Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus
(Yaoi Fan Fiction)
Back-story: Chapter 11
For disclaimer : I do not own Sly Cooper or any of their Characters.
Time stretched into infinity- at least, the vast variety of vent intersections they have passed, made it feel that way. Mercury felt restless, trying to contain his thoughts about the bad omen he just witnessed- that they seemingly were unable to find a location to drop out of the vents, did not help his case. Could really use Bentley's guidance right now. Mercury softly sighed, closing his eyes top it off, Mercury was unsure how to deal with the intermittent and indiscernible sounds, coming from the wolf behind him.
The raccoon turned his head, looking at Raz, his eyes swaying from side to side- simply mumbling to himself every now and then. It looked odd, especially considering, that he just barely fit through the vents with his height. As he started mumbling once more, Mercury cleared his throat, catching Raz's eyes on their way up.
"Raz you've been mumbling since we entered this vent. I want to honest, so- I feel not quite cranked up, but am certainly tense- you're really making me nervous.", the wolf's head sunk slightly, before his eyes looked back at Mercury. "I- it's just...", the pause seemed to be drawn out massively, the raccoon and wolf clearing another intersection. Mercury looked back at him, unsure eyes still darting around and a sigh escaping his lips. The raccoon saw him sniff once. Then again, as a frown now quick and clear spread on his brows.
"I know the way, I can smell Vernell.", perfect! Mercury was suddenly squished to the side of the vent, the wolf trying to squeeze past. Oof- He felt the air slowly exiting his lungs, bulging eyes trying to make contact with the wolf. Realizing the vent won't allow this, Raz retracted awkwardly, gesturing the flattened raccoon to go ahead. Following Raz's directions they made it to a latch to pop out of the vents. Thank the heavens.
Mercury stuck his head out, checking the room for any guards or cameras. "Can you still smell him? Is he close?", Mercury watched Raz flick over his nose, nodding surely. Dropping down they did their best to make it silent, once again checking their corners. The wolf quickly traced over to the door, feeling over his nose, his head poking out the door after the scent. "What should we do about Vernell?", Mercury watched Raz slowly back out of the door, standing up straight.
"I can smell several other baboons close to him. Let's hide for now. We can't risk turning this into a head on confrontation.", the wolf looked around the room, inspecting the rows of cabinets. Raz gestured around the room, as Mercury walked closer to them, checking the inside. The files inside provided insight on most of Devistee's machinery, like his beloved disconnector. It even showed sketches and notes of the prototype Amy managed to make a reality.
Mercury held the file in his hand, his body hesitant to move. He looked over the gloves on his hands, starting to feel doubts about using them. But using Amy's prototype set might be the very thing that could balance the scale in their favor- no matter the risk. No matter the risk. Mercury awakened to a snapping sound, spotting the wolf watching him. "We're getting company. If you haven't found anything of use, then we should bail to another room.", Mercury nodded, hesitantly stashing the notes back into the cabinet.
Raz looked out the door frame, checking where ever the scent that is getting closer is coming from. He felt something soft suddenly poke out beneath him, Mercury checking their proximity for safe travel like him. Blinking a few times, Raz finally stood up, both now heading over to the next room. As silent as possible, they checked each door, but each proved to be locked mechanically. The wolf looked at the electronic grid next to the frame. It needs a hand print. Each door he could spot down the way had one.
Mercury's eyes lingered on a small object stuck to the scanner on the room they just exited. There's no way they'd be able to traverse the hallways without suspicion, having no rooms for cover. But in the vent system they'd be even more lost... the wolf shook his head, there seemed to be no safer way than going back though. Raz's concentration was broken, hearing the constant shifting of an automated door behind him.
"Would you stop making so much noise?", Mercury eyed him silently, his bare hand lying on the scanner. With the wolf now watching and his slowly narrowing eyebrows, Mercury placed his hand down on the scanner one last time, the door closing swiftly. Baffled he could only stare at the raccoon, questions quickly popping up. But no time for questions, as Mercury popped off the small device on the scanner, popping it onto the one in front of Raz.
Mercury gestured for the wolf to enter, following him suit. "I'm not really the bragging type, but luck is a skill, too. And nothing beats Sly or me in luck.", call it luck of the Irish- or the devil, it doesn't matter. This feels like we're being set up. "I need you to concentrate. That device had to be placed on that scanner for a reason- maybe someone is watching. I need to rely on you to have my back, if this whole thing turns out to be a trap.", Mercury quickly jolted up straight, nodding surely.
He was right, this mission- all their lives really- hinged upon the success of each member in their little group. Raz seemed to have transitioned back to attentive and combat ready, as soon as he smelled Vernell. For Mercury... it was the opposite. His movement felt sluggish, his mind absent, joking around or disconnected even. Of course this wasn't the first time, where they were playing with high stakes- but it was one of the first time where he was without real guidance of his friends.
His eyes couldn't stop following the wolf. The eyes keen, picking up anything unusual, his stature ready- prowling even. Mercury never had the chance to directly work with the wolf during one of their missions. He had no idea what it means to truly have his back. One mistake and they're all toast. Mercury's hand knocked the thoughts out of his head. Concentrate.
Raz was not blind to the raccoon, seeing him struggle to contain his shaking. Mercury was starting to visibly scratch over his gloved palm. The wolf picked up on his quirks quickly. Anxious, sweaty- you'd think a thief is used to work like this. Raz shook his head very slightly, shaking away his thoughts and clearing his throat mildly. The raccoon was quick to respond, his eyes on Raz in an instant.
"Can I rely on you?", or are you going to make me watch over the both of us? The raccoon's uncertain eyes met him, his head slightly sinking. "I'll do my best.", Raz's eyes narrowed very shortly, still feeling a hint of doubt. Every now and then he looked over at the raccoon, as they searched through the room for something useful. As Raz popped the small device off the scanner, they walked over and into the adjacent room.
The wolf looked down to his side, seeing Mercury fidget with the broken Binocucom. It struck a thought through him, hoping it would help to focus the raccoon. "Can Sly rely on you... during a 'heist'?", Mercury's ears instantly peeked up, his clear and certain gaze now visible to the wolf. "Of course.", they had their eyes locked momentarily, as the wolf nodded at him. "This is no different than a heist. I know what you're capable of. This should be a piece of cake- for Sly and yourself, right?", the wolf's words got Mercury to nod, his spirits definitely starting to lift themselves- but Raz was not quite there, yet.
"That's easier said than done. I'm not as experienced as Sly. He's literally cut out for this life style, being the heir to an incredible family of thieves.", Mercury suddenly felt himself smiling. "He's always at a hundred percent, never slacking- not in the bad way at least. He's so carefree, always joking, simply enthusiastic. I can't help but look up to him.", Raz continued to watch Mercury's smile spread on his lips.
They started to investigate further through the room, Raz having grown slightly curious, as he felt himself looking at the raccoon more often. "You really cherish Sly, don't you?", even though he was turned away, the wolf could sense a bright smile, as Mercury stopped with a file in his hand. "I do. I cherish all of them- Bentley, Murray and Sly. They're my family.", he continued through the files, before they turned back to the door. Mercury shortly looked up at Raz, feeling a little bold all of a sudden.
"Just like you cherish Amy... and Mikey.", the wolf stopped momentarily, a short-lived pause in his breath. It was not like he was looking to hurt the wolf, but he was certain he would understand it best, if he compared them to someone known by Raz. In the next room there was mainly silence waiting for them, maybe that was inappropriate- "I know why you bolted, Raz. It's exactly why I couldn't let you go alone.", the raccoon shut the drawer in front of him, listening to Raz ruffle through files at his side.
"I never expected to see someone like you crack- because to me, Raz, you look like the perfect soldier and squad leader. Stable, strong, experienced- yet, I feel like I barely know anything about you. If I can help it, I'd like to see what you're truly capable of- I want to be as useful to Amy and you, as I can be to Sly.", the raccoon sought his eye contact, but he was only fixated on the files in his hands. Was Raz even listening? Mercury grew silent, not wanting to irritate the wolf.
The wolf's cabinet shut, catching the eyes of Mercury, Raz turning slowly to face him. Raz's eyes in that moment... why did they remind him so much of Sly's? The soft expression, combined with his reflective eyes looking straight into Mercury's. "Perfect?", Raz puffed out some air, his eyes trailing down, clearly amused by the raccoon's words. "I'm far from perfect." the wolf had a swift self imposed smile cross his lips, leaning against the cabinet next to him. If only you knew.
Raz looked back into the raccoon's eyes, clearly contemplating. Mercury could tell quickly, that the wolf battled with his thoughts- trying to keep them contained. "Maybe perfect is the wrong word for it. Sly doesn't like me calling him perfect either. I guess it comes with a lot of pressure, expectations-", the raccoon had a slow growing smile on his lips, Sly's words still vividly in his mind. "Thank you, Raz. I just remembered something very important to me.", we can't afford to lose here, can we Sly? We've only just begun reclaiming your birthright. We will win.
Mercury took a deep breath, stretching in every possible direction, systematically cracking his knuckles, before ending the show with a deep exhale. The raccoon's eyes quickly caught those of the wolf. "Now, you can rely on me.", Raz slightly cocked his head, smiling at him with a raised eyebrow. *sniff* Wha- *sniff* Raz could pick up several scents coming from down the hallway. They're moving. A few more seemed to have joined as well, the combined mass making it hard to grasp each individual one.
The unmistakable hint of iron was caught in his nostrils, causing the wolf to narrow his eyebrows momentarily. Blood? "We should move, carefully. They seem to be coming this way.", Mercury nodded, moving after Raz like a shadow. From what his nose could tell him, Vernell was still with them. The new scents now having joined those of the fox and baboons. The true vastness of these halls became clear, as even though he could smell them, they still seemed so far away. Raz gestured for Mercury to move, both relocating to the next room.
"I feel like we're not getting anywhere. No hint of any architectural schematics or maps. Do you suppose we keep close to Vernell? He's bound to take us to Devistee eventually, right?", but could they wait that long? Without contact to the others, they wouldn't know what might be happening else where. "We can't go into action without knowing where Mason and Sly are. We'll try to get in contact with them or-", he seemed to be thinking hard for a moment, before his eyes landed back on Mercury, "...the turtle, as soon as-", Mercury sensed him pause for a long moment, Raz exhaling softly.
"As soon as, you've found the source of the scent. I know- and his name is Bentley.", Mercury could feel the wolf's eyes following him, his shaking head visible in the raccoon's peripheral vision. Mercury opened a few drawers in front of him, peeking inside. "Just how many files does the doctor keep here? I sure as hell wouldn't want to be his accountant.", I mean, at least they are alphabetical- but still.
The raccoon's hand reached for the next drawer, his attention quickly changing to a small square object he bumped with his foot. "Considering your last internship with the doctor, I can see why that is indeed a poor career choice.", Did- did he just really crack a joke? Mercury was wavering on what to react to first, the object in his hand or the wolf walking past him slowly. Keeping the soft smile to himself, the raccoon inspected what seemed to be a remote closer. Hmhm, where have I seen this before?
The raccoon's mind boggled over the device, certain that he knows of its nature. Mercury was left to ponder for a moment, his ears slowly filling with a faintly perceivable sound. Raz crossed the room towards a cabinet standing out from the others, presenting itself in the center of all of them. The wolf looked it over from all sides, his hand hesitantly reaching out for the top drawer.
Mercury's ears were now filled by the sound, it having drowned out everything around him. His head turned to the wolf, his arm reaching for the singled out cabinet. It's- it's sizzling. Getting up from his awkward sitting position, Mercury waddled over as fast as he could. Raz grasped around the handle, his arm starting to pull it outward.
An arm shot out to stop Raz from opening the cabinet. Mercury? He watched the wide eyed raccoon for a moment, holding the small device in his view. "It's booby trapped-", Mercury moved the device around the cabinet, before opening it very slowly. "...or rather it was. This device should be able to break the circuitry in them though. This is for sure one of Amy's gadgets.", Raz picked up the device, eyeing Mercury closely.
"How do you know of this?", Mercury's finger tapped on top of the drawer, as he could now slowly pull it open. "It's just like the one she used to disable the general's traps back at the base.", there was a small pause between the two, the realization taking a moment to settle in. Mercury bit his lip, feeling a cold sweat drift down his face. Maybe I mentioned a little much. Raz placed the device down on the cabinet, his eyes now moving over to Mercury.
"You mean traps to keep people from touching disclosed files like these?", Mercury awkwardly avoided Raz's gaze, feeling like his sweater was tightening around his neck. Pulling at the opening, he cleared his throat, as his eyes started focusing down on the files. "I wonder why exactly it was placed here though. This must mean Amy got out of her confinement, right?", Mercury's voice managed to get through most of the sentence without faltering, hoping to change the topic quickly.
"Maybe, but let's not let our guard down. We'll try to sweep the rest of the area, then get into contact with Mason and Sly. As soon as we've found Amy, we'll capture Vernell and leave.", and just leave the doctor to do his bidding? Really? Raz could tell quickly by looking at his eyes, the raccoon had different ideas. "We don't have a choice. We'll need more manpower to take on this base. Manpower we currently don't have.", Mercury couldn't disagree with that, it definitely felt like them against the whole world.
Mercury turned his attention back to the files in hand. He could feel his mind slow down each passing second he looked over it. Depicted was a small bear cub, not any older than seven years- tops. His hand slowly grasped the edge of a photo attached to the page. "Raz, this is him. The kid I saw in Devistee's hideout.", he handed it over to Raz, planting down the file in front of them. The raccoon started uncovering even more files, placing them all atop the drawer. "This is- all of these files are of the children he captured.", Mercury felt a chill across his body, as eyed the back of some of the pictures. Taken 1992!?
If the scribbling on the back could be trusted, the kids were born around the same time as Mercury or even Sly. More recent pictures featured the same kids, still in their childhood. The raccoon looked over to Raz, hoping he had an idea of what was going on, but he could only see narrowed eyebrows. "They should be well into the age of an adult. It's like they stopped growing.", as Raz handled the file in his hand a picture dropped to his feet. The wolf bent down, his gaze softening, as he read out the name.
"Whatever kind of experiments he is subjecting them to- we have to put a stop to it!", Raz nudged Mercury's side, catching his gaze. The wolf held over the picture, studying his eyes carefully. It was a small raccoon, hugging the side of his mother's thigh. He turned the photo, his heart beating at a faster pace. Mercury - 1991. It's clearly him in the picture, yet when he looked at it, held it in his hand- he couldn't remember a thing. It was like every memory, before he was put into the orphanage was gone.
The raccoon's hand subconsciously moved over the raccoon woman, stroking across the photo softly. Raz kept watch over him, feeling his own gaze fall slightly. "Can you hand me the file where it dropped out of?", the wolf did, but it clearly wasn't his. "It was just stuck between the pages, someone must have taken it.", the raccoon shut the file, placing it down atop the others.
Mercury walked away, the wolf's eyes following his steps. "I was six at the time it was taken, shouldn't I be able to remember something? I look at her- and it feels like I am looking at a stranger.", Raz put down the items in hand, facing the raccoon. "I'm sorry, that you can't remember. If it helps, then maybe you should know, that I can't remember either.", Mercury's eyes went up to Raz, seeing him hold out another picture- a small wolf cub visible. His eyes then quickly ascended to the wolf's eyes, seeing a hint of sorrow inside.
Raz looked down at the picture of himself, lightly shaking his head. "We'll figure it out later, I promise- but now we still have a mission to take care of. Are you still good?", the raccoon exhaled for a good amount, nodding at the wolf, as Mercury stashed away the picture. Now certain about the involvement of minors in the doctor's plans, he knew they had to change their goals once more. Capturing the doctor and his accomplice wasn't enough- the safety of the children was now weighed against the other.
Raz put their findings back into the cabinet, making sure to not leave a trace of them snooping around. Mercury planted his palm on the scanner, allowing them access to the hallway once more. *sniff* Raz frowned, the air from the hallway now clearly carrying the scent of blood right to him. I- I know this scent. *sniff* "You can smell it? Can you not? Is it coming from out there?", Mercury very cautiously poked out his head, spying into the hallway.
The wolf's brows ceased their frown, his eyes slowly widening. They were close enough now that he could practically visualize their very movement. Vernell was feeling over the bloodied captive, the raccoon very faintly evading his touch- the baboons holding him making the effort quite worthless. Raz's eyes crossed the distance to Mercury instantly, seeing the raccoon's wide eyes and mouth agape in shock.
However the shock quickly vanished, Raz could tell there was no way to stop what was to follow. Mercury's mouth shut, his teeth gritting, his head slowly turning to Raz. The wolf clearly shook his head, Don't- it's too dangerous- but he was right, there was no stopping him. There would be no asking for permission, no hesitation- just rough, head on force.
Vernell grasped around Sly's jawline, his eyes piercing into the raccoon's. "Don't fret. We'll give it one more minute, you won't die by then, right? From what I've seen from Mercury, you should be used to handle some roughhousing.", a silent and cold gaze followed Vernell's every step. "I have to admit- Raleigh?! -Mugg...", the fox stopped mid sentence, too amused just by the thought alone, laughing by himself. "Muggshot?! That brute on two arms. Taken down by- what did he say? 'Two little pipsqueaks', oh my... amazing.", the fox wiped away a few tears, keeping close to Sly. The raccoon grit his teeth, not taking his eyes off of him.
"Remember them. They're just a taste- *yelp*, of what's to come. You'll be next.", he continued through the pain, watching Vernell with his painfully squinting eyes. "It's funny you say that, you being the one who said I wouldn't be able to take Amy nor lure the other two into my trap- now with you here, it's even easier.", that vile smile, it felt gut wrenching. Sly collected some of his bloody saliva, spitting right in front of Vernell's feet. The fox looked at it for a moment, his eyes slowly going back up to Sly's, a pair of cold and angry eyes waiting.
"Fair enough.", the unmistakable sound of tapping feet, skittering over polished floor caught the fox's attention. Finally... you're behind schedule. Sly was about to scream out to the raccoon closing in, but a swift flick of Vernell's hand ceased his every motion- the fox shutting Sly's eyes. "Goodnight, Sly.", Vernell gestured for the guards to finally take him to be treated and locked up, signaling the other six baboons to move in against Mercury.
Unwillingly Mercury came to a halt, his vision on Sly dwindling, as the baboons blocked a clear passage through. Raz was moving after him, seeing the raccoon already confronted by the massive guards. The two closest to him pulled out electric batons, the electricity cracking soundly as they moved them. Mercury kept watch of each and every one of them, wide eyes still looking for a way through- only able to see Vernell at the very end of the row.
The lone motive of the fox smiling, with Sly being dragged off in the distance only fueled into the seething emotions of Mercury. The first row guards loomed right over him, the baboon on his right swinging down right upon him, Mercury able to feel the crackling electricity pass him by. He threw a few punches, which must have felt minuscule to the baboon, as even he frowned- winding up the next attack from below.
Mercury dodged backwards, frowning down at his gloves. Maybe he should have been more inclined to ask Amy, as to how exactly they worked. He felt a short connection to the baboon's baton and his glove, a spark flying between the two. The moment the two guards came closer, out of nowhere Raz crashed into them, pushing them back. Mercury watched only for a second, clearly surprised, before he came in to assist. The hallway was barely big enough for three of the baboons to fight next to each other, as they started getting closer- now all holding their batons.
Raz fought the two on his left with precision, dodging the electric arcs of their batons with ease. In just a second of downtime, Raz hit one of them with a sucker punch, knocking him back into the other guards. Vernell didn't seem all too pleased about it, pushing the other baboons forward. Mercury couldn't provide the amount of strength the wolf had, the usual punches he threw would barely impact one of the guards.
The raccoon felt the air sizzle above him, as he ducked underneath the guards blow. Mercury's eyes followed the baton with every motion the baboon did. He couldn't take a back seat in this fight, he wanted- needed to fight on par with Raz. The baboon was clearly furious, unable to hit the raccoon. His eyes were focused, following the baton in the baboon's hand. Preparing for the guard's next swing, he dropped below the arc of the arm, pushing into the motion. Using the baboon's own weight against him, Mercury pushed his arm further, the baton's power surging through the guard.
The raccoon pushed himself a small bit away, watching the guard drop in front of him. It seemed that, he wasn't the only surprised one, as several eyes laid on the baboon now crept up to him. Mercury paid no attention to the guards, his eyes only followed the distant raccoon, now able to see him one last time through the crack in their formation.
That changed quickly with another guard now blocking his path. Mercury's angry glare climbed up to the guard's eyes. The raccoon swiftly moved forward, his arm reaching down towards the knocked out baboon at his feet. Grasping for the handle on the baton, Mercury climbed the guard's shoulders, jamming the electric end between his shoulder. While it connected, it had no where near the same effect, as it did on the last baboon.
After the slight displeasure the guard started shaking, causing Mercury to roll off of his shoulders. The raccoon could see Vernell laugh in the back line. By the image alone, Mercury was back to gritting his teeth now standing at the guard's side. Mercury looked at the baton, wondering how it lost so much of its power. With a theory in mind he held his hand closer to the electric baton, the sparks he had seen connect before not appearing.
As he danced around the other guard still in front of him, one of the other baboons fighting Raz dropped cold right next to Mercury. With their numbers shrinking, Vernell kept his eyes on them closely. Closing in on the baboon, Mercury got deceptively close the being hit, his hand feeling around the other's baton- now, not at all surprised to see sparks. It's like a conductor. With his newfound knowledge, he was sure he could turn the guard's weapon against themselves. Mercury consciously slowed down, making himself an easier target.
Carefully keeping an eye on the baton, he waved beneath and around it, until he could touch the electric end safely. As his hand made contact, he felt the glove surging, the guard now watching with bulging eyes. Looking down at the baton in Mercury's own grasp, he saw it overcharge, spewing small lightning bolts. Keeping a hold of both, the baboon's and his own, he closed the distance and jammed it into the guard.
The last baboon in his sight dropped, granting him clear vision of Vernell. It was weird still seeing him so calm, smiling even. Just as he turned to Raz, he saw him get zapped by one of the arcs. He didn't seem that fazed, as Mercury saw the wolf utilize his own body armor to withstand their shocks. But now that he was concentrating on keeping it up, the guards were free to keep him locked- and his concentration was sure to break at some point. Mercury could hear a light growling, 'Hngh.' through his teeth.
The raccoon rushed in between the guards and Raz, surprising both parties. Raz watched him place a hand on his thigh, Mercury's glove easily transferring the full brunt of what the guard's were subjecting him to. The raccoon twisted below them, his legs taking one of each baboon's legs in one sweep, causing for some imbalance. The two struggled to keep straight, Raz finishing them, as he slammed their heads together with a loud 'Bonk'.
Now even though every guard that was with him was gone, Vernell still managed to keep a smile. The wolf and raccoon stood up straight, both silently staring at the fox. "Congrats, you took down some of the guards... now what?", Mercury looked up at Raz momentarily, his narrowed eyes then quickly returning to Vernell. Neither of them broke the silence. Vernell's fingers entwined, locking eyes with Mercury.
"Baboon got your tongue? Wonder where Sly is by now-", Mercury grit his teeth awfully painful, as he started to walk closer. Vernell chuckled delightfully, the raccoon's feet coming to a stop at the baboon between him and the fox. The guard was still conscious, grasping at his feet to stop him. Mercury wiggled to get away, struggling at the attempt of kicking the hand off. The raccoon stopped, the guard still trying to scale back on his own feet.
Raz wanted to move in, walking up beside Mercury, but his arm rose with an open palm- he didn't want help. His face was kept straight, eyes locked with the fox, whose face presented a questioning smile. The baboon was breathing heavily on Mercury, his body able to get him on his weak knees. The wolf looked over, hearing an almost inaudible sniff, Mercury turning to him- showing his face with a few tears trailing down his cheeks. It was as if he couldn't decide whether to be sad or angry. Through burning eyes the raccoon looked straight into Raz's. His voice coming out as a soft whisper.
"Raz, c-can you take on the g-guy controlling Vernell? I-I n-need to go after Sly.", the whisper cracked at several places throughout. Raz looked over Mercury's form, his hands twitching, his tail closely aligned to his leg. "If I stay here- If I... I'll kill him, I'll kill Vernell.", even though he couldn't see his face, Raz could tell he was serious. It felt like the raccoon himself raised the temperature of the room by several degrees.
The guard had now finally scaled Mercury and was back on his feet. Raz looked at Mercury for only a moment, his hands surging and sending out sparks, the sheer brightness making the wolf cover his eyes. Even Vernell was surprised, stepping back slightly, his eyes squinting through the light. Mercury slammed his hands on the baboon's knees, the discharge flowing into his muscles. The power was enough to send him flying, straight into the fox. Through squinted eyes he could make out the flying guard coming towards him.
The fox was barely able to dodge the whole baboon, still getting pulled and knocked over by the force hitting his side. The brightness slowly dwindled away, as did the raccoon with neither of them noticing. Dazed and confused by what just happened, Vernell only slowly got to his feet. He was surrounded by the knocked out guards, his eyes now making out the wolf- left behind. Mercury was nowhere to be seen. Shit.
Raz quickly recovered, checking around himself. "MERCURY-", the wolf shouted before he even had a chance to thought about the consequences. One could only hope no further guards would notice their commotion. Now viewing the fox, brushing off some dust on his clothes, he was back to serious. "Oh wow- and he's off- what do you reckon will kill him first? The guards or the traps?", not amused by his mockery, the wolf's power changed his arms to a dark coloration.
Vernell shrugged with a smile, picking up one of the now unused batons. The fox took the initiative, charging at Raz with slashing arcs of electricity. Their eyes were locked together, Raz blocking his hits as best as he could. Whoever was in control of Vernell seemed to have full recognition and recollection of the fox's skills in hand to hand combat. It was a mixture of him going for weaponized jabs with the baton, but his fighting style didn't shy away from utilizing their mixed martial-arts training.
Vernell swung his leg to Raz's side, the wolf able to catch and hold it at his side. Raz went in to swoop away the other leg, but he wasn't that easy to win over. Vernell dropped onto his palms, twisting his lower body in the air, his other leg reaching up towards Raz's chin. Vernell's boot barely scraped at Raz, the wolf's sudden recline loosening his grip enough for the fox to slip out of his hand. Vernell backed off slightly, chuckling under his breath. "It's been some time since I had this much fun.", and it's been a long time since Raz recalled fighting an opponent with enough training to match up to him in hand to hand combat.
The fox's feet closed the distance between them instantly, lunging forth with several stabs. Raz turned and ducked out of his strikes, finally catching the hand and slamming it into the wall. Vernell painfully dropped the baton, ramming his other fist into the side of Raz's rib cage. Both walked a few steps away from each other and the wall, recollecting their senses- never leaving the other out of sight. Finally Raz charged into Vernell, his hardened fist trying to slam the fox into the ground. He proved to be quicker than anticipated though, as the fox dodged beneath it.
Vernell grasped at the wolf's collar, placing his foot against Raz's waist before dropping backwards and rolling over their backs- the fox effectively hoisted him over, placing himself atop of Raz. It took him a second to regain his bearings, as Raz's arms shot up to stop Vernell from touching him. The fox crossed his legs around Raz's, leaving the wolf unable to stand up- all he could do was hold off Vernell's grasp, coming ever closer to his face. The fox breathed heavily, a smile broadening more and more the closer he got.
Their eyes were suddenly distracted by the surrounding lights, all of them flickering intermittently, some of the bulbs even outright bursting. Vernell looked down at Raz, questioning whether he had something to do with it. Then there was the clear sound of tapping feet closing in very rapidly, Vernell's head unable to even turn in time. Raz was freed within a second, as what would best be described as a lightning bolt.
Before Vernell could even focus back on his surroundings, his eyes made contact with the ball of light. Two green eyes were locked on him, an arm raised high and surging with power. The other gripped around his throat, squeezing tightly, the air in his lungs vanishing. The fox tried to get the hand off of him, looking deeply into Mercury's eyes, the fury within piercing out. Mercury?! You aren't actually going to kill me!?
Mercury's lips were twitching, as he bared his teeth at Vernell. The wolf turned to the action, seeing Mercury atop of Vernell. "Stop, don't forget that it's Vernell!", Raz hurried over, catching the raccoon's arm, before he could bring it down into Vernell's gut. Mercury was relentless though, freeing himself out of Raz's strong arms. The raccoon straightened his fingers, aiming it straight at Vernell. Now the fox got really anxious, frightened even, struggling against Mercury's grasp at his throat and attempting to push him off.
"Mercury! Please, it's still me!", in a moment of pure tension, with the electricity still crackling- one could see Mercury's fingers twitch, his eyes softening. The fox's plea seemed to have gotten through him enough for Raz to push him off of Vernell. Mercury slid back, his hands skittering across the ground to stop him from sliding further. Raz turned Vernell and slapped a pair of handcuffs around his wrists.
Mercury got back on his feet, approaching Raz and Vernell slowly. The wolf was cautious, holding his open palm towards him, attempting to calm down the situation. "He's in cuffs, calm down. He can't hurt Sly or anyone for that matter.", Mercury stopped two steps away from Raz, his eyes covered by a frown- looking down over Vernell. The fox was still looking frightened, his eyes looking up towards the wolf now defending him.
Mercury's eyes trailed away from Vernell, the raccoon's palms hiding his face, before they looked back up at Raz. His legs crossed the gap between them in just a second, followed by Mercury throwing his arms around the wolf. "I can't find him. I can't- ...please, help me. I- I can't-", Mercury embraced him tightly, the wolf surprised by the sudden shift of emotions, seeing a few tears trail down his face.
"It's okay, just calm down. We will find him- we'll find 'em both.", Raz wasn't entirely sure how to handle him, patting over the raccoon's head softly. One could understand- looking around at the aftermath. All the knocked out baboons. The way they were standing in the darkness, which had been caused by the severe electric outburst. Even just by looking down at the frightened fox, it took Raz a moment to take everything in- all the while comforting the crying raccoon embracing him.
From there on it was really quiet, the three of them pressing on forward. Raz was tugging Vernell along at his cuffed arms, seeing Mercury wipe along his nose, keeping his eyes forward. They followed the corridor for a long time, spotting a few strewn around guards. He came quite far. Raz frowned over what could be called a battlefield, viewing the obviously stressed out Mercury. "The gloves you're wearing. That's Amy's creation, isn't it?", even though his eyes didn't meet Raz's, his fist clenched together, nodding softly.
"Are you sure you should be wearing them? You have no idea what they might be doing to you. They're just a prototype after all.", his only response was quickening his steps, staying ahead of the wolf and fox. Vernell was back to having a smile on his lips, seeing Raz's eyes follow the raccoon, clearly worried. "I love this sort of drama, don't you?", Raz tugged his arm further, making him keep a steady pace like them.
Their search felt endless- until Raz finally caught a hint of Sly's scent. "I got him.", his eyes were closed, concentrating on the direction it came from. The restless raccoon walked closer quickly. "From where- where is he?!", Raz's nose tried to pin down a direction, turning his head ever so slightly. Wait, what- what?! It was like a sensory overload, as Raz was bombarded from every direction, like Sly was every where at once.
"It's coming from every where. I don't know where he is.", the raccoon's expression dried out, leaving only blankness. The raccoon turned in an instant, his feet wanting to take him down the first intersection. "Mercury, stop!", Raz let go of Vernell, catching the raccoon's shoulder. He came to a halt immediately, his head only slightly turning. "We can't split up again. Just give me a moment to figure this out and we'll go together.", it was visible he wanted to take off right away, barely holding his feet down.
"Are you sure your nose isn't playing tricks on you? What, if he has something to do with it?", Mercury pointed over at Vernell, the fox looking at him surprised, putting on an innocent angelic smile. Raz wanted to object- that it would only take a moment, when the two of them heard a very weird mechanical sound- like something was turning. Their eyes ascended to find a camera, looking straight at them.
"I thought they all short circuited?", someone is watching us... it was clear there was someone in control, as it didn't pan around at all, only staying fixated on the two of them. Raz and Mercury suddenly felt a sudden warm sensation at their shoulder. "You two shouldn't get carried away- these are hostile grounds, don't forget that. Now- say cheese.", Vernell's head poked out between the two, the three of them together looking up at the camera closely.
Mercury shook his head, looking back over his shoulder. Raz tugged the fox closer, trying to get his nose to find the right way. Mercury frowned to himself, feeling like experiencing a sudden déjà vu. "I got it, follow me.", Mercury felt a cold sweat across his back, seeing the wolf and fox pass him by. "You okay?", the raccoon looked up at the concerned wolf, nodding after a moment of silence.
Mercury followed the two cautiously, crossing intersection after intersection. "It's coming from in here.", Raz made sure to push in Vernell first, hoping to distract any guards inside. Mercury followed closely, poking his head through the door. His jaw dropped immediately, being the first to rush towards the other raccoon in restraints. Sly was strapped to some kind of operating table, the contraption certainly one of Devistee.
Mercury cupped around Sly's face, "Hey! Hey, Sly.", the raccoon only slowly opened his eyes in response. A faint happy grumbling sound was all he could muster, falling back down in his restraints. "Help me get him out of this. And we need to treat his wounds.", Raz walked towards the door, closing it for any outsiders. "Sure thing- I'll just get us some privacy.", the wolf came back over, the two of them easily breaking Sly off the table.
They laid him down carefully, as Mercury placed his backpack next to him. The raccoon did his best to treat Sly by the medical knowledge they have been supervised under. He could feel his friend squirm underneath him, some blood always trailing down the side of his mouth. Why is it not stopping?! Why?! WHY?! "I can't make it stop, Sly. I can't stop this bleeding. Hold on for me, okay?", Sly closed his eyes, showing Mercury a blissful smile.
"I'll hold on, don't worry." Sly's sentence came out as barely a whisper, his flattened chest not taking in another breath. Sly? Mercury grasped his hand, holding it close to his chest. "Sly!?", it took Mercury another moment to truly take in what was happening in front of him. There was a hurtful burning sensation starting in his heart, rapidly burning its way through his whole body- as a sudden and loud shout erupted from his very gut. Tears fell down his face, hitting the raccoon beneath him.
Mercury sat there for what felt like hours to him, his tears never seeming to fade. A second burning sensation came over him, as he- still with tears in his eyes- turned to view Vernell. His head turned all around the room, unable to find the fox. The sudden confusion building in him slowed down his tears, before his eyes returned to Raz.
"Looking for someone?", Vernell stared him right in the eyes, Mercury rocking back in shock. Mercury quickly regained himself however, wanting to lift his arm to hit that smug grin off the fox's face. That's when he realized, he was numb- his whole body was completely numb. He sat there opposite of Vernell, only able to hold Sly's cold hand. "It's funny what some of us would do for one another, isn't it? Like how you were going to kill me- well, I mean Vernell... for this guy right here.", Mercury watched him pat and stroke over Sly's face.
The raccoon felt a revolting sensation within, wanting to hit him away so badly. His eyes suddenly jumped back to Mercury. "Hmph. I'm curious. What else would you do? What else- or who else would you kill for?", within a blink, Vernell vanished once more, Sly and him being the only remaining guys in the room. The raccoon was startled, as he felt the cold hand's grasp tightening around his. The fox's and Mercury's eyes met, as he laid there holding his hand.
"Would you kill to find out about yourself? About her?", the fox pulled out the picture stored in Mercury's pocket, as well as a file- the missing file of the cabinet. Vernell showed him the clear picture of himself with his mother. Mercury realized his other arm rising, as it surged with electricity. "Would you?", he frowned down at the fox, his fist slamming into the ground next to him. Vernell watched the hand next to his head. He simply sighed and shrugged, pushing Mercury on his back.
"Disappointing.", Mercury was held down by the numbness, not even able to move a single muscle. "It was a lot of fun though.", Vernell now grasped around both his gloved hands, Mercury starting to feel the same tingle he remembered from his touch back at the base. Mercury struggled to free himself from Vernell, but the numbness was too much, the pain only adding to the whole picture.
"Maybe you should've listened to Raz- I feel like these are holding you back.", the fox got right next to his ear, whispering in it. Vernell left him lying there, the raccoon completely still, except for the eyes, constantly following him. "Speaking of Raz, I'll be right back. What kind of service would it be, if I only show you around?", Vernell walked off towards the door, coming to a halt at the end.
"Oh and-", Mercury's eyes shot open, a file flopping down right in front of his eyes. "...take a look inside if you want to. It's a nice read.", every part of his body was twitching, trying its best to grasp for the file right in front of him. "Don't feel like it? That's okay.", the sound of a match igniting, caught his eyes, as they quickly landed on the fox. Vernell flicked it over, Mercury's file catching flames right before his eyes.
Watching the picture of his mother and him burn- it felt like he himself had been set on fire. The door shut loudly, leaving Mercury completely alone. The raccoon tried his best to huff and puff out the flames, every fiber of his body putting in the work. It proved ineffective sadly, as the file was only burning faster. Move. Move! Mercury pulled his hand up towards the file, each finger tugging its way upwards.
At this point he just pulled it through the fire, his only desire being to save the picture. It's edges had already been burned away, Mercury risking his entire arm catching on fire to preserve the rest of it. As he did, the emergency fire sprinklers activated, extinguishing his arm and the picture in his slightly scorched hand. He was so glad he got to save it, holding it close to his chest.
His eyes looked it over, feeling around the edges. Mercury laid there in his numbness, his head slowly turning towards the door. What would he have planned for Raz, if he would go this far just to mock him? Mercury felt the picture slip through his fingers, not fast enough to keep hold of it. When he first got a good view of the backside, he saw a hidden writing, now revealed by the fire. Just below his name, it spelled out something else. His eyes needed a moment to make out every thing, as he slowly mouthed it out.
"My dearest, Mercury and-", Emily.
End of Chapter twenty four.