*Chapter 1: Thief on Heist*
*10 Years Later*
The night of Paris was quiet. Perfect heist for a raccoon who is now 18. Sly is running on the rooftop buildings in the shadows, gripping on a cane that was his father's. Sly is dressed in his father's clothes as well. The top is blue, blue hat, blue gloves, yellow scarf, blue boots, wearing a red backpack, a red leg pocket, and a black mask. Sly had been waiting for years for his time to shine since he was adopted a few years ago.
Bentley and Murray have homes as well, but they moved on just like the raccoon. Now, they are together and work on heists together. Murray was a pizza delivery guy for a while until Sly called him up for a better job and they will get more food. Bentley was working for computers and make blueprints and found Sly one night outside his house. The three stick together as they promised when they were kids. Their first heist in the orphanage was stealing the cookies from Ms. Puffin. Sly was almost caught by a janitor, but saved by Murray. They were lucky that day, but eventually, Ms. Puffin called them in for stealing her cookie jar. The boys got in trouble of course, and they can't do any fun activities for a week. But it was worth it. It was the heist they will never forget.
Sly jumped on the rooftop and got out the binocucom to see the view of the city. He started to hear a voice coming from a earbud he is wearing.
"Sly, come in! Can you read me? Testing, testing!"
"I hear you loud and clear, Bentley." Sly replied. "Everything good down there?"
"I test everything, Sly. Now, I can see your view from the binocucom." Bentley said. "And...tell me again why we're doing this?"
"A museum held a valuable diamond. I gotta get to it before other thieves around here do." Sly said with a grin. "Make sure Murray got the van running. I'm heading over to the museum now." Sly puts away his binocucom and rush over to the rooftop buildings to get to the museum.
"Miss Fox, you sure you can handle this tonight?" A male dog in a police uniform asked. A fox with long blue hair in a braid got out of the car, holding her shock pistol. She is wearing a jacket with a blue top underneath revealing her stomach, and blue jeans with brown boots.
"I can handle this alone." She spoke. "Last time I caught three goons trying to break into a bank. So, this one will be no problem."
"Alright. Give us backup if there's any trouble, Carmelita." The policeman said. He got back in his car and drove off. Carmelita walked inside the museum with the keys that the manager gave her. She was ready to take down a thief who will dare to come in and try to steal anything valuable.
After giving instructions, Sly climbed through the window he opened and land on the floor. There are lasers around the place and security cameras. Bentley is handling the security by hacking them. Sly hid in the shadows, jumping over the lasers. He has to find that diamond. His ears perk up when he hears a sound coming around the corner, and see light approaching. The raccoon hid by the wall, keeping quiet. A security guard with a flashlight is passing by, searching the area. Sly silently went around the corner to find a room where the diamond was held.
"Where is it?" Sly whispered to himself, looking around.
"Everything okay in there, Sly?" Bentley asked coming from the earbud.
"Good for now. I need to find that diamond. It's gotta be around here somewhere."
"Hang on, Sly. Let me lookover the blueprints to find its location. We gotta make this fast. This place is crawling with security." Bentley said. Sly continue to search around the place silently, avoiding the lasers and security guards.
XX
Carmelita kept her guard up, roaming around the museum, using her flashlight to look at the dark spots that a thief could hide in. The shadows keep them safe from getting caught. The fox listened for a sound, a voice, anything that doesn't belong here besides the guards. So far, things are okay. But she was unaware that a raccoon is here.
"Maybe the thieves are afraid of me. They should be." Carmelita said to herself. "I am their worst nightmare."
XX
Sly is inside a small room and his brown pop open when he sees a sight ahead of him. A medium size diamond in a glass case, surrounded by lasers. The raccoon contacted Bentley that the diamond was found, but need help about the lasers. Bentley is getting started on hacking the laser security device. The diamond shines inside the case, making Sly excited to get his hands on it. After a few minutes, the lasers are gone. Sly walked up to the case, ready to smash it with his cane...
"Ugh!" Sly grunted, holding his head. His eyes shut tight at the feeling in his head. This can't happen now.
"Sly? Are you hurt? What happened?" Bentley asked in a worry tone. Sly shook his head after the pain in his head subsided. At least it didn't last long. He's been having headaches lately and he had no idea why.
"I...I'm fine." Sly replied. "Just...a headache I get sometimes. I'm fine now."
"Hurry up! You could get caught any moment!" Bentley said. Sly nodded and smash the glass case and grab the diamond. He places a calling card inside, letting the guards know a Cooper stole something. As he's about to put it in his backpack, light hits him and hear a voice.
"Freeze!" It demanded. Sly couldn't see someone in front of him, but the voice belongs to a woman. "Don't move." Sly could sense someone approaching him. He quickly reach inside his leg pocket and got a smoke bomb out. He threw it down and blue smoke appears around him and a figure. He hears a woman coughing, and it's his chance to make a run for it. "Back up! I need back up! There's a thief!" A woman said.
Sly climbed up the wires to get to one of the windows to break. Flashlights start to hit him and hear security guards yell at him to freeze, but the raccoon didn't obey. He smirk down at them and threw another smoke bomb down. He climbs up the rooftop.
"Guys, I'm coming down!" He said. He didn't hear Bentley and Murray from his earbud when a fox climbed on the rooftop and aim her shock pistol at him.
"Freeze, raccoon!" She said. "You got some nerve for throwing that bomb!" Sly turned around and face her. The two look at each other in silent. Sly couldn't believe what he is seeing before him. A beautiful fox with brown eyes and a beauty mark under her right eye.
"Wow..." Sly whispered. Carmelita stared at him, studying his features. She had to admit to herself that he is pretty attractive for a thief. But, something about him is familiar.
"Now don't move, raccoon." The fox slowly approached him, taking out the handcuffs. Sly hears his van honk below him. His friends are waiting. The police will arrive any minute. He had to leave now.
"Sorry to leave like this, but I gotta run!" Sly said running towards the edge of the building. "Hope to see you again, beautiful!" He gave her a wink before jumping down.
"No!" Carmelita cried out. She looked down to see Sly running towards the blue van. It drove off when sirens were heard. Carmelita slammed her fist on the edge. "Clever thief. I'll get him next time." She said.
In the police station, Carmelita told her boss, James Barkley, what happened tonight. James Barkley was angry, but he realized that Carmelita first encountered Sly he heard about the past couple nights. The inspector hands the fox files of the raccoon.
"His name is Sly Cooper. He's a new Cooper after his father died 10 years ago." James said.
"Cooper? I think I heard that name. The raccoon is a Cooper?" Carmelita wondered, looking over the files.
"Yes. You see, there's a Cooper line. They have a code of stealing. They steal from other thieves, yet they can steal from banks, museums, etc. Sly is a new thief in town, and he is hard to catch." James said.
"Hmm." Carmelita hummed, looking at a black and white photo of Sly by the building with a bag. "Maybe...I could catch him. He didn't try to attack me."
"I don't think Coopers kill. But, we have to be careful. We don't know what this raccoon is capable of." James told her. "But, you sure want to take this case of catching him?"
"Yes. I am sure. This raccoon will see me often. I just have to be smarter than him." Carmelita said with a smile.
In the hideout, Bentley and Murray are looking at the diamond in interest. Sly was sitting by the window, looking up at the moon and stars with a smile. He couldn't get the fox out of his mind. He had never seen the likes of her. He guessed she was working for Interpol.
"That was a close one back there, Sly. We could've gone to jail." Bentley said.
"I hear they have the worst food." Murray said. But the raccoon didn't pay attention. "Uh, Sly? You okay pal?" Bentley walked over to Sly and tap him on the leg.
"Sly?"
"Huh? What?" Sly asked, blinking.
"You look lost there. You okay?" Bentley asked.
"Oh, yeah. I'm fine. It's just...that policewoman."
"Who?" Murray wondered, scratching his head.
"A fox with that red pistol, her blue hair, those pretty eyes..." Sly said with a smile. "I wonder what her name is..."
"Sly, don't tell me you're in love with a policewoman." Bentley said with worry. Sly blushed a bit. Murray walked over to them, changing the subject. He was asking Sly about what they should do next after stealing the diamond. Sly looked at his friends, with a serious look in his eyes.
"You guys remember I told you about the Thievius Raccoonus?" He asked. The turtle and the hippo nodded. "Well, I...I gotta get that book back from someone who took it. My father and mother were killed by whoever wanted the book. I'm the only Cooper around and must get that book back."
"But, where is the guy now?" Murray asked.
"Only one way to find out. My father kept the files about the guys who are against him." Sly said. "Bentley, think you can try to track them down?"
"I could try." Bentley said. "And you can count on me for hacking their security systems."
"And you can count on me for some beating!" Murray said, punching his knuckles. "Not only I'm a pizza delivery guy, I'm a wrestler!" Sly smiled at his friends. "We stick together, Sly! We'll help you find your book back!" Murray said. They brought their hands in, agreeing to do this mission. For Sly, for his family, and for his family ancestors.