Dressed to Steal

by Tatsurou

Time Out: You Are a Pirate

With Flametail and the hook, we made our way back to the hideout to get him cleaned up and plan our assault on LeFwee's ship. Our original plan about stealing his charts and discrediting him quickly became obsolete with new information from Flametail...

---

Once Kyuubi was cleaned up, he looked much more the image of a military man. His military cloak remained tattered, but no longer stained or filthy. His cleaned coat glowed a burnished bronze, going from deep crimson to bright gold in the tail like a living flame. His eyes gleamed hazel, a piercing gaze that seemed to see through everything...and his muscular definition was plain as the open military coat showed off his abs.

"Woof," Carmelita and Penelope found themselves saying...only to be shocked that Coco said it as well. "Coco!" Carmelita demanded in shock.

"What?" Coco countered defensively. "You can't tell me he's not a hunk!"

"Mine, ladies," Henriette purred possessively as she clung to Kyuubi's arm.

"Not now, Ret," Kyuubi chided playfully and affectionately. "There's somethin' ya all should know. LeFwee plainly doesn't trust anyone. He's installed his own crew members onto each of the ships that have sworn under his banner as Captains. That and some new form of weapon they have with them is how he's keeping the armada under his banner. If we can take his men out on the ships, the original Captains will likely switch sides, especially if they see the legendary One-Eye taking them down." He grinned roguishly at the lady on his arm.

"So we take down each of LeFwee's Captains leaving the Mark of the Coopers behind, and that'll have the whole armada turning against LeFwee?" Bentley asked curiously. "We can do that. With this ship, we can track down any technology that doesn't belong in this era - those new weapons you mentioned - and find them anywhere on the high seas."

"Oh!" Murray piped up excitedly. "Can the ship make a huge fog bank and sail silently? Then they'll think we're like a cursed ghost ship or something!"

"That would certainly add to the mystique of the situation, as well as have anything blatantly anachronistic get shrugged off as 'ghost stories'," Razor observed thoughtfully. "That would really free up our available resources without worrying too much about upsetting the timeline."

"At this point I think we're pretty much counting on breaking Le Paradox's Paradox Machine fixing everything," T-Bone pointed out. "Otherwise, things are gonna be pretty screwed up."

"Still, we should try to keep either a low profile or a mystic profile," Penelope pointed out. "Otherwise, who knows what butterflies we're making."

"Butterflies?" Kyuubi asked in confusion.

"It's a time travel shorthand," Bentley explained. "It's a reference to chaos theory...and I just realized just explaining what I'm talking about could break the history of science and mathematics."

"The further away you are from a small change in time, the bigger the effect can be," Coco explained. "We talk about 'butterflies' due to a phrase describing the result..." Her eyes widened. "Which...we can't share because you don't even know the locations exist yet..."

"...my head hurts..." Sly groaned morosely.

"Fair enough," Henriette allowed. "Let's go haunt the Bay."

---

The new plan worked out amazingly well. We generated a thick fog around the ship while using its advanced navigation systems to sail easily through it and track down every ship flying LeFwee's flag. One of us would then make our way aboard, find LeFwee's man, and deal with him while leaving the Cooper Mark - the mask - behind. The ones leaping on board - given our relative abilities - were myself, Dad, Henriette, and Kyuubi. Dad and I generally knocked out the goon and tied him up, with the Mark stuck to him somewhere.

Henriette and Kyuubi...had a different approach...

---

The fog rolled in, covering the ship. LeFwee's man glanced around, not liking having to rely on primitive tech to keep himself safe. Still, he had a job to do. Seeing the sailors starting to mutter about 'ghost ships', he opened his mouth to order them about, raising his stun gun to fire a few shots...

...only to scream in agony.

The sailors leapt in fear, hearing only the creaking of rigging and a sound like a thin anchor chain reeling in. One of them blinked as something swept by him, plopping the captain's hat on his head. The fog slowly rolled away...

LeFwee's man hung from the yardarm by a loop of his own entrails. The rest of them were spattered against the door of the Captain's Cabin in the shape of the Cooper Mark.

Henriette swung back onto the Gang's ship, her hook retracting on its chain from the rigging before latching back onto her wrist. "Been a while since I used this," she murmured affectionately as she rubbed it.

Sly stared at her, slack jawed. "Y...you killed him..."

"Kid, I'm a pirate," Henriette pointed out flatly. "Dunno what fanciful idea ya have about what that means...but it boils down to a simple choice. Ya can keep yer hands clean, or ya can keep yer hands." She glanced at her hand nostalgically, then took her hook off her stump to show it. "Ya can see what comes o' tryin' ta balance that. There's no room fer mercy on th' high seas, not if ya wanna stay alive long enough to keep th' line going."

---

Fog rolled in over the ship. The crew of the former Ring Tail - the Cooper Ship - glanced around nervously. They knew most ghost stories these days were actually the work of their Captain...their true Captain. Unfortunately, LeFwee had taken control, and put one of his lackeys in charge. By their honor, they were stuck obeying him unless he died or Henriette won the ship back. With how much of an ass the man was, they were all hoping for the former to create the latter...and they knew they wouldn't hesitate to fly the Cooper flag the minute he keeled over.

St. Elmo's fire raced along the rigging, glowing with eldritch light yet not burning. The 'Captain' was screaming orders, but the crew ignored it. They knew this fire, they knew what it meant.

Like a wraith, a shadow made of golden fire took shape, surrounded by a black cloak as glowing eyes glared at the 'Captain'. In fear, he took a shot...and the figure vanished. A scream rent the night air, followed by a splash...and then the thrashing water of hungry sharks.

As the fog faded, Henriette stood on the prow of her own ship, smirking down at her crew. "Come on, buckos," she purred. "We've got a cheatin' chicken ta cook."

The crew raised a resounding cheer as LeFwee's flag was torn away to kite into the night breeze, and the Cooper Flag returned to its proper place.

---

I can't fault the truth of what Henriette said. But...that didn't make it any more palatable. Also didn't mean I could be as...callous. She didn't hold it against me or Dad, though, and neither did Kyuubi. If anything, they seemed...glad to know we came from a time where mercy was an option...

Comments

[eighter]

Beautiful.

[SunsetSketch]

Good to see the truths of the ages shining through, and the fact that there's appreciation on both sides for what is needed and even possible.

[Kenshinryuu]

By their honor, they were stuck obeying him unless he died or Henriette won the ship back. With how much of an ass the man was, they were all hoping for the former to create the latter...and they knew they wouldn't hesitate to fly the Cooper flag the minute he keeled over.

I think you mean the Later to create the Former, ie his defeat leading to his death.

A bit of hard truth, but Henriette might need to show she only kills when she has a reason to, not just for laughs to comfort Sly and Coco.

[Dawn Flower]

The No Killing rule is the most important rule for being a thief. If you steal from people by killing them, you're not a thief - you're an assassin.

[Arcane Howitzer]

8495372
Not true.
An assassin's goal and purpose is murder; anything they take along the way is incidental.
A thief's goal is in what they take; anyone they kill along the way is up to them.

The Klaw Gang were an good example of this: they were thieves after the Clockwerk Parts, but had no qualms about killing guards in their way.

[Just Defender]

Mercy is an option in our era?
That depends heavily on circumstances.

[the other sans]

make our way aboard, find LeFwee's man,
and deal with him while leaving the Cooper Mark

Spaces oh spaces there ye be, showing up every time I see.

Le Fwee won't have the foggiest idea of what's gonna hit him.

Seems Le Fwee's men got guts. Too bad that's all they had.

I wonder if we could say that the Cooper's momentum is flagging.

[Jake Witt]

"Woof," Carmelita and Penelope found themselves saying...only to be shocked that Coco said it as well. "Coco!" Carmelita demanded in shock.

Spike needs to show up and outshine this five-tailed internet browser!

[Dirty Bit]

8495372
8495407 I said it many times, myself: The lesson here is that if you steal, you better be ready to murder, too.

[Reader Wolf]

[Chrome Masquerade]

LeFwee's man hung from the yardarm by a loop of his own entrails. The rest of them were spattered against the door of the Captain's Cabin in the shape of the Cooper Mark.

A slight callback to another story...

"I want to cut open his belly, throw a loop of his guts over a thorny tree at the edge of a cliff, and kick him over the edge," Twilight replied sweetly. "Ever since I read about that hunchbacked sorcerer discussing the experiment, I've been idly curious about whether or not the tensile strength of intestines was enough to bounce at a height like that...and I've finally found someone I hate enough to want to try it."

[Emtu]

8495588
And naturally, she would do it all in the name of science.

[Chrome Masquerade]

8495617 All P0rtal references will be given the Dio treatment.

[shinigamisparda]

8495552
Nice!

[badninja]

I do think however Seft will be killed by Sly. Seft is beyond dangerous right now and killing him may become the only right option.

[Daemon Wolf 22]

"Kid, I'm a pirate," Henriette pointed out flatly. "Dunno what fanciful idea ya have about what that means...but it boils down to a simple choice. Ya can keep yer hands clean, or ya can keep yer hands." She glanced at her hand nostalgically, then took her hook off her stump to show it. "Ya can see what comes o' tryin' ta balance that. There's no room fer mercy on th' high seas, not if ya wanna stay alive long enough to keep th' line going."

I COULD accept that.....If you actually had a REASON to kill that guy, especially in so horrible a way. But you don't. Sly and Coco JUST took out a guy non-lethally, leaving said guy in a position where they could've killed him, but didn't, because it wasn't necessary. All you have to do here is get LeFwee's crews to abandon him. Murder isn't necessary to accomplish that objective.

Well....what I mean is, I can accept that justification in general, especially with a pirate. But you should only kill when you absolutely HAVE too, which you did not need to in this situation. The Raiden path is how you become even worse than those you fight. (For the record, I'm talking about Metal Gear's Raiden, the cyborg psychopath.)

[Void Runner]

8495588
That quote looks familiar, but I can't place the story it's from...?

[Chrome Masquerade]

8495890
put it this way...:
http://ytcropper.com/cropped/0o59e7859545bf5

[Void Runner]

8495920

I still want to know where I've read that quote (or something similar...) from before...

[Tatsurou]

8495782
How's this for justification?
This is the 17th century. There is no law on the High Seas. The only power you have to keep yourself and your crew safe is the fear and respect other crews have for you.
Fear and Respect that LeFwee destroyed by trouncing her and her crew in what they do best, and in trouncing all the other crews and forcing them under his banner.
So yes, she has to be brutal now. She has to show that the name Cooper is still one to be feared and respected on the High Seas, as the force that keeps piracy in check on the lawless side. Otherwise, as soon as Sly and the Gang leave, her and her crew are dead men sailing.

[Emtu]

8495666
That wasn't specifically a Portal reference.

[Dustchu]

Hahahaha, oooh man... I swear, I love pirate stuff so much And Henrietta is unf!

Good show!

[Chrome Masquerade]

8496124 My apologies. That was from

TThe Sparkle in his Eye

• MLP: FiM
• Adventure

Ratchet balances saving the galaxy with being the father to a purple alicorn foal. Adorable shenanigans and explosions ensue.

• Crossover
• Twilight
• Other

Tatsurou · 318k words  ·  1,870  73 · 29k views

[Chrome Masquerade]

8496380 It would only take two more words.

[Philosophysics]

8497817
We're basically playing shogi so yeah.

[Black Ash]

8497828
Yes, yes I am.

[the one guy on the left]

8495768
I think that's gonna be seft's last surprise.

Lefwee's men never saw it coming.

Clearly the gang's been moving too fast for eyes.

Ok, that should cover us until I can make a rivers in the desert pun.

[Chrome Masquerade]

8499718 The what now?

[HeartfireFirebrand]

"Kid, I'm a pirate," Henriette pointed out flatly. "Dunno what fanciful idea ya have about what that means...but it boils down to a simple choice. Ya can keep yer hands clean, or ya can keep yer hands." She glanced at her hand nostalgically, then took her hook off her stump to show it. "Ya can see what comes o' tryin' ta balance that. There's no room fer mercy on th' high seas, not if ya wanna stay alive long enough to keep th' line going."

Different times different methods Sly