//------------------------------// // Fire on the Mountaintop // Story: Dressed to Steal // by Tatsurou //------------------------------// The search for Treasure Keys began at a temple structure to one side of Panda King's main compound. As Sly and Coco approached, however, they saw that it was patrolled by creatures of various sort garbed in martial arts gi and bearing weapons, making it plainly more a dojo than a temple. Even so, it proved relatively easy for the pair to infiltrate, as the entire path through was basically an obstacle course designed to be just barely possible to maneuver, much like what both Sly and Coco had trained on to build their skills. In point of fact, while the course would prove challenging for any ordinary individual trying to get through, it almost seemed designed specifically to test Cooper family skills. As such, they were able to breeze through most of the Temple, the only real obstacle being a moving laser grid on a large floor inside a building where the Vault was. Once the laser grid was disabled, Coco opened the safe, revealing another page out of the Thievius Raccoonus. This one covered a technique developed by Sir Augustine of Cooper, along the same lines as the technique that allowed one to kick off water. Much like Coco had developed one that allowed her to use magic charges as points to leap off of, this allowed the user to kick off empty air...although doing so was quite draining, and was recommended only to be used as a way to evade a death-defying fall caused by a misstep, and only if a safe landing point was within range. Just outside that building was the Treasure Key, which the pair collected eagerly before returning to the central area. The next area the pair explored also contained a temple-like structure, though lacking the obstacle course-like hazards of the previous one. Instead, there were a great many guards with lights watching the paths. Rather than draw attention by knocking the guards out, Sly and Coco made use of their Invisibility technique. By focusing their inner energy and inverting it, light and sound passed around them as though they weren't there. The technique had three major drawbacks. First, it took a great deal of concentration to maintain, forcing them to move slowly, and they couldn't jump while it was active. Second, striking out at a living being would immediately dispel the technique as the violent contact with another energy source would disrupt the inverted energy flows. Finally, anyone who saw the energy inversion being activated - such as a guard who was already pursuing them when they turned invisible - would be able to see an afterimage of the pair as they moved, until they escaped sight. Still, it proved useful as they moved past waves of guards. This made the journey for this Vault and Treasure Key easy but time consuming. The Vault contained the blueprints to the Panda King's lair, and was positioned at the top of the structure they had to leap into - past numerous security laser grids - to reach the Treasure Key. The fourth Key proved to be in yet another area where Murray had to race uphill to collect, as there was no way to reach it from within the compound. Once again, Coco used a turret mounted firework launcher to cover his run, ensuring he didn't take harm as he sought out the Key. After that, Sly and Coco collected the Key from Murray, and used three of them to activate the fireworks in the main compound. The shattered roof panel allowed the pair to drop to a lower level of the structure, where another group of fireworks in another open air segment was locked with seven locks. "Let me guess," Coco murmured softly. "Those will take us straight to the top of the statue, where the Panda King is waiting." "That's right," Bentley observed through the Binoc-u-com. "It's...actually marked that way on the blueprints. Which I have to admit, is really strange. In fact, the entire blueprint is, as it gives the general areas of each of the Keys as well, almost as though it was written to give you just enough information to figure the rest out for yourselves." "Hmm," Sly mused thoughtfully. "Almost sounds like he wants us to meet him in battle." He smirked softly. "I'd hate to disappoint." "Then let's go get the next Key," Coco murmured, glancing off to the next area. The next path to a Treasure Key took them across the rooftops of another area of buildings. As soon as Coco caught sight of this, she hopped off Sly's back. "What's up, Coco?" Sly asked curiously. "Pretty sure Mom's gonna show up," Coco observed calmly. "Figured I'd let you two flirt while I went and fetched the contents of the Vault and the Treasure Key, like I did back in Mesa City." "Somehow I doubt that'll happen," Sly countered playfully. "Betcha fifty bucks!" Coco challenged eagerly. Sly smirked. "You're on-" "F-freeze, raccoon!" Carmelita called out from a nearby rooftop, aiming her stun cannon towards him. Coco giggled softly as she raced ahead along the rooftops. "I'll collect later!" she called back. "W-where's she going?" Carmelita demanded, shivering slightly. "Off to play in the snow and set off some of the fireworks, I imagine," Sly observed. "But speaking of freezing, you're the one who looks to be catching cold." He took a step forward. "D-don't move!" Carmelita stammered as her teeth began to chatter. Sly smiled. "Look, I'm not doing anything criminal at the moment. As long as I don't disobey your directives here, you've got nothing to put me in cuffs over. So how about instead we step into one of these empty huts, I start a fire to warm you up, and you can question me as a 'person of interest'. How's that sound?" Carmelita tried to clench her teeth, but they were chattering too much. "F-f-fine!" she finally grumbled petulantly. "But don't you try anything. I'll be watching you!" Sly grinned slyly, quirking his eyebrow suggestively. "Then I'll be sure to give you plenty to watch." Coco giggled to herself as the sounds of their voices faded as she raced across the rooftops. As she ran, she set off a few fireworks...to clear paths, and to give her parents a show and a talking point. She was certain her Dad would explain to her Mom about how the entire facility was a cover for an illegal weapons manufacture plant, with the explosives disguised as fireworks. The Vault she eventually discovered contained a page of the Thievius Raccoonus, covering Colonel Reid Cooper's Time Stop Technique...which didn't actually stop time. Instead, it released a surge of psychic energy that stunned everyone within a specific range, as determined by the strength of the mind of the one using the technique, and only worked on those with minds significantly weaker than the user. This made the technique rather situational and somewhat limited in usefulness. Still, it meant there was very little of the book left to recover. Once Coco recovered the Treasure Key, she made her way back to where she saw her parents duck in out of the cold. It was her intention to just leave with her Dad back to the central area to seek the last two Treasure Keys...but when she got there, things changed. Glancing in the window of the structure, she saw her Dad's cane and her Mom's shock pistol on a table, a fire in the fireplace, and a pile of clothes next to something very lumpy under a blanket. She wasn't certain what she was looking at, but she was pretty certain she didn't want to interrupt. Turning, she headed back for the main area. "Uncle Bentley, when Daddy checks in, let him know I went after the two remaining Keys...but not before, alright?" "Are you sure you're up to handling it alone?" Bentley offered worriedly. "I'm sure," she observed. "Besides, I'm pretty sure Daddy's busy helping Mommy warm up." "What are-oh!" Bentley's voice suddenly became very embarrassed. "Right, we'll just leave him to it, then..."