SLY 5: LINE OF THIEVES (1)

PROLOGUE: SANDS OF TIME

(Ancient Egypt, 1000 years BC, Valley of Kings…)

Hot blistering wind, golden sand as far as the eye reached. A group of desert nomads had set camp in the shadow of the pyramids and the sphinx, who were next to the palace of the Pharaoh

?: Oh, my freakin' head…

While most of the people wore very little clothing due to the warm weather, mostly something to wrap around their waist, this person wore a blue shirt, blue boots and gloves and a hat, alongside a black face mask. He had a cane, of which the tip had a golden hook, making it look like a C. He was a raccoon with grey fur, brown eyes, and his fur around his chin appeared to look like a goatee. This was Sly Cooper.

Sly: Can it be?

The stranger looked out of place in this area. He even looked out of place in the era he was in. And he seemed to realize that.

Sly: Of course it can be, I've seen many time with my own eyes how that blasted machine worked. But is it an era where my ancestor was active? Even if not, I need to check things out, find out where and when I am…and see if I can get home. Better check out this place a bit first.

The stranger got up. He then snuck closer to the nomad camp, and upon closer inspection saw several things that didn't belong in this era either. The camp existed of only rats, and they wore green overall suits. Sly recalled they used to wear gas masks, but they seem to have discarded them. They carried off some weaponry that usually was filled with some chemical, but they've run out. Instead they just wielded knifes, spare weaponry they had.

Sly: Paradox' men…must have been stranded here with me when the blimp collapsed onto itself…I wish I had Bentley to guide me around. I guess I have to rely on my instinct now…and a lot of good luck.

Sly snuck around, looking around for something he could climb up onto, to stay above the patrolling rats, who had set up tents and made madeshift houses out of the blimp's rubble.

Sly: Let's see if the crash didn't do any brain damage…I can climb onto certain objects by jumping into an object and press the Circle Button.

As he recalled a move, he jumped up to a wire that was hanging from some rubble and climbed up to the top. He then walked up on a piece of metal plating like he was on a rooftop.

Sly: Okay…I still remember a basic thief move…do I still recall how to jump on small points…to Spire Jump, I just press the Circle Button as I jump above a small point.

Sly jumped from point to point of the metal pipes that stuck out of the ground. He then continued to make his way on top of the tents and rubble, jumping and walking on wires and stuff. He then saw a few yellow lights on the ground.

Sly: They got a few searchlights working again…better not step into those unless I want to be fried.

Sly snuck carefully around the lights to not get blasted by the lasers. He came across a ledge.

Sly: I can sneak across this ledge…Just have to hold the circle button as I move along it.

Sly snuck across the ledge as he moved further in the camp as he then saw two of the rats talking to one another.

Rat 1: It's the fault of Cooper and Paradox. Because of them we are stranded here forever! I'll never see my family again.

Rat 2: It's not like we could support them with what Paradox would pay us…for a rich guy he was very cheap. Can't that time machine really not be fixed?

Rat 1: That odd flying figure took the most important pieces for the Time Machine. Without them, we are stuck. We have to find that owl and see if we can make a deal with him, we really need those back.

Rat 2: At least we got shelter. That nice little house we found was nice…I found a map to some island and some scrolls with some drafts of something but I couldn't read them.

Rat 1: That same figure took those too! But at least we have a home now…You know, I found an odd key like thing in the house, you know if it'd do something?

Rat 2: I dunno, haven't tried. You hold on to it for now, we'll find out later. You stay patrolling here a while, I'll go see Gordon to see if he managed to fix some weaponry. If we get it working, we'd be the boss around here.

The second rat left as the first rat remained behind to stand guard.

Sly: Guards…always are so stupid to blab everything out loud…now let's get that key. To pickpocket him I just have to press the circle button a few times without being seen…

Sly snuck up on the rat and stole some coins and the key using the hook on his cane to dig into his pockets.

Sly: Now to get rid of that guy…I just have to press Triangle to knock him upwards, then the square button to smack him down, instant KO!

Sly then took out the guard, before he continued on. He saw the second rat he saw earlier.

Rat 2: I better get some shut-eye, I'm going back!

Sly knew he had to follow that rat guard…the map and drafts they talked about sounded familiar to Sly. He couldn't be sure, but if it was what he thought he was, he had to be sure. He followed the rat. After he got to the house he talked about, Sly snuck up to him and knocked him out.

Sly entered the little house. It was littered with some trash from the rats, but he could see some stuff native to the era, like scrolls with hieroglyphics. He looked around for anything in which the key could fit.

Sly: Can't find anything…well, I guess this key didn't belong here. Probably the rats dropped the key and were too stupid to recognize their own.

Sly walked around, but tripped over a vase.

Sly: Oops…what are you doing, Sly? You're a thief! You have to be…careful?

Sly saw a hidden switch under the vase. He pulled it and a wall opened up. He went inside the secret passageway behind. The wall closed behind him and the vase tipped back into place, hiding the lever. Sly went down the hallway, which had some obstacles he had to get over, but with his rail walk, spire jump, sneak and other moves, he got it easy. There were a few small insects that were troublesome, but he whacked their nests with his cane a few times and they were gone.

Sly came to the inner sanctum, and it appeared to be a workshop of sorts…no, a hideout. The hieroglyphics on the walls confirmed his suspicion.

Sly: This is the era of Slytunkhamen…My ancestor. But where is he? And who is it that took the map and the drafts? For all that I could know that were the Kaine Island map and the first draft of the Thievius Raccoonus. I can't contact Bentley from this era…I can steal something from those rats, but if they're stuck themselves, their communications have to be scrambled. I know it's normally Bentley's thing…but I got to think.

Sly looked around the lair he was in as he looked at the hieroglyphics.

Sly: Those look familiar…wait…they are the same from the Cooper Vault.

Sly grabs his binocucom, in which he had saved a few pictures he took of the inside of the Cooper vault.

Sly: They are the same. Hopefully these are still there in the new vault…

Sly grabbed a hammer and graver and added a few words to the hieroglyphics.

Sly: I hope they see the message.

(Paris, France, present time…)

Three figures watched from the shadows at a complex. The first was a vixen with orange fur, her muzzle and belly were a cream color, the tips of her ears black. She wore an earring in one of them. She had black hair (with a dark blue hue to it) that she had tied in a braid. She had a dark blue top, pants, brown boots, gloves and a jacket. On her hips was a holster with a red and yellow gun-like weapon. Meet Inspector Carmelita Fox.

Carmelita: I can't believe I help you two with this, it's okay if it was fixing the timeline, but this…

The next one to speak up was a turtle in a wheelchair. Though the wheelchair looked really high-tech. The turtle wore glassed, a bulletproof vest, a hat with a wide brim. This was Bentley, the brains.

Bentley: You want to get Sly back, don't you? If we just confiscate something from the evidence, your boss might get suspicious. Good thing you got assigned to investigate this. We need to get that Egyptian Scroll so we can see him again. Now, do we all remember the plan?

The place they were going to do…whatever they were going to do, used to belong to someone else, but now it was under new management. What hadn't changed is that rats patrolled the area. The new owner was no better than the previous one.

The third figure was the largest, a hippo with purple skin, who wore a red mask and fingerless gloves. He was a big fat, but at the same time he was muscular. He had a light blue shirt and a white scarf. His name was Murray and he was the brawn.

Murray: You bet I do know the plan…but to be sure, repeat again?

Bentley (smacks forehead): I cut the security, you go through the sewers, Carmelita distracts, we get the scroll!

Murray: Oh…why do I get the sewer job?

Bentley: I got it last time. And Carmelita wasn't happy when I offered her a sewer job…Now let's go, there's no time to waste!

First up was Bentley, who used the wheelchair's spring mechanism to get on top of a roof. He would disable the harder parts of the security. He crawled around the roof, until he saw a vent system.

Bentley: Those vents are shut down tight, but not tight enough for a sticky bomb. I just have to press the Triangle button to place one. But of course I'll have to stay clear when it blows.

Bentley gently rolled his wheelchair towards the vent and placed his sticky bomb on the grate, taking a few steps back and let it blow, so he could get inside. He went through it as he landed in the rafters of the building. He couldn't get to the ground because of the rats patrolling there. He rolled his wheelchair along as he came across a gap.

Bentley: I can hover above this gap using the Hoverpack in my wheelchair. I just have to tap the Jump button twice, and hold it the second time to glide. Simple enough.

Bentley did as he instructed himself and hovered over the gap. However, there was another gap, and on the other side was an obstacle that prevented him from jumping over.

Bentley: I have to toss a bomb over there to clear that obstacle. I just have to hold L1 to aim and then press Triangle to detonate!

Bentley aimed his bomb at the obstacle, his bomb stuck onto it and blew it up. He could then hover over the gap. Bentley saw another vent, blew the grid off and went through it. He rushed across the vents, before he then stared down from the vents to a room below. He saw how a rat locked a door and tucked the key in his pocket.

Bentley: Sly is not the only one who can pickpocket. The mechanical arms in my chair can steal cash and treasure…I just need to keep pressing the circle button to dig into the pockets.

Bentley dropped down from the vents and snuck up on the rat, robbing him of his coins and key. He then planted a sticky bomb in the pocket of the rat, blowing him to Kingdom Come. He then used the key to enter the door. He saw a computer in the room, but it was guarded by two rats.

Bentley: I have to take out those rats…but I can't risk them alert any others. I'll have to use my Sleep Ammo for this. I just have to hold the L2 Button to access the Ammo grid, and then use the Left Analogue stick to scroll among the ammo. (Bentley selects Sleep Ammo). Okay, now to press the R3 Button to bring out my Binocucom, that allows me to aim my sleep Darts. I have to fire using the L1 Button.

Bentley aimed his sleep darts, and puts both guards to sleep with it. He then plants sticky bombs on them, finishing it off. He then puts himself behind the computer.

Bentley: Oh hacking, how I've missed you.

Bentley commenced his hack, starting with his green Shell Code.

Bentley: Okay, to move I use the left analogue stick, to aim and fire my shots I use the right analogue stick. Let's use it on that firewall.

Bentley shot down the red dots that made up the firewall one by one, reducing it to nothing, before he moved on to the next stage. He sees a yellow data key lying around, and a slot protected by a firewall.

Bentley: My Shell Code can pick up that Data Key. I just have to clear that firewall and place the key in it.

Bentley got rid of the firewall, picks up the data key and then put it in the lock, allowing him to proceed. In the next segment, he saw a white laserbeam blocking his path.

Bentley: The Shell Code can't get past those lasers, but my Doppler Code can. That is if it copies an enemy code. I just have to switch codes, blast an enemy code and pick up its data to copy so I can pass it! I just have to hold L1 to copy.

Bentley switched out the codes for the white Triangular Doppler Code, but as he did that two red towers popped up and spawned red security codes. Bentley blasted them away, each dropping yellow cubes. Bentley picked up the cube and copied the enemy code. He moved to the next part, through the laser. However, his disguise wore off so he had to pick up another code.

His path to the exit was blocked by a red laser, which he couldn't pass through even with a Doppler Code. However, he saw a lock protected by a firewall, and a key protected by a white laser. More security codes swarmed in, Bentley blasting them away and copy their data to pass the white laser, blasting a white gem that powered the laser, shutting it down. He then moved to a green pad to change back to the Shell Code, get the key, blast the firewall and put the key in the lock. The way to the exit was free and the Hack was complete.

Bentley: Okay, Murray, I'm done, you're up now. The laser gate in the sewer should go down, right now.

In the sewers, a laser gate that prevented Murray from continuing disappeared. Murray could continue on.

Murray: Oh yeah, the Murray's ready for action…Ew, this place stinks, what do they feed the guards?

Murray continued on in the sewers, where he saw several guards standing ready for him. Murray was ready to crack some skulls.

Murray: You punks are no match for 'the Murray'. Especially when I use my awesome moves. Have you heard about my Lariat spin? I hold the triangle button and let go to perform a strong heavy attack. Or my Thunderflop, when I jump and use the Triangle button to crush you guys?

Murray made short work of the guards, leaving the rats in the dirt. Murray continued on and saw a few alarms. He also saw several barrels lying around.

Murray: No worries, I just pick up these barrels using the Circle button. I can toss them at those alarms using the Square Button. Piece of cake…mh, cake. With some whipped cream…

Murray started picking up barrels (from an infinite barrel dispenser) and toss them at the alarms, disabling them after tossing two barrels at them each. He moved forward where he then saw a guard pocketing a key.

Murray: The Murray's massive form isn't made for pickpocketing…instead I'll pick this chump up and keep shaking the loot out of him. Beware the Murray, puny mortal!

Murray moved over to the guard, took him by surprise and grabbed him. Murray shook the loot out of him until he got the key, before disposing of the guard and move forward. Using the key to unlock a door, the team was ready for their next phase.

Bentley: Carmelita, you're up! Murray's making a move towards the scroll, but he can't pass the laser-rigged floor. I have to disable it, but I can't do that without triggering an alarm, you'll have to cover me while I work my stuff.

Carmelita: It has been a while since I had good target practice. But first I need to get to the right spot…I need to get up that ledge, it'll require my Mega-Jump. I just need to hold R2, then press the X Button for a Mega Jump. (jumps to the ledge) Okay, now let's see…I hold L1 to go in First Person Mode and to aim at targets and press R1 to Fire…Bentley, whenever you're ready!

As Bentley started hacking away, the guards were alerted, making their way towards Bentley, only to get blasted instantly by Carmelita's shock gun. It didn't take long to stun all the guards. Bentley was done with the security as Murray grabbed the scrolls.

Murray: Got it!

It was then that the police sirens sounded in the air.

Carmelita: Oh! My boss can't see me with you…my career would be ruined!

Bentley: I got an idea…but you have to trust me on this one!

Carmelita: It sounds like I won't like this one bit…

The police stood outside, one of them using a Megaphone to call out.

Police officer: Come on out with your hands in the air. I'm talking to both the rat bunch and the Cooper Gang.

Bentley and Murray appeared, Carmelita tied up, Murray carried Carmelita over his shoulder.

Police Officer: Inspector Fox? They got her hostage! Do something.

Bentley and Murray, alongside Carmelita got in the van, Bentley placing the scrolls in the Time Machine.

Carmelita (untied): That was so humiliating. I hope that you won't ask me to play the damsel again in the future.

Bentley: No worries, it's a onetime thing (whispers) I hope. Now to get Sly back.

Bentley grabbed a communicator, and the holographic display of Dimitri's head appeared.

Bentley: Dimitri, we're off to the past again, just keep watching the Thievius Raccoonus and the hideout for us, okay?

Dimitri: No worries, Turtelus Dudus, Dimitri makes sure no crackerboxes get their hands on your precious bling! Just keep it smooth, Bentley!

Bentley: Ok, now that's out of the way, let's kick it!

Police cars tried to block their path, but the van revved up, the Time Drive activated they already went inside the time rift before the cops could get them.

Police Officer: Inspector Fox!

CINEMATIC CUTSCENE

BENTLEY POV

We did it, we got the ancient Egyptian scrolls and after months of searching, we finally would be able to save our friend Sly! Who is Sly you ask? Well, Sly is our friend. He comes from a long family line of Master Thieves. The Coopers have only stolen from criminals, because there is no honor in stealing from ordinary people. But unfortunately he lost his parents at a young age and his heirlooms were stolen from him.

He was dumped at the orphanage, where he met me and Murray…since then we've been a close bunch, not only a thieving gang, but a family. Sly was the Master Thief, I was the brains, and Murray the Brawn, the perfect trio. Together we pulled off some of the greatest heists. We bested the Fiendish Five and reclaim Sly's heirloom, took down the Klaww Gang and their mad scheme to reassemble a robotic terror and also took back the Cooper Vault from a mad scientist…

And then there was Carmelita, the police officer always trying to catch us, but never succeeding. Though on different sides of the law, it was clear Carmelita and Sly grew close…Sly even planned on retiring to spend his life with his true love…Until a recent event, caused by time travel, forced us back in business. And this time, we actually travelled through time and met Sly's ancestors. After final battle against the mastermind, Sly went missing…we waited for him, but he didn't show up…we didn't even know in what timeline to look for him.

However, my scanners detected a temporal anomaly in the Cooper Vault. Sly had carved a message of hieroglyphics in the past to send a message to the future. To us. Now we knew where he was, and we could finally track him down again. Once again we travel through time, but this time to pick up our friend…

SLY POV

It was a longshot, but leaving that message on those hieroglyphics did it. My friends managed to make their way through time, and with Bentley's smarts and Carmelita's detective skills we pretty soon found each other again. It was great to see my friends whom I call my brothers again, as well as my one true love…though because of our last adventure, things were a bit awkward at first…but then we wanted to forget for a while and enjoy (insert scene where Sly and Carmelita kiss).

However, things weren't done yet. The Time-Travelling blimp of our foe Le Paradox were in the hands of a mysterious thief, who had not only stolen a few key components but also the first draft of the Thievius Raccoonus and the map to the Cooper Vault. I'm not sure if this is part of history or not, but I haven't seen my ancestor at all during my visit in Ancient Egypt. I thought he would have done something against those trespassing rats…but I have a feeling something is horribly wrong.

Dimitri already warned us over Bentley's communicator that the Thievius Raccoonus is altering, the section about Ancient Egypt, the very first entry of the book, dissapeared. But the villains behind it is locked away, then who could it be? I don't know yet, but I'm afraid my trip to the past hasn't come to an end just yet. But I'm ready, and I have my friends and my lover by my side, and I don't intend to fail, if my family line is at stake.

SLY COOPER: LINE OF THIEVES

To be continued…