Disclaimer: I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; they belong to Sucker Punch. The idea of Phantom of the Opera belongs to its rightful owner(s).
Claimer: I own all of my original characters.
Sorry about the late update…I didn't feel like it yesterday and then today…well, it didn't go well. I locked my car keys in the trunk of my car, didn't have a spare, couldn't unlock it from the inside because the doors were locked, couldn't find anyone to open the car, had to resort to calling the police for help, had to wait an hour for them to show up, and finally another 15 for the trunk to open. But I did finally get it open and got my keys from the trunk and felt like a complete idiot. But, here's chapter 7 so please read and review and let me know what you think along with questions, comments, etc. And for the record, I decided I'd split this part into two chapters so if this seems a little short, that's why.
Chapter 7: Hearing Voices
"No! I'm not going back down there! I've got too much work to do for a wild goose chase!" I groaned as I tried to win the argument I was situated in.
"She's your sister!" I retorted back, "Your twin to be exact and you just want to sit and do paperwork?" I thought that if I could get Carmelita and her squadron on my side, they could take down the Phantom and arrest him. However, a thief trying to persuade the police officer that's been chasing you isn't an easy job. I was just thankful she wasn't trying to arrest me. Standing in her office on a busy Saturday afternoon probably wasn't the best idea but we were pressed for time. It was the Saturday Ramona and the Phantom had agreed to be married on but we didn't know what time it was scheduled to take place or where for that matter. Bentley decided he would keep a constant eye on the grapple-cam if anything happened while I tried to persuade Carmelita for help, but that wasn't going too well.
"I'd rather put you behind bars but someone took my shock pistol!" it was true, to avoid being zapped, I slung her shock pistol onto the office balcony and kept my cane on her intercom so she could call for backup, "You don't even know where this is supposed to happen, Cooper. Do you expect me to drop everything just for that?"
"Yes! I'm not talking about some random person off the streets; I'm talking about you younger sister. We have cameras and a pretty good idea on where they're supposed to get married!" despite her usual disapproval of her sisters' actions, I was surprised she was against arresting the Phantom. She shook her head again before I heard Bentley's voice screech in my ear piece
"Sly! You've got to hurry! I'm watching the grapple-cam and Ramona's already in the wedding dress. They're starting the ceremony now! They're in the Phantom's lair and they're getting ready for everything to start! You've got to get down there now!" I felt my heart start to pound, knowing we were running out of time and I still hadn't accomplished my goal.
"Listen, they're starting the ceremony now and they're in the sewers! You've got to help your sister!"
"Unless you can give me certain proof, you're out of luck." She said back before leaning in her chair. I groaned, shook my head, and headed for Ramona's apartment knowing that would be the quickest way to the lair. I bolted from the police station, through the streets, avoiding as many people as I could, and climbed up the drainpipe to Ramona's apartment as fast as I could. I picked the lock on the sliding glass door and jumped over living room furniture to get to the bedroom. I ripped back the clothing in the closet, past the broken bricks, and down the tunnel. Time was running out and if they said their vows before I could get into the sewers then it was all over. Ramona would believe anything the Phantom told her and any chance I had to have my rival back was ruined.
"Sly! All the gates in the sewers are closed! You can't get inside!" Bentley shouted after I was halfway down the stairs in the sewer. I was running down the stairs, skipping two or three steps at the time and had to think fast.
"I'm on my way. Distract them, stop the ceremony from continuing! If you can distract the Phantom with your grapple-cam he'll have to investigate and hopefully open a gate, but hurry!"
"I'm on it!" he replied quickly. I could hear Bentley click a few keys before letting his voice ring over the grapple-cam speaker, "Hey, you, the unattractive person!" I came to a skidding stop in front of the gate and could see the Phantom and Ramona. I kept quiet and watched the two raccoons. They were both dressed for their wedding, standing at the alter, but looked around instead of each other. Bentley's voice distracted them and had obviously confused them. I stuck to the shadows at the entrance I was standing at and realized it was a different one than the one Ramona and I had escaped from the last time. This place had so many tunnels that you couldn't take one step without finding a new one.
"Show yourself, you monster!" the Phantom shouted at Bentley's voice. I could believe he'd actually use a clichéd line like that but I ignored it.
"Yo ugly!" Bentley shouted and I laughed quietly. He was always good at coming up with rather random and funny insults but with the current situation we were currently it, it was rather funny. The madder the Phantom got, the more insults Bentley sputtered out.
"You're a bad person, I mean it! Follow the sound of my voice!" the Phantom stepped down from the alter and searched around the lair, "You will never find me! Hey fatty! Over here!"
"Stay there, my dear," the Phantom said to Ramona who was still at the alter in her dress.
"Up your nose, with a rubber hose!" Bentley's insults kept coming and the Phantom eventually pulled a lever which caused a few of the grated to raise up, including the one I was behind, "Yo Mamma, eat dirt!" I didn't know if that last one was directed towards Ramona, but she turned her head which gave met the chance to leave the tunnel and sneak up to her, "Bawk, bawk, bawk, ba-kawk!" Bentley shouted and the Phantom entered another tunnel. I heard Bentley's last insult before creeping up behind Ramona.
"Aloha, idiot!" the turtle shouted and I clamped a paw over Ramona's mouth after sneaking up behind her. She turned quickly on her heels, her two foot trail twisting behind her, and I saw her eyes grow wide.
"What are you doing here?" she almost screeched, "First you stalk me then you crash my wedding?" she swatted at me with her paw and I avoided it.
"Listen to me, this isn't what you want!" I said sternly, "Getting married in a sewer to a man who doesn't truly love you is stupid and you are smarter than that. He has you underneath his grasp and it's fogging your mind. You aren't in love with him, Ramona. Whatever he's told you is a lie and is putting you under his spell just so he can satisfy some twisted fantasy to marry you. He doesn't truly love you and you don't love him either."
"You don't know anything about me! You don't know anything about who I love or who loves me! He's the only man who has ever actually shown me was it's like to be loved in return. He's the only one who's ever loved me and you know nothing about it!" we were yelling at each other but I figured it'd be worth it in the end.
"You're wrong, Ramona. You have to believe me!" she shook her head.
"Who else then, tell me one person, one!" she forcefully lifted up an index finger, showing off the number one.
"I do, Ramona! I'll say it loud and to anyone in the world, alright!" I lifted my arms up to prove a point while my voice was loud, "Ramona, I'm in love with you! What do you want me to do to show you that I'm not lying and that he's you enemy?" I turned slightly to motion to where the Phantom had chased down Bentley's camera, which I quickly learned was a bad idea along with us shouting everything. I groaned and doubled over as soon as I turned and I suddenly felt the blade of the Phantom's sword, which he carried with him everywhere, enter my stomach sharply and my blood start to rush from the wound.
And the next chapter will finish of the wedding crasher part of the story! Yeah, I had to leave it as a cliff hanger. And I have to be honest, I loved writing Bentley's grapple-cam insults. Those had to be the best Bentley lines out of all three games and felt proud when I figured out a way to incorporate them into my story. And I'm sorry if it feels a little rushed, but the car key in trunk thing threw me off and I wanted to update today. Anyway, please review and let me know what you think!