"Why wait until its nearing sundown to head over to this museum?"

"Because if we just ask Wilkson for the key earlier especially while its packed full of people, folks are going to think its really weird."

"We're still sitting here on a museum roof on a glass window."

"Patience, Sonic. Remember, the museum closes at between 5 and 6."

It was 5:30 in the afternoon, the sun was setting and a few hours had passed since the events in Lara's sitting room at the mansion, Sonic and Lara were now sitting on the rooftops of the famous British Cultural Museum in London.

The two of them were looking through the marble glass window and waiting for the right time to make their move, watching the tourists leaving and the guards minding their own business.

After discussing everything about the Golden Satuyama Key, the heroic adventurers had decided to pay the museum curator a visit.

Lara was still wearing her green shirt, black shorts along with combat boots but had also donned a black vest and wore fingerless gloves.

Her hair was tied back in a bun, a hairstyle that it made girls look look nice. Almost every human gal Sonic hung out with had their hair tied back in a ponytail or a braid or let their hair down.

"You're right." Sonic said, "Its your plan, no complainin' or arguing. Besides, its best to take it slow and easy. If we went in there now and just took the key, even if we asked, people would look at us funny. Besides, has anyone in your family been a crook or somethin'?"

"What?" Lara was surprised, "You're askin' me if I had a relative in my family do something despicable? Well, considerin' you're from huge family of folks who've great things, yer bound to have a rogue relative.

"Me great-uncle David sorta counts, while he was a noble archeologist, he did steal a few artifacts from museums, even bumped off a few folks who were after his loot. In the end, he wasn't a full-on villain."

"Thank goodness for that." Sonic said, sighing with relief, "At least he didn't help anybody suspiciously evil for sure, who wants to have an evil ancestor?"

Lara laughed, "Dunno, do you know anybody like that, anybody who had an ancestor who was some kind of super villain?"

The blue hedgehog shook his head, the idea of somebody with a dark past was absurd sometimes, even ridiculous if a hero had an ancestor who was some kind of villain who did terrible and dark deeds many years before.

His nemesis had sort of come from a big family tree and very few had become crazy evil super villains, very few.

5:45 P.M. churned along, Big Ben rang like nuts as it usually did whenever it hit a certain hour, hour and ten, half an hour, etc. Sonic and Lara quietly listened to the sounds of hustle and bustle on the freeways and streets as people got off work, moved on to the next shift or went home from school.

Below them, through the glass windows, people inside the museum began to leave as the P.A system buzzed, "Attention, all visitors. The Museum will be closing for tonight, proceed on your way out in an orderly fashion, thank you."

"Well, looks like our cue." Sonic was just about to open the glass when Lara put her hand up. "No, too soon. Wait until the only ones in the building is the wooden legged man the security guards. Wilkson is trustworthy and his guards know when either somebody is an honest person or a real crook.

"Believe me, I've visited this place many times when I was young and I know this man, he's somebody you can trust. You've met the man and he's a nice fellow, so you can do the honors bringin' up the key."

The two watched as the tourists inside the museum filed their way out of the building and the silver haired old man with a walking stick and peg leg wished them a safe evening and a good weekend.

5:50 P.M. Big Ben rang, that was the signal to make the move. "Careful." Lara whispered as Sonic lifted part of the glass ceiling roof, "We don't wanna wreck anything."

The blue speedster winked at Lara with a look that said you don't have to tell me twice. The slender female shook her head as the two of them finally opened the roof, That speedy hedgehog with an attitude and brash personality.

In the wide marble hall below, the silver-haired man with blue eyes in the black suit with his cane and wooden leg was inspecting his watch and the guards when they both heard a creak and watched as Lara Croft jumped down into the hall, unscathed and accompanied by one familiar blue hedgehog.

"HALT!" The first guard shouted, drawing his gun.

"Hold your fire." Mr. Wilkson held up his hand, "These aren't intruders. Its just Lara Croft and good old Sonic the Hedgehog."

Lara waved, "Hi, Wilkson. Long time no see."

The guards, no older than their late twenties, lowered their guns. Sonic winked and gave a double thumbs up and a pointy finger at one of the guards, "Sup, bromigo?"

A uniformed museum guard no older than age twenty seven with black hair walked up, "Its… its an honor to see you, Mr. Sonic."

The blue hedgehog laughed, "What, I've been to this place before. You a newbie here or something?"

Wilkson stepped in, "Mr. Wallace has been part of the Museum Security Guard Force for a few years now, he follows in his old man's footsteps, Wallace's pop was a security guard for a museum for a while."

"Mr. Wilkson." Lara cut in, "Me and Mr. Sonic are here for something important, you know that big golden key you have in your possession?"

Wilkson, old eyes widened, looked at the nineteen year old with surprise, "Yes, what about?"

"Well, we just recently learned that the key is actually one of the four Ratakyan Keys required to seek out if one is to gain access to a long lost temple that contains an ancient deity statue. I got me hands on a chart and a scroll explaining everything, you do know of the Ratakyans, eh?"

"Why, yes. Of course I do, in fact, I know an old friend of mine from Asia who happens to be a direct descendant of one of the Ratakyan Tribe members."

"Fascinating, did you get what we just told you about the key?" Lara asked.

"I did." Wilkson replied.

"Then," Sonic interjected, "Will you give it to us?"

"Certainly, dear friends. Gimme, uh, a minute and a half"

—

As Sonic and Lara waited patiently for Wilkson to return with the Satuyama Key, they stood in the wide marble hallway, chatting with some of the guards about what they knew about the story of Ratakya, even the museum's history.

The museum had been built in 1873 and remodeled in 1936, during the London Blitz of 1940-1941, the entire place had been devastated to a point where it took years for it to be rebuilt, reopening in 1953.

Wilkson and his family had curated the museum for years, Wilkson had been in charge since 1955 after his pop had stepped down. As for the Satuyama Key, it turned out that Wilkson's family had gotten their hands on it in spring 1938.

"Never even bothered to research this place before." Lara said, she looked at Sonic, who did most of the history lesson with Security Guard Jason, Jason had been here for quite some time and had been best pals with Sonic in the past whenever the blue hedgehog had visited England.

"Got the key now." Wilkson's voice echoed along the marble hallway as he returned, holding the Golden Satuyama Key of Ratakya Senga itself."

"Now we're talkin'!" Sonic exclaimed with excitement in his voice, "One key down and only a few more left in the world, then we'll go after that statue." Wilkson handed Lara the key, "For you, Ms. Croft." That shocked the speedy blue hedgehog, "Wha…? Why can't I hold on to that key?"

Lara took the key and looked at Sonic, holding it up in front of him, "Don't worry, Mr. Sonic. We're in this together, I'll let you hold a Ratakyan key. For now, let me hold on to this and we'll put it somewhere for safekeeping."

Sonic breathed in the fresh air, "Ok, Lara. I trust you, its good to avoid the possibility of getting backstabbed."

"Why would I do that?"

"I dunno, just a little overly cautious, I... like to be the safekeeping guy."

"I'm the safekeeping type myself too, so will you please trust me?"

"Yes."

So that's how relationships play out sometimes, Lara thought as she and Sonic shook hands, especially romantic relationships. There's a bit of tension and uneasiness, but it all gets better. She smiled at Sonic and the blue hedgehog thought, Wow, I'm starting to like this even girl more.

As the two of them said their goodbye for now to Mr. Wilkson and the guards and made their way out the door, discussing a nice meal at the mansion, Wilkson watched with a smile and said to a guard, "Something tells me these two will become more than friends real soon."