Hey guys, I'm back. Finally over my illness and back into the normal swing of life.

This is also one of the longest chapters in the story so far.

Enjoy


Chapter 11, Rapport


The group set out for Belvedere at the appointed time.

Atlas, Bentley, and Bones stayed behind to guard Leo.

They entered the forest Belvedere rested in; its tall trees loomed over them and gave off an ominous feel.

"I always hate going into these woods…" Rykk stated and his ears constantly turned and listened for every small noise he could.

Six gave Rykk an odd look and whispered to Ratchet, "So what is he?"

Ratchet sighed, "You haven't been here long have you?"

Six shrugged, "A few weeks. I mean I know he's something called a Bonded but I don't know what that is."

"It is when something called a Being merges and joins with a host." Rykk answered, "It's a bit more complex."

Six chuckled, "Well, you seem good enough Rykk, much different than the papers said."

Ratchet growled, "Yeah, just because Rykk is a Bonded, they pretty much hate him."

"It's because of Calamity all Bonded have a bad rap." Rykk sighed, "That and being one of two Bonded around makes it hard to be heard."

Six growled lightly, "I'm sorry, that's jacked up."

Rykk nodded, "thanks."

After walking for a bit, they arrived at the dark, dank, and foreboding place.

Ratchet looked both afraid and angry, "This was Ebony's place…"

Fen put a hand on Ratchet's shoulder, "She's gone bro."

"Ebony?" Six asked.

Ratchet sighed, "Long story…"

Six nodded.

"Why Belvedere?" Carmelita asked, "I mean of all places, why there?"

"It's isolated," Rance responded, "And there's a bunch of myths and legends about it. Enough so that people will stay away, and its appearance isn't exactly inviting and warm."

Carmelita nodded as sighed as they neared the edge of the clearing Belvedere rested in.

Bones hid in one of the pockets of Rykk's pants.

"You sure got the inviting and warm part right…" Six remarked as he looked at the ancient fortress. "I mean, I'm not really scared of it, but I can't help but get a bad feeling about this place."

Rykk sighed, "Well, we have fifteen minutes till the meeting time..." Rykk's slit pupils did glow yellow, indicating that he was looking through the walls. "I see… well, he's planning for a fight. There's a small army in there…"

Six grinned, "No problem, they'll love the bottom of my giant foot hehe."

Rykk continued, "I can also see Sly. He is bound by the hands and feet. He is in the main courtyard and there is another person with him. I bet that's Yates, though I can't tell. I also bet Reap is somewhere in the small army, hiding."

"What makes you say that?" Ratchet asked.

"Because the only ones in the main courtyard are Sly and Yates; the army is in four parts, each part is lying in wait in side chambers." Rykk looked up, "Though, I do see two people in a tower above them, one of them is a lombax. I can't say for certain, but I don't think Reap is the human. However, something is a bit off about them, I don't know why."

Six grinned, "Well, let's go find out."

Rykk held Six back, "That courtyard isn't big enough for you to grow to your maximum height. If you did, you wouldn't have any room to move." Rykk looked at Ratchet, "Obviously the same goes for you too."

Six growled, "He planned it that way didn't he?"

Rance nodded, "Yates isn't dumb, and I doubt that he is going to attack us outside the fortress. I'll be surprised if we see him at all."

Six growled louder, "I knew this was a trap right off… but this sucks! I just want to tear em up!"

Rance grabbed the back of Six's neck and Six yelped and went limp. "Look, we're here to get a friend of theirs, Sly Cooper, back alive. While I want Yates' head on a stick as much as you, the priority is to get him back alive. Calm down your bloodlust, cause if you screw this up, I will have you locked in a cage." He growled lightly as he released Six.

Six glared daggers at Rance, "Don't… touch me… like that again."

Rance responded to Six's dark statement, "Don't give me a reason to. Remember, we're trying to save someone, and then if we can, take Yates out. Remember that and we'll be good."

Six glared again, only with a bit less anger. "I will…"

Rance nodded, "Ratchet and Six, you two would be better small and hidden. Ratchet, you can hide in my pocket. Six, you can hide with Rykk. If or when things go south, jump out and attack." He looked up at Carmelita, "Yates will probably talk to you in regards to Sly. Be strong but tactile. Yates will probably try to manipulate you. Don't let him in your head." Rance looked at Rykk, "You, we all know he really wants you, Ratchet, Sly, and Carmelita especially. This goes without saying, but watch yourselves."

"We have ten minutes left." Ryk said, "We can't really plan for what's coming. We just have to play this by ear."

Rance sighed, "Yeah… I know. Let's go."

Six grunted, "Great, gotta be small…" Shrinks down and looks up at the now giant Rykk. "Whoa…"

Rykk bent down and picked Six up, "Here we go. " He put Six in the breast pocket of his crimson shirt.

Six sighed, "I can't believe I'm hiding in a pocket."

Rykk chuckled, "It is kind of neat, seeing you small. Like an action figure."

Six chuckled back, "Yeah, I guess I kind of am… you're not too bad Rykk."

Rykk smiled a bit, "Thanks."

At that, the group approached the decrepit structure. They entered through its gate and entered the main courtyard.

Standing at the back of the courtyard were two figures.

Once was Sly, he was bound with his hands behind his back and was on his knees. He was also gagged, wore a collar, and was covered in grey blood.

Carmelita gasped lightly and then growled.

Next to Sly stood a young human, he looked quite well dressed and handsome. He had a dark grey, pinstripe jacket and matching pants along with a white shirt and red tie. His bright blonde hair was stylized elegantly and his face was angular and sharp. He had distinguished cheekbones and piercing blue eyes. He held a McVoy pistol loaded with Alacrity rounds.

"Ahh," Yates started, "So glad you could make it."

Rance stepped forward. "Well if it isn't the legendary Mill Yates."

Yates nodded in a slightly smug way, "Pleasure meeting you. Now, I am in a bind."

"What kind of bind?" Rance asked.

"You see," Yates continued, "You all are in the way of my enterprise. Now, this can go one of two ways. One, I give you your friend back and you stay out of my way. I will also make it worth your while. However, if you don't honor this agreement, there will be severe consequences. If you refuse this offer… well, I don't really have to say what will happen do I?"

Carmelita growled, "Just give him back!"

Yates chuckled, "Agree to the terms or I will have to get unpleasant." Yates spun the chamber of his McVoy and kept it aimed at Sly's temple.

Sly, though unable to speak verbally, his expression told them not to accept it.

Silence fell among the group as they tried to figure out a solution.

Yates smirked, "Well? Do we have a deal? I'm a busy man."

Six whispered so that only Rykk could hear. "Throw me at him. Use your Alter energy or whatever you call it."

Rykk gave a slight, unnoticeable nod and Six felt a strange tingle as he was enveloped in the strange energy.

In a quick instant, Six was shot through the pocket and at Yates. As he flew, he grew to his normal size and threw a kick.

Yates had nearly no time to react and was kicked back by Six.

Carmelita ran forward and grabbed Sly and pulled him back. She took his collar off, released him of his binds and his gag.

Yates yelped a bit as he flew back first into a wall. His back left an impression in the rock. He growled and seemed a bit irritated, "I thought this might have to get messy…"

Six growled back, "I like messy."

Yates chuckled, "Yeah, so I've heard." He picked up his gun and fired two rounds quickly into the air and the army of thugs ran in.

Yates vanished among the crowd.

Six grinned in his usual way and grew to twenty-five feet tall along with Ratchet, who had leapt out of Rance's pocket. That was as big as they could get without hurting the others of the group. Together they crushed, swatted, and kicked Yate's men.

Rykk roared and his claws extended. He got down on all fours and charged into the army and began to slash, bite, and blast the thugs with his Alter.

Carmelita yelled as she blasted the crowd of enemies with blue flame.

Sly had an adrenaline surge and growled as he leapt into a thug and possessed him. Through the thug he began to fight the army. When that thug expired, he leapt into another.

Rance summoned his pair of sleeve revolvers and began to blast away. He was quite acrobatic, running along walls, flipping, and various other moves. He alternated from blasting with his sleeve guns and hand-to-hand, often reloading as he fought hand-to-hand.

Murray was a metallic beast, plowing through the terrified Attero thugs with his fists and seismic blasts.

It took the group about twenty minutes until the courtyard went quiet and was littered with bodies.

Yates had vanished during the chaos.

Sly's adrenaline boost began to wear down but he still managed to stand.

"Where did he go?" Murray asked.

Six laughed, "Well that was easy… and he was right, it was messy!"

Rykk sniffed the air and growled, "We ain't done yet."

From the tower Rykk had mentioned earlier came a loud shriek/yell, two different ones.

Sly began to pant, "That… doesn't sound… good."

Carmelita grabbed Sly and held him up. "No, it doesn't."

A very large, lombax-shaped form leapt from the tower and landed in front of the gang. A large humanoid entity landed beside him.

The lombax stood in around fifteen feet tall and had dark blue fur, no stripes, and a row of metallic spines down its back. Its eyes were a solid white color. Its eyes had no pupils or irises. Its mouth had four fangs extending from its maw; two from the bottom and two from the top. It also had only three fingers per hand and had claws on each one. On its chest is a yellow, rectangular symbol. It wore a pair of ripped –up shorts and no shirt. It snarled as thick drool dripped from its mouth.

The humanoid-shaped one looked like it was made of black-grey smoke held together by translucent skin. It had no eyes or nose, but a mouth with yellow fangs and long, pointed ears. It had no hair at all and it had seven fingers per hand. Like the lombax monster, its fingers were tipped with claws. Though, this monstrosity's claws were longer. It wore a cloak that almost seemed to be made of the smoke inside it. On its chest was a red line with four, perpendicular lines through it.

Rykk snarled louder, "Bonded… he has two Bonded…"

Carmelita looked a bit shaken.

Ratchet gulped nervously.

Murray gasped, "Freaky…"

Even Six looked a bit frightened, "Whoa, this just got even weirder."

Rance scoffed with a grin, "Well, ain't you guys just charming."

The lombax chuckled through his fangs, "I can't wait to taste your flesh and blood! Right, Wex?"

The lombax's ghostly partner laughed; its voice shrill and sounded akin to static. "Reap was right! They look like great fun Dank!"

At that the ghoulish Bonded charged the group.

Rykk yelled and charged the lombax Bonded called Dank.

Dank roared and Rykk leapt on Dank. He began to try and slash and bite Dank and Dank started to thrash about.

Dank and Rykk's battle looked like two, feral animals trying to maul each other.

Rykk's blue blood began to drizzle from cuts he got on Dank's claws and spines.

Six growled and went to help Rykk when Wex floated in front of him. "The rest of you are mine…" At that Wex shrieked and five black, shadow figures formed. They had no face, hair, or features of any sort. They looked like they were composed of the same kind of smoke inside Wex, yet they all had claws.

Rance looked at them, "This gets better and better."

The manifestations made by Wex charged them. They all tried to slash the rest of the group to ribbons.

Six growled louder and slashed one in the head with one of his daggers. The thing yelled and reeled back and vanished in a puff of black smoke.

Rance fired two rounds into two other and they two vanished.

Carmelita burned another and it vanished.

The last one attacked Ratchet and evaded a swing from his wrench. It managed to slash his side and he yelped. He managed to throw another swing and it connected. The thing yelled and vanished.

Rance grinned, "Is that it?" He brought up his gun and fired at Wex.

Wex laughed and dozens of those things appeared. One blocked Rance's round and vanished in a puff of smoke.

Six groaned, "Nice going…"

Rance chuckled, "Whoops." He began to blast them.

Six dual wielded a pistol and knife ad blasted and cut through the crowd of shadow figures.

Carmelita blasted and burned any within reach.

Sly, using another adrenalin boost, began to beat the things with his cane.

Rykk was still engaged in his brawl with Dank. Both of them were growling and snarling and bloody. Dank's dark purple blood began to drizzle and spatter along with Rykk's blue blood.

"We need to take out Wex!" Six shouted.

He was right, for every one they killed three more showed.

Rance shouted as he was starting to get overwhelmed by them. He tried to get a clear shot at Wex but had no opening. "Six! Clear this out!"

Six nodded and grew to twenty-five feet tall and began to crush as many of the shadow figures as he can.

Rance rapidly loaded his guns with Alacrity rounds and fired. The rounds flew though a narrow opening in between the remaining crowd and struck Wex in the chest.

Wex shrieked and fell to the ground. White and black blood began to pour from his wound. There was a loud yell that came from inside him and there was a burst of white and black energy from his body. He then morphed into a normal looking, young human with dark brown hair. He breathed his last and went limp.

Dank kicked Rykk back and saw Wex fall, "WEX!" He snarled and pounced at Rykk with renewed rage.

Rykk growled and used Dank's tunnel vision to his advantage. He summoned his Tonfa-style blades and spun. He made two, very quick, deep cuts in Dank's torso and chest.

Dark purple blood began to pour all over the ground and, like Wex, Dank fell and reverted to what he was before he was Bonded.

Rykk looked quite beat up and had dozens of cuts all over, but none of them were deadly.

Carmelita shouted, "Come out here and face us you coward!"

There was a loud shriek and yell from the sky as a winged figure dove down and threw a huge, dark energy fist at them.

The energy fist impacted the ground and Rykk, Six, Ratchet, and Murray evaded the fist and were knocked back.

Reap landed where the fist had and had his blades drawn.

"Finally," Rance said, "Now, where is your boss? We really need to have a more meaningful chat with him."

Reap chuckled, "Oh I think we should talk. His mind is made up now." Reap spun and one of his giant, shadowy hands appeared and tried to swat the group.

Everyone yelped as they were knocked to the side and sent sprawling on the ground.

Reap approached and Six grew to biggest he could in that area. He growled, "You hurt my brother… I'LLL RIP YOU UP!" He ran at Reap and tried to stomp him.

Reap leapt to the side and evaded. He spun and slashed at Six's Achilles' tendon. He made it tear but didn't cut it.

Six yelled and fell on his back.

Reap leapt on Six's chest and aimed his blade for one of Six's major arteries.

Rykk yelled as he flew and body-slammed Reap. He tried to dig his blades into Reap but Reap managed to stop his blades.

Rykk flew and slammed Reap into a wall before throwing him to the ground.

Reap extended his wings and avoided crashing into the ground.

Sly yelled, anger burned and he teleported erratically and tried to nail Reap in the head with his cane.

Reap didn't expect it and got hit and fell. The hit was good, but it wasn't a killing blow. He groaned and growled as he tried to slash Sly with his blades.

Sly jumped back and avoided the blades. He tried to smash Reap's head by bringing his staff down hard and fast.

Reap threw a fast kick and Sly yelped as he was knocked back before his strike was delivered.

Rance climbed over Six and fired rapidly.

Reap used his blades to shield himself from the bolts and avoided the oncoming attacks from the others.

Six shrunk to his normal size and grunted. He summoned some Healer and injected himself. He grunted again as the tendon formed back together.

Carmelita fired a blast of flame at Reap.

Reap shielded himself with his wings before he grabbed her and threw her into a wall.

Carmelita grunted and got a bloody nose and was dazed.

Rykk charged Reap and yelled as he tried to slash him with his claws.

Reap evaded the slashes and got behind Rykk. He grabbed his tail and threw him over his shoulder like a sack.

Rykk yelped but phased into the ground and vanished. He reappeared near his friends.

Reap growled and evaded some shots from Rance and began to realize that he was losing. So, he yelled and entered the equivalent of Rykk's storm mode. Instead of becoming a storm, Reap changed into a huge monstrosity. He stood on four legs and looked somewhat similar to a dog. It seemed to be made of lava; its skin looked to be made of ashen crust. Cracks of molten orange lined its body and red-orange flames shot randomly from the cracks. Its eyes shone with a bright orange with white, horizontal-slit pupils. On the beast's back were a pair of black wings. Sharp, volcanic rock-like fangs lined its dog-like muzzle and it had long claws on its paws. The beast stood in around thirty feet tall and roared at the group.

The sight made the group take more than a few steps back.

Rykk growled and yelled as he entered the Storm. The storm flew into the ground and his Rock Beast formed and roared at Reap's Volcanic Demon.

Six and Ratchet grew to thirty feet tall and got ready for the fight.

Reap roared a stream of molten magma at Rykk.

Rykk yelled and it seemed to hurt a bit but he managed to charge Reap. He began to try and pummel Reap's head.

Reap tried to bite and slash Rykk and kept spewing molten lava.

Ratchet and Six had to stand back as some of Reap's magma splashed onto Six's arm. He yelled as it burned off his fur and badly burned him. Instead of attacking, they protected the others in the group.

Rykk and Reap pummeled each other intensely for minutes. They crushed rock walls and each of their movements sounded like thunder. Their roars and snarls sounded like giant animals fighting over territory or food.

Then Rykk got an opening and blasted Reap's neck with Alter.

Reap shrieked and jumped back. As he did, he threw a slash at Rykk.

The slash was bad enough to cause the Rock Beast to fall apart and Rykk reverted to normal.

Reap too, due to the damage done, reverted to his normal form and size.

Both Rykk and Reap were beaten, bloody, sore, and exhausted.

Reap growled and shot into the sky with his wings.

Rykk started to go after him but was knocked back by one of Reap's shadowy hands.

Rance growled, "He got away…"

Sly looked around, "He didn't take Yates though. And I didn't see or hear any carriages or other kind of transport leave."

Six nodded, "I'm going to gut him."

Rykk looked around and was panting.

"My, my, my," a familiar voice rang out as Yates clapped. "Now that was quite a show."

Six growled, "Well, you've saved us the trouble of finding you."

Yates nodded, "It would seem Reap has fled…"

"Yeah, he was really loyal huh?" Six retorted with a grin.

Yates growled lightly, "I don't have much of a choice… I surrender."

Rance held his pistols up and aimed them at Yates. "Take off all Utilities and weapons."

Yates nodded and took off a Utility belt, "Now what?"

Rance tossed him a pair of cuffs, "Put them on."

Yates put them on, his hands in front.

Six drew his daggers, "I say he dies here and now."

Rance aimed a gun at Six, "I say no. He needs to be taken in."

Six growled, "He wants us to take him! This is too easy! We need to kill him now!"

Rance sighed and lowered his gun.

Six approached Yates.

Yates grinned slightly as Six got closer.

Faster than a blink, Yates pulled his cuffs apart, punched Six in the face, disarmed him, and grabbed him

Rance's eyes went wide, "How did you do that?! Not even a Law Man could break those!"

Sly's eyes narrowed, "A Law Man can't… but a Bonded can, isn't that right? Reap?"

Yates grinned as he held one of Six's daggers to Six's neck. He morphed, his skin turned red and Reap stood there. "You forced my hand,"

Rykk growled louder, "So your normal form looks human…" Rykk reverted to his normal form. While more human than his combat form; his skin color went from being as black as can be to a slightly tanned tone and the hair on his head and back gained its purple highlights. His green eyes stopped glowing as well. "…And you go by Yates. When you enter the combat form…" Rykk reverted back to his Combat form. "…You are Reap."

Reap laughed, "I got lucky that my normal form looks… well… normal; as I was when I was a weak human. Now, about this problem we're in…"

Six grunted as the blade was pushed closer to his throat.

"You can't take us all out." Rance said, "Even if you kill Six, you can't take us all."

Reap growled, "I can…"

A loud boom came from above and everyone looked up.

Reap yelled as he was flung back by an unseen force. He was shot into a wall and hit it back first.

There was a loud thud and standing in front of the group was a blue-skinned figure. It had gold hair tied back into a braided ponytail with two strands hanging in its face. It looked humanoid but had pointed ears and four fingers per hand. His fingers hand golden fingernails at their tips. Its eyes were gold, but red, diamond-shaped, irises with no pupils. It was tall, around 7'4" and trim. He/it wore a pair of dark brown pants and a tan shirt under a grey, hooded jacket. He didn't wear any shoes and had four toes with some light webbing between them.

Reap groaned and stood up. "Who or what are you?"

The blue-skinned stranger looked at him. "I am Kenovo…"

"You a Bonded?" Reap growled.

Kenovo shook his head, "No…" He then raised one of his four-fingered hands up. "…I made them."

Reap yelped and rose into the air. He went stiff and started to convulse and shake.

A look of focus was on Kenovo's face as Reap began to yell. White energy appeared all over him.

Everyone in the group stood back and they all had wide eyes.

Reap began to shriek and a Being began to appear. It was being pulled out of Reap and Reap yelled like he was being ripped in half. His yells were inhuman and deafening. It was apparent the Being didn't want this and desperately fought Kenovo.

Kenovo was too strong and after some time, the Being flew out of Reap and was absorbed into Kenovo.

Reap yelled and then went limp. He reverted to his human appearance, though he looked a bit different in the face of his shape. His face was less angular and sharp. His blue eyes changed to brown as well.

Kenovo laid his body down carefully and gently on the ground.

Rance took a good look at Mill Yates and gasped. "I know him… or knew him rather." He paused to double-check his memory, "His real name was Joseph Lance… Governor Lance's son…"

Rykk looked stunned, "I didn't know the governor had a son!"

Rance shook his head, "He did but he vanished… it was thought he was captured or kill by the Attero."

Kenovo nodded and looked at them.

Six rubbed his neck, "Thanks… Kenovo." He also looked at Rykk, "Thanks for getting him off of me. You saved my life."

Rykk smiled, "Well, you're Ratchet's brother. And I think you're not as bad as even you think."

Six smiled just a bit. "Maybe… doubt it though."

"Well now, care to tell us what's going on? And what are you?" Rance asked with as respectful tone as he could.

"I am an Ekon…" Kenovo raised his hand towards the group and they all yelped as they hovered a dozen feet above the ground. "…and I am sorry. But I need to take my Beings back."

At that, both Sly and Rykk froze up and began to convulse.

Ratchet's eyes went wide. "Y-you're killing them!"

Carmelita yelled and cried. "NO! STOP!" She tried to struggle but couldn't reach the ground. She tried to fire a beam of fire at Kenovo but her abilities were disabled.

Six growled, "You aren't going to kill the one who just saved my life!" He tried to grow but, like Carmelita, his ability was disabled and he couldn't grow.

The rest fought and struggled.

Kenovo sighed, "I am so sorry. But in order to restore balance to your universe, I must remove the blemishes I have made. They are my mistake and I must make this right. If I could remove their Beings without killing them I would… but I cannot. It is impossible. I am sorry."


What is going to happen next?

You'll have to wait and see, hehe.

Thanks for reading, please let me know what you think.

Stay tuned and God Bless


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Jerod2447