Chapter Text
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Through the soft falling snow, the city of Zootopia half shone, its skyline closed in and seeming far more subdued than usual.
Sliding fast along a stair railing, leaping clean over a road, foot tapping a car to give a little boost, the figure halted, perched atop a frosted metal bollard. Reaching to his side, pulling up a pair of modified binoculars to his eyes, his tail twitched a few times as he looked down on the buildings. Sight resting on the glow and the smoke smouldering around their base.
Sly frowned, putting away his binocucom and letting a huff out of his nostrils. The fog spun in front of him before drifting away. He'd bet a page of the Thievious Raccoonus that his return, at the paws of none other than Professor Rattigan, and what was going on in this city were more than likely linked.
Still, he had places to go.
People to see.
Racing on again, he suddenly ducked to the side, letting the shadows take him in their embrace as a police cruiser raced past, lights blaring. Emerging once more, he carried on. Fleet footed, racing on, jumps and leaps and swings. All bringing him towards the centre of the great city, rising up on a hill in front of him.
Turning a little, cane in his mouth, he jumped onto a tree and clambered up it, leaping down into a small fenced off compound. In a second, the lock to the hut in the centre was picked and in he stepped, warmth radiating out. Paws found a ladder and he slid down, down past the roar of running fans and machinery, down further. Until he finally stepped out onto the edge of a long tunnel, lit up but empty. He gave a cautious look, seeing the glint of the rails trail off in both directions. At first, no sound could be heard.
In all honesty, he shouldn't be surprised. After…
He froze, ears perking, and with a smile on his face he stepped back and waited. Waited as the distance clinking became a rattle and then a growing metal scream. Tucking himself back, muscles tensed, he waited until the train became sweeping past, clattering and scraping and roaring with the blast of wind it pulled with it.
An eye out to the side, a glance, he paused.
He ran, muscles burning as he charged forward, unhooked his cane, saw the end of the train pull past and…
He grit his teeth as his arm was nearly yanked out of his socket, upper body dragged forward before the parts above and below could catch up. For a second he was flying in the slipstream, before paws landed down on the rails and he found his balance.
What few bits of old cloth were still on him fluttered away. With a shake, some bits of sand blew off.
Egypt!
What could he say?
He smiled as he thought through it. When he got back to his pals. When he broke to them the news. When…
He paused, a worried thought coming over him. A dreadful thought. What…
A sudden shift in the train's speed pulled aside his line of thought, the raccoon tucking himself smaller and closer in as they slowed down, eventually coming to a halt. Shimmied against the side of the platform, hidden in close, there was zero chance anyone could spot him.
The announcement came for Mogul Street station, and a few seconds later a warning beep sounded and the doors were shut.
With that, they carried on, Sly keeping himself hidden down until they were back in the tunnel.
-Murray and Bentley would still be out there. That was in no doubt. But… He scratched his head, he didn't know the most of it himself. But despite his efforts, Le Paradox had still remembered the Coopers and what they'd done. So maybe…
A near trip up snapped him back to attention, the raccoon regaining his balance as on they pushed. Taiga Street next. Then Lionheart Avenue. -He was getting close. Another set of points came up, diving down to some new tunnel to the side, but they carried on. Carried on until the train slowed and pulled itself into an underground platform, kindly telling him that they were terminating here at Peak Street.
With a leap, he climbed out and up to the top of the vehicle, hunched down and cane on the roof as he kept himself clear of the overhead lines. He scuttled toward the front, only to then notice that nobody was getting off the vehicle.
And with that he slipped down, jogging along to the end of the platform and vaulting clean over the small mammal gate line.
Nobody raised a protest, nobody seemed to care.
On he went, past signs for the Zootopia Loop, the Nocturnal District high-speed lifts, the closed off hoarding for the stairs down to the new Cross-City line platforms.
Instead, he turned as soon as he saw the nearest set of stairs and ran up them, breaking into the midnight sky.
Streets empty. Waste paper and bits of debris danced in the breeze. Shutters on doors were closed off.
Binocucom to his eyes, he thought he saw someone… But no, the streets were empty. In one corner the beginnings of a barricade seemed to have been forming, but were now abandoned.
Just beyond it was the blue marker of the safehouse…
Before the binocucom died.
And so he raced on. Jumping up and sliding on the metal street railings as he traversed down from the top of the city, letting gravity take him that last little bit until…
Jumping off to the side, he hooked himself onto a fire escape and pulled himself up, racing up and then leaping onto the rooftop. And then it was easy, roof to roof, edge along the odd edge, leap a few streets…
And finally, climbing up a chimney, he saw what he was certain was the place. A look through his dead binococum, a few futile slaps and twists…
Nothing.
Instead, stepping back, he ran and leapt forwards, arms out wide, cane in one paw. He hooked on to the parapet wall, pulled down and legs absorbing the shock as he bounced to a stop on the brick cliff, the ground a dozen or so floors down below.
A pull up and over, feet skipping the gutter and instead perching on the tile roof. On either side of him were a row of windows, so he made his way to the one with some balcony-like railings added. A small clothesline was present, below the cover of the outer parapet, and taking a run up the tiles Sly dodged it and landed in front of the door.
The inside was black.
The door locked.
Something quickly rectified as in he moved, invisible in the darkness. Keeping to the cover. The lights from the windows illuminated a loft apartment. The figures of gym equipment, some kind of cage with server equipment or something inside, a drum set…
Silently, nose sniffing. Fox. Raccoon. He smirked. A fine combination.
He stepped out into the open, not even surprised when the lights flashed on. "Wow. It's me but younger and not as good looking."
The raccoon kid staring back, an unusual tan colouration, shrugged. "Looks aren't everything."
"Sure," Sly said, smirking. "And uh, you can tell your fox friend who's aiming a gun or something at me that he doesn't need to."
A slight shifting and he looked up to the rafters, a silverfox about the same age as the raccoon stepping up from a raised storage platform, letting the dart gun by his side drop down just a little. "Don't want to either," he said. "But this city's been through some real cussed up cuss lately, you follow what I'm bringing out?"
"I read ya. But more to the point, I'd block that thing in an instant." He waved his cane a bit.
"What's the online name of your turtle friend?" the raccoon asked, taking Sly by surprise.
"Uh, Panzrcrackr…"
The silverfox stashed away his dart gun and jumped down, making his way over to the server cage… Which was now revealed to be a major computer set up in the middle of a faraday cage. "I'll give them the update."
Sly nodded before pausing. "Wait, they're here?"
"In the city," the brown raccoon said.
"I…" Sly let a grin grow over his face before walking up to him. "That is good news, uh…"
"Max Thrash Wolford."
"Sly Cooper." He offered a paw, and a second later it was met.
"Uh-hu, you need a shower."
"I… -yes I do," Sly agreed, pausing to look down at himself. His fur was… VERY… unkempt. Not just from a lack of brushing, but from a lack of clipping too. Rather than the slick almost chilly covering that he usually kept it trimmed down to, it was a thick, shaggy, fluffy old mess that he could clean on sink a paw into. "You are very straight to the point."
"It's one of my best characteristics, even if lots of people don't see that for some reason."
Sly smirked. "You'd get on with Bentley."
"He doesn't like wasting people's time too?"
The older raccoon gave a chuckle, pulling it in as he saw the slight confusion on Max's face. "He likes his efficiency, apart from in giving scientific definitions. He likes to be very gratuitous there."
"Don't we all."
Sly nodded, pausing as he saw the slightly disappointed look on the raccoon kit's face. He then gave a chuckle, Max smiling a little back. "Anyway, yeah, I need a preening session. Uh, can I borrow your shower… brushes… cleaning supplies. Clippers if you got them."
"I'm not the one to ask."
He gestured over to the cage, the silverfox kit now walking out. Smiling, flashing a white and gold grin, he looked to Sly and nodded. "Knock yourself out."
"Thanks. Though I'll be in there a long while, so if you need to bathroom…" They both shook their head, the silverfox guiding Sly on. "So, this your place?"
"Yeah. Max was over for a jam session when everything turned to heck. His adoptive wolf mother was stuck trying to fix the ZNN emergency broadcast system, my one was fire-controlling some of the packmates who believed what Rattigan said about the ZPD and stuff being kit-rutters… And is probably still fire controlling at the moment."
Sly nodded, pausing as he neared the shower room. "Yeah, sound like impressive gals."
"They are," he said, a firm conviction in his voice.
"Right…" He trailed off, pausing just before closing the door. "Sorry, can you just charge this?" He handed him the binocucom, the silverfox pausing to look at it.
"Micro-USB B?"
"Yeah, I think. Anything wrong with that?"
"Don't have any chargers for it."
"Ah."
The silverfox smiled. "I mean I like the old school-ness, kind of. But if you want it charged I'll have to solder in a USB-C socket first. I'll even throw in a free charger."
"Yeah, can't say no to that."
"I can also give those clothes a very quick spin and dry."
"I…" Sly smirked. "Thanks. Genuinely." He offered a paw, which was taken. "Sly."
"Conor."
The raccoon froze, the silverfox clocking on to the awkwardness for a second or two.
"-Nice name," Sly said.
"Thanks. I chose it."
"Then you have great taste, picking one of the all time greats there." He waved a two finger salute and walked in, closing the door behind him. The shower beckoned but first, paw clenched, he shook it and nodded, barely holding in the emotion. "And I did it. I did it for us. I did it for you." He crossed his fingers, closed his eyes, said a silent few words before pulling off his clothes and pushing them out the door. Forward, he caught himself in a mirror. Fur a little bleached from years in the burning sun, grown far longer than he ever kept it himself. He frowned, he really looked like some big old plush rather than a sneak thief, didn't he? And that was before the tan dusting all over him, filth and sand and dirt embedded deep within the furs. His claws were unpolished and somewhat cracked, his tail frizzy, his teeth… -He wouldn't go so far as ask to borrow a spare toothbrush and toothpaste, but just as he was now looking forward to a shower as if it were grace from heaven, he yearned to give his teeth a vigorous, even gum bleeding, clean.
Still, that could wait. There were plenty more things he wanted and needed far more. Grabbing some fur clippers and walking forward, he started in haste, shivering as the power shower drummed down on him hard and warm. He needed to get presentable, and given how much catching up he had to do, it was going to be now or never.
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"So, how does it feel to be on the other side of the law?"
Nick smiled as he saw the awkward expression grow on the beaver's face. The rodent glanced down at the sleeping mass of polar bear whose arms he'd just been cable tying up, then at the fox cop who'd instructed him on it.
Other volunteer mammals from the cells shared the look, up until one of them, a female dik-dik, gave a snort of disgust. "Cuss it, I see what these pieces of scat were doing down there. They asked for it."
A few nods of agreement grew around the other mammals, even if some looked less impressed. "Still feels dirty," a marmot grumbled.
"Well," Nick said, looking at the mammals in their orange jail uniforms. "You've earned yourself a reprieve from your crimes. Just follow me, sit back in your cells for a little bit while we do the paperwork, and you can go free. As opposed to going free now, in which case we'll have to follow you, then you have to sit back in your cells for a long while. Which I don't think any of us want, do we?" He let his gaze linger on a sandcat standing by the edge of the roof.
He let out a hiss. "What?"
"Just saying," Nick said, pausing as he walked on towards a roof access hatch. Looking at the lock for a second he scratched his head. "Just saying."
"Hey fox, I got this." He turned to see a black furred rabbit buck, by the looks of it not even out of his teens, walk up.
"Need a lift up to the lock?"
"Cuss that, trust me," he smiled, "I got this." And then he ran back, grabbing the end of a massive sniper rifle, the barrel thicker than his own arm.
"Woah, put that down."
"-What?" he snorted. "I just risked my life. I don't get to fire the mega gun!"
"...I think it'd kill you."
The rabbit scoffed, only to yell out as the beaver pulled him away, kicking, screaming and cursing.
"I mean, it'll get the lock off," Nick said, walking over and looking down at it. "But part of me thinks it'd kill me." He gave it a look before noticing the stand on the muzzle. A flick down to raise it up, he gestured for some of the volunteers to bring him bags that the bears had left to prop up the stock, making sure to balance and aim the thing so it was pointed dead set on the lock.
Paw on the bolt, he gave it a hard yank back, almost pulling a muscle as it clicked back, a massive bullet rising up. Feet claws digging into the roof, he shoved it into the chamber, taking a second or so to re-adjust the aim before lying down to the guns side, out of the way of any recoil.
Paw around the trigger, he pulled, pulling his paw back as it flashed with pain, the gun snapping backwards with a deep, ringing bang and then bouncing up into the air. His wrist, caught in the middle of that, felt…
Fine.
Nothing broken, just…
"-See, said it would work!"
Glancing over to the door, Nick nodded. The lock was gone, smashed through by the bullet, as had the thin wall of brick at the other end of the access hatch. "Okay, stay up here, I'll get in contact with the forces below. Remember, with all this competition, you don't want to win the 'Stupid of the Year' award by throwing away the freedom you've just won. So, stay put, got it?"
They gave a grumble of agreement, Nick turning, only to pause.
"Also, no souvenirs." He set a firm gaze at the dik-dik, the small antelope huffing as she reached inside her jumpsuit and pulled out a bundle of cash.
And with that, Nick left them, wandering down the winding steps until he reached the backside of a door. Jumping up, he caught the latch and let it swing open, dropping down onto one of the catwalks high above the station hall.
Trains lay there, empty and waiting, the vast area oddly silent and calm. Jogging forward, the fox reached another set of steps and turned down them until he reached what must have been a staff break area. Some dingy looking toilets, locker rooms, a small kitchen area, the chairs knocked over and the odd meal left out, uneaten. Another door, this time with a push bar, and Nick opened it up, wedging in one of the chairs to keep it open.
And with that, he walked out onto the side of the station, pausing and wincing as he saw the sight. He'd seen the barricades before, moving into the plaza in the van. But that had been when the protests were mostly peaceful.
Now he was seeing it after everything had gone to hell.
Sure, with the mammals on the roofs gone the protestors had been able to flee, a tidal wave of bodies pushing past the vehicles and refuse, smashing it apart. But before that, those up above had done their best to make crossing it a lethal endeavour.
The fox grimaced as the rank scent of blood, fear and nighthowlers rose up around him, the ground littered by the odd dead body, or at least part of one. He tried not to look at the hulking mass of a bear lying limply in the ground, brown fur torn up by claw marks but face thankfully out of view. Only for his eyes to then glance the flattened remains of a smaller mammal right in front of him, pancaked down into something unrecognisable. Grimacing, a disgusted roil in his stomach, he moved on, trying his hardest to spare as little time as he could to each new one in his path. -Sometimes he recognised their species, sometimes not. Sometimes there was just a flat beaver tail or a long rabbit ear sticking from them to give the hint.
Moving to the front of the station, the fox winced as it got worse. Mammals had tried to flee through it, smash through the emergency shutters as if hoping that trains on the other side were running, or just thinking that making a break along the tracks would get them to safety. Dents and scratches, impact holes and torn bits of metal were mosaiced across the gates. Maybe one or two small mammals had made it to safety that way, before the bears up top had chosen to cut it off, releasing their howlers and guns.
The products of their work spilled across the ground in front of him, thankfully draining back into the gutters, carried away.
A squawk pulled him down to his radio, the fox pulling it up to his ears and speaking in. "Nick…" Judy spoke, her voice hollow and empty. "We're by the entrance to city hall, getting the mammals out."
"Meet you there. It's… It's bad."
"It's worse."
With that he walked across the empty plaza, litter and rubble scattered about, placard signs abandoned and barrels tipped over, their burning contents smoldering on the burnt grass. He eventually met the rest of the police line, heavily armoured elephants with riot shields forming a line to direct those exiting city hall around and to the back. Orders barked, other officers standing back with weapons aimed.
Nick gave a sniff, thinking he could smell Judy amidst all the stenches and heading off in that direction. A shout came from his side, then a second, a third, a flash of electricity sparked out as one of the correctional officers, a panda bear, thrust forward with an electric shock prod to push back a wolf who'd turned against the cops on the line.
"We'll get you!" he yelled. "I know what you did! We don't believe the media lies! We know the truth! Down with Bogo! Down with the ZPD!"
On he continued, voice just getting lost in the noise as Nick turned, seeing Judy standing there in front of him.
They looked at each other for a second, then another, and then fell into each other, holding themselves tight as they fell to their knees, heads burrowing into each other's shoulders. Judy shook, whimpered, tears falling down, joining with the odd silent one from Nick.
The mammals kept on moving out of city hall.
"It's got to be over," Judy whimpered.
Nick just nodded into her.
"They can't have anything more… They…"
"I don't…" Nick sighed. "Ash and his family got away, I know that. I think we've won, I think…"
"What about Rattigan," Judy sniffed, and Nick grit his teeth as he felt her claws dig in. "We're letting all of them get away, we can't let him get away. We can't! We…"
He hugged her tighter, starting to bounce her up and down, giving the odd quiet shusshhhh to calm her, like a terrified kit still fraught and scared after a nightmare.
"He has to be stopped… He has to pay, he can't go free… He… He… He can't, he…"
"I know," Nick whispered. "I know." He felt his body shaking slightly. He wished he was that kit, in his mother's of father's arms. He wished it was the kind of nightmare you could wake up from.
"-Please…"
Judy's ears rose up, pivoting as a bunch of shouts from the officers yelled out.
"-Please, he needs a doctor, he…"
More shouts, screams, pleading, and she slowly let go of Nick and looked over, a bunch of shaking in the police line up ahead. A few seconds later and it opened, two of the smaller cops forcefully dragging out an antelope of some kind by his collar, throwing him the floor and screaming at him to put him down, put his hooves on his head. Blinking, Judy saw that he'd been carrying another antelope or something similar, clutching on hard.
Stepping out and racing forward, she had a dreadful feeling in the pit of her stomach that it was her old neighbours, Bucky and Pronk.
One thankful washed away as she got closer and realised it wasn't them.
Not that it changed much. The cops practically threw him to the floor, one of them putting a foot on the small of his back and ordering the other to cuff him, even as he begged out for them to help his comrade. They just shouted at him to comply, make himself safe, then they'd look at him.
Judy raced forward, touching the mammal's head and starting to move it into a recovery position, checking his vitals, seeing what…
She froze, finger on the antelope's neck before sighing, leaning up and brushing a paw down his unfocussed blue tinged eyes. Eyelids closing shut, she turned to the cops, still restraining the other antelope, who looked on at her weakly and sadly.
She shook her head and he bowed his, just as one of the other cops finally turned. He looked at her for a second. "Dead?"
She nodded.
He sighed, looking down at the mammal beneath him and then at the police line. The flow of mammals on the other side was finally trailing off, and he pulled the antelope up, uncuffed him, and practically forced him through the lines.
As he left, Judy couldn't help but notice the red tinge on his foot-hooves. One shared by the corpse next to her.
She looked up to Nick, who looked down, grimacing. "I… I know lots poured in, before and after the real bad stuff started. I guess they thought it was a safe haven…"
"They just kept coming in," Judy sniffed, as the police line finally broke, its job done.
Slowly, silently, they walked towards the entrance of city hall, dreading what they'd see and then witnessing it in the fur and flesh. Looking up, city hall looked fine, all the higher up levels in good condition, almost no evidence of anything going on. Chances were some bats and some climbing mammals had made their way up, but apart from that…
Looking forward though, and fixing their eyes at the far end of the hall, they saw the strong security barriers leading into the restricted areas. Cracked, warped, but they had held firm. Held firm no matter how high the pressure behind had got, no matter how many more mammals had poured in and tried to smash them down to save the innocents supposedly imprisoned behind them… And then to try and save themselves as the pressure had just grown and grown.
That was where the largest piles were, but other bodies were scattered around aimlessly. And then there were the remains of smaller mammals, who hadn't found shelter or been able to climb up or had gotten lucky.
The room was silent.
"-I think that one moved…"
They turned to see Delgato racing forwards towards the limp figure of a vicuña, lifting him up for a second before turning, breathing out into his mouth to raise his chest and then pushing down. Other officers began walking about.
"Cover their heads with their shirts if they're gone," someone said, and so they did.
Boar.
Sheep.
Wolf.
Tapir.
Deer.
Lynx.
On and on, those who hadn't made it. A few other cheers came up when one had, Nick and Judy just carrying on.
They reached a pig, moving to pull up his shirt over his blue face, and then moved on.
"-How's it going?"
Nick and Judy just looked up silently at Bogo, who had walked over to meet them.
The pair just gave him a silent look in return.
"Understood," he said, voice quiet, sad, but something rumbling dark and angry beneath it all. He looked around. "The volunteers?"
"Told them to stay back on the roof," Nick said.
"Mine are in a break room," Judy added.
Bogo nodded. "We're going to have to move these. Think they're up for it?"
Judy shook her head, Nick nodding. "For nothing, nah. Maybe if you give them the chance to take whatever cash those bears had on them…"
Bogo grumbled for a second before shaking his head. "I suppose if we must. Go get them."
"Where will we put them?" Judy asked.
Bogo looked around for a second before Nick spoke. "Open up the station," he waved off. "If it takes too long, we can train them over to Tundratown."
Bogo nodded, waving them off. "You've been through more than anyone deserves today, we all have. In an ideal world, we could write ourselves off and be done with it… -I'm not even going to say we signed up for it." He let himself linger there for a second. "But it must be done. I'm sorry. Keep it up."
They nodded, slowly moving on. A slight rumble and Judy checked her phone, bringing it out. "Better text my parents, try and…"
She paused, frozen in place, starting to shake.
"Judy?"
She turned to him, running a paw through the top of her fur. "-O-O-one of my relatives, a cousin, was here…"
Nick's ears pulled back.
"Devan. Tan fur, brown spots…" She began looking around, trying to see any of the corpses to see if they were bunny sized, the right colour.
"Chances are he got out," Nick began, only for her to snap to him, nose twitching in terror.
"What if he didn't, what if…" She turned and froze, beginning to whimper at the red smudges in front of her. "What if…"
He leant down and put a paw around her. "Come on, there's nothing we…"
She snapped to him, face riven up with rage, only for it to all collapse down as she began whimpering.
"Come on," was all he could say. "Come on, let's…"
She jerked off to the side, racing over towards two bodies, shirts pulled up over their faces. Nick walked up to it and her silently, even as he knew it wasn't what Judy was looking for. Even before getting close, he recognised the paws of the neighbouring corpse as those of a feline, a lynx or a bobcat. And with the size difference, or rather similarity, the one Judy was looking at wasn't her cousin.
Wasn't the same species.
Or even the same gender.
"Sorry," she whispered, as Nick reached her and looked over the two figures.
"Don't be," was all he could say, paw around her and leading her back. "Come on, let's do our job." He turned, giving them one last glance, before…
…
"Nick?"
He slowly turned, ears pulling back as he leant down, pulling the shirt off the face of the bobcat, and the fox next to him, seeing her face for the first time.
Judy looked at her for a second, blinking, nose twitching. "Oh god. That's…"
Nick nodded. "Come on," he said, pulling the shirts back over and turning away, holding his face tight. "Oh god. I'll… I'll call Skye on the way over."
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The whirr of the fur drier died down and, a few seconds later, Sly stepped out into the bathroom. A knock on the door a few minutes ago, and Conor had dropped off his clothes. After a deep and thorough brush through what long fur he still had, the raccoon looked over them.
The difference was stunning, well muted and tanned blues and blacks now replenished in their vividity. Sure, there were plenty of small holes, nips, and bare threads. Two and a bit years certainly did do their work on them, and what repairs he could do were limited. The thick white linen threads weren't the best thing to patch up skin-tight lycra, but beggars couldn't exactly be choosers.
Pulling on his trousers, the tight inner surface gliding over his closely shorn leg fur, he gave the fake fur on the outside a ruffle before continuing on with the skin-tight blue stockings and reinforced boots. They hugged him tight, radiating the warmth back in. Then came his blue long-sleeved polo shirt, pulled on and…
He let out a warm huff, stroking the blissfully soft and delicately warm surface, his toes twitching a little and a purr rolling out his throat. In an instant he'd pulled up the soft clothing and wrapped it around his nose, the delicate organ enveloped in soft embrace and the glorious scent of fresh laundry gliding up his muzzle.
Relaxing, feeling his tail wag a little, Sly focussed himself and pushed on. Tight protective gloves were pulled up, his leg strapped carrier bag and decorative utility belt attached. Glancing in the mirror and… He froze, striking a pose and flashing a smile at the excellently groomed creature looking back at him.
A yellow neckerchief followed, tied around his collar.
His hat, something not really washable, went on his head. Still stained, it only managed to double down how cleaned up the rest of his ensemble was.
How cleaned up the rest of him was.
One last thing, one last item. In all honesty, he wouldn't have been surprised had it been forgotten and lost, but no. There it was.
A long black domino mask. He held it up over his own natural one and, with deft fingers, tied it in place, tightening the knot.
And with that he breathed in, he smiled. He was back. And with that, he opened up the door, pausing as his eyes lingered on a new figure, sitting down near the centre of the loft.
The she wolf, in her own domino mask, and her own skin-tight combat suit, gave him a one over with her eyes. "I see you're not naked around my child," she said, before offering a smile. "I don't think we're going to have any problems."
"No, not that I can see any." He looked up and down at her. Crimson and black bodysuit, well toned body, what looked like flame deployers on her palms. "So, a contact of my friends?"
"No, I came in to check in and collect my son, breaking up any lingering rioting on the path and, on getting here, heard about their visitor."
Sly nodded. "Okay, question? Do you have anything very urgent to attend to?"
"How about returning home, getting out of this suit, and visiting my husband, in hospital, where the mammals who started all this rioting put him."
"I… Yeah, very urgent," Sly said. "-What about following me to the people who caused the riot, busting them up, stealing their stuff and rescuing some civilians."
She paused. "We're going to need backup." And with that she turned, looking over to Max, the brown raccoon having just emerged with a pack of clothes. "Suit up."
He nodded, racing back into the loft.
The wolf looked at him go, turning back to the adult raccoon. "I am the Dark Flame Wolf. Officially, I do not exist." She offered a paw.
Sly took it. "Sly Cooper. Re…"
She broke off, stepping back and smiling. "I've heard a lot about you. Glad to finally meet the mammal in the fur, and the fake fur." She smiled, looking down at his fake not-wearing-leggings leggings.
Sly chuckled. "Every little helps."
"Given how I was chastising myself for the second of distraction I had over it, I can certainly agree."
They were broken off as the door opened, Max running out in… "-Is that a superhero costume?"
"Call me SuperMax!" the raccoon said. He was dressed up in a crimson and maroon bodysuit, similar to his mother, complete with a similarly shaded domino mask.
Sly chuckled, turning back to the Dark Flame Wolf. "I'm impressed. And a little jealous, he'd make a fine adopted heir. Though it seems he already is one."
"Glad to see you agree," the wolf said, pulling out a grappling hook and moving over to an open window. Max grabbed on, Sly following, only to pause.
"Hey, uh, Conor?"
The silverfox looked up from where he was, bringing out a binocucom. "Couldn't give it much of a charge, but if you take this," he handed over a small battery pack, Sly plugging it in.
"Thanks. You coming too, or…"
The fox shook his head, chuckling. "My, uh, family may have caused a bit of unintentional damage already this night, and even if the roads weren't blocked all up, I'm too far away to get there in time. Legally, at least. Besides," he gestured back to his computer. "There's a lot of stuff going on on the tech side." He smiled. "Help where you can."
"Right, right…" Sly agreed, only for Conor to pause.
"Don't take me being too sensible here for not having the guts to act." He paused, holding onto a torch and pressing a button, extending it out into a short, thick club. He tapped it against his shin, giving Sly a look.
The raccoon smirked, holding his own cane out, and eyebrow raised. "When all this is over, if you want to test your mettle…"
"Sounds like a fun way to get thrown to the floor. Count me in."
Sly nodded, tipping his cap, only to pause. "Oh, and to make sure I do come back." He reached into his ankle-pocket and pulled out a length of chain, a cracked coppery pendant on the end. "I may have snatched this from Bratty Ratty on the way out, and if it's what I think it is, I think I…" He froze, blinking, looking at it.
"-You think?"
"-Nothing," Sly said, "Nothing. I'll ask Bentley. But for now, I want to keep this away from Rattigan's grubby paws." He tossed it over, Conor catching and pocketing it. "Keep it safe, I'll be back to collect."
They nodded, parting, Sly racing up to the window. Dark Flame Wolf was there, Max holding on. "Hold tight," she said, Sly hooking his cane in and holding on as she fired her grappling hook.
It flew across the void, pulled tight, a short beep rang and then they shot out into the sky, Sly holding on as tight as he could. The wall of the next building came up to meet them, Dark Flame Wolf landing up to it and jumping up onto the roof, Sly leaping off and landing next to her.
"You don't want the lift?"
"In lieu of my glider, might ask for it," he said, scanning forward with his binocucom. Strewn cables, elevated points, ledges, pipes, rooflines, fire escapes… "But I think I can lead the way."
And with that he raced off, running straight along the ridgeline of the roof, vaulting clean over the next road and landing in a combat roll before springing off, leaping up and balancing on a TV aerial. A second to survey the scene ahead and he turned, wheeling down a fire escape before leaping off, balancing on the tip of a lamppost, leaping over to the top of a traffic light, then another, then jumping up and grabbing on to a drain pipe, cane in mouth as he climbed up and swung himself onto the next roof.
Ahead, a long road presented itself, trailing on over to the start of Tundratown, Rattigan's place beyond.
A clink sounded out next to him, a grappling hook grabbing tight. A few seconds later, Dark Flame Wolf pulled herself up next to him, Max jumping down to the side. "Impressive," she said.
"I may be interested in lessons," her sidekick added.
Sly chuckled, turning forward, only for a beep to send his ears springing up. He pulled out his Binocucom, holding it tight to his eyes hoping to see…
Conor's face appeared down in the corner, the raccoon frowning a little.
"Yeah, I got your number," the fox said. "Anyway, seems a few of my family are in the area and on the other side of the barricades. Get past them and they can get you to your rat way faster."
"Good to know."
"-Oh, and if you want any more allies, you're not far away from some other mammals in the game."
And with that he was gone, Sly looking over to where some new markers had sprung up. He stashed the Binocucom down and then raced forward in a slightly different direction. Leaping, rolling, jumping across the roofs before going down, running fast across street level. Getting closer, he could smell smoke in the air and took a running leap, hooking his cane on a fire escape ladder and pulling it down. He climbed up, soon joined by Dark Flame Wolf and SuperMax, reaching the roof and crossing to the other side.
Just as a gunshot rang out.
They looked down to see a polar bear, poking out the front of a broken open jewellery store, aiming his gun around only to shy back with a yell. An instant later an arrow rammed itself into the cases where he'd just been. Sly, binocucom up, studied it for a second. "Tranq arrow?"
"What can I say?" Dark Flame Wolf said, "Our allies have style."
Sly nodded, looking closer at the building. Bottom floor, under a bunch of housing units, so no easy drop in. By the look of other buildings around, there wasn't a back entrance either. "He's got us on a direct frontal assault. I could trick one bullet out of him, but even if he's made to reload there might be others behind." He scratched his chin for a second before studying the buildings above. Clean, smart, boring, no paw-holds. He thought for a second before smiling, bringing up the Bincocum again. A few flicks through the controls, including an attempt to register his old channel with Bentley. No such luck… Instead he moved down to 'Eifeelsogud' and clicked it, Conor coming up again. He smiled. "Yeah, shoot."
"Can you get in contact with the other guys you mentioned? I think it's time for some teamwork to make the dreamwork."
.
.
Pavil hissed. What even was this? He just wanted to bust into a dumb store, get a little for himself. Why not enjoy the Happy Times?
-And now he was being shot with a bow and arrow!
Of course, he'd asked for reinforcements, help from loyal brothers! But, no, too busy! In the end he went grovelling to his own nephew, who said he'd 'get the gang together'. But knowing his luck, pah…
A rattle from the back and he heard another grunt from the owners of the place, turning down and checking his own gun before walking forward, improvised metal shield strapped to his arm. He may only have nine bullets left, but how many arrows did they have?
He crept to the side, keeping his eyes fixed up where they were firing from. Slowly, slowly, slow… A rattle caught his attention, and he turned to see the grubby paws of a raccoon reaching up and swiping a few of the displayed trinkets. An arrow swooped down and hit him, a yell coming out and the arm spasming up and sliding down and out.
A second passed, and he had an idea. Shield up, he reached down and picked up the raccoon, pulling him in as another arrow slammed into the shield. New body shield acquired, the bear dumped him down, looking for some straps or something to…
He flinched, teeth grit in pain as he looked down to see the arrow suddenly embedded in his ankle, the raccoon rolling away at a brisk pace. "WHY YOU!" He turned, shooting where the bastard of a yenot had been, flakes of marble blasted up. Stumbling forward, already feeling dizzy, he turned, trying to see him in the shadows, amidst the display cases. Where was he, where… He felt his legs trip over each other, the world going sideways as he collapsed down towards a display case, arm out to brace him. He remained upright, just, stumbling along to the next balance point, just about managing too… His head spinning, he fell down, not sure if the raccoon melting out of the shadows was his imagination or…
.
.
Patting him on his head, Sly moved forwards, pausing as he saw what he was certain was a conflict diamond. Then again, geopolitics could change in his absence, so maybe… "Ah, what the hell," he smiled, pocketing it and then walking over to the door, knocking free the barricade and watching as two mouflon sheep emerged out, breathing a sigh of relief… Until they saw the raccoon in a stereotypical thieves get-up in front of them. Sly shrugged. "Undercover operative. You have to look the part."
He turned, only to freeze as a heavy pickup truck arrived, a bunch of arctic mammals onboard already jumping off. Led by a polar bear, the mix of predator and prey pulled out heavy wrenches, hammers, knives, running forwards ready to…
They froze as a figure leapt down in front of them, curls of flaming orange and blue twisting up from her landing site, parted as her paws came up and readied themselves in a fighting position. She didn't speak, didn't threaten, just pulled up a finger and wagged it. They had already raced back to their car, screaming, panicking, freaking the heck out and then roaring forwards as fast as they could, vanishing off into the distance.
Sly nodded his head approvingly, turning back as he heard the sheep behind him mumbling prayers under their breath, trembling where they stood. Sly just ran out, vaulted himself over the broken windowsill and grabbed his cane where it lay. "I see your reputation precedes you."
She gave a smile, pausing as she started to see the sheep regain some composure. Before any of them might think to pull out a phone, she fired her grappling hook upwards, felt it lock on, and pulled herself up, Sly catching a ride.
On the roof, they were met with a waiting Max, and three other figures. "Thanks for the not-shooting me there," the raccoon smirked, shaking the paw of the male fox. "...And yes, it is me. I'm back. Sly Cooper."
"Robin," the red fox said.
"Little John," the massive bear by his side said. "And don't take it personally. We didn't want to deal with her wrath, so…" He shrugged, a chuckle coming from Dark Flame Wolf.
"And thanks for taking out any nearby security cameras."
"Marian," the third member of the new gang introduced. "And should I take out that go-pro as well?"
Dark Flame Wolf turned to Max, Sly only then noticing the small camera he'd fixed to himself.
"Nah," the she-wolf smiled. "I think someone would really enjoy a private, personal, unrecordable, video of my latest exploits."
A bunch of chuckles grew around the group, Sly waiting for it to be over. As it turned out…
Their ears perked as the rolling sound of bike engines echoed through the streets, the group turning down to the next one over to see around ten biker wolves ready and waiting. Their leader, a snow white she-wolf, blew a two-finger whistle and gestured them down. The group started making their move, only for a voice to speak out. "-Uh, guys?"
They froze, turning to see where Max was pointing. A group of random civilians had advanced to just where they'd been, packs of computer or sports equipment on their back, their eyes already moving over to the jewellery shop. "We've got to…"
He was broken off by Robin's arm on his shoulder. "Don't worry, those are impoverished citizens, and all the shops are insured." He flashed a smile and a wink.
…
"-Also, we really want to get Rattigan, so go, go, go…"
They turned down, even as Max began to protest. "But they're stealing, they're…"
"But not for some megalomaniac this time," Little John said. "Who knows, they could be searching for food and milk for their kits. You never report someone for stealing kit milk, understand kit?"
Max frowned. "Those electricals and jewellery don't look like kits milk."
"They might be pawning them for money that could be going to buying their kits milk. That's the same thing just with extra steps, and if you see someone stealing kit's milk… -You didn't."
"I do see them." the raccoon said, crossing his paws. "-Not stealing kit's milk."
"Then consider it a protest over the terrible political environment," Robin added.
"Quite valid if you ask me," Marian chimed, as they made their way down the firescape.
"...Okay," Max said. "Then why aren't they breaking into the political offices…"
"I mean," Robin shrugged. "We'd all love that…"
"-We all just battled to stop it. All non-raccoons among us are literally the most important figures in stopping it."
Robin huffed, pausing and glancing at a laughing Sly. "By the way, the world has officially dubbed us three the new Cooper gang. Didn't ask for it, but you guys deal with it."
The grey raccoon froze, before shrugging. "Nice to meet the official tribute band."
"We're not… -If you could put out that we're the Merry Mammals, that'd make everyone happy," Robin said, turning back to Max. "And what we just stopped was an insurrection by a wannabe dictator."
"But you tacitly approve if not endorse random looting and the screwing over of innocent lives."
"Yes, but…"
"So if you're really for political change and helping the poor, wouldn't you want only stuff against the political institutions? Ergo not turning ordinary mammals into collateral damage?"
"I think you're ignoring a very important point here," Marian said, as they began jumping down onto the ground and getting over to the bikes. "It's valid and noble when mammals like us who are fighting tyranny and injustice do it, as we want to help the world and make it a better place. Those mammals though are misguided at best and psychopaths who want to hurt other people about on average. Which means no action of theirs is valid, and it needs to be opposed. Hence us taking down that polar bear."
"Oh, okay," Max said, as the group began getting on the bikes, Sly moving over to the white wolfess at the front to give her directions. "-You're hypocrites."
A trio of groans rang out, Little John facepawing. "He's seriously both-siding this."
"Right," Robin groaned, pulling his paws down his muzzle. "Let me…" They were cut off as a gunshot rang out. "-Uh, Sly?"
"Yes?"
"You did take the polar bear's gun, right?"
"No," he shrugged, "why would I…"
A second shot rang out.
"Let's just hope those Mouflon's are using it as a warning shot," Marian said.
"Or shooting those looters if they do try anything," Max agreed. "They asked for it. I'd say those shop owners are heroes. Even more if they help the other shop owners."
The three Merry Mammals turned at him, Marian shaking her head. "A few insured goods are not worth killing over!"
Little John turned to Dark Flame Wolf. "Okay, seriously… Teens are little cusses, but you need to be checking what websites he's on."
Robin nodded. "There are ones out there that wear uh… -The way he is, like a badge of pride while shooting them down the pipeline."
"-Pipeline?" Sly asked. "That sounds fun."
"Not helping," Robin said. "One, you've been out of the loop as things have gone stupid these last few years. Two, I'm just trying to make it so an impressionable young mammal doesn't become a fascistic little jerkwad. I mean, does his mother want him to grow up to be one?"
Max just looked at him. "She's training me up to be a vigilante superhero…"
"Max," she finally said, looking back. "That's just our hobby. And you three, your concern is appreciated. -As is your teaching moment."
"Thank you."
"Having him stand up for himself against mammals claiming complete moral virtue is always a handy skill," she smiled, the bikes revving up and taking off before Robin could formulate a reply.
Up front, Sly held on to the white wolf, the bike whipping along fast. They weaved an odd path, though the lines or blocked or closed off roads on each side explained why, and soon the air began to get colder. Moving up to a line of tall buildings, massive plastic panels connecting them into a wall, they hit the icy air of Tundratown and were soon tracking onward. Ten minutes, fifteen, Sly began recognising areas he'd been through on his way out. They were close, they were…
They froze as they saw the sight in front of them. A heavy dosing of snow from the machines had done its best to smother it, but the smoke and odd flames still seeped out of the collapsed roof. Some of the bikers moved off and out, finding what remained of tire tracks and paw-steps. However they went in every which-way, and no scent marked them out as containing rat or fox.
Dark Flame Wolf looked on and sighed, turning to the white wolf who'd led the pack. "Annie, my husband is seriously injured. If me and my son could get a lift to Sahara square." She nodded, gesturing over a younger looking wolf and telling him to take them on.
"There's lots of stuff still going on too," Robin began, as she nodded.
"Rainforest has the worst of it. Some of my mis-informed children amongst the reasons why. Any help would be appreciated. Same goes for you." She turned to Sly. "Conor says he'd be happy sharing his loft at least temporarily. I'm certain you're not well equipped in terms of safe-houses.
Sly nodded. "Thanks, I…" A chiming appeared down below, his ears perking up. "But I think a lift will be all I need." Slowly, paws trembling, he reached up with his Binocucom and placed it over, watching as the screen in the corner fizzled a bit.
Waiting.
Trembling.
Please.
"SSSLLLLLLLLLLLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!" His heart skipped as he heard it, mouth opening into a wide grin. "Come in! SSSLLLLLLLLLLLYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY! Do you read me!?"
"-Yeah," he said, laughing and shedding a tear as the green beaky face appeared. "I read you loud and uhhh…. Very loud."