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***Paris, France- Unknown Location***

“Sly, you can’t be serious!”

“I’ve never been more serious than right now Bentley.”

“We’re only going to get one shot with this job as it is, why does she have to know?”

“Knowing my luck, she’s going to catch me in the act; so one way or another, she will find out!”

“Why is this such a huge bother to you all of a sudden? This is your family history we’re talking about here! We’re trying to save your legacy!”

“I know that, but what happened back on Kaine Island helped me see what life is really about.”

“Oh really, and what would that be?”

“You know better than I do. You don’t hide your feelings with Penelope; while I’ve done nothing but hide my feelings. I’ve enjoyed being with her more and more and I don’t want what’s about to happen to set us back to square one. Believe it or not, I’m going to want to actually retire and settle down at some point; and if I have the choice, I want her to be with me.”

“…”

“…”

“Fine, but this had better not come back to bite us.”

“It won’t, I promise.”

“Well, now I’m wholly convinced. So is there anything else you need?”

“My cane and the Theivius Raccoonus should be enough, I’ll keep an earpiece too and let you know when we’re done.”

“Here take this too. I made a set for each of us in case we get separated, along with a few spares.”

“Got it…and Bentley?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks.”

“No problem, pal.”

***A few hours later***

The cool night air passes through her open car window as she drives towards her apartment. A set of files lay stacked in the passenger seat underneath her trusty shock pistol. Then again, it’s all part of another successful day on the job for Inspector Carmelita Fox. The stack of files, along with the two sets before, is admittedly smaller than she’d like, but Chief Inspector Barkley said she needed to lighten up a bit on the police work after her latest big adventure. This would be a problem with Carmelita if she didn’t agree, returning from her last major assignment she came home a little battered up and with some extra baggage.

***Flashback- 1 Month Earlier***

Not long after arriving back in Paris, Carmelita dropped off Sly at her apartment. She told him that he could stay with her until they found a suitable place for him and that she would debrief the Chief herself. Sly thanked her and was soon fast asleep on her couch. Driving back to headquarters, she wondered how Barkley would take her news; she’d find out soon enough. Arriving back at Interpol, she was greeted by her friends working the graveyard shift and headed towards Barkley’s office. She knocked on the door and waited to hear his gruff voice usher her in.

“Inspector Fox! Nice to see you back from the South Pacific so soon. Were you able to bring in that maniacal mandrill our anonymous tip led to?” Barkley asked

“Unfortunately, things were a bit more complicated than we had originally thought sir.” Carmelita replied, “As we approached the island, the good doctor retaliated rather viciously with what looked like a mutant army; it appeared that the years of isolation had worn on his mind. Naturally, we took action against the threat and proceeded towards him, and he responded by trying to run into the island’s cave networks. I led a small group inside, but when we had cornered M, he set off a chain of explosives. All of a sudden, the caves start collapsing around us; my team and I made it out, but I’m afraid Dr. M did not.”

“I see,” said Barkley, “and is that everything you have to report?”

“Yes, sir.”

Barkley chuckled softly, “You know your father wasn’t very good at keeping secrets from me either.” Carmelita was shocked that Barkley could tell. “So what else happened?”

“Well,” Carmelita continued, “as we entered a rather large cavern, we came across Sly Cooper. He appeared to be fighting Dr. M.”

“I assume you took the liberty of placing them both under arrest.”

“Yes sir, but then M fired a laser at me and Cooper took the blast, why I’m still not sure. I finished off M and called in my squad to arrest him, while I found Cooper. It was then that M started the cave-in.”

“I see, and what of Cooper?”

“Alive and apparently suffering from a case of amnesia. I have our field medic’s diagnosis as proof.” Carmelita said, placing a dossier on Barkley’s desk

“Well, that’s going to make the due process a bit trickier.” Barkley replied as he sat back with his coffee and another box of donuts, “Does he remember anything?”

“He…um…He thinks he’s my partner, Constable Cooper.”

Barkley nearly choked on his donut as Carmelita said this. “WHY ON EARTH WOULD HE THINK THAT?” He yelled

Carmelita’s face just read “embarrassed” and Barkley put two and two together himself. Carmelita expected a Category 5 rant from her boss, but he was surprisingly calm. He sipped on his coffee and pulled out another powdered donut.

“Ordinarily, Ms. Fox, as I’m sure you are aware, I’d be yelling so loud that the fellas down in autopsy could hear me like I was right in the same room. But if Cooper can’t remember anything about his past and he currently thinks he works for Interpol, maybe we could use this to our advantage.”

Carmelita’s jaw dropped for a few moments. Was Barkley really thinking about letting Cooper actually join her on the Force? She was shocked that he seemed so willing even though her lie made Cooper think he was from Interpol to begin with, and she even felt a small bit of something else…she felt…happy?

“What do you mean sir? Cooper is a thief,” Carmelita said as her inner officer drove forward, “he’s wanted for numerous thefts of varying scale and degree.”

“This is true, but he is not as dangerous as some of our other targets. Crime is on the rise Inspector, and a lot of our prime targets’ operations are getting bigger, bolder and harder to pin down. An idea has been circling around the Executive Committee for quite some time, and I think we now have the means to test it. What Interpol needs is a team on the inside, a team working in the shadows that can instigate these criminals and cause them to make mistakes that we pick up and place on them.”

“Are you suggesting…?” Carmelita began but was soon interrupted by Barkley

“However, this depends on if Cooper is able to regain any of his old memories. If his memory fails to return, we could always use another officer on the force. But if he returns to his thieving ways, I want you to try and contact him and his team to see if we could work out a deal.”

“I still fail to see why we would want to work with criminals!” Carmelita exclaimed

“Take a look at some our latest arrests Inspector, and you’ll find Cooper’s meddling has helped us a great deal: General Tsao, Don Octavio, Dimitri Lousteau, Muggshot, The Panda King; all wanted criminals, all have been dealt justice and if memory serves, the evidence team found Cooper’s signature calling cards at all of their bases of operation. Even the man who reported the theft of the Fire Stone of India had in fact stolen it himself. As far as I can tell, the only people Cooper steals from are criminals themselves; quite an honorable code to live by if you ask me.”

Carmelita and Barkley fell silent for a short period, both just waiting to hear what the other might say. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, Barkley was right. Sometimes it takes a criminal to catch one, and Sly has certainly proven that he can do that now that she looks back and sees where his activities and hers coincide. It appeared to Carmelita that the Coopers actually were honorable thieves, only stealing from those who have done wrong themselves.

“All right then, so Cooper might help us as an undercover agent, or as just a regular officer. How do we approach this with everyone else?” Carmelita asked

“Let me handle that and the work with the Executives. You take a few days off to recover and look over these files. We've received numerous reports of priceless antiques being stolen and traded on the black market. You begin your next assignment in a few days at a new museum being opened by Cyril Le Paradox. You and another agent are to keep an eye on the treasures displayed there, which will likely be a big target for art thieves like that Grizz character we’ve been dealing with for some time now. One of you will monitor the museum's security while the other keeps an eye on the internet for any tips about where these pieces are or who is involved, and you'll switch positions each week. The museum opens in a few days; here is your invitation along with one for a guest of your choosing. Good night Inspector.”

***End of Flashback***

Carmelita replayed the conversation over in her head multiple times as she walked through her apartment entrance and into the elevator. She was glad at the chance to work with Sly on her side of the law, but lately Sly had been behaving rather familiarly. When they went to the museum opening, she noticed Sly looking over the priceless artifacts a little too intently. She didn’t want to think that he’d go back to thieving; she wanted to think he had changed because of her. Unfortunately, later that night she caught him scoping out the museum, and Carmelita started to wonder if Sly had ever really lost his memory. She remained lost in thought when she suddenly realized that she was already standing at her front door. So many questions swirled around in her mind as she unlocked the door and entered her apartment.

“Sly? Are you awake?” She called out to the dark room

The full moon shined through the window and illuminated some of her apartment. Her living area consisted of a sofa and entertainment display, which was positioned to be in full view from the nearby kitchen area. A hallway to the right led to her bedroom and bathroom, and a set of curtains covered a double door entrance to the balcony. Carmelita scanned the space multiple times over but couldn’t find a trace of Sly. Then, she remembered that she doesn’t usually keep the curtains in front of her balcony closed on clear nights like this. She walked over and opened the curtains and found Sly standing on the balcony gazing up at the stars.

Immediately, Carmelita noticed that Sly was wearing his usual outfit: blue shirt with yellow collar, gloves, boots and his signature blue cap. Then she saw that Sly’s cane leaned on the railing next to him, except he lost that back on Kaine Island, how did he get it back? At this point, Sly turned around and saw the Inspector at the door. He waved at her and motioned for her to join him outside.

“Good evening Inspector, such a lovely night isn’t it?” Sly greeted

“It is.” Carmelita replied, “So…what is that?” she asked pointing to the cane

The smile that was on Sly’s face before slowly faded as he approached the issue at hand. “Well,” he said with a sigh, “we might as well stop beating around the bush then. If you must know, Bentley brought it to me last night.”

“Oh, and who is Bentley?” Carmelita asked, hoping in the back of her mind that Sly really didn’t remember

“Carmelita, you can drop the act. I think we both know the truth anyway.”

“I don’t know what to say. You lied to me? You’ve been lying to me for the past month! Why would you lie to me?” Carmelita asked; what felt like a few tears had pooled in her eyes, but she wiped them away before Sly could see

“Yes, I lied. But considering my alternative was jail time, it seemed like the better option at the time. You have every right to be angry with me, but please I just want to explain.”

“Oh, I’m more than angry with you Ringtail! I can’t believe that you would just lie to me like that! What else was a lie then? Were you dancing with me at the museum or making a shopping list? I suppose you weren’t just stargazing that night either. How do I know any of that care I thought I saw from you was even slightly real?!”

“Don’t think for a second that I didn’t care!” Sly replied, “I’ve loved every minute that I've got to spend with you! I thought maybe I could make it look like my memory came back naturally later, but unfortunately something’s come up. Anyway, who said that I enjoyed lying to you? Before my ‘amnesia’ I was nothing but a coward hiding my feelings and now I thought maybe I had a chance!”

Sly’s words made Carmelita stop for a moment. He’s had feelings? What feelings? How long has he had them? Then again, she knows Sly and how well he can put on an act.

“Hmph,” Carmelita said, “I must admit Sly, you really can make it look like you had lost your memory.”

“Actually, I did blank out for a while back on Kaine Island,” Sly replied

“Wait, really?”

“It only lasted about an hour, about the time that your medic was looking me over, then everything started to come back to me. I hope it never happens again, though. I couldn’t stand to not remember you.”

“I see, and what did you mean when you said ‘feelings’?”

“When that monster was crushing me and I thought I was about to black out from the pain; for some reason all I could think about was you. See, Bentley met someone in Holland and the two really like each other. Looking at them, it’s clear what life is really about. They’re so open with each other and I’ve been nothing but a coward. I made a promise to myself that if I ever saw you again I would quit hiding and tell you straight up how I feel. But then you showed up on the island, and when M shot at you…”

Carmelita had never seen Sly like this. The strong, confident thief with a sharp quip and a way out in his back pocket that she’s known and chased for years seemed…vulnerable.

“Oh God, Carmelita I am so sorry for everything. You were just trying to do your job and I had to throw a wrench in. Clockwerk, Neyla, and now Dr. M; all because of me. I don’t know what else to say. I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry…”

Sly kept repeating, “I’m so sorry” over and over again as tears ran down his cheeks. Any doubt that Carmelita had in her heart melted away as she saw that Sly’s feelings were true, so maybe she could be true to her feelings. She reached up and wiped a tear away; Sly looked at her and she smiled a smile of warmth and understanding.

“I promised myself that I would stop hiding,” he said holding her hand, “that I would look at you and say, I love you, Carmelita.”

“I love you too, Sly.”

The pair closed their eyes and kissed. Time seemed to move a thousand times slower as they shared this perfect moment together.

“Listen, is there any way we could try again with…us?” Sly asked as the two released each other

“I’m willing to try, but no more lies OK?” Carmelita replied

“OK, then you probably know that I’m planning another heist. I need to ‘pick something up’ from the museum for Bentley.”

“Why does Bentley need something from the museum?”

“You probably wouldn’t believe me if I just told you, so I brought some evidence.” Sly joked as he pulled a book out of his pack. The tome was old and battered, but in surprisingly good condition given its age.

“This is the Thievius Raccoonus, the master thief’s handbook passed down through the Cooper family for generations. In it, you’ll find stories of my ancestors’ most incredible feats and any secret techniques they may have developed over the years. I was supposed to get it when I turned 8 but that night my parents were murdered by the Fiendish Five and took the pages for themselves.”

“So, that’s why you stole that file from my office before. But what does this book have to do with your heist?”

“Take a look,” Sly said as he flitted through the pages of the text. He opened the book to a page with a picture of one of his ancestors, only this Cooper had brown fur and looked more like a ninja than a standard thief. “This is Rioichi Cooper, my ancestor from feudal Japan.”

Carmelita began to read the page on Rioichi; amazed to learn that this Cooper actually invented sushi. She would’ve continued further but the text became extremely faded and she couldn’t make it out. Then she realized the text wasn’t faded, it was fading and soon it was gone as if it had never been written in the first place.

“Oh my gosh! The words just disappeared!”

“It’s been happening in other places of Rioichi’s chapter too. Someone is erasing Cooper history and I need to put a stop to it before any permanent damage is caused.”

“But how are you going to do that? It’s not like you have a time machine or anything.”

“Actually, Bentley’s already built one.”

“Yeah, right.”

“This is coming from the woman who helped me kill a giant robotic owl, twice, and fend off a psychopathic ape and his army of genetic experiments?” Sly asked

“Well, it is you we’re talking about so I guess anything is possible,” Carmelita admitted

“The only catch is we need an object for the machine to travel to a certain time. Bentley said it helps calibrate the temporal terrestrial sensors or something.”

“So, when do you plan on making this big heist of yours happen?” Carmelita asked, partially to remind herself to tell Barkley after it happens

“We were thinking about doing it later tonight, Bentley’s almost finished modifying the time machine to fit into Murray’s van.”

“Is there any way you could wait just one more night?”

Carmelita knew Sly and any journey of his, whether around the world or across time, would be a long one; and since the two had only just reconciled, she just wanted to spend a little time with Sly, to really get to know the man behind the mask. It seemed that Sly wanted the same thing and took Carmelita’s hand one more time. Looking into her deep brown eyes, the moonlight reflecting off of them, Sly started to get lost in them as the two embraced one another for a moment.

“Bad news guys,” said the voice of Bentley through Sly’s earpiece, “I need to patch a few things in the time machine’s coding and it’ll probably take all night. Looks like the heist will have to wait until tomorrow.”

The two released each other and looked up at the full moon sparkling in the night sky.

“You win Carmelita, I guess my comeback will have to wait for tonight. Oh and before I forget, here.”

Sly handed Carmelita a silver wristwatch, only instead of a clock’s face, the watch had a small computer screen with Cooper’s symbol on it.

“Bentley made these in case one of us gets lost in some other time period,” Sly explained, “he made a few spares too so I don’t think he’ll mind.”

Carmelita let out a small giggle and gave Sly a quick peck on the cheek. The two then headed inside to enjoy a quiet evening together.

***The Next Day- Museum Heist***

“Sorry! Gotta take a raincheck!” Sly said as he zipped up to the skylight, samurai dagger in hand, “I’ll call you!” he called out, ducking Carmelita’s shock fire.

“COOPER!!!” Carmelita yelled out in rage

As helicopter rotors and security fire filled the morning air, Carmelita knew that she was loud enough with her angry yell, which was more to get the guards’ attention than anything else. She knew Sly and it was going to take more than these cronies to best him. She started to return to her post to tell Barkley about what just happened, only to pause and look at her communicator briefly. The Cooper face was gone and instead the words SCANNING replaced it. She looked out a nearby window as the sun was rising and said, “Stay safe out there Ringtail.”

Sly’s plan was in motion, only time will tell what happens next.