Saving a life… and something more…

Perhaps the hardest part of this breaking and entering job was taking down those robo-falcons with the 50 caliber turret recently installed by Murray on top of the team van, using its heavy rounds to shoot down the cybernetic birds as they made there way up the heavily guarded path and into the narrow caves leading to Clockwerk's lair. Then again, there was the security infested hallway Sly had to go through upon entering the hive. It was there where Sly began to feel uneasy. The interior of this fully automated fortress was cold and lifeless, a clear description of how cold hearted and hate filled that mechanical owl Clockwerk was. Just walking through the hallways towards the main control room was chilling enough as every step of the way could have been his last. The last member of the Fiendish five and perhaps the most deadly knew how to turn a nightmare into reality.

However, puckering up all the courage he had and ignoring the haunting memories that sent chills down his spine, Sly cautiously tip toed on. With his cane held up in defense and eyes searching the darkness in front of him, he prepared himself for any surprises that would jump out at him at any second of his trek through the network of hallways creating the frightening maze of Clockwerk's fortress interior. From what Bentley had explained to him, he was in uncharted territories. He didn't need his friend's words though as he found that out for himself as he ventured onward. He was able to disable to security systems himself without Bentley's help and was confident that he could make it on his own from here.

The hallway Sly ventured down was too dark for any normal person to see anything. But with Sly's eyes, the eyes of a master thief, he could see as clear as day. His chocolate orbs scanned from left to right on the path ahead of him. Pipes lined the steel, welded walls as well as wires and creaking pillars holding up the unstable ceiling. The silent creeks of the supports and the ghostly whispers of steam issuing out of the cracks in the pipes created a very uncomfortable atmosphere for Sly. Because of these noises and disruptions, he found it hard to sense out for any troubles lurking behind him or around the next bend. There was no telling what Clockwerk had in store for him. As for the foggy gas whooshing past him every now and then, it clouded his night vision, meaning that he couldn't see shit.

But what was there to worry about. The narrow, enclosed corridor ahead of Sly was straight with no bends or connecting hallways leading in any other direction. This confirmation made Sly sigh in relief, as it had also been made clear that there was nothing troublesome here. This prompted him to quicken his walking pace from cautious to brisk, the light on the other end of the hall getting bigger and brighter as he approached. It was like a dark tunnel and the light was like the gateway to heaven. But what awaited Sly beyond that light would make him tremble with rage and fear for the worst to come.

Exiting the dark hallway, Sly emerged into what he recognized as a control centre. All around him were high tech computer systems ranging from highly advanced to the plain simple, all of which were built to a large size to suite the purposes of a largely built individual. Apart from the control consoles, computer screens, super computer monitors, ion charge pillars, back up system units and disk drives occupying much of the walls of the entire room, Sly turned his attention forward, his eye sight having already adjusted to the brightness of the extremely lit room. In the centre of the room, there was a large glass enclosed chamber containing a large computer console and a computer desk with various, random equipment and tools thrown down upon it. Beyond that what Sly could see through the green glass shields on the other side was the tightly closed and locked exit to this awkward structure. Meanwhile the entrance, that bore the same resemblance as the exit door on the other side stood open his path, beckoning him to enter the glass prism. But it wasn't this glass enclosed room that caught Sly's attention first hand, it was who was inside of it that alerted him and seeing who it was made his insides cave in.

Standing disarmed and obviously trapped in some tube apparatus built in the middle of the chamber was none other then Inspector Carmelita Fox, the woman who had been chasing Sly across the world ever since he had broken into her office for the secret police file that he, and his gang needed. It didn't take a genius to see that Carmelita was indeed locked down tightly in that tube as she was banging on the glass, trying to break it open and let herself out. It only took a split second for Sly to realize that all the gear laid out on the desk beside the apparatus inside the room was Carmelita's gear, including her shock pistol and auxiliary tool kit. Apparently, she had been disarmed before she had been shoved into that place.

The situation looked both desperate and critical. Sly was a loss for words, but not thoughts.

"What's Carmelita doing here!?" Sly thought shocked and bewildered. "How did she get herself trapped in that thing, unless she was captured by Clockwerk or something? Either way, I have to help her!"

On instincts and on a quick snap decision, Sly rushed forward unaware of the danger that awaited him when he reached the chamber holding Carmelita prisoner. Sly didn't care about the dangers though. All he knew was that Carmelita was in trouble and he needed to get her out. After all, as he looked on his past history, Sly saw that Carmelita was a vital part and person in his life. Not only was she the strong spirited and tough cop that chased him and added fun to his heists, she was also someone that meant more to him then anyone else in the world. It was this personal note that Sly kept to himself. It just wouldn't be the same without her.

Leaping into the chamber without realizing the danger he had put himself in, Sly suddenly felt the door slide shut behind him and turned around to see that his only exit had been sealed off. Swiftly and with great strength, Sly batted out at the glass door, only to have his cane rebound and treble with the vibrations that followed after his cane impacted against the bullet proof glass. It stopped shaking a few seconds later, leaving Sly to ponder about the situation now. And then it hit him like a ton of bricks. He had stepped into a trap!

Looking towards the tube where Carmelita was being held, he saw the vixen looking his direction with an undoubtedly shocked and startled expression on her face. Sly would have chuckled in amusement if the situation hadn't turned desperate so he just resulted to staring back at her. Both their differently shaded brown eyes stared into the others and in silence. It was only a few seconds later did either of them react and as expected, it was Carmelita. Sly was surprised that the tube she was locked in wasn't sound proof.

"Sly Cooper", she shouted in disbelief. Her eyes narrowed down on the raccoon standing several feet in front of her on the other side of the glass tube. "I should have known you were behind all this!"

Sly, blinking in surprise recovered quickly and shook his head while replying. "You've got me wrong Miss Fox, I'm here to rescue you!" Carmelita scowled at him while pressing her hands up against the glass in front of her. She was about to say something else of false accusation when tragedy struck.

Several seconds later after the chamber had been sealed off completely, the vents in the roof suddenly cracked open and pouring into the room was a green, highly toxic gas that created a cloud several feet off the ground at chest height. The same gas started to fill into Carmelita's tube and after looking around from left to right wildly, started coughing and choking on the toxic fumes.

Sly felt it next and after taking just a small whiff of it, started to feel drowsy and sick. The gas caught up in his lungs and he started coughing too, dropping his cane and falling forward, landing on his hands and knees in sheer agony. His hand clenched at his chest as he gagged on the gas, tears welling up in his eyes as another reaction to the fog. His vision started to become blurry and he could barely see his hands on the floor in front of him. What he mostly could see was green clouds of fumes hovering in front of his eyes.

However, his ears didn't fail him and as soon as the gas started to take their deadly effect he heard a couple of loud speakers crackle into life and a cold, chilling laughter fill the room. The sound of that voice would make any thief cower or run but for Sly, it made him tremble with fear.

Unbeknown to him, the screens of the computers surrounding the outer room of this chamber as well as the screen on the console inside the chamber lit up, revealing a shadowy owl like creature standing in the middle of the screen, his golden glowing eyes of pure evil burning a hole into Sly's image on the very sight of him. His laugh was deep, mechanical and unbearable.

"Hahahahahahaha… you simpleton; empathy has always been the downfall of the Cooper clan. How amusing", spoke the shadowed bird! Sly, immediately recognizing the voice looked up while shaking violently, his eyes teary as he glared through the gas towards the computer screen far beyond his reach. Though he may not be able to see the black shadow of the figure, he could clearly see the golden glowing eyes of his family's arch nemesis.

"C-Clockwerk", Sly chocked out, his arms on the verge of giving way as the gas started to weaken him. The shadowed owl laughed loudly again, this one more screeching and more sinister then the last.

"So… you remember me Cooper. It's a real pleasure meeting the son of the father I had killed those many years ago. And what good fortune, my experiment has succeeded. You have become the thief I had expected you to become but to my disappointment, failed in one aspect. And that is stopping me", exclaimed Clockwerk, whispering the last part in malice and hate. "All of your other ancestors have defeated me in the past countless of times but now the tide has turned. This time Clockwerk will emerge victorious and will become the only master thief! It's a shame really… for it to end so soon. I was expecting more of a challenge but that has already been proven. After watching you clamber about the other Fiendish five member's strongholds, I'm not surprised."

This proclamation hit Sly like a punch in the gut. Was this fiend, this monster this… villain saying that he had fought his ancestor's in the past? It was hard to believe! How could someone stay alive for hundreds of years and more importantly be alive today. Sly didn't believe him but had very little air or energy to protest. All he could do was lie helplessly, wait death to claim him and listen to the heartless villain speak over the loudspeakers.

"Your death will not only be a symbol of your failure but of the failure of your lost cause. Your ancestor's were never great thieves, they were just dreamers. After watching you, it is proven that you are nothing without the Thievius Raccoonus. That was why you will die today. That is why your father is dead and now, not only will I have killed off the last member of the Cooper family, but will also kill the woman of interest to you and the last obstacle standing in my path of conquest. Two eggs in one basket…"

Sly's eyes widened as wide as they could but because of the gas it prevented him from doing so. However, the expression on his face now showed his shock and anger. "WHAT!?" His attention averted away from the computer screen towards the tube containing Carmelita. Squinting through his blurry vision, he could see Carmelita, the girl who had no reason to suffer any such punishment or death was now lying in a crumpled heap in that tube of death, coughing and weaving on the gas. Sly could sense to his horror that her life was hanging on by a single thread. She wasn't going to last much longer. With the gas pouring out at a dangerous rate and the chamber they had locked themselves in impregnable, Sly didn't know what to do.

Looking around the room blindly, Sly attempted to find the source of the gas emission for a control of some sorts. It didn't take him long and he hit himself for being so stupid. Clockwerk had designed this as not only a gas chamber but an experimental room of some sorts and if he should ever get stuck in here, he would build an emergency console for such situations. And it was standing against one of the glass walls, clear and simple. If he was to shut that down somehow, then there was a slim chance he might be able to stop the gas flow and save Carmelita. He had to! He was not going to stand by this time and watch as someone he cared about so much is taken away from him. He was not going to let this be a repeat of his past as his father's death had showed him.

Collecting up his cane with trembling hands, he stabbed the point of it into the ground and growling in pain and effort, pushed himself back up onto his feet. Coughing loudly because of the gas and starting to wheeze himself, Sly staggered towards the console using the nearby glass wall and his cane for support. His vision blurred more every step of the way and the pain coursing through his body grew. But despite all the suffering he was subjecting himself too, he kept on going. He knew his body could take more punishment then this. It had to if he was to save Carmelita!

Tripping over a couple of times in his walk but managing to pull himself back up, Sly reached the computer console and fell down onto it, his hands gripping the steel surface for support. The weight of the weakness, pain and lack of air was crushing down on him and he could feel himself start to give way. Clockwerk saw his efforts and he was astounded none to say the least.

"COOPER! It is futile, you will never deactivate the gas ventilation mechanism, you'll need the password! Only a master thief would be able to activate the emergency switch!" hissed the giant owl menacingly. Sly clenched his fists and teeth in anger at the sound of Clockwerk's voice, fueling him more with determination and hidden strengths. Pushing himself to his feet again, Sly gripped his cane in two hands and raised the hook above his head. The golden steel end shone brightly despite the lack of light. This caught Clockwerk's eye.

"What are you doing", growled the bird threateningly.

Sly grinned, even though he was in pain. "There is more then one way to crack a code", whispered Sly. The instant he had finished that sentence, Sly brought the cane down and onto the control console with all the strength he could muster in a swift, powerful swing. The force of the blow did its trick. A loud explosion followed after Sly's cane made contact with the console as the blow was enough to shatter not only the screen and console of the computer but the internal systems as well. A massive dent was placed into the surface of the computer from the well placed strike at it made by Sly Cooper. The crackling of electricity sounded and almost instantaneously, black smoke from the ruptured console began to rise into the air.

The hissing of the gas ceased and slowly, the fumes began to lift into the air and clear. The mist covering the ground vanished with it as well as the clouding fog in Sly's vision. Within a few seconds time, the gas had lifted and the fresh, breathable atmospheric oxygen began to fill Sly's lungs once again, filling him with sweet relief. That was probably the longest Sly had lasted in a gas filled area for as long as he remembered. But first things first, he had to get things back into focus. Clockwerk screeched.

"COOPER! You foolish raccoon! Very well then! If you want to confront your fears the hard way…I'll be waiting for you!" roared the owl, saying the last parts of the sentence in a hiss. Around this time, Sly's focus and senses had recovered completely and when he saw Clockwerk's image on the screen vanish, he scowled in displeasure.

Huffing, Sly walked over the tube containing Carmelita and, seeing a small switch at the base of the tube, knelt down and dialed in a random code. Instantly, the tube lifted, revealing a curled up and still fox lying on the cold platform at the base of the tube. Fearing the worst, Sly rolled her over and looked into her face, reaching over to her neck for a pulse. He sighed in relief when he felt the faint beat of her heart and was even more relieved when he heard her cough and choke. She had been rendered unconscious from the lack of oxygen but now, relieved of any more toxic fumes, s she was starting to come around.

Moving her into a comfortable position so that she lay still in his arms, Sly moved his hand behind her head and lifted it so that she was looking towards him. As soon as he had done that, Carmelita's eyes fluttered open, revealing a pair of beautiful, brown eyes that were half-idled under her eye lids. The instant her eyes opened, she caught sight of Sly smiling down at her kindly, a tinge of mischief in his eye. That seemed to help the situation as she was too exhausted to do anything else but smile in return.

"Carmelita, are you alright", asked Sly in concern, worried about the Fox's wellbeing.

Carmelita moaned and, reaching up with a weak hand, brushed it against her forehead. "Just a little sore, but I'll be fine once I catch me breath", she replied weakly. Sly smiled and nodded.

"That's good. But I'm a little surprised Miss. Fox. I'd have expected you to curse at me the instant you woke up but here you are now, speaking to me in that ever lovely, soft tone voice of yours", said Sly, a cheeky smile on his face. This made Carmelita blush in embarrassment when he realized he was right. But she was acting this way for a good reason this time.

Gazing back up into Sly's eyes, having averted her gaze due to her untimely blush, she started speaking again. "That's because I… we... the thing is. (Sigh)… listen Sly I… I was wrong, about everything. I'm… sorry if I ever suspected you for all of this and for every other time I had accused you wrongly in the past." Sly's expression changed to one of surprise and curiosity, having not expected Carmelita to just say something like this, and in good voice too despite her weakened state. However, he smiled shortly afterwards and caressed the soft fur on her cheek with his hand.

"That's OK Carmelita, I know you were only doing your job", he replied.

Carmelita shrugged. "I guess. But answer me this Cooper… why do you care about me so much, why do you insist on caring for me let alone even take any notice. Criminals usually wouldn't even do the kind of things you put yourself on the line for", she asked in puzzlement. Sly, a bit taken aback by this just smiled and ran a hand through her hair. Carmelita didn't object to this.

"Carmelita, we may be on opposite sides of the law, but you're not my enemy. And I'm not like those other criminals who treat woman like nothing but an object of their own selfish reason. The truth is… I have feelings for you. You're a really important part of my life. Seeing you always makes my day much brighter and I can't go anywhere without thinking about you. I wasn't about to let Clockwerk take away someone I care about more in my life then anyone I have ever known", said Sly. Carmelita took that as the answer and nodded in mild astonishment. A split second later, she suddenly smiled up at him again and, with trembling hands, reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. In a slow and steady motion, she pulled Sly down and pressed her lips against his in a tender kiss. It was this move that really caught Sly off guard but he returned the kiss and after a few seconds, Carmelita released him and fell back into his arms in what Sly saw was almost pure bliss edged on her face.

"I have feelings for you too Sly… thank you…"

Sly smiled in return and nodded only for his expression to turn serious when he heard a loud, screech like roar echo throughout the entire room and fortress. The walls shook and trembled from the high pitch screech, almost defining Sly's ears. Scowling up at the computer screen where he had seen Clockwerk's face before glaring at him with those cold, lifeless eyes, Sly glanced back down at Carmelita, his expression softening again. "I have to go stop that homicidal owl before he does anymore damage. Can you stand?" he asked. Carmelita tried with great effort to try and move her legs but she couldn't and fell back into Sly's arms in defeat.

"No… I… I can't move", she replied. Sly nodded in understandment and lowered her onto the ground again, making sure she was in a comfortable position again.

"Save your strength then, stay here", he whispered reassuringly. Carmelita stared into his eyes, seeing the raging fires of his anger towards Clockwerk burning heavily. She knew that Sly was more then determined to take down Clockwerk and she was sorry she couldn't join him and help. But then again, she could at least offer him some support.

Gesturing over to the desk, Carmelita pointed out the large, heavy pack. The metallic gear pack caught Sly's attention when he saw her nod in that direction. Noticing it, he could see that it was no ordinary pack, but a jet pack. It had high powered rocket thrusters, a control panel on both the arm rests built into its sides, two joy sticks, triggers, a green visor laser sighting and two rocket launchers on both the two shoulder plates.

"Sly, take my jet pack… it my still work. I used it to get up to the summit of the volcano before Clockwerk nabbed me. Please… stop him", whispered Carmelita in an agonizingly quiet voice. Sly nodded and looking down, smiled at the vixen while running a hand over her cheek.

"I will… for you. Don't go anywhere", he said. Carmelita chuckled in amusement.

"I don't think I would be able too anyway..." This made Sly laugh lightly too. Perhaps there was more inside Carmelita then Sly gave her credit for. Anyway, after laying her back onto a folded up blanket he used as a pillow for her from his red, thief pack, Sly stood up and walked over to the desk. Collecting the massive jet pack and strapping it to his back, Sly also took Carmelita's shock pistol. Loading it, he walked back to Carmelita and handed it to her for her own defense, the fox taking it with great care. She looked up in time to see the ever mischievous smirk plastered on his face, his eyes twinkling with a light she had seen countless times before. The sight made her stomach fill up with butterflies.

"I'll be back in a minute…"

With that said Sly stood up and, swiftly turning on his heel walked out of the gas chamber, his ringed tail dancing behind him and his cane flung onto his back. Carmelita watched as Sly left her sights and, when she saw him turn round and flash her one of his most handsome grins yet, she blushed involuntarily before sleep over took her. The sight of the fox falling into a peaceful slumber made Sly smile. "She's so beautiful…"

Hearing the exit of the computer room the gas chamber was built in open up ahead of him, the raccoon now changed objectives. Pulling the two joy sticks on his arm rests forward, the green visor flipped over his shoulder and rested just in front of his left eye, giving him the laser cross hairs he had seen on video games before. With a loud click he loaded the rocket pack.

Heading down the hallway with a new, fueled up spirit and built up confidence, Sly made his way back to the outside world. The heat of the lava atmosphere grew, and by the sounds of machinery and the scent of fumes, Sly knew he was heading in the right direction.

"Now… time for some pay back…"

Fin