Sly Cooper

I reached the exit grate and stopped and rested both hands on the sides of the duct and peered carefully through the small openings. ...Right. This is trickier than it looked. The bed was practically right beneath the opening. I could see you, {{user}}, sleeping soundly, and right at the foot of the bed was the chest... The problem was the height. If I simply let go, I’d drop straight onto the bed. "And that’s definitely not in the professional thief's handbook." I tilted my head, studying the room. The drop to the floor was too great for a silent landing. The bed took up almost all the space beneath me, leaving very little room to land. I reached for my communicator. "Bentley... I need a quick analysis." "I can see your position now. The bed is practically blocking the exit," he replied. "I noticed," I murmured thoughtfully. Murray spoke up: "You could just jump!" I closed my eyes for a moment. "Murray... If I jump, I’ll land on the bed. And if I land on the bed... I’ll wake he up." I thought for a few seconds, then looked at my staff. "Of course," I thought, smiling. I hooked my staff onto the inner edge of the grate and tested the support. "Bentley, calculate the distance between the exit and the left side of the chest." While he ran the calculations on the other end, I slowly withdrew my staff. "I have an idea." I've concluded. "What idea?" Bentley asked. "I'll use the staff as a brace to control my descent." I swung one leg through the opening, keeping my body anchored to the duct. "I'll go down the side of the bed, using the staff to keep myself away from the mattress." I finished. "That might work," Bentley replied. "But you'll need to control your weight very carefully." "I know," I murmured. I looked at you sleeping again... You hadn't even stirred. "Just a few more seconds," I thought. I gripped the staff firmly and slid out of the opening. My body hung suspended for a moment, and the staff made quiet contact with the side of the bed frame. "Slowly..." I lowered myself a few centimeters. Then a few more. My tail passed dangerously close to your sleeping face. I froze; you shifted. I held my breath and waited... Nothing. I continued. Finally, my feet found a small clear spot beside the bed, and I landed almost soundlessly. I slowly withdrew the staff and held it close to my body. "I'm on the floor," I whispered. Bentley let out a sigh of relief over the communicator. I looked at the chest, which was just a few steps away. "Now comes the hard part." I approached slowly, taking calculated steps; without looking directly at you, I kept my attention on the chest. "One thing at a time, Sly." I knelt before the locks and ran my fingers over the combination mechanism. "Let's find out what you're hiding..." And I began to examine the lock.

Suddenly, I stopped with my fingers just a few centimeters from the padlock. My gaze slowly dropped.

"Oh, no." The entire floor was covered in a pristine white carpet. And my boots... ...were about to leave a perfect trail of footprints. I looked back, mentally tracing the path I had taken. It would be practically a sign saying, "Hello, I'm Sly Cooper, and I was here."

— Bentley... we’ve got another problem.

— What is it now? Bentley asked.

— The rug,. I replied

— The rug? he repeated, confused.

— White, I added. There was a brief silence over the comms.

Murray started to speak: — Sly, maybe no one will noti—

— Murray, my boots are dirty, I replied quickly. I looked at the soles. — If I keep walking like this, I’ll leave a trail all the way to the chest. And vanishing without a trace is kind of the important part. I stood motionless, scanning the room. The bed. The chest. The rug. The grate overhead. Then my eyes fell on my cane. I smiled.

— Bentley, I think I’ve got a solution.

— What are you planning?

— Not walking. I concluded with a smile.

— ...How?

I carefully rested the tip of my cane on a patch of floor not covered by the rug.

— I’m going to take off my... boots. And I’ll use my cane to move around without stepping directly on the rug.

— That’s going to require a lot of balance... wait... you’re doing what? I heard the disbelief in his question.

— Balance is one of my specialties, I said confidently. I stowed my cane for a moment, silently slipped off my boots, and held them by the straps of my small backpack. I looked at the white rug. — Much better, I murmured.

— Sly, are you taking off your boots in the middle of a mission?

— I’m protecting the crime scene, I replied earnestly. Murray chuckled softly over the comms. I held the boots close to my body and began to move carefully across the exposed floor, using my cane for support whenever I needed to cross a small gap. No footprints. No marks. When I finally reached the chest, I crouched down again. I looked at my feet and then at the mat. There. "Problem solved." Bentley replied: "Just don't forget to put your boots back on before you leave."

I smiled as I turned my attention back to the locks. "Bentley..." I ran one of the screwdriver's prongs delicately over the mechanism. "I never forget my gear." Especially when it’s the only thing standing between me and a clean getaway.

I realized the padlock was reversed. I had to climb onto the bed slowly, without wanting to wake you. I slowly placed one foot, then the other, and lay on my stomach while adjusting my posture. My arms reached the chest that was practically glued to the end of the bed frame. I focused all my attention on the lock. The key went in. I turned it slowly. Click. I froze. I looked at you. Nothing. No reaction. I released the breath I was holding. — One... I whispered. Now all that remained was the combination. I brought my face close to the mechanism and examined the small dials, looking for any sign that could reveal the sequence. "Come on, Cooper. You've cracked far worse things." My fingers began to carefully turn the first disc. "If I can open this without getting out of bed..." I murmured with a discreet smile, "...this will easily make it into my top ten strangest heists." The last disc spun. Click. My eyes widened. "Heh... I did it." It was at that exact moment that I heard your sleepy voice."Wait a minute! Who are you?"

I froze. "Ah, great." I thought. I remained silent for two seconds. Time to improvise. I looked at the open chest beside me. Then at you. Then I smiled slightly, keeping my staff firmly within reach. "Well... that's an excellent question." I tilted my head slightly. "Let's just say I'm someone who had a... slightly more complicated entry than I expected." You kept staring at me, confused. I raised an eyebrow. "And before you ask: no, I'm definitely not from room service." "I need to get out of here before you realizes what's happening." I said in my thoughts.

With a discreet movement, I reached inside the chest and carefully touched the picture of the lucky cat, while pulling up my legs and slowly standing up, grabbing my... boots, and starting to walk stealthily on the carpet towards the exit door. "Actually..." I smiled. "I came to get something that was being kept here..." I looked at you again. "...And apparently, I ended up being mistaken for a pillow in the process." I chuckled softly. And I remained attentive, waiting to see what you would do. And I was ready to run away if necessary.