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..."
looks like Coco's trying to do a Parent Trap here
(yes, I know that they ARE her parents, but they're not TOGETHER, so it still works, right?)Whoa. Sly is a bit more...courageous than I thought.
Woooooooooooooooooooooooow... Did NOT see that coming...
7753431 Aye sir, that seems to be what she's up to.
Good move. Neither Sly nor Carmelita would live down the embarassment if she barged in right there. And at the same time, they would have ended up traumatizing her and would have had to tell her about "The Birds And The Bees", making things even MORE awkward.
At least this way, her innocence is kept just a bit longer.
Oh, Jesus. Sly live up to his name.
So how much earlier then canon will Coco get her parents together I wonder?
So will Coco get a new little brother or sister soon???
I can't wait to see the confrontation with Panda King. But given how it seems he wants Coco and Sly to get to him, it will definitely get interesting.
7753452 We're talking about a raccoon that climbed a death ray that was sinking into a volcano to fight a several century-old, robotic owl who is not only responsible for killing his father, but most of his ancestors as well. How is he not courageous?
7753513
Umm...it says "passed around", not "pass through".
and lets not forget
It's a good thing Neyla's not in the story yet. She would have more dirt to frame Carmelita with.
7753557
Uh, no. You asked why it said something it didn't say, instead of what it actually said.
Go Sly!
A better choice of words might be
As Sly and Coco approached, however, they saw that it was patrolled by various creatures clothed in martial-arts-style garb and bearing similarly themed weapons,
...
Coco might not barge in on them... but what about the individuals who live there?
Well a great chapter as always...also yay they finally slept together, but glad Coco didn't see such things...all three of them would be mortified.
Anyways great chapter, keep up the good work
Another enjoyable chapter. Good job.
7753537 Well, Sly can be very... well, Sly.
7753502
You mean "officially" together? No clue. I will say, however, that there is no way in Tartarus that the ending of 3 / beginning of 4 is going to be the same as Canon. The "Amnesia" ploy just won't work with the dynamic that this story has put into motion. Quite frankly, while playing 3 for the first time, I was expecting Sly to become a "Repo Man" for the law, turning in any priceless artifacts, and keeping all the loose change. Seriously, there was some bling in the Vault that really should NOT have been left in there. (I am looking at you, Statue of Liberty.)
they clearly are just sharing body heat, yep. They aren't two semi-hormonal teenagers making the beast with two backs. I am (not) lying my to myself to make myself feel better for Coco.
Oh my~
7753481 Ah yes, the Sky Walk
7753533 I'm not talking that kind of courageous. I'm talking the...romantic kind.
There was a time freeze ability in Sly 1?
Dang. I thought it was mostly just an anthropomorphic cartoony stealth game. We got lots'a magic up in here.
Also they should really teach Carmelita the time freeze move. It would come in really handy, (considering her gun is stupid) and it could never be used against them. And she's practically family already.
7753586
What he said.
The chapter name made me think of this
7753678
And again, you misunderstand.
The text of the story specifically states it works by making light and sound pass around the user of the technique as though they weren't there.
In other words, you're asking "why doesn't it work like X?" when it does work like X. You just appear to have read it wrong.
Does the Cooperverse even have hybrids?
Natural hybrids, I mean, not 'abomination of science' hybrids.
I'd say Sly is less warming up with Carmelita and more heating up. That was probably the best way so far to lump those two together. At least Bentley was able to key in fast enough to not mention anything to Coco at the time.
Ahhhhhhh... Yes, our resident nerd. He who thinks he won't ever get a girlfriend. Don't worry Bently you'll get yours. I don't believe they ever gave Murray a Girlfriend and this makes me think, will Murray eventually get one or not? Because with Coco there to interfere a lot of things change.
7754027
Actually, they did...also in the third game. Panda King's daughter.
Jeez, one sliver of a hint towards sex, and away everyone went.
I'm gonna wait for confirmation before I go all starry eyed and act like a teenager suped up on unsatable hormones. As it stands, I'm about eighty percent certain that's NOT what happened.
The other twenty percent is reserved for when I likely have to pull my foot out of my mouth, as is becoming increasingly common in Tatsurou's stories.
Well, that happened a lot sooner than I expected. Looking forward to more.
Keep up the great work. Deus tecum.
7753513
Yes, that's true; in fact, that forms the basis for much of the invisibility research going on today.
However, there's a Catch 22 in all of that, as light bouncing off objects is how we see. If you bend light around yourself in order to make it so others can't see you, you also do the same to the light that reaches your eyes. This effectively blinds you.
Of course, Sly and Coco can work around it, as their technique makes use of mystical elements not found in the real world. Or at least, ones that have yet to be proved.
7754049
Yeah, I'm kind of with you on that. Honestly it reminds me of cold weather survival, getting as much skin contact as you can to warm up the other person, and it sounds like she (Carmelita) was sufffer a big drop in body temp.
7754467
Well, look at her outfit from the first game.
s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/ac/64/b4/ac64b43cac7ecfb1d98fad0106ddcd30.jpg
Admittedly, Sly's isn't much better
vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/sly/images/f/f4/Sly3sly.png/revision/latest?cb=20160208154758
but he has the 'temp control' Cooper Skill.
Hahahaha! Nice job dude, nice job.
7753716 HOLY CROM! THAT'S WHAT WAS IN THAT ONE SAFE!!!
7754484
Hold up a sec.
...
Is Sly even wearing pants?
7754467
If that was the case, why strip? True, Sly and Carmelita aren't exactly wearing heavy clothes, but wouldn't it make more sense to keep them on?
7755152
Bacause if she is hypodermic, the clothing would slow the process, and they need her core temp up asap.
Loved the Chapter and definitely looking forward to seeing what becomes of Panda King, especially since it certainly seems he's caught onto the Cooper Pattern of the heists in the game.
And of course, Sly and Carmelita get a very special moment together which is always nice to see!
Although this part seems to stick out the most to me in this chapter:
Oh Really?
Because that still sounds similar to another technique:
Two words!
ZA WARUDO!
7754041 Oh, Yeah! How could I forget that? Man I should go replay the games.
Suddenly, I feel the next OC Tat adds to this fic will be a sibling for Coco.
7753658 < this. Use this please.
7754910
Are you sure that you want such information? And why the sudden interest?
7757217
Because of the two pictures Tats posted in his comment about clothes. Made me reexamine the two of them in that light.
And, I mean... I'm already thinking about it, and I never shy from new information... hit me!
7757371
No, much like most furry male characters in worlds of anthros, Sly is not wearing pants.
...actually, I think the only canon male character in that sort of setting I've ever seen wearing pants is Hamton from Tiny Toons.
She is going to be pregnant, isn't she?