Sly Cooper 5: Promises Made By Thieves

Chapter 56: McSweeney

When Thornel and I went down to exchange some money at the bank, I learned Thornel and the bank teller had an understanding of sorts.

"Who's this with you?" he asked. I read the nametag "Tafi".

"A new friend. Here to help us out. Came with Dimitri Lousteau."

"Ah." Tafi rolled his eyes. "Friend of his would never be so uncooth to be undercover."

"Trust me," I said. "I've been in prison for 20 years. I have no love for cops, especially the ones who have been taking-"

Tafi shushed me. "Not so loud in these parts, mi amigo. Now, what business do we have, Mr. Kaz?"

Thornel gave a wad of bills and Tafi's eyes twinkled. "You realize because of rough measures I can't give you quite as much in return. Will be a bit of a hefty fee but I'll try to make it up to you later."

"And we'll work to make sure you can," Thornel replied.

After the exchange, Tafi thought to himself for a second and supplied us with a coat. "Apparently this shrunk in dry cleaning and they had no use for it anymore. A lot of trouble went to get it. If you get caught, I had nothing to do with it."

I display the shrunk officer uniform.

"Good job, you two!" exclaims Bentley. "With the outfit and the badge we could blend in and get inside. It would probably fit Carmelita or Sly. So who should do it?"

Neither of them comment on that, and instead make eye contact with each other before looking away.

"It would probably be best if Sly does it," says Carmelita finally.

"Why?" Sly asks.

She shrugs. "I haven't seen any female rogue officers. It would probably be suspicious. Besides, once you get in, you could blow a hole or something and we can join you later."

"That's...logical Carmelita, thank you," says Bentley awkwardly.

Things have been really tense between them since their fight. Carmelita had even insisted on a job away from Sly and his pickpocketing during the juice gig.

"Maybe the two of you should talk things out," I blurt.

"We have," mumbles Carmelita huffily. And I've just multiplied the awkwardness, I now realize. But I'm now in the trench and I can't stop. I look to Thornel and see him slowly nod.

"It...It's going to probably be hard for me to find someone interested in me," I say. "I personally think you guys should maybe think a little bit more before deciding things won't work out for you. The two of you are...luckier than you think"

Carmelita sighs and rolls her eyes. "Against my better judgment, I'm here working together with you, even though that lying ringtail refuses to understand my feelings. Believe me, I've had to go through a lot of searching and healing since London."

I was going to talk about what Thornel and I talked about on our walk back, but I see now it's not going to be that way. Bentley decides to tell everyone that tomorrow morning Sly will go in and be in connection with us, we'll supply him with some of his EMP blasters, and we all go to bed early.

What I wanted to talk about to the gang was something I'd been meaning to chat with someone about for a while. Ever since our Truth or Dare game, really. After years of thought, I realized one day I was homosexual. I was never going to be able to ask out any of my friends. I had some close ones over the years but most of them got eventually transferred or released, and even though I kept in shape, keeping my head down was always the best way to survive. After hearing Bentley and Penelope's story, as well as the unfolding one between Sly and Carmelita, I have a faint suspicion the Cooper gang might be kind of cursed in terms of finding love.

I've never told anyone, not even Branwell while we were cellmates. That is, until I told Thornel when we were walking back from Tafi's bank.

It just kind of fell out during our talk.

"You know," I said to him, "everyone I've seen has shown real respect for you."

"Oh?" he said with a lightly prideful grin.

"Most ogres are not seen as approachable, but you've really supported the community here and no one seems to be afraid of you. Me, on the other hand..."

"What's so scary about you?" He said it with total sincerity.

"Well, I have these tattoos all over me, and one of my tusks is completely cracked. I mostly got the tattoos to be taken seriously on the field and in jail, because I had to. That's the business I've been in."

"But you have a great smile." I just about stopped where I was. I couldn't believe he said that to me. He sensed my disagreement and kept going. "Branwell told me on our walk to the wall how you protected him and took him under your wing in prison. And Sly told me about how you wanted to adopt him after his family tragedy. You seem tremendously sweet to me."

That was what did it. I grinned passively and said, "I guess it would make sense I am gay then."

This time it was Thornel's turn to nearly stop. I felt my veins pulsing. As I said, I've never told anyone that, and I realized maybe this was a mistake. "...Have you ever told anyone else that?" he finally asked.

"...No," I said quietly.

I thought I could faintly see him blush too, but he then shook his head and took a breath. "I'm glad you could tell me that. You should let the rest of the gang know."

"...What makes you say that?"

"They don't seem like the type of people who would mind. And Dimitri, knowing him, will want to shower you with new things to wear."

I rolled my eyes. "I'm the last person who would ever want apparel advice from someone as over the top as him."

"My point still stands. They're going to be happy to hear it, and you'll be able to feel what it's like to really be free from prison."

I'm lying in my sleeping bag in Thornel's house, unable to fall asleep as I ponder this. Since leaving jail, I've honestly been doing pretty well. I saved Sly in Ancient Egypt, I saved Branwell from drowning and I'm about to save an entire country from an underground army. If I can do that, surely I can be myself in the world too.