Sly Cooper- Time and Time Again

Like Clockwerk

Sly felt a firm hand on his shoulder, yanking him from his thoughts. He blinked, mildly surprised by the sudden contact, and whirled around to meet Murray's eyes. His friend looked slightly worried, and recoiled a bit when he came to attention. "You okay, pal? You haven't said anything for, like, twenty minutes."

Sly froze, taking a brief moment to assess his surroundings. The four of them were in the van. Carmelita and Bentley were in the front, having a conversation he had ultimately failed to follow; Murray had probably been a part of it, but had either fallen behind or lost interest (both were remarkably easy to do when talking to Bentley). That was when he had noticed Sly's unusual silence.

"Yeah," he finally answered, acting like nothing was out of the ordinary. That they weren't in the Paris of 1992, that they weren't lying in wait for one of the biggest events in Sly's life, right outside of his childhood home.

"Mm..." Murray looked like he wanted to give one of his classic "Supportive Friend" speeches, but had quickly decided against it. Ever since they had arrived in this time period, everyone was acting strange, especially around Sly. In all honesty, Sly would have genuinely appreciated one of his ramblings right about then.

Looking up front, peeking over Murray's shoulder, Sly noticed Bentley craning his neck to see outside the front windshield, staring up at the night sky apprehensively and barely listening to Carmelita. He had always been a bit of an alarmist, but the lack of planning, time, and a safehouse had him abnormally jittery. Not to even mention the fact that what they would do that night would most definitely change the course of history.

"Any sign of him?" Carmelita had begun looking out at the empty sky as well, aiding Bentley's search.

"No," he responded, almost bitterly. He tapped his fingers nervously on the steering wheel. "Do you see any of the other four?"

"Nope. Do you think they'd come together?"

"Highly unlikely. They live in different locations around the world, so a group arrival is almost entirely out of the question. And we all know how Cl-" The name caught in his throat. In the present, saying it was acceptable since he was dead and gone. But now, when the threat was once again very real and on its way, it seened forbidden. "Um... We know how he'll arrive." It was apparent in his voice that he was dreading the appearance. Sly had told them countless stories of horrible things that came after Clockwerk's silhouette was spotted against the moon, so no wonder Bentley wasn't looking forward to witnessing it for himself.

Murray shifted anxiously. His natural hatred for the Fiendish Five and his less natural affinity for violence would make for a deadly combination for their incoming guests. He was desperate to sock a bad guy right in the face, which was likely why he perked up slightly when Carmelita spoke again. However, her grave tone of voice made for a mood much more serious than the potential thrill of the fight. "The Panda King's here."

Everyone went dead silent, almost like speaking would incite the enemy to attack, despite the fact he had yet to know they were there. The Cooper Gang had made a temporary alliance with him in the future- however reluctantly- so they knew he made a change for the better. But that was years from now, and this was a stonier, more brutal menace to China. He was waiting for his cohorts in the shadows across the street, but his presence alone managed to shake them all. He was the evidence that this was all real.

"Bentley, what's our plan of attack, again?" Sly spoke steadily, but his voice had an air of seriousness about it. Bentley, however, took a moment to recover.

"I, uh..." He stammered at first, but cleared his throat and attempted to speak with more confidence. "Murray and Carmelita go in first, right behind the Five, to cause a distraction. Hopefully with Murray's brute force and Carmelita's weaponry, they'll be able to temporarily hold their own if things get messy, which they likely will. My job is to make sure the Coopers vacate the premises and aren't involved in any fighting. It's ill-advised that Sly interact with any of them, but if there's a slip-up, we should be fine as long as it isn't himself he encounters.

"Once that's taken care of, I'll give the signal for Sly to come down from upstairs, and he and I will come to the others' side. Our main goal is to apprehend them, but if worse comes to worse..." He drifted off before continuing. "If worse comes to worse, certain casualties can be overlooked. When all is said and done, the newly present abnormalities in the timeline- us- should correct themselves, and, well, only time will tell what happens then." The last bit was an attempt at lighthearted humor, but it fell flat.

"There's Ruby." Murray pointed out the window at the alligator, who was eyeing the Cooper household almost hungrily upon arrival, eager to get her hands on the Thievius Raccoonus.

"Are you sure you guys want to do this?" Sly suddenly asked, warranting questioning gazes from his friends.

"Uh, yeah?" Murray acted like the answer was obvious.

Carmelita's expression was almost irritated, like someone who had explained a concept numerous times, but still couldn't get the point across. "If it's important to you, it's important to us, Ringtail. That's how it works."

"Besides," Bentley interjected, "I did have time to implement a backup plan if things go awry "

This got a smile out of Sly, who laughed condescendingly. "You had me drop a piece of paper into our old bedroom window."

"Fine, not the most elegant plan, but it should be effective enough."

"Right." Sly seemed slightly more at ease now, but not entirely. In the time their brief discussion had occurred, both Muggshot and Raleigh had made their debut. That left only one more...

"Whatever happens," he continued, "I just want you guys to know that you're my best friends/girlfriend, and... I don't know where I'd be without you. So... Thank you."

His partners in crime would have made some sort of remark, but as he finished, an all-too familiar shadow pressed up against the moonlit night.