When Wilson told her about her 'housemate', Swiftshadow was hesitant to go 'greet' him. Her every muscle still ached and spasmed from the last few days. When she learned that he was in possession of one of Malic Korvoth's talismans she couldn't help but feel the need to check it out. Especially when it sounded like its holder hasn't discovered its powers. she knew that it was a matter of time before he did.
She descended the tower with a simple plan. Seek out the holder, use her illusion magic to go invisible, grab the gem, and get out. Simple on paper, a fair bit more complicated in reality.
On a stair well above the second floor she had a brief encounter with a pair of noisy red heads in navy blue suits. They looked liked siblings of sorts. Their scents only confirmed it. Fortunately their rowdiness alerted Swiftshadow to their presence and had the time to conjure an illusion around herself. A skill that got easier to do with every use. They didn't notice her standing barely an arms length away. From what she could discern from their conversation was they were here to arrest the guy currently holding Malic's gem. She knew she had to act fast.
Wilson gave her direction from in his saddle. The com in her visor proved useful as he could speak to her without making any noise. She sent a silent thanks to Megamind. He maybe an eccentric drama queen but he was a certified genius. Second only to Wilson in her opinion.
When she felt the gems power erupt she sprinted for it. This 'Neal' character had discovered its power. She still hoped she could grab it before he could do much damage or learn much of its abilities. She prepared a load of soul fire just in case. Her lungs were burning by the time she reached her destination.
A darkling was mere seconds away from slicing open a woman in red. Without a second thought she torched the thing. As the silver flames consumed their victim she spotted the man with a shining gem around his neck.
Give me that diamond," She demanded.
"Why would I do that?" A man in an weird looking black and green wetsuit replied. A dainty woman in a navy suit helped a wounded old Japanese man in a chair. A middle aged man groaned in pain as he lay slumped in front of a bookcase.
"Cause that thing will tear you apart." She warned. If she could not convince him to give it to her she would have to take it by force. She hoped she had the strength to do that. She could already feel her shoulders trembling from exhaustion. She was going to have to push herself too far too soon. Her two day flight still lingered in her bones.
"But I wanna see what else this thing can do." He dangled the jewel between his fingers. "Give it a good ol' test drive, ya' know?"
"I can assure you that no good will ever come from that thing." She stalked forward. "I wont ask again. Give me the gem,"
"How about no." The shadows surged. Another darkling rose raising its bladed hands at her. Swiftshadow nimbly swerved out of its swing before burning it with a blast of silver flames. She didn't give Neal another chance to summon another one. She pounced him, pinning him to the ground her jaws wrapped around his arm. Just as she was reaching a talon out for the gem he slipped out from under her. His had slid out of her jaws like it was a bar of wet soap. A kick to her underside made her jump releasing the man.
""Don't ya' know. I'm Neal the Eel, slippery as they come," He boasted proudly.
"Well, It's a good thing I know how to fish," She retorted. Darkness swelled again. A shadowy spike shot by her face. She destroyed it with a bit of soul fire. She could already feel herself begin to tire. She had to end this quick.
Neal darted past her aiming for the exit. A flick of her tail swept him off his feet. She struck again. Her claws penetrated the slick wetsuit at his calf. If one wishes to catch a fish with nothing but their bare claws they had to really hook into the fishes flesh or they got away. Neal yelped as she drug him towards her.
"Hey! Let me go!"
"What's the matter Neal? I thought you were slippery as they come?" She mocked, "Now give me the gem,"
She received he answer in the form of a kick to the face. The wetsuit tore free from her claws. Neal flipped back onto his feet.
"Now look at what you did." He pointed at the gaping hole at his shin. "You owe me a new suit,"
"You'll be owing me a lot more than that if you don't give me that gem," She growled.
"Then you'll have to rip it out of my cold dead hands," He challenged.
"Fine by me." Swiftshadow lunged at him teeth aimed for his neck. Her teeth missed by a mere hairs width as Neal flexed out of the way. She whacked him with a wing sending him reeling. Blood dripped from his nose. Another Darkling rose form the shadows only to be destroyed by an inferno of silver flames.
Neal darted for the exit. Swiftshadow wasn't about to let him get away. She fired a short burst of reddish gold flames at the doorframe. Sparks and embers filled the passage. The heat was enough to make Neal second guess his escape. She charged him but a dark spike forced her to abandon the attack.
Neal braved the smouldering threshold and fled into the hall. Swiftshadow cursed as she pursued. The woman in red followed closely behind. At the end of the hall were the pair of redheads from the stair well. They both pointed a strange looking device at the fleeing man. She felt the gems dark powers surge one more time. She hissed as she lengthened her stride. Her shoulders burned. She sprung, her claws reaching for her prey.
A dark portal swallowed it instead. In a blink of an eye Neal was gone. Whisked away to parts unknown. Unfortunately Swiftshadow still had her momentum, which sent her tumbling into the redheaded woman. Her brother was quick to pull the trigger sending a cloud of minty blue gas into her face.
"Did you just gas me?" Swiftshadow accused. A wave of vertigo sent her head spinning. She staggered off of his sister. A wooziness dug its way into her brain.
"I guess I, uh, kinda did. Sorry?" His voice sounded like it was a million miles away. She stumbled a few steps before the world turned sideways. Several blurred figures towered above her as her treacherous eyelids forced themselves shut.
Carmen looked down upon the dragon sleeping at her feet. Her breathing a slow and steady rhythm. They looked almost peaceful in their drug induced sleep. A stark contrast to the viscous beast that was giving Neal a run for his money. She noted that the dragon was wearing what looked like a visor and a saddle.
The sight of Neal disappearing into a dark vortex mystified her. What were those shadow creatures? Where was he? Was there anyway to find him? Unfortunately all her answers lay with the beast sleeping at her feet.
She wiped the blood from her cheek. A simple reminder that what had happened was indeed real and not a figment of her imagination.
"Did I just KO a dragon? And did Neal disappear through a wormhole?" Zach said in amazement.
"Whoah, what happened to you guys," Ivy said. Shadow-san limped towards her supported by Chase. Julia followed behind closely. Blood stained Shadow-sans shirt. Carmen winced. she hoped those weren't too deep.
"Where's Neal?" Shadow-san asked sternly.
"He… got away," Answered Carmen.
"More like he swallowed up by a black wormhole," Said Zack.
"Normally I would think you were joking," Said Shadow-san, "But considering recent events I am inclined to believe you,"
"Seriously what happened in there? And what is up with the dragon?" Said Ivy.
"What happened was that Neal summoned a demon and almost killed Carmen with it," Said Chase.
"If it weren't for this dragon I would've been a goner," Confirmed Carmen.
"So what do we do with this?" Zack knelt down and poked the beast in the nose.
"You are very lucky my friend here is asleep." A strange voice said. It sounded tinny and slightly robotic, "Otherwise you'd be missing a few fingers."
A pair of panels on the saddle slid open and a robot velociraptor stepped out. The dim torch light glimmered off of its silvery white metal casing. He stared at them with deep cobalt eyes. He curled his sickle claws curled tightly around the dragons horns.
"Cool! A robot dinosaur." Zack tried to grab the robot. The robot responded by swinging its tail into his hand. The tip split art accompanied by an electric pop. Zack yelped yanking his hand back.
"Sorry, I do not appreciate being fondled by strangers," The robot said staunchly his arms crossed. His tail waved in wide arcs as if daring anyone else to try.
"Forgive my cohort, He hasn't fully grasped the concept of manners," Carmen studied to little robot. She was unsure of what to ask first. This evening had already thrown her several curveballs and she didn't know which one to address first. Neal's sudden acquisition of 'dark magic'. The dragon. Confusion swamped the air around her. So she decided to start out plain and simple. "Can I ask you your name?"
"Only if you tell me who I'm dealing with," The robot studied her and companions as much as she scrutinized him and his dragon.
"I'm Carmen, Carmen Sandiego. And these are my friends and companions. We were sent on behalf of ACME here to arrest the thief known as Neal the Eel."
"A mission that went sideways when he discovered the gems powers," Said the robot.
Carmen nodded. "I was hoping you and your friend would explain that,"
He sighed, "You can call me Wilson,"
Graham 'Gray' Calloway trudged the streets of London. The sky was dingy and grey. A few raindrops spattered here and there. A fat one managed land on his nose. He wiped it away with his sleeve. These few drops were but a prelude to the downpour the weatherman had forecasted.
He continued his way down the street. To where? He did not know. After the fall of VILE he always felt a little lost. ACME was kind enough to wipe his criminal record clean after he helped save Carmen. He was given a clean slate to work with and he had no idea of what to do with it. He felt like an artist staring at a blank canvas not knowing what to paint or what brush to use.
He could go back to a life of crime. However if he was caught ACME would not hesitate to throw him in the prison with all the other former VILE operatives. And he could only think of Carmen's disappointed eyes.
On the other hand he could return to simple life of an electrician. Simple but unfulfilling. A dead end job in an never ending rat race. He want something more for himself. He knew he was meant to do great things. He just didn't know what.
A glinting in a pawnshop window caught his eye. In an old velvet case was a shimmering gem. A scarlet diamond ram stared back at him. It reminded him of Carmen. Its hue matched her iconic coat and hat. His black sheep in red. He knew instantly he had to have it.
He considered nicking it right then and there. It would've been his easiest steal yet. Simply walk in slip it into his clothes and walk out with no one none the wiser. He shook his head. Carmen wouldn't have wanted that. Looking at the price tag he had the money. His time with VILE had left him with a fat wallet that ACME was kind enough to let him keep.
A bell jingled as he stepped into the store. He located the shopkeeper. "How much for the red ram in the window?"