Ch6: Meeting a Machine in Mesa

After we'd pretty much cleaned the Safe House and Van from top to bottom and after a pretty uneventful trip, we managed to get to the front gates of Muggshot's base in Mesa City. I could only smile at the front gate, knowing too well that I was able to jump over it and land safely on the other side as Sly joined me. "Hey Sly... I thought you said Mesa City would be loud and busy.

This looks more like a ghost town," Bentley said in the Binocucom. "Something's happened... where is everyone?" Sly asked. "Probably got run off by Muggshot when he took over. Ever thought of that?" I asked Sly as I hit the stick dog down on the ground, grabbed the clue bottles, and jumped right onto the small lantern with the Ninja Spire Jump. "Thank you Rioichi!" I could only giggle as I waited for Sly to do the same. He did so within seconds, accidentally rubbing my thigh as he did so.

"Oh... sorry." he said almost immediately. "No problems, Sly," I giggled, batting eyelashes at him. "Just promise to take me on a date after this Fiendish Five business is done and I'll call it even." I knew I was taking a risk by saying that, since Sly and Carmelita's relationship was always told during the whole of the series. But... I found myself oddly attracted to the suave raccoon. "Okay. Oh... you have something on you cheek right there..."

I frowned and pulled it off, smashing it in my fists. "Okay. That wasn't there five minutes ago in the van. And that was at least the fifth one I've pulled off since the boat heist," I frowned, growling angrily at how they were intruding in my personal life. "Don't worry. If we beat all of them, we won't have to deal with any more trackers." Sly petted the place on my cheek where the tracker was, a small bloodstain coming over the fur. "I hate this. But... all the more reason to beat the crap outta them!" "You bet, Sylvia. Let's go."

Soon we were bashing dog faces and clue bottles nonstop, our canes meeting their faces with accuracy and aplomb. When we approached the area with the safe, I looked at Sly and motioned him up towards the safe. "I'll go find the rest of the clues and get rid of security for you," I smirked, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'll wait for you at the entrance to Muggshot's. Okay?" Sly wavered but nodded all the same, climbing the wire to the safe on the cliff on the other side. I continued onward, bashing the chained dogs after I'd grabbed the bottles on the hanging on the large crane.

"Too easy!" I smirked, smiling at the upcoming security of the destroyed trailers. "One, two buckle my shoe," I smiled, jumping through the first. "Three, four, fix my drawers," I giggled. as I started to traverse the watery part. "Five, six, watch these tricks. Seven, eight, alarm I break." I smashed the alarm, all of the lasers disappearing. "Nine, ten, go to Muggshot's den."

After I cleared the last of the dogs in front of Muggshot's gate, I then grabbed the last of the bottles and smiled, knowing Sly was opening the vault now. "Um... Sylvia?" Sly asked via Binocucom, his voice a little worried. "Yeah? What up?" I asked him back. "This page details the mine hat move... but you don't have a hat..." I frowned but nodded. "No worries. I never was much of a hat person anyway," I admitted. "I prefer my long hair to stand out for all to see. Especially my foes." "How quaint..."

I heard a voice from behind me ask that, a large shadow appearing from behind me. I recognized the shape immediately. Owl shaped. "Not you..." I growled, knowing he probably came for me and me alone. "I would've loved to see you die on the way to this world... but it seems my calculations were... less than sufficient..." It was definitely his voice. The robotic nature of it was unmistakable.

"Aren't you supposed to be in Russia right now... Clockwerk?" I growled, waiting for the shadow to make its move. I didn't dare look behind me for fear he'd catch me with his hypnotic eyes or his razor sharp talons. "Foolish girl... if only your family was as competent as you were..."

Those words made something inside of me snap. Hard. "You... you killed my family?" I seethed, wondering if he were truthful or not. "Their deaths were necessary for my fountain of youth... you should have met their fate as well... but it would seem fate had other plans..." I growled and seethed with rage, wondering if I could go Super Saiyan Kitty on his metallic ass. "If you'll excuse me, I must go to Russia as you said... I must prepare for when your little gang comes to face me... that is why the raccoon is doing this, correct?"

He didn't wait to hear my response as he lifted off the ground and flew away without so much as a sound, his shadow disappearing behind the rocks as soon as Sly came out of the security area. "Um... Sylvia?" he asked, seeing my tears. I just collapsed on the ground, the realization hitting me like a brick wall. "H-H-He... mom... Billy... I'm... all that's left..." I sobbed, knowing that the same evil owl that killed Sly's family also killed mine. But... how? Was Clockwerk the cause of me coming to this world? Did he turn me into a cat? And how did he kill my family if he was supposed to be in this world?

All of these questions rattled my brain as Sly opened the door. "You okay?" he asked, knowing I wasn't. I wasn't sad anymore. Actually, instead of happiness or sadness, I felt a new emotion, one I haven't felt in a LONG time: anger. "I'm with you guys now..." I frowned, grabbing Sly's arm and pulling him into a hug. "Now that these monsters killed off my family, just like yours, we HAVE to stick together. No matter what, I won't let anything happen to any one of you."

Sly accepted my hug and hugged me back. "Let's go to the casino then," I smirked, following Sly into the drainage pipe. It was all I could do to prevent me from punching the ground with a cat fist.