While I did stay inside the hideout for most of the remaining missions there...I did sneak out when Dad, Uncle Murray, and Uncle Bentley all went out to set the last stage in place. Now I didn't get anywhere near the action, or where the water would go...but I was worried, and I wanted to see what was going to happen.
It's a good thing I stayed back. The plan wound up turning the dense jungle into a swampy quagmire! The only dry place I could hide in was the turret Uncle Bentley had used to keep Uncle Murray from getting bombed. He scolded me for coming out, of course, but our focus quickly turned to the fight that unfolded, since Rajan came out of the temple to flee the water.
Rajan stared down at the water pouring out of his temple to flood the land, and angrily thrust his staff - with half the Clockwerk Heart on the top - towards the heavens. "Black Clouds and Thunderbolts!" he proclaimed dramatically. "My Spice Temple...ruined!" He pointed out towards the scenery before him. "I will no longer hide while you villains destroy my hard won empire! This place is mine! Here I am king! Come, face me Cooper! With Clockwerk's black heart, I will show you true power! You are nothing! Come face the mighty Rajan, Lord of these Hills!"
"Did he eat Shakespeare or something?" Coco whispered to Bentley.
"Not enough thees and thous for that," Bentley pointed out. "But yeah, way too dramatic."
To Coco's surprise, Constable Neyla joined Sly in trying to seize the Clockwerk Heart from Rajan, who used it to try and drive them back with bolts of lightning. "What's she doing here?" Coco demanded worriedly. "And...why hasn't Mom shown up?"
"She did help Sly get in to get the other half," Bentley pointed out. "I...think we can trust her."
"I hope you're right," Coco observed worriedly as she watched Sly and Neyla leap from fence top to fence top in Spire Jumps. "I just don't like how many Cooper techniques she seems to know..." Her eyes widened as the pair reached Rajan, only for Neyla to leap away. "What the-?" A blast of lightning knocked Sly from his perch. "Daddy!"
"Quiet, Coco!" Bentley hissed instantly, covering Coco's mouth. "I don't know what's going on now...but we definitely don't want Neyla to know we're here."
As they watched, Murray leapt down to where Sly had been blasted to, only for Rajan to leap after him, trapping them both in a ring of lightning. They talked for a while, then began trading blows.
"Why can't we hear them?" Coco demanded quietly.
"We're a little far away," Bentley explained. "Hold on, while I tune into Sly's Binoc-U-com. We should be able to hear somewhat..."
Before long, the signal was activated, just in time to hear Rajan order several of his guards, "Dispatch this fool!" The guards leapt down to attack Murray, only for him to grab hold of them and use them as bludgeons against Rajan.
"I didn't know Uncle Murray took levels in 'Improvised Weapon: Enemy'," Coco marveled.
"We really need to get everyone together for a family campaign one of these days," Bentley murmured to himself.
It wasn't long before Rajan's best efforts proved ineffective against Murray's strength, leaving Rajan unconscious and the Clockwerk Heart half in Murray's possession...just as Neyla arrived, shortly followed by Carmelita and the Contessa. Sly's Binoc-U-com was in range to pick up what Neyla said.
"There they are, Contessa," Neyla purred. "Just as I promised. The Cooper Gang and Rajan all incapacitated."
Pulling out her own Binoc-U-com, Coco could see Carmelita's eyes take on a worried look, though the rest of her expression remained stoic. The Contessa spoke up. "Excellent work, Constable Neyla. Carmelita's never been able to catch the Cooper Gang, yet you capture them in just a few short weeks."
Carmelita tensed up, but said nothing. However, as it turned out, Neyla was far from finished. "Actually, Contessa, there's a good reason Carmelita's never captured the Cooper Gang...because she's been in league with them the whole time!"
Carmelita visibly tensed from the accusation. "That's a pretty bold claim," she growled out fiercely. "I hope you have some proof."
"Indeed," Contessa agreed calmly. "What proof do you have, Constable Neyla?"
Smirking, Neyla pulled out a large folder. "Quite a bit." She pulled out a picture. "First, here is a picture of Inspector Carmelita dancing with Sly Cooper the night the Clockwerk Wings were stolen." Before Carmelita could respond, she pulled out another picture. "And here they are together at Monaco Beach Bay a week before."
Carmelita's eyes widened in shock.
Grinning widely, Neyla laid out her coup de grace. "And here are a sequence of emails Inspector Carmelita has received from the Cooper Gang, informing her ahead of time where they would be striking and what they'd be after...several of her biggest 'busts', if I'm not mistaken. She was in league with the Cooper Gang and using their exploits to bust lesser criminals to make herself look good!"
Carmelita's stun cannon dropped from her suddenly nerveless grasp, staggering back as she saw her whole life being so expertly unraveled, and presented in the worst possible way.
"That is certainly incontrovertible proof," the Contessa concluded. "Men! Arrest former Inspector Fox, and take her and the Cooper Gang away!" As Carmelita was dragged off, the Contessa shook her head. "Such a shame, when a good officer falls from the light."
"Yes...indeed," Neyla purred softly.
Bentley stared in shock. He wanted to curse, to shake his fists at the sky, to swear vengeance on Constable Neyla...but he had to be there for Coco. Turning to look at her, however, he saw an expression on her face that left him staggering back in terror. After all...he'd seen what her magic could do.
That...that BITCH! She took my Dad...she took my Mom...she took my Uncle Murray...she stole my family!
Well, I wasn't going to stand for that. If looks could kill, she'd have been dead where she stood, along with a swath of grass behind her. One thing was certain. I would get my family back. And I would make her pay.
...and I was going to do it my way.