Hey everyone,
New chapter and I decided to keep the hurt/comfort category up for just a little white longer. Why? Because it makes the story that much better once the turn around to happy, loving life and family comes up. So expect some more problems this chapter and a little something you wouldn't ever think Sly would willingly do.
Cause he does it,

Venquine1990

Carmelita's POV

It's kind of unbelievable, but it took Bentley three days to find Sly and even then he only found out about Reolu island, because of two articles showing up in the local newspaper; one about Sly's arrival and one about how the crime lord of Reolu island considered Sly's arrival as a threat and a challenge, something that worried us to say the least.
During the time that the turtle was searching, had Penelope gathered the rest of the Cooper Gang back together, all of them instantly leaving their homes when they heard about the written decision of their Leader and I had decided to gather some people of my own; not any Interpol inspectors, but my own mum and dad.
Both of them had always been supportive of me and had actually managed to sneak me several packages of food and cloths when I was considered a fugitive and because of this had I hoped I could tell them about my feelings for the Master Thief without disappointing them – they had proven my hopes to be correct.

Both of them had definitely been disappointed that I had lied to a criminal and they even felt that Sly's departure was a good punishment for this, yet they had also understood and accepted my need to have that Ringtail back in my life and had even given me their blessing to join the Cooper Gang if that was what I desired.
Bentley and Murray had been shocked to hear my parents say this, but I had waved the offer away and said: "I only want Sly. If he wants me on the team, I'll join, but I don't want to make decisions that aren't mine to make." And with those words had I earned myself a little bit more trust from the members of the Cooper Gang.

After finding Sly's article in the Reolu newspaper, had I instantly used the connections in Interpol that I had made over the years I worked there and while Barkley wasn't happy that I was leaving on a mission without disclosing the identities of my new co-workers, had he accepted my excuse that they were the best in tracking down Sly.
I had felt slightly bad for not telling him that I was actually working with the Cooper Gang to find a member of the Cooper Gang, yet Barkley had been more than willing to lend me a private plane that allowed for Murray's van to come along as Murray had taken the van when he came here and told us how it could make us find Sly faster.
None of us had been able to argue that, but now – now that we are two days later and traveling to the island Sly wrote about in both his letters – do I feel my heartbreak lessen and my fears worsening as the description of the crime lord living at Reolu had scared the living daylights out of me and even out of Dimitri and Murray.

I lean one of my arms on the window sill of the plane we're in, the van being stored in the storage room that is located at the back of the plane and while the white clouds block my vision from the world below me, do I wish I was already at the island itself and wish that I was behind the controls, if only to speed everything up.
Bentley, who by Interpol had been allowed his own space in the aisles of seats, then lies his hand on mine and says: "Sly will be fine. We'll track him down, take him to a safe place and remind him that the decision to part as friends should come from both sides, not just one." At this I smile, but then worry over takes me again and I ask:
"What about that Crime lord? According to his file he's been running the show on that island for over 20 years and even while the people there love the Cooper gang, do I fear that –." Bentley nods and says: "Yeah, he won't make it easy for Sly to make a new life, but I know Sly and I doubt he will let that take him down."
And while I really with all my heart want to believe the turtle and share in the confidence that he has in his friend and gang leader, can I not help but shake off the terrible feeling of dread that is boiling deep within my stomach, almost telling me without words that when the team and I do find Sly, none of us will like what we find.

2 hours later

It didn't take the pilot as long as I had expected to reach Reolu island and after my conversation with Bentley had I started to ignore the feeling of dread that was swirling through my mind and body. This had actually made me feel as if we were flying much faster than before, yet the arrival had still taken quite a long while.
This was mostly because the men I was working with that helped me get here, were suddenly confused and shocked when they recognized the van and I had to use some of my more well-placed connections to make them keep their mouths shut to Barkley, telling them pretty much everything that occurred over the last month.
The two officers had been shocked, but then the one on the left, which was a wild-furred terrier, had told me that, because we were on Reolu Island, I had no reason to fear for my job just because I was in association with the Cooper gang. I had felt relieved about this and had taken the officer's tip to go check out the local police department.

There, while the officers were very, very happy to meet with the Cooper gang, had we all been disappointed to hear that Sly had yet to do anything to warrant his arrest, yet the confirmation that he was here had been enough. The problem? As we left the station, did I suddenly notice how 2 officers were sharing dark looks together.
This had worried me and I had reported it to the gang, making them all share worried looks and making me have a good look around the area where we were located. This had made me suddenly notice how there was a large crowd stationed at the other side of the plaza and how there were all kinds of acrobatic tools there as well.
This had confused me as I couldn't quite understand why anyone would put street performers so close to a police station and I had walked over, the gang following me and all of them having the same curiosity shown on their faces as I felt within me, even if the curiosity was warring strongly with the raging dread in my stomach.

And that dread was proven true as just before we had fully crossed the plaza and arrived at the street performer had the person performing his tricks made a jump and had I stopped in absolute shock as just that one jump gave me enough time to recognize him. Grey fur, a black mask, a grey furred tail with black-ringed stripes on it.
My beloved Sly was on the other side of the police station, performing his Cooper legacy stunts as if he was a common street artist and by the look on his face can I conclude that this isn't the first time he has been doing this, something that makes me dash for the Ringtail as I just can't believe that that crime lord degraded him to this.
I push and clash myself through the ever growing crowd and when two gigantic bull dogs block my path, do I rage out, grabbing my Interpol badge and Shock-pistol and shouting: "Interpol! Out of my way! NOW!" The two bulldogs part like the Red sea and so do all those before them, making me get a clear image of Sly.

And that image makes my heart turn to stone and sink down my body, through my toes and into the deepest pits of the earth. Sly's grey fur is mangled, covered in tangles and bits of dried up blood and his mask actually hides one of his swollen eyes, while there are torn bandages around his left lower leg and right hand.
All in all the amazing, powerful leader of the Cooper Gang that has always been able to avoid my capture and defeat even the Fiendish Five and the Claw Gang, now looks as if he just came out of the wrong end of a bull fight and the way there are old pieces of fabric stuck to his fur and he wobbles on his two feet worries me even more.
The raccoon looks at me, his eyes dull and dark and one of them even looking as if he's been punched seven times in two minutes, yet while locking my eyes with his, do I see a spark of recognition, before pain and defeat cloud the brown eyes yet again. I quickly glance at Bentley and tell him with my eyes to play along as I say:

"Sly Cooper, you may have escaped to Reolu Island, but even the police here can't clear your record. Care to take the hit for your team a 2nd time? If so, come with me and come with me now." At this Sly cringes harshly and while I really want to rush over and embrace that poor thing, do I keep my facial features clear of my actual emotions.
The Raccoon then sighs and mutters: "That's the last of me, folks. Care for some food I can munch on while in prison?" And to my shock does he use his bandaged hand to flip his hat off his head, the whole thing looking as bad as its owner, while many of those around me awe at the Raccoon and hand over some of their fruits.
Taking a deep breath in order to keep up appearances, do I walk over, slap a single handcuff on the Raccoon's undamaged arm and the other on my own and then lead the Ringtail out, only to be stopped at the outer edge of the crowd by a younger lion girl that grabs onto my skirt and stops me in my tracks as she says:

"Missy police woman, ma'am. Will you be good to Mr. Cooper sir, please. His family –." But then, because her words almost break me from my acting skills, do I lie a hand on her soft fur and whisper: "I know, little one, I know." Giving her a quick and silent trust me wink before gently pulling Cooper along and moving on.
To my relief does it seem that Bentley was already onto my plan as he has made it look as if all his friends, even Panda King, are in a series of chains that are linked together and kind of remind me of the time I was arrested by the Contessa alongside Cooper and Murray, while dad had his hand on one end of the actual chain.
I nod at my dad and say: "Let's head for our headquarters." The man nods and while Sly sends a hurt and devastated look at his friends, do I make sure to lead him, his team and my parents around several blocks and roads, taking a few forks here and there and finally ending up back at the other side of the police station.

By this time, Sly seems weary, tired and confused and his good eye widens when he sees me leading him and the team to the van, Murray handing me the key and me opening the back doors before ushering them all in. I then lean out the back, survey my surroundings and close the doors again, taking a deep breath of relief as I do.
Bentley and the others then quickly unbuckle their shackles, making me smile in relief as he says: "Good thing Dimitri has some weird party ideas sometimes. What were you planning with those chains anyway?" And while the Iguana says: "They make for good home-decorations, bro." Do I turn to Sly.
The Raccoon is looking around the van in confusion and devastation and I ask: "You think that crime lord will believe you to be imprisoned after the whole walk we just took, Ringtail?" The Raccoon looks at me shocked and Bentley says: "He better, I'm almost in need of new wheelchair tires after that long trek."

"What are you guys even doing here? And – and how did you find me?" Sly then asks, his voice cracked and proving that he has been hit in either the lunges or his vocal cords and Panda King seems the one to provide the answer as he says: "When a team disbands it is only because all members agree it to be the right decision.
We agreed that all of us, including you, were better off where we were, but that was a mistake on our part, not yours. You should not suffer because we misjudged the happiness we believed you had found with your partner." And when Sly looks around at the rest of us, do we all nod, all of us smiling at the man of our lives.
I then undo his handcuff and gently grab his other hand, the wince the Ringtail tries to hide making me worry for him as I gently undo the bandage and my eyes widen when I see just how badly the hand has been hurt as several of his fingers are bent in all the wrong ways and there are blisters all over the palm of his hand.

My own hand starts to tremble as I gently touch the wounds on his hand and then Sly winces again, just when I pull away, making me look up before I notice something below me. I look down and see that Penelope has done the same to Sly's lower leg, the appendage there looking even worse than his actual hand.
The fur on Sly's leg is completely gone and there are several pieces of something red and sticky that I can't identify as blood stuck to his skin, while at other parts of his lower leg there are cuts that are obviously caused by a very blunt knife, making my eyes widen as all of my fears about that crime lord seem to be proven correct by that sight.
Instantly I do the only thing I can think of and embrace Sly, hiding my tears in his fur and wrapping my arms around his form as if wanting to protect him with my body from the pain he has suffered. Sly tenses at this, but while I feel relieved at the realization that this isn't from pain but from shock, do I firmly whisper:

"I am never letting you out of my sight again." Which finally seems to slap Sly awake and makes him embrace me with trembling arms, the shaking of his appendages proving to me that he has yet to realize the reality of this all and I mutter to Murray: "Get us somewhere safe." Making the Hippo nod and take the steering wheel.
I make sure that Sly is seated close to me, with Penelope en Bentley close to us and all throughout the journey that Murray makes throughout the small town of Reolu, does Sly just look down, his eyes far and distant and proving that the Ringtail is having a lot of mental and emotional trouble grasping onto the fact that he is safe once more.
Then suddenly, as we drive away from the police station, does the Raccoon whisper something that I can only just discern as: "My car – my stuff – the Raccoonus." And instantly Murray stops and Dimitri says: "Keys, Main Man." And while I glare at him, does Sly meekly hand him the keys and does he jump out before Murray drives on.
Then finally, after a good twenty minutes in which the Raccoon's distant gaze and silence are worrying me more and more, does Murray pull to a gentle stop and does he gaze through his side window before he asks: "This any good?" And Penelope seems to inspect the building, giving a thumbs up as she sees it.

A few minutes later have we all stationed ourselves in an abandoned two-story warehouse that has a large open room in the middle of the house, the room itself having a connection to the upper floor through a series of railings and two circular shaped staircases that are stationed in opposite corners of the room.
In the large room itself there are several benches, couches and chairs that could definitely do with some refreshment and remodeling, yet because we have only just arrived here and because no one has the intention of just staying in the van, did Murray manage to park it in an indoor garage that was at the back of the house.
Dimitri had come in shortly afterwards, the car he's driving in a very nice convertible that has strange brown pieces of fabric stuck to several parts and has only one suitcase, Sly's cane and a small, thin blanket stationed inside it. I look from the strange parts to Dimitri and he says: "They're from the windshield against the rain."

We then inspected the building and while Dimitri, Guru and Panda King continued doing so after finding the large room, did Bentley, Murray, Penelope, my parents and I lead Sly over to one of the softer more undamaged looking couches and did we seat the poor thing down, yet when he sat did I suddenly notice something else.
Sly's tail, which he had held behind him the entire journey, is now wrapped around his thinned waist – proving he hasn't eaten much the entire time he's been here – and to my shock is a red wire strapped all around the fur of the tail, while there are some parts broken off this wire and small electrical wires are sticking out at these points.

"Sly, how – how long has –?" I ask in horrified fear, but Sly doesn't answer me, using his unhurt hand to softly stroke the fur on his tail that isn't caught up in the wire before suddenly a small dart hits him in the neck and he falls down instantly, his even breathing making me realize he's asleep and making me shout: "BENTLEY!"
But the Turtle just lowers his weapon and says: "Sly's in shock, Carmelita, and I've seen him be in shock once before. Him stroking his tail? That's a clear sign he is trying to reign in emotions he doesn't want others to see. He's a Master Thief, Carmelita, and Master Thieves are trained not to show certain emotions all the time."
At this I want to argue that putting Sly down like this isn't the right option, but just by hearing how Sly has been in shock before and that this was the reason Bentley shot him with the sleep dart, do I sigh instead and ask: "What happened last time?" The turtle sighs himself, proving me the worst and he says:

"It was three months after he met you, Carmelita, and – and Murray, Sly and I – we were preparing for our fights against the Fiendish Five." At this I nod, remembering how that event ended with me arresting four out of five of the members and how Sly kissed and then shackled me to the bridge on top of the mountain.
"Sly was trying this by searching for what he at the time thought was the only legacy left to him by his ancestors; small vaults that were spread across the globe and signified where certain ancestors had lived." I nod again, easily capable of seeing Sly do such a thing seeing all he – only a month ago – was willing to do for the Cooper Vault.
"Well, we found one of them and – and it was busted open. The whole thing looked to have been handled by Muggshot a good seven times or so, it was that bad and – and Sly, he – he got so angry over the fact that those thugs had first killed his parents and then started ravaging his legacy even further away from him."

This makes me look at the sleeping Raccoon in great pain and worry, only part of me feeling like I can understand how that must have felt to the poor thing and Bentley sighs as he says: "Sly got so emotional by seeing that, Carmelita, he shut down on his own feelings. Managed that for a good two weeks and then – started rubbing his tail."
The way the turtle says that makes a shiver run down my spine and makes my mum ask: "What happened?" Bentley sighs again and says: "Two weeks after Sly found that safe, did we locate a bunch of goons that were trying to become a criminal gang in Paris – and we discovered they got the money to do so –."
But while the turtle ends, can I already guess where he is going and do I say: "By stealing from various safes of Sly's family." Bentley nods and says: "That gang needed a good 3 week stay in the hospital before the doctors allowed for them to be taken by Interpol. And even then all they muttered about was a raging ghost."

This shocks me as I actually remember being on the force that transferred a bunch of thugs saying similar things around that time and the way they had looked, even three weeks after being healed, had shocked me, yet I had never – in all my years knowing him – made the link between the attack on them and my most important case.
"That was Sly's work?" I ask in shock and Bentley nods as he says: "It was and Sly was fully in his right as they were planning to become just the wrong kind of criminal gang. Not kidnappers, not thieves, not swindlers. No, they planned to use Sly's family money – to become rapists dealing in illegal, kidnapped prostitutes."
Instantly all the pieces fall into place and I look down at the sleeping raccoon, memories of how gentle and noble he always was and how he always fought for the honor of others, whether it was his family against the Fiendish Five or the safety of the Parisians against the Claw Gang and I whisper: "No wonder he went mad on them."

Bentley nods and says: "Sly couldn't stand it. He saw them trade out some of the gems he knew they had stolen from one of his vaults, grabbed his cane and before either Murray or I knew what was going on, had Sly knocked both the seller and the buyer out and did he start ramming into all those involved, bar the kidnapped victims.
They just got terribly scared off by how furious he looked and we never saw them again, but by the end of it all was Sly trembling on his feet, was I calling 911 out of fear for the thugs' lives and did Murray actually run out of the van to knock Sly out, only so he wouldn't go against the cops that were sure to arrest those bastards.
Murray then loaded Sly into the passenger's seat and, scared as he was, did he actually go around the entire warehouse those idiots were staying and did he take whatever he felt either belonged to Sly's family or that Sly would like to have. Speaking of which –." Bentley then says and he hums as Murray nods and says:

"We need some gold." Making me look shocked and Bentley says: "When Sly came to, we had him surrounded by the gold and jewels Murray had collected. His eyes had still been feral with the anger he felt for those thugs, but when he saw what he was surrounded by, did greed enter his eyes and then they turned to normal.
That was the last time we ever saw Sly lose control like that, but – well, I guess he's just not as happy to see us as we thought he'd be." The turtle sighs, but then tenses in feared shock as I suddenly feel the Raccoon in my lap move and hear his dark suave voice grunt in pain before a pair of dark, wild brown eyes open up to me.

Wow, problem!
Okay, so I added the little thing I have in one of my story plans into a background story for Sly. Big deal! I don't plan to have Sly turn feral here, I just wanted to pose some drama into the tale and like I said; things will only get worse before they get better in this story, so Sly waking up after nearly losing control – fits the bill.
Now, like I said before, Sly will not lose control upon waking up. Why, you ask? Take another look at my chapter and what I write about Sly while Bentley tells his story. I won't say more but it has to do with the current Sly, not the one being told about in the story. I'm sure those that read well will get the hint.
Enjoy,

Venquine1990