Master of Thieves
Chapter 19: Learning how to Wall Edge
(Gameplay Warning)
After being informed to where he should take vital snapshots by Bentley, Terry left the hideout and stood out of the edge of the cave entrance. He then got out the Topographic Miniature Aerial Drone, or T-MAD as Terry calls for short, and threw it up in the air, before it deployed its wings and camera; as it was doing a survey of the area, Terry glanced at the Lake and thought he saw some movement beneath the water for a moment. It was too large for a group of fish, but he knew he wasn't here to meet Nessie at last… Though the thought of having an alliance with the legend of Loch Ness would be spectacular.
His thoughts were interrupted when he heard the T-MAD beeping by his left ear; he was startled by the noise, but felt relieved almost immediately when he saw the device, so he held out his BinocuCom to let the T-MAD back in its spot. He then transferred the data to Bentley's BinocuCom, since he can direct him where the most tactical spots are to take recon photos.
After a few moments, Bentley instructed him through the earpiece "Okay Terry, the first photo I need you to take is the hamlet; since the Drone's Searchlights are focused there, it'd be wise to use higher ground close to the cave." Terry complied and looked around for a suitable spot on either side, before he saw it on his right; he then paced over to the spot as quickly and quietly as he can, ensuring that he won't be noticed by the searchlights.
When he reached the spot, he took out his BinocuCom and used the Camera to take a photo of the hamlet, which Bentley comments through the earpiece "Although there's a village below a massive castle, I don't see any signs of civilians on the way through." Terry felt concerned about that: If there are Drones similar to the ones in Ancient Egypt, then he most likely took the villagers caged too. He was then directed to take a photo of the cliff side next, which he supposed is whether would be another way to reach the castle.
He then snapped the photo and sent it to Bentley for a better judgement; after a few moments, Bentley told Terry "Looks like the cliff wall is stable enough… Now, the next photo I need you to take requires the use of the Wall Edge move… A move you sadly don't know how to pull off." He then heard movement in the earpiece and overheard Sly's astonishment that Terry didn't know how to use the Wall Edge move yet, which Bentley admits to Sly that he just assumed that Terry read the move in the Thievius Raccoonus, due to a mistake in the training room.
Terry sighed quietly at the bickering between Bentley and Sly, when he contacted Slaigh and asked him how to pull off the Wall Edge move. Slaigh replied as Terry approached the cliff face "A'ight laddie, in order to pull off the Wall Edge move, you must approach the ledge and press 'O' to put your back against the wall and position on the small ledge; you can then shimmy either direction with the left thumbstick until you reach a small vantage point, enough ground for you to walk freely or pressing 'O' again to back away from the wall."
Terry nodded in compliance, before he thought to himself as he looked along the cliff face to where the end was over the lake's surface "Although I'm more worried about the drop than the climb, to be honest… Well, here goes." Terry then executed the Wall Edge move for the first time, before shimmying to the left until he reached a small vantage point, where there was some climbing rope up to the castle walls. Even though there'd be a good chance that there were likely to be a patrol above, he would risk his life to get Sly back to the present safely.
With a renewed amount of confidence, Terry climbed up the rope to the cliff edge, when he heard footsteps patter slowly towards his position. He climbed down the rope a little so he won't be detected by the guard, when he heard the guard's earpiece go off and a familiar voice said "Section 5, I need you to report to the foyer right away; there's a briefing that can't be missed, so hop to it." Terry heard the guard grumble irritably, before he left the vicinity; Terry felt that the briefing was important, so he climbed up to the castle wall and contacted Bentley, who had got into a heated argument with Sly.
They were in the middle of arguing about how the Time Machine was damaged and resorted to using the Time Warps, when Terry said calmly "Bentley, I'm right by the Castle Walls; where do I go from here?" Although his voice was calm, it still managed to intervene the argument and Bentley responded through the earpiece "I need you to take a photo of the Courtyard, Front Gate, East Tower and the Cellar Entrance; also, dig up any intel if you can so we can have an advantage."
Terry nodded, before he climbed the Castle Walls to the battlements; he then checked for any patrols along the battlements, before he took a photo of the Courtyard, which has crates with a logo on them. Bentley then noted after being sent the Courtyard photo "From the looks of things, factoring the security, the quantity of crates and the assembly of equipment, the set-up here spans about a week at least… This'll be some hard thinking to do."
Terry then lowered his BinocuCom, when he heard a Guard's Earpiece coming from his right; seeing he has a few seconds to hide, he looked frantically for a hiding spot. A Gecko Guard with chainmail armour and a Spear then came to the spot where Terry was a few seconds later, though he didn't realise there was an intruder in the vicinity. He then checked a corner and saw barrels of mead; there was one with the lid open slightly, but he passed it off as a greedy guts before going to the Foyer. As soon as the guard's footsteps hit the tile on the Courtyard, Terry opened the slightly open lid of the empty mead barrel, letting out a sigh of relief from the close call.
He then quietly got out of the barrel and puts the lid back in place, glad that there was an empty barrel to hide in, when he saw the Front Gate open and 3 guards passed through before they closed automatically. Thinking it'd be wiser to take photos of the exterior and the interior of the Front Gate, he took a snap of it from the Courtyard, before going to a vantage point where he can take a picture of the East Tower. Bentley then commented after being transferred the photo "It doesn't look like the East Tower is a priority for patrols… If the worse comes, you should exit out through the window, provided you have a Paraglider." Terry was afraid of that option, since he never even used one before in his life… or saw one in a picture, for that matter.
He then refocused to taking a picture of the Front Gate from the Exterior, before sending both photos to Bentley's BinocuCom. After assessing both pictures, Bentley said via earpiece "From the looks of it, the Gate only opens towards the Courtyard; it also has an electronic lock that only activates when a Lockdown is in effect."
Terry nodded, before he decided to infiltrate the Foyer and listen in on the briefing; as he walked a tightrope from one of the Battlement Stations to the roof of the main building, Bentley asked him if had dug up any intel yet. Terry then checked the window and saw two Gecko Guards with crossbows facing away from the window; knowing how Sly and Slytunkhamen were detected so easily back in Ancient Egypt, Terry used a Laser Mic to record the briefing.
He then used his Earpiece to listen in on the briefing, when the unmistakable voice of Drake said "Fellow Guardsmen, I thank all of you to attend this briefing; from what I also see, there isn't anyone missing, which further meets my choice in hiring you all." There was a pause, before Drake continued "Now, as you all know by now, the villagers we have taken are currently pacified and the equipment are set up in an orderly fashion. However, from the information from one of the Security Drones about an hour earlier, it seems that Sly Cooper is within the area."
Terry noticed Drake growling menacingly, since he failed to kill Sly in Ancient Egypt because he was thwarted by Terry. Drake then regained his composure and continued "That's why, until further notice, I'd like a max of 2 guards patrolling the pathetic village below on a rotational schedule. Check in the radio for anything suspicious, but inform my channel with an absolute confirm sighting for Cooper and his… admittedly loyal cousin."
Terry was surprised that Drake would admit his own unwavering loyalty to Sly, when Drake barked in annoyance "Oh and one other thing… One more pointless jab of a Nessie sighting and I will personally drown you in the damn lake! Now kindly return to your patrols; You and You, patrol the village and be sure to wear a rain coat. It looks like it will rain again."
Seeing his cue to return to the hideout, he coiled the Laser Mic back into his satchel, when he saw the Cellar Doors; that was the good news, anyway. The bad news, however, is that it was INSIDE the foyer proper, so Terry hurried along the rope back onto the battlements and climbed down the cliff face before returning to the hideout, relieved that he didn't see the guards there yet. He then pressed the protruding rock and entered Slaigh's Hideout, where Bentley, Sly and Slaigh looked at him in surprise.
Terry then said, knowing that Bentley puts his BinocuCom on Speaker "As far as the Cellar Door goes, it is in the freaking Foyer… There are 2 guards with crossbows on the upper landing, but knowing Drake, he most likely has a hidden laser grid to prevent the villagers from escaping." Bentley puts his right hand over his mouth and thought how to proceed next; Terry then carefully assessed the recon photos and recalled the security along the battlements, before he hatched an idea. He then said with a cunning look "Maybe we should do something about the hidden laser grid in the foyer first… And I might know where the Power Source is located."