Sly

Avery returned with the guru, and was looking very distressed. She muttered that she was going to her room, and disappeared without another word. Murray was in deep conversation with the guru.

"Sly. We need Avery for a mission. Can you get her please?"

"No problem." I smiled, walking upstairs. I was glad that Avery wasn't so distant from me like before. I knocked on her door.

"Go away, Cooper." She said.

"C'mon, Avery. " I said, opening the door. She sat on her bed, engrossed in a book.

"What part of go away don't you understand?" She growled. I shut the door.

"Alot of it. When someone says go away, they actually want to be talked to." I said, sitting on her bed. She slammed her book closed.

"No, when someone says go away, they mean that they want their obnoxious, self centered, cocky, no good thief of a friend to-" but I didn't give her the chance to finish, because I kissed her hard. She gave a muffled cry of protest, then broke away.

"Cooper!" She cried, trying to smack me. I grabbed her hand, and then the other as she went to hit me with it. I kissed her again, this time getting her to kiss back. Someone cleared their throat in the doorway.

"Sly, I told you to get Avery for me, not make out with her." Bentley said. I smiled like I was caught stealing from the cookie jar, and Avery was red and mumbling incoherently.

"Sorry Bentley, couldn't help myself."

"Anyways, Avery, while Murray and Sly drive the miners out of Ayers Rock, you will need to follow Mina and Alex."

"Fine." She said, getting up. I just noticed what she was wearing. It was a black bellyshirt, brown shorts, and her boots that I bought her.

"Cooper!" She snapped, hitting me beside the head.

"Hey!" I complained.

"Do not kiss me again!" She growled, grabbing her backpack and walking out. "And stay out of my room!" She added, slamming the door. Bentley gave me a look.

"What?" I asked innocently.

"Why do the women put up with you?"

"Because I'm handsome?" I asked.

"Don't flatter yourself."

"You're just jealous." I said as he left. Then I noticed what Avery was reading. The writing on the front was Arabic. Was this... The Assassin's Guide?

Avery

"That arrogant, stupid, no good.." I said, trying to figure out what else to call Sly. How dare he kiss me? I was so mad I almost forgot about following Mina. I caught back up to her, sticking to the rooftops. It was night, the moon lighting everything. No rooftop guards, but that meant extra flashlight guards on the ground. Her thick accent made it easy to pick her out. Alex followed behind her.

"The guru is gone! Avery knows that I am looking for her, and Cooper isn't making this any easier!"

"Calm down, I can take care of Avery."

"Didn't she escape from you at rajan's party?"

"I forgot you were there."

"Course you did darling, now... Where is it.. " she was starring at a sheer cliff wall. She then stepped on a rock, opening a door that wasn't there a minute ago. I followed them, tempted to go back. But I wasn't going to let this opportunity slip by. The door closed behind me, enveloping me in complete darkness. I followed the wall of what seemed a long hallway. When it opened up, I had to shut my mouth. The place was incredible. The room was circular, big as the Roman coliseum. Machines were everywhere, and conveyor belts moved rock to the pit below. Bridges linked sides of the room, climbing up to the dark ceiling. Elevators led up. Mina and Alex went to the top floor, entering a blue steel door. I followed them, unaware that I was being watched. I was sneaky, not wanting a repeat of Rajan's spice room. I opened the door, to see Mina and Alex sitting across from each other. I hid behind the crates, unable to be seen.

"I swear I closed that blasted door." She said, closing it.

"Yes, yes. Now, back to what you were saying, My dearest?" Alex said, using the same words he used to call me. I wanted to beat him up. But I refrained from it, not wanting to blow my cover.

"Oh yes, That Miller brat. You can seriously catch her?"

"Yes. She sees that I've turned " good" and come crawling back to me, and then- wham! We get the Ruby."

"Interesting.. Now what if she's with us at this moment?"

"Oh crap." I said, revealing myself.

"Welcome, I see you've already met Mr. Alex. "

"Seriously, it hasn't been a pleasure. Destroying this beautiful place for treasure that doesn't belong to you? That Ruby is a Miller family herlom founded by Felix Miller. You can't just have it! " I exclaimed, drawing my staff. Alex smiled while Mina laughed.

"How adorable! You think you can tell me what to do? You got another thing coming, princess."

"Funny. You just wait, Mina." I said, throwing a smoke bomb so I can make a stealthy escape. I didn't stop running until I reached the safe house. I was breathing hard and fast. Sly came running up to me.

"What happened?"

"I... I followed Mina and Alex. They have a secret mining facility linking to the old mines you guys found the moon stone and I found the staff. I took.. Pictures. And-" but then I passed out from exhaustion.

Sly

With Avery out of commission, we had to seriously pull the final pieces of the heist together. We needed to drive the rest of the miners out, and get some glowing oil for Murray's disguise. We wanted to leave Mina to Avery, but that was going to be an issue without her. I was going to have to pull double for this. When we headed to the big truck to hit the oil mains an hour later, Bentley spoke in my earpiece-

Sly! Avery is awake. Should I wait untill you are done so you and her can take down Mina's operation?

"That'll be great pal."

Great. Bentley, out.

"Come on, big guy. Let's get some oil." I said to Murray.

**********(later that day)*********

Driving the miners out was fun. First Murray fed the giant crocodile a bunch of miners and now we were going to drive them out of the lemonade bar. Avery joined us, looking great in her blue jeans, black tee, and black stealth boots. Her staff on her thigh. We walked in, and told the miners to leave.

"Oi! You want us to leave? Hilarious mate, but dis is our bar." One of them said.

"Look pin head! We tried to be nice. How about we try to beat you guys in a lemonade drinking contest? Your best four guys against us. Loser ships out." Avery scowled. The guy was shocked.

"Alright then. Oi you lot, git Ov'a here." He said, going over to the table. The match began, Murray was up first. He downed his quickly, I going next. By the time the second guy started, I just finished and Bentley began. The third guy just finished as Avery began, leaving the fourth guy with a girl to beat. She slammed her glass down and burped unladylike.

"You babies done yet? Or you need your bottle?" She taunted.

"Oi! That is unfair! The turtle spilled more than he drank. That's cheating! Get em!" He yelled, and we began to fight. Avery was having the time of her life; jumping and smacking all kinds of guards.

"You need help, Cooper?" She asked, joining me.

"I got it. " I said as the last one disappeared.

"Uh, guys... They saved the toughest for last.." Avery said, backing up. We all worked together to take him down, finally the mask dislodged itself and took off.

"A mask can run?!" She exclaimed.

"Well well, . Thank you for all your.. Efforts to take care of the mask. But- I need a certain assassin." Mina said as Avery was grabbed by Alex.

"Damn it! Lemme go!" She yelled, squirming.

"Oh no you don't." Alex said, trying to knock her out. But Avery learned a new trick: she kicked him, using his weight to flip him off of her.

"Let's go guys!" She yelled and threw smoke bombs. We ran to the safehouse, and collapsed on both the floor and the couch.

"Why does Mina need you?"

"I-its really complicated. Let's just focus on taking both her and the mask down. What's next?"

"We destroy Mina's operation by turning her machines off. You rig the computer so you can remotely turn them off, which will cause the entire cave to collapse. Mina and Alex will be making their rounds at that time, so they won't- you know, get crushed too."

"Okay. Can I rest now?" She asked, walking to her room. I followed her, curious why she avoided the question. She knew it was me, and let me in. The Assassin's Guide layed on her bed.

"Hey." I began, but she only shushed me.

"Sly. I know you're wondering why I didn't answer Bentley's question. Its because Mina is after the Miller's Ruby! The one Connor Cooper stole a year before he died. Connor never stole the Assassin's Guide, because I have it. Dr. M planted that ridiculous notion in my head. Don't ask me how do I know Dr. M, just trust me, but the Miller's Ruby is in the cooper vault." She said, sitting down beside me. I grabbed her hand.

"It's okay. I understand that you want your family heirloom back. I'd feel the same if it was my cane. But when we get to the vault, I promise, we can go into there together. Because that vault is not only for coopers, but for great thieves."

"You... Mean that?"

"Of course I do." I said, hugging her. She sighed against my chest, hugging me like if she'd let go, I'd dissapear.