Trinity: (standing on stage in a spotlight) Welcome once again to the unbelievable world of Sly as a Cooper on this latest installment. SmashQueen has yet to return so the young Miss Venery and I shall be here in her place.
Natasha: Don't forget Josie!
Josie: Mew!
Trinity: (bows) I thank you all on SmashQueen's behalf for all reviews and support thus far and hope it continues onto the sequel and beyond.
Disclaimer: SmashQueen does not own any copyrights whatsoever to the Sly Cooper franchise.
Chapter 18: Truth
Natasha sat in her chair by the safe house's lone wobbly table with Josie in her lap, swinging her legs back and forth as she stroked the kitten's fur. Murray, sitting on her right, gently scratched the adorable furball's chin while waiting for his cue to go out into the field. Bentley, the amazing multi-tasking turtle that he was, kept alert at his laptop, waiting for anyone to contact him as he analyzed the data that had been previously collected from the clue bottles in the relentless torrent outside. All was quiet save for the click-clacking of keys, Josie's elated purring, and the occasional boom of thunder from outside. A small beep from the laptop disturbed the somewhat tranquil atmosphere and Sly's voice came from the built-in speakers,
"Hey, Bentley…has Faye come back yet?" The brainiac pressed a few keys as he paused his work, bringing up a map of the surrounding area with color appropriate markers for each person on it. He said,
"No, she hasn't. …What happened?" Natasha stopped moving her legs and perked her ears up. There was a couple of seconds of silence before Sly spoke solemnly,
"…Faye might be a member of the Klaww Gang." At that, Natasha's eyes bulged and she sat up, forcing Josie to jump off, and exclaimed,
"What?"
"She had the symbol of the Klaww Gang on her forearm," continued Sly, barely hearing Natasha, "Found it out when she and Neyla got into a tussle." Natasha balled her hands into fists and shouted,
"That's not true! Faye's not a member of the Klaww Gang!"
"Natasha," Bentley began in a melancholy voice, "I know this is hard for you-" The little panther interrupted,
"No! I've talked to her! She's innocent! Neyla's the villain!" Bentley once again started,
"Natasha-" The determined little panther cut in before another word was uttered,
"Before joining Interpol," she hurriedly explained, "she was at a British university where she tricked her classmates into doing her history homework and my cousin was part of it! After her ring was busted, Interpol gave her a position on the force because they thought she could think like a thief to help them catch thieves! Even Faye knew it and only said so after I told her about my cousin! If she can trick college students, you can only imagine what she can do in Interpol!" Silence promptly followed, filling the room and looming over everyone's heads. The information that the thieving accomplices had never known, never searched for, had just been bluntly elucidated by a child they barely knew. Bentley held his chin in his right hand, pondering about what Natasha had just said and the short history of Neyla with the Cooper Gang. After a moment, Murray stated with a bit of uncertainty,
"But…she's been helping us. …Maybe she's changed her ways." Natasha shook her head, brought her fists to her sides, and yelled, anger ringing clear in her voice,
"It doesn't matter! Once a traitor, always a traitor! You can't trust her!" Bentley raised his head and turned his attention to his laptop. An orange cat head was coming closer and closer to the yellow "S" marker on the map. He hesitated, then pressed a key and contacted Sly, saying,
"Faye is coming upon the safe house. What should we do?" It was barely a second before he answered,
"Keep her outside around the torch until I come back. We'll sort things out then." Natasha stomped her right foot, frustrated with the situation, and turned towards the door.
"I know she's good! If you knew the truth, you wouldn't be questioning her! Neyla should be the one you investigate!" Screaming out the last of her words, she immediately hurried out the door, ignoring the cries from Murray and Bentley to return as she ventured out into the storm.
/-/-/-/-/-/-/
Faye sprinted, her lungs burning and yearning for a chance to rest, but she went on through the harsh downfall and bemired puddles that threatened to trap her feet.
"What now?" she thought, barely caring if any guards were on her tail, "I can't show my face to them again, but what else can I do? I can't get back alone and I won't beg Neyla, the Contessa, Rajan…" the memory of Rexus at Rajan's ballroom flashed in her mind, "or any of the Klaww Gang to help me." She finally arrived at the bouncy toadstool below the safe house. Above, there was no sign of life, as if no one minded if she never returned. She sat down next to the fungus and crossed her arms, her cane held close, and buried her face in her arms, hot tears continuing to pour down her cheeks. She huddled there, holding her knees close to her forehead all the while wondering what she should do.
"Faye!" a soft, gentle voice echoed in her ears, though it seemed unbelievable that someone would give a care about her being that Sly would have undoubtedly contacted the gang at this point. The mushroom gave off a boing-like sound, directing Faye's tear-stained face up a bit in time to see a short, black form in the air from landing on the toadstool. Before she even touched the ground, Natasha was immediately jerked back, her arms bound to her sides by a white substance.
"Faye!" she screamed in horror, unable to halt herself from being propelled back into the dense jungle. Faye gasped and got to her feet as quickly as she could, swaying as she struggled to concentrate on standing. Her eyes bulged as she peered into the darkness behind Natasha. Two crimson orbs stared back at her through the night, making her heart skip a beat in fear.
"Natasha!" Faye shrieked, forcing her legs forward into a sprint though every fiber of her body was stubborn to budge in the slightest. In shuddered breaths, she managed to keep from falling to her knees in disbelief till she reached the bottom of the cliff, which stretched ten feet above her to the top, that led deep into the treacherous jungle. Natasha's voice rang out yet again for Faye, pressuring her heart to beat faster. Her eyes darted around and quickly caught sight of a tree. Without thinking, she leapt onto it and clawed her way up till the ledge was close enough to jump to. A scream echoed from deep within the looming darkness. Adrenaline coursed through her veins as she scurried up another tree and bound from one to another, keeping to a straight-as-possible path. There was no doubt that the situation would worsen. All words were caught in her throat, as if a single syllable would bring more danger. Though she longed to scream, to cry out for somebody, anybody who would aid her in her endeavor to reach the young panther. For all she knew, she was going the wrong way. As if on cue, lightning lit up the path in front of her and she caught the sight of red clothing. Pushing herself forward with vigor and determination, Faye tried to catch up but quickly lost sight of her target as the light dispersed. Nevertheless, she pressed on, hoping to somehow get to Natasha. However, as swift as she lost them, she came upon a clearing even swifter and landed on the deluged ground below. Faye tilted her head up to the figures above; anxious-eyed Natasha gagged to prevent speech and the one in scarlet with piercing eyes standing beside her on a high branch.
"Contessa…" Faye growled, "Let her go!" The Contessa grinned with baneful delight, chuckled softly, and spoke leisurely,
"I don't think I will. I was going to capture you, but…" it looked as if she turned her attention to Natasha for a moment, "she is just as good." Faye glared and yelled over the burdensome storm,
"She has nothing to do with you or the Klaww Gang! So why do you want her?" Again the Contessa spoke with as much ease as before,
"That, dear child, is where you're wrong. She has everything to do with the Klaww Gang… You see, she is a runaway of Inspector Vermon Venery of Interpol. His wife, Rayna Venery, was investigating the Klaww Gang and was close, so very close, to catching them red-handed. Unfortunately, she was killed while investigating a lead, leaving young Natasha alone…with a rather large inheritance." Faye's eyes widened and she uttered,
"…That's it…" then she shouted, "Vermon killed Rayna for the money, didn't he?" A small whimper came from Natasha and shook her head slightly.
"How would I know?" the Contessa inquired. Faye shouted again, forgetting her previous inquiry in a newfound rage,
"Because you're a Klaww Gang member along with Jean Bison and Arpeggio! Admit it!" Screeching out the last of her words in fury, Faye clutched her sidepack. Something in her brain clicked and she reached for her binocucom, the Contessa defensive until she saw the device. Faye held it as if she were about to throw it, but instead brought it down below her chin, but away from her face. She pressed and held the orange button, hiding the shrewdness of her idea, and shouted a bit quickly,
"You coward! You and the rest of the Klaww Gang only used me to get to the Cooper Gang!"
"Oh, yes. That," the Contessa retorted calmly, "I'm sorry, I have no idea what you are talking about."
'Ten seconds…'
"Don't lie to me!" Faye hollered, "I know about the Dimension Disrupter and your plan to erase my memories!"
'Fourteen seconds…' The widow smirked,
"Well, it seems I have underestimated you. Yes…the Klaww Gang brought you here because they knew about your knowledge of the Cooper Gang. It's a shame. With your help, Interpol could have put them behind bars."
'Time's out…'
"I would never betray them," the teen yelled defiantly "not even on my life!" It was then, too late, she knew; she had set the stakes too high.
"Well then, you wouldn't mind showing me that loyalty, now, would you? …Rexus dear?" Faye slightly gasped and gulped.
"Yes, Madame Contessa?" asked the familiar male voice. Out from the darkness of the foliage in front of her came Rexus, his eyes dulled and listless. He had donned clothing similar to army fatigues, perfect for the dark and leafy environment around them, complete with tawny boots.
"You remember Rexus, don't you Faye?" In disbelief, Faye quickly spoke,
"How did you know my name?"
"You had…interesting theories," the Contessa stated, ignoring her question, "However, you were a little…off. Take care of her…Oh, and if she wants to trade her life for the Cooper Gang, let her." The canine answered the black widow's order,
"Yes, Madame Contessa." With that, the golden retriever brandished a dagger from his pocket and lunged at Faye. She forced herself to move back; putting away her binocucom, but the mud had enveloped her feet. Immobilized where she stood, Faye faced death in the face and swung her cane diagonally at Rexus. He moved to the side and kept coming, forcing Faye to hold up her cane horizontally in defense. In a slick movement, he went under it, moving the weapon towards her heart.
Terror-stricken, adrenaline rushed through the teenager's veins and without much thought, she nearly instantly let go of the cane with her left hand and grabbed his wrist with the blade and moved it above them. She gritted her teeth as she stared Rexus in the face. Death was so close; she could feel the chill of its hand move down her spine. Her life on the line, she struggled to keep Rexus from plunging the knife into her. In another flash of lightning, she stole a glance upwards and suddenly felt her body involuntarily shake in overall concern.
The Contessa and Natasha were gone.
She turned her attention back to the traitor, the need to rush coursing through her. But… she blinked a few times staring into Rexus' eyes. His orbs were faded and empty as if his soul had been devastated and all that was left was a shell; a puppet.
"Oof!" Faye bent over in pain, Rexus's hand a fist in her stomach. The wind knocked out of her, Rexus placed the dagger, for a moment, in his teeth as he heaved her out of the mud, both hands around Faye's abdomen. He held her over his head and threw her with zest against nearby timber. Faye could not take a breath as her back slammed first into it. She sank to the ground, attempting to catch her breath. She caught it, but as soon as she had her gasp of fresh air, it was cut off.
Rexus gripped Faye's throat with his right paw, lifting her up to his eye level. Hearing her heart beat in her ears, she sent her cane towards Rexus' head. He caught it in his spare hand, wrenched it from her grip, and dropped it at her feet. She struggled to breathe, though no matter how much she kicked, punched, and thrashed about, he would not release her. Finally, she drew her claws and swiped at Rexus' face. He yelped in pain, releasing Faye and holding his face.
"Think like a cat. Think like a cat. Think like a cat," Faye thought as her mind raced for her next action. She picked up her cane, put it in her mouth - even though it had been in mud - and, hesitating, turned and leapt onto the tree her back had been against and climbed as quickly as she could. Scurrying to the top, Faye found her landing on a sturdy branch and peered down from her place to her adversary, standing up and gazing upwards to her. From his pocket he withdrew a small knife. Faye spit out her cane into her hand and slowly inched across the limb as Rexus moved his hand with the weapon back. He flung it forward and the knife flew past Faye, barely missing her, and into another tree behind her with a small thud. A few cut hairs came down and stuck to her arm from the side the knife missed her. Startled, Faye gasped for a moment before dashing to another branch and then another in a counterclockwise fashion around Rexus. As she did, he continued to reveal and toss knives at her, only pausing to try and throw one ahead of her.
"Rexus, come on!" Faye shouted as she attempted to dodge the incoming blades, "I know you're being controlled! You have to snap out of it!"
As she continued to evade the knives, Faye began to feel a pattern in Rexus' attacks. She thought to herself as she kept an eye on the canine,
"One, two, three…Dodge the fourth ahead. It's just like the game. Stay away until you see a weak spot, exploit it, back off, repeat." Faye yelled at Rexus all the while taking care not to get skewered by the multiple blades,
"I know the Contessa hypnotized you with help from the – whoa!" a knife whizzed by, pausing her for a second, "– spice plants! I know she has the Clockwerk eyes and is – ugh" yet another blade came close, too close, "– using them to control you!" Rexus withdrew three knifes from one pocket and a walkie-talkie from another. He pressed the button on the side and spoke,
"Madame Contessa, she knows about the eyes. Should I apprehend her?" The Contessa's voice came through and Faye halted her pace, watching the knives as she heard,
"No, the less people know, the better. When you are finished, return to me and we will take care of…our little problem…" At "care," Faye leapt down at Rexus with her cane over her head, yelling in an involuntarily shrill voice,
"No!" The canine cast the knives at Faye as she came close, one landing in her left forearm with the cursed symbol, one clipping her right ear, and one hitting the cane itself. Faye briefly screeched in pain as she brought her staff down on his cranium. Her arm throbbing, Rexus let go of the pocket radio, stumbled back, and clutched his head where she had hit. The fleeting moment of peace in the fight, like the eye of the storm, gave Faye the chance to collect her thoughts and take out the knife from her arm. She winced and cried out as she quickly pulled out the blade, crimson running down it and her appendage, and dropped it on the ground. She thought,
"Ugh…Okay, Murray was controlled by machines…which had certain frequencies. Singing has different frequencies! No, that would never work"
In the blink and a half of an eye, Faye had a risky answer to the main problem in front of her, but was uncertain of her solution. Cautiously watching him, and wishing she had a dog whistle, Faye stood her ground as Rexus attempted to regain his posture.
"Rexus! Snap out of it, or I'll…" The little light bulb went off in her head. She looked down at the walkie-talkie and ambled close to it. A small buzzing was coming from it, yet it had been turned off.
"Duh. Radio frequency." With a swift movement of the cane, Faye sent the bottom of it into the speaker.
It did not break.
"Try again," Yami said, urging the obvious. Faye slammed the staff onto the radio again. Nothing. She thrust it again, finally cracking it. Rexus let out a low growl, getting to his feet. Ignoring the fear building inside of her (or at least trying), Faye drove the end of the cane into the radio as hard as she could. Rexus was on his feet, charging at her swiftly. Anxiety pumping in every cell of her being, Faye brought her weapon down once more, plunging it into the core of the walkie-talkie. Rexus snarled, just a foot away. Faye pushed down, breaking through the motherboard of the device. Her muscles locked (her left arm not so much), her hands gripped like super glue to the staff, and her eyes shut tight.
A moment passed, but the blow never came; only the faint rustling of bushes even bothered to provoke a flinch out of her. Faye opened an eye to a beige fist less than an inch from her face. As it came down and Rexus moaned, she blinked and watched him, both eyes unclosed. He rubbed his scalp with his other hand and shook his head.
"Uhh… Where…am I…?" he asked, looking bright-eyed at everything around him and wincing as he reached one hand to the injury on his cheek.
"An Indian jungle," came a cool, familiar voice. Both him and Faye turned their attention to the tall figure of a raccoon standing several feet from the shrubbery, vines, and trees that surrounded them. "And that would happen to be my friend you tried killing."
"S, Sly?" both canine and imposter feline said in unison. They peered at each other, but only Rexus spoke,
"Destiny? What the…"
"Take it easy," said Faye. She turned her attention to Sly as Rexus got his bearings. She asked, "How long have you been there?" Sly crossed his arms,
"Just about when the Contessa was saying how it was a shame that you didn't help Interpol catch us." He smirked with that Cooper charm. Faye looked behind him and saw no one else. She inquired,
"What about Murray and Bentley?" she gasped in realization, "Natasha! She's-"
"-been kidnapped," Sly finished, "I know. The gang went after her while you two fought." Rexus' ears perked up.
"Fought?" He looked at Faye. "I'm sorry. The Contessa got a hold of me and-"
"Less talk, more run," said Faye. She took out her binocucom and promptly found the direction see had been going before. She darted forward, Sly and Rexus behind her.
"Wait up!" the canine shouted, sprinting to catch up with her. He caught up to her strides and asked, "Do you even have a plan?" Faye slowed down, Sly right next to her.
"…No," she said reluctantly. Rexus arched his shoulders and tensed the muscles in his hands in aggravation.
"Well think of one!" he said in irritation, "We just can't go barging in like a couple of thugs!" Faye's mind raced for a battle plan of some kind, bringing together everything she knew of. After a tense moment - lasting about ten or so seconds - an idea came to her in an epiphany, one thought coming after another. When it was there, framed in front of her eyes when her lids were closed for brief instances, and even when they were not, she said,
"…I've got it."
/-/-/-/-/-/-/
The Contessa sighed from her place on a branch easily seen from the ground. Natasha squirmed where she was beside her, attempting to break free even though the widow had a firm grip on her.
"You should be thankful," the Contessa began, "you did not die so carelessly out here...like getting trampled by an elephant or falling into the rivers full of piranha." She looked at the panther, "Right now Rexus should be finishing up with your companion Faye. He'll chop up her body, throw it into the river, and then come back to deal with you. However, unlike her you have a purpose in which you shall succeed in." The Contessa grinned, moving a long, slender finger under Natasha's chin, "You will have the honor of knowing your death was not in vane."
"Not with 'The Murray' here to defend the weak and defenseless!" Murray came bounding out of the trees, Bentley by his side, putting away his laptop into his backpack.
"Natasha!" Bentley called frantically, though trying (and failing) to sound calm, "Don't worry, you're going to be okay!" His stressed voice was focused more on assuring himself more than the poor panther in the spider's clutches. The Contessa's eyes danced in amusement at the self-proclaimed hero and the short, physically weak encourager.
"Well, I'm impressed you made it this far," she said impishly, "but you really should have assisted Faye. Or did you leave her knowing her dark secret?" Murray nearly rushed forward, but Bentley put a hand in front of him. Confidently, Bentley spoke,
"Don't even try to deceive us. That mark on Faye's forearm was acquired after she had attended Rajan's ball. There's no way she could have hidden it wearing a near sleeveless dress."
"So?" said the Contessa indifferently, "Klaww Gang members have been known to hide their underground status, with or…without their signature mark." Murray flexed his muscles and let out a guttural growl, commanding,
"Unhand the kid and 'The Murray' might go easy on your big butt you ugly…spider…lady!" Disgusted, the Contessa scoffed,
"Ugh. Such ignorance from a bumbling imbecile. …I am a black widow, in more than one sense, and Miss Venery here has a duty to uphold, so I will not be releasing her."
"And what purpose could you possibly have for killing her?" inquired the turtle, "I mean, she's just a kid. She hasn't even done anything worth killing over for." The Contessa grinned fiendishly,
"But that is where you are wrong. She is in violation of contract."
"And just what contract is that?" demanded Bentley, balling his hands into fists.
"The one you have no business in," she replied, "…unless you have a death wish."
"Bring it on!" Murray roared, cracking his knuckles as Bentley loaded his crossbow. The black widow shot a web to a branch high above them and attached the latter end to Natasha's sticky bindings. She attempted to keep her balance where she stood as the Contessa faced the duo. Murray picked up Bentley, who tucked into his shell, and threw him like a discus up towards their opponent. Bentley popped out of his shell at the top of his ascent and quickly aimed his crossbow. He fired a dart at the Contessa's hide as she spun another string of webbing to go evade. The bolt instead burrowed into one of her many legs, soon putting her into a temporary state of sleep. Bentley landed on the ground as he and Murray could only look up helplessly at Natasha. She whimpered, not knowing if the web could support her weight if she fell from her spot.
The Contessa awoke, hanging upside down from her own web where she had aimed before Bentley shot at her. A muffled scream escaped from Natasha as she lost her footing and plummeted from her place. The web snapped back up, just out of Murray's reach, and another white string shot out and wrapped around the frightened panther. The Contessa jerked her back to her side on the branch, returning the leer from those on the soggy ground. Her gaze connected with Murray's and, slowly, his muscles relaxed and he turned to his companion.
His eyes were dull and listless as he bellowed and threw a punch at Bentley. He tucked back into his shell and was sent flying into a tree, his protective armor receiving a small crack where it had impacted. Bentley popped back out, slightly dazed and peered up at his partner. Murray stepped closer to him, growling from deep with his throat. Bentley aimed his crossbow at him, saying,
"S-stay back! Come on, Murray! …Snap out of it!" But the hippo drew even closer, halting just before reaching for his buddy's neck. Bentley flinched and froze where he was. His orbs colorful once more, Murray shook his head in confusion.
"Wha…what happened…?" he asked, looking around and catching the Contessa's eye. Freaked, Bentley said,
"No! Don't look at her!" Murray looked at him as the Contessa lurched up and failed in drawing him into her mesmerizing gaze. Bentley pointed his weapon at the hypnotherapist as she settled down, saying strongly with a hint of uneasiness,
"I don't know what contract you're talking about, but you better start giving us some answers!" The Contessa rolled her eyes and spoke,
"Very well. You see, Inspector Venery happens to know some…very prominent people who would avoid nightclubs and would not even bother going to a ball hosted by someone they do not know. His connections are truly vital, and he could not use them if he had a hindrance in the way." Murray growled and clinched his fists as Bentley's eyes bulged. The latter exclaimed with fury,
"You…you fiend! Murdering a poor kid just to spread the effects of your spice? You're insane!"
"That does it!" roared Murray, finally turning to face the psychotic spider, "Lady or not, you're going down!"
"I second that notion," came an angered, yet smooth voice. The thievius raccoonus himself stepped out from the shadows and briefly bared his teeth at the Contessa. "I don't appreciate my teammates being killed." Natasha's eyes brightened as if her knight in shining armor had appeared. The wicked arachnid held an elbow in one hand while the other cradled her chin, releasing Natasha for the moment.
"Such loyalty…" she said, "It is a shame that you did not show the same to your other teammate. She gave her own life just so you three could remain free." Sly shook his head and brought his fists down to his sides,
"No, Faye is stronger than that. It'll take more than your dirty tricks to do her in!" The Contessa merely raised an eyebrow, unamused at the thieves' thoughts and wishes. With twisted delight in her eyes, she remarked,
"Oh, really? I wonder what my devoted slave has done to her by now?" Another voice reached the ears of the five, little enthusiasm within it,
"The deed has been accomplished, Madame Contessa." A golden retriever made his way into the small clearing, four scratches across his left cheek. As he came closer, Sly, Murray, Bentley gasped, rage slowly exposing itself in the expressions and veins of the two latter and shock in the foremost. Natasha's gasp was vague behind her makeshift gag and tears welled in her eyes, the urge to scream swelling inside her throat. A devilish grin danced upon the Contessa's face as she eyed the slumped form below her. In Rexus's right hand was an orange staff with a yellow hook and an unmistakable mask of a feline, stained with a few droplets of crimson, grasped along with it. The witch laughed, Natasha began hyperventilating, Bentley as well, and Murray bared all of his teeth, becoming more and more enraged as he eyed the canine. Sly only peered at the cane, closing his eyes for a moment and opening them in slits as he turned to the Contessa.
"Magnificent, Rexus!" she praised, "Only one more mistake to do away with." Sly smirked and stood up straight, making her curious of the thief's plans.
"You just lost, Contessa." As a puzzled look came upon her, the branch she was on creaked. She snapped her head to her side and gasped as a sliver of orange caught the edge of her eye. Natasha was no longer by her side. She turned behind her to an orange striped cat leaping from one bough to another with the young Miss Venery in her arms. Rexus grinned and tilted his head back, laughing and pointing above them with a spare paw. Murray did not look away, though Bentley did along with Sly and the Contessa to a branch on their left. Natasha positioned herself next to her rescuer, the teen who stood proud without mask or cane.
"Murray," said Bentley, pointing at her, "Look!" The Murray peered up and dropped his jaw, just as the Contessa did.
"You should have known not to mess with me," said Faye. She looked down at the thieves and new ally, the latter smirking with Sly while the other two mixed expressions of awe and joviality. "Sorry about tricking you guys. It was the only way to get you to distract the Contessa long enough for me to get Natasha." Faye ripped the webbing off said panther as she continued, "No offense, but you wouldn't have been able to act well enough to make the emotions you felt seem real to the Witch Lady over there." She nodded her head to the Contessa who exposed her fangs and glared madly. Bentley looked up to Sly and said,
"So that's what you meant when you communicated 'not is all as it seems'." Murray scratched the back of his head,
"What? …You mean…this was all part of a plan?" Rexus looked at Faye with a feeling of reminiscence, but nevertheless exclaimed,
"Best one I've ever heard!" he extended a finger at the black widow, "And I am not anybody's slave!" The Contessa scoffed and said,
"We'll meet again, Sly Cooper…" she stole a glance at Faye and Natasha, "And you too, Faye…" She shot a web out of sight and jumped off her place, swinging and ducking out of view. Natasha wrapped her arms around Faye, smiled, and said gleefully,
"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Faye smiled gently and chuckled lightly,
"Anytime, Natasha." With that, she lifted Natasha into her arms, knees over one and back on the other, as the little panther hung onto her neck. Faye hopped off the bough, her stomach lurching forward from the drop, and landed on the ground with an 'oof,' surprisingly not breaking or injuring anything. She let Natasha down onto the ground, watching as she immediately hugged Sly and the others one by one. Each hugged her back and spoke of how much they had worried about her. Nostalgia took over, bringing back a faraway memory. The faces were obscured to her, but their worried voices reached her, calling out her name in desperation, becoming clearer and clearer by the second. Rexus sauntered over to her and patted her on the right shoulder
"Good going," he said as Natasha held onto Murray, bawling on and on about how scared she was, even if most of it was intelligible, and how glad she was to be back. Faye shook her head slightly, speaking,
"Heh…It reminds me of when I was little. I had strayed too far away from the house when it was foggy out and my parents came after me. It was so cold and I had never been more scared in my life. But they kept calling out my name, and they eventually found me." Rexus watched with her as the gang was near calming down Natasha.
"Was that the scariest thing that ever happened to you?" he asked Faye, handing back her cane and mask. She took her things, thought a moment, and answered,
"Nah. The scariest thing is…" she paused, "dancing with Rajan followed by the rest of the Klaww Gang." Rexus let a small chuckle escape as he looked over at Faye, replacing her mask as the staff stuck out of the muddy ground.
"You look like someone I used to know…" Sly cleared his throat and both peered up to the Cooper Gang and Natasha. The leader stepped forward and took a deep breath, addressing Faye,
"I…owe you an apology… No Klaww Gang member would have risked their life to save Natasha. They probably wouldn't have even spared his life." Sly nodded his head towards Rexus and continued, "I doubted you when I shouldn't have."
"I owe you my apologies as well," spoke Bentley, glancing at the ground then to Faye. "I questioned your camaraderie when Sly contacted us…" Murray put his fists on his hips and said in his 'heroic' third-person voice,
"The Murray admits he was mistaken in even thinking you would betray us!"
"I told you!" chimed in Natasha, stepping beside Faye and facing the gang, "Faye was innocent all along!" Bentley nodded and held a hand to his chin, stating,
"You were right. Then that means…" The brainiac's pause perked Sly's curiosity.
"What is it?" he asked, peering down at his ally. He responded,
"Natasha said that Faye was innocent and that Neyla was the one we should investigate," he brought down his hand and looked up at Sly, "She was right about Faye, so we should probably analyze the data on Neyla as well as taking precautions around her." Sly turned his gaze to the ground, his eyes reflecting the thoughts going through his mind. He barely opened his mouth to speak when Faye interjected,
"Neyla was the one who said I was a member of the Klaww Gang, remember?" The gang, Natasha, and Rexus caught her cold stare at the tigress's name, "If she knew information on the Klaww Gang, then she shouldn't have said that."
"Unless she was one of them!" Natasha blurted out.
"Whoa! Hold on! Time out!" Rexus said quickly before someone else cut in. "Can I get a say in this?" Faye clasped her fingers together and leaned a bit towards him, saying a bit sarcastically,
"Yes, because we all have something against that no good, traitorous witch who did this to me!" Her voice elevating with pure anger and hatred in the last of her words, Faye, teeth bared and eyes reflecting her voice, pointed to her left forearm and the mark of the Klaww Gang, raised in white from being burned on her pale skin. At that, she was surrounded by multiple, short-lived gasps. Sly, Bentley, Murray, and Rexus stood glassy-eyed and dumbfounded and Natasha covered her mouth with her hands. As reality set in, their expressions softened to the amounting facts and evidence and the teenager's experiences that she had been through. The expression in Faye's eyes did not waver as she brought her arms to her sides. She breathed deeply before bringing her eased gaze to the others on her left. She spoke sincerely without a need to rush, taking the time to peer into the orbs of each individual, "That's right. She did it. …And it's time I told you all the truth." Faye closed her eyes, took a deep breath, let it out, and opened them again. She leaned on the top of her cane, gripping it. "I – ugh!" A sudden, nearly crushing, force was inflicted upon her abdomen and spine like a vice. She was hauled back, screaming,
"Sly!" He, Murray, Bentley, and Natasha cried out,
"Faye!" Rexus stared up at Faye, muttering her real name, not her stage name, as he caught the fear etched on her face. Then, as if something in his brain clicked, he let out a small gasp, bellowing,
"Faye!" He dashed forward before the others and sprinted through the dense jungle, hyperventilating and trying to keep an eye on Faye as she rose to a figure floating in the sky.
A flash of lightning briefly blinded Faye as rain fell upon her, though she was not paying much attention to the latter, only the crushing around her middle. Suddenly she stopped though her body still had had the feeling of being rushed into the air. She shook her head and opened her still-adjusting eyes to a disturbing sight. An ugly baboon was staring her right in the face with an evil grin. He wore a drenched white lab coat and held a small remote in one hand. Attached to his back was nothing short of a heli-pack; a metallic gadget with a propeller on top.
"Ah… A Homo sapien…" he said sinisterly, "You will make an interesting guinea pig." Lightning flashed again and Faye's eyes became saucers, anxiety still in her veins. So much that she did not bother to notice that a retractable claw was holding her from the machine on the baboon's back. The primate took out a cloth from his front coat pocket and wrapped it around the Klaww Gang symbol on her left forearm, covering the injury she had received earlier. "We'll properly take care of that injury when we get back to the lab."
"Forget it!" she shouted, "I'm nobody's guinea pig, you freak!"
"Insolent fool," he said with a touch of fury, "…No matter. That golden retriever following us will be joining you."
"What do you want with him?" Faye yelled back at him. The baboon sneered,
"You both have similar energy signatures matching to only one being currently incapacitated. …The disassembled bird, Clockwerk." At this, complete shock took over her. She was unsure to be either horrified or surprised or at what to focus those emotions: the fact that she was about to be a guinea pig, the arrival of the mad professor, Clockwerk's energy being stored within her and Rexus, or that Rexus had a similar energy signature to her. Sharp whistling filled the void of silence. Both turned their attention towards the temple to a startling sight: six helicopters were coming their way, firing missiles at them. They halted the assault only a moment to switch to machine-guns. Faye screamed as her captor evaded the onslaught, zigzagging wildly to avoid death. The heli-pack let out an alarming explosion as black smoke came from it. The grip on Faye was released and she plummeted, shrieking as the wind rushed past her ears.
"I'll take you from this nightmare," echoed Yami. Faye's senses closed as if she was falling asleep. Nothing reached her; not the cold, not the sounds of gunfire.
It seemed to be but an instant before she awoke in warmth and comfort. Torches aligned the walls surrounding her, giving heat and light to the room. Faye blinked a few times and sat up, holding her head and somewhat conscious of the single bed she was upon.
"Ah," said a strong, masculine voice, "you're awake at last, Miss Faytin." A sudden chill went up her spine as she slowly turned to the source of the voice only to face a large, elegant tiger, the one and only Rajan.
Natasha: (exclaiming) What in the world is Faye doing in Rajan's office? Has the world gone mad?
Trinity: Always a possibility. (to audience) Thank you for reading this chapter. SmashQueen has left a post-chapter note for us. Ahem. (reads from paper) "Aside from the violence, was that a twist, or was that a twist? Ha! Got you all didn't I? (Insert wild laughter here)." … (silence)
Natasha: (Laughs maniacally)
Trinity: (clears throat) "So many questions have arisen. How did Faye find the strength to break through the walkie-talkie so quickly? Why did Dr. M suddenly appear out of the blue? Why do I torment you people with such questions? Heh. There's still more to be unveiled, though there's just a little trouble with Episodes 4, 5, 6, and 7. Though half, or part, of Episodes 4, 5, and 6 are done (like fifty percent on down). Episode 7's boss fight is figured out along with an event, but the rest is hazy. It could be because I haven't played the other episodes in years and I would need to play them to refresh my memory. So till then, the future is sort of unknown. See you all when I get back."
Natasha: Hope so. But last I checked, she was busy, so it's going to be a while before she gets the next chapter done. Also, it takes a while now since her television was busted when she moved, so she can't play the next level and get a handle on things…maybe she can in December. I dunno…
Rexus (voice from walkie-talkie in Natasha's pocket): Natasha? I don't think I'm alone anymore. I heard growling and the lights went off. …Natasha? … (background: Rah!) (screaming) Get me out of here!
Natasha: (into w-t) In a moment. (to audience) Well, until next time…
Trinity and Natasha: May the light of the moon lead the way to the master thief.