Sly Cooper Remake: Hearts of the Raccoon and the Tigress

Prologue

Disclaimer: I do not own characters and story elements of the Sly Cooper franchise. All credit goes to Sucker Punch and Sanzaru Games. This story is for purely entertainment purposes.

Author's note: This fic is M-Rated for strong sexual content and profanity.

Sly Cooper: Raccoon and the Tigress

Prologue

"Neyla, dear," Arpeggio, the head of the Klaww Gang, said to the eleven-year-old, violet-furred Bengal tiger, as she was in a bit of a daze. "Neyla, are you still paying attention?"

"Huh?" the young tigress let out her confusion and then stammered in an attempt to save face in front of her mentor. "Oh, uh, sure. I'm paying attention."

"Yeah," a grey-furred American raccoon one year younger than Neyla interjected with a cheeky grin directed at her, "sure you were paying attention."

"Shut up, Cooper!" said Neyla, as her London Cockney accent showed her hint of irritation in her voice before she slipped a picture of her and a raccoon woman back into her pocket.

"You children need to be quiet and focus on your lessons," Arpeggio chimed in his with his clear British accent. "How do the two of you expect to be successful, yet secret, members of the Klaww Gang if you cannot excel at your studies?"

"But I do want to excel at my studies, sir," Neyla said in protest to her instructor. "It's just hard when I've got Cooper over here thinking he's some Prince Charming!"

"Aww, come on, pretty girl," the male raccoon replied, before winking at the agitated tigress, "you gotta admit that at least I don't stink up the blimp like a certain old skunk."

While the aforementioned skunk, a Frenchman in green clothes scoffed in derision from the back of the room, Neyla fought hard at concealing her blushed face from her American classmate's flattery and praise of her. She had to admit that even though he was the snarky son of thieves, he could be quite the gentleman and the praise he gave her made her feel appreciated. Despite trying to shove the raccoon and his two friends away for two years, she came out of a shell that she had placed herself in since she was eight.

Having been abandoned at the doorsteps of an Indian orphanage in New Delhi before she could remember her parents, Neyla often got in trouble with both adults and fellow children for stealing extra food for herself and even personal items that caught her fancy. At one point, however, a raccoon woman visiting from the United States took an interest in Neyla and had even promised her that as soon as she discussed the terms with her husband and their son a year Neyla's junior, that she would be taken in as a part of their family. Later that year, though, Neyla sadly learned that both the kind woman and her husband had died, and it did not take long for her thieving ways to cross the line as far as the orphanage staff was concerned, who then threw her out to survive the streets on her own.

A few days passed, and it was then that Neyla tried to steal from Arpeggio, when the small parrot was visiting India on business. The brilliant leader of the Klaww Gang saw potential in the young tigress and sought to nurture her talent for himself, prompting Neyla to be taken under his wing. Although grateful and eager to learn the subtle art of manipulation in committing crime, Neyla's early bitterness resulted in her closing herself off from the rest of the world, which Arpeggio admittedly did not mind since he foresaw a future need to oppose his fellow Klaww Gang members via Neyla.

For a full year, that was Neyla's arrangement with Arpeggio, at least until he brought in new potential recruits that had caught his eye.

Arpeggio's first choice after Neyla was the French skunk, Cyrille Le Paradox. Apparently the latest in a long line of thieves, Cyrille had no other family left after his father was incarcerated in failing to steal the world's largest diamond, and given that he lacked a proper mentor, reluctantly signed on with Arpeggio to obtain the criminal education he needed.