Chapter

Sorry for taking so long, college classes and high school are not two great combinations. Plus a dash of writers block wasn't that great. Also, since this isn't going as well as I planned, I am going to wrap up this story in maybe two or three more chapters. Sorry guys but I really want to finish this saga before writing more stuff. But in the mean time…

ENJOY!

As the elevator went down, I felt the sunglasses vibrate again. Not risking the chance, I placed them into a very deep pocket in my coat, focusing on the archives.

With a soft noise, the elevator doors opened up, revealing rows upon rows of crates, like in Indiana Jones, crates filled with certain artifacts that museum probably replaced with other, more attention grabbing exhibits.

I walk forward in awe, shock, and dismay, I was amazed and shocked at the space of this and realized that it would take hours to shift through this stuff.

But then I remembered that it was the twenty-first century, there should be a tech-center that would have digital files on the jewel. Even if it didn't, I could use the computer to locate the area the file was being kept.

Now I just needed to find it.

Looking around, I started to climb on top of the crates until I could see a large span of the area, I began to try and memorize the area in case I needed to make a quick exit. You never know if the guards decided to come down here, speaking of guards, in the dead center of the place was a square office, set up so it watches over the whole area.

Assuming that it was my best bet, I quickly hop down before making my way there, not worrying about being caught…yet. I hurry up the steps, slowing as I neared the door, grabbing the knob, I slowly open the door. Inside was…nobody. I look around but besides all the shelves and boxes, nobody was there.

I walk around until I see a computer, with a red light blinking, ignoring it I click on the computer window and open up a browser, luckily for me the museum had it linked to the whole history of the museum, I did a quick search on jewels but that only showed the location of sapphires, rubies, emeralds, topazes and opals.

While this might send people to go looking for them, I got frustrated. I didn't even know what the jewel was called; I bit my lip before going through the recent searches. I went to the day I arrived, and saw only one thing, 'Unknown' it read on the electric screen. Clicking that, I see it opened up an image that had the elusive gem on it, next to it was an image of the plaque that was next to the display. Quickly printing out the page, I continued to scroll down and read the museum notes.

'…when we received this jewel from the mysterious benefactor, we believed that the person was either as rich as Bill Gates, or possibly the biggest fool in existence. This ring was unclassifiable; it was a lighter shade of red than a ruby, darker than a garnet, but yet, it was harder than a spinel. The equivalence of its strength was relative to a diamond. Anything like this shouldn't be physically possible! This is truly an extraordinary find for this museum and should help guide us well into the future.'

This proved it; the jewel wasn't like anything from this world. The only question was why was it in both mine and this world?

Then a gunshot broke any other thoughts I had.

"I know you're in here runt!"

I carefully peer out the window to see a large…thing outside, it was carrying itself on its knuckles with two large guns strapped to his back. The thing itself seemed like a cross between an ape and dog.

"I'm here as the same as you, I want that file on the shiny stone. So you can either resist and be filled with holes, or give me the file and be filled with holes."

"Tough choice," I mutter sarcastically.

I quickly put on my hood before taking out my shock pistol, as I went invisible I carefully went down the stairs. Creeping down I carefully move behind the massive ape-dog, his attention was too busy on the central office shouting promises of death at it.

"Surrender now and I'll shoot you in the head, refuse and I'll make sure to kill you painfully."

Ignoring the comment, I sneak until I am directly behind him and lift up my shock pistol until it was level with his back. Smirking slightly, I pull the trigger and send a blast right into his massive body.

The guy barely even twitched as the energy ran through his body. In a swift movement he whirled around, bringing the butt of one of his guns swinging into my chest. It felt like a sledgehammer as I went rocketing backwards for several feet until I crashed into a crate behind me, hearing the wood crack and splinters raining on the ground.

"Gotta do better than that," I heard.

Shaking my head, I blink before diving to the right, bullets biting into the crate I was just in front of.

"You have the gun similar to that cop hag who put me behind bars, again. So who are you exactly? I already know you're part of the Cooper Gang since they told me about you're invisibility cloak."

Ducking behind a crate, I let out a frustrated breath before pulling my hood down, no point in it now.

"It's camouflage, and who's we?"

"My big babies here and me, Muggshot! Plus those idiot guys who keep talking about clocks."

I remember that name now, Muggshot. He was the one who was part of the Fiendish Five, the gang that not only killed Sly's father, but stole parts of the Thievius Raccoonus. I sighed again before looking out from cover, seeing that he was beginning to advance in the opposite direction of me; I quickly shot at him before sprinting away.

The familiar buzzing was heard, but then Muggshot growled, "I can go on forever runt, I manage a long time in my round against the cop hag and I can certainly last with you."

I ran to a stack of crates before quickly climbing to the top, I could see the barrels of his guns peeking out from a stack of crates a few stacks ahead of me. Taking a deep breath, I sprinted across the top of the stack before leaping across to the next one. The whole area looked like the scene from fourth 'Indiana Jones' movie, all I needed now was a whip, smiling at the thought of a raccoon archeologist swinging around a hooked whip I jump the next gap before charging up my pistol.

When the final gap came I used my feet to propel myself into the air before aiming yet again and firing my pistol at Muggshots head. Watching the results I see him crumple before holding his head in his massive hands gingerly, guns discarded.

"Not so immune to this pistol are you?" I ask.

Raising the gun to fire again, I pull the trigger to hear a whine from the gun. Confused, I look at it with shock.

It ran out of energy.

Looking up I see Muggshot getting to his feet, snorting angrily before bringing up his guns. In a flash I sprinted to the edge of the crate before hopping down and sprinting down the lane, fleeing from the crazy criminal.

"GET BACK HERE!"

"NOPE!"

Sprinting down the lane I turn down, wood fragments exploding nearby as I avoided a spray of bullets. Then heavy thumps would echo in the room as Muggshot moved on his massive arms. Quickly turning again, I pressed against a corner of one of the crates so I could backtrack and see if he came out. Muggshot burst from the lane, his nostrils flared and heavy breaths came out of said appendages, looking quickly down the lanes he went in the opposite direction I was in before turning again.

I quickly searched for any kind of weapons I could use. Cooper Cane? No. Muggshot would definitely recognize it and connect the dots. Sunglasses? No.

I continued to pat my pockets until I felt the two darts I snagged from Bentley, knocking out this guy would be one hard thing to do. I blink, remembering that the guy used his arms to move himself around like a gorilla. Maybe I didn't have to.

Taking out my gun, I removed energy magazine before pulling back the slide and sliding in a dart before letting it snap shut and pulling the trigger. The hammer clicked back with a snap but the dart itself shot forward only a few feet, which meant that I needed to get to a close range to shoot him. Smiling I quickly load both darts inside before pulling back the hammer.

Now all I needed to do was-

BANG!

I blink, what? Why did my arm suddenly hurt?

Confused I look down to my left arm to see a hole in my jacket, with a strange red liquid coming out from my arm.

Was that my blood?

Losing the feeling in my legs I fell down against the crate, feeling something press against my thigh. Looking up I see a strange looking person walking up with two long objects in his hands.

A gun! Guns were dangerous. The police used them all the time to stop criminals.

"What's wrong runt? Can't take the hit? Gonna go run to mommy?"

That Spanish police lady had a strange gun, one that shot lightning, like the one I had in my right hand.

Gun, sleepy bullets. That person had very large arms; they looked like they needed to rest. I was more than happy to help. Raising the gun I quickly shot into one of his arms. In a matter of seconds the arm flopped downward. He snarled again, he probably needed more sleepy darts, I shot the gun again into his other arm and that flopped too, but not without another BANG!

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The scream sent me back to reality, causing me to become hyper alert of my injured arm, which was really starting to hurt now as blood trickled down to my wrist.

"You want to bring mothers into this Muggshot?" I asked, "I thought you loved yours, so don't disrespect mine either."

Getting up I remember that the cane was down on the ground, I stoop down and pick it up. But then horror crept into my soul as I heard Muggshot say "I've seen a stick like-"

That was as far as he got.

In a flash I press the button that extended the cane before spinning around and bringing the weapon against his temple. With a groan the large animal collapsed into the ground, breathing heavily, I stumble back to the center area until I retraced my steps back to the elevator. I then carefully pull my jacket away from my shoulder to reveal a hole, about half-an-inch-wide below the point where my shoulder links with my collarbone.

That's when I felt the vibration in my pocket. I remember Bentley screaming at me for not contacting, might as well.

Taking out the sunglasses (with difficulty) I place them on my face and put the comlink into my ear. Then an image of Sly popped up, looking frustrated and relieved when he saw me.

"Hey Sly."

"Hey Sly?" The raccoon looked at me with annoyance, "You drug Bentley, sneak out from us and then proceed to take a mission on by yourself. And after all that, including Bentley blowing a gasket at you, you say 'Hi'?" he asked.

"Um…yes?"

Sly rolled his eyes, "Calder it took us an hour to figure out what had happened. We heard Bentley screaming at you for some reason and when we found out we tried to contact you again but we lost the signal."

So that's why they stopped calling.

"So how's Bentley?" I ask.

Sly was about to reply when a loud yell echoed through the microphone, causing me to jump and jar the sunglasses.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU IDIOTIC, SIMPLE-MINDED LAMENTABLY MALIGNANT DELINQUENT!" The green turtle screamed.

"Bentley, go take a chill pill, I go this," Sly said.

The sunglasses were dangling from my right ear so I pushed it up with my left hand.

Bad move.

Bright pain burst in my arm, crying out I grab it, causing the sunglasses to fall off my face but remain in air since my earpiece was still attached to said appendage.

"Calder, Calder are you alright? What's wrong?" Sly asked.

"I was shot," I say as my mind says 'Don't tell them your shot!'

"WHAT?!"

Stupid brain. Why did you have to go into shock?

I was trying to pay attention to what Sly was saying I really was, but I was starting to feel dizzy. Was this what happened when you lost too much blood?

"Hate to cut you off Sly but I think I'm going to pass out, I need to get some help now."

"OK, got it."

Sly's voice sounded like it was echoing in a system of caverns. I then faintly heard a noise and the elevator doors opened up, stumbling forward I walked to the double doors in front of me, bumping into tables that made up the food court in the museum. As I approached the door I reached out to push open the door when I saw that my right hand was covered in blood, shaking my head to ignore the thoughts of how much blood I lost I pushed open the door before coming into the hallway.

Blinking, I remember that I need to walk straight, doing the said action I reach for my sunglasses before clumsily placing them back onto my face.

"Change of plans Calder," Sly's voice crackled over the earpiece

"Wha?"

"The front's too crowded; we have another plan set out, just head to the place that was once the jewel exhibit."

"Yeah," I trail off, "How exactly?"

An image of the museum popped up with a red dot in front of the cafeteria, guessing that it was me, I saw a blinking yellow line that directed me to the said area. I began to make my way there, trying to ignore the fact that I was stumbling over my feet.

I felt blood slide down my arm, like splattered paint on a wall. Blinking I avoided bumping into a display case in the center of the hall, and then I tripped over my feet before falling onto the ground.

Man I was really light-headed. Maybe I should sleep for a little while.

"Calder! Calder hurry up you got to get out of there?!" I heard a familiar voice say urgently.

"Why Mysterious Voice?" I ask.

I then hear another nasally, mysterious voice say, 'He's lost too much blood, he's going delirious,'

"Calder, we um…have some cool stuff for you if you follow the arrows on the map you see,"

I could see the map, I was very close to the point I needed to be, but-

"Too tired, maybe later," I say.

"We have a bed here for you! Its softer than what your sleeping on I bet!"

"Like feather?"

"Yeah!"

"…ok mysterious voice."

I got back up, stumbling slightly as I got to my feet I began to hurry to the dot at the end of the map. I reeeeaaaaaallllllyyyyy wanted to go to sleep on that bed, picking up the pace I began to do a fast stumble to the dot which was right behind a door. Pushing it open I see a raccoon and turtle in the back of a vehicle.

"Come on Calder," said the Mysterious Voice.

"Where's my bed?" I asked.

"Uhh," the Nasally Mysterious Voice looked at the original Mysterious voice before saying "We'll take ya to it, now you just have to get on."

Pouting I climbed on, but fell once I got onto the vehicle.

"Sooo sleepy," I mumble.

"Floor it Murray! We need to get him back to the hideout!"

"ON IT!"

I head two slams and I suddenly felt the vehicle move rather fast, as it went so did my consciousness.

"Hang on Calder," I hear before oblivion took me.

Read, Have a nice day and God Bless

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