Start of a Career (takes place at the Happy Campers Orphanage when Sly is only ten years old)

Chapter 1. The New Guy

Sly sat in the office of the principal's office. Although he was in an orphanage it also served as a school for the kids. Sly still had the vision of his father lying motionless on the floor. Five mysterious strangers had come to his house and murdered his father, while also taking his family heirloom, the Thievious Racoonus. Now here he was at the Happy Campers Orphanage. Inside his red backpack his father had given him was what remained of the Thievious Racoonus, as well as the toys his father had made for him. Laying in his lap was his family's famous thief tool, the Cooper Cane. Not only could it be used as a weapon, but the Cooper family's thief moves relied on the help of this cane. Not two days ago was he playing with his father when the five strangers broke into his house. Now here he was, getting ready to prepare for a life at Happy Campers. Little did he know that it would be here where he would meet his soon-to-be best friends, as well start his career as the Master Thief.

"Well, Sly, I certaintly hope you won't be any trouble. Here is your class skedule. If you ever need any help on finding your next class, just stop by my office. Come now, I'll escort you the C Dorms."

"Um, thank you, sir." Coming from the famous thief family, Sly couldn't help himself but to steal an ink pen with gold colored ink off of the principal's desk. He quickly stuck it in his backpack before the principal could notice.

"Oh, you can call me Mr. Mendez." Mendez was a big but kind old moose. After a pretty short walk the two stopped outside the C Dorms. "Almost forgot. You'll be needing these."

Mendez handed Sly a blue notebook, a blue ink pen, a cheap pocket watch, and an ID necklace. "Whats this for, Mr. Mendez?"

"Oh, just a little something we give to every new kid here. Always where your ID necklace, and that notebook and pen are for your class assignments. The watch is just something a little extra we throw in. Now, as for that cane of yours..."

Sly instantly knew what Mendez was thinking. "Don't worry, Mr. Mendez. I won't hit people with it." Sly finished putting his stuff in his backpack, and then walked into the C Dorms. It was a fairly large room. Bunks completely filled the left side with the kids' stuff laying beside them. The right side was filled with toys, while the middle just had comfortable furniture, a big oak table, and a t.v with a Super Nintendo plugged up to it. None of the other kids didn't notice him enter because they were too busy playing. After what had happened to his father, Sly just felt like sleeping. Since he hadn't been assigned his own bed yet, he just wentover to the couch to sleep.

Sly was surprised t see a turtle with big glasses setting there reading a book. So much for sleeping here. Sly just took a seat beside him. The turtle looked up at him rather shyly. "Um, are you new here?"

"Yeah, I guess. My name's Sly. Whats yours?" Sly figured that the turtle didn't have many friends since he was the only one on the couch so he would try to be his friend.

"Bentley. Smartest kid in the orphanage. Nobody can beat me at math races or spelling bees. Nobody. You may think you're a hotshot because you're new, but all that excitement will quickly fade once you face me in a math race. "

Sly was beginning to like Bentley. "Ah, I never liked spelling. Never was good at math either. But let me tell ya this, nobody is faster and more cunning than me. I'm like a ninja. I could sneak up on somebody, and steal their wallet without them even noticing."

"Are you saying you're a thief?" Bentley asked curiously.

"Well...yeah, I am. My father taught me everything I know about stealing. Me and him once broke into a museum together. It was the best night of my life." Sly still remembered those nights when his father had taken him on those thrilling heists.

Bentley gave a little laugh. "Well, as long as you don't steal nothing from me, I'll keep it a secret. However, see that girl over there?" Bentley pointed to a young female fox who was pretending to be a cop.

"Oh yeah. Dang, she is fine! I have to admit, you have good taste, Bentley." Sly couldn't help but just keep looking at the girl.

"Sly, thats not what I meant. If she finds out you're a thief she'll tell on you. You could get a day of detention...or worse. You could get paddled. Or even more worse, you could get paddle by Ms. Mills!"

"Take it easy, Bentley. I'm the son of a Master Thief. I'll never get caught. See that perse over there? I betcha five bucks that I can pilfer it of its goods without getting seen once." Sly began walking very slowly towards the perse.

Bentley was very nervous. "Sly, thats Carmelita's perse. You know, the fox girl." Bentley said in a shaky voice.

"Just another reason for me to steal it. Relax, Bentley. My father taught me well." Sly unzipped the perse and looked inside of it. Thats all he had tie to do because Carmelita turned around and saw what he was doing.

"Stop, ringtail!" To Sly's amazement, Carmelita ran and tackled Sly to the floor, putting him in a headlock. Everybody in the entire dorm was watching the scene. "So, you just thought you'd steal my perse, is that it?"

Sly was overjoyed. "Wow, didn't think I'd have a woman all over me at this age. I must say, those blue highlights in your hair go perfect with that toy badge of yours. The name's Sly Cooper, but you can call me Ringtail if ya want, hottstuff."

This made Carmelita furious. She raised her hand high, and brought it down fiercely, slapping Sly right upside the head. Afterwards, she ran out of the C Dorms to Mr. Mendez's office. Bentley walked over to Sly. "You okay, Sly?"

"Okay? I've never felt better! I just got slapped by a girl! A feisty one at that! My dad would be so proud of me. But man, she hits hard as heck." Sly said, rubbing where he had been slapped. "Its like my dad always said. If you can't dodge the Fist of Fury, don't give it a reason to come out."

Five minutes later...

"I don't don't know what to tell you, Sly. You've gotten in trouble on your first day here. In your first ten mnutes here, as matter of fact. Thats a new record, ya know? Anyways, since you're new here, I'll let ya off the hook. But if it happens again, you'll get detention. Third time, you'll get paddled. The fourth time, Lord have mercy on your soul if it happens, you get paddled by Ms. Mills. Do I make my self clear, Sly?"

"Yeah, I guess. Can I go to sleep now?" Sly hadn't been paying atention to a single thing Mendez had said.

"Sure, let me assign you a bed real quick."