Here's the next chapter of Wonderland. I beat Ratchet and Clank: All 4 One again, and that put me in the mood for updating. So here's the new chapter of Wonderland.

Your POV:

You, Sly, and Murray surround Bentley as he types away at the computer. On the screens of the multiple monitors, you can see a tall purple lizard man in a green suit with a cigar. His name is Dimitri, and he's the first member of the Klaww gang you're up against. According to Sly, he's something of an "underworld celebrity"; equally at home at high performance art circles, and shady back-alley crimes. According to his files that Bentley hacked, he used to be a passionate young art student, but after his failed "kinetic aesthetic" he forged paintings to punish those with "bad taste".

Now he runs a night club with a giant peacock sign out in front. The colorful light shows, thumping music, and that hint of danger attracts people from far and wide, and somewhere in there is where you'll find the Clockwerk Tail Feathers. You look at the monitor, then at Bentley. "What would he want with a Clockwerk part?" You ask.

"I can't say, but Sly's going to do some reconnaissance work and find out. Sly, you'll need to do some work with satellites to get us some information. Cerlie, I need you to find me a way into the back of the nightclub to take out a disco ball."

You shrug. It sounds odd, but Bentley knows what he's doing. "Alright, I'll go take a look around." You grab your bow and arrow set, in case you might need. Unfortunately, if a guard comes at you, you won't any choice but to add "murder" to your file. It'll just be self-defense. Why does Dimitri have guards patrolling the streets and rooftops? Does he want to scare people away from his own business? "I'll be back soon. Bentley, don't be too relieved if I don't." You said with a smirk.

The look on his face was priceless.

Hiding from behind buildings and trying to avoid guards, you come to a ladder and follow Bentley's advice about the rooftops. You look around, making sure that the coast is clear. It seems okay…

"Freeze!"

You load your bow and turn to see…Neyla? "Don't think I'm afraid to use this." You warn. "You get one warning shot, that's it. Now state your business."

"Please, I led you and your friends here." She starts.

You relax a bit, so the arrow slips, but you still keep your weapon pointed at her. It's just like Sly said. "So that Klaww gang slip back in Cairo was a clue. Why are you helping us out? My team and I certainly have more motive than you do."

Neyla shakes her head. "I'm not as black-and-white as Carmelita." Her face turns stern. "I know what a menace those Clockwerk parts are, and I don't want the likes of the Klaww gang putting them to use."

You put the arrow back in your quiver and set your bow on your back. You cross your arms. "So what, it takes a thief to catch a thief?"

She shrugs. "Something like that. But if we're going to work together, I need to know that you can keep up…literally."

"Literally?"

"Don't fall behind." In one swoop, she turns and starts sprinting in the opposite direction. Damn, she's fast! It takes you a few minutes to catch up to her, and it takes a lot more effort to keep up. Your lungs are already burning again. You defiantly need to start working out, or at least going for a run every day. Your poor abused heart.

Finally, you stop at the back of the nightclub. "Well done. We should work well together miss…?"

"Cerlie," You pant. "My name is Cerlie."

"Last name?"

"Noukhayev."

She looks surprised for a moment, but then nods wisely. "So that's why the Cooper gang recruited you. In fact, I was looking at your mother's file just yesterday. I can see the family resemblance. I couldn't find you in the system, but I knew you looked familiar."

What? What is she talking about? You raise an eyebrow. "What do you mean? My mother isn't a criminal. How could she have a file?"

Neyla looks stunned. "You don't know? The Noukhayevs were the rulers of the Russian mafia almost twenty years ago until their assignations."

You shake your head. "That's impossible. Besides, it wasn't that long ago since I last saw my parents. It was only a couple of weeks ago."

Neyla pauses. "Give me a hair sample; we've got some DNA from the unsolved case back at Interpol HQ. I'll run some tests, and see if there's a match." You pull out a few pieces of hair and hand them to Neyla, who puts them in one of those plastic bags some police carry for situations like this one. "In the meantime, we need to deal with Dimitri. Now, legally, I can't enter his nightclub without a warrant. But I happen to have obtained a key to his backdoor, which a person like yourself can use however she pleases."

You give a smirk. "We are going to work well together."

"Indeed. Now it shouldn't take me long to get some results. I believe I'll see you again sometime tomorrow."

You nod and bid her goodbye, and she leaps onto the tall building with the use of the awning. On your way back to the hideout with the key in your pocket, you can't get Neyla's words out your head. You need to ask Bentley. He should know. Or at least can help you with research on who these people are.

If the Noukhayevs are your biological parents, then…what about the people who raised you? And Arianna, is she really your sister? Stopping at the door to the hideout, you try to shake those thoughts away. Only it doesn't work. No matter how unlikely it seems, Neyla's words have given you doubt about your family.

You open the door to see Bentley. Sly must not be back yet, and Bentley must've sent Murray off. You give him a smirk and toss the key next to his keyboard, but Bentley speaks before you do. "I heard the whole thing. I'm already doing research on the Noukhayevs."

Bentley brings up a really, really old picture. There are two people, and…they're dormouses, just like you. "It says that they're the most famous Russian mobsters in history, but their legacy came to an end after the deaths of the members. The two head mobsters were Valentina and Andrei Noukhayevs. They had other members, all relatives by blood or marriage, but they were all murdered years ago. But the case is cold."

You shake your head. "First of all, I doubt that they're really my parents. So they're dormouses, so what. And my name is Romanian, like my parents, who are also dormouses." No, your parents are human, but you can't tell them that.

"If you have the name Noukhayev, then your parents must be related to them."

"That doesn't make the people in the picture my parents!" You pause for a minute, trying to get your head around this. "And that doesn't make sense. You said all of the Noukhayevs were murdered."

"I know, that's the part I don't get. We'll just have to wait for the DNA sample results from Neyla. If you are really the child to the Noukhayevs, the system might've sent you to live with a family with the same last name and species, to keep you finding out the truth."

You get quiet. You load your bow, awaiting for something else to do. You shoot an arrow at the wall. "What can you tell me about the Noukhayevs?" You ask.

"They had total control over New York City until their legacy ended. They had forces everywhere. Nobody wanted to run into them in a dark alley. They were assassins for hire. Very lethal people." He looks at you again.

Bentley's POV:

You knew this girl was dangerous. No wonder she looked familiar. If she is a Noukhayev, then that just proves you were right: she's no good. You've been looking for an excuse to get rid of her, and now you have reason to be so suspicious. She's deadly, she has murder in her blood. Her entire family was made up of killers, and it's only a matter of time before she becomes one too.

"I know what you're thinking." She says. Well, she's certainly not stupid or naïve. She must realize that you don't trust her. "But I won't become a killer and stain my hands with blood, even if the Noukhayevs are my real parents."

"Hm." That doesn't help your nerves at all. She's a liar, and a user. You just want her gone, as far away from you, Sly, and Murray as possible. You'll find a way to get rid of her. You just have to think.

You don't trust Neyla. You always knew she was trouble. She works with the cops, she's trying to get you into jail. True, she's not Carmelita, but she's still a cop! And she and Cerlie seem surprisingly close, even though they've only spoken once or twice. Are they planning something together?

Short chapter, I know. But it's a dramatic one nonetheless. I just hope everyone's excited for this, because I know I am.

See you soon!

~Mimi