!"
"No, you'll die..." M said blandly before checking his watch. "Any second now..."
Richard then began choking before dropping dead. Ben wrinkled his nose in disgust while Sly shook his head.
"Bloody 'ell, that's cold..." Neyla muttered.
M then got a call. "Yes... water leaking into the lab?! I'm on my way down. Oh, and get a janitor for the lab elevator...Richards got sloppy."
After Dr. M was gone, the trio disembarked the elevator and approached the vault. Neyla entered the code and the drills and lasers trying to break into the vault shut down completely.
"Okay, here it is, Sly. The moment of truth," Neyla smiled.
"Okay, let's do it," Sly said as he put the cane inside of the lock and it then, just as the vault was about to open completely, Ben turned around and gasped as he pushed Sly and Neyla out of the way.
"LOOK OUT!"
Ben produced a shield that absorbed a blast of electricity, courtesy of Dr. M with some kind of helmet jetpack, using his bionic arm.
"Cooper?! No... You must be Sly Cooper, the new keeper of the cane! Hoho, how I've longed for this!" The Mandarin Beastkin smiled wickedly.
"This vault belongs to the Cooper Family...You're trespassing." Sly said with a glare.
"No, my naive boy, you're trespassing." Dr. M retorted. "I've got the deed to this island. This fortress is mine, everything here... is mine! Which now includes the key to the vault. Hand over the cane."
"Sorry pal, family heirloom. Buy a knock-off at the gift shop." Sly mocked.
"Or better yet, why not admit you forged those documents or whatever to get the deed?" Ben added with a smirk before flicking his bionic wrist and turning it into a white noise cannon. "Or even better; just let me shoot you and have you crash into the sea like the wet monkey you are!"
Before Dr. M could retort, an explosive dart hit him in the back, throwing off his aim. Sly, Ben, and Neyla looked past him to see Bentley had made the shot.
"Quick! Let's regroup with the others! Fall back to the ship!" Bentley exclaimed, the trio rushing after him and dodging Doctor M's fire in the process as they got to the flooded lab and proceeded to go through the tunnel back outside.
"Almost home free!" Bentley said as he jumped the gap and bombed the pillar, it falling afterward. "The boat's just up ahead!"
Suddenly, a giant reptile-esque monster landed behind Bentley, who turned around and screamed in terror before being picked up in its claws.
"There's no escape, Cooper!" Doctor M exclaimed, causing Ben to growl angrily as he held his hand out to stop Sly and Neyla.
"Let me handle this, you guys."
"Don't be a bloody idiot!" Neyla protested. "Surely you can't take on that thing!"
"Hey, relax sweetheart," Ben said as his bionic arm turned into a blade with blue vibrational energy running around it. "I'm the Main Character!"
Ben then rushed forward and lunged at Dr. M's monster, leaping forward and diving directly into its mouth. He then slashed off its uvula, causing it to screech as it fell to its knees and began vomiting uncontrollably.
"NO! WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Dr. M exclaimed angrily as Ben stabbed his Vibro-Blade into the beast's right eye and dug deep inside, letting out a scream of fury as blood gushed out violently before reaching the brain, killing the monster as he severed the frontal lobe.
"WITNESS ME!" Ben triumphantly yelled as Bentley was released from the dead monster's hold while Dr. M detached himself from his creation and flew up a safe distance.
"Who do you think you are, boy?!"
"The name is Ben Shigura! Son of Allen Shigura, Best Friend and Surrogate Brother of Connor Cooper! And by the name of the Cooper and Shigura Clans, I will not let you have your way with this sacred land!"
"Shigura, eh?" Dr. M hummed with a sneer. "Sorry, but from where I stand, it should be YOU who leaves! Or I could just kill you right where you stand?"
Neyla looked worried for her lover before noticing a boat approaching and saw it was Carmelita with her military force. The Tigress smirked as she nudged Sly and pointed out the police to him.
"Well, well, well. Always on time, that Carmelita." Sly said with a playful grin.
Ben turned his bionic arm into a minigun and fired rapid-fire BB pellets from it as Dr. M maneuvered through them with his helmet jetpack before returning fire with plasma shots. The Mandarin Beastkin then flew down to deliver a double kick to Ben's face but he turned his bionic arm into a shield and blocked it, but the force pushed him back somewhat.
"I must say, you are every bit the skilled fighter that Allen was!"
"You knew my father?!"
"I DESPISED him with every fiber of my being, boy!" Dr. M snarled. "He took the only woman I ever loved away from me!"
"My mom...?" Ben asked in shock, Dr. M taking this as an opportunity to punch him in the stomach.
"Yes. Komi was truly a beautiful and kind soul...I had hoped to confess to her but on that day..." Dr. M scowled. "That pathetic scum Allen had already proposed to her...and all of my dreams were shattered that day."
"Haven't you heard the term there's plenty of fish in the sea?" Ben questioned as he punched Dr. M back. The Mandarin grinned as he then took out a pair of high-tech pistols and fired full-auto shots from them. Ben flipped away and got behind cover before taking out a pair of black and red break-action revolvers and firing them back.
The two were in a tense stalemate as Sly and Neyla watched before Carmelita finally arrived. Sly smirked as he made his way over to his favorite policewoman.
"Glad of you to join us. It just wouldn't be complete without you."
Carmelita rolled her eyes. "Don't think I'm here to court you, Cooper. I only came here because Ben told me that there was a criminal that needed locking up."
"Well, you're in luck, Old Ironsides," Neyla said with a smirk, doing her best to ignore Carmelita's bitter glare at her. "The criminal Ben told you about is right there fighting him."
Carmelita turned to see Ben and Dr. M still in intense combat. The two then got into a handlock and slammed their heads together, glaring angrily as Ben had blood dribbling down his lips while Dr. M had a bloody nose, some of the blood staining his white lab coat.
"In a way, this is perfect for me!" Dr. M laughed as he and Ben pushed against each other. "I can finally get revenge on the Shigura Family for taking away the woman I loved!"
"Allen was a good friend of Connor! What about you?! You were part of Connor's old gang, weren't you?!"
"That's right, McSweeney told us that Mandrake Mallone was part of Dad's old team..." Sly said to himself as he was hearing this from nearby.
"Connor never really was such a good friend." Dr. M said with somber bitterness in his tone. "And he had the gall to DEFEND Allan for taking away Komi from me!"
"Well, my mom still cared about you as a friend, didn't she?!"
"IT DIDN'T MATTER!" Dr. M spat before grinning cruelly. "If I couldn't have her, NOBODY could! That's why I collaborated with Clockwerk all those years ago to make that Senator lead your parents into a trap, thereby killing two birds with one stone!"
"Wait..." Ben stopped, his strength faltering. "The Senator that Clockwerk made kill my parents in that suicide attack...y-you helped with that?"
"Yes, I provided Clockwerk with all the information he needed to target Allen and Komi's weaknesses! Had I known they had a child, I would have gone for the easier option and killed you when you were still an infant just to make Allen suffer!"
Sly glared in disgust. "And right now, this guy just sunk to new lows..."
"He just practically publically confessed to all of us." Carmelita scowled. "That alone should get him life in prison for collaborating with a dangerous terrorist."
Dr. M realized that Ben was frozen in place, his eyes wide with shock. Grinning, the Mandarin Beastkin moved to punch him, only to meet Ben's bionic arm, which clenched around it as Dr. M looked shocked.
"You...you killed my mom and dad...because you were so butthurt over my mom marrying my dad...?"
Dr. M struggled to break free from Ben's grip. "So I did, boy! Now you know the truth! In all honesty, I would have been a better father to you!"
"Shut up..."
"All that Allen was good for was being a pathetic parasite who leeched off of Connor's success. He never amounted to anything in his life so I made sure he died like he was; a useless worthless MAGGOT!"
"Shut up...!"
"Oh, here's one more little secret; Allen didn't die in the explosion set by that Senator. I took him with me and used him as my experimental guinea pig! I made sure he was awake for every passing moment and in complete agony! That monster of mine you just killed? THAT WAS HIM! I MADE YOU KILL YOUR OWN FATHER!"
And just like that, upon hearing that, something inside Ben's mind snapped like a twig. On pure instinct alone, he crushed Dr. M's hand in his bionic grip, a sickening CRUNCH echoing off as the Mandarin Beastkin howled in pain. But then Ben grabbed him by the throat with his human hand.
"You...you're not a scientist...you're not a thief...you're not even a person...YOU'RE AN ABOMINATION WEARING THE SKIN OF ONE!"
"Wait-!" Dr. M pleaded pathetically but Ben slammed him to the ground and got on top of him before proceeding to punch him over and over again, blood splattered everywhere as Ben wailed on M violently.
Dr. M coughed when Ben let go of him, blood coming out of his mouth as he tried to crawl away, only for Ben to grab him by the throat with both hands and slam him face-first into the water, half-drowning him as Dr. M struggled to breathe, only to be pulled back up and punched in the face some more.
"YOU...TOOK...EVERYTHING...FROM...ME!" Ben roared as he violently pummeled Dr. M with everything he had. He slammed him into rocks, he beat him with his own headgear, he even slammed his back against his knee, shattering his spine.
"BEN, STOP!" Neyla cried as she, Sly, Carmelita, and Bentley made their way over but Ben wasn't done as he slammed Dr. M to the ground, the Mandarin Beastkin was miraculously still alive after the savage beating he took.
"Mercy...! M-Mercy...!" The mad scientist pathetically begged as Ben turned his bionic arm into a serrated blade and aimed it at his face.
"EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE IS MERCY FROM ME!"
"BEN!"
Neyla rushed forward and wrapped her arms around Ben, making him freeze as Sly ran over to his brother and pulled him back. Carmelita made her way over to Dr. M and aimed her shock pistol at him.
"Mandrake Malone, you are under arrest for torture, murder, illegal genetic experimentation, and collaboration with terrorism. I hope you enjoy life in prison."
Dr. M spat blood on the Fox Beastkin's face defiantly but Carmelita calmly wiped the blood off her cheek and then slammed her knee into his face, knocking him unconscious for good.
With Sly and Neyla, they were doing their best to restrain Ben, who was breathing violently as he thrashed in their grip like a wild animal, still hellbent on finishing the job with Dr. M.
"BEN! STOP IT, THIS ISN'T YOU!" Sly pleaded with his brother as Ben growled and pushed him and Neyla off. Guns were heard cocking as he turned to see Carmelita's mercenary group all aiming their guns at him.
"Kid, stand down or we'll be forced to shoot." The Ape Beastkin leader of the group said with the utmost calmness, not the least bit scared.
Ben's breathing slowed down as he saw Sly and Neyla looking at him worriedly, Carmelita hauling up the bloodied and near-dead Dr. M, and the mercenaries all keeping their guns trained on him as if he was a dangerous animal in need of being put down at the slightest notice of danger.
His eyes relaxed, his shoulders slumped, and his breathing returned to normal as his heart rate stopped beating erratically. Neyla approached him with a worried look on her face before wrapping him in a hug.
And that was when the dam broke. Upon his girlfriend's embrace, Ben broke down into sobs, massive, ugly sobs. Sly sighed and hugged his brother from behind while Bentley wheeled over and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, a sad look in his eyes.
Carmelita gave her men the order to stand down as she threw Dr. M into their boat and cuffed him, making sure he didn't try anything funny.
"Come on, we need to let Ben recover from this before we hit the vault..." Sly said as he picked up Ben in his arms, carrying him like an older brother carrying his younger brother as he, Neyla, and Bentley headed back to the ship.
Next Time: Breaking Into The Vault!