Chapter Ten.
Sly, Matt and the gang were driving along in the Getaway Van, studying up on the third and final member of the Threatening Three.
"He is known to be immortal", read Sly. "I bet it's Clockwerk. Listen, he even replaced his body parts with indestructible platinum! There's only one guy who can sort him out!"
"Who?" said the others in unison.
"The Panda King" said Sly.
"Well, it will be helpful" piped up Bentley, "Since we're going to China anyway. That is where the third and final member resides."
"China…" Matt began. He then gasped with horror. "CHINA?! That's where my parents are! They'll get themselves killed, just like my brother! We've got to get there NOW!"
"Hey, relax, Matt" said Sly. "We know China. Murray, hit it!"
The van then sped to a whopping 1200 miles per hour. It was amazing how Murray managed to dodge all… uh oh, I spoke too soon…
Murray had crashed into a Chinese gym. Fortunately, everyone was OK. However, the people at the gym ran out, all except one… The Panda King.
"Cooper!" he said, the moment he saw Sly. "Wiseturtle! Hippo! How are you?"
"We're fine" said Lawrence. "Except for…"
A huge owl-like figure swept across them. They all managed to duck… except for Sly and Matt, who were clutched in Clockwerk's giant claws!
"Cooper!" cried the Panda King. "Tember! Hang on fellas, the Panda King will save you!" He lit a dragon-shaped firework and threw it at Clockwerk. Unfortunately, the robotic owl dodged out of its way, and the firework hit the Great Wall of China instead! That was where Matt's parents were tied to a post!
"My RC Chopper will save you!" cried Penelope. "One… two…" But before she could say "three", the firework had homed back in on the Panda King, and having missed him, destroyed the Chopper instead!
"Oh no!" cried the Guru in his own language. "What are we to do?"
"One thing I'm sure of" said a voice behind them, "is that you're all going to jail."
The lot of them spun around to see Inspector Neyla standing there. Without Sly or Matt to smooth-talk her out of their way, what were they going to do?
"Not yet they're not" said a voice from behind Neyla. It was Carmelita. "We've got some thieves to save! Come on, gang!"
Carmelita and the gang ran as fast as they could towards the Great Wall of China. They eventually managed to out-run Neyla, who was trapped on the edge of a cliff.
"Hold on!" Carmelita shouted to Sly, Matt and her parents. "I'm going to save you!"
"Carmelita!" shouted Sly. "Watch out!"
Before the vixen could speak, Clockwerk grasped her in his gigantic claw!
The gang, that is Bentley, Murray, Guru, Dimitri, Penelope, Garry, Panda King and Lawrence, watched from a distance. "OK everybody" said Bentley. "On my three. ONE… TWO… THREE!"
Penelope's RC Chopper, Bentley's technology-powered gadgets, Panda King's fireworks, Guru's guard possessing, Dimitri's electrifying scuba gear, and Garry and Murray's fists, all raged towards Clockwerk. No more than one hit from each damaged the robotic owl completely. His body parts fell down below, crushing Neyla like a bug. However there was one thing the gang didn't count on… Clockwerk's inner child!
The guy inside looked very much like Sly. He wore traditional black-white robber's clothes, which were torn, and an eyepatch across his face. Surprisingly though, he didn't go for Sly!
"Hi Matt!" he shrieked in his high-pitched voice. "Remember me! When I killed your brother?"
Matt gulped. Sly stepped in front of him to confront the evil fiend. "Carter! Carter Yls Cooper, my faithful twin brother! We meet again!"
Carter nodded. "True! True it is! Why you became the family heir, I don't know, but I am the ultimate master thief now!!!"
"Oh really?" said a voice from behind. Carmelita was facing Carter, and without further ado, she slapped the handcuffs on him. Just then, a series of police cars appeared, and out stepped Chief Porter.
"Neyla? Neyla?" Neyla scrambled to the top of the Great Wall. "Wha? What?"
"What happened to you?" asked Porter. He didn't even require an answer. He just removed the badge and pushed Neyla off the cliff. Then he turned to Carmelita. "Inspector Fox…"
"Ex-Inspector, you mean"
"No, Carmelita. You caught a horde of thieves, and I now promote you to Inspector."
"Woo-hoo!" shrieked Carmelita. "Come on, Cooper, Tember, let's go… OH NO!" Her targets had all escaped! All except one…
As Carmelita stuffed Carter into the back of the police car, Carter yelled out, "I would have gotten away with it if it weren't for you meddling kids!"
From a distance, Sly and the gang watched. Ah, the lovely Carmelita, Sly thought. Just as angry as ever.
"Thanks for saving us, Matt" said Mr. Tember.
"Oh, don't thank me" said his son in reply. "Thank the Cooper gang, and the lovely Carmelita."
"She's out there somewhere…" said Sly, winking towards the audience.
THE END.