With Seft on the run, the situation with me apparently got a great deal more complicated. Even looking back, I don't really see it myself. After all, I stay with Dad or Mom at any given time. What's so complicated about that? Still, I take Mom's word for it on this. Apparently, it was a rather interesting discussion...
Sly and Carmelita once more sat on opposite sides of the table in the Gang's temporary cave hideout, sipping their drinks. Neither was happy with the outcome of the battle with Seft, though for different reasons.
"You were trying to kill him," Carmelita pointed out bluntly.
"I was," Sly admitted, his voice even. "The design of the portal was his. As long as he lives, he puts Coco, her world, and all other worlds in danger."
"He would pose no danger in prison," Carmelita insisted. "And he would certainly have gone there if we'd captured him."
"I know you would never use his knowledge," Sly countered. "But can you personally vouch for every guard, every warden, every judge, and every lawyer that he would be before at any given time once he was captured? Could you guarantee that none of them would be tempted at the idea of infinite wealth and power? Especially if they never saw who suffered for them to achieve it?"
Carmelita fell silent. She glowered at Sly for a time, then eventually lowered her eyes. She wanted to say Sly was wrong, but she knew better. After all, if he was wrong, why did Interpol - her own agency - have an Office of Internal Affairs? "It goes against my grain to set out specifically to kill someone," she offered finally.
"Mine too," Sly agreed. "Knowing I was going in there not as a thief, but as an assassin...it felt dirty. I hate myself for even trying...and hate myself even more for being relieved that he escaped, so I didn't have to find out if I actually had it in me to kill." He leaned back, taking another sip as he thought about it all for a time. "So...what now?"
Carmelita raised an eyebrow. "Now? Seft escaped. I'm going to have to file that report, and direct attention towards tracking him down."
"Not trying to arrest me this time?" Sly teased, a flirtatious grin on his face. "Inspector, I'm hurt."
Carmelita snorted disdainfully. "You saved my life and Coco's when I confronted Seft alone," she pointed out. "I'll overlook your status as a criminal this time."
"I still owe you, then," Sly pointed out, leaning forward. "I'd have been dead against Seft if you hadn't shown up when you did."
Carmelita shrugged, looking away. "You were more useful alive than dead then," she muttered, though Sly noticed her cheeks coloring slightly. She then cleared her throat, getting herself back under control. "Now, about Coco..."
Sly immediately stiffened. He didn't like the distant tone she was using. "What about her?" he inquired judiciously.
"I think I can fudge some paperwork to get her into a good orphanage," Carmelita began, hesitance in her voice at the idea of bending the rules even that much.
"No," Sly stated flat out, catching Carmelita off guard. "Even the best of those places is no place for her. No matter how good the people running them might be, the children take care of themselves their own way. As different as she is? She'll be miserable there...especially since 'Mommy and Daddy' put her there." His eyes narrowed. "And if you can't get her into a good one, and she ends up in a bad one..." He frowned, closing his eyes. "...nevermind..."
Carmelita stared in shock. She'd heard what Seft had said to Sly during the fight. She'd managed to put together that Sly had witnessed his father's death...but hadn't realized that meant he was an orphan. Seeing Murray and Bentley come up to him to rest their hands on his shoulders, she realized that that must have been the case with all three of them...likely where they met and became a Gang-
A family, another part of her mind supplied pointedly, making her lower her eyes.
"There's a more practical reason not to put her into the system," Bentley pointed out. "We don't know what Seft's resources are. Would you really bet Coco's life he wouldn't look there first for her, to try and reclaim her to power a new portal? Or that, if he found her, he wouldn't be able to get ahold of her there?"
"Or from whoever wound up adopting her?" Murray added. "Admittedly, that thought's rather optimistic. No matter how adorable and sweet she is...she's different."
Carmelita found herself wincing yet again. Obviously, all three of them had received a raw deal from 'the system' as far as their early lives went. She found herself feeling guilty about this. Even if she wasn't part of Child Services, she was still part of 'the system', and that made it her job to make sure there weren't so many sad stories. As such, every one she came across felt like a personal failure on her part, however illogical that was in the context. Her father, grandfather, and great-grandfather had all talked about having feelings like that themselves, and had told her it was the sign of a good cop. Her great-grandfather had said flat out that the day she stopped feeling guilty was the day she should hand in her badge.
"I can't take her," Carmelita said finally. "Even if I could come up with an explanation of where she came from, I won't be able to take care of her and do my job and make sure Seft can't get ahold of her. There's no way I'd be able to keep her."
"Then the solution is obvious," Sly offered warmly. "We'll take her. Not only will there always be at least one of us with her, we're completely off the grid. Even if Seft should somehow learn we have her with us, he'll never be able to track us down to get her."
Carmelita frowned. The idea was completely sound, looking at it just from the perspective of 'best for Coco'. But at the same time, something felt off from that perspective. "I'm not sure how I feel about my daughter being raised by a pack of thieves." The words were out of her mouth before she realized she was going to say them, and she bit the inside of her lip to keep herself from saying more as Bentley and Murray both snickered.
"Then how about this?" Sly offered. "Anytime you have a day off, we'll drop Coco off to spend the day with you. After all, the days off are the only time you'd be able to spend with her anyway if you took her yourself, by your own words." He grinned...slyly. "That should give you more than enough time to counter our 'untoward criminal influence' on her."
Carmelita glowered at Sly, knowing he was teasing her...and hating that she didn't have any ammo to fight back with. After all, not only was he right, any skills Coco picked up living with them would help her stay alive should Seft get a bead on her. Finally, however, she found a counter argument. "And if I manage to arrest the three of you?"
"She's a minor," Murray pointed out. "As long as she is one, legally she'll be a witness or 'victim', so you could take her into 'protective custody' personally to 'get her statements' and 'rehabilitate' her."
Carmelita's eyes widened in appreciation. That had been a valid point. And from the way Sly and Bentley were looking at their robust roomie, that was a rarity.
"Bad idea?" Murray asked worriedly when he noticed the stares.
"Very good, actually," Carmelita corrected. "Once Coco wakes up...we should explain the situation to her."
And that's how things began. Now, that's not to say it was all sunshine and rainbows between Mom and Dad. They still had their share of differences. But...learning to put my well being first helped smooth some things over.
I was about to sleep, then I saw this updated. Good show.
It's nice that you're showing Carmelita as a someone who stands for ideals in a system that doesn't always work rather than the almost completely straight "Inspector Javert" she was portrayed as in the first game. Really helps to give her more dimensions that didn't really show up until the second game.
Another enjoyable chapter. Good job.
7565822 You just had to say something.
7565759 I saw this, opened it, THEN went to sleep and read it when i awoke, but still.
Because it was "Sunshine, sunshine, ladybugs awake".
Carmelita can't seem to counter their systematic argument this time. Least we know she'll always have a good Coco(a) on her off days.
aw man this gun be good! i must impress upon you how central honor among theives was to my childhood. i played that thing till the ps2 broke. you have taken up the mantle for my video game infancy; i will watch the developments with bated breath.
you have my interest with this Tats. good work. earned yourself another like. and a fav once its complete
7566302 Your waiting until it's completed?
7566181 Do you think coco will learn flame-fu?
7566451 no, but shes definitely going to learn the spire jump, the double jump, the wall hook, the cane grab, the pickpocket move, the wall scootch, the rail slide, and the waypoint ping
I'm glad that Carmelita actually has a heart when it comes to things that don't involve shooting things. She actually want's to see Coco happy and well, but still feels horrible that when she brings up honest and well solutions Sly and company, having literally lived through that and know a lot more, shoot her down with facts that upset her. I like how instead of the sexy police fox that has a character, we get the character before the actual games. Keep up the good work.
Well then, there aren't any forecasted major emotional moments for Coco until the second game, although Clockwerk might give her grade-a nightmares. By the way, how do you think Neyla will take to her?
7566825 it's probably because Clockwork had a hand, or claw, in the death of Sly's father. While Seft is just a mad man who wanted to prove himself against the Cooper family.
7566921
7566951
My personal headcanon for why killing Clockwerk didn't bother Sly is also because by the time they faced off, Clockwerk was basically a technological Lich. Characters tend not to beat themselves up over killing an undead as much as killing the living.
Also, just because we don't see Sly thinking about what it meant that he killed Clockwerk, doesn't mean he didn't do it. After all, the tone of his narration in the second game is a great deal more world weary than in the first.
7566842
Murray's job during this mission once Coco showed up was to keep her entertained with bedtime stories.
The only book they happened to have for him to read from was Carmelita's 'pocket law book', which covered - among other things - that particular detail in regard to minors involved with arrested criminals.
Its weird seeing Murrey with such... intelligence. I'm not hating or anything, I like it... just odd to me.
Regardless, nice chater dude!
7566036 I think someone did that just to spite him...
7567014 But I thought the clockwork event hasn't happened yet...where exactly in the sly cooper series' timeline is this story located?
7567196
This is still prior to Thievius Raccoonus. I was simply explaining my headcanon for why his issues over Seft aren't invalidated by what happens in canon with Clockwerk.
7566842 now THAT is a fantastic game from my childhood too, mr profile picture.
7567226 Ok, now I understand......I think...
I love this family that is forming. I can just see Carmelita answering her door after a long day at work, only to find a frantic Sly holding Cocco to her and saying, "You need to give her the 'birds and the bees' talk!" before running off like his tail is on fire.
7566649 Yes, it is a refreshing change from the game characterization.
7567131 Can you imagine Bentley making Coco a toy Tachikoma???? And you're right, Clockwerk is pretty much a consciousness inhabiting a machine.
7568082 It really is refreshing, I mean we'll still see Carmelita be a sexy police fox cause that's just Carmelita
7568082
That would be adorableness on a whole nother level~ hehehe.
And indeed he is.l
7568082 i disagree. the game was the funniest thing ever as a kid. who can forget classic lines like "hey, have you ever seen a guy stick his fist down his throat?"
I'm loving this more as time goes on...
vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/mlp/images/3/39/FANMADE-Scootaloo_Squee.gif/revision/latest?cb=20140222173200
7566636 What about Carmelita's super jump?
7568648 The game is good but I'm liking how Carmelita is developing since she's becoming more fleshed out than the canon game characterization.
7567032 I wonder if any of them will get a blue spider tank?
7569074 omg yes. yknow, there was a cheat where sly could get carmelitas jump as a special upgrade. never figured out how to get it again though. it was a lot higher than hers was too.
Love this please can i be told wen ever chu make new ones mister tatsurou
7569702
Follow me, and you should get auto updates.
7569672 yep and the name of the tank is tachikoma.
7569837 you should watch it it's pretty good and you can't help but fall in love with that tanks bubbly personality.
7569367
SPIDER TANK! SPIDER TANK!
Does whatever a spider tank does!
Can it swing from a web? no it cant but it will blast the shit outa you!
WATCH OUT HERE COMES THE SPIDER TANK!
7570654 more of a self evolving AI that goes from easily stopped by a simple paradox to philosophical what if. No wait, more like a very curious kid, in tank form.
Well, I'm probably not the first to say it, but its obvious how the story ends, at least in a general sense. Seft is going to be the final boss, so to speak, and a new portal will be involved. The Cooper Gang and Carmelita will wind up going through the portal with Coco, though whether this will be by choice or an accident is still in the air.
I also imagine she'll be able to prevent Penelope's betrayal, or at least redeem her during or after it..... Wait, would it be a good idea to send a being under the influence of time travel through time again before she syncs back up with her own timeline?
Okay, so there's the rest of the setup for the Mommy and Daddy status. Kind of oddly feels like a divorced couple hammering out visitation rights.
7578336 And it still leaves out how Sly and Carmelita first met...
As well as how a girl of 19 got so early a position as a Constable in International Law Enforcement.
7586524
That is actually covered in a comic, somewhere, about Sly's first major theft...which just so happened to be Carmelita's last assignment as the partner of the previous Constable when he was scouting her to see if she could fill his shoes. You can find that information on the wiki page covering her.
7569736
7569837 A Ghost in the Shell PWNY story would sound crazy. Who would be the pony to be in Motoko's care? Photo Finish?
OK. Parent-child duo names: GO!
Sly + Coco = Hover Hooves (I don't have anything better besides "Exploding Cap")
Carmelita + Coco = Hot Chocolate. Seriously, that Fox
can melt any guy furry or not... and I stole San's Coco(a) pun.EDIT: On second thought, I give her an easy 6.5/10. No melting. 2/10 if you look at the cosplay; that's another type of melting.
Also just realized that if stealing one little filly weakened the walls between dimensions for a decade, Equestria's walls must be so much Swiss cheese at this point. XD
Also look at the big brain on Murray!
7746185
Not weakened, destabilized. It's made it harder to make the trip, not easier.
Think about the difference between using a glider on a clear, sunny day verses gliding in a thunderstorm.
By now, Equestria's in the middle of The Great Red Spot, the biggest and longest lasting storm in the solar system. Try gliding in thru that.
A dad who is a thief and a mom who is police officer:
camo.derpicdn.net/e5c2ab4bd31bd056da5e7a6aef4666f2c628a325?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.chzbgr.com%2FmaxW500%2F2085939968%2FhF31339B4%2F
That is all.
So your saying Coco pommeled down the hostility in the relationship
Yeah I understand.
7565796you gotta admit we don't get much interaction with her in the first game we only saw during after credits and slys narration or in a fight. the only time we really interact with her is during the final scene with clockwork witch obviously isn't much. So the really got to expand on her character during the next 3 games.