SQ: Heya there, SQ here to kick off the next chapter. Can't say I've got an excuse this time around. The chapter was just a pain to type aside from the other one-shot fanfics, and general original fiction I write. So -
Rexus: (coming from the curtain in the middle of the stage) (gasps) I…have been…in that maze…for hours! I...am never (gasp) going back in!
SQ: Uh... Okay. As long as you're alive.
Natasha: Are you okay Rexus?
SQ: He will be.
Rexus: (walks off stage)
SQ: O-kay. Well, while we see to it that Rexy's okay -
Rexus: (from backstage) Hey!
SQ: - please enjoy the chapter. A very painful chapter indeed with little to no action and the plot with the Cooper Gang doesn't budge (the latter I really dislike). This kinda takes off in the direction of "Let's get things stabilized before actually saving the Gang" other than "Save them right now." It took a long time to write this. It didn't want to be written. It wanted to be like chapter 22 or 23 and go save the Gang, but alas I triggered this and it had to be done. Such a headache... Oh, and lots of dialogue ahead. (Did I mention that?) Lots of explaining like the pangs Faye felt in chapter 19 and some explaining from Faye about her situation. Please excuse 'crosscuts' here and there since it was hard enough to type this in the A.M. hours to finally get this chapter out.
Natasha: ...Smashy? What's 'crosscut'?
SQ: Sadly, you'll see though I was able to fix most of them. Please don't hate me here folks. It was awkward writing this out in order to make sure it wasn't too long, monotonous, and that I actually got to a certain goal in this chapter: to try and shorten the considerable gap between Prague and the Indian jungle (failed a little, but at least things move next chapter). I think it was like 4,300 miles or so... Yeah. Doubt people wanted to read what happened every day, so the whole /Day Blah, blah time/ thing is being shooed away in this chapter. Enjoy...hopefully. ...Frickin' want Sly back. But fear not! We'll be in Prague come next chapter.
Disclaimer: I do not own the copyrights to Sly Cooper or anything from his world. Sucker Punch Productions owns Sly Cooper (and has done quite a great job with the Gang). This is a non-profit piece of fanfiction and the only things I own are (1) the idea for this fanfic, (2) my OCs, and (3) any spontaneous prose or poetry (as seen before).
Chapter 21: Breaking Point
Natasha's eyes widened and Bentley adjusted his glasses, both peering at Faye. Truth was information and information, depending on the importance of it, was something thieves and criminals alike kept to themselves. After all, it came down to transactions, careful planning, and staying alive surviving outside the law. Even if it was non-verbal, it was a well-know fact that anything worth keeping to oneself for an extended period of time was not to be taken lightly, even to those who were not involved in seedy business dealings. Either that, or there was a weight of embarrassment behind whatever knowledge that was being hidden.
"Faye," began the turtle, "if you're talking about the Museum back in Cairo, Sly already told us-"
"It's not that," the teen cut off, shaking her head in the dim moonlight. "There's something big going on," she slowed her words, "and you need to know about it." Faye shook her head and peered away from the brains of the Gang and Natasha sitting on the van's back edge. Her tone was much more serious than what the others had been accustomed to, and it seemed that she was not about to go back to 'fun-loving Faye' anytime soon. "But where to start?"
"Are you sure?" Natasha spoke up a bit meekly. Faye turned back from her gaze into the thicket of trees and nodded to the orphan.
"Yes," she said, a small quiver in her voice. "There's a lot going on and it has to be said now."
'Before things get even more out of hand.'
"Then how about the beginning?" Natasha inquired with certainty. Faye let out a small 'heh' at that suggestion and went on,
"Yeah. That's best..." After a moment, she lifted her head, "But it's not that easy." She slumped to the ground, the muscles in her legs giving away. She sat with her legs crossed and her hands on her thighs, staring at the earth. "So much has happened...i-it's hard to pick just which beginning to choose from. ...It's...like..." Faye tilted her head up at the night sky, looking past the stars that scattered throughout the darkness as she tried to find a good enough equivalence to what she had gone through and what was currently happening in the world around them. Although no matter how hard she tried, nothing seemed good enough to compare to the situation at hand.
Chess, war, a video game; nothing was enough especially if she was lacking in knowledge on what was being offered to be even a small liken to the unraveled brutal truth. It seemed as if anything and everything that popped up couldn't, and wouldn't, fit. Like shoving a pumpkin into a blender, it was almost impossible and if it could be done, then it would just end up being a mess that no one wanted to clean up. And the comparison itself also had to make sense to Natasha...right? She already knew an extent of the problem, but did the young orphan need to know that the adolescent's existence in the anthropomorphic-dominate world somehow caused her mother's end? That the unwilling inter-dimensional traveler had somehow, in another reality – false or not – aided in the extinction of the Cooper Gang and most of the world? That there was a fine line between the destruction of the world and the devastation of the Cooper Gang? No, she was too young, yet...
Wasn't Faye, herself, too young as well?
Too young to have seen the apocalypse, and at her own hands no less? Too young to know the secrets of the world? Not wise enough to know what to do with the knowledge she already had? How old would one have to be in order for the course of events set into place to be 'acceptable' or even 'plausible'? When was a 'False Reality' possible for that matter or...
A chorus of inquiries and surmises melted, barely able to stay above the mess of a sea of dizzying, squishy matter. Head throbbing, Faye's thoughts yearned to wander and could not stabilize for long on any one notion.
"It's alright," Bentley assured, shattering the concentration of the teen. She jerked her head upright into the reflective spectacles of the brains of the currently disassembled Gang. His tone was still rickety although he had somehow managed to suppress it considerably as compared to how he had been earlier as they left the spice temple. His jittery voice hung on the edges of the teenager's mind. If she didn't know better, she would have sworn the brainy guy had underwent quite a few heart attacks before they had even walked a full mile out of the flooded ruins. "Just calm down and clear your thoughts," Bentley proceeded, "From what Sly told me back in the jungle," he readjusted his glasses, "before you rescued Natasha, there's a lot more to the Klaww Gang than just shipping spice all over the world." Faye blinked.
'Just how much did they...?'
"Huh? Oh. Yeah." Faye's vocals dulled for a moment before picking back up to a neutral tone. Somehow the genius had snapped her back from the whirlpool of her mind long enough for some rational words to spill from her lips. "He...he told you...told you about The Contessa didn't he? ...He listened in on my fight with Rexus and he was talking almost the entire way to the rendezvous to save Natasha." Most of the last sentence had been released as if it had been rehearsed; no meaning behind the fact, just a subconscious picture put into words. Slowly, the teen was able to somewhat compose herself physically, but not before shaking her head as a tidal wave of confusion crashed down upon her mind again, sinking just about every word that could have accompanied her brief sputter of concentration. Barely staying afloat, Bentley's voice rang again. As if lifting her by the arm out of the torrent just enough to keep her attention, he said,
"Look, we're pretty much all exhausted. We should all just get some sleep and talk about this later." Hidden relief flowed down Faye's spine, as if it was what she was wanting all along. A moment's reprieve to sort things out and get the right words out. Her brain was already beginning to plead for rest, ready to put the racing images and inquiries away at the first signal to quit for time being. The only problem was that she was at a loss for words. On the one hand there was the truth. On the other, there was sleep. Sweet, peaceful sleep...
Natasha covered her mouth at a yawn.
"But I'm not tired," she protested warily, "I want to hear what Faye has to say."
"I'm sure she's just as tired and worn out as us."
"Listen to Uncle Ben – Bentley."
'Why'd – Did I almost say Uncle Bender?'
"Guess we all need some sleep..." 'Uncle Bentley' muttered as he sluggishly moved into the van's interior. "We can talk about this all in the morning. For now, let's just try to get some shut-eye." He pulled some of the blankets in the back into a makeshift bed and lied them down next to some pillows against the wall. As he lied down himself, he pushed some blanket between him and the Clockwerk feathers, tied together with rope and propped against the side of the vehicle, as well as the half of the Clockwerk heart, wrapped in cloth. The wings themselves were tied to the top of the van, the tips of the inorganic appendages peering over the windshield like a miniature awning.
"Get to sleep Natasha," Faye murmured, "We'll go over this when we're up." The little panther sighed,
"Okay..." She crawled in next to Bentley with Josie and Faye staggered to her feet, mindlessly circling the van until she came to the driver side door. The back entrance was slamming, steel-to-steel, as she wearily pulled open the door in front of her. She climbed inside, shut the slab of metal, and laid down, a single overhead light making the shadows of the night temporarily shy away. Various murmurs of 'good night' were followed by the source of light being switched off.
"Night," Faye muttered, stretching out on the front seats, getting her pillow and blanket into place.
Despite having woken up less than half an hour prior to the settled colloquy, everything blurred and sleep was delivered easily.
/-/-/-/-/-/-/
Light and nasal snoring eased Faye into reality. Not the game where the player knew everything, where mistakes could be corrected, and every last detail was the same every time the console turned on. No, only harsh crippling reality that was just as her own with the minor inclusion of the disassembled Cooper Gang, the manic Klaww Gang, a power-hungry, backstabbing tigress, and a gigantic metal owl to top it all off.
Oh, and an orphaned panther which was somehow the adolescent's fault. And some creepy ape that came out of nowhere wanting a Homo sapien and canine to be guinea pigs.
The ease of waking from darkness was just a minuscule relief before actuality dropped everything back onto her shoulders, making her eyes droop. Sly and the others needed rescuing and the only ones who could do just that were who-knows-how-many miles away cramped in a van in the middle of an Indian jungle.
Guuurrgle.
'Great. Hungry, tired – at least Bentley is – and I'm due for a speech on truth...' The last words danced in her mind, somehow putting Swan Lake to shame with clouds over every rational thought. It took some concentration, but Faye finally managed to make one command appear and pull it forth.
Get up.
'Then get dressed. No, eat. Get up, eat – no, wait for others to wake. Get up, wait, think, get speech, eat when they wake, get to nearest city...'
Faye sniffed. It was then the stench hit her. The undesirable scent of wet fur, blood, perspiration, and the result of pure Indian jungle clinging to everyone in the vehicle invaded her nares. Worse, there was a sense of unease and panic in the air, not that it could be smelled. It was the sort of sense that one just knows is there. Through the waking sounds of India and the low reverberation of near repose from the other passengers, it was there, lingering until it was driven away.
"It took a week of sleepless data crunching..."
Faye pushed herself up, propping herself up with an arm on the headrest. Both Bentley and Natasha were still dozing, and Josie was nestled in the panther's covers, lying on her back.
'...but...' Faye thought slowly, 'I...eventually tracked down the location of my friends locked away in the mysterious towers of Prague.' She sighed, letting the escaping air flow out her nostrils. 'If I can remember that, then why can't I remember my parents? Or is it that my memories of the game were needed? At least certain ones...' She shook her head, allowing every sentence to cross her fogged up mind as if looking at the largest of print in a book with words filling up every nook and cranny. The words were there, but some were more prominent than others. Barely anything made sense outside what she dared to acknowledge. If she felt her mind about to take a plunge, she jerked it back up by concentrating on the last line of words, even the silliest of them.
Time was being wasted. She knew it. But what could she do? Neyla and the Gang with Carmelita and Rexus. They were near. They had to be. They couldn't be in Prague in one day. It was impossible...unless they had a teleporter or, more sensibly, a helicopter or some other birdie ready to fly everyone to the jailhouse and even then it was too far away to get there in a span of twenty-four hours.
'The Contessa's there too. She's too fat to get on a plane. Ha ha. Too wide. Try again. Oh no? Too fat? Not obese, just fat. Lose some legs, you have too many and none of them are attractive.' A small smile curved Faye's lips for a brief moment before sagging again. Scooting to the exit on the driver's side, the teen slipped out and shut the door, attempting to be as quiet as possible. At least outside the smell wasn't as powerful. For a moment, the teenager pondered over the dangers of being outside, but perhaps they were all presumed dead. Natasha was anyways, and who would expect a small turtle and a 'pitiful excuse for a thief' to live long enough to get out of the jungle alone?
The Cooper Gang. Maybe not The Contessa and Neyla, but the Cooper Gang would definitely believe Bentley could make it. A 'pitiful thief' wouldn't be able to trek through the grueling nightmare, then again, so far there was only one who claimed that such a person sided with the thievius raccoonus' band and the one proclaiming it all was quite the triple agent.
Faye strolled on ahead away from the team van, looking around at the clearing. The sun had risen and she could see that the area was smaller than first thought. Instead of a fairly wide area like a campsite, it seemed to be where some trees had been chopped down, the multiple rotting stumps proving that whoever had brought down the teaks was long gone. They were probably some ways off the main trail and at a perfect spot to rest for a little bit before carrying on. Although how Bentley managed to get the van into such a cramped space eluded her, she did know one thing: it was going to be hectic getting out. Foliage covered the ground and upon taking a few steps to the rear of the van, it seemed that the brains of the group had run over decomposed boughs, now crushed with dual groves where the tires had gone over. Faye turned from their entrance and back to where the rays of sun were spreading to.
Further on ahead from van seemed to be another treeless patch, just not as large and in direct line of the sunrise behind the teenager. There was a steep cliff, gradually setting off a creeping remembrance of the smells from before the Gang's trek to Rajan's spice temple, refilling her senses for a moment. She eased into the second parcel of land and things seemed to quiet for a while. Even the birds seemed to have silenced with every other type of fauna up and about in the break of day. Overlooking the dense forest below and the stream of lazuline, Faye's shoulders rose and tensed at a small groan echoing around her. She peered around, finding no one there and instead was greeted with a quieter groan than last. It was then she noticed that it wasn't coming from around her, but inside her mind. It would have been a lot more disturbing if she didn't have an inkling of what was going on and this had been the first time she had heard that tone. It was familiar, but it was...just so worn.
'Um...you okay?' the adolescent inquired mentally. There was a heavy sigh.
"Yeah. Just needed some...nevermind."
'Yami...' The one in question paused before becoming respondent,
"...You won't stop bothering until I inform you, is that it?"
'Just curious...especially if it has to do with me. I like to be informed of what's happening with my own mind, after all.' Again, there was a sigh, a little lighter yet still exasperated.
"You won't be pleased.."
'Since when have I been pleased about anything dealing with the Dimension Disrupter and the Klaww Gang? Well, you know, besides meeting Sly and his friends.'
Silence. There was no word as Faye stood in her desolate spot, the chilled air throwing pins into her face. Yami seemed to have taken a shaky breath and spoke quietly and nearly as firmly as she had done on previous occasions,
"It seems...that somehow...the Clockwerk parts affect you."
'Like how? Besides the memory erasing thing.' Faye huddled her arms, hands on opposite forearms as she continued to stare off at the multicolored sky of orange, violet, red, and a few others she didn't bother to name.
"You see... It's like this: Remember when you got the Clockwerk Tail Feathers?"
'Yeah.' Yami's tone strengthened a tad, yet was still quiet.
"How did you feel?"
'Fine.'
"And when you got the Wings?" The elder of the two was getting at something, Faye could feel it.
"Some...weird vibe while traveling to Rajan's spice temple..."
"And when Rajan's half of the Clockwerk Heart pulsed and held a visible crimson radiation?" Faye paused and it took a few seconds for her to blink.
Screaming, alien convulsions tearing at her heart and stomach. Sly, the ever arrogant one, unconscious. Savagery in Rajan's voice. A pang in her stomach. Murray fighting Rajan. Tussling with Neyla. Getting the antidote. Escaping to Bentley. Failure.
Faye shuddered and pushed down the acid rising in her throat.
'So... I was sick. It was the poison wasn't it?' Faye could just envision Yami shaking her head as the other replied in a slightly off tone bordering on calm,
"I honestly do not know, but do you recall when the feeling disappeared?" Faye sighed as she mentally backtracked through the twisting failure Fate had dealt. Trudging through the mayhem, the teen merely shook her head.
'I can't remember...'
"Was it after Rajan had lost to Murray?" She couldn't acknowledge it, the thing she knew that was slithering into the horrid truth she had to deal with, even unknowingly, since day one in Cairo. Letting out a deep breath of air she steadied her nerves.
'I...I think so.'
"Yes. And now, do you recall when you lost contact with me?" Diving back into the incident, further back than the Heart's glow. Back when she had – no, thought she had – the chance to fix things. Running through the temple's corridors, the reality of it all caving in, and bashing the front doors open.
'It was...' Faye slightly trembled and gulped physically, 'just before the fight with Rajan...'
"Right before he began summoning the power... I think you know by now..."
'I... It... Oh...' Faye tilted her head to the earth, not bothering to ignore what was now obvious. 'The parts are reacting to...Clockwerk's energy...still trapped inside me...'
"Yes... But I can give you two pieces of information on this." Faye barely nodded as Yami went on, "The first is that, while the Tail Feathers and Wings had no power, they still had Clockwerk's energy surging through them constantly in the past, the Wings having more of the power left over from being used more often than not to...you understand." A small nod confirmed her to keep going. "That said, the power was dormant and the Wings and Feathers only began to barely register their owner's energy signature when you began concentrating on them, however..." Faye merely blinked and gulped, keeping the rising liquid from furthering it's path up her esophagus. "The Clockwerk Heart relates to the second piece of information -"
'- It reacts more strongly to me -' Faye interjected, rubbing her right thumb and index digits together. A brief pause and Yami continued, her voice quieting and slowing,
"- and therefore, like the Stomach or Lungs, it will affect you more and more..."
Unnerving silence yet again. A taboo of sorts seemed to have been reached, although it was more of an immense, unseen barrier that would shatter when breached, opening the way to the truth. A truth that, whether one liked it or not, was just as ugly as being ignorant about the whole of it. The strain of the barrier cracking presented itself as Faye easily found, and handed out, her obvious inquiry,
'...Until when, Yami?' She tightened her fists, steadying her breathing. Yami's voice destroyed the unseen wall a moment after,
"...Until...your psyche...breaks – but don't worry! I've been keeping the parts from affecting you too much. If you notice, you may have felt better when stepping away from the Cooper getaway vehicle." Faye's throat burned again and her body shook. Yami spoke quickly, any previous quaver in her voice barely traceable, "You won't always be near the Clockwerk parts. Remember that. As well, for as long as I am here, I assure you, I will do what I am able to in order to prevent Clockwerk's power from affecting you. You may feel dizzy at times or have ailments that disappear after wandering away from them, but I will ward them off when you are near them." Gulping, Faye sighed heavily,
'I won't let my psyche break. If I can just stay away from them long enough, maybe find another way of – ...It's going to be hard, isn't it?'
"Anything worth having usually is."
'I think my psyche is pretty important.'
"Ah, now where did that sarcasm come from?" The teenager could just imagine Yami with a sad smile on her face at that point.
'It's fact.'
"You mean 'it's a fact,' right?"
'Doesn't matter. Right now we have to get to the Gang -'
"I would like you to cease and desist that train of thought for a moment," intercepted Yami, "I have several points for you to take notice."
'Will I win anything?'
"Perhaps. Just listen." Faye nodded and awaited Yami to continue. "First point, recognize that no matter what, you cannot arrive in Prague quickly and neither can The Contessa. There are detours, rest stops...well, detours at the very least. It will take days, possibly close to, or over, a week for the Gang, Carmelita, and Rexus to arrive at the prison."
"But -"
"That said, there is nothing you can achieve until you, Bentley, and Natasha reach Prague. You may fret and be anxious all you would like about the current situation, but no matter what, until you are in proximity to them you cannot rescue them. Understand?" Faye hesitantly nodded her head and shivered a bit. "I understand you are cold, but please wait just a little bit longer."
'Sorry. You're tired aren't you?' A silk veil beyond the wall, already being torn. Shredded to pieces by then with only actuality in sight while watching and hanging back from it.
"The important thing right now is to make sure you are aware of the situation as well as what you can and cannot do. You are unable to reach out and rescue the ones who have been captured quickly, but you may be able to reach out to others and help them." A tinge of light beyond what had been rented.
'Huh? What...?'
"My second point. You are not the only one suffering. Others are in need of assistance, even if it is only a small comfort." Strike that, twin tinges blurred as one.
'Bentley...and...Natasha...'
"See the trouble and find a solution, even a small one."
'And...a...dapt.'
"Hmm?"
'I...can try to...adapt to this. I'm not sure what I can do, but I can at least adapt to what's going on. Maybe...I can help – I dunno – cook dinner or something.'
"There you go. Even something as small as that can be enough."
'Still...'
"Hm?"
'I wonder...' Interposing the juvenile's thoughts, the tension in the atmosphere heightened, rumbling and rippling around her. Like the unnerving calm before a storm, it was as comfortless as one being informed about an impending ambush.
Quite abruptly, it was, in totality, too much. The light was too bright, reality was back, and the ceiling was crumbling, yet something was holding it up, nothing physical but it was there. The light narrowed and intensified.
And a deep voice wordlessly resonated.
Yami shrieked. The room rumbled. Mumblings were there, far away but there. They intensified, the deep voice cackling.
"Give up."
Faye outwardly shuddered. It was back; it had returned yet only barely. Quietly it backed away, it's voice everywhere.
"...let...her...ive." "...he sh...ld...ie...ot...ill."
Her orbs welled, something foreign yet familiar rising.
"She failed. She...s nothing. ...e's worthless!"
The columns supporting the room cracked. Reality was oozing into the room. Tears gushed out in large drops, only a pair as the room began to become submerged. Something was trying to force it back, struggling to keep the place stable.
'Y...Yami?' she questioned quietly. Out loud she continued, "I want to go home."
"Faye..."
'I want to go home!' The room broke out in cracks and soon smashed apart. Tears streamed down her cheeks, no end in sight.
She sat, her arms holding her knees to her forehead.
"I'm sorry..." echoed Yami, her voice fading until it was no more.
Minutes creaked by and still she did not move, audibly weeping in her place until the sun drew higher, the rivers ran dry, and a small voice from behind called her name.
/Day 2, dusk.../
The van was in silence save for the hum of the engine and screech of gears every now and then. The trio was starving, tired, and none too fragrant. Out of them all, Faye was the filthiest with caked up mud in her costume's fur.
Natasha smelt of spice and Bentley of fear, true fear that radiated even while he seemed to have his mind on other matters. One could just feel it by looking at him that he was going to crack. At least until he glimpsed at the two females then he seemed to settle a bit. Other times though he would seem more panicked. It was difficult to pinpont when he was more worried on the missing part of the Gang or the fact that his actions could cause someone to acquire a concussion.
It was wiser to choose the former more often than not.
As he focused on the most pressing issue at the moment – driving to the nearest piece of civilization – Natasha was wrapped up in stroking Josie's fur for quite a lengthy period of time. So much so that the cat was clawing her way to freedom. She soon leapt away into the back of the van and proceeded to lick herself clean. Natasha stared at Josie, pouting.
"Josie..." she sighed, leaning against Faye's back, said teen's front facing the passenger side window. Her eyes were glazed now and then as she sat there, not peering at anything in particular as the vehicle jumped along the beaten path. Cheek resting on a fist, she barely even blinked as the sun's light began to dwindle. What more was there to do? Bentley was in control, they couldn't rescue the Gang, and her suit was just about at the end of it's usefulness.
"...I have to go to the bathroom," muttered Natasha, curling inwards a bit. The teen's vision blurred. "...Bad," the panther added quietly. Faye sighed barely above a whisper and stated,
"Pull over Bentley." There was no enthusiasm, no personality, and no emotion in her low, softened tone. Eventually the vehicle jolted to a stop and Natasha climbed into the back, exiting out the rear doors. Bentley tapped his fingers on the steering wheel and followed suit out the same way, calling out a warning. At least it sounded like a warning. The dimensional traveler remained in her position, blinking and allowing her lids to lower. It wasn't until the sun was gone and a mass shifted against her back did she notice that they were off again.
The lying, the backstabbing, being used by the Klaww Gang, and being helpless when it mattered the most. Then there was Vermon Venery who held fortune above the welfare of a little girl. The lowlife who was unfit for being called an Inspector was working with the Klaww Gang, meaning he would have to be dealt with at some point. Just where in the world was he? Was he working directly with the Klaww Gang or was he in the background keeping up appearances at Interpol? He had 'connections' but was he working directly with the crew or was he just hiding in the shadows? And above all, what would happen to Natasha when it was all over?
Faye glided her eyes to her left, noting that the panther hadn't moved yet. Blinking a few times, the teenager broke the silence.
"Nata-" she cleared her throat, Bentley casting a quick glance in her direction. The kid leaned away from Faye as she turned to relax in her seat. "Natasha," she gulped, "About your stepfather. I was thinking...when this is all over, we should go get him." The orphan stared up at her as she muttered, "Jail." Natasha tilted her head. "He should go to jail. He deserves it." Faye peered up and looked at the other, making eye contact to emphasize that she was being serious. "Alright?"
Quite abruptly, Natasha broke out into tears and wrapped her arms around the teenager. Faye's breath caught in her throat, her arms stiffening as she started to make sense of the situation.
'She...needs...me?' She hugged Natasha back as the little panther held on tightly, time being lost as comfort was given and received from both sides. It would be okay, wouldn't it? It couldn't get much worse. Even if it did, there was always a chance things could be set right. Things were bad, but it would get better, wouldn't it? As long as they stayed together with the Cooper Gang everything would be alright. Murray and Sly would be back then Rexus would be rescued too. Sly would rally all of them to go get Carmelita and things would be okay for a while. It wouldn't be easy - nothing ever was - but one step at a time, things would be alright.
It would all work out.
Comforting words, a small dinner of some rations regardless of a lack of appetite, and the trio caught some shut-eye. When Faye awoke, she found that the van was parked outside a small building in the pre-dawn haze and Bentley was no where in sight. When he got back, he informed her that he had obtained some goods, but he wouldn't say from who or where.
Within several hours, all three had eaten a little, the van was refueled with a gas tank that Faye didn't remember seeing in the back, and they were situated at a new safe house in New Delhi. Whenever she asked, Bentley steered the conversation away from where he had procured the food and canister. Faye easily gave up, not really wanting to prod anymore after the turtle had nearly strained his vocal chords in telling the teenager politely that some things were better off not questioned in the world of thievery.
Oh how well she knew that rule.
Although it was a relief to be in familiar territory, the brains of the three was getting worked up over another matter. It seemed that a clear route to Prague was too much to ask for. As Bentley pointed out, he was wanted more than ever because of Neyla's actions. Natasha was still technically dead and word had yet to get out that Faye was with the Cooper Gang.
'Probably the Klaww Gang wanting to keep a low profile on a human of all things running about.'
Faye received no answer. It was getting to be troubling because Yami hadn't said a single word for almost the whole week. Whatever the war-worn spirit was doing was anyone's guess. Maybe she was trying to answer why and how a ghost managed to transcend dimensions, but if the older of the two had discovered anything she wasn't divulging yet.
However, the situation concerning Faye's mental stability, on the other hand, was also called into question. Ever since the feeling of something breaking had occurred it seemed like the link to the False Reality had been severed. The teen had no idea how unnerving it could be to speak in her mind and not get an answer.
Granted, saying that concern aloud would have her sanity evaluated. Possibly by a hypnotherapist.
As it was, the rest of the day progressed with Bentley coming up with a more solid plan of stealth, Natasha often petting Josie as she watched the local news channel for any sign of the Gang, and Faye huddling up on a bed in one of the rooms as she tried to steady her nerves. The sun was still bright as ever when the little panther's voice broke the silence.
"Faye? Do you think we'll see Sly and Murray again?" Faye turned her head a bit to the side, not that it did any good when facing the wall, and slowly pushed herself up. She looked at the panther out of the corner of her eye, murmuring,
"I...think so. We just have to keep going. We'll reach them eventually." Natasha stiffly nodded and after a moment left the room probably to continue watching the news, regardless of the fact that she probably couldn't make out what they were saying. Since she was already up, Faye went ahead and dragged herself to the bathroom, clutching some folded clothes that had been at the edge of her bed. She locked the door and stared into the mirror above the sink.
The girl gazing back was a mess. Mud was still caked up in her hair, her eyes had a slight tint of pink around them, and considering that she was still wearing her cat costume, she looked like some ragamuffin who had just walked through a natural disaster.
"Faye..."
"Yami?" she asked aloud, her eyes slightly widening at the familiar voice even as distant as it was.
"I had to recuperate for a while," the older one replied, "I apologize for leaving you alone."
'I-it's fine. How are you?' Faye's heartbeat slowed a bit and she tried to even out her breathing.
"Not much better off than you. Now, have you told them about...the truth?"
'No, not yet. I will though."
"Alright. Do you think you'll be able to tell them soon?" Faye's breath hitch for a few seconds.
'W-what? Oh. Yeah. I guess.'
"Just relax. Go clean up and I'll help as much as I can while you tell them. Besides, Bentley could help tell the rest of the Gang about this."
'Okay.' And for the moment, the matter was left at that.
It was probably an hour and a half later when Faye emerged from the restroom, looking as human as ever. She had donned a pair of brown cargo pants and her old 'A thief's life for me' shirt, ditching the cat costume for the time being. Her hair had been scrubbed back to a light blonde sheen, no longer resembling the mess it had been for the past week. She ambled into the simply-furnished living room-kitchen combination, the only things in the room being a couch, a several tables, a television, and everything required for a kitchen behind the sofa. She halted in mid-step as it dawned on her to get the Dimension Disrupter schematics.
"Natasha?" she inquired softly. When the one in question turned to her, the adolescent smiled a bit. "Would you go get...what I left in my laptop?" It was a few seconds before Natasha's face lit up with recognition.
"Are you sure?" Faye merely bobbed her head in confirmation and the little panther ran off into another room of the safe house, the poor kitten lying peacefully on the couch leaping off at the sudden movement. The pet darted over to the kitchen and hopped up on the counter. Sidestepping the kid, Faye peered up at Bentley, tirelessly typing away for one reason or another.
"Bentley," she said, still trying to steel the rest of her nerves.
"Uh-huh." It was like he was in his own little zone, but knowing the brainiac he could probably multitask between doing whatever he was doing and listening to the cat impersonator. Natasha came strolling back in, handing a folded piece of paper to Faye. She bounced on the heels of her feet, standing next to her 'idol.'
The teen pursed her lips together and licked them. Her next moves had to be just right or she'd look like a lunatic.
"Relax," Yami echoed, "You know what's happened. All you need to do is give out the relevant information. Just don't tell them this is all a video game. It's evident that this place is identical to your world, so perhaps...ah screw it. Just keep to the idea of parallel dimensions and that somehow someone from your world found out about this place."
"What is it?" A nasally voice snapped Faye out of her daze. As if things weren't weird enough, Yami had to go and revert back to unrefined, teenage lingo. Though the other-worldly guest had other matters to attend to. She sauntered over to Bentley and handed out the parchment.
"Here," she said, watching as he took the paper and unfolded it. Faye could feel her heart thumping against her chest. It was possibly the most terrifying moment of her short life as the turtle's face was swept over with nothing short of horror and surprise.
"What...what is this?" he sputtered, his head darting here and there as he went over the dreaded plans.
"The Dimension Disrupter. It's..." Wait, what should she say next? Ah, right. Relevance. "...designed to transport people from one world to another."
"Where did you get this?" Bentley inquired, continuing to pour over the blueprints. Considering that the entire machine was made from Clockwerk parts, it must have been unnerving to know what else the bird's body could be used for.
"Rajan's palace. ...Remember when I fell off the waterfall?" And yet she still had no idea how she survived. 'The Wizard' moved his head up and down,
"Yes..." Faye took that as her cue to keep going.
"Well...on my way back I passed through a room. It looked like it was used for meetings and...well... I sorta found it lying on the table." Natasha shifted her weight from foot to foot, keeping her head lowered. As he went over the finer details, his head not about to snap off his shoulders anytime soon, Bentley muttered,
"This...this is...horrible! Just what were they... This is inconceivable!" Faye gulped,
"Yeah. Apparently..." She took in a deep breath. This was it. "This is how I got here." The usually rational one of the group glanced at Faye then at the schematics several times.
"You...are from another world?" he asked, an edge of disbelief in each word.
"Remember the voodoo part," Yami reminded the teenager.
'Thanks.'
"Is it that much harder to believe than voodoo?" Faye said aloud, shrugging as she did.
"Yes..." Bentley answered, "Quite a bit actually."
'Of course it would be.'
"Right," Faye said as she grimaced a tad. Although how voodoo trumped science was anyone's guess.
"But it's true! It has to be," Natasha insisted, adding in her two cents. "Humans died out a long time ago, right? How else could she be here?"
"Statically speaking, the odds of another world of humans existing is less probable than an underground clan of humans living right under the nose of science for the past three hundred or so years." For as long as Faye had known the brains of the outfit, it was still amazing when he said something that sounded like it was memorized.
"But she knew about Neyla, and I bet...um..." The panther turned to Faye. "How did you know about Neyla again?" The dimensional traveler raised an eyebrow.
"Aside from wanting to kill me?"
"Oh, yeah." Faye sighed.
"Please stop reading my journal entries," she told the young feline. It was hard enough to keep things under semi-control without an invasion of privacy.
"I'm sorry." Natasha shuffled her feet, looking like someone had kicked a puppy - er, kitten in front of her.
"Topic relevance. Get down to brass tacks." Great. Yami was taking a page out of 'The Wizard's' book. It occurred to the adolescent that something else snapped when she had her breakdown. There was no telling how far her other self was going to degenerate in speech before the journey ended.
"Okay. Natasha, would you please mute the TV?" The child nodded and silenced the television with the remote, sitting down beside Faye as both settled on the couch. The teen began again, "Okay... I know this sounds impossible, but I need you guys to...humor me here. Just for a little bit. Otherwise none of this is going to make sense. Heck, it doesn't even make sense to me now." Bentley took one last look at the blueprints before directing his attention to the suddenly over-burdening human.
"If by 'humoring' you mean 'temporarily accept that you are indeed from another world brought here by this...Dimension Disrupter'...then yes, I believe I can do that." Faye breathed out a sigh of relief.
"Thank you," she murmured. It was the sole reason she had gone to Bentley first: he was more likely to take a hypothetical situation seriously for a moment. The whole idea of the Dimension Disrupter would have gone right over Murray's head, Sly wouldn't have listened to reason when it was something that seemed highly unlikely, and Carmelita would have handed her over to a specialist for the girl's psyche. Of all the routes she could have taken, talking to the mastermind of technology was her safest bet.
If only he would accept the situation...
"I can do that, too," Natasha chimed in, pulling her legs in and holding them close to herself. One step of the process was down, only about ten more painful ones were left to take.
"Start at the beginning. From before you met the Cooper Gang. It should be easier if you take it just a step at a time, explaining how you learned of certain things."
Taking the time for a deep breath before the plunge, Faye began.
"It started out like any other day. It always does, doesn't it? ...I just got done playing a game. I had finished it after two weeks of it's release. ...I was happy. It was Saturday...so I guess that helped a bit...for what happened a little after that. ...My parents got into a fight, so I left." Faye clutched her knees as she stared at the floor, trying to bring up missing memories. When they refused to surface, she went on, "I left for a friend's house, bringing the game along with me. We talked, played, and I eventually fell asleep." She raised her head to peer at Bentley, trying to look through his spectacles to find his eyes and make direct contact. "When I woke up, I was on the floor of a museum."
"The Natural History Museum in Cairo," Bentley supplied in wonder. Faye nodded.
"Somehow the Klaww Gang transported me from my world to this world. Not to mention that they somehow transported me halfway across the world. ...Still not sure on that." She raised an eyebrow to emphasize her point.
"That's...that's fiendish!" the genius yelled, clutching the blueprints pretty tight in one hand, "...But why would they want someone from another world completely?"
"I don't - oh, wait. Yes, I do," Faye said, correcting herself mid-sentence.
"Careful now..."
Of course she had to be careful. The entire point of being captured, the only reason she was there in the first place, and the cause of the whole fiasco was on the edge of her consciousness.
"We were supposed to make her join us and kill that infuriating Cooper, hippopotamus, and turtle."
It was enough to make her stomach upset at the very least.
When the teen spoke again, a lump had formed in her throat. She began to rub her thumb and index finger together.
"The reason goes back to the game. It was a sequel. The first game was called..." She had to say it in one go. Just like with a band-aid, the faster it was over with the better. The girl took in a deep breath, shutting her eyes tight. "Sly Cooper and the Thievius Raccoonus." Realizing she hadn't looked Bentley in the eye again, she did so just as she did the time before and repeated the title that started it all.
"Really?" Natasha asked, not sounding very convinced. "Did it deal with the Fiendish Five?"
"And some other details," she mumbled. An image of Inspector Fox beating on the sides of a glass tube kept replaying in front of her.
"Three down."
"And one to incarcerate."
She was doomed by association to Sly to be captured. She wasn't at fault for anything other than relentlessly hounding the thief and even then she was still within the safe confines of the law.
Even if the chase wasn't healthy or on borderline obsession.
"...Carmelita," Faye proceeded without much delay, "The gas chamber. What was the name of the volcano again?"
"The Krack-Karov Volcano," the panther said with a grin. Bentley put the diagram on the table beside him and flailed his arms for a moment in an outburst.
"But that's impossible! The details of the incident with Clockwerk were confined to only the highest ranking officers at Interpol, and not that many know about the gas chamber trap. Natasha could have found out from her stepfather's Interpol files, but how did people from your world find out about that?" Faye sighed and rubbed her forehead with her right hand, letting the elbow sit on the armrest.
"I have no idea."
"Parallel dimensions. Repeat everything I say."
"I suppose it has to do with parallel dimensions," Faye stated, acting like a parrot for Yami. "Somehow, someone from my world found out about this world and made a video game out of it." Bentley held a hand to his chin. Whether he was doing his definition of 'humoring' or actually taking things seriously was anyone's guess.
"Still..." he muttered, ceasing in speaking as he shifted his gaze to the floor. One could actually see the gears turning in his head as his eyebrows moved up and down. Faye shook her head, saying,
"Look, I don't know the specifics. Most of this stuff is going over my head. All I know is that a game was made and it was based off of the Cooper Gang going after the Fiendish Five to retrieve the pages of the Thievius Raccoonus." The computer whiz brought his gaze back up to 'Faytin,' the near-soundless atmosphere further convincing the girl that Bentley's eyes were boring into her own.
"You said there was a sequel," he uttered, his voice trembling, "What was the name?" Though the lump in her throat was beginning to burn, Faye didn't hesitate in looking Bentley square in the eye. Just a few more steps and things would either come together or be unraveled into a humongous mess. Taking a silent breath of air through her nose, she simply stated,
"Sly 2: Band of Thieves." At least it wasn't very descriptive. Then again, that was probably a curse.
"What was it about?" Natasha requested, bringing about the sole reason why the title was a curse in the first place: there was no telling what it was truly about. Again the lump burned, as though it would erode the skin before settling to a dull ache.
"We knew this was inevitable," the older version of the tormented girl commented, "Let them guess. Remember the plan you relayed to Bentley when you were in Rajan's temple?"
What Yami had mentioned was the stuff of nightmares, but she had a point.
"I..." Faye gulped and tried speaking again, "Remember when I said to rip-off the ruby then blow the dam?" When there was no audible response she pressed on, trying to swallow the seemingly stubborn compact mass, "It was part of the game..." Even as softly as she had let the words escape, Natasha gasped and Bentley straightened up after a second of hearing it. His brows raised a tad and he opened his mouth to speak, but the panther cut him off in a shout,
"Was I in the game? Was Vermon? Was...my mom?" Faye turned to the youngster clinging onto her forearms and probably unknowingly sinking her claws into the flesh. The last of her question had died on a half-hopeful, half-worried note. The pain building from Natasha's clutches went ignored as Faye stared into the round, waiting eyes of the supposedly dead step-child.
"I'm sorry," the adolescent responded quietly, "None of you were in it. It just focused on the Gang." All at once the kid's grip slackened and her sliver of faith fell.
"What kind of game leaves out NPCs? What kind of game leaves out Interpol, but includes the Klaww Gang? What kind of game doesn't include my mom?" The enquiry immediately ended as her voice cracked. The little one got to her feet and ran out of the room, loudly sobbing the entirely time. Her buildup of emotion was punctuated by the slam of a door, almost completely muting the cries of a distraught child. Bentley and Faye were left to stare at the only bedroom door in the small safe house. They sat in silence, Faye's mouth opening and closing as if searching for something to go and say though nothing was spoken and Bentley was in his 'intense thinking mode,' obviously not used to being in this type of situation. The only break was when Yami whispered in that far-away voice again,
"Break the tension. You may not be able to help Natasha right away, but this can at least be wrapped up...for her sake. She doesn't need this, even if she decides to return."
"Let's get this over with," Faye said softly, tilting her head to where Natasha disappeared to for a few seconds. "This is isn't a game." Hesitantly, she shifted her gaze back to the only other occupant in the room. He cleared his throat and asked as evenly as possible though his tone was still a bit shaky,
"So...that sequel was based around the Klaww Gang?" Faye solemnly nodded and he turned his head side-to-side. "That can't be. We haven't even collected all the Clockwerk parts yet!"
"I know," Faye said, her vocals suddenly making her sound airy and weak, "but that's how it is."
"Yet according to what you've told me, it's still wrong."
"But things are so wrong!" Faye blurted out through her cracking voice, grateful for the prod to get the talking over with. "Rexus is in prison, the Klaww Gang's trying to kill you, me, and Natasha, and...even that monkey at Rajan's temple was wrong. I don't know who he is but he freaked me the heck out and I don't think he was supposed to be there in the first place." Faye finally coughed to clear out her throat, the burning gone but the mass still there. It was just the tip of the sunken ship, but they were the main differences that stood out the most between the destroyed vessel some leagues away, the damaged one above water, and the third watercraft that was currently struggling to keep up with the latter. It was a mess and a half and no one would ever notice.
"Faye?" Bentley snapped Faye out of her metaphor. "What year did the game come out?" She blinked and automatically returned,
"Which one?"
"The second one." Weird question, but not one she couldn't answer.
"Two thousand four. Why?" The turtle's expression was unreadable beyond 'holy shmolee' as the gears turned faster. He mumbled,
"It's..." Faye allowed a minor 'Hmm' to escape as Bentley continued. "Unbelievable! ...Faye, did you ever check the date on your laptop?" Talk about random. Just what was he getting at?
"Um, no. Why?"
"It's nineteen ninety-nine," finished Bentley. "...That machine, the Dimension Disrupter, pulled you through time! ...That's just not possible." If it wasn't for the fact that it had already collapsed once, Faye's brain would have broke right then and there. Time travel? That was another function? How much could the obsessed avian's body do? Print money, bring prestige, run a spice growing farm, chop down trees, run trains, and hypnotize people. And that was aside from their original purposes.
How the heck did the ancient bird get built before modern times anyways?
"Then how am I here?" the teenager asked, " ...If it's so impossible, then how come I'm here?" Bentley merely massaged his chin at that.
"I'm...not sure. ..I'll contemplate on it later. I need more time to think this situation through, but right now the Gang comes first." Faye bobbed her head once.
"I understand."
"Thank you," he said and he was back to his laptop, taking a moment to fold up the blueprints and place them in his massive bag near his dangling feet. There wasn't much for the fuzzy-minded human but to see how the third member of the group was doing. She pushed herself up and approached the bedroom door cautiously. She raised a hand, knocking gently.
"Natasha?" she started, but she was greeted with a frustrated screech,
"Go away!" A dull thump from the other side of the door followed suit. "I hate you!" The weeping wouldn't stop and there was no use in calming down a reasonably upset orphan. Faye lowered her arms and turned back to the couch, sitting in the side closest to the bedroom. She placed her elbows on her knees and folded her hands, resting her chin on them.
With nothing else to do, the duo allowed the absence of sound to resume interrupted only by the click-clacking of the keyboard.
SQ: Ah, sorry if it seemed like I cheated you guys out of an ending. The sooner this got over with, the sooner I could start on the next chapter...in Prague! So, now that one of the more painful chapters is done, it's time for the post-chapter notes.
Note one: When Yami and Faye talked, yes the conversation veered off track with sarcasm and a fragmented sentence (also known as slang). This is because they were trying to keep Faye from falling apart from the stress. If you've noticed, Faye hasn't used sarcasm very much (if at all) in the past. This is her way of keeping her mind from drowning in fear, anxiety, etc. It also seems that Yami remembered that a little and played on that tact to keep the younger of the two stable.
Note two: "Why didn't Bentley ask Faye more about 'truth' the next morning like he was supposed to?" Faye broke. It's as simple as that. Bentley had enough sense and honor not to bring up whatever info Ven was hiding because she was emotionally distraught. Like stated at the beginning, information is vital living outside the law. Bentley knew what Faye had to say dealt with the Klaww Gang, something about what they're doing... Whatever it was that she had to say, it would be best for Faye to be in a better mental state before bringing it up again. For all he knew, it could have been that 'truth' combined with Sly and Murray's absence that triggered her collapse in mentality. He wasn't about to launch it again so soon.
Note three: I capitalize "Safe House" just because they constantly do in Sly 2 (not in Sly 3 though). Trying not to deviate from the original spelling...except when I see a grammatical error. I should stop capitalizing "Safe House" now since there was a line or two in Episode 4 where is was all lower case. Go figure.
Note four: "Does Bentley know that The Contessa is a Klaww Gang member?" Yes he does. He said earlier that she was going to 'murder a poor kid just to spread the effects of your spice' so he must know. "When did he find out?" Quite simple. Sly was watching the fight with Rexus and Faye right? Well in the fight Faye mentioned that she knew The Contessa was controlling him with the Clockwerk Eyes and spice. It doesn't take a lot to figure that Sly would contact Bentley and Murray to warn them.
Note five: The Secret Files of Sly as a Cooper won't be uploaded here. In fact, I've stopped altogether on it. It was a nice thought, but with so many plot ideas, erm, bunnies it's getting kind of hard to get around to them. I'm sorry to anyone who was interested in them.
Note six: I have no idea how but the site screwed up the earlier chapters and the usual line of dashes/minus signs was replaced with a plain line going all the way across the page. I'm sorry if that bothers anyone. ...Plus it screws up the chapters a lot. Checking over the entire chapter again when I just got done ironing everything out isn't fun especially when something gets deleted. Also, when I uploaded this chapter, the line breaking the author's notes and the chapter had changed to what you see. Can't change it so I need a new type of line break.
SQ: So alone... Natasha's upset, Faye's broken, Rexus is...gone. How much messed up can things get? At least Prague is next chapter. So until next time: May the light of the moon lead the way to the master thief!