Chapter 1: A priceless loss
This was always the same thing. When it comes to mechanic and informatics, it was my turn to do the job. So, after Murray opened the Clockwerk's mouth, I went in with the idea to remove the control sheet. When it was done, I give it a look for the others. We were so happy! We had win against this bad bird for the last time! He will never do bad again!
But I shoot the victory too fast. Without warning, the beak of the infamous robot fell on me. I was calling for help, but I thought they couldn't heard my voice. It was dark, I saw nothing, and my legs… My legs! I felt only a big pain…! In this close space I could hear Neyla's laugh, this feline who still looked alive, same without this control's sheet. I saw her blue face scorned me. She ate something that looked like a smoke ball coming out from my body. After that, I lost the total feeling of my legs! I panicked, but when I started to struggle, I banged my head on the low ceiling.
I was semi-conscious as Murray get me out of this… this tomb! And same when Carmelita arrived and tread on the control's sheet, I heard always this laugh, this infamous laugh in my head!
"Haps!" I gasped, sitting straight in my couch.
This nightmare, I do since the destruction of Clorckwerk. Since I lost the control of my legs.
I took a remote control on my bedside table, and I pushed some buttons to get my chair just beside my bed. I didn't wake up my friend. This is good…! The first time I was doing this nightmare and I yelled, they woke up. In these moments, I had to say some excuses, as: I'd bite my tongue, anything.
They were very anxious…! Particularly Murray. When he had learned that I wouldn't recover from my paralysis, and I would stay in my chair on wheels, he went away. I don't blame him. It wasn't his fault, all of that, it wasn't his fault too! I never was a fast one. You can think it's because I'm a turtle, yeah, that could be good excuses, but I don't want them. I am like I am. The only thing that scares me, it was that my friend could reject me because of my new handicap. Sly, at least, was doing his best to pretend that nothing had happenned. And now Murray had come back, my moral rise up.
Even so, these nightmares remain and I think that most of these scenes were due to my imagination. That I never saw Neyla ate the life out of my legs in the real life. It doesn't make sense… I couldn't explain that to the others! They will say there's a possibility for having the use of my legs or they will think I'm a fool. That would be worse than before.
I sat with difficulty in my chair and I went in the living room. Habitually, I go on the computer and I do some researches on the Web. But this night, there's someone in the living room who is waiting for me.
"Since when have you started doing them?" , said Penelope, at the same time she was building a new plane for her remote control, to wait for me, on the table of the living room.
"What are you talking about?" I answer, doing like I don't understand she was talking about my nightmares. "I can't find sleep now" I went to my computer, "that doesn't disturb you?"
"No, not when you wake up at the same time all nights!" she replies.
"How do you know that?" I cry out.
"I see on the screen of your chair you turn it on about four hours o'clock A.M. And you go to bed late enough already!" she shout at me.
No but…! For who she thinks she is? I had the impression to listen… the person who could be my mother, if I could know her. That's true, the turtles bury their eggs in the sand and go in the ocean. But my mom must be a town's turtle, because I hatch in a flower's square. Since I don't have parents, they put me in an orphanage. But nobody wanted a turtle, too slow for our active society. I met Sly and Murray a few years later.
"Bentley? It's O.K.? You're looking at me with strange eyes…!" said the mouse.
"Eh? What? Oh, forgive me…! I was thinking about old memories…!" I explained, turning on my computer, a little shy I could stare her.
She stopped working and came to my sides.
"So, if something isn't alright, you will say it, to me or yours pals?"
Why she's asking this question? Does she could read my thoughts?
"Of course, but now, I have to work! So, if you want to let me be…!" I reply, a little bluntly.
This wasn't gentle, but she made me nervous, this girl! But she stayed by my side, as if I haven't said the things she wanted to hear. Suddenly, I realized what she's looking at and I became really shy. Of course! This was that! This was because of this she was so kind with me.
"You want me tell you about Sly, when he was a child?" I sigh.
The response was affirmative, of course. I did my best for not complimenting him too much, but never mind what I was saying, save the moments the most ridiculous of the youth of my friends, she had always the littles sparks in the eyes, like if it was the most incredible man of the universe. I never should have opened a file about my friend raccoon.
Not like I'm jealous of Sly. Sly is really great, he's the king of thieves, but… Penelope is not his kind of girls. With all the time we've known each other, I know too well the thoughts of my friend were for the Inspectrice Fox. Even so, I hadn't the courage to explain that to the driver of machines operating by remote control.
One hour later, I chased her away from the living room, excusing myself saying I didn't have anything more to say over Sly, even if there's was still a lot to say about Sly. She left the place, floating on a cloud. I could finally go back to my plans. Even so, I hadn't the imagination or the will to. Seeing this girl lose one's head for my friend, that didn't make me feel too well. I couldn't do anything. I couldn't compete with Sly. I will need to discover someone that I could interest, someone who likes making genius plans in the night or doing really tough missions, even tougher than the this someone could create.
Some hours later, the rest of our large group of thieves was woken up and they put on the table, at the time I put the finishing touch to my last mission. The idea was to steal a great piece of collection of a garage worldwide renown. A rear-view mirror in gold, inlay of jewel.
Once the plan was made, I went to see Murray and Sly. This plan needed only us three. I didn't want to disturb the others, even less wanted to see this girl filled with enthusiasm by the feet of my masking comrade and with the long bushy tails. They found the plan perfect, as always, and the same night, we decided to do this theft.
Even so, once we were on place, after I removed infrared's beam, as Murray had demolished the roadblocks and Sly was sure there was no trap, we entered the garage… and there was someone waiting for us…!