Ch.11: Forced Flight, New Hate
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Bentley's POV just a few minutes ago...
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Although highly improbable, I had to face facts. From the way things were looking Luna's gang was going to force me onto the Clockwerk frame and finish putting the rest of the pieces in place before Sly and the gang could rescue me. Needless to say but mabye if my legs still worked I might just be able to get out of this. Trouble was they weren't, not ever since that last battle with Clock-La. So in other words I was at the complete mercy on Luna's gang.
Dragging me out of my wheelchair Shadow Wolf began bending steel bars around my wrists and legs so I couldn't wriggle off the Clockwerk frame. Even if I could what good would have done me? Blood Phoenix took his position on his self-made lava throne as I watched helplessly from inside the frame.
Finally a wonderous sound met my ears as Sly along with Carmilita and some of the gang bursted through the front entrance of the cave. For a moment my hopes shot up thinking my pals were going to suceed in getting me out of this crazy place. But when Shadow Wolf and Luna jumped down from thier positions all that hope went down the drain.
The sound of Luna's and Shadow Wolf's claws slicing through the ropes that held the Clockwerk parts in place nearly jolted my heart to a stop as one by one the parts started coming towards me. I couldn't see much as to what was happening because some of the incoming parts were blocking my veiw, but I could hear Sly's voice as he rushed towards me.
"Bentley!" Sly yelled as he ran "hang on!"
Just as I thought everything was going to turn out alright I caught Blood Phoenix's eye as he looked at the last piece of Clockwerk parts as it strolled toward me. My eyes were wide in surprise, it was the same piece of Clockwerk I removed from Clock-La that gave her all her power. The Hate Chip.
Without haste I felt the cold metal of the Hate Chip as it attached itself to the back of my neck. A shock of pain surged through me and it felt like I was being electrocuted from head to toe. Unable to hold it in any longer a scream finally escaped from my beak.
Now here I am. Flying through the skies in Clockwerk's body with the power of the Hate Chip controlling my very thoughts and actions. Who knows what could happen to Sly and Murray if I allowed the Hate Chip to gain full control over my thoughts.
Blood Phoenix, Shadow Wolf, and Luna had masterminded this operation but why name it 'black fire' when fire didn't seem to have anything to with it. I could feel the Hate Chip reaching back into my thoughts, tainting them with it's foul posion for hate. I only hope Sly and the others come to my rescue soon.
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Meanwhile, back at the safe house Sly's mood was anything but cheery. More like angry tossed in with a little frustration and big scoop of denial on top. Only just a few minutes ago Sly had come close to rescueing one of his best friends from becoming the new Clockwerk, but Luna and her gang had slowed them down.
Now Bentley was gone from Cooper gang's lives, no longer a friend, but an enmie. The atmosphere inside the safe house was pratically crackling with Sly's inner anger that even 'the Murray' was forced to back away from it.
Murray looked over at Carmilitia who by now was sitting alone in a shadowy corner all to herself. Dimitri and Penelope were sitting at oppisite ends of the coffefe table not daring to say a word. Finally Murray couldn't last the silence much longer and he whispered to Carmilitia.
"Do you think we can save Bentley?"
Carmiltia barely muttered back "I don't know. Luna and her gang may have the keys to stop this, but even if they do, and even if we destroy Clockwerk once and for all there is still a chance that Bentley will be destroyed with him, just like Neyla,"
The answer was exactly what Murray had feared it to be. Neyla had been destroyed when joined with Clockwerk, Bentley's fate could very well be the same.
Sly was busy thinking beside Bentley's personal labtop computer, although thinking was more of Bentley's thing than it was Sly's. Without Bentley's well thought out schemes Sly and Murray would have been caught years ago. Now it was up to Sly to save Bentley just like Bentley had saved him and Murray.
"Alright we need a plan. Any ideas?" said Sly. It was the first time he had spoken in hours.
"Luna still has your cane" said Murray "not to mention the other stuff she and her gang stole,"
"Plus" said Penelope "they now have Bentley imprisioned in Clockwerk's body. We have to find someway to save him before taking out Luna and her gang, not mention the new Clockwerk parts,"
"Hmmm" thought Dimitri and said out loud "we would have to get acess to Luna's mainframe to figure out what they are planning to do with this new Clockwerk and the turtle dude. Then we would need Shadow Wolf's wolves to help out as well,"
"How can we do that?" asked Carmilitia.
"Ah" said Dimitri smiling "the turtle dude's sleep darts of course. Modify thier chemical compounds and we be able to control the wolves. Now the only problem resides in getting back Sly's cane,"
"We can't just take Luna head on" said Murray "she'll slice another of those portals open and disappear,"
"Sly's cane seems important Luna's plan" muttered Penelope then asked Sly "what were those other things that Luna stole?"
"The Jade Dragon from the Muesum over in Paris and some sort of statue from the vault why?" asked Sly.
"It's just a theory but I think I know what her gang is up to" said Penelope "think about it. Why would they choose Bentley to become the new Clockwerk when there are millions of others to choose from? Why go to the trouble of getting rid of Carmilitia and Sly, not to mention all of us to get to him? There has to be something we don't know about Bentley's past that we don't know about. The question is what?"
For a moment everything grew silent for the second time that night. The simple thought that Bentley had some horrible, dark, secret past seemed impossible. He was abandoned as an egg at the orphanage before he had ever met Sly and Murray. Still Penelope had a point, Bentley was never one to hate even if under control by the Hate Chip.
"Okay guys" said Sly "Bentley has done us a lot by helping us in the past. Now it's time for us to return the favor. Starting tomorrow we're getting our friend back no matter what,"