UA Multiverse Peek
Chapter 32
A Heroic Thief
Time for the end of the first game. As well as the end of this night for the teens and teachers. And I felt this was a good way to end it. Besides, the playthrough I've been using is four hours long and that's enough for just one sitting. Though I have a different problem I'll get into at the end. On with the show.
As the audience returned to see the end of the heroic thief and his team's adventure, some were questioning who the last villain was and who his counterpart would be. "Do you think its Shigaraki? Maybe. He does seem interested in Midoriya. What about Overhaul? They did have that huge knockdown drag out fight. Maybe there won't be a counterpart at all."
With Izuku and a few others though, they couldn't shake an unsettling feeling in their stomachs about what could be coming next. But they didn't have time to voice their thoughts as the screen lit up to show Izuku Cooper's final mission.
As the van speeds toward the Krack-Karow volcano, Sly takes some time to look up what intel he had on his last target. "We were on our way to the Krack-Karow volcano in Russia. While looking over what little info I had on the final member of the Fiendish Five, I began to notice something."
The screen then shows the various images gathered with each section of the Thievius Raccoonus. "In the four parts of the Thievius Raccoonus recovered so far, several of the pictures depict a shadowy owl like figure in the background. Which looks strangely similar to the police images of the mysterious Clockwerk."
The unsettling feeling continued and grew throughout the room. Bakugo being the next one to feel it. Along with the team that went to rescue him. "You guys okay?" Kaminari asked while looking over at his classmates. Those from 1-B were wondering the same and voice similar concerns. "I don't know precisely. But I feel something like a sinking feeling in my stomach. Maybe because my counterpart is there?" Ida noted while shivering slightly.
Sato though looked at the pair in confusion and noted he didn't feel it. "It could be something else. Maybe something you two have….. hey wait! Stain! You guys and Todoroki fought him. Maybe this Clockwerk guy is his counterpart." Sato's reasoning seemed relatively sound, but it didn't account for the others. Nezu smiled before saying, "I believe you might be on the right track. But let's wait and see."
"Is this a strange coincidence, or is there something I'm missing?" Izuku thought as he looked over all the images and the glowing eyes of Clockwerk flashed on the screen. The title then reads; Sly Cooper in: The Cold Heart of HATE. As the eyes of his final foe glow red in the background.
This time the whole audience felt unsettled as the glowing red eyes of Clockwerk loomed in the background and the music seemed to pull the energy out of the room. "Oh man! This is getting a bit unnerving." Shinso said while shaking in his seat.
The van rolled up to a large gate with metal owl like eyes atop it. Sly narrowed his eyes at it before saying to Tenya, "let's get the turret up and running." The turtle nodded and punched in a few codes on his computer. The satellite on the van collapsed and retracted before the turret from Otto von Cooper's designs was formed on the roof.
Sato smiled with Ida that their counterparts had built into the van. "Maybe I should consider learning a few other skills. My quirk and baking can only get me so far." Sato thought aloud. Izuku though questioned if Ida had some similar skills. "Not exactly but the Ida family do know a bit about engines given the nature of our quirks." Ida clarified.
Izuku climbed back and opened the hatch to take up his position to fire the gun. Riki then asks his buddy to blast the door so they can move on. But once he does, they all see a new more pressing issue.
"Whoa! Check out all those mines. Think you can blow 'em away and make a safe path for us?" the hippo asks and Sly is more than happy to oblige. Using the rapid fire of the turret to blast through all the mines.
"One might think they aren't welcome." Mirio joked with an almost prim air about him. "Yeah? Well that's a first. Maybe they need shirts that say, "Hey! I'm not welcome"." Tamaki sarcastically quipped with his usual grimace. A few let out some snort of laughter before focusing on how the turret was clearing a path. "Nice shooting Deku. Think you could do similar?" Ochaco asked. Izuku shrugged and said, "not that fast, but maybe with my flicks."
Only for a new group of issues to show up after Tenya scanned Clockwerk's tower. "First things first! We got hostile Robo-falcons at 12 o'clock Sly!" Riki announced as the robotic birds swarmed around the van. Izuku grit his teeth before unloading as fast as he could to protect his friends. Even as one spiraled out on fire and dived at them, the raccoon didn't let up.
Bakugo was one of the first to cheer at how the raccoon was handling his foes. "Damn right Cooper! Don't let up on them!" he exclaimed. While some were surprised to hear him supporting Izuku's counterpart, they agreed and were excited to see Sly blasting the robots down.
After Sly cleared another group of robots, Tenya realized something unsettling. "That's no tower! It's a giant death ray!" he shouted as the owl-like eyes shot down at the rim of the volcano and caused an avalanche towards the van. Sly cursed before unloading the turret as fast as possible to clear the largest stones as Riki kept the van moving down the path.
Kaminari felt a funny shiver at the turtle's words but brushed it off. The rest though were panicking and then cheering as the raccoon took as careful aim as he could to clear the path and protect himself and his friends.
But Clockwerk isn't done and sends another swarm of robo-falcons to distract Sly and leave the gang exposed to his mine field. But he wouldn't let this deter him. He rotated between blasting away at the swarming foes and shooting out the mines on their path. And even when the death ray caused another avalanche, Sly kept his cool and cleared the largest stones as fast as possible.
Izuku fist pumped at seeing how well his thief self was handling the challenges before him. 'Just a bit more! Just a little longer and this will be over,' he thought while watching the action unfold.
After defeating one final swarm of robo-falcons, Riki cheers about the path being clear. "Nice shooting Sly! Looks like we're in the clear!" There's just one problem going forward. "Uh Riki. I don't think this tunnel is wide enough for the turr-" Izuku started but as Riki sped up he noticed the roof of tunnel coming at him and quickly ducked back into the van. While a loud scraping was heard as the turret was trashed above them.
A few short cheers were had at Sly clearing the enemies and threats before them. But they ground to a halt when they saw and heard Riki driving into a low tunnel. And destroying the very turret they praised him for implementing. Sato facepalmed and said, "didn't think that through."
"Uh….. my bad." Riki said with a blush as he kept going through the tunnel. Which led out into a massive chamber with a huge door. "We've got to get through that security door on the far side of the cavern. The only way to unlock it is to analyze at least sixty of those hanging computers."
"Unfortunately, Rikido trashed the turret. So, we don't have a good way to get to them." Izuku said with a slightly annoyed expression. Tenya didn't say anything, but the look he had conveyed that he agreed. The big-lipped student tugged at his collar and apologized for his counterpart again.
"Would have been easy to get at them if Riki hadn't thrashed our new turret." Sly says with a grumble. Tenya though has a different solution. "It won't be a problem. I can hack the computer's connection coupling so they'll fall to the ground. Riki will just have to run over them with the van."
A few chuckled at Izuku mirroring his counterpart, but more were impressed with the turtle's skills. "But how…. Can he analyze anything by running the computers over?" Momo questioned while her head tilted more to the side. Especially as Mineta noted that it all seemed even more game-like and made sense that way. "Okay, let's not think too hard about it Yaoyorozu. You might get your head stuck like that." Tsuyu said as Momo's head seemed to be almost upside down from her thinking too hard.
Sly nodded and reminded Riki about the battering ram that was installed on the front of the van. "Right! I'll make up for it this time Sly!" Riki claims before shifting gears and gunning the engine. Charging in as the computers fall.
But it wouldn't be that easy. A number of fire slugs, beasts that looked similar to lava, were starting to swarm the grounds. Destroying a few of the computers themselves. "Riki! There are only 119 computers! And we need at least 60 to get through the door!"
Sato gave a light cheer again as his hippo counterpart shifted gears and got to fighting in his van. And this time he got praise from Bakugo about how he handled the lava slugs. "You keep 'em off balance by destroying computers. And when they shift their focus, you get right up on them. Too bad you can't do that here."
All Might though hummed before thinking about his own special car, Hercules. While most heroes patrolled by walking around their cities, it still would be helpful to have a vehicle for longer distances. 'Maybe I could teach a defensive driving course. I do have a license and the experience,' he thought as the scene moved on.
Riki shouted out an acknowledgement while quickly shifting gears to ram a few lava slugs. The hippo then drifted a bit before ramming a number of foes and running over more computers and bashing as fast as possible with the Cooper insignia ram. And inside, Tenya and Sly were holding on for dear life. The former holding onto his computers in a panic as well.
Snort of laughter came from even the more stoic members of the audience as they got a look inside the van. "Guess that's one problem to his mad driving skills. He puts all the sensitive materials at risk." Bondo noted with a clap of his big hands.
After bashing away a number of slugs, Riki crushed the last few computers and Tenya had more than enough to hack the door open. "Nice job Riki! We have enough data to open the security doors. Just past them is the control room to Clockwerk's death ray tower." Tenya said before typing in the code.
A cheer and congratulations were given to Sato for his other self's skills and guts. But more refocused on what could be next for the group of thieves. Especially given the enemy they were facing.
He then said, "I think it's time for some Cooper thieving and sabotage. Don't you Sly?" The raccoon smirked before agreeing and stretching a bit. "Just get me in there. I'll take him and his tower down." Izuku said before picking up his cane.
"As much as I'd say Cooper is being overconfident, I suppose he has a reason to be. Given what he's been through." Aizawa noted with a mild glare. Izuku gulped a bit before hearing compliments from Present Mic and Midnight. Though the latter made him uneasy given she licked her lips while saying it.
With the security doors opened, Izuku leapt out of the van and made his way to what was likely the control room. Only to see Carmalita Melissa Fox trapped inside a chamber. With an insane amount of security between the pair.
"Melissa!" All Might shouted in a panic. Izuku and the others who met her at I Island had similar reactions. Though not quite as extreme as the two OFA holders. Something that made Ochaco and Todoroki's eyes narrow.
"Hold on! That's Carmalita! She looks trapped?" Sly asked after Tenya advised leaving the room. And he was not up for setting the officer free. "Serves that cop right! She's been dogging us from the start," the turtle says with an infuriated look showing on his glasses.
Ida about wet himself from the glare All Might and Izuku were giving his turtle counterpart. Before lambasting said turtle for he callous comments about the officer. "We may be on opposite sides of the law, but she does not deserve anything like this!" Ida said with infuriated chops of his hands. While trying to ignore the glares coming from behind him.
Sly shakes his head and says, "it's just a misunderstanding. We've gotta free her." Tenya questioned Izuku's sanity before noting, "Clockwerk probably put her there to trap you!" The raccoon though was more worried about the fox officer and that she could be doomed if Clockwerk had his say. "Besides, stealing just wouldn't be any fun without her," he said with a small smile.
"Again the tension….. and odd flirting is real thick." Mineta said before silently questioning if it was similar to their own versions of the heroes. Aizawa shook his head a bit and thought aloud that it was a bit irrational to jump that far without worrying about a trap. "And I'm not letting the fact he's young slide. He should suspect something anyway."
Tenya sighed before noting that a barrel in the room could help him to get to her. "Though I have no idea how you'll get up there." Sly smirks and rolls his eyes before saying, "dude, a spire jump here, a rail slide there. I've done this a million times."
Momo had to laugh as she spotted the intuition lights again. "He does have a reason to be confident. I bet he's learned most everything the rest of the Coopers could teach him. Not let's see how he puts it together," she said before steepling her fingers and watching carefully.
And Izuku proves this by leaping from electrified point to point. Getting away right as the electrodes came closer and created an arc of electricity between them. Then sliding along the various smooth cables. Climbing up a set of pipes and then leaping from the pointed tips of the overhanging lamps to reach the section where the barrel was sitting.
The members of class 1-A were on the edge of their seats as Cooper made his way through the security and around all of the lava and traps. With All Might and Izuku both biting their nails in worry. Not just because of Sly, but if he failed Melissa would likely be doomed as well.
He worked his way past a defense gun by sliding along an edge. Before smashing it and hopping inside the barrel. He then makes his way through the massive defense structure. Timing when to move with the rotation of the spotlights and lasers. Sometimes using his time speed up and slow down abilities to make it through sections. Finally reaching the end after a tense two minutes.
Now everyone watching was on the edge of their seats as Cooper tried to sneak past all of the crazy security. Ochaco herself praying that both characters would be safe with Ibarra. All Might meanwhile had crushed both his armrest and his cup in worry as Sly made his way over the booby trapped tiles and past the spotlights.
Once he was past the sensitive floor, Sly smashed the guns and alarm before making his way to Inspector Fox. But just as he stepped in, the chamber door slammed shut and had them both trapped. "Sly Cooper! I should have known you were behind this!" Melissa shouted before the thief tried to defend himself.
Only to be interrupted by gas filling the chamber and a screen behind lighting up. The glowing eyes of Clockwerk flashing as he taunted the pair. "Ha, ha, ha…. You sentimental fool! Empathy has always been the downfall of the Cooper Clan." Clockwerk said as Izuku and Melissa were choking on the gas filling the chamber.
More of All Might's chair was destroyed as he buffed up and looked ready to leap into the TV to try and save the pair. With many of the other students wanting to do the same. With certain exceptions.
That being Bakugo who's blood had run cold from the sound of Clockwerk's voice. 'Him!' was the only thought that went through the explosive teen's mind as he thought back to when he was held by the League of Villains.
"I knew this was a trap! Looks like I'm going to have to do some fast and furious hacking to shut down that gas before Sly's brain is turned to cheese." Tenya said before connecting his computer into the main system for Clockwerk's security. While he was rapidly typing, images were illustrating it as a little avatar that was blasting it's way through the data packets and security measures.
Even evading the strange circling shots of the owl defense avatar. "C'mon! Just a bit more! Got it!" Tenya announced before cracking the final digital barrier. Sucking the gas out and saving the trapped pair's lives.
Izuku and All Might were wide eyed and thankful to the turtle for how he stepped up in that moment. Ida himself being impressed and slightly awed at the speed his turtle counterpart was hacking. "Huh. Maybe that's how your speed works here. Instead of running fast or anything, your hands and thoughts are faster than most." Tsuyu noted as she sipped on her drink.
And everyone cheered for Turtle Tenya as he cracked the computers and saved Carmalita and Sly's lives. "I may not approve of them being thieves, but I will admit a growing respect for all of them." Ida said with a small smile and salute to his counterpart.
Carmalita coughed a bit before looking over Izuku. She looked down while thinking back on what had been happening while chasing him and the thieves, they both went after. She sighed before saying, "Sly I was wrong about you. Break me out of this forcefield by smashing it's base and I'll make it up to you somehow."
All Might nodded and was proud of his fox like niece and how she was able to focus in the moment. "Huh. Wonder if have a counterpart?" All Might thought aloud and a few of the others wondered if they would see their own in this universe of animals.
The raccoon did just that and once she was freed, Carmalita used her shock pistol to blast open a wall and make a path to Clockwerk. Once outside though, Carmalita needed to know a few things. "I don't get it Cooper. I've hunted you for years. Tried to throw you behind bars, but when you get a chance to leave me in a cage, you set me free. Why?"
Izuku smiled before saying, "Carmalita, we may be on opposite sides of the law, but you're not my enemy. Now the homicidal robotic owl that built this death ray and tried to gas us to death, that guy's on my list."
"While we may not like vigilantes as they still break laws, we can respect and appreciate some of what they do. I've seen the good that can come from them while I was a student." Aizawa notes while thinking back on his last years at UA. And the friend he lost in his second year. Mic putting a hand on his shoulder to show he remembered as well.
Melissa nodded and said, "I see your point. Alright, until Clockwerk and his evil schemes are destroyed, I suggest we work together." This elates Sly, distracting him as a robo-falcon arrives and snatches his cane from his hand.
Carmalita curse before shooting the robot out of the sky. "Wait! I need that cane! It's been in my family for generations!" Izuku says in a panic. Something that surprises the inspector (making her blush at how cute she thought he looked), but she reassures him.
"Don't worry ringtail. I'll cover you while you get it back. If you can make your way to the top of the death ray. I stashed my jetpack there before Clockwerk grabbed me." Sly nods before shifting back to suave and confident. Saying, "now that we're a team and all, I hate to leave your side."
All Might nods and contemplates on if Izuku and Melissa in his world would work more together. Much like he and David did back in their youth. Kamakiri takes a moment to mock Cooper on being worried about his cane. But Itsuka chops him before telling him off.
"The book aside, that cane is like the only thing he has to remind him of his parents. Besides, you are in no room to mock security items. You still have you baby blanket!" Kamakiri's face looks like a Christmas tree as he blushes so quickly and demands that she forget that. With his classmates having a laugh at him
The officer clears her throat before noting that their alliance was temporary. "Once we beat Clockwerk, I'm coming after you." Sly raised an eyebrow at this and asked if she was serious. Melissa blushed a bit again and said, "well…. Maybe I'll give you a ten second head start."
Mineta and Kosei grumbled a bit as they could feel that tension and attraction. Something that the love obsessed girls of the classes picked up on as well but didn't take the time to tease. 'Bigger things to worry about after all. Like if Midori can make it through this…. Wait no, his name's Cooper over there.' Torru thought before refocusing on the situation.
Izuku smiled at that and took off to get his cane. Leaping on powerlines to get across the flowing lava. Though he worried a bit when a lava slug rushed at him. But Carmalita stood by her word and covered Izuku, blasting the slug with a few shock slugs of her own.
The raccoon kept leaping and climbing his way up to get to his family heirloom. With the fox officer blasting away at anything that would hinder or hurt him. Even dropping the robo-falcons with precise head shots as they swarmed around. Once Sly reached his family cane, Carmalita smiled while looking down her scope. "Nice job raccoon."
A few cheered as Melissa shot and saved Izuku multiple times. "Huh. Not so hard to hit things when you're guarding your crush~!" Setsuna lilted with a big smirk at Izuku. He blushed a bit but acknowledged how the officer was saving his thief self. Though Ochaco had a bit of a shade over her eyes at that comment.
All Might beamed at how his niece (even a different world version) handled herself and saved Cooper. As well as complimenting her aim. "I wonder if she could do something similar here. Though it would be with the police themselves. Not as a hero," he thought aloud as Cooper made it up the mountain. Nezu though had a different thought. 'Who's to say she couldn't be a hero? Given…. A bit of inspiration and a chance.'
Sly ran to the overlook of the central caldera where the death ray was sitting. Tenya warned though that support system for the tower was destroyed by Carmalita as he made the run for his cane. "You'd better hurry this whole thing is about to fall apart!" the turtle said. Izuku though has a focused gaze and just said, "I'm on it" before making his way to the base of the tower.
The former number one let out an "urk" at hearing how Carmalita had accidentally destroyed the supports to the tower Sly now had to climb. "Didn't think that through did she?" Midnight said with a mixture of worry and bemusement on her face. Aizawa seemed tempted to lecture the fox officer. "Problem is, she nor her counterpart from our world is here."
Right as he reached the bottom, he felt a tremor beneath him. Sly quickly leapt on the rail and started his climb upward. Leaping over the electrified pieces and swinging along the hooked sections of the tower. Before needing to time his jumps as the electrodes drop and arc.
Lips were being bit in panic, feet were tapping, and various other expressions of anxiety were showing with the audience. Even Eri was worried for the raccoon thief. Saying, "I know volcanoes are really scary and dangerous. And raccoon Deku is going right into the middle of one!"
No one denied her point or was willing to note that the metal of that machine should be screaming hot as well. 'Probably another thing we shouldn't think about or try to put the same kind of logic to,' a number of teens thought. Despite their rational and intellect telling them otherwise.
Sly panics a bit as he leaps on one section to rail walk, only to find it is too smooth and starts sliding. "Can't run! So I'll have to jump!" he thinks aloud before chaining a few leaps to get further up the slick cable. He finally reaches the top of the tower as the head starts to sink into the lava. Strapping Carmalita's jetpack on in time to avoid the molten rock.
Two thirds of the audience let out strained breaths of relief upon seeing Sly take off into the air. Eri though cheered that he got away and was safe. "Not yet. Not until the job is done, and Clockwerk is beaten." Izuku says with a focused gaze at the screen. He can feel a churning in his heart and head. As well as a whisper from OFA. 'If Clockwerk has the name I think he might or says what I think he will….. then it seems that foe follows me across dimensions.'
Once up in the air, Tenya gives Sly a general run down of how the jetpack handles. Only to panic as the massive frame of Clockwerk.
"You have escaped my gas chamber and destroyed my death ray. Remarkable. You Coopers always find a way to beat me! Out of respect for that, I suppose I can tell you my true name. I was known as Shigaraki Toruichi. I am the thief who will take all power for one person: myself!" Clockwerk announces.
All Might's blood runs cold as he fully recognizes the voice. From within OFA, Izuku can feel and hear it too. "All For One," they both gently murmur with a shiver. The rest of the audience (save Eri) look to them in fear and double check with those who had been in close contact with the villain.
"It's him. That… psycho monster from the League of Villains. I don't think I'll ever forget." Bakugo says while gulping down his fear as best he can. The others who helped rescue him thought the same and felt even more pity for the raccoon thief. "Wait…. Did anyone else notice he said….. the Coopers always find a way to beat him?" Kaminari noted with some confusion.
Izuku's eyes widen before he says, "always?! So, it was you in the background of all of those old photos in the Thievius Raccoonus! How old are you?!" You can almost feel the smug look in Clockwerk's eyes as he says, "perfection has no age…."
"What you're immortal?" Sly asks with some venom. "Revenge is the prime ingredient in the fountain of youth. I've kept myself alive for hundreds of years with a steady diet of jealousy and hate. Awaiting the day, I would finally eclipse your family's thieving reputation!" Clockwerk claimed.
Jaws were dropped and some glasses were eschew at hearing the robot's words. "He's… He's been keeping himself alive for….. possibly millennia! All to wipe out a single family!?" Juzo said with his jaw practically to the ground. His fellow students were of the same mind and couldn't understand that mentality.
The hardheads and some of the slower witted students gave up trying to understand what the thoughts of the villain were. Others like Ida, Momo and Jurota tried to make some greater sense to why anyone would want to do that.
"It's because he's actually afraid." All Might said. The students and heroes turned to him and saw a morphing look of bemusement on his face. "I never really understood because I was consistently afraid of him and the havoc he can wreak. But he's afraid of dying. He's afraid of being forgotten or people not fearing him. Just like AFO is."
Nezu thinks on it for a moment and can see what All Might is getting at. "AFO touts himself up as the demon king, basically seeing everyone as beneath him. But in truth, he's afraid of those who could rise up against him and the powers that could rival his own. And this owl, this Clockwerk; he hates that a single family line has beaten him to the punch or made him look like a fool so many times….. that it's kept him alive just so he can personally kill them or snuff out the line."
Izuku considers the matter and how this could relate to Tomura and what AFO's plans are. Let alone the implication that the greatest villain since the age of quirks began…. Was probably just a scared kid who hated the idea of losing and dying. 'Tomura isn't a successor like I am for All Might. AFO is after something….. far more sinister. The question is, what?'
A variety of weapons appeared from Clockwerk's body as he took aim at Sly. Carmalita called out and told him to aim for the gaps in the armor she made with her shock pistol. Clockwerk flapped hard and charged at Izuku. Who quickly moved out of the way before taking a shot with the jetpack rockets.
Clockwerk took some shots at the flying raccoon before being struck in the head by the shock pistol shot. "Nice shooting!" Sly said before unloading as fast as he could on the robotic owl. Breaking part of his head. Clockwerk flew up again and tried to catch Izuku in his claws, with the raccoon pulling back and taking shots at said claws when Carmalita shot them.
The contemplating and philosophizing stopped at Clockwerk began his attack on Izuku Cooper. Eri shrieked a bit upon seeing how the owl rushed the young raccoon, but she and others let out sighs of relief at Sly evading. "C'mon Deku or Sly whatever! Take that psycho bird down!" Bakugo said while watching the action closely.
All Might and those who met Melissa let out cheers seeing her shots hit home on the evil bird. Opening the path for Cooper to take her down. "Not sure if it's quite the same, but I think you gave him a black eye with those rockets!" Tetsutetsu said with a thumbs up. A gesture Izuku returned while wanting to see the bird hurt more.
The large villain shook out of the pain and regained his flight above the volcano while Izuku buzzed above him. As the robot's turrets took their shots, Izuku got out of the way and waited for Melissa to take her shot. Putting an electrified bullet right up the bird's butt.
Sly had a laugh at that before blasting away and damaging Clockwerk's tailfeathers. He then moved above again and waited for the next shot from Melissa. This time being the wing of the villain and he blasted so much, a number of feathers fell out from the owl. Causing the bird to fall into the volcano.
Cheers were let out seeing Clockwerk careen into the lava. "Done! No more big bad bird! I don't know, feels a bit anticlimactic. Are you seriously jinxing him right now?! Robot or not he can't take being submerged in lava."
All Might though sobered those thoughts with, "don't be so certain. AFO or Clockwerk would never go down that easily. And he wouldn't give up if he believed he had a chance to win." Izuku agreed as did the members of the Bakugo rescue team. And Bakugo himself.
"Nice shooting Sly! You got him!" Tenya announced. Only for all of them to be shocked when Clockwerk arose from the lava like it was nothing. His metal body wasn't even singed. "Wow that's one tough owl," the turtle says with his glasses tilted off his head.
"See what we meant? Putting aside AFO, this owl has replaced his whole body with metal. And is living in a volcano. He'd have a body that could take the heat. Even if it only lasted a while." Bakugo surmised while the contemplative students agreed with him.
Izuku shook his head before saying, "I don't get it. You're so familiar with my family, you must have known my father had a son. If you hated the Coopers so much, why did you let me live all those years ago when you stole the Thievius Raccoonus?"
"Because I wanted to show the world that without your precious book, the Cooper Line was nothing!" the bird announced while running some repair processes.
All Might smiled slightly before saying, "if there's one thing I've learned before and after watching these videos… it's that a power, a quirk, or ability doesn't make you special. Or even your origin that absolutely makes you special. It's what you choose to do with it. Something young Cooper illustrates and will probably explain here in …."
The raccoon thief smirked before laughing a bit at his foe's foolishness. "Ah well, there's where you're wrong. The Thievius Raccoonus doesn't make great thieves. It takes great thieves to make the Thievius Raccoonus. Just like how having a power doesn't make you a hero or a villain. It's what you do with it. And just being born with that or special skills can make you lose sight of what's important."
Most of the audience's eyes widened at what Sly had said. Some looking down or at the sections of their bodies that related to their quirks. They thought about how there those in the past had been who praised them for their power or called it villainous because of their quirk's nature. Or even despised because of how different their quirks made them look.
"Huh. Seems like this young thief understands far more than most heroes now. As do you All Might." Aizawa said with a respect filled nod. Mic and Midnight agreed and thought back to their old friend. While Nezu was considering that this heroic thief could be a good example of what it meant to be a hero.
Clockwerk snarls before saying, "enough Sly Izuku Cooper! It ends here. I'll finish you like I finished your father and the Cooper line will be erased and the only master thief will be Clockwerk!" Sly narrows his eyes and keeps an eye on his foe. Evading the blasts and energy rings that Clockwerk fired to defeat the raccoon. Waiting for each of Carmalita's shots to cripple the owl's armor. Dropping him into the lava once more
Izuku smiled a bit before thinking back on something All Might mentioned. How AFO would try to anger or trigger emotions to put off the previous wielders of OFA. 'But what if I could do it like Sly? What if I can needle at something deep within AFO or even Tomura's history? They might make the same stupid mistakes that he would often try to make us do.'
Upon seeing the robotic villain fall once more, the whole audience cheered. But a few had a sobering moment upon realizing that Clockwerk wasn't done. "Mid- Cooper has to finish this!" Todoroki exclaimed first. "But how's he gonna do that?" Kosei asked with some worry. Kirishima smiled and said, "I think I know. Gotta be done face to face."
Sly lands on a set of machinery as Clockwerk rises from the lava once more and starts to repair himself. "Now's your only chance Sly!" Tenya warns and the thief agrees. He sprints along the metal before leaping and landing on the various points to get closer.
But Clockwerk won't make it easy. He launches electric defense drones and surrounds himself with lasers to stall. Izuku won't let this stand in his way. He narrowly avoids the defenses, climbing up and down broken pieces of pipe and then spire jumping atop some of the laser emitters.
Teeth were clenched along with cups, armrests, and even one another's hands. The members of 1-A were the worst as they saw the counterpart of their friend dodging almost unimaginable things above a lava flow of a volcano. All to beat a robotic bird. "That's kind of crazy when you say it out loud. Even for our world." Jiro noted with a tilt of her head before focusing back on the action.
After climbing past the last set of lasers, Sly lands atop Clockwerk's back. He turns his head all the way around to taunt his foe. "COOPER! You will never be rid of me! Clockwerk is super-". Before the owl could finish, Sly bashed the monster who had been haunting his family for centuries across the beak. He struck the villain multiple times before the owl's head popped off and dropped into the volcano. Sly taking some strained breaths before leaping on the other pieces of junk to get to the rim.
"HA! Busted that face up! He thinks he's superior? Sly's not the one missing his head! At least that version of the villain is gone. Not the first time we've seen it, and I wish it wasn't the last." Bakugo and the teens said as Clockwerk's head was busted free by Sly's cane.
The teachers applauded a bit themselves before All Might thought a bit more on the hero and villain in this situation. 'I didn't think about it, but Cooper is more like young Midoriya than I thought. Though with less bullying. They both are trying to live up to legacies and are up against virtually immortal mad foes. And both won't give up easily,' he thought with a smile towards his protégé and then to the raccoon.
Once back there, he found the last sections of the Thievius Raccoonus. As well as the code to the last safe he needed. Reminiscing as he looked over the remains of his foe. "It took some tricky maneuvering, but I managed to snatch that last piece of the Thievius Raccoonus from Clockwerk's claw." He thought back on all the villains he'd faced and beaten to reclaim his birthright.
The teens applauded again as they look back on all the foes the raccoon thief had taken down. Though some felt a bit uneasy about celebrating the defeat of the Panda King. Shoto most of all. Most though acknowledged the guts and a bit of luck that it took to take down the organization. And make right what had happened to the heroic thief.
Sly smiled before looking down towards his friends who had just pulled up to the rim. "Of course, there was no way I could have gotten here without the help of my pals. I know this hasn't been easy for them, but they stuck with me through it all."
"Riki. Boy, it took a lot of guts for him to out into the field with me. I know he was scared, but he's got more heart than anyone I've ever known." Izuku thinks as Riki celebrates on their victory.
"Aw he really does like you guys!" Kinoko notes with a little coo. Sato and Ida both blush but they respect the emotion behind it and give Izuku a thumbs up and the high five. Sato beams a bit as Sly praises his counterpart. And silently hopes if they come back to this universe, his hippo self could have more chances to really show what he could do. While also confirming with All Might on some driving classes.
Tenya meanwhile was looking over the remains of one of the robots while Sly contemplated what he had done for him. "Thank goodness for Tenya. Without his expertise I'd have never found my way off that rooftop in Paris. A guy couldn't ask for a better group of friends!" Though as he's thinking that a shadow looms behind him.
Ida salutes a bit before saying, "even if it is my other self, I would be happy to aid you sir Cooper!" Even if they don't have counterparts themselves, many of the other hero students agree and note they'd like to learn from Sly. "I may have my invisibility, but what if someone finds a way to cancel it? His skills in sticking to the shadows would be quite helpful. I wonder if he'll have other skills in a different story?"
"Ah. Who could ever forget the lovely Carmalita?" As he was thinking this, Carmalita was behind him with her pistol pointed at him and cuffs in her other hand. Smirking at him much like he had often done to her. And Riki is freaking out in the background.
"Now that Clockwerk's death ray is out of commission, we're back to playing cops and robbers." Sly thought as Melissa stared at him. "I thought for sure she was gonna slap the handcuffs on me right then and there. But instead, she was true to her word and gave me that ten second head start."
"Oh you're busted!" Pony jokes as Sly now has a gun from the officer at his back. Plenty of the others thought that he would be arrested as well. "Not her style. Then again, she is a different version." All Might said while hoping Cooper could get away. Izuku though had a funny feeling on what might happen. Though he couldn't place it.
Carmalita keeps her aim trained on Izuku as the two keep their eyes fixed on one another. Both start counting down subtly with Izuku gently making his way to Carmalita. Giving her a smoldering gaze and a flirtatious smile. The officer was confused as she kept counting down and tried to stay focused on her quarry.
"The Hell is he waiting on?! Dude even with your skills you can't dodge at that range! Get out of there and to the van! He can't be that cocky. He is the counterpart of someone from 1-A. Why wouldn't he guck! No….. he wouldn't!" the audience murmurs as Mina thinks the last piece aloud and her smile grows and grows.
With the last second ticking down, Melissa was tempted to take her shot and almost did. But Izuku caught her wrist with his cane and pulled her close. To give her a big kiss right at the last moment. Making her eyes go wide and blushing.
Mina smile practically fills up her whole face as she squeals at seeing what the raccoon Izuku did. "Ooooh I knew it! He was just waiting to make his move! Think you'd do that Midori? Midori?" Izuku seemed to have bluescreened for a moment after seeing what Sly had done to Carmalita. But he was snapped out of it by the other guys ribbing him a bit for how Sly handled things.
Midnight and Mic felt tempted to joke too, but both refrained. Mainly because Mic felt the need to distract his old friend as he was reminded that he had to spend time with Ms. Joke tomorrow as well. Midnight though noticed something that most of the kids didn't. "Clever boy~," she said with a lick of her lips. All Might though smiled a bit at the idea of Izuku and Melissa getting together. 'Wonder if that would actually happen if she was here full time?'
And not noticing Sly grabbed her cuffs as he was going by. Quickly cuffing her to the railing while she was still in the afterglow. And running off with the key as Carmalita started cussing at him in Spanish.
Snorts of laughter were let out as they all her the expletives in a language they didn't understand. Well except Aoyama. He could follow some as they were similar in French. Mina though was a bit disappointed in the thief, even as Midnight noted the wisdom behind it.
"I felt bad leaving her stranded on that giant rock. But I knew it wouldn't be long before we'd see her again." Sly thought while looking back at the volcano. The scene transitions to the last safe Izuku needed to crack. Tenya giving him the code to the last page of the Thievius Raccoonus. Sly smiled while looking down at the now complete book.
"At long last, the Thievius Raccoonus restored to it's original state. The first time I held the whole thing under my arm since I was eight years old. The same weight my ancestors had felt under their arms as they passed it on. But while other family members might have been great thieves, they all inherited the book. I got my chance to earn it."
All Might and Izuku looked down while thinking back on their shared history. And Bakugo looks back on both with some bitterness. "There is a difference between being lucky and deserving. One is an accident. The other is a reward. Young Cooper is truly deserving for the work he put in to be a great thief and hero." All Might said while remembering first meeting Izuku. Bakugo meanwhile thought of how he had potential practically handed to him and he let it go to his head so much he was currently out of the hero program. 'But I can still make some things right,' he thought before wondering what would be next.
Izuku took out a pen before writing in the latest chapters of the book. "I had taken down the Fiendish Five using the moves my ancestors taught me, and become a master thief along the way. The time had come to chronicle my own adventures into the great book."
With that the raccoon leaps from a rooftop and slides along a few wires before dropping down. And then smashing a window, causing an alarm to go off and the police to try and catch Sly. And you could feel his smirk as he thinks, "this is gonna be fun!"
A few in the audience chuckle as the screen cuts to black and Nezu suggests they call it a night. While some want to continue, something other than the teachers influence them to get some sleep. The screen lights up for a moment and shows a few comic moments and battles before saying, there will be time for more another day. For if down the rabbit hole you go, the madder and madder you may become. Though, sometimes the best of us are.
With that the TV shuts itself off and all the audience is confused and bewildered. At least until they register the mad cackling of Nezu at the strange turn of events. "Seems wherever this special insight came from has a penchant for flair. And likes a few classic stories," he says while catching his breath and confirming what the entity said. As there would be time for more intrigue and mystery tomorrow. But not before the screen shows two more quotes. You cannot go back to your thoughts from yesterday because you are a different person from then to now. And there are far greater things in heaven and earth Horatio than are dreamed of in your philosophy. Remember that for when you peer behind and beyond the looking glass and into the abyss.
I think most of us assumed who Clockwerk would be. But since we didn't have a name yet, I went with a mixing of take and one in Japanese for him. Seemed accurate given who we were dealing with. In more ways than one.
Okay so the big issue I'm having is coming up with some of the various counterparts for Sly 2. Like Dimitri, and Rajan I roughly have figured out. But Neyla, Jean Bison, and Arpeggio, not so much. And that's not going into the third game. The Cooper Gang I have figured out, but Octavio, LeFwee, Black Spot Pete, and Dr M I'm not sure on. Heck I've got Tsao covered, but the rest I could use you readers help with.
Don't go too long in comment please. Or just PM if you have some ideas. Other than that, I'm going to have a bit of fun with some of what Izuku and the rest will see first. Like watching a match in Chaotic and seeing some of….. the other things that have popped up in my other stories. And then I will get around to Kung Fu Panda 3. Though I'm not looking forward to it. Not a fan of the third film.
Aside from that, I know some would suggest that I do some of the other PS2 mascots, but I will just say that Izuku would not be those characters. Honestly, for Ratchet and Clank I'd probably have Denki be Ratchet with Ida as Clank. Jak and Daxter meanwhile, Shoji would maybe be a good option for Jak. That or Jurota for being relatively quiet and having a raging monster within. And no other way to put it, Mineta would have to be Daxter. I think we all can see it. Anyway, please review!