FIENDS FROM THE PAST

Operation: Bring This Tower Down

Sly leaves the safe-house and makes his way to the cliffs around the island, Slaigh and Carmelita flanking him. Slaigh and Sly can climb around the edges, and Carmelita can jump it; it's a longer but safer route than the one Bentley and Murray are taking right now, making their way past lasers and guards up the mountain path. Climbing the side of the mountain is easy for Sly, who can wall-hook his way anywhere; Slaigh moves slower, often pressing himself against the wall and easing himself along narrow ledges to better climbing positions. Carmelita takes the most time, lips pursed as she plans her moves, jumping from ledges to the entrances of caves as she makes her way up.

Despite it all, both groups reach the two boulders in back of the tower at the same time. "Everyone ready?" asks Bentley, adjusting his glasses and tossing a small bomb from one mechanical hand to another. "Shock pistol charged? Binoc-u-coms working?"

"Everything's set, mom," Sly teases. "We'll be fine."

"Famous last words," Bentley mutters, and reaches in a pack on his chair. He pulls out a pile of portable laser emitters and passes them out. "I'll want that back later, Slaigh."

"Aye, lad." Slaigh claps him on the back, nearly making Bentley shoot out of his chair. "Ye can go now."

Bentley and Murray duck between the rocks. Play switches to Slaigh: he, as the player, leads the way to the tower, dodging patrolling unicorns and reaching the moat. There Slaigh stops for a moment: there are now alligators in the water, swimming in slow, lazy circles. "Looks like we'll have to dodge those," murmurs Sly, as Carmelita leaps over.

"Aye, lad," says Slaigh. "You just watch how it's done."

Well, it seems that arrogance is an inherited trait, but Slaigh does swim across with ease, to be joined on the other side by Sly. The three of them climb up the outside of the tower more-or-less together: Carmelita uses her largest leaps while Sly wallhooks his way along and Slaigh climbs various supports. It isn't long before they've all reached the door halfway up.

Slaigh eases the door open, peering inside. Nothing. It's empty, without a guard in sight. The three of them enter together, looking around, watching the stairs for guards. "You're up, Slaigh," says Sly, pointing at the lever he has to lift.

With a groan and much button-mashing, Slaigh lifts the lever overhead and holds it there.

"My turn," says Carmelita, and play switches to her. She switches her bullets to regular rounds and fires at the switch, twice, three times, the door raising ever-so-slightly towards the ceiling with each shot. Smoke comes out as it opens, obscuring the view; behind it glows a pale purple light.

When the door clicks open at last, and the smoke clears, they're not alone. Behind the open door is a staircase. A purple force field, a solid, impenetrable wall, separates the staircase from the floor they stand on. And on that staircase, her green skin tinged a sickly aqua by the light, large gems on her anklets and in her belly button, stands the unmistakable form of Mizz Ruby.

"Ah-ha ha ha ha ha," she laughs. "Oh, Sly, did you really think you could get the drop on me?" she asks. "I told you before, I can feel that Cooper vibe a-comin."

"And I told you that you give me the creeps, lady," Sly snaps back. "Still frightening your neighbors with zombies? No wonder you don't have any friends." He swings his cane at the force field, only to have it bounce off; he can't get through.

Mizz Ruby laughs again and snaps her fingers; the entrance they used seals with a hiss, covered in a new purple force field. The hissing sound doesn't go away; it comes from behind her, joined with a sound of dragging, steadily pounding on the floor. "You would do well to stay out of my business here, Sly. Don't worry, it'll be done soon."

"You're going to jail before that happens," snaps Carmelita.

From the stairs behind Mizz Ruby emerge alligators: first one, then a second, lazily making their way forward. "I don't think I will," she says. "See you in the next world, Coopers."

In a rush, play starts up again, as the alligators step through the force field, more following, their obvious intent to eat everyone in the room. Mizz Ruby stands there, laughing, as Sly dodges one's bite and Carmelita shoots it, as well over a dozen tiny robot owls emerge from somewhere overhead and dive bomb them, forcing Slaigh to release the lever and dodge. The door stays open on Mizz Ruby laughing at them, laughing even as she turns to go back up the stairs, but if it weren't for Murray crying "She's getting away!" over their maskpieces, they wouldn't notice.

They're all too busy fighting for their lives. Slaigh and Sly can deal with the alligators, mostly—well, Slaigh can, at least, but Sly can't do much more than stun them and dodge, and Carmelita's frantic shooting is taking care of the birds without leaving any time or room for anything else. "This is getting serious," Sly shouts.

"The Murray can't get in to help!"

"This wasn't part of the plan," cries Bentley. "Try going downstairs. Maybe you can get out the front?"

The retreat down the stairs is frantic and confused, with Sly leading the way and Slaigh covering them, hitting alligators left and right and knocking them out cold, protecting the others, but more keep coming. When they reach the ground floor, they discover the way further down is also blocked by a force field, but the front door isn't. It's just closed.

"Slaigh," says Sly, "think you can break that down?"

"Of course, Sli, but it'll take me—" Slaigh stops talking to knock out three alligators with one blow.

"We'll give it to you. Carmelita—"

"I'm on it."

Suddenly, it's on Carmelita and Sly, side by side, to protect Slaigh. Frantic shooting and every offensive ability Sly's ever learned keep them from being overwhelmed, just as Slaigh grunts and groans and works on that door. A time or two he has to stop, turn, and take out the alligators threatening the others, getting out of hand, but he always, always goes back to that door.

With a BANG, it bursts open, the drawbridge blocking it splintering into chunks. One of those chunks, just big enough to walk on, flies over and lands on the moat. Without another word, Slaigh turns, grabs the other two, and sprints away, dodging enemies like mad and taking the others along for the ride.

JOB INCOMPLETE

The job complete screen shows an empty section of the island, then Slaigh sprints across it, still carrying Sly and Carmelita, in the general direction of the safe-house.

Author's Notes:

At least one person guessed it (nice one, AbigaelNunes!), but no, we're not *quite* done with this area yet. I plan to post an extra update on Friday as an apology. (and a thank-you. I spent so much time cackling uncontrollably at all your reviews to the last chapter...)

...that's the plan, anyway. In the past couple months I got a second part-time job (finally) and moved into my own one-bedroom apartment yesterday. The internet person who was supposed to set me up yesterday... didn't. A long series of snafus later, a different company'll be getting me internet by next Monday, the 24th.

I've got some chapters uploaded ahead of time, so updates should continue as scheduled even if I can't get internet as expected. Plus or minus a few hours. But if I miss my Friday extra thing, or if things are a bit late in coming weeks, that's why.