Disclaimer: I don't any Sly Cooper characters; they belong to Sucker Punch.

Claimer: I own my original characters.

Well now that Christmas is over and there isn't much to do for New Years, I have a lot more free time and might be able to post more often but I still can't make any major promises. Please read and review and let me know what you think along with any constructive criticism.

Chapter 6: Attacks in the Night and Lashing Out

I cursed under my breath after I had stubbed my toe against the side of my bathtub while I was making my way to the bathroom sink. It was almost midnight and I decided that I would go to bed and get ready to do recon around the Interpol station in the morning. Just as I finished brushing my teeth and was changing into my pajamas, I heard latch on my sliding glass door open. There was only one person who could pick a deadbolt or would come around this late, and that was Sly.

"You know, it's a little late to be visiting." I said playfully as I walked out of the bathroom and towards the living room. I froze when I realized that the person in my apartment wasn't Sly. I recognized the intruder as one of the men who worked for Cortex and I felt my heart pound in my chest. I turned and started to run towards my room when the bull charged but fell when one of my own vases hit me in the back. Glass shattered around me and I tried to quickly get to my feet. I was grabbed by an ankle before I could get up and was pulled backwards. Once I was close to the bull, I started kicking and clawing at him. I sunk my claws into his legs after he released his grip on me. He let out a snort of pain and started kicking himself. He was standing while he kicked while I was still on the ground and after the fourth blow I heard various pops and cracking in my sides. He hit me two or three more times in the ribs before grabbing me by my waist and slinging me halfway across the room. The guy had to be twice the size of Murray and he was certainly stronger than him.

My back hit the wall and I hit the ground with a thump. I scampered towards the kitchen when he charged again and headed for the plates that rested in the dish drain. I threw glasses, plates, bowls, and anything else I could find in an attempt to stop the man but nothing helped. He simply blocked the dishware as it shattered on his forearm. He made his way around the counter but I jumped over it before he could get any closer. The tables were turned when he started throwing anything he could find at me. I blocked my face but I wasn't nearly as large at the bull was and I hissed everything an object impacted my arms and body. Since I was only wearing a pair of shorts and a tank top as my pajamas, more of my flesh was exposed and cut quickly. I'm not sure when, but he came around the counter again and once again grabbed me by the waist. He slammed me against the wall and gripped me by the throat. He snorted out a breath in my face. I tried clawing his grip off my throat but nothing worked until I kicked him a few times in the stomach. I dropped to the ground and crawled underneath his legs in his short moment of recovery. I had only gotten about a foot away from him when his boot landed on my back and pressed me to the floor.

He grabbed me by the hair and pulled me upward. My own paws gripped my head when if felt like my scalp was being ripped off. I was almost snout to snout with him after his arm started rising and I could feel his hot, moist breath on my face. I swiped my claws across his face and allowed them to rip the skin. I was dropped instantly and again started lashing back at him. I punched, kicked, slapped, and clawed as hard as I could and he started backing down. I was relentless and didn't stop until I felt my muscles start to burn from constant movement. I stopped completely when I was smacked across the face and I was sent to the ground. My face burned but I ignored it for the time being. Again, I was lifted to his face, but instead of hitting or slapping, I sunk my teeth into his shoulder and bit as hard as I could. He tried slinging me off but I held on tightly with my teeth and claws and bit harder. I heard a crack and a metallic taste entered my mouth. He finally pulled me off and I went for his arms. Like his neck, my teeth sunk in easily into his arm and I didn't let go with ease. With my teeth still imbedded into his skin, I was slung and my back hit the wall, again. I still clung on when he started shaking his arm. He again pulled me off and slung me away. I was almost curled into a defensive ball, all fours were on the ground and was ready to sprint in his direction when I saw that he was halfway through the glass door and started heading for the balcony.

I stood from the ground and looked around my apartment. For the second time this month, it was completely trashed. As my adrenaline started slowing down, I was reduced to tears when there was a burning in my side from where I was kicked and I was pretty sure I had a few broken ribs. My face burned from where I was slapped and blood dripped from the gashes from the dishware. My heart was still pounding and it hurt to breathe as I leaned against the back of the couch so I could catch my breath. I was shaking violently when I lifted my paws to look at my claws. I could still taste the remnants of blood in my mouth as my legs turned to jelly and I slid to the ground. I clutched my ribs and let tears fall down my face.

I jumped up and got read to throw the only remaining vase that wasn't shattered at my door. I heard someone come through the sliding door and I was ready to throw the vase. I didn't know how much damage I could do anyway; it hurt too much to breathe not even mentioning moving. I let the vase drop onto the couch when I realized it was Sly at my door and not another goon from Cortex. I was leaning into the couch to suppress the pain in my sides. He did a quick sweep of my now trashed apartment before walking in completely.

"I was on my way to the safehouse and I heard something from your apartment. I know this is going to sound stupid but are you alright?"

"I'm fine." I barked. I had finally snapped and was tired of all the attacks and threats. I had kept my anger bottled up inside and now it was being let out. I knew I needed to vent my anger out sometime soon, but I felt bad that the person that would get that heat would be Sly. My temper was like a fire, horrible to have, worse to have it become unleashed, and nearly impossible to stop until it died down on its own. I was still shaken up and didn't really want to talk about what just happened. I also knew that I wasn't the friendliest person to be around when I was in pain and right now, I was in major pain.

"This had something to do with that Cortex guy, didn't it?" he inched closer but still kept his distance, "Ramona." he said after I didn't reply.

"Alright it did!" I spat. By this time he was leaning on the other end of the couch and staring.

"Listen," he said softly, "I understand what you're going through and-"

"No! You don't understand!" I clutched my sides again as I shouted and continued, "I know your parents were killed and you were sent to the orphanage like me but that's all! I know you sought out revenge for the Fiendish Five but you didn't spend most of your teenage years doing that and are still working on it! After your parents were killed you weren't sent to live with your mother who hated you and still does!" I took a breath and realized that tears had been streaming down my face the entire time I had been ranting and only got worse as I continued.

"You weren't kidnapped from the orphanage after you were sent there! The men who kidnapped didn't use you as a test subject for their experiments and you weren't changed permanently because of them! You didn't have to escape after four years of experimentation and have to live on the streets after you finally got away!"

"Those experiments were horrible. I spent four years locked away in a castle somewhere off the southwestern coast of Australia and I won't stop until he is taken down and no one understands that. And you don't either." I had started to wipe my face off and started calming down.

"Alright, maybe I don't understand, but I can help if-" I cut him off again.

"I don't need your help, Sly! I can get by just fine on my own. I didn't need your help before, I don't need it now, and I won't need it in the future!" he sighed and rested a paw on my arm but I snapped it away,

"Just keep your nose out of my business and leave me alone." I didn't know why I was getting so mad at him about; he was just trying to help.

"Listen to me," he started again but I didn't let him finish.

"Just go away." I gasped when pain shot through my side and I doubled over the back of the couch.

"You need to get to a hospital." he still stared as I straightened up.

"No I don't and I don't need you telling me what I have to do." My paw still held my ribs as I shot him an angered glance. Again, he attempted to place a paw on my shoulder but I hissed as soon as he toughed my shoulder. He let go and brought his arm back down to his side.

"Just leave." I said simply. I wanted to be alone and not talk to anyone. He stood there for a few moments and finally left after I had started yelling again. He sighed again before leaving and walked out slowly. He was halfway out the door when he looked back one more time. He finally left my balcony after shouting for him to leave a third time. After I was sure he was gone, I slunk back down to the ground. I only lasted a few moments before completely breaking down into tears of pain, sorrow, and guilt.