Gamelover41592- Hey, thanks!
Shadow Joestar- Oh trust me, the Cooper Gang aren't the only ones in for a shock…..
Now for the first of the three chapters that really didn't need to be in the game. Thankfully, I have a way to make this a bit more interesting.
Duncan hugged himself as he made his way over to the safe. The gang had managed to track Rajan into his spice production plant in the deep jungle. Meaning walking. And then it started raining. He wasn't going back out for a while. He may have had the temperature regulation, but that only worked with normal weather, so it did nothing to block the rain out.
"What's the code?" Duncan asked, his teeth chattering.
"Good thing I'm fluent in Sanskrit or this last code would've been impossible. Try...3-8-6," Bentley said. Duncan did what he was told and opened up the safe.
"A voltage attack?" Duncan read the top of the blueprints. He gained a wicked grin. Spotting a nearby guard, Duncan attacked. The guard was electrocuted and was knocked out instantly.
"Is this be gonna fun," Scruffy said, rubbing two of his little legs together. (This is gonna be fun)
"Yeah, when it's not raining," Duncan said as he hugged himself again.
Job 1: Freeing the Elephant
"Thank god the rain stopped," Duncan mumbled to himself. After getting back and drying himself off, Duncan had been content to relax in the safehouse. However, when the rain stopped for a bit, he knew he couldn't resist the fun of being a thief and had taken on a job.
"Rajan is able to monitor all of our communications out here with that elephant-driven satellite array," Bentley said. Duncan looked out at the elephant, who was hooked up to a satellite dish.
"That's really bad!" Duncan painked before realizing who he was talking to. "You got a plan for shutting it down?"
"Don't I always? Now, the local spice plants are illegal for good reason. Eat too many and you'll go into a fit of uncontrolled rage," Bentley explained.
"Note to self, never let Murray touch it," Duncan said to himself before taking another look at the elephant and realizing the plan. "Oh I get it! I need to put some of the spice in the elephant's food, he eats and BOOM! The satellite is in pieces!"
"A crude interpretation of the plan, but accurate. The trick here is harvesting the spice plants. You'll have to do some serious climbing as they only grow high up in the jungle canopy," Bentley explained.
"Got it! I just hope I'm done before the rain starts back up," Duncan said. He checked the binocucom. Bentley had marked the locations of the plants on it.
"Right one us above!" Scruffy exclaimed. (One right above us!)
"Let's get climbing," Duncan said. This continued each time the duo found a new tree with the spices in it. After a little while, they had all six spices plants.
"Now take all the spice plants you've collected to the elephant's feed basket," Bentley said. With a giggle, Duncan slipped the plants into the basket when the guard looked away, before climbing back into a tree. Sure enough, as soon as the elephant ate them, it went into a rage and smashed the satellite.
"Long so, satellite!" Scruffy said with a mocking wave. (So long, satellite)
"You will not be missed!" Duncan added while he climbed down after making sure the elephant was safely gone. The duo laughed all the back to the safe house.
Job complete
Back in the safehouse, Bentley had called everyone together.
"I've got some bad news: Rajan's gone into hiding somewhere in the temple. I guess the destruction of his satellite array and my invasion of his personal space to get the blueprints spooked him. To get his portion of the Clockwerk heart we'll need to drive him out into the open. Given Rajan's spice-addled temper, I recommend making him angry. First, we'll destroy the center of his operation, the spice grinder. Then, we'll demolish the dam above the temple in an attempt to flood him out. If that doesn't work, I've made arrangements to exchange one of the temple's facade rubies for some high explosives which, if necessary, we can use to flood the whole temple grotto. If my psychological profile is accurate, Rajan should pick up the other half of the Clockwerk heart before making his escape. Effectively, bringing it to us," Bentley explained.
"Seems like a good plan," Duncan noted.
"Let's get going," Sly said. Duncan grinned as he followed his father.
Job 2: Neyla's Secret
"I'm not even surprised at this point," Duncan internally groaned when Neyla had shown up again. He still didn't trust her at all. Either way, he watched her as she spoke with his father.
"Cooper, we meet again," Neyla said.
"It would appear so," Sly said.
"What are you doing here? And where is mo-Inspector Fox?" Duncan asked, praying Neyla didn't notice his slip up. Thankfully, she didn't
"Old Ironsides is finishing up with some arrests back at the palace," Neyla explained.
"Seems like you must have gone ahead," Sly deduced. All that did was build Duncan's suspicions
"Anyways, the task at hand. I've learned of a secret entrance leading to half of the Clockwerk heart. Legally I can't enter the premises without a warrant, but now a thief like you two…" Neyla said.
"A thief like me or Duncan can go wherever he pleases. I read you," Sly said.
"Don't fall behind while I lead you to the entrance. This place is thick with guards and standing still could be lethal," Neyla said before starting off.
"I hear that, sister," Duncan said as he and Sly chased after Neyla. He didn't want to admit he didn't trust Neyla to his dad yet. After all, he could be wrong. Either way, he did his best to keep with Neyla, who was running a few feet ahead. Eventually, they had made it to a hidden door.
"This is it. And remember, if push comes to shove I never showed you this door," Neyla said before running off. Duncan and Sly then slipped inside.
"Hey dad, do you feel like you are getting angry here or is that just me?" Duncan asked.
"No, I am too. It must be the spice vapors," Sly replied. They started looking around and saw a piece of the heart!
"There it is, just like Neyla said," Sly said.
"In order to lower the Clockwerk heart, you'll need access to that control panel... but it's locked down tight," Bentley explained over the binocucom. Duncan turned to face the panel he was talking about and saw that there were two chains
"Oh, I'm sure these guards won't mind if we "borrow" their keys," Sly replied. It wasn't hard to nab the keys, as there only two. With a grin, they unlocked the control panel, used it and grabbed the first half of the Clockwerk heart.
"That's it, half the Clockwerk heart! The spice won't be growing around here anytime soon," Bentley said.
Job Complete
"Don't you Neyla trust, you do?" Scruffy asked. (You don't trust Neyla, do you).
"Nope," Duncan replied. The rain had picked up again, so he was waiting back at the safehouse. "There's just something about her I really don't like.
"Understand I. Is shady she," Scruffy agreed. (I understand. She is shady)
"Exactly! How would she have a key to Dimitri's nightclub and know about Rajan's hidden door?!" Duncan exclaimed. He didn't have time to finish because Sly, Bentley and Murray had all come back from their missions.
"You seem a little out of sorts. Is something wrong?" Sly asked.
"I don't trust Neyla at all," Duncan said bluntly. "You don't think it's a little suspicious that she just so happened to have a key to Dimitri's nightclub and know about Rajan's hidden door?" The three older men put so thought into that.
"Hmm, you make a point, but if she is helping us, we can't really complain," Sly pointed out.
"However, that is still a very good point," Bentley noted. "But that will need to wait, because I have a plan to take the second half of the Clockwerk heart," This got Duncan to completely forget about Neyla. Bentley opened up his computer.
"Partial flooding didn't work, so it's time to go the distance. Blowing up the temple's elephant mouth should turn this grotto into a swimming pool. Duncan and I'll cover Murray from the chopper's gun turret while he pries the mouth open. Once that's done, Sly will need to walk the Cherry Bomb 500 into the throat, then get to high ground as fast as you can. Rajan is sure to show up and be extra angry. Jump him, snag his half of the Clockwerk heart and we're out of here!"
"Let's do it!" Duncan cheered.
Duncan couldn't believe his eyes. After helping Murray, he and Bentley had moved into some nearby bushes where Duncan watched as his suspicions came true. First, Neyla let Sly get hit by Rajan's lightning. Then after Murray beat Rajan, Neyla showed up with the Contessa, Carmelita and a bunch more cops. Carmelita must have known they were watching as she gave them a look that screamed "I'm sorry,"
"There they are Contessa, just as I promised. The Cooper Gang and Rajan all incapacitated," Neyla said.
"Excellent police work Constable Neyla. Carmelita's never been able to catch the Cooper Gang, yet you capture them in just a few short weeks," The Contessa congratulated Neyla. Just seeing both of them basically insult Carmelita was making his blood boil.
"Well, I never…" Carmelita began to say, before the Contessa cut her off.
"Really Carmelita, accept your defeat gracefully," The Contessa chastised. Duncan could feel his breathing get heavier. On his shoulder, Scruffy was getting worried.
"Actually, Contessa, there's a good reason Inspector Fox never caught the Cooper Gang... she's been in league with them the whole time!" Neyla revealed. Now, Duncan's eye was twitching.
"Liar! Prove it!" Carmelita challenged.
"This is a photo of Carmelita dancing with Sly Cooper on the night the Clockwerk wings were stolen," Neyla said, pulling out said picture.
"But I didn't know I was dancing with Cooper," Carmelita lied.
"Also, we found some emails on her personal computers from the Cooper gang. Adding onto this, when I confronted Cooper and his son earlier, he was going to call Carmelita mom!" Neyla revealed. Duncan mentally cursed his carelessness.
"So where is this son? I don't see the turtle either," The Contessa noticed. Duncan's anger was replaced by fear as he and Bentley ducked down, trying to keep from being seen.
"I don't think we'll need to worry about them. The son hasn't even hit his teen years yet and the turtle is the weakest member of the gang," Neyla said.
"Very well. Men, place Inspector Fox under arrest along with the other three," The Contessa ordered.
"I'll get you Neyla... don't think I won't," Carmelita vowed as she was lead away.
"Not if I get her first," Duncan said to himself. The anger had returned in full force.
"Such a pity when an officer falls from the light," The Contessa said to Neyla.
"Yes... indeed," Neyla said.
"I can't believe it... that double-crossing, cockney... liar!" Bentley exclaimed. Then he noticed Duncan standing up. "Duncan, are you okay?" Duncan yanked up him.
"Come on! I have a plan!" Duncan ordered as he raced towards the Contessa and Neyla's helicopter transports.
"What are you doing?!" Bentley asked.
"Saving them!" Was all Duncan said.
"So this is your game, backstabbing us all?!" Sly demanded as Neyla led him and Murray to a prison helicopter. Carmelita had been placed on another with the Contessa already. Sly already knew what was waiting for both him and Murray when they arrived.
"Afraid so Cooper," Neyla said before grabbing Sly by his collar. "Oh and if I ever see him, I'll personally brainwash your boy!" Behind them, an invisible Duncan crept towards her.
"If you lay one hand on Duncan, I will tear you limb from limb!" Sly replied with anger normally unknown to him.
"YEAH!" Murray roared from behind him.
"But how will you do that, when you don't even remember him?" Neyla asked. As if on cue, all the guards were knocked out. They fell over, sleep darts embedded in their necks. "Wh-!?"
"Get the hell away from my dad and uncle!" Duncan screamed as he turned visible and smacked Neyla across the face with his cane. Meanwhile, Bentley started working to free Sly and Murray.
"Gah!" She yelled as she fell back from Duncan's blow. She covered where he hit, but Duncan saw red coming out of the hand.
Blood
Duncan backed up a little. He wasn't trying to use the sharp end of his cane.
"You little brat! I'll make you pay for that!" Neyla snapped as she walked towards Duncan, the fresh cut on her face now exposed.
"That statement I said still stands," A now free Sly said as he stepped in front of his son, along with Murray. Neyla growled but said nothing, as she went to try and wake up her guards, giving the gang a clean break to flee.
"Sorry we didn't believe you, Duncan," Murray apologized from the front seat.
"It's fine, Uncle Murray," Duncan said. "Sorry I couldn't save mom too,"
"You were just lucky you didn't get captured yourself," Sly replied, trying to ease his son. Duncan didn't care.
"It's my fault! If I hadn't said anything, mom would still be a cop!" Duncan said, tears beginning to spill. Sly brushed his tears away.
"Hey, I promise that we will save your mom and I'm sure she'll forgive you," Sly said. Duncan just gave his dad a hug.
Surprise! Duncan saves Sly and Murray and now chapter 4 in game doesn't happen! Also, Duncan's suspensions have come true. I loved writing Duncan's rage towards Neyla and Contessa, even having him draw blood. Will this come back to haunt him?
Writing Sly's Papa Wolf moment was awesome. Seeing what happened to his own father, I thought I would make sense having him be overprotective towards Duncan when he needs to be.
As for Rajan, I thought he was a fun villain and kinda terrifying, seeing as he is basically a drug lord. The boss fight was also a lot of fun, especially because you could play as THE MURRAY! Anyways, next time, we save Carmelita and take on the Contessa!