Sly Cooper: Master of Thieves - Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Old Friends...

Date: 2013, September 23, 7:35 PM

Upon asking the question, Sly watched his friends all look around at each other. Their eyes were wide, knowing that they would have to tell Sly the deal they made to get him back.

"Sly, we were afraid to tell you about this." Carmelita started, earning a worried look from Murray and Bentley before she went on. "But to find you, we had to rely on someone we didn't know. Someone who claimed to know you very well."

Sly gave her a skeptical look, not entirely sure what it was she was getting at.

"Well, I mean, he clearly must know me very well, so he couldn't be that hard to figure out." He said, but he noticed Bentley's look of skepticism before he replied to Sly.

"Sly I researched all I could on whoever he is. And you of all people know when I researched something I make sure I get everything I can on them." He said, but he continued on. "But I couldn't find anything on who he could be."

Sly had grown worried about the state of his friends, since whoever this mysterious person was who contacted them, he had them spooked.

"I don't know what to tell you guys then." He said, though they all gave him an uncertain look. "I swear, whoever this person is, I have no idea who they could be. For as long as I can remember, the three of you have been the closest people in my life."

He wanted to say that what he remembered, though, was starting to change with what Sabas did to him. But he held back, as he wasn't sure how Bentley, Murray, or Carmelita would take that news if he told them.

"We believe you, Sly." Said Carmelita, who then gave him a uncertain look. "It's just..."

She stopped and Sly notice Bentley and Mary were looking at her with worried eyes, fully aware of what she was going to say next. Sly on the other hand quite perplexed.

"It's just what?" He asked her, who after a few moments of silence, looked up to him in the eye and told him flat out.

"He claimed you two were family." She said, her voice full of uncertainty, as she stared at Sly for an answer.

"What?" Sly responded, his face shocked at the words. "That's...that's..." he couldn't say impossible, as to what was happening to his memories, he was starting to doubt that what he knew was true.

"We know. It doesn't add up." Said Bentley, who saw Sly was at a loss for words at the information. Although, the clever turtle had the wrong reasoning as to why.

"From the time I first started tracking all of you, I couldn't find any information on any of your families." Said Carmelita, who was trying to break the tension through explaining how what D.D said is unlikely. "As far as Interpol records were concerned, each one of you were orphans at an early age, your families having been dropped off the grid, or..."

She didn't say the last part, as she knew Sly knew firmly well what she meant.

"So you're saying, it is still a possibility their related?" Said Murray. who was following the conversation with uncertain eyes.

"That's the thing..." Said Bentley, before he turned and led the group out of the vault that once held the Thievius Raccoonus, "when we were in Egypt, somethings started to make since."

"How do you mean?" Asked Sly, who was behind them all as Bentley led them onward.

He took them through the island, until they at last arrived at his lab. Pulling up to one of the many computers, Bentley reached into his pocket, and pulled out a medallion, the same one Sly had noticed he had been looking over when he wasn't around. He then placed onto a pad that looked like some sort of scanner, before the pad glowed, and a holographic projector of the medallion appeared above it. It was large enough for everyone to see, and Bentley backed out to face everyone before he explained.

"From what I've gathered, this medallion originates from Egypt, which just so happened to be the birthplace of your ancestor Sly, Slytunkhamen. The same ancestor who wrote the Thievius Raccoonus, and would father the son who would build this very vault we are standing on right now!" He exclaimed, his enthusiasm from having met the ancestor shining through, before he went back to a more calm state to go on. "At first, I thought that this medallion could have belonged to Slytunkhamen, that maybe it was something of his that whoever D.D is could have inherited. But," he then turned around and clicked a button, as the the hologram then rotated to show off the front of the medallion, which Sly recalled seeing somewhere before, "this symbol doesn't match anything known to have existed in Slytunkhamen's, or any Cooper's, legacy."

Sly stepped past Murray and Carmelita, as he recognized the symbol on the front of the medallion. It was a silver Cooper Cane, embedded inside the golden medallion. The same medallion that Sly remembered...

"Vimenhotep wore that medallion." He said, everyone turning to look at him in surprise and confusion.

"What?" Asked Murray and Carmelita, Bentley's eyes widening upon realizing what Sly was getting at.

"When we were alone talking," the raccoon started, "he had a medallion around his neck he would rub to remind himself of his family. He told me it was his only gift from his father he hung onto, something that he held precious to him above anything else."

He stopped, before he gave a puzzled look as he looked toward Bentley.

"Bentley, how did you get a hold that?" He asked his friend, who's eyes had grown wide upon connecting the pieces of why the medallion was so important to D.D. Murray and Carmelita, who also were starting to piece together what all meant, glanced at one another in shock.

"D.D gave it to us." Bentley said, before he then turned swiftly to his computer, and began typing furiously into his keyboard. "Of Course! Why didn't I see it before! D.D isn't someone related to you Sly from your legacy..."

"But they could be from Vimenhotep's, or another Cooper relative's legacy." Sly finished, the Gang now realizing why D.D had an interest in Sly, and even more, why he said they wee related. Although the group weren't aware at how close the relation was, the Gang nonetheless were filled with enthusiasm at having figured out who D.D could be.

"So, if we trace the siblings or relatives of Cooper's throughout history, we might be able to figure out who D.D could be from them?" Asked Carmelita, who was anxious to figure out the name of her kidnapper so she could get some well deserved revenge on him.

It's possible," said Bentley, who was furiously typing into his keyboard before he went on, "however, records show that many of the relatives of Coopers fade from history, to the point that now, many alive may not even know about who they are descendants of."

"So, what does that mean?" Asked Murray, who was looking at the amulet as it continued to spin around for them to see.

"Well, it would mean that whoever is aware of their family connection, and judging from the age of the medallion," Bentley stopped, before he turned to look at the others as he continued, "the best guess would be they are a direct descendant of Vimenhotep himself. Just as you are a direct descendant of Slytunkhamen Sly."

"I'm...not sure to be thrilled, or kind of disturbed by that." Said Sly, who looked about the Gang and saw what they all were thinking the same thing.

In that, if D.D was anything like his ancestor, then they imagined him being just as he was. Cunning, full of pride, and every bit as wicked as him. Although, Sly had a different take on the ancestor compared to the others, Sly knowing that he was just conflicted, and that he was only acting that way to keep others safe. Could this D.D have been doing the same? For him, and his friends?

Sly's thoughts were cut off, however, when Murray then slammed his fists together in enthusiasm.

"Nice! So, now that we have an idea of who D.D could be, how do we find him?" He asked, looking about the Gang for answers.

Carmelita looked to Bentley, who gave a perplexed answer as he gestured to Sly, who still held the note in his hand.

"Sly, did the note hold any information on where, or how, we can find D.D?" Bentley asked Sly,who held up the note and looked it over as he spoke.

"No, at least, not from what I see here." Sly said, as he looked over the note a second time. "All it says mainly is that he has the Thievius Raccoonus and that he is looking to forward to meeting us."

Bentley then held his hand for Sly to hand him the note, to which he did, and Bentley looked it over himself.

"I'm not seeing any sign of a code or anything to say some coordinates here." He commented, before handing the note back to Sly, who took and shoved it in his pocket.

"Well, how are we supposed to meet him if he doesn't-" said Carmelita, before she was cutoff by a loud ping that echoed in the lab, Bentley looking up in confusion before C.I.V.A.I, the artificial intelligence Bentley installed on the island to help him manage, spoke in a courteous voice.

"Bentley, the aircraft that arrived before you left has just returned. Shall I give them permission to land?" She said, Bentley confused by what she said. Sly, having never heard the artificial intelligence before, was likewise blown away by the voice.

"Wow! Was that an AI? Bentley, you made your own AI while I was gone?" Sly asked enthusiastically, before he noticed the confused looks on his friends before Bentley responded.

"Yeah, it took some time, but because I'm awesome, it was easy." He said proudly before he returned his attention to what C.I.V.A.I said. "C.I.V.A.I, who's aircraft is it?"

"The aircraft is owned by the same person who visited before you left, Bentley." She said sweetly, Bentley still not sure who she was referring to. "He wouldn't give his name, only that he and his friend represented someone named D.D. An odd name for someone to be labeled D.D-"

C.I.V.A.I was cut off when Bentley, shocked at the news, grabbed the amulet from the pad and shoved it in his pocket, careful to not damage it to much in the hurry. He then spun around and typed some more on his keyboard, before he spoke to the AI again.

"C.I.V.A.I, have them land in the southern side of the island. It's time we meet who D.D is." He said, before he pushed one last button on a keyboard and turned to face the others.

The Gang, looking at Bentley with the same anticipation he held, followed him out as he led them to the landing bay on the south side of the island.

As they walked up the ramp toward the landing pad, the Gang saw the aircraft that had just landed. It looked like a cross between a jet and a cargo plane, as the aircraft was very expensive looking and was in a rich metal color scheme. The aircraft had thrusters on its wings and on its tail, and it reminded the Gang of one of those high tech spy planes seen in the movies countless times. It was fairly large, about the size of a private jet, and it looks to be geared for travel and comfort over combat. Overall, the Gang could tell that whoever D.D was, he had one heck of a corporate backing.

As the approached, they saw that the door to the plane open up, and a staircase descended down from it. It came down carefully slow, until at last his the pad, just as the engines to the aircraft dies down. The Gang stood poised and ready, as they saw someone step out of the plane and began walking down the stairs.

To their surprise, it looked to be a raccoon almost like Sly, but he was smaller and his hair was much more puffy. His fur was a dark brown and black, and he looked to be at least in his early twenties. He was wearing a yellow hoodie underneath a black jacket, though the hood itself was down for the moment. He had on some dark blue jeans, and some black and yellow combat boots as well. Around his neck, he was wearing some scratched dog collars that looked worn and having been through a lot. On his head, he wore a black short cap, and he had a black outline around his eyes as well. He had eyes that were an aqua color, and he had a cheery smile on his face as he came down the stairs.

Overall, he kind of look liked a younger, a bit more street worn, version of Sly, and the Gang gave a glance at their raccoon and the one that was approaching them down the stairs. From next to him, Sly heard Carmelita whisper to him.

"Uh, looks like you got a fan." She said, giving him a nudge in the rib, which gave him a smirk before they saw the brown coon coming down stop, seeing the Gang, and holler out loud.

"Wow! It's really you!" He said, before he raced down the ramp and came rushing up to them, before stopping as he saw Bentley had his finger raised and was hovering over a key on his computer.

"Hey, hey! Not one step closer." Bentley said, the brown coon, who the gang could see was a subspecies of raccoon and not an actual one, stopping suddenly upon seeing the turtle speak sternly. "I gave your vehicle permission to land, so don't think I am not going to take some precautions in you greeting us."

"Oh, come on Bentley, he's just a kid." Said Sly, who nudged the turtle in a tease, but Bentley gave him a skeptical look before they heard the coon answer them.

"Hey, I'm 23!" He said to them, before he took a step back and raised his hands in a surrender. "Besides, I'm not the one who is in charge."

"Then who is?" Asked Carmelita, who had her hand on her gun by her waist at the ready.

"That would be me." Said a voice on top of the stairs of the aircraft.

Looking behind the young coon that had approached them, they saw a red panda on top of the stairs of the aircraft's doorway. As he walked downward, they saw he was wearing a slim gray formal jacket with a white collared shirt underneath. He had a black belt around his waist, and he was wearing some formal gray pants as well, with some black combat shoes on as well. His fur was a red-orange, and the Gang could see his species was of a red panda. His eyes were a light brown, like clean sand almost, and he was not smiling unlike his friend when he came down the stairs. Overall, he reminded the Gang of some sort of spy and one very tough doctor, as you can tell that while he definitely was dressed nice, you knew from his build and look he was a man on a mission.

And right now, they were his mission.

As he stepped off the final step and neared the Gang, Bentley raised his finger again and had it hover over the button on his keyboard in anticipation.

"Hey, I wouldn't let your friend get close to us, don't think I won't let you do the same." He warned, but the red panda only kept coming closer, as he reached up and held his finger to his ear, and spoke.

"C.I.V.A.I, activate code 46275. Pass-code, Timing." He calmly said, and Bentley was shocked but as he approached closer, he was left with no choice and he pushed the button...

Only, nothing happened.

The Gang looked to Bentley, who then began spamming the button as the red panda came closer. The younger coon joined him, until the two were only two meters away from the Gang. Seeing the button wasn't working, Carmelita then reached into her belt and pulled out her pistol before she aimed it at the red panda. The duo stopped, and the red panda held his arm down to have the other coon stop, who looked up at the red panda with uncertainty.

"Not one step closer!" Demanded Carmelita, the red panda giving her a blank stare while the brown coon looked between her gun and the red panda with worry.

Bentley, tired of spamming the button, gave up before he then looked at the red panda and demanded to know what he just did.

"What did you do? How did you access C.I.V.A.I?" He questioned the red mammal, who turned and looked the turtle dead in the eye before he answered.

"We have had access to your systems since the moment you first started using them. C.I.V.A.I was no different." He said calmly, before he returned his attention to Carmelita. "Your pistol as well has been modified to not be able to fire at us as well."

"Oh yeah?" Carmelita said, before she pulled the trigger, aiming just to the left of the red mammal to give him a warning shot.

But, her gun jammed, and she tried pushing the trigger again. Again, it made a sound that made sound like it was jammed.

"Huh, cool." Said the brown coon behind the red panda, but the red panda turned and shook his head at the smaller mammal, who went quiet after he was done with the gesture.

Returning his attention to the Gang, the red panda saw Carmelita furiously give up before she stashed the gun back in her belt, realizing that what he said was true regarding gun.

"Are you all done?" He asked the Gang, who gave him a glare before he took that as a yes and continued. "My name is Henry Rouse, my young friend here is Nick Johnson."

"Hi there!" Said Nick, waving his hand to the Gang, though it did little to lighten the dark mood that they were in.

"No doubt, you know why we are here." Said Henry, looking to Sly for an answer as he waited for one.

"I assume its not for the exotic sights?" Said Sly, hoping for a smile from the red panda. Henry wasn't fazed, though he saw Nick crack a smile at the joke.

"No." Henry said calmly, his voice cool before he continued. "The person you know as D.D has sent us to take you to him. I do not want to make this violent, but I understand you have hesitations."

"Oh, really?" Said Carmelita, her sarcasm not fazing Henry before she went on. "Why not explain how you got into the vault, apologize for kidnapping me, and explain the connection between D.D as a start."

The red panda nodded, before, surprisingly, he answered her questions.

"The technology used to built, modify, and upgrade the Cooper vault and the foundations you've built here were provided by us. Everything here that you used Bentley was supplied to you be myself, my colleagues, and D.D to help rebuild the Cooper Vault and the legacy lost here." He said, surprising the Gang before he went on. "We did not want to kidnap you Ms. Fox, but there was no other way to do so discreetly without raising alarms or tipping off your fellow officers. I do apologize, and me and D.D truly are sorry for that mess by the agents responsible."

He then gave a bow to Carmelita, a sympathetic one which, much to her surprise, she didn't expect one bit. Returning to his original stance, he then went on.

"As for D.D's relationship with you Sly, that is something you two should discuss in private. But to prevent any worries from the rest of you, Sly and D.D are cousins distantly and closely. As you might have suspected, D.D is descended from Vimenhotep himself, an irony in these times it seems that you two must unite at a trying moment." Henry said, the Gang rather shocked at his straightforwardness in explaining.

"Um...okay then." Said Carmelita, who was just as surprised as the rest of them at how forward Henry was with the information. Until she had second thoughts that was. "Wait, how do we know what your telling us is true at all?"

Henry smiled, the only facial expression he had made in his conversation with them.

"Isn't that the interesting part? You don't." He said, the Gang's uneasiness returning from his response before he continued. "But, if what happened in Egypt is any indication, you all are in need of allies more than ever."

The Gang again were surprised by what the red mammal said, Bentley began the first of questions for this knowledge.

"That was 3000 years ago, no way you could know about that?He questioned the red panda, but he turned and smiled before Carmelita then responded.

"Unless they're part of the group who were there!" She said, earning a frown from Henry before he replied.

"We are nothing like them, though they are a danger that now seeks to put an end to you all after what you did." He said, the Gang unfazed by his words to trust them. "But to the matter at hand, you have two options."

He held up one finger, before he spoke the first choice.

"Option one, you join me aboard our aircraft, where you all will be cared for, fed, well rested, and ready when we arrive at our stop. We will then escort you to the meeting point, where D.D will explain everything about his connection to Sly, his involvement with your lives, and return the Thievius Raccoonus to your care. After that, we'll tell you everything we know about the force you just faced, and the dangers you'd all face if you chose to not aid us now. You'd be free to do as you wish afterward, and we will not care what you choose to do with your lives anymore as we will agree to stop being involved." He concluded, earning a pause from the Gang, before he continued by holding a second finger and speaking.

"Or, me and my compatriot will leave, we will give back the book within a day, and we will never bother you all again." He said, before he folded his fingers and places his hands across one another in a formal fashion in front of him, patiently awaiting an answer.

The Gang glanced at one another, uncertain if he was telling the truth or not. Sly, seeking to learn answers one way or another, then asked Henry for himself.

"And how do we know you will stay true to your word?" He asked Henry, who smiled at Sly before he answered.

"Because for you, Sly, we would." He told Sly, as he awaited a response from the Gang, who looked about one another.

They knew they had to get the Thievius Raccoonus back one way or another, and while they could believe Henry's word that it would be returned if they chose not to join him, it was still hard to believe whither his word was true or not. If they accepted his offer, they would be on a trip toward answers, some of which they weren't sure they wanted to know, though they each had reasons one way or another. Whither it be to learn the truth about D.D's relation to Sly, this organization's influence over their lives, or to get the Thievius Raccoonus back and just walk away from it all, only one option seemed clear to them.

They all looked about one another, and as much as they hated it, they knew they had to trust Henry.

"How long will it be?" Asked Sly, who earned a smile from Henry before he turned and waved for them to follow.

To their surprise, Henry's promise was true, and the ride to the reunion was quite relaxing. On board the flight, the plane had separate bedrooms, each with their own bathrooms and spaces fit for each of the Gang. Sly's room had a bookshelf full of stories about thieves, criminals, and infamous bandits throughout history he can go through, as well as a small, ever-shifting acrobat's training structure he could use to practice on. Murray's room held, much to his surprise, his van which had been retrieved before leaving, a tool-shed he can use to fix up and repair the car, and a large space for food and drinks full of his personal choice. Bentley's space had a full computer station, a lab with some technology he saw wasn't even available on the market yet, as well as a library full of information he can access on a whim. Carmelita's room, much to her surprise, was filled with things to her liking as well, such as a punching bag, a whole desk full of information on wanted criminals and felons, and a small firing range she could use.

The attendants on the flight proved to be very kind and helpful, many of them interested in meeting the Cooper Gang in person. They served some of the greatest food the Gang and Carmelita had ever had, and always were talking about the fame and honor was to be able to help them in any way. Carmelita found it unnerving at time considering they were criminals and they were getting all this praise, but she was equally delighted when the crew on the plane also were aware of her own achievements and spoke about them with equal glee.

Nick Johnson, the young coon Henry had introduced them to, turned out to be young vigilante in training, who had heard of the Cooper Gang growing up and was anxious to meet them. The brown coon was quite enthusiastic, pulling up the Cooper Gang's more lesser known heists and speaking of them with grand praise at the skill and effort it took in them, even though the Gang knew most of them weren't actually that good. Nick explained that he was an orphan too as a kid, his parents leaving him behind before they went off for a theft and never returned. Nick said he learned they had been found dead a day later, having been assassinated by an unknown assailant, and that he recovered his dog-tags that belonged to his grandfather that his dad carried as a way of remembering them. He said that he was a capable fighter as well, using a pair of tonfas as his own signature weapon just as Sly used his cane, Murray his fists, and Bentley his high tech wheel chair. The Gang found him quite enjoyable, and Carmelita after while warmed up to the bright and emotional younger coon as well. However, upon asking what he knew of D.D, Nick said he wasn't allowed to say, as it was something he knew wasn't his to tell.

Henry Rouse, the mysterious red panda who approached them on the pad, proved to be an enigma on the flight. The Gang rarely saw him unless they were eating or he was speaking to one of the staff, and usually was about some kind of business or hush-hush topic. The Gang were met with silence when they asked about Henry, the only information they could get was that he and D.D are close, and that he is a good guy you can trust. Nick mentioned that Henry and the mysterious D.D have known each other longer than anyone else they'd know, the two practically growing up together. Upon asking what that means to them exactly, the Gang were told by Nick that if they can trust in Henry, then D.D would be much more easier to handle when they meet. Carmelita wanted to know what exactly Henry did for D.D, but Nick refused to say, telling her that what she should be more concerned about is what he hadn't done instead. Although, he did say he was a really good doctor, but other than that, not much else.

Sly had been having restless nights throughout the trip however, the flashbacks from before having become clearer and clearer. But as he lay down to sleep this time, he was met with a continuation of the last, a memory he never knew he had.

He was back in the closet, and in front of him, stood James Deviant, the dark raccoon who claimed to be his father's brother. His own uncle.

"Sly? It is Sly right?" He asked, his dark red eyes looking down at the young Sly, who stared up in terror and shock at the taller raccoon. He seemed bothered by Sly's hesitation to answer, as he let out a sigh before he then moved on. "Well, Sly Cooper, my name is James Deviant. Me and your father are brothers by blood. Evidently, I'm your uncle."

The young Sly remained unmoved, the terror and horror of seeing his parents butchered still leaving him in shock. James, seeming to be frustrated by Sly's continuous silence, then sighed again before he continued.

"Look, there's no easy way to say this, but your mother are father, their-" James was then caught off, as Sly and him heard footsteps approach.

They were lighter than James, and Sly could hear that they were wearing formal footwear like James. As he listened closer, Sly realized they weren't one, but two pairs of feet. One chasing another it seemed. Sly then heard one enter the house, before it came to a halt. The second pair then followed, and Sly heard a new voice he hadn't before speak.

"What are you doing? Your dad-" the second voice stopped, and Sly could only see the two pairs of legs that stood over his parents.

They both looked young, and Sly could tell they both were looking down at his dead parents. One was wearing black jeans with a red shirt and black leather jacket, the same colors as James it seemed. The other, however, was wearing a light gray pair of pants, and his shirt was a pale white from what showed from the zipped silver jacket he wore. Sly saw their shoes were the same kind as well, as they both looked to be athletic pairs of black shoes. But like before, he couldn't see their faces with now his self-proclaimed uncle in the way.

"Mr. Deviant, sir, I-" Sly heard the unfamiliar voice speak again, his legs turned to face Sly's uncle, or who claimed to be his uncle.

"What are you two doing here? I told you to wait in the car." Sly saw James say to the two figures who were over his parents, before Sly saw the one wearing gray pants then step around his parents and look at the closet.

"Yes, we were but D-" the second voice was cut off by Sly's uncle, who then growled before he spoke, his voice slow, serious, and full of command.

"Go back to the car. Now." He commanded, Sly seeing the individual in gray pants beginning to turn before they stopped, and asked Sly's uncle curiously.

"Mr. Deviant, is there someone in there?" Sly heard the voice ask, and Sly saw James Deviant then grip his father's cane tight before he answered.

"I'm dealing with it. Both of you, get back to the car. Now." He said again, his voice serious and filled with authority.

Sly saw the person in gray pants slowly approach, and Sly saw his uncle turn his back to him and block the closet. The person in gray pants was now in front of the closet, and he was right in front of James Deviant.

"Sir, he's traumatized and in shock. I know how to deal with this. Please." Sly heard the voice say, and Sly saw his uncle hold his father's cane tight as he answered.

"I have this under control, Hank." Sly heard his uncle say, and Sly saw the person in gray pants then reply, his voice suddenly serious and full of authority of his own.

"With respect sir, you have had me training in this field for years now. Please, let me help him. You know I can." Sly heard the unfamiliar voice say, and for several moments the two pairs of legs remained their facing one another. Then, Sly heard his uncle sigh, before he stepped out of the way and Sly saw the face of the other person.

His fur was red, and he looked to be in his mature teens, so around 13 or 14. He had light brown eyes, almost like dry-wood. His face was grim, and he approached Sly cautiously. Getting down on one knee, he then reached out with his hand, as if to shake Sly's own. He then smiled, though Sly heard his voice was still full of sadness.

"Hi there, kid. My name is Hank. But you can call me Henry. Henry Rouse."

Sly shot up in his bed, his mind unable to fathom what he just heard.

Henry Rouse? The same one he just met? He was there that night?

Sly's body was sweating, and he reached up and wiped the sweat from his brow as he breathed slowly to calm himself. It was then, as he looked up, he saw a familiar set of eyes looking at him in the darkness. Eyes the color of clean beach sand. Sly reached over and turned on the light next to his bed, and after his eyes adjusted to the dark, he saw it was the one person he honestly wasn't expecting to see him sleeping.

Henry Rouse.

"The dreams will get better. I swear." He said, that same calmness to him as before still there.

He was sitting in one of the chairs in Sly's room, and he was wearing a set of fancy pajamas, the kind you'd see someone living in a hotel might where. The bottom and the top was a pale white, and he was wearing a pair of gray slippers to go with it. His usual color scheme Sly had seen him as these past few days it seemed.

Sly paused, before he raised his finger, and pointed at him in a accusing manner.

"You were there. There that night my parents..." Sly stopped, as his mind then was hit by the familiar sharp pain he had been having for awhile now.

Henry then got up, before he went over the the mini-fridge in Sly's room and got him a glass of water. Returning to Sly, he then gave him the drank and sat back down in the chair he was in earlier. Sly then looked at the water then him, before Henry then gave him a gesture to drink the water. Sly gave him a stare of uncertainty, before Henry spoke.

"The water will help with the sweating. It's been specialty made to aid in combating dehydration and the sapping of liquid in the human body. Please, drink." He said, again gesturing for Sly to take a sip.

Sly gave him a brief glare, before he looked at the water. It was a sort of pale blue, not like ocean water, more like flavored water he had tried before. Taking a sip, he found it tasted like tea, and he then slowly finished the glass. When he was done, he set it down on the night stand next to him, and he did find himself to have stopped sweating and feeling much better.

"Your welcome." Said Henry, who Sly saw was still in the chair, watching him intensely before Sly continued from earlier.

"You were there when the aftermath happened." Sly said, looking at Henry with uncertain eyes. Henry nodded, before Sly went on. "Why?"

"Would you have ever believed me if I told you?" Henry replied, Sly pausing for a few second before shaking his head no. "You needed to see for yourself what happened that night. Not for any of the others, but for yourself."

Sly paused, as he waited to catch his breathe and clam down some more before answering. Henry waited in kind, patiently waiting for Sly to respond.

"How did you know about the flashbacks? Or that this was happening to me?" Sly asked him, Henry waiting for Sly to give him his full attention before responding.

"When you were struggling the first night you were here in your sleep, I held suspicions. I watched you the next night, and deduced that it was the likely explanation for it." He said, Sly shaking his head at the obscurity of it all.

I thought that you would in time remember them over the coming years, as was the original intention when I helped you to get over their deaths. But..." he stopped, and Sly saw him smile, as if amused by his situation, "it seems someone has hidden them away from you, and now has revealed them once again."

Sly was unsure how to respond to that, and so he simply said the person responsible for doing this to begin with.

"Sabas Gladde. He was there back in Egypt. He claimed that I needed to remember, and that doing this to me would help me uncover the truth about that night. And be ready for whatever is to come." Sly said, watching as Henry took in the news. The red panda was unfazed, his peaceful manner making Sly uncomfortable.

"That does seem likely. Sabastian was always one to set up the pieces first, then make his play to win in one fell swoop. It stands to reason, due to his great supernatural power, he has forced you to recall memories thought locked away long ago. What his intention is, however, will never be known it seems." Henry stated, Sly lost at what all he had said.

"Sabastian? You know Sabas Gladde? How?" Sly questioned, his mind becoming clearer now as he listened in on what the red panda would say.

"Knew. And yes, for a time." Henry said, before he then got up and walked over to the window that was in Sly's room. He pulled it open a crack to look outside, the dark of the night sky and the moon light up his face.

"How? Do you know his connection to my father? To me?" Sly asked, and he saw Henry then close the curtain before he walked over to Sly's bed and stood over him.

From in his bed, the red panda was imposing over Sly, who Sly found at his full height was an inch or two more then Carmelita. He had his hand resting on Sly's bed, and he spoke with a concern Sly had never heard him speak over these past days.

"All your answers will come, Sly, I swear to you. Know this," he said, before he then placed his hand on Sly's shoulder, the feeling somehow comforting to Sly, "these flashbacks will become at times as clear as day, and other times as hazy as the thickest fog. You'll be left with no answers, and at other times, questions with easy solutions. They will take a toll on you, of that you have already seen, but you must not forget that you are not, nor have you ever been, alone. Your friends were chosen to help you, not because of what they could achieve, but because of how they will help you exceed. Do you understand this?"

Sly at first was hesitant, unsure of what exactly Henry was meaning in what he said. But, for some reason, he was filled with a familiar trust, as if something about Henry made him feel like he would be okay. Like what he said, however cryptic it was, was true and sympathizing. Maybe it was the tampering with his mind, or the strange reawakening of his memories, but he somehow, for some reason, believed Henry.

"I...do." Sly told him, the words somehow truthful to him, as if he knew they were always there, and yet, he never spoke them until now.

Henry smiled, Sly seeing the joy in his face at the acceptance of this. He then spoke softly, and Sly found himself focused as he told him.

"We'll be there soon. For now, rest up my friend. You are in for one long, well overdue reunion." He said, before Sly suddenly felt him tap his fingers on Sly's shoulder than on his neck rapidly and with force.

And Sly fell asleep, a victim to one of many skills he would learn the doctor had. And the first into just what exactly Henry Rouse was capable of when the time called for it...

Some links to characters coming into play to the story...

Henry Rouse - Appearance = art/Henry-Rouse-Appearance-587943499

For those wanting to imagine how Henry sounds, as a voice acting perspective, Bradley Cooper is who I imagined playing him reason being is you'll find Henry to be a very wise and calm individual, who knows how to put people at ease when the time comes. But you'll learn why he is not talked about that much later in the story, and why if you listen to Bradley Cooper when he's calm and furious he's a perfect match.

Nick Johnson - Appearance = art/Point-Commission-Nick-512323836

For Nick Johnson, the voice actor I envisioned him would be Jesse McCartney who, if you ever listened to him when he's not singing, I found a good pick for the upbeat and rather enthusiastic nature you'll see in Nick in the story. Though he is meant to represent the influence the Cooper Gang and others have on a new generation, you'll see why Nick is also a capable in training, as he too will have his moments to shine.

Also, Nick Johnson was the creation of fellow writer KingNCP on Deviantart, with some tweaks and changes by myself for his role in this series.