Ch48: New Ally and the Trick

Even though the others, mainly Rioichi, were very much against having El Jefe in the group, he actually turned into a completely different guy when he awoke. He wasn't talking in the voice I knew him to talk in, rather a very suave one towards not only me, but Opal as well. "What the hell?" I gulped, surprised that this was the army general that conquered various small countries.

"Oh yes, I apologize," he said, a KIND smile on his face. "I forgot to thank you for releasing me from that terrible skunk's spell... I didn't know what I was thinking or doing, so if I did anything to hurt you, miss, I am sorry."

"Now there's the dad that I know and love," Neyla groaned, which made El Jefe look at me funny. "By the way, um... how did my daughter end up in that eye right there?" he asked. "I... tried to take over the Clockwerk frame and become immortal..." she sighed, which was followed by her going into standby mode. "She doesn't want to talk about it I guess?" asked El Jefe. "She can't live without me basically powering the eye with my blood," I frowned. "If she tried to get out of that eye, it'd just kill her... we've got a little love/hate relationship..."

When I told the gang he was coming with us no matter what, El Jefe simply gave a smile and proceeded to try flirting with Opal. I moved over to the van with Murray where I handed him the Sheriff badge. "Umm, Sylvia?" Sly asked as Rioichi slowly studied my metal parts for the first time since he met me. "He's Neyla's dad, Sly. Of course he's coming with us," I smirked. "Besides, he's met the main bad guy of this whole damn thing. He's sure to be cooperative in revealing the 'skunk's' rotten plan to us all..."

Rioichi made an exclamatory gasp at some point and fell to the ground, if only because I twitched my wings somewhat. "Rioichi," I frowned, helping the ancestor up. "I may need to ask you to stay here for now," I frowned. "I know... Opal has already told me of the circumstances..." he frowned. "Without my cane, I cannot be a Cooper, so I suggest you get it back quickly." "Don't worry. We'll get it back. That's a promise."

Once we made our goodbyes to Rioichi (for now), we went into the van and Bentley used the badge in the time machine so we traveled forward to the 1880's to the old west, the time of Tennessee Kid Cooper. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with how the game depicted this area. The posters of Toothpick, Tennessee in prison, and the festival for Toothpick being the same. The ONLY thing different? It was a big one. A VERY BIG ONE!

The EXACT moment we entered the old west, I felt a tiny pain in the Neyla's eye. I knew exactly what that meant immediately. It meant that Clockwerk's form back in this timeline must have known about me beforehand. I didn't waste any time getting the hell out of the hideout (while invisible) and running away until I knew that I was far enough away from the hideout not to have my friends get hurt by Clockwerk.

I gulped as I stayed invisible, hiding in the shadows for extra effect as I heard the wings of the giant bird flapping above me. Then the flapping stopped and I looked up at the monster... only to find something... off about him... or should I have said HER. The giant mechanical bird that was directly above me wasn't the grey metal that I knew. It was actually only part robotic with pink armor and regular eyes. Why in the world this was happening was beyond mine and Neyla's comprehension.

'Um... Sylvia?' Neyla thought to me. 'Y-yeah... I'm thinking the same thing...' I thought back. 'Do you think that... this isn't really Clockwerk, but... a different bird?' I took a good look at the bird again. I also realized something else. The bird was actually SMALLER than Clockwerk would have been, just only a foot taller than me and another five inches with wings folded. 'S-Should I say hi to it?' I asked Neyla. 'I... I'm not sure... maybe?'

I mustered the courage in my gut and squeaked out, "Hi?" This made the bird look at me funny as it jumped off its perch above and landed next to me below. I then turned myself visible and gulped, seeing that the bird wasn't actually... after me. It instead looked at Neyla's eye and pecked it, which made Neyla scream "Ow!" When she did so, the bird jumped back, almost as if it was spooked by her voice. "Wait... I sense something inside of it..." Neyla gasped, the eye beginning to scan the bird until... "This has Penelope's DNA surrounding its entire body!" Neyla gulped. "Penelope's? But... how? Isn't she supposed to be in Medieval times?"

"So you know when I'm at, do you?" asked a voice from the robotic bird's mouth. I jumped back this time, knowing it was Penelope's voice. "Penelope, show your face right now!" I growled, surprised she'd go to these great of lengths to get me away from the gang. "Fine! It's gonna be the last face you see for awhile anyways!" Penelope grinned, a hologram appearing from the bird's eyes.

ONE look and I could tell something was off about Penelope. "Um... where are your glasses, P?" I asked, realizing that something must have been going on here... "Hmph! So I've taken to wearing contacts! What's it to you?" she sneered. "BUT YOU HATE CONTACTS! YOU TOLD ME YOURSELF!" I growled. And I was right. She told me that when we were in captivity on LeFwee's boat. "It doesn't matter what you think," she growled. "Now that you've fallen for my trap, all your little friends are being thrown in the same cell as Tennessee. Ha! Am I evil or what?"

I could only glare at her, just as I realized one thing: she may just as well be under hypnotism, just like El Jefe! "Fine! You wanna mess up the game? We'll mess it up more in OUR favor!" I growled, punching the giant bird in the stomach and using the dagger on its head. It blew up as I ran away and off to the prison. I then took to the skies and opened up the Binocucom link.

"GUYS! Where are you? Are you okay?!" I asked, super worried about them. "Where'd you go to?! We got captured literally a minute after you sped off!" Sly exclaimed. "I'll tell ya when I get there, just do exactly as I tell you... do you happen to have a ball and chain?" "Yeah, why?" "Use it on the cell wall once you get put in with Tennessee. I'll fly in and grab you guys once that's accomplished."