Hey everyone,
Well, I can honestly say that this story is coming along nicely. Though I also need to be honest and say that the plans I originally had for Penelope might not come to pass after all. I was originally planning to have the Cooper Gang perform several heists on Miami for the sake of certain dignitaries and then use the Otto Van Cooper Law to let the dignitaries help them get inside the Cooper Vault.
Yet as this story progressed – and especially after I brought the whole thing with Heathrow, Dr. M. and Angel to life – I decided against this. And to be honest, I would rather give Michael more chances to shine as the new Chief of Police as well as give the other Foxes a chance to shine with their own talents. And these talents I am definitely going to develop more as the story progresses, you can bet on that.
Have fun,

Venquine1990

Chapter 30
Relaxation and Importance

29th of June 2007
Cooper Hide Out
Sly's POV

After lunch Carmen and Marcus decided to switch their respective techniques around. Cheren and Helena also decided to come check on us. And while Cheren was a little hesitant and decided to just go back to training with Murray, Helena also started to practice. Carmelita asked if she could help her sister train on the Ninja Spire Jump and I had proudly encouraged her. Helena had spent a few minutes reading the Raccoonus and then started training.
A few times while I watched them all, I felt the urge to train myself, yet at the same time it fills me with incredible pride to see the four of them working so hard and getting the hang of my family's ancestral techniques. After about an hour or so, Helena stopped her practice and she told me that she would take a short break and then return to Murray for her stamina training. I had grinned at her and said: "Don't overdo it, alright?"

The vixen had grinned, grateful for my care and she had promised that she wouldn't before she had left. Then, an hour or so later, Carmelita had decided that she would give the spires a try. I had been cautious and told her I would help her in this one. "I just want to make sure you don't accidentally step on the tip of the spire or something. If you can make sure to jump onto the spire next to mine, we can accomplish this."
I had explained and Carmelita had nodded and asked: "I take it you had Murray help you with this when you trained this technique?" This had indeed been the case several years ago and so we had started our practice. After a few tries, I had noticed that Carmen and Marcus were really doing great with the other two techniques and so Bentley had brought down two beams that were slightly thinner in width for them to practice on.

Finally, while we had started our practice at around ten in the morning, I decided to end the whole training at around three thirty. Marcus had actually wanted to keep going, but I had disagreed on this and said: "I get that you're excited and that pleases me beyond words. But the last thing this team does is let any of our own tire themselves out. You guys have been brilliant. You took to today's training like fish to water.
Just go and relax and enjoy the fact that you did so brilliantly. Spend some time together and we'll start our next exercise tomorrow at the same time." My beloved's father had agreed to this and I had gotten an idea. I had grinned at the lot of them and told them to follow me. "I know just how you guys can relax. It's something Bentley, Murray and I discovered as we were working on securing our hide out five years ago.

Needless to say that, if the hotel owners had known of this, they probably wouldn't have had to give up on this place." The three Foxes had been excited and intrigued and I had guided them back to the staircase up to the living room. Yet while the Hazard Room was the fifth door on the right from the staircase, I took them over to the third door instead. And when I opened it, all three of them had been awed and surprised.
Like with the living room, the walls here are made of dark blue cobblestone bricks and there are actually weeds and small bits of grass sticking out between the bricks here and there. But it's not so much the ancient natural impression that the walls give off, it's the hot spring that is in the center of the room, with a row of cobblestone bricks sticking out at the edge of the spring, functioning as a euro edge to keep the water inside.

I know that there is a hole in the wall somewhere near the bottom of the spring that allows for the water to flow out of and into the Seine. I also know that, before he lost the use of his legs, Bentley went down to install a filter into the underwater tunnel through which the water flowed into our home. I happily told the three Foxes about all of this and also pointed out the trolley system that Bentley and Murray worked on.
The trolley system is attached to the ceiling and the front wall, where several levers can be used to direct the eight thin strings that are hanging from the ceiling. And while there are two trolley systems, each with four strings each, there are two safety nets attached to both systems. "At first there was just one, because I just can't swim. But after we got Bentley out of the hospital, Murray and I installed the second one for him as well."

The foxes had been amazed and intrigued and I said: "Just know that you can use this room whenever you feel like it. Also, if I'm in here, I am going to require either Bentley, Murray or one of you to be in the room with me, simply because someone needs to work the levers. I can get onto the safety net myself, but I have yet been able to get off on my own afterwards, unless the net is above water." They had nodded in understanding at this.
Then Carmelita had grinned at me and moved over to lean her body against mine. I had lovingly wrapped my arms around her form and she had deeply pleased me as she said: "Just leave it to me, Sly. I would love to spend time in here with you from now on. And if you want, I could even teach you how to swim." Yet I had just pulled her close against my form and said: "Let's leave that for another day, okay gorgeous?"

Carmelita had agreed to this and then Carmen had asked us if we minded if her and Marcus went for a swim. Neither of us had really minded or objected and the four of us had left the room. And while Marcus and Carmen retreat to their own bedroom to change, I had gone with Carmelita to her room. There we had brought out the massage table once more and I had happily and lovingly treated my beloved to another massage.
It had been a heavenly delight to once again work my magic on my beloved vixen and to hear her make sounds of delight and enjoyment as I helped her relax. And after the massage, she had taken her seat in front of her vanity table. And just with a single look she had invited me to do what I loved the most. All in all, for a full hour the both of us had deeply enjoyed ourselves, Carmelita thanks to my treatment of her and me thanks to my chance to treat her.

By now we are back in her bed, though we are lying on top of the covers. I am leaning with my upper back against the headboard with plenty of pillows against my back. Carmelita is lying on top of me and while I had just worked on getting all of the knots out of her hair, I am now deeply enjoying the chance to run my fingers through her silken locks. "You were brilliant today, my gorgeous." I gently, lovingly tell the slumbering vixen.
The drowsy grin on her face widens slightly and she mumbles: "I had an excellent mentor." And while she probably didn't intend it this way, I can't help but remember who her last mentor was. This, once again, not just reminds me of everything Barkley did to her, but also of something else. And while I try not to tense up in concern, I mutter: "Carmelita, do you remember the first time we met?" The fox giggles and mutters:

"Didn't we have this same conversation a few years ago, Sly? When you and your friends stole the Venus de Whalo from Dimitri and his fiancé?" I grin at her and say: "Yeah, it's just – when we were discussing the whole event, there was one little section that I wasn't – entirely truthful about." At this Carmelita looks at me and says: "Well, to be honest, I wasn't being entirely truthful either, remember? I was really describing the whole thing in black and white, not reality."
I nod and say: "That's true, but – heh. Look, when we were discussing how you came across me, I was telling a half-truth. It was still true that I was enjoying the scenery, but – I did have another reason for being up on that roof. Nothing illegal, mind you or even anything to do with Mss. Tuskinanny and her ruby. It's just – that meeting took place about three weeks after Bentley, Murray and I moved into this hide out here."

By now Carmelita has again moved herself to lie on her front with her head resting on her arms, which are crossed over my chest. I've also lowered myself a little more into the pillows and now I have my arm wrapped snugly around her back as I say: "Before we came across each other, I was exploring the city, trying to find my way around and find landmarks that I could use for when I was to do recon or training or something.
But my senses then weren't what they were today. So a few of the alleys I thought I could cross through turned out darker than I had expected. And after a few wrong turns – I realized I was lost." Carmelita's eyes widen and she asks: "So you were up on the rooftops –?" And I finish: "In the hopes of spotting the Eifel Tower and through it finding a way back. Once I realized I had an easy path through which to get back home, I relaxed.
I noticed the Opera House, got awed by its beauty and decided to take closer look. Then, next thing I know, you have me tied up and in that closet." I end and the two of us grin at each other. "So you see, not a full lie. I really was enjoying the scenery. I was just up on the roof, because I was lost and it helped me find my way back." And while Carmelita bursts out laughing, I don't feel offended. I just love hearing that delightful tone of her laughter.

At the same time
Interpol France
Michael's POV

The last week has been one of the hardest and yet the most fulfilling and satisfying weeks of my entire life. Every day that I went to work, I worked alongside Interpol International and other divisions to clean out one office and floor after another. And while it was beyond difficult to clean out my own floor, as the men there really were more immorally disgusting than I had expected, the other floors really weren't any better.
So far I've managed to take care of a total of four of the eleven floors of the building in which I've been working the past almost two decades and there was between 40% and 70% corruption on each and every floor. Officers taking bribes from Barkley to keep their mouths shut about his disgusting work, officers getting paid to demoralize and emotionally break other female officers, officers paid to actually sexually harass female officers.

By now, as I enter the interrogation department on the fourth day of cleaning out the offices, I can't help but think: "Am I working for Law Enforcement or a bloody brothel?" And yet again I try to remember that those who were found innocent of these crimes were constantly deeply disgusted with their coworkers and that a lot of them were willing to break the law just to get revenge or get even with their lawless colleagues.
"Chief Andrews, I've got some bad news for you, sir." General Gronk tells me as he comes up to me from the other side of the hallway. Already I feel my stomach plummeting and I mutter: "What's the matter, General?" The gorilla grimaces and says: "I have bad news to report on both our interrogators and on the situation in regards to Kaine Island." I sigh and rub a hand through my fur as I mutter: "Let's just work through one at a time."

The gorilla nods and he guides me over to one of the few offices on the floor. I take my seat behind the desk as none of other employees feel like doing this in my presence now that I've taken over from Barkley. "So what's the stitch on the interrogators?" I ask as I still consider cleaning out Interpol slightly more important than Kaine Island. Gronk grimaces again and says: "We've discovered that Barkley is bribing them, sir.
All of their interrogation reports miss vital information and a lot of the answers that the suspects have given that these interrogators have written down clash with all of the evidence that you have gathered over the years. The interrogators knew this and know it's their job to only write down the truth, but they reported these lies instead. If we hadn't discovered this, the whole lot of them would have gotten a serious sentence reduction."

I groan at this and ask: "All of them?" But Gronk shakes his head and says: "No sir. There is one interrogator who is clean. Though she's only a rookie and she's only been working here for three months now. Also, she has a bit of a – reputation." I raise my eyebrow at the man and he answers: "Her suspects are known to come out of interrogations bruised, sir. Not badly and definitely nothing untreatable, but – yeah.
Though all her collected testimonies, at the same time, do constantly align with the gathered evidence and prove to have been truthful. Still, she's even able to injure a 40 year old rhinoceros and that while she herself is only an albino snow leopard in her early twenties." This intrigues me and I ask: "Do you have her file, General?" The gorilla hands it to me and I feel myself calming down and growing intrigued as I read it through.

Yet just on the first page my eyes widen and I mutter: "Happy Home Orphanage? That's where Sly Cooper grew up after his parents were killed." Gronk seems genuinely surprised by this and I ask: "Wait, why is there no last name mentioned?" The gorilla shrugs and says: "She was dumped there, sir. At only the age of 1 ½. The caretaker, according to the file, never managed to get a family tree test done for her."
I hum at this and browse through the file. Then suddenly I spot something else. Forceful eviction. Angel has been forced to leave Happy Home Orphanage due to her theft of Mrs. Puffin's properties, breaking into the teenage boy dormitory, kidnapping a teenage boy and tying him up in her own bedroom as well as her – unintended – injury of the boy in question. My eyes widen as I read this and I search through the rest of the file.

"General, according to this file, the girl is guilty of stealing, kidnap and holding a fellow orphan hostage. But – I can't find any record of her having been arrested for this or a file of the charges filed against her by the police. It's just in the eviction note. How is this possible?" Yet General Gronk seems just as shocked and genuinely surprised as I am. I slam the file closed and firmly order him: "Get me that girl. Bring her here at once."
The Gorilla jumps up and salutes in response to my order before he rushes out. And while he does and I look back at the file, a sinking feeling overcomes me. "There's no name. The boy in question wasn't mentioned. Was it – could it have been – was she really able to – did she hurt – Sly?" And while these and similar questions run through my mind, I wait for the two to arrive. About ten minutes later the two come in and I take a good look at the young woman.

An albino snow leopard who has a little bit of baby fat here and there across her body, yet who has a very slim neck and only one spot on top of her nose. The spot itself is a very light grey and could actually easily be masked and hidden to make the feline look entirely albino. What's even more interesting – and to my current mindset disturbing – is that the spot is in the shape of a heart, with a bit of space in between the two half circles up top.
"You wanted to see me, Chief?" The girl asks and just her tone of voice explains her name to me as it sounds almost like the girl is singing instead of talking. I nod at her and say: "I did. Please sit, Angel, I have a few questions for you." The leopard falters and says: "I was already interrogated, sir." I sigh and mutter: "Yeah, and your fellow interrogators have just been discovered to have been working for Barkley, so unfortunately I have to declare most testimonies false."

The feline winces and states: "Sir, if I had known that, I would have reported it to you myself, I swear." I nod and say: "I believe you. But my questions don't concern Barkley. They concern something else. Please, sit down." The leopard grimaces slightly, but she still does as told. I give Gronk a silent nod and the gorilla takes his leave before I resume my seat. I slide her file across the desk and say:
"I'm going to be honest with you, Angel. Before today, I didn't even know you existed. I've been so busy with all the corruption that runs rampant within this building, I have – I admit – become blind and even deaf to all of the normal, good working employees around here. However, now that I'm Chief, it's my duty to inspect each and every file I get handed to me. And yours has a little something that just – utterly baffles and confuses me."

The young lady before me winces something terrible and she sighs as she mutters: "You mean my eviction from the orphanage, don't you?" I nod at her and say: "According to your file, the things you did were never brought to the attention of the police. There is no file declaring that charges were filed against you or anything. You were just sent away, though what you did was really serious. Can you please explain this to me, Angel? I'm genuinely curious."
The young woman seems to just slump down in her seat and she mumbles: "To answer the first question I'm sure is on your mind, yes. The boy I did all that to was indeed Sly Cooper." I close my eyes at this as I had been desperately hoping that it had been some other poor sod. Yet then I remember that Sly has now found love and happiness with Carmelita. Then Angel, who is now looking out the window, continues:

"As for why there are now charges – that's an easy one. The cops that worked at the police stations of the three towns that surrounded the orphanage were pretty much all the same as Barkley. They didn't give a damn about us and basically considered us either criminals in training or dead like most of our parents. And if Mrs. Puffins tried something, they usually went after her instead of us. The poor old thing even got arrested for other people's crimes a few times."
This infuriates me and I mutter: "Excuse me a moment." I pull a pen and notepad out of my desk and quickly make a few notes of this on the front page. Angel shows me a short grin and then turns her head away again as she says: "It all happened when Sly was fifteen. I was sixteen at the time. It was during gym practice.
It might interest you, sir, that the school we went to was the only place where we orphans were treated as if we were actually human beings, as if the adults actually believed we deserved to make a future for ourselves – and I don't mean a life of crime, like the people in town believed." The leopard's voice is seriously deep with disgust at this point and I nod in understanding and agreement as I write down a few more notes.

"Mr. – I think his name was Cluck or something. Sorry, I forgot. Anyway, he and our primary gym teacher – the two schools were in the same building – were really impressed with Sly and his need to practice and train. So while when Sly first started out at age 7, we only had the last ten minutes of our double hour to ourselves, by the time we were in high school, it was the whole second half of that double period.
And Sly always used the jungle gym and other similar equipment to do his training. It really was a delight to see. A lot of the orphans who I lived with really liked Sly. Heck, the four girls I shared a dorm with all constantly giggled when they saw him practice and if we were in the dorm together, they would gossip and giggle over how they might one day be his girlfriend or even his wife. I never joined, but I did agree with their hopes and dreams.

Then one day, Mr. – yeah, I do think his name was Cluck. Well, he actually set the whole training equipment in such a way, it would be more difficult for Sly to do his usual training. And the whole time Sly was often staring my way before he would move onto the next stage. I was so shocked and mesmerized by it, I just felt this urge to – to show him my skills. I admit, even then I was growing this little masochistic tendency."
This makes me wince and I think: "I see that I'm about to get to the bottom of this." And while I keep my focus divided between the white being in front of me and the pen in my hand, Angel says: "I – I wanted to impress Sly. But Mrs. Puffin had this really strict rule of no teenage girls allowed in the teenage boys dorm and vice versa. But a lot of girls were gossiping that they often saw Sly sneaking out and sneaking past their window.

So I thought what if, instead of through the roofs or past the windows, I manage to sneak Sly from his dorm, through the hallway, and then to my own dorm. So I convinced my fellow dorm girls to sleep with their other friends in other dorms as I didn't want them considered as accomplices in case I did something – well, illegal or something – and had my dorm to myself. I snuck out, got the keys and got Sly to my dorm."
I grimace and ask: "How did you manage that?" Angel shrugs and says: "Mrs. Puffins has moments where her mind escapes her. I spotted one such moment and took my chance. And I do have some upper body strength so once I got – well – Sly tied up, I was able to carry him over my shoulders. I just made the mistake of closing the door a little louder than I intended.""And that alerted Bentley and Murray, who alerted Mrs. Puffins." I think to myself.

"Anyway, I won't lie and say I didn't let my hormones get the better of me. Or that I didn't let my pride get to my head as it all went so well. I – I lost myself, I admit that. I was really just planning to prove to Sly that I had noticed his flirting with me and that I was just as grey-minded as I knew his family to be, but – my hormones turned me dark for the night. When I realized that Sly was struggling, I tied his arms and legs to my bed – with chains instead of ropes."
I wince at this and ask: "Do you still have those chains?" The girl nods and says: "I still have all of the tools I used that night. The chains, the blindfold, the knife, the muzzle –." Yet at this I exclaim: "THE WHAT?" Angel looks shocked and I ask: "Muzzle? What kind of muzzle?" The woman might have white fur and skin, yet it can apparently turn even whiter than it already is as she mumbles: "The kind you use on feral dogs and the like."

"WHY WOULD YOU USE SOMETHING LIKE THAT ON A KID? A FELLOW ORPHAN?" I can't help but yell and Angel winces even worse as she says: "I don't know! I did have a ball-gag, but I looked at it and at Sly and suddenly I thought this is never going to fit. And the only thing I had left from when I was left at the orphanage was that muzzle. It had been on my own snout when Mrs. Puffins found me. It was size-adjustable, so I used that."
At this I can't help but groan and think: "I genuinely don't know who to be angrier with. This damned girl, those bloody cops or her godforsaken parents." I breathe in and out to regain myself and ask: "Then what happened?" Angel rubs the back of her head and says: "Well, I had Sly tied up, like I said, and I was running the shallow side of this blade I had been given across his cloths –." Yet again I interrupt the young feline and ask:

"Given? Who gave it to you?" Angel shrugs and says: "Some weirdo. I met him a few weeks before all this happened. He had this weird armor on and was wearing these crazy red glow-in-the-dark sunglasses. I think he was avian or something." By now I am just utterly gaping at the girl as I think: "Is she even for real here? Does she seriously not realize who she is describing?" And the look of genuine confusion on her face proves me right.
"Angel, the weirdo, as you call him, who gave you that knife – IS CLOCKWERK! The bastard that killed Sly's father. You were given that knife, because Clockwerk wanted to make you his accomplice in killing off the Coopers! He wanted Sly to suffer after killing his parents, but when he saw that Sly was actually training to grow stronger instead, he started considering Sly a genuine threat and wanted him out of the way before Sly could end him like he did!"

Angel is gaping at me and stuttering sounds are escaping her throat as she hears my exclamation. For a few minutes we just stare at each other and then Angel screams: "I HAD NO IDEA! I SWEAR! AND THE KNIFE ONLY HIT SLY IN THE SIDE! IT BARELY CUT HIM! I SWEAR IT! And that only happened because Mrs. Puffins startled me when she threw my door open! In my shock, I threw the knife up and it landed on the bed with only a small portion of the side cutting into Sly. And right after that he passed out!"
At this I remember what happened back on Tuesday and groan: "Of course he passed out, Angel. He must have gone into shock. You have to remember. Sly saw his father get killed! He saw it all happen. He might have been training, but that was both out of a need for revenge and out of fear. So when you kidnapped him from his dorm, tied up and all –."
And while I don't finish my sentence, Angel looks horrified and whimpers: "Sly must have thought I was one of those killers. He must have thought I was there to finish the job. And when he felt the pain of my blade –." This time the young woman is the one to falter and I nod with a heavy heart. The young feline is near tears and a few more minutes of silence pass between us as she tries to regain herself, before she continues.

"Chief, you have to believe me. The whole reason I chose to work for Interpol is because the system here can help me keep my tendencies in check. I won't deny that I still have the tendencies I had as a young girl of sixteen, those damned needs never left me. But while I believe I can do good with my skills, get even with those who have hurt innocent citizens and give them a taste of their own medicine, I never go so far as to genuinely hurt or scar any of my suspects."
I sigh at the tone of genuine honesty coming from the girl and mutter: "I understand that, Angel. And I do believe you. But you have been guilty of these crimes for almost eight years and they have gone unpunished long enough. You understand that, right?" The leopard hangs her head, yet she still nods. I sigh again and say: "Angel, I hereby arrest you for your kidnap of Sly Cooper and the physical and mental injuries you inflicted upon his person."

And like Carmelita on Monday, I repeat the general speech that all criminals and suspects hear as they get arrested. While I do this, I walk around the desk and slap a pair cuffs on her wrists. The young woman, thankfully, seems to just accept her fate and I silently commend her for this. Then, as we leave the office, she quietly asks me: "Could you do me a favor?" I gaze at her and she looks at me from under her tilted head as she asks:
"I know you're busy with cleaning this place up, but – when you're done – could you send someone to clean up those police stations near the orphanage? So that Mrs. Puffins won't have to deal with them anymore?" I nod and say: "I'll make sure to have General Gronk send some of his men there." The feline sends me a grateful smile and we move on. Yet while we walk, her testimony runs through my mind and I frown.

"Sly's not the kind of guy who would go for silent physical flirting. He's more vocal and direct than that. So it sounds to me like Angel was misinterpreting his actions of that day. So what or who was Sly looking at?" And just as we reach the hallway with cells, I ask Angel: "Quick question, were you sitting alone when Sly was working out?" The girl shakes her head and says: "Bentley and Murray were sitting with me.
Bentley besides me and Murray behind me." And instantly it all makes sense. I sigh and mutter: "Angel, I hate to say this, but – Sly wasn't flirting with you. He was looking at Murray, because even then he probably relied on Murray to keep him safe. To be his safety net incase he fell or something. I know because I once heard a testimony of someone who had the same thing happen to them when Sly was only ten years old, five years before your occurrence."

Angel gapes at me and I grimace as I mutter: "I'm sorry. You misinterpreted his actions and it stoked your hormones to do something awful. I understand why you thought what you did, I've seen some interaction between Sly and Carmelita, but I'm afraid that your reasons were based on you misunderstanding the situation." The girl sighs and hangs her head while she sits down. And with a heavy heart, I close the cell door behind her.
Yet as I walk away from her cell and out of the hallway, I think: "I've got to get in contact with International again. I need to find those damned parents of hers. Or whoever it was that left her at that orphanage, muzzled like a wild beast. They deserve to be in a cell just as much as she does." And with renewed determination I head back to meet with General Gronk, ready to take on every last task that is now set in front of me.

Well, that happened,
And I am REALLY putting a lot of pressure on my OC's shoulders. The whole thing with cleaning up Interpol, gathering intel on Dr. M. and what he might be doing at Kaine Island, informing Mrs. Puffins about Angel's arrest, cleaning the clocks of those officers in the towns around Happy Home Orphanage and dealing with that bank that Muggshot build on the land of the original Cooper Farm. Dang, that's a lot of work.
But then again, why create an OC if you're not going to give them a chance to shine? I don't really see the point in that, so if you dislike the fact that I am making Michael almost as important as Sly and Carmelita, I'm sorry, but this story is just not for you. Also, I almost lost this entire chapter to Word getting technical difficulties. So here's a tip to all of my fellow writers: SAVE! YOUR! PROGRESS! WHENEVER! POSSIBLE!
Laterz,

Venquine1990