Please read and review if you wish,Thank you.
Chapter 12: All that glitters…
X.x.x. Paradise Coast Museum of Fine Jewelry .x.x.X
(At a passing glance the Paradise Coast Museum of Fine Jewelry looks to be an average mundane looking multi-level building. But in its outward simplicity and low profile, it hides the fact that it is the best place to hide items of true value.)
As Nimero walks into the building, his black sleeveless shirt, slate cargo pants, and open toe and heel black boots drew the attention of the well dressed patrons, employees and most of all the three mobian guards. As he walks to an overlander woman, she eyes him with a look of confusion. However, the lion's glowing smile puts her at ease "Hello sir, how may I help you? Do you need directions to the nightclub district?"
"No thank you miss, I think I'm in the right location. However, I sure hope you can help find something I'm looking for."
His politeness seems to put her further at ease as the pair walk and examine the collection of precious jewels, "I can see what I can do, how can I help you?"
"I'm looking for the new emerald exhibit I saw on the news. I know the location was withheld to protect it. However, I know it's here."
"I'm so sorry," her voice has a very shaky tone. "But I don't think we're the ones to have the exhibit here." She then points to the various gemstones kept in glass cases that upon further inspection have a more archeological value than financial value. "Compared to the others, our security is far too low to keep anything that valuable."
"Don't sell yourself shorts, your obviously not that good at it." The clerk's gives a confused look "I took the time to notice three key giveaways about this museum. First, your guards are terrible..." The bull mobian begins to rush the lion but is held back by a pitbull and a doberman.
"WHY DON'T YOU SAY THAT TO MY FACE YOU LITTLE BASTARD!"
"I said nothing about you, I mean the," he stops and points to three patrons "Three plain clothes guards who gave themselves away by going out of their way to keep me in their line of sight." He stops and looks at the gems again "Second, I have a pal who is an expert on gems and they probably would raise hell at the joke that is these gems. You try to keep thieves focusing on your display but most of these are damn near worthless."
"Most of these are archeological."
"Even the most buried of treasure still looks better than this coming out the ground. Nobody would waste money on these so how do you stay open by selling this crap?"
"I'm not at liberty to discuss that information."
"That's fine, you don't have to" He looks to a small door directly behind one of the guards "I did some quick research and found out there is both a helipad on this building and an express elevator on the base floor, probably behind that door, I wonder where it leads?" The clerk looks to her coworkers for help, to find no answers.
"The real exhibit for the valuable goods are in a different room, beyond those doors."
"Yeah, ya probably right" the three large mobians surround the lion "Too bad me and the boys gonna turn you into paste now, smartass. If ya can't count, you is outnumbered three to one." The large bull grabs him by the shirt, his feet dangling off the floor as he hangs there staring at him. The doberman grins and closes in.
"He's so small he's more like half a lion, so I say three on a half." Nimero grins and looks to the dog, still showing no intent on moving.
"It's good to know they teach fractions in your remedial class," he looks to the bull "I thought you would taken after your boss over there. Living the life of an ignorant brute who can't tell his face from his ass. But hey, maybe that's a family resemblance."
The bull draws his free hand back and prepares to send all his malice into his fist to crush this smug little punk. This was exactly what Nimero was banking on as he suddenly grabs the doberman and pulls him it to the incoming punch. The impact was so great it dislodged from his grasp and sent his teammate flying into a display, sending worthless rocks scattering across the floor as the display collapses and the guard lays still. The Pitt lunges at the lion with unrefined murder in his eyes as he closes in on the lion as he simply ducks and effortlessly lifts him into his own incoming act of friendly fire. Thus punch sends the guard flying into a sculpture as he tips it over and lays motionlessly in the rubble. Nimero finally swings an elbow into the bulls knee causing him to crash to the marble tile. A second elbow finds its mark in the lumbering fool's gut sending both hand to his middle, leaving his head free as a pair of hands grab each horn and pulls it into an approaching knee with such force the horns snap off and the bulls head slams to the marble tile with a crunch. Nimero quickly pulls out a small circular device and closes the wounds shut on the sides of his head. Screams alert the lion to the mass of people fleeing to the door, only for a pair of metallic figures to block their way.
"Ok everyone, my pals here will help find the most comfortable position to be restrained in. So if you have any medical issues, inform them so no problems will flare up. I have to check on the guards to make sure they are in one piece." He stops and looks down to the pair of horns in his hands. He drops them and sheepishly looks to the hostages "Figuratively, I will see if they are figuratively in one piece, sorry about that."
X.x.x. en route to Paradise Coast Museum of Fine Jewelry .x.x.X
"SONIC, SLOW DOWN, ARE YOU SURE HE SAID..."
"As sure as I can be, it's the only place that makes his little remark make sense."
(In our first fight, we both were a little rough around the edges. Maybe with proper time to polish, we can see how we really shine.)
As Nimero's words haunt his mind, Sonic begins too pick up more speed. The sudden shift causes Sally to hold on tighter. (This isn't good, he's never been this focused on a job before.)
Above the cityscape, Bunnie is rocketing and weaving between skyscrapers as she is holding Antoine as she struggles to keep up with the blue blur on the ground. Suddenly, Nicole's voice catches Bunnie's attention.
"I think I should mark were you should be going. I don't think Antoine is gonna hold on for much longer." Looking at the slightly woozy coyote starting to look pale.
"Ah hell Antoine, why didn't you say anything?" A look of dread strikes Antoine as he clasp his mouth and shakes his head.
"You don't want the answer from him, just take my word for it."
X.x.x. Paradise Coast Museum of Fine Jewelry .x.x.X
Sonic, Sally, and Antoine burst in the museum to see that Sonic was correct in the location of the robbery. All patrons and employees were blindfolded, gagged and tied to chairs while the guards were nursing headaches and various levels of injury. Sally checks pitbull's bruises. He slowly regains his senses, Sally speaks with him.
"Where did the lion who did this go?"
"Vault room, take the middle elevator it's the only way there from this floor." He then looks to his boss lying on the floor "OH GOD, IS HE DEAD?!"
"No, he is alive but I think losing horns will not help with his pain. We must go now." Sally nods and sprints for the elevator with Sonic and Antoine hot on her trail.
Just as the elevator doors open, the team runs at top speed for the now visibly open vault. As they reach the corridor opening, A loud yell stops them in their tracks. "HEY, THERE'S NO NEED TO GO THERE! I ALREADY GOT WHAT I NEED, MEET ME OUT HERE!"
The trio burst out into an open helipad as Nimero stands on the edge with a large white gem in his hand.
"Honestly, I almost picked up the wrong one several times. All I gotta ask is, why is this thing white if it's an emerald. I thought emerald were called that because they were green. Can anyone explain this..."
"Ah'd think you would have more important thing on your mind." Nimero lazily turns his head to see Bunnie aiming her arm cannon "Like was it a good idea to try to steal that emerald without that armor that saved your ass."
"Well there's one way to find out." Nimero then points at the blue hedgehog. "But that is for Sonic to find out, on his own. So how about y'all just stand aside..." The low hum of Sally's wrist lazer blades and the ringing of Antoine's unsheathed sword answer the lion. "Or not, four on one seems really not fair." The lion shoots a wide grin "Let's even things up shall we..."
A metallic fist blindsides Bunnie and sends her falling towards the city streets below. Hovering in her place is the grand reveal of one of the modifications for Eggman's EXO bot. Its white frame offset by the streaks of neon yellow paint, marking it as an EXO modified for flight along with the additional foot jets and back thrusters. The singular red eye lock onto the falling rabbit as it rockets after the target.
"BUNNIE!" Antoine points his sword at Nimero "I WILL MOUNT YOUR HEAD ON A WALL!" as he prepares to charge.
"You can try," The coyote is stopped by a iron grasp from a second, but basic looking, EXO that burst from under the helipad, "But you should try keeping your hide first before you get laid out like a throw rug. The EXO launches him back down the corridor and runs in after him.
"ANTOINE!" a sound of fear and dread ride Sally's scream.
"I think your friend may require your assistance," Sally and Sonic shoot him a killing glare. As Sally runs into the room, Nimero waves and muses "Have fun princess."
Now with all the distractions gone, Nimero looks to our readied hero through the chaos emerald. "Alright, now that your buddies are playing the doctor's new toys, let's get to the rematch."
