Author's Note: So I've been getting into heist genres recently which brought me back to my childhood of playing Sly Cooper. Then, I remembered watching the new Carmen Sandiego show on Netflix and inspiration struck.

Now, in this fanfic, remember that all of the Sly Cooper characters are humans, not anthropomorphic animals. Also, this will be a retelling of the Carmen Sandiego show with a few Sly Cooper elements that change things.

I hope you like this new fanfic. Any and all comments are welcome.

"Honestly, I just don't see what the big deal is."

"It's my birthday, Bentley. Wouldn't it be special to pull off a heist on my birthday?"

"Sly, we pull heists all the time."

"Well, I'd rather pull a heist on my birthday than do nothing at all. Remember how you, Murray, and I celebrated my first birthday at the orphanage."

Bentley took a sip of coffee before groaning. "How could I forget? Ms. Puffin made us sit still at our corners."

"Exactly. And we didn't do anything wrong?"

"Well, you did pay for a rental video game truck with her card."

"So? Look, my point is if we don't do this on my birthday," Sly took a quick look at his watch, "Which starts in about five minutes, then we might as well be back to sitting at those corners."

Bentley sighed before looking out of the café window. The buildings were high, but the night sky was beautiful over the city of Poitiers. He basked in it before turning back to his friend.

"Fine. I'm in."

"Aw, thanks you little rascal." Sly said as he jumped out of his seat. He checked to make sure his blue shirt and gray pants were straight. He then tightened his blue gloves and boots. He picked up his blue beret from his chair and placed it on his silver-haired head. "So how long before our window hits?"

Bently stood up himself and followed his friend. The short man with copper hair searched his green shirt and orange vest before he found his own watched. He strapped it around his yellow gloves before looking at its face while adjusting his glasses.

"I'd say… ten minutes. No time to lose. Wanna come with me?"

"Nah. I think I'll take the scenic route." Sly answered as he and Bently stepped outside of the café. She shifted his eyes left and right before turning to a dark corner casting a short shadow. He reached into the shadow until he grabbed something long and thin. He pulled out a long, brown cane with a golden C on top. "Tell Murray to get the van ready. I'll be in and out before you know it."

"That is, unless Interpol catches up to you. Specifically, you know who."

"And is that a bad thing?"

"Sly, you know she's not going to date you, right?"

"That's just one man's opinion. Anyway, I'll see you when I get out."

Sly immediately dashed forward until he reached the wall. He jumped and used his momentum to jump from it so he could reach an extension ladder at the side of a building. He climbed up while Bentley watched.

"Show off."

Sly kept climbing until he reached the top of the building. He got a much better view of Poitiers, and especially La Cathédrale Saint-Pierre. After setting eyes on his target, he pulled one last thing from his pocket. He wrapped a black band around his head looking through its eyeholes.

Sly moved on to running across the rooftop. Every time he reached the end of a building, he jumped off and kept running across the next. From one roof to another, he got closer and closer to the museum. In just a minute, he got to the roof window he was wanting to be at. However, he noticed something strange and pressed into his earpiece.

"Hey, Bentley, you there?"

"No, this is Floyd. Can I take a message? Yes, it's me."

"Hi, Sly!"

"Hey, Murray. Bentley, listen, I think there's another player in this game."

"What? You sure?"

"This open window I found says there's someone here. So unless VILE decided to rob themselves, or…"

"Or there's another thief on the job. How long do you think they've been there."

Before Sly could answer, he heard a sound from beneath. It sounded like projectiles hitting hard, rusted metal. "I'm guessing they went in right before I arrived. I'm going in."

"Be careful, Sly. Wouldn't want you to die on your birthday."

"Happy birthday, Sly!"

"Thanks, Murray. Be sure to get the van ready."

"You got it! You can always rely on… THE MURRAY!"

Sly chuckled softly before shimmying down with a rope. He looked across the room and saw a shadow heading up the stairs. He followed the figure right before a man in a French policeman in a brown trench coat entered the museum.

Once Sly reached an open door, he slowly sneaked through and quietly closed it behind him. He looked at the far end of the room to find a woman pressing her ear to the wall. She wore a bold-red coat and fedora.

"Okay. Who walls up an atrium?" She asked before giving the wall a little knock. "…He said a little too knowingly."

The woman in red reached to a candle on the wall and turned it over a little. Just then, the wall clicked and began to shift. What was once an atrium moved away revealing a large vault door.

"You called it, Player." The red-suited woman said before opening her coat. "Right tool for the job. Ah, this works." She picked up a red device and stuck it to the vault door. Four digits appeared on the device drastically changing numbers. Once it stopped, it lit green and the safe opened up. Inside were entire exhibits full of beautiful treasures and gemstones. But her eyes were locked on the very center of the room where a large gem rested on the pillow.

"The Eye of Vishnu."

The time for sneaking was over. Sly decided to drop his cover and walk out of the darkness he hid in.

"Too bad there's no second eye here. We could have split the take."

The woman in red turned with a surprised look on her face. He then gave Sly an impressed smile.

"Not bad. Not a lot of people can get the drop on me like that. …Oh, don't worry, Player. If he was VILE, I'm sure he'd hurt me."

"VILE?" Sly asked. "Wait, you're after them too? I didn't think anyone else even knew they existed."

"Same here." The woman said curiously. "How do you know anything about them?"

"We'll answer that later. Right now, I think introductions are in order. The name's Sly, Sly Cooper."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Carmen Sandiego."

Inside of his earpiece, Sly could hear Bentley's voice. "Carmen Sandiego? I've heard of her. She's a master thief who's done just about as many heists as you have. She's quite well known for her bold outfit."

"So now that we're both well-acquainted," Carmen said, "I say we…" Something she saw stopped her and made her gasp.

Sly looked in the same direction she was looking at. "What? Is something wrong?"

"I'm staring at something I thought I'd never, ever set eyes on again." Carmen answered moving closer to the shelf on the side wall. She reached in and pulled it out.

Sly raised an eyebrow. "An entire vault full of valuables, and you're distracted by a Russian nesting doll?"

"They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder." Carmen smiled softly as she held it in her hand.

This meeting was cut short by a forceful knock on the door. The voice of a Frenchman shouted from the other side. "Interpol! Open this door!"

"Interpol? Doesn't sound the officer I want." Sly said.

The door burst open just in time for the Frenchman to see Sly Cooper and Carmen Sandiego. The woman in red had a small pouch in her hand which was freshly stuffed.

"Carmen Sandiego! And… Wait, are you Sly Cooper?"

Sly chuckled. "Guilty as charged."

"Ha! Inspector Fox has been after you for a long time!"

"Really? Well, I'll be sure to send her my regards along with a bouquet of flowers."

The officer growled. "You are both under arrest, under the authority of…" He reached into his coat, but stopped when he didn't find what he was looking for. He instead found it in the hands of Carmen Sandiego who just appeared right behind him.

Carmen held up a police badge in her hand reading what was inside. "Chase Devineaux. Chase, huh. Is that name ironic or something?"

Suddenly, an electric blast shot into the room. Everyone managed do dodge it and let it hit the wall. That's when another person walked right through the door pointing her large, orange handgun at Sly. This beautiful woman had tan skin and red lipstick that clashed with her dark-blue hair. She wore a yellow jacket that matched her gloves while also having on tights and a midriff-baring top that matched her hair.

"Sly Cooper. And I see that you've got a new partner with you."

"Now, when you say partner, don't get the wrong idea." Sly said. "You know you're the only girl for me."

"And who is this?" Carmen asked.

"Carmen Sandiego, meet Inspector Carmelita Fox, also from Interpol. She's been chasing me for a long time. Haven't seen her since I gave her the slip in Bombay."

"Which reminds me," Carmelita said, "You need to return the Fire Stone of India to its rightful owners."

"Aw, and I was going to give it to you as a token of my… Hey, you know, that new gun of yours really brings out the color of your eyes. Very fetching."

"You think? This pistol packs a paralyzing punch. You ought to try it. Might snap you out of your crime spree."

"And give up our little rendezvous?"

"Plenty of time for that once you're safely behind bars."

Carmelita aimed her gun to fire again. Just then, Carmen shot a grappling hook to the skylight window above.

"You coming with?"

"Well, it's either that or tangle with Beauty and the Beast here." Sly replied.

"Hey!" Chase cried out.

Sly grabbed onto Carmen and she shot the two of them up. Carmelita fired two blasts, but they both missed before the two thieves made it out.

"They won't get far!" Chase cried out as he followed them outside. Carmelita went with him.

"You said that last time you thought you had a lead on Cooper."

"It was an honest mistake." Chase turned toward the two thieves. "I order you to stop!"

"Which one? Me or her?" Sly asked.

"Sly, we're packing too much heat if we escape together." Carmen said. "How about we split up? Meet me at the train station at 2?"

"I'll be there." Sly said. The two nodded and went into different directions.

"I'll get Cooper!" Inspector Fox said. "You go after Sandiego!" The two Interpol agents went after their respective targets.

Carmelita went just as fast as Sly. She aimed her gun and fired electrical blasts at him, but he used his parkour to stay evasive. She went after him from rooftop to rooftop. After the fifth roof, Sly began to descend closer to the ground. Eventually, he planted his feet back on the road where a large, purple van waited for him with its doors wide open. It had flames painted above the front tires, a satellite dish on its roof, and a blue-and-white raccoon on its sides and front.

"Sly, get in!" yelled the driver. It was a large man with pink pants, a blue shirt, red gloves, a red mask, and a pair of goggles.

"Thanks, Murray!" Sly didn't waste his momentum and jumped right into the van. The door quickly closed and it drove off.

"No!" Carmelita fired her blasts again, but it was futile. The van had already driven far out of sight. She growled before tapping into her earpiece. "Devineaux, you had better have good news!"

"I suspect that Carmen Sandiego is heading for the train station, inspector! No doubt she is planning to rendezvous with Sly Cooper there!"

"Good. We've got a train to catch."

After hangliding her way to freedom, Carmen safely changed in ot a red-hooded jacket and boarded the next train out of town. She went into an empty cart, and before long, she received a fellow passenger. Sly Cooper rested himself across from her right as the train began its trip.

"So you got first class too?" Carmen asked.

"Yep. My crew spared no expense."

"Your crew?"

"What? Don't you have a crew? Otherwise, you were basically talking to no one at the penthouse."

"All right. Maybe I do have a crew." Carmen said. "But before anything else, I'd like to know your history with VILE."

"Yeah. That's what I'd like to know too." Said someone with an Australian accent. The cart door opened up and another man came in pulling out a green, glowing stick device. "Blast from the past, eh?" He fired an electrical shock from its tip that buzzed at both Sly and Carmen.

"Dude, seriously?" Carmen asked shaking off along with Sly. "Static cling?"

"What happened?" Sly asked.

"Side effect of directional EMP." Said the man with the electrical stick. "So you can forget about reaching for your phone or fancy toys. They're dead."

"Who are you?" Sly asked.

"Sly Cooper, meet Graham, also known as Gray, also known as Crackle." Carmen introduced.

Sly chuckled. "Crackle?"

"Yeah. And you're in my seat, mate."

Sly shrugged and moved on to sitting next to Carmen. Crackle sat across in the same seat that the thief in blue sat in.

"I must say, I expected to just catch Carmen Sandiego. But catching the mysterious Sly Cooper too? That's a bonus. The Faculty might just promote me for this."

"Faculty?" Sly asked. "So you work for VILE. But how did you find us?"

"He hid a tracking device on what we just took." Carmen said. "Come on, Gray. You didn't really think I'd take any of your bait without checking, did you? I wanted you to find me."

"Really? You wanted this guy to find us?" Sly asked. "Why?"

"Because it's time to tie up loose ends." Carmen said.

"You two were the only loose ends until five seconds ago." Crackle said. "You came a long way from where you started, Carmen Sandiego, or should I say… Black Sheep?"

"Black Sheep?" Sly asked. "Okay, I'm going to need some context."

"Right." Carmen said. "Since we're all here, it's about time to clear the air. Sly here's got a lot to learn about me, and I guess we both have a lot to learn about Sly."

"On that, we agree on." Crackle said. "For a long time, Carmen Sandiego has stolen from VILE. Of course, I understand how she sees us, but around the time her crime spree started, so did you, Cooper. You also stole from VILE contacts for a while. You seemed to have a lot of knowledge of how we work. But I can't figure out why. I tried asking the Faculty, but they just wanted me and the other agents to hunt you down by any means necessary."

"So your beloved Faculty don't tell you everything, huh?" Sly asked.

"They didn't tell me either." Carmen said.

Sly looked at Carmen curiously. "What does that mean?"

Carmen took a breath and admitted. "Before going into the field on real life heists, VILE, the Villains International League of Evil, trains their agents in a special academy on a hidden island. I know this because… because I used to be a student."

Sly's eyes widened. "Whoa. Hold on. You used to work for VILE?"

"Not exactly. Back then, I thought VILE stood for Valuable Imports, Lavish Exports. I was raised to think all we did was traffic stolen goods."

"Raised? How much context am I going to need?" Sly asked.

"It's a rather long story." Crackle said. "Start at the beginning, Black Sheep. Remember, your clock runs out when we reach Paris."

"From what I've been told, I was found as a baby, abandoned by the side of the road just outside of Buenos Aires Argentina." Carmen started her story. "A set of Russian nesting dolls were my only belongings."

Sly widened his eyes suddenly remembering the doll Carmen admired at the museum earlier. He realized then how it was valuable to her. He kept quiet and let her continue her story.

"I was brought to an island paradise that just happened to be home to a school for thieves. That's right, VILE Academy. It was no grade school, but I was homeschooled by a revolving door of nannies. Some taught me how to read and write, and most taught me about the diverse places they were from. Their languages. Their cultures.

"I was found without a note or any ID, so guess who got their code name early. I got to hang out on campus with the big kids. I was literally the only child on the Isle of VILE, which meant I got away with murder." Carmen earned herself a look from Sly. "Not actual murder. I meant hypothetically. Sure, the Campus of Crime was no place for children, but I never once felt like I was in danger. I was part of the family. I had protection. Coach Brunt, the physical educator of the VILE Faculty, always had my back and treated me sweetly. I never learned who found me as a baby, but I always suspected it was her.

"The island was my world. For all I knew, the Earth was square. There was no right or wrong. Thievery was a competition, a game. One I was ready to play for real. I couldn't bear watching 40 thieves graduate from the academy year after year. I wanted to get out there and be one of those thieves already. Then, everything changed thanks to something I took from a VILE employee.

"During my playful days, I liked to pull pranks. And through a series of circumstances, one of those pranks lead me to take the employee's cell phone. Electronic devices weren't allowed, so I treated it like I would treat any stolen good. But one day, it buzzed. The phone was getting a call. There was no caller ID, just a symbol of a white hat. When I answered, I found myself talking to a white hat hacker who called himself Player. He hacked the phone in the first place to let the owner know he needed better digital security. I answered him and we began talking. Sure, it was forbidden, but making contact with someone from the outside world was just the push I needed.

"It was time to state my case to the only family I knew. I presented myself to the five members of the VILE faculty board. First, there was Coach Brunt, who I already told you was in charge of physical education and self-defense. Professor Maelstrom was creepiest, but he is an expert in psychology. Then, there's Countess Cleo, who had an eye for the fancy things. Dr. Saira Bellum pretty much owned the science side of crime. And last, and in my opinion, least, there was Shadowsan, a ninja who never really liked me.

"When I told the Faculty I wanted to enroll into the academy, they had a quick discussion before voting me to be accepted. Shadowsan obviously was the only one who didn't want me there, but he was outvoted. And that's how I got into the school.

"I was finally one of the big kids. One of the 40 thieves. I'd survived orientation and I was ready to meet my future partners in crime, my roommates. Antonio, Jean Paul, Sheena, a couple others, and most of all…" Carmen pointed her finger at the VILE agent holding the two thieves hostage.

Crackle chuckled. "Yeah. Believe it or not, when I first met Black Sheep, I kinda underestimated her. But she quickly taught be a lesson then and there."

"Good times." Carmen said. "Good thing you came around when Sheena threatened to mess with my stuff. First day of class, and I was already making friends and enemies. After that, our classes began.

"Shadowsan taught us about stealth and moving in the shadows. Coach Brunt gave us harsh lessons on self-defense and athletics. Countess Cleo taught us how to tell top-class artifacts from cheap fakes. Obviously, Dr. Bellum gave us science classes and provided us with our crime gadgets. And Professor Maelstrom used his psychological knowledge to teach us how to pull off crimes without anyone else knowing.

"We really honed our skills. We studied hard and we trained hard. But we also played hard."

Crackle snickered once more. "Yeah. I remember when you convinced the entire class to join you in throwing water balloons at VILE's bookkeeper. We were so much in trouble. Shadowsan almost had you expelled."

"Yeah. Thanks again, by the way, for convincing the entire class to share in my responsibility, even though we all got detention."

"Sounds like you guys were the best of friends." Sly commented.

"Some more than others, but more or less, yeah." Carmen said. "We even helped each other pick out our codenames. I obviously already had mine and you already know Gray's. Jean Paul had great leaping ability, so we called him Le Chevre. And while that goat took the high ground, Antonio, or El Topo as he called himself, used his skillset for underground labor. Sheena, being the wild girl she was, went by Tigress."

"Sounds like you guys had a lot of fun, despite training to be criminals." Sly said. "What happened?"

"Well, the school year came and went. I couldn't wait to graduate and plot our first caper as VILE operatives. We just needed to ace our final exams and we'd be professional thieves. My biggest obstacle… was Shadowsan. His exam was for a student to take a single dollar bill from his coat which had many pockets. That had to be done within two minutes. He was skilled, so he didn't make it easy. Everyone else got it, but I never did pass that test. I know I hit every pocket, but they were all empty. I know the coat was empty and Shadowsan was cheating, but he always denied it. Because of that failed exam from Shadowsan… I didn't graduate."

Crackle frowned. "Yeah. You were pretty upset when the results came in. Heard you even demanded a do-over from Shadowsan and he refused."

"He said my unruliness held me back." Carmen continued. "But I then decided not to let anything hold me back, even a failing grade. So I sneaked out of the school and went on the graduates' transport. I wanted to prove myself by hitch-hiking them on their first real crime caper. I hid myself and rode the aircraft all the way to Morocco.

"Gray found me, but after we landed in Morocco, he hid me from the others and told me to stay put. But like always, I didn't listen. I wanted to crash the caper and prove myself. So I went on ahead into the ancient ruins just outside of Casablanca. It was my first real sight of a world outside of VILE.

"During my search around the ruins, I found a dig site run by archaeologists who I then learned unearthed the Eye of Vishnu. Their dig leader confused me for a wandering child and gave me a quick description of the site. It was there that I developed a passionate appreciation for history and culture.

The dig leader taught me that some things possess value other than monetary. I realized then that stealing something like that would rob the world of knowledge and appreciation, which itself would be the true crime. Unfortunately, the graduates didn't have the same appreciation I did.

"After Gray cut the power to the dig site, everyone else broke in and took the Eye of Vishnu. They even attempted to kill the dig leader because he was a witness. I saved him, but that was the night I saw VILE for what it really was, pure evil." Carmen gave a sad look toward Crackle. "I thought I knew you as the big brother I never had, Gray. Until that moment."

"What can I say?" Crackle asked. "Graduation was a game-changer. At the ceremony, the Faculty told us the true name of VILE and what it is we really do. We commit crimes through the greatest of extremes and let nothing stand in our way."

"That sounds evil enough to me." Sly commented. "So what happened next?"

"Well, after the heist at the dig site, I was apprehended and brought back to VILE Island." Carmen continued. "Things were strained on my forced return. Sure, I was on my best behavior, but I still had to endure Coach Brunt's guilt and Dr. Bellum's surveillance, and Countess Cleo's attempts to tame my wild side, and Professor Maelstrom's freaky psych exams. Shadowsan never even gave me the time of day. But the worst part? I never felt more alone in my life. The Cleaners confiscated my phone, my only link to the outside world. When the new school year began, I pretended to throw myself into my coursework. But I was really just biding my time, waiting for my moment to strike.

"December 1st. Every year, VILE's bookkeeper, Cookie Booker, would make a scheduled delivery to VILE Island. Her cargo: a hard drive full of planned VILE heists for the next year. It's too important to be sent remotely, so it had to be done by hand. That was when I made my move. My first escape attempt may have been a dry run, but this time, I was really gonna bring the rain.

"I had to travel light, so I left my nesting doll set behind. Then I went through a very complicated series of an elaborate escape involving taking back my phone, reestablishing my link with Player, using a bait and switch to take the hard drive, walking out while in disguise with Cookie's red hat and coat, knocking out a ship captain, and narrowly escaping Shadowsan as he tried to kill me. I managed to pull it all off and rode that speedboat all the way to Western Africa.

"Since then, I made it my mission to stop VILE from hurting people. With the hard drive I stole from them, I could take back everything they stole, return them, and give the monetary value to charity. A passport was all I needed, so I needed a name change. The red outfit I had came from Carmen Brand Outerwear in San Diego, so Carmen Sandiego was born. So there you have it. That's my story."

Sly smiled at the end of that story. He slowly clapped his hands. "Respect. Look at you donning a red hat to put a black stain on VILE's record."

"Yeah? Well, what about you, blue boy?" Crackle asked. "What's your story? And remember, we've only got one stop left until Paris."

"Don't worry. This will be quick." Sly said. "Actually, my backstory isn't as complex as Carmen's. But I do have a reason for stealing from VILE."

"Oh, yeah?" Carmen asked. "Why?"

"And how do you know of VILE's existence in the first place?" Crackle asked. "I understand Carmen since she grew up in VILE. But you, I know nothing of. Why do VILE make hunting you a priority as much as hunting Carmen? Who is Sly Cooper?"

Sly sighed before beginning his own story. "I suppose it all began with my family. I come from a long line of master thieves. Every generation, there's always a Cooper stealing from every nation in the world. Feudal Japan. The Wild West. Ancient Egypt. The Dark Ages. You name it, there's been a Cooper there."

"If that's so, then how come your family hadn't shown up in VILE's records?" Crackle asked. "Sounds like you'd be great teachers there."

"There'd be no point. You see, I may be from a family of thieves, but the Cooper Clan always had a policy. We can only steal from other thieves. If we stole from the innocent, there would be no honor and no fun.

"Anyway, ten years ago, on this night, I was ready to inherit my family's most sacred heirloom: the Thievius Raccoonus."

"The Thieves what?" Crackle asked.

"The Thievius Raccoonus. It's an old book that dates back to Ancient Egypt. Every generation, a different Cooper would write down their own entries. They would pass along stories of their greatest heists and secrets to their exclusive techniques so that future generations could learn from them. And my dad was just about to let me read from it. But then, we had intruders. My dad hid me in the next room, but I managed to peek through to see what would happen. My home was being invaded and my dad was then killed… by the VILE Faculty."

Both Carmen and Crackle were stunned by this. Crackle lowered his stick for a moment before raising it back up.

"VILE Faculty?" Carmen asked. "Not operatives."

Sly nodded. "Dr. Bellum started it. She fired a high-tech weapon which shot an electric net to ensnare my dad. Coach Brunt then proceeded to beat him while he was down. Countess Cleo searched the room for any hidden compartments or treasures. And when it was all over, it was Professor Maelstrom who delivered the final shot on my dad." Sly was given looks of sympathy, even from Crackle.

"And Shadowsan?" Carmen asked.

"I haven't seen a fifth person there." Sly answered. "Looking back at it now, I can only guess he was scouting the outside perimeter or something. After I saw my dad get killed, I was about to run out after them. But then, I blacked out."

"Blacked out?" Crackle asked.

"I don't know. I never knew what happened. But when I woke up, my dad's killers were long gone, with the Thievius Raccoonus. They stole my family's book and have no doubt been stealing its secrets to merge with their own lessons."

Carmen thought for a moment. "You said this happened ten years ago? For the past decade, VILE operatives were a lot more skilled and resourceful than the operatives who graduated prior."

"Bingo." Sly said. "I ended up in an orphanage after my dad's death. The only thing I had was the cane my dad left me. As soon as I was old enough, I moved out and began my own mission against VILE: to take back the Thievius Raccoonus, restore my family's honor, and shut VILE down. And that is my story."

"And just in time too." Crackle said noticing the train was slowing down. "We're almost docked at Paris. Meaning, we're at the end of the line." He turned to Carmen. "We miss you, Black Sheep. VILE wants a truce."

"They want me stealing for them instead of from them." Carmen summarized.

"You've proven yourself. It's all you've ever wanted, isn't it? The Faculty's offering you a full pardon. Even Shadowsan's on board. They'll make things right if you just come home, where you belong."

"And what about me?" Sly asked. "Where do I fit in?"

Crackle sighed. "Look, I'm sorry about what happened to your dad, Cooper. I really am. But that doesn't change things. This trap was meant specifically for Black Sheep. You weren't part of this. So I'm gonna have to hold you in place and wait for the word from the Faculty. We'll see what they plan to do with you."

"Hmm. Tempting." Sly said sarcastically. "What do you think of that deal, Carmen?"

Carmen turned her attention over to her former brother-figure. "I was hoping we'd end up on the same side again tonight, Gray. My side."

Crackle sighed. "Still in a league of your own." He stood up once the train stopped moving and aimed his rod to the two of them. "Bye bye, Black Sheep."

"Dude, didn't you hear her? Her name's Carmen Sandiego now." Sly reminded. "And one more thing, there's one part of the story you failed to notice."

"Oh, really?" Crackle asked. "And what would that be?"

"Well, I told you I inherited my dad's cane when he passed, right?" Sly shrugged. "Where's the cane?"

Crackle only just realized. Sly Cooper was empty handed. He didn't have his cane anywhere on him. That was when his rod was knocked out of his hand. Carmen took advantage of his surprise and kicked Crackle's rod from his grip. Sly grabbed the rod and tapped it against Crackle's chest. However, the charge it had before quickly dimmed.

Crackle smirked. "Nice try. Fingerprint recognition."

That was fine. Carmen didn't need fingerprints for her spinning back kick which she then used to knock Crackle out cold. "They never protect the face." She turned to Sly. "So where is your cane?"

"Oh, I left it with my crew. They're waiting for us at the police station with our getaway van." Sly said. "Figured it's be harder for the police to identify me in a public place without my signature tool."

"Smart. So, you have a van, huh? Is it seaworthy?"

"Why?"

"Well, my crew is waiting for me at the River Seine." Carmen said. "How about we separate for now and meet up later?"

"Where are you going?"

"One second." Carmen pressed her finger on her earpiece. "Player, you there? …It's fine. …Well, we are getting some new friends. …Tell you on the way. Right now, just tell me what's next on VILE's hard drive. …Okay, thanks. Talk to you later." She ended her call and turned back to Sly. "How's Java sound?"

"Sounds like a plan." Sly said. "So I guess we're working together from here on out?"

"We're both stealing from VILE. Might as well steal from them together." Carmen offered her hand. "Partners?"

Sly smiled before accepting the handshake. "Partners."

After they shook hands, Sly and Carmen left Crackle for Interpol to find and arrest. They went their separate ways, but planned to meet again shortly. Carmen left with her crew, Zack and Ivy, on the canals while Sly left with his crew, Bentley and Murray, on their van. Both parties set their destination to the same place where they would take the next step to fighting VILE.