~~~Where God Went to Die~~~

Ayleen took her seat and let escape the breath she was holding. The air on board the train tasted like metal, and the loud screeching of iron wheels picking up speed underneath her sent a chill through her blood. This was the first time she was traveling alone, and even her first time outside of Denmark. The true fear in awe of her decision was starting to set in as the city she had known all her life faded into the distance. Her father's worry had returned, too, as before she boarded the train, her phone would vibrate every second, which she found hard to ignore. He wouldn't help, and she didn't want him interfering with her quest. He would only want to try to lasso her back home, promising to overcome the emotional distance, but ultimately keeping his life quiet to her. Another series of vibrations, which the raccoon continued to ignore. She looked out the window and rested her forehead against the glass. She had no idea why her dad told her to stop by Holland, or if it was a trap, or anything else. Sly, in his almost disconnected state, mentioned an "old friend", but with Ayleen's modicum of fact for her father's word, that could mean anything. When her phone stopped vibrating, and chimed once, she closed her eyes. Biting her lip, she reached inside her pocket and pulled it out. Displayed against her lock screen, a picture of her and one of her friends, was a text from her father.

Ayleen, I'm so sorry, please come home.

She huffed and drug her claw in circles around the screen, debating with herself whether or not to text back. She knew she would only be fanning the flame, so she set it down. Another chime.

We can talk about this, I promise.

No. You don't… She thought, feeling her eyes grow wet. She wasn't happy about leaving, as after all of this, she still loved her father. Right now, she just needed to learn more about their history, and if pushing past someone she loved who stood in her path was the only way, then it only reinforced how importing her quest was. She would come home when this was all done, and maybe Bentley would accompany her. Sly wouldn't have to talk anymore, Ayleen would know everything. Then, if Carmelita… Her mother, was truly to be forgotten, and Sly was right, then she would apologize, and try to put everything back to normal. She still wanted to travel with him to Panama, and live the happy Father-Daughter lifestyle they both wanted.

Are you on the train?

Ayleen, please answer me, I was drunk this morning.

Even if you were, I'm not coming back so easily. She shook her head, feeling careful frustration replace the anxiety of leaving her home. Eventually, she let slip a small part of it, just enough to ventilate, just enough to keep control.

You need to tell me everything. Absolutely everything. All about her, all about you, Bentley, Murray, She typed, feeling her fingers move on their own. Penelope, too. She added before sending the text. She knew he wouldn't agree, but she had to say it. She had to make him know she was serious.

…

Was all her father said back. He actually sent me that?! She thought, closing her eyes to keep calm. Another chime.

If you know, you'll want to be like me. Like who I was. I will never let you turn into that, there is no worse fate.

I will never be like you.

Fuck you. I'll text you when I'm in Paris.

She turned her phone off and rubbed her eyes, feeling the tears finally start a journey of their own. Another three hours, and she would be in the Netherlands. That much closer to finding her mother.

Chapter Eight

Rotterdam, Netherlands - 2035

Once the wheels screeched to a halt, Ayleen gathered her thoughts and ran her eyes through the Dutch landscape. Quiet brick houses, lush green fields,- and surprisingly, only a few windmills -decorated the country everywhere from the dirt under her to the horizon atop the hills. She swung her backpack over her shoulders and smiled. Her first time on foreign soil, and she still felt like she hadn't left. That was something of a relief to her, the feeling of always being just a few steps from home. She wondered if she would still feel that whimsical breeze of thought when she got to Paris.

She jumped off the train, determined to finish her journey before touring the new world. An old friend… she heard her father's voice echo in her head. He stopped texting as soon as Ayleen crossed the border, almost like he was waiting for her to hit the point of no return, so he could stop pretending to be nice… she got a cold worry that he was coming after her. Maybe his "friend" would stop her, hold her somewhere, and wait for Sly to arrive. If she met that "friend", she would have to be careful. If Sly WAS after her, she had just a few hours before he could get a good shot at capturing her. All the more incentive to act fast. The only reason she even thought about trying to meet with the friend was all in the disassociated way Sly had mentioned him. "…You wont have any trouble finding him…" this friend might be dangerous, but Ayleen was ready for it.

She had her knife.

Kinderdijk… That's Southeast of here… small village… Ayleen reviewed her mission in her head. On the train she had been studying a map of the Hollish region, and she knew that if someone who knew her father DID live there, it wouldn't hurt to ask around the neighboring town. Rotterdam wasn't too big, and Ayleen knew she just had to sniff around the right areas. Her only clue being a cryptic one, she figured she'd try to ask the police about the name Sly Cooper first. Ayleen doubted Sly was ever an office down here, but if Carmelita was with the police… INTERPOL even, then maybe she was Dutch. A thousand thoughts swam behind her determination to dig up answers, one of the larger ones being the fear of what her father would do to her if he caught her.

The raccoon looked at a pedestrian, walking off the train, fixing his hat. "Um, excuse me…" she held out her hand.

"Ik kan niet praten, ik heb haast." The man muttered in Dutch, hastily pushing past the girl.

Ayleen bit her lip. "I'm just looking for the police?" she called after him, his pace quickening. "Hmph." she grumbled. "Shit…" her eyes darted to any kind of help desk, looking for someone who might be able to understand her.

After wandering the station for a few minutes, she overheard a rather large woman speaking German into her phone, with annoyance lacing her speaking patterns. Ayleen wasn't too great with German, he father mainly taught her French and English, but fortunately, what little she DID know was taught to help get her out of trouble, just in case the two found themselves separated on a (hypothetical) vacation. Thanks Dad, I guess you did SOMETHING right. She thought, half nervous and half excited.

The woman was rubbing her eyes, sighing out of her nose, and when Ayleen approached her, she hurriedly shoved her phone in her pocket and leaned over to her with a concerned smile. "Hallo klein meisje! ben je verdwaald?" she asked in what she thought was the raccoon's native tongue.

"Uh…" Ayleen cleared her throat. "Deutsch?" she smiled.

The woman look confused, thrown off by the improper pronunciation. "…Bist du verloren?" Are you lost?

Ayleen smiled happily. "Nee!" She ran her lessons back though her mind. "Ich suche die Polizeistation." I'm looking for the police station.

The woman smiled back. "Oh du arme süße Sache, ich kann dich dorthin bringen. hast du deinen papa verloren?" Oh, you sweet little thing, I can take you there. did you lose your dad?

Ayleen felt bile rise in her throat at the irony. "Uh… Nein… Ich suche nur den Sender ... Danke." I'm just looking for the station, thank you.

"...Wie alt sind Sie?" the woman asked after hesitation.

"Siebzehn…?" Seventeen…?

The woman looked surprised. "Uhh…" she looked behind her, then back at the girl. "Elf Taborstraat… Es dauert ungefähr acht Minuten mit dem Taxi…" It takes about eight minutes by taxi…

Ayleen looked at a map posted on a board behind the woman. Sure enough, there was a little police officer icon next to Eleven Tabor street, three kilometers East.

"Danke!" she yelled over her shoulder to the confused woman as she ran to the street. Once she got to the sidewalk, she found a tall chameleon smoking a vape pen besides a small yellow car. When she waved her hand to him, he stuck the devise in his pocket, and opened the door for a potential customer.

Ayleen took one last look behind her towards the train. Another had docked at the opposite port, ready to go back across the country. She stood quietly, almost waiting for someone to come get her, and bring her home. Finally the doors closed and the train slowly moved out of the station. She sighed, fixed her backpack, and looked back at the chameleon. He raised an eyebrow, and held his hand back over his pocket. Ayleen smiled, and with confidence and valor, climbed in the backseat. "Elf Taborstraat." she said happily.

`~`\/*\/`~`

Sly finished digging lose dirt out of the ground, and with his now free hand, switched ears for his phone. He growled in frustration, realizing he needed both paws to finish his job. He shoved his shoulder into his ear, trying to hear his conversation over the bad reception. "No! For fuck's sake, shes gone!" he grabbed another heavy stone half buried in the dirt, and threw it on the pile.

"..."

"No, in The Netherlands, she… I-I think shes going after Mugshot…"

"…"

Sly moved the final stone and wiped the sweat forming under his hair. His hand hurt like hell, and shoveling rocks all afternoon didn't help the scabbing. "She isn't going to kill… well fuck, I don't know what she's doing! She thinks he'll help her learn about Carmelita, I don't know if she wants to hurt him!"

"..."

"No, I didn't fucking tell her! How was I supposed to? If she knew…" Sly slowed down when he saw his old friend, protected from the earth by a torn garbage bag, tied up like a grim Christmas present with duct tape and rope. Buried the day he bought the house, never forgotten, and never reborn... Until now… "If she knew about Penelope…"

"..."

Sly took a deep breath, tore open the bag, and retrieved his prize. It felt heavier then he remembered. "I… listen… pal… I don't know what to do, I've messed up before, but this… this is horrible…"

"..."

"I'm not asking for a favor… but when I left… I asked you to watch over… well, you know what I asked." Sly sighed, and set the resurfaced treasure in a duffle bag he brought outside with him. "I'm going to go get her… then I… I'll be needing it back."

"..."

"No, I'm not thinking about using it… I just need to show her what I've done… I wont use it… I just need to prove to her… well, that its all real…"

Sly hung up the phone and rubbed his eyes. He sighed and looked up at the setting sun. "I'll get ya, baby girl… I'm so sorry… I'll set all of this right… I promise, I promise you, and your mother…"

`~`\/*\/`~`

Ayleen sat with her hands in her lap, watching the buildings roll past from the cab's window. The chameleon in the front sat reclined, with his fingers tapping to the quiet music he said he couldn't change, due to a busted radio. He had an easy-going smile, despite his far from careful driving.

He cleared his throat. "So… jij uit het koninkrijk van Lort-Hul?" he asked in dutch, finishing with the danish word for shit hole.

Ayleen raised an eye brow. "Huh?"

The driver laughed, and shook his head while casually, albeit quickly, passing another car. "I'm just pokin' fun. Yanno I'm actually a Dane, believe it or not…" he chuckled in Ayleen's native language. She didn't respond to his joke as quickly as he did. "I give it a hard time, but that's only 'cause I ain't got much up there for me no more."

Ayleen blinked slowly.

"But hey, whats there for us anywhere?" he shrugged. "Don't matter where you're born. Matters what you fight for." he quickly came to a stop at a light. "So, what are you fightin' for? Country? Fame? Mommy and daddy?"

Ayleen was nervous, but took his casual diction as a thin comfort. "N-no… I'm just trying to learn more about my… well its nothing."

The cabbie scoffed. "Nothin' ain't nothing, kid. Its good you got a fight at all, as a matter of fact. Whatever that fight is, though, I wont pry."

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Finally, the raccoon spoke up. "Why did you move to the Netherlands?"

The chameleon smiled. "College. Lotsa good that done me, huh?" he laughed. "Nah, I dropped out. wasn't for me I learned." Ayleen smiled too. He seemed harmless… if you were on this side of the wheel. "If I could go back, do it differently… well, that's kind of another story…"

Ayleen cocked her head. "Would you finish school?"

"Pft!" he spit, veering off the road for a second. "Fuckin' 'ell! You're funny, kid. Even if I wanted to finish I would have failed. Nah… for me, if I could rewind the clock… I'd stay with my family."

Ayleen stopped smiling. Her eyes locked on her legs, and her ears drooped.

The driver sighed. "I miss my dad, if I'm bein' honest… ran away from that, too."

"Same for me…" she sighed, feeling all her repressed fears and sadness come back up. He dad was worried about her, and she was in a foreign country, hours away from her friends, her bed, her security. She was chasing what her dad tried to leave behind, and as disconnected as he could be sometimes, Sly was a smart man. If he tried to ditch this, it was for a reason. She might be in danger, and she had no idea how far down it goes. The chameleon heard a slight sob escape her lungs, and took one eye off the road to look back at her.

"Ah, shit, I'm sorry kiddo, I didn't mean to bring ya down, it-it's yur big day, huh? Goin' to the police station, what fun!" he stopped when he saw Ayleen wipe her eyes. His body shifted to that of an actual figure for driving, and he awkwardly looked around the roads. He sighed. "Okay… so… you're a run away, huh?" Ayleen nodded, looking at him through the review mirror. His eyes were apologetic, and his lips were pursed. "That's your decision… but… " another sigh. "Was your old home a bad one? Did they… hurt ya?"

The raccoon shook her head. "My dad was good to me… he just… I… I never knew my mom. I don't even know what happened to her, she just left one day, when I was a baby. It broke my dad, apparently." the cabbie kept quiet, suddenly driving much more alertly. "He was good to me, cared about me and loved me and all… but he would never tell me about her… actually, about her OR him. I figured out he was a thief, and she was a cop… that's all I really know. But I want to find out more," she swallowed her fear and raised her head proudly. "and if my dad wont help me, I'll find out myself. I think my mom worked here, when she was a cop, or… if she still is, I mean."

"So…" the lizard looked a little brighter. "You're on a quest, huh? To uncover the truth about yourself?"

Ayleen laughed. "P-pretty much." she concluded, wiping away the last tear.

"Right. The fuck. On." he smiled back at her, letting himself go a little bit, his car swerving again. "What about when you get what you want? What about your dad then?"

Ayleen kept her posture. "Well… if my dad was right to try to leave it all behind… then ill apologize. For leaving, not for wanting to know more."

"Respect, holdin' true to your drive." He ran a stop sign.

"And if he was wrong. We'll talk it though. He loves me, and I love him. No matter what, we wont kill each other, well get though it."

The cabbie nodded his head. "Goddamn, you're my fuckin' hero, kid." They both laughed. "I wish I had the balls do do that."

Ayleen felt a wave of empathy. "Why cant you?"

"Long story kiddo."

"I have time."

He smiled, and pulled into a crooked parallel park, half on the curb, half in the road. "Not really. Eleven Tabor Street." he looked back at the girl, who actually looked a little disappointed. "I don't know if this is the last step of your journey, but no matter what, I'm rootin' for ya."

Ayleen rubbed her neck. "Ah, damn… hey, I'm sorry, if you wanna drive ar-"

The cabbie held up a hand. "Nah, I'll be alright. I got this job for good, ill just unload it all on some pissy politician." they laughed a second time.

Ayleen reached into her bag for her wallet. "What do I ow you?"

"Your name."

"Huh?" she looked up at the relaxed lizard.

"So I know who I'm rootin' for, you know?"

She smiled, and stuck out a hand. "Ayleen Montoya."

He shook it. "Barry. Barry Crimson." He said through a forced American accent. "My mom was a Yankee." Alyeen giggled, struck again by excitement to find her mom. Or at least, some answers.

"Thank you Barry."

He twitched his head to the building. "Don't give up, kiddo."

Ayleen climbed out of the cab, waved goodbye as he drove off, and smiled at the station. Whatever she had to to find her dad's friend, here is where she would get her first-

A loud slam interrupted her thoughts as a humungous, elderly, purple bull dog slammed the station door behind him on his way out. "…AND YOUR MOTHER!" he screamed in English at the door he just shut, grumbling as he limped away, leaning on a huge wooden cane for support for his tiny legs. Ayleen was shocked, but intrigued by his accent. She stood there, watching him awkwardly shuffle done the street, for what felt like a long time. Twenty years ago, the dog might have been scary, but now, he would be lucky if a group of teenagers didn't push him over.

"Uh… excoose… ingen… excuse me, sir?" She spoke in English, amazed at how many languages she's ended up using in one day.

The dog angrily spun around. "The fuck you want, ki-" he stopped dead in his tracks, dropping his cane as his pupils shrunk. He tried to take a step back, but lost his footing and fell over, landing on his back.

Ayleen rushed over to help him, the old man wriggling on the floor trying to pick himself up. "Are you okay? I didn't mean to scare you!"

"Fuck offa me!" he yelled, trying to push the girl away, but finding no strength to do so. "Fuckin' figures that rodent would have got it on with that cop chick…"

Ayleen grabbed his wrist, intrigued. "You know my parents?"

"Un-fuckin'-fortunately! What, did they send you after me to finish the job?" he yelled, still weekly thrashing about, feeling for his cane.

Ayleen smiled. "Your dad's friend! Hold shit! That was SO much easier then it should have been!" she laughed, relived at how much progress she had accidentally made.

The dog looked up at her with fury in his eyes. "Friend? Friend!? OH THAT SON OF A-" he stopped, as trying to sit up, he hurt himself again.

Ayleen let go of his wrist. "Oh god, I'm so sorry, here let me help you!"

The dog pointed at where he dropped his cane. "Don't you fuckin' touch me! Get my damn stick!" she feebly picked up the heavy oaken walking stick, heavy enough to almost be the entire tree, and set it down in his massive fist. She watched as he actually managed to hoist himself off the ground with the cane as his only support. "Now… just…" he was panting heavily. "Leave me… oh, god I'm old… heh…" he growled, keeping eye contact after his short chuckle. "Tell daddy I don't have anything else he can steal… I'm broke, you hear? Bee-Are-Oh-Kay!" he yelled, still gathering his strength to walk away.

Ayleen held up her hands. "No no, he isn't here with me, hes in Denmark…" the English words fell out of her mouth almost effortlessly. Ironic that Sly would spend so much time teaching her different tongues, only to have her use it to converse with an one of his old enemies… or so Ayleen speculated."I'm alone."

The dog still looked cautious. "Not even your old broad?"

"My mom? Well… That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about, so its really fortunate I met you, I mean it-"

The dog barked loudly and started walking. "I just got released, and I already told the pigs in blue why I was on that bus in the first place. I was a victim too, so I got nothin' to say to her!" Ayleen sighed in annoyance and took two steps to catch up with him. "Ah Christ, leave me alone, cant you see I'm dyin'?

Ayleen stood in front of him. "Listen, I don't know how you know my parents, I'm guessing my dad stole from you, but-"

"Knocked my block off is more like it…" the dog grumbled.

"BUT, I'm just here to talk to you. I don't even know who my mother is… my dad just… well, when I ran away, to look for her, he told me he had a friend in Kinderdijk. I know he was being sarcastic, but…" she stopped, rubbing her arm. "Listen, I don't want any trouble, I just wanna know what you know about my family."

The dog smiled crookedly. "Don't want trouble? Kid, your family IS trouble. Every last one of them Coopers. Now get a job!" he yelled, trying to push past her.

She stopped him without much effort. She didn't know how she could break through to him, but she had an idea. "listen, I'll buy you some food if you tell me the full story of how you know them, okay? Free food, if you talk to me." Old people love free food, she thought.

The dog stopped fighting. "Oh my fucking GOD! I'll fucking pay if it gets you out of my hair!"

Ayleen smiled. "One hour, that's all I'm asking, then I'm gone forever."

The bull dog grumbled and looked at his watch, tightly strapped around his huge wrist. "Aughh… if it gets you to leave me alone. Fine. One hour. And I ain't payin' no more!"

The girl smiled. "Ayleen Montoya."

She held out her hand. The dog ignored it and started walking. "Mugshot. I'm sure you've heard all about me."

Ayleen grabbed the straps of her backpack and walked with him. "Actually, no, I don't even-"

"No talking 'till I get my grub." Mugshot barked.

`~`\/*\/`~`

Sly Cooper threw his duffle bag in the back of the car. It had only one set of clothes, all his money, and a tiny black handgun he bought before his immigration. "Ayleen's gone, Julius. She ran away."

The bird looked distraught. "Sly, its not your fault, man, she just-"

"No." the raccoon interrupted, slamming the door shut. "it is my fault. I kept her from the truth and now shes going after it… I could have prevented this. I can still prevent this."

Marsh looked worried, like a dark bile he had swallowed was coming back up his throat. "Sly… that stuff you told me at that station barbecue, back in July… you know I trust you, but… you don't, actually believe all the stuff you told me… you know, really happened?"

Sly looked up at him from the engine he was checking. "…You calling me a liar?"

Julius shook his head. "No, man, never, but come on, time travel? Sly… that stuff…"

Sly slammed the hood, not braking eye contact. "What?" he asked with a cold vitriol.

Marsh sighed. "If I had known your stories were affecting Ayleen like this-"

"Oh, fuck you Marsh." the raccoon shook his head, grinding his teeth.

The bird set his hand gently down on Sly's shoulder. "Buddy, we can get you someone to talk to-" Sly knocked it off. "I just want Ayleen to feel safe-"

Sly grabbed the bird by the collar of his shirt. "Don't you fucking imply I'm not raising my kid right, Marsh. I am not crazy, and I'm going to get her back."

Marsh squinted his eyebrows. "She's scared of you, man, she left to get awa-" he was cut short again by sly kneeing him in the groin. The bird fell, hands over his crotch as the raccoon threw himself into the front seat of his car and backed out of the drive way.

When the car was lost to the streets, Marsh picked himself up and leaned against Sly's house door for support. With a quick glance through the window, he saw the blood stained couch, the hole in the wall, and several half burnt papers that had fallen out of the fireplace. Slowly, not to hurt himself, he took his phone out of his pocket and called his work. "Hey, this is officer Julius Marsh. I need a warrant to search the house of Officer Sly Montoya. Hes gone AWOL… and I think hes been abusing his daughter."

`~`\/*\/`~`

Ayleen was sitting with the elderly Mugshot, carelessly massacring a sandwich with his broken yellow teeth. Between each bite, he would take a swig from a huge silver flash he kept in his coat pocket. He even offered it to Ayleen, who refused, on belief that the putrid reek of the alcohol was due to something dying in the brew. Eventually, the dog shifted his eyes around the restaurant they sat in. "This food was shit." he grumbled. "If the fuckin' cheese-heads could pack some bread half as well as they pack slaves, then I'd- oh hahaha!" he burst out laughing at his own racist insult. Ayleen sat in polite disgust, across the table, studding every twitch the dog made. "Good thing they don't speak English, eh?" he continued. "Cause if they did, they'd kick me out for saying Belgium breeds better pilots!" he yelled loudly, trying to invoke attention. He laughed some more, almost choking on his flask. "Anyway, what did you wanna talk about again?"

Ayleen forced a smile. "My family, how do you know my mom and dad?"

Mugshot nodded. "I know more than just them. I know that little cripple freak too."

Ayleen was confused.

"You know, the nerdy little twat?"

She shook her head.

"Fuckin' a, the cripple!? Oh, I already said that… Christ, what was his name… like, Bert, or somethin'?"

"...Bentley?" Ayleen responded slowly.

Mugshot nodded. "Yeah, and that cute little mouse chick he had the hots for. Penelope, I remember that one. Same name as my mother…"

Penelope… Ayleen's ears perked. "Who was Penelope?"

"...Ugly whore… huh? Oh, I dunno, just some mechanic. Why?"

Ayleen rubbed her neck. "Oh… Never mind… Bentley knew her?" she asked, making a mental note to ask Bentley just who Penelope was.

Mugshot scoffed. "Pay attention, you wanted this right?"

Ayleen nodded. "Right, sorry. Who else did you know?"

I also had a run in with the fat one, and… oh holy shit, heh, your grandfather too."

"You knew my grandfather?"

The dog nodded proudly. "Yep. Beat his ass is what I did."

"Oh,"

He sniffed some snot running down his gray moustache. "Yeah, but the real blow, ya know, the one that counts, that came from the owl."

Ayleen leaned in. "Is that the man my father murdered? So he could avenge his dad?"

Mugshot nodded. "Yeah…" he seemed to slow down, almost like he was lost in happy reminiscence. "Yeah… when the bird killed his old man, we took some dinky little picture book from the house. Little prick grew up, hunted us down, stole the damn book back… nearly burned me alive doin' so." he snorted. "That's when I first met Carmelita Fox."

Mom…

Mugshot scratched his neck, letting dandruff fall onto his lap. "She threw me in the can. Spent three years in there. Broke out, moved here, and lo and be-fuckin' hold, there they are again. Fuck me over in a competition I was passionate about, and then he fuckin' gets me arrested again. Last I ever saw of the two. Well… except that dream once…"

Ayleen was confused. She knew her father was a thief, and that her mother was a cop, but why was Sly running all around the world? How did they end up having a kid? And what happened to Carmelita?

"I was in a giant blimp or somethin'…"

The raccoon was nervous to push the dog for further questions, but she needed to know more. First, she needed to find out why that owl Mugshot was talking about killed her grandfather.

"Fuckin' shit, even in my dreams, they beat me up and steal from me… Fuck, are you even listening?"

She slid her food away form her, propping her elbows on the table. "That owl you mentioned, who was he?"

Mugshot grumbled, trying to find the right words, for once. "You ain't gonna believe me."

"I've had a weird week. Try me."

"Heh." he paused, then drew a deep breath. "He was an immortal robot owl, hell-bent on killing any and all Coopers throughout history."

Ayleen looked at him funny.

Mugshot looked back.

She squinted. "…Wha-"

"I ain't fuckin' with ya, okay? I don't know how this shit happens, we live in a godless universe, kid!"

Ayleen pinched the bridge of her nose. "…Okay… why did the… immortal robot… want to kill the coopers?"

Mugshot leaned back, looking out the window at the night sky taking shape. "I don't know. But it was a deep hatred, like he fed off of it or something… but it don't matter no more. Your daddy stole the book back and killed him. Clockwerk is dead. That's for sure."

"Clockwerk?"

"That's what he called himself, 'n all."

The raccoon dug her claws into the underside of the table. Maybe that's what Dad was talking about when he mentioned his ancestors… but that cant be true, can it? "So, Sly killed him, to avenge his father?"

"Eh… maybe… I may think Clockwerk was a good man, but credit where it's due, 'n all, it would have taken some big ass balls to hike it all the way to Russia to take him out. That's the one thing I can give your old man. Not that he has much else to be proud of, bein' a no good thief 'n all."

Ayleen looked at him through a raised eyebrow. "…You said you stole a book from him?"

Mugshot shook his head. "No, Clockwerk hired me and a few others to kill the guy, his name was Connie, I think. We just took the book… well, just cause! Ya'know?" Ayleen said nothing. "Maybe the owl wanted it for something, I dunno. I don't care, neither."

Ayleen sighed. She didn't expect to learn the full story, but what this guy was giving her was trash. She had only one more question she thought she could fish out of him. "You said there were others? Who killed my granddad?"

Mugshot licked his chin, wiping up spilled food. "Yeah, but good luck findin' any of them. After your daddy kicked their asses I doubt they'd ever show their face in daylight again." he stopped, and squinted his eyes. "I wonder of that crocodile chick is still willin' to get it on…"

Ayleen cringed. "Thank you for your time… I need to be going." She didn't put all her chips down on Mugshot, fortunately. She still had Bentley to talk to. It was time to be moving on to Paris.

Mugshot sighed. "Sorry I couldn't help ya find your mother kid. But if I were you… I wouldn't be going back to that thief."

"Well of course YOU wouldn't, you hate him…" Ayleen said, shoving some money into the check the waitress had brought to the table.

"No, kid, I'm serious. I don't like you, and you don't like me, but a dying man's advise to the next generation? Sly Cooper is bad news. All the Coopers are." He somehow found the strength to stand up, cane in hand. "Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised none, if it turns up he killed your Mother."

That horrified Ayleen. What if all this time, Sly really HAD killed Carmelita, and he was trying to keep Ayleen out of it because he wanted to spare her the same fate… maybe Carmelita had found out too much about Sly… maybe she found out too much about Clockwerk.

Mugshot smiled, and ruffled the petrified teen's hair. "Don't lose sleep over it kid, family ain't shit anyways." He said as he slowly made his departure.

An hour passed when Ayleen finally found the strength to get up and leave. She walked arms crossed in terrifying disgust back to the police station. Onto Paris… was the only non-horrific thing she could muster in her mind to keep her going. Suddenly, a voice broke though the fear.

"Heya kiddo!" Barry was leaning against a semi-parked cab outside the station. Ayleen smiled in genuine happiness as she approached him. He was her only friend in this city, despite being one of only three people shes talked to all day. "Its dark out, need a ride?"

She smiled. "I don't have any money to pay for it, I already gave you my name." she joked happily.

Crimson laughed and opened the door for her. "Its okay, I can pretend like I'm bad with names… Ay…leap?"

She smiled, and climbed in back, for the second time that day.

Crimson hastily backed out of his space, causing a honk from another car behind him. "So I can take you by a youth hostel for the night if you want, they don't charge for runaways. Shit, all they make you do is swear you'll help out in a soup kitchen. But like what are they gonna do if you don't? Call your parents? Ha!… oh shit, hey I'm sorry about that one."

The raccoon smiled. "No, its okay. I think I'm going back to the train station."

Crimson looked back at her excitedly. "Ah man, for real!? you goin' home?"

Ayleen saw the bright speak in his eye, and couldn't bring herself to tell the truth. "I uh.. yeah… I am. I'm going back to make amends."

Barry let out an excited cheer. "Rock the fuck on, kiddo. You know, I've been thinkin' all day… you're right. Family, they're too important to throw away. I think once I save up enough, I'm gonna go back home… I miss my dad." he said with a tear in his eye.

Ayleen put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm really happy for you, Barry. No matter what bridges have been burnt, you can always rebuild."

Barry smiled wide. "For real, man. Hey, thank you… for telling me what was goin' on with ya… it's like… Actually really cool how you opened my eyes and whatnot. I'm excited to get home." Ayleen forced down her anxiety, and let show a bright smile for her friend. "Shit you are too, huh? Crazy what a day can do to ya?" he said as he pushed hard on the gas pedal. "I'm gonna get you there fast, don't wanna waste a second on your way home. Family, its too damn important, ya feel me?"

Ayleen nodded. She agreed with him. Deep down, she knew what she was doing to her dad was destroying him. But family, family is too important to ignore, and Carmelita was a part of the family too. Dead or alive, Ayleen was set on finding out what happened to her, and working to fix the damage her father had caused. Family was just too important. Even if Sly DID kill her… she needed to know, and her best bet was finding Bentley.

Ayleen smiled warmly, a smile that would last with her the entire train ride to Paris. "Hey, not matter what, I'm rooting for ya, pal." she told the chameleon.