Chaper 2

AN:  IMPORTANT THINGS HERE!
This "___________" is the sign of scene-switch ! 
And in this chapter, Carmelita is getting ready for the maskball. 
So here are the pictures of her dress and mask! 
And i am sorry there isn't cute scene between those two, BUT look forward to the third chapter! I've got great plans muhaha >:'D 

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Sly came back to the safe house after a fun night he had with, stealing money and gold behind from those guards on the streets. Jumping from roof to roof. And last but not least, he stole a kiss from Carmelita. He laughed a bit of how angry she was and he didn't forgot how wonderful that kiss was. He felt a bit twist in his stomach recalling the pictures in his head, but he couldn't really tell if he really was in love with her or not. All he could tell that she was difinetely beautiful and everything about her was just amazing. Never had he seen such a strong inspector with such a courage. She'll never be ugly in his eyes, no matter what kind of words she would throw at him. Women...They are just like that. They show anger, but they are easy to melt. Especially with Carmelita. He knew exactly where he should 'press her buttons'. 

"Sly! What took you so long?" The little turtle with glasses asked in concern. "I thought you won't be back at all!" 

"Yea! I was starving, but i couldn't eat! I was really afraid that the scary inspector fox took you to the jail"  the purple hippo qucikly began to eat after a relief of Sly had returned. 

Sly laughed at his friends' comments. "Oh you guys! I am fine! I just had fun this night." He sat down in his chair leaving his cane beside him. 

"After my research i found out that some of the pieces of clockwerk is actually close to us".

"Bentley, do you say we can find it that easy?" Sly asked. 

"I am 90 % sure, but i need more time to do research." Bently answered, deeply concentrated on his screen and didn't turned back to Sly. 

"Very well..." Sly sighed and laid back in his chair with his feet up at the table. All the energy of what he used through the night, made him to close his eyes. He was looking forward for the mission for the clockwerk pieces. What he most were looking forward to, was to see Carmelita again. He smiled by the thought of it. 

___________

Carmelita walked back and forth in her apartment. Took the handcuffs she forgot and threw them harsh on the floor. "I've should had shoot him when  got the chance! I...I...I..Aaarg!!! That idiotic ringtail! How could he? He's going to regret what he had done to me!" She recalled the pictures of what happened and just the thought of it made her want to throw up. That ringtail kissed her..AGAIN! Her imagination was to punch that ringtail to the ground but her stomach twisted alot when she thought about the kiss. That made her confused and she was about to pull her hair off. She hated the thought of how he tricked her, but she couldn't really deny that kiss was so...Good. 

She threw herself down on her couch and a heavy sigh escaped her mouth. All of that anger made her really tired. It has been a harsh night for her. Everything went wrong and she couldn't bear with it all. 

The time showed 02:00 AM, only two hours ago the whole thing went wrong. She cursed herself AND Sly for that. How could she be that naive?  

She really wanted to sleep, but she couldn't. The disgusting picture of Sly kissed her, repeated in her heard over and over. The worst was her stomach twisted alot and she could feel her cheeks boilied up. How could she blush just like that? She didn't liked it! But she couldn't deny it either! Something was going on through her feelings and head. It wasn't the first time she got kissed by him, nor was it the first time she got tricked. The 'wierd thing' had probaly grown as time had passed. 

She shook her head. There wasn't time for solving that wierd puzzle. She should be back for working in few hours and speak of that, the Interpool have maskball at the evening. That made her more stressful. She promised her boss for coming and join the party with them. She even had everything ready, but she felt so weak for working and the maskball. 

"I guess i don't have any choice" She sighed and chosed to close her eyes. The picture of Sly kept playing in her head, but she was too exhausted so she didn't even cared about it...Fow now. 

___________

It was around 03:00 PM. And the team had left their safe house for the mission. After a good sleep , they were fresh to start the mission Bently had planned. 

"Alright guys! Interpool has an event this evening. The maskball will be around 06:00 PM. That means in three hours. The clockwerk pieces is in the ball room and the Interpool doesn't know about it. But there is an secret agent who works for the bad guys, they are after the same. So we need to get it before they do."  

"So Bently, who are those bad guys?" Sly asked. 

"It's a group wich is called 'underground'" Bently typed the hack code into their data and files. "As i see here, it is a group of ten members and their leader is a very dangerous person who has a devious plan to get the clockwerk pieces. Their plans are to put these pieces together and take over the world. I think they probaly are linked with Clockwerk somehow, but i don't know exactly why. The important is, we HAVE to get the pieces before they do". 

"Wow sounds devious.." Sly commented. 

"I am so ready to punch those guys!" Murray said in exitement. 

"Murray, you have to hold it for now. We must do it carefully, if we get busted by this group AND the interpool, we are pretty much screwed." 

"So how shall we do it, Mr. Brain?" Sly asked. 

"First before the ball starts, you have to take som pictures of the area around. Try to find some clues. And Murray, you hold an eye of any kind of guards, punch them down if you see them, BUT be careul. The Interpool office isn't far from here." 

"I am ready! I'll take care of our raccoon friend and i shall punch them ALL down!" 

"Well...As for now! But you wouldn't have the chance when the ball starts. You and i should go another place  and Sly, you have a mission i think you would love". 

"Yes?" Sly asked. 

"Carmelita will obviously come to the ball tonight. You have to dress in a way so no body would regonize you. And try to keep Carmelitas attention while Murray and i going to try to get the pieces." 

"Carmelitas attention? Piece of cake! Bently, thank you so much for giving me this role, you're the best!" Sly said  loved the thought of another chance to get close to Carmelita. "You sneaky devil, don't get too exited. Your 'charm' shall not be regonized at all AND you have to act like a gentleman". Bently made his words pretty clear to Sly. 

"I understand. You know me Bently, i am pretty good at acting". 

"But Bentley! What about the other guards?" Murray asked in concern. 

"The guards doesn't react if Carmelita isn't orders them do to. If she isn't there her boss will" 

"Wow, Carmelita must be a great 'dollmaster'" Sly commented. 

"Yea, she is difinitely good at it" 

"A beautiful 'dollmaster'" 

"Well....I don't have a taste for foxies"

"Guys, enough with Carmelita, now it's time for work!" Bentley interrupted "Has everyone got their mission in place?" 

"Yes" Murray and Sly answered at the same time. 

"Alright team! Let's go!". Bently ordered. He rolled ahead with his wheelchair to a place where he could continue his research. 

Murray and Sly sneaked around the area for some clues. 

___________
Meanwhile, Carmelita was on her way to her apartment. Her work today was okay, not that bad, but not that good either. Unfortunatly she was five minutes late, but the boss didn't said anything. Instead, he was pretty serious about the updates about Sly Cooper. In shame she was forced to tell that he escaped once again. Ofcourse, she kept the kissing part for her self. It wouldn't be a good idea, if the boss found out, there were something unprofessional going on. In fact, Sly and her were difinitely not a couple! The thought made her shiver and she was so thankful she isn't in love with him at all... Or is she? 

She shook her head and tried to avoid the wierd thoughts. She knew something wierd was going trough her, but as she decided last night, there was no time for solving it at all. Now she got the chance to leave all of her private thoughts behind and take the professional mask on. She actually looked forward to it. Welcome drinks, delicious food and deserts. Maybe a gentleman for dancing. That would be amazing, so she could draw her attention in another guy than that arrogant ringtail. 

She noticed the clock and there was only 2 ½ hours back before the maskball started. She quickly went into her apartment and took all the stuff she buied for few days ago. She made a deal with her self, that she should look wonderful tonight. It would be a shame if she saw other females were looking better than her. Not because she wanted to be more beautiful than others, she just didn't liked to be 'an outsider'. Besides, she should get some attention from some lovely gentlemen.  

"I hope that ringtail stays away this time. He better not be showing up. Arg! Stupid arrogant, filthy idiot" She mummered in the shower and even addded more bad words for Sly. Even if she actually didn't want to think about him, the rest of her anger were still boiling in her blood. Luckily the warm water ran down at her fox fur and it felt amazing. It made her more relaxed. Nothing could bother her right now, excpet her memories, but they were just thougths wich is supose to be washed away.  

After 20 minutes of cleaning herself, she was ready to make herself up. She took some underwear and stockings out from her closet.  For this kind of dress she didn't needed a bra. She fell in love with it at the first sight in a shop. A darkish blue dress with old-time details

but it wasn't a dress she would wear on normally. Since it was a maskball theme, luckily the dress matched pretty well. 'As finest as possible' was the boss' words. The dress was expensive too and if the ball wouldn't last whole night long, she would difinitely had refused to pay for a one-night-dress. And why exactly Interpool had planned this ball, she didn't knew, but haven't cared to ask either. 

She didn't really put any makeup on her face, since she would have a mask on. She carefully choosed one mask that actually was comfortable to wear. But for the sakeness she took some of her makeup and packed it down in her purse. 

After drying her long curly hair, she used some hair product to burst up her curls. She decided to let her hair be loose this time.  

She put her mask on and she was surprised by the sight of,  how beautiful everything looked on her. The mask helped alot. Since her hair and dress are darkish blue, the mask was black, so she had different color tones on her. And her fur color didn't even matter, because the other colors had already taken over. 

Her fox tail was hided under her dress, so only the tip could be seen.  Her shoes was black ballet shoes. She prefered flat this time, because last time she had high heels on, her feet drived her crazy. 

She was almost ready and there was only one hour back. "Wow time's running fast i better be quick". She said while she was packing the last things down. 

Unfortunatly she hadn't enough place for the shock pistol, but she hided another kind of pistol in her stockings under the dress. She made sure she would be able to move around and dance without it would fall anywhere. Thanks to the kind of design the stockings had. Strong and elastic. 

The last but most important was the handcuffs. Luckily she had enough space in her purse for those. IF the ringtail should show up, she didn't forgot those this time. 

Carmelitas was ready for the big exiting evening. "Time for leave all thoughts behind and meet new people" she mummered to herself with a smile. A few extra touches with jewelry and she was out of her apartment. 

___________

Murray had punched five guards down and Sly found some good clues to take picture of. 

They both went back to Bently who had done alot of research. 

Bently transfered the pictures into the computer and looked through them. 

"Good job, boys! Now those clues can possibly be my good match for the research!" He looked through them and it seemed pretty positive. 

"Sly! There is only one hour back for the masball. Go and hurry up for preparing yourself as a gentlemand AND keep in your mind, you are on a mission! Not a date, okay?!" 

"Understood Mr.Brain! I shall try my best." Bentley didn't made to answer him back, before he dissapeard. 

Bently shook his head and continued the plan with Murray. He could tell that the plan was going very well until now, but there was 50 % for things would end up wrong.