Master of Thieves
Chapter 14: A Cousin's Lament
It took almost an hour for Terry to explain what happened in Ancient Egypt 4 times, mainly due to the Gang's still taking in what happened to Sly after fighting Drake. After he finished for the 4th time, Bentley, Murray and Carmelita still wore astonished expressions, before Terry said suddenly "Please don't make me explain it all over again, okay? I was there, even though it sounds unbelievable to the normal person, and I still can't believe it… But even so, I'm not giving up… I won't give up on finding Sly, no matter what." Bentley, Murray and Carmelita were surprised at Terry's unflinching resolve to find and help Sly, before they nodded at him with renewed determination.
Terry then looked at the clock and saw it was 9:45pm, before he let loose his muscles and noted "I don't know about you guys… but I just want to turn in. I'm sure you guys feel the same when you went into a similar fire like this… Though I must admit, I don't know if you guys have a sleeping bag or a spare mattress or even a futon for the tenancy." Bentley, Murray and Carmelita glanced at each other, before Bentley replied "Well… we do have a sleeping bag inside the Cooper Van, but that's not where we want you to sleep in." Terry raised his brow in puzzlement, before Bentley switched his wheelchair to hover and gestured the former to follow him up a flight of stairs to a room marked 'Sly'.
Feeling rather saddened, Terry followed Bentley into Sly's room and saw it was… okay, he thought it might've got cobwebs throughout the room, but it was kept clean. He looked around the room and saw a picture of an 8-yr old Sly smiling with his mother and father, which Terry thought was rather enlightening and sad at the same time. On the other bedside drawer, he saw pictures of Sly with Bentley and Murray and another with him kissing Carmelita as she held a rose while wearing a surprised look. Terry then held up one of the photos and noted with a gentle smile "Happier times, I guess…" Bentley wheeled around and saw Terry looking at one of the photographs, before he replied with a warm smile "Yeah… Sly has always been trying to find the lighter side of things, even with a quip." Terry smiled at that statement, before he puts the photograph back on the bedside drawer.
He then grabbed his duffel bag and searched for his pyjamas, before grabbing them from the left end of the bag and held them under his right arm. As he went into the bathroom for a towel before having a shower, he heard the door being knocked on. Carmelita's voice then said "Hey Terry, sorry to bother you, but I must ask you something…" Terry made a silent sigh, before he replied "Alright Carmelita, what is it you want to ask?"
Carmelita gave a breath, before she asked Terry "Do you solely care about Sly, or do you also care about the rest of us?" Terry was rather shocked to hear Carmelita ask that, before he responded "I do care about Sly's safety as much as you, Bentley and Murray, but I am also willing to watch your backs at the same time. If a plan was compromised and you guys are in peril, I will assure you I will help out any way I can." Carmelita felt relieved that Terry isn't fully focused on having Sly's back, before she heard the shower run and Terry whistling to the tune of 'Jailhouse Rock'. Carmelita pursed her lips and nodded slightly before she went downstairs to the living area and bids Bentley and Murray a good night before she departed to her apartment.
It was 10:10pm when Terry went into Sly's bedroom and sat on the left end of the bed; even though he arrived in the city hours ago, it felt like it was yesterday already. He then looked at Sly's photo with his parents, which made him think of what his parents is doing right now. He then felt his eyelids growing heavier in fatigue, so he went under the donah and rested his head on the left pillow, looking up at the ceiling as he pondered on when Sly had ended up now. His brain then told him "Whenever your cousin ended up, you'll most likely meet another of his ancestors too; you can be assured of that." Terry pursed his lips at the heavily valid point, before he turned his head to the side and slowly went to sleep.
At 7:45am the next morning, Terry woke up to the sound of big heavy footsteps coming from the hallway, which he supposed is Murray coming to wake him up. As he stretched his arms while making a yawn, Murray knocked on the door and asked "Hey Terry, you awake yet?" Terry rubbed the back of his head with a drowsy look, before he replied "Yeah Murray… I just woke up a few seconds ago."
He then let loose his muscles, before he asked "Why do you ask, though? Is there a problem or something?" Murray replied "Nah, just wanted to grab a meal at that diner…" Terry raised his brow and inquired "Which one?" Murray replied, although Terry swore he heard an amused chortle "The one with the opossum waitress that fancies you, what else?" Terry was surprised that Murray of all individuals was aware that Pearl fancies him, because he was flustered from his cheeks to his nose.
He then said quickly "Won't be long!" as he bolted to his duffel bag and quickly changed into some clothing before he puts his sleepwear on the bed. When he exited the bedroom, Murray was leaning on the wall to his left, tapping his right foot on the wooden floor while staring up at the ceiling. Murray then turned his head and asked "So, you ready to go, little buddy?" Terry made a smile and replied "10-4, big buddy… 10-4."
Minutes later, Murray drove himself and Terry to the diner, when the latter saw Pearl taking an order from a male badger. Murray noticed him looking at Pearl, before he brought him back to his senses and gestured him to the diner, which Terry nodded. They then left the Cooper Van and went inside the diner just to hear Pearl say to the male badger "I told you, I'm not on the menu! Will you just back off?" The male badger slammed his fists on the table and replied as he advanced to Pearl "Why you ungrateful little…"
As he threw a punch at Pearl, Terry caught his arm with a firm grip and noted "Now that is hardly polite of you…" The male Badger gritted his teeth and growled at Terry, who swiftly dodged a punch and laid the male Badger out on the floor. Terry then crouched beside the badger, who said in obvious pain "What's wrong with getting a little 'exotic' taste, huh? Why won't you let me?" Terry pointed out in response with a stern glare "First off, it's because you are seriously wrong in the head; second, this is a city diner, NOT a countryside bar." Pearl held back an amused chuckle from the latter reason, when Murray grabbed the male Badger by the scruff of his neck and threw him out of the diner.
When the door closed, Pearl let out an amusing laugh and wiped an amusing tear from her left eye, when Terry turned to her with a sly smile. Pearl then looked at Terry with a blush and lunged at him into a hug, saying softly "Thank you… Thank you so much." Terry was blushing at the hug, before he wrapped his arms around Pearl's back and replied "No problem, Pearl… I wasn't going to let that sicko hurt you." Pearl then closed her eyes with a smile as Terry did the same thing too, before they slowly backed their heads and touched their noses with a deep blush. They then opened their eyes a little and looked at each other in infatuation, before Pearl asked him "So, what can I get you, sweetie?" Terry smiled broadly before he placed his and Murray's orders.