Hey, y'all! I have a few quick announcements before the chapter starts! PLEASE READ!

First, I apologize for the late update. I'm still in college and we're heading toward the last few weeks of the semester, which is seriously kicking my ass right now. Fortunately, I have most of the chapters written in advanced; however, I prefer to read over them at least once before they're published.

Second, I plan to start updating again after Finals are over with. This chapter will be the last update for awhile until May 4th! I will have Chapter 4 ready to go that afternoon!

Third, thanks to everyone who's favorited and followed this story! Also, I appreciate all the reviews I received from y'all. They mean a lot to me.

Well, that's all I needed to say for this A/N! Please enjoy the chapter!

~Delyth

Chapter Three

No Regrets

Jazlyn entered the warehouse with a heavy heart and distracted mind as she fretted and walked around in endless circles in her head. She just couldn't decide what she really wanted to do anymore, and try as she might, it was starting to get hard to find more than one con of joining the Cooper gang. The teenager sighed for what felt like the umpteenth time and meandered further into her home. Maybe if she worked on the next set of shipments she could relax and mull over the idea some more.

Her tail swiveled behind her, agitated, as she allowed it to drag along the floor. She'd have to take a shower anyway, so there was no point in keeping it from dragging behind her like a wedding veil. She snorted at the thought—she'd be lucky if she got out of the slums and raised enough money to finally get out of this stupid city. It'd become too crowded all of sudden and she felt trapped and confined all over again. Jazlyn shook her head, she refused to think about that right now—she'll just work for a couple of hours and take a nice long shower to ease her tight muscles. Cooper, after all, said she had some time to think about it, but somehow, she didn't think she really had that much time to consider all of her options since it seemed he was on a rather tight schedule.

Whatever the case, she'll sleep on it tonight and figure out what to do tomorrow.

Nodding to herself, Jazlyn continued deeper into her inner sanctuary then paused, her ears rotating along her head. Her eyes narrowed as they carefully examined every inch of the darkness, and she took a long, deep breath—breathing in the scent of the surrounding area and categorizing it. Dust, rust, mildew from a previous rain shower, Cooper's scent from the other day, and…a growl threatened to rip its way from her throat as she found the unfamiliar smell. Someone had found her home—decided to stroll through her territory like it was their own—and was waiting in the shadows somewhere for her.

Jazlyn's chest vibrated with the beginnings of a low snarl and it took every ounce of willpower to keep it from bursting free. She didn't know where the intruder was or if they were still here (though she was pretty certain that he was because the scent was still fresh), and they probably were hiding, hunting, waiting for the right moment to strike her down. The predator instincts she normally reserved for survival roared to the surface as she slinked away from the moonlight slipping through a slit in the roof. Her white hair was going to make it difficult to completely hide herself with the shadows, but damn if she didn't know how to play her weaknesses in her favor. Her species weren't called the Ghost of the Mountains for nothing as she slinked through stacks of old crates.

She followed the scent of her intruder and with each passing second, she was beginning to believe that he or she was a panther of some kind—most likely a black panther if she were to hazard a guess. It would explain why she hadn't seen them yet and Jazlyn was growing more irritated with each passing second the panther remained in her territory. It was bad enough fucking Cooper had snuck in and snooped around her place more than once. After this, she was definitely going to find some way to increase security.

A rustle of cloth. A quiet inhale.

Jazlyn stilled instantly, her ears rotating toward the mere whisper of movement. She didn't twitch, didn't so much as breathe as she listened for any other sign of life. She was suddenly very aware of the fact that she didn't have any kind of weapon on her at all, and if this turned into a nasty fight then she'd have to rely on her wit and survival instinct alone. Especially, if her potential opponent was much larger and stronger than she.

There was another shuffle of feet before strong, lean arms grabbed her by the shoulders. Instinctively, Jazlyn kicked back with her foot, aiming at his knee, while simultaneously lurching away from the unknown male's body. And it was definitely a male panther that stood before her as she turned on her heel to regard her attacker. Amused violet eyes were set in a black as night background and they stared at her—languidly taking in her form from tail to feet to her face. She refused to flush at his attention and glared angrily at him as another growl rumbled low in her throat. He was taller than her and lean like most felines, but his long legs were thick with muscle. Jazlyn watched him carefully, noting how easily he followed her every move and the way his thin tail swished behind him in anticipation. Tuffs of ebony hair fell into his face as he smirked at her, revealing white fangs that flashed in the shadows.

A shudder ran down her spine as she saw the burning bloodlust in his eyes—eyes that were beginning to focus solely on her face with a burning intensity. She refused to look away, refused to let him scare her, and definitely refused to allow him to dominate her in her own territory. Her lips pulled back in a snarl, revealing her own sharp fangs, and she extended her claws in preparation of the inevitable fight. Amused more than intimidated by her hostile display, the male panther's smirk grew as his body stilled, the strong muscles coiling for the initial strike.

Jazlyn dodged out of the way, his own claws slicing a few strands of her hair, and she landed a kick to his side with a growl. He caught it with a grunt and held it there much to her dismay and annoyance. His head lifted, and another chill skittered along her spine as that smirk widened in manic glee. The snow leopardess backhanded him away with her tail and jumped to deliver another attempted kick to his face. He caught her foot but in doing so, he released her right leg and Jazlyn propelled herself away from him, putting distance between them so she could gather herself for the next round. He was definitely someone she didn't want to have to face by herself—his martial arts skills were well above hers and she knew he was just toying with her. The question was though, why even bother playing around with her if he had the strength to take her down?

She narrowed her gaze at him, watching the panther slowly stand to his full height, and braced herself for another lunge. He winked, making her blood boil in growing irritation, before he leapt once again at her, but this time his movement was so fast that she barely had time to block let alone dodge. He wasn't an amateur fighter and he moved like he fought on a regularly basis. Jazlyn grunted as a punch to her right shoulder sent her stumbling back. She barely saw the second punch and wheezed as it landed at her left side near her ribcage instead of her gut like he'd intended. This time, she had no choice but to backpedal as he continued to rush, to push her further into a corner. Green eyes flashed in rage as they met and held amused violet. She snarled in his face, batting away another right hook to her face and slashed his left cheek, knocking that stupid, fucking smirk from his face.

Which was probably the wrong thing to do as he lifted a paw to his cheek, surprise flickering across his eyes before unyielding fury replaced it as he stared at the red staining his fur. Jazlyn panted, searching for a possible escape route from the crazy and now homicidal male. She couldn't handle an opponent of this level without help or her fu tao swords. Teeth gritted against the sharp stabbing in her side from his punch earlier, she shuffled one foot back and her heart stopped beating altogether as she realized that the male panther had cornered her in a section of metal siding and wooden crates. She grinded her teeth, frustrated, and nearly received a slash over her face—payback for ruining his own mug if she had to guess. Jazlyn leapt toward him in a roundhouse kick aimed at his vulnerable side, but he again caught her leg, yanking her foot painfully to the side and eliciting a shriek from her mouth.

That smile returned to his face as he pulled her closer to him, grabbing her throat and squeezing. Her claws raked down the sides of his arms and she used her other left leg to kick as hard as she could against his sides and legs. He held fast though, and her lungs cried out for air—begging for relief from the burning and her vision was slowly darkening around the edges. Jazlyn could feel her limbs begin to slacken despite how much she wanted to fight—she didn't want to die here let alone in a place where no one would ever know that she was there in the first place. She struggled weakly in his grasp, her mouth opening and closing like a goldfish desperately searching for oxygen. I don't want to die—I don't want to die!

Tears slipped past the corners of her eyes and she tried to dig her claws as hard as she could into his arms, but to no avail. Was she really going to die here? As her vision began to wane and her strength slowly disappeared, Jazlyn wondered who would eventually find her body? A runaway, perhaps. Or a homeless mammal. Maybe even Sly Cooper and his gang of friends.

Realization dawned like a slap in the face. The communicator! But, where the hell is it? Did I take it with me or is it on my worktable?

Why didn't she fucking carry that thing around! She was going to die because she was stubborn and refused to associate with crazy mammals intent on destroying the Klaww Gang. This is what she gets—the snow leopardess dies via strangulation by an unknown assassin. Her eyes closed as consciousness all but vanished and just as she was about to pass out—the claws around her throat disappeared.

She dropped in a heap on the ground, her right arm cracking against a few of the wooden crates, which made them dance dangerously from their position. Jazlyn sputtered and coughed and gagged and gulped down precious oxygen for what felt like hours before the hand grabbed a fistful of her hair and shoved her against the stack of crates. Sharp pain registered in her spine but she ignored it in favor of glaring weakly at her attacker. His violet eyes practically glowed in the dark they were so vibrant.

"What do…you…want?" She wheezed, her voice still recovering from having the life nearly choked out of her. Figured now was a good time as any to ask what the hell he wanted from her since she was probably going to die anyway. Unless—

Jazlyn clenched her teeth as a punch to her stomach sent her flying back—her body protesting as it fell against the crates with enough force to shatter them and send them tumbling down. Luckily, only one managed to graze her head while the rest crashed into her body. She felt something snap in her side and the tangy scent of blood filtered through the air as she groaned. Her eyes could barely make out the fuzzy details of her workroom and she could see the earwig Cooper had given her, laying on the floor from one of the crates knocking the table back several feet. She couldn't reach it without causing attention to herself and this male's focus was solely on her.

She coughed, trying to force more air through her lungs despite the heaviness of the crates and the pain in her ribcage. Blood dribbled down her left eye and she could feel more of the dark crimson sticking to her legs, sides, and arms from her movie-worthy crash.

The damned panther's foot slammed down on her head, making her rattled brain thrash around in her head. Blood spurted from her nose as she moaned again, eyes fluttering as she tried to remain conscious. His breath parted her silver hair, the locks slowly darkening from dust and blood, by her ear as he whispered, "I want information on someone you know."

Despite herself, Jazlyn choked out a laugh. "Who? I don't have…friends."

His claws dug into her scalp slightly as he jerked her head up with another fistful of her locks. She hated herself for the whimper that had escaped from her mouth, but he didn't pay much heed at the pathetic noises she made. He was more focused on whatever Jazlyn had to say—the bloodlust from his gaze having disappeared only to be replaced by a cold business-like demeanor.

He raised an eyebrow, his eyeteeth caressing her temple. "So sure, aren't we? What about the raccoon?"

Jazlyn stiffened underneath him, suddenly very aware of her current predicament and the fact that this guy probably worked for the Klaww Gang. She tried to keep herself from flinching away when he grabbed her chin in his other hand. He was going to force everything out of her—everything she possibly knew about Cooper and his plans here, and it was most definitely going to suck. She didn't even know much about that damn ringtail anyway! Why did she always get herself into these kinds of situations before she even decides to act out what she was going to do? She hadn't even fully committed to taking Cooper up on the job, but she still gets dragged into his little war anyway! Because, of course, she does. What's a little more drama in her life, right?

"Ah, so you do know him." His grip tightened on her scalp and she resisted the urge to yelp. She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of knowing how much pain she was in or how scared she was. Her green eyes darkened in hatred. He tsked her with a sardonic brow raised. "Now, now. The quicker you tell me what your relation to him is, the better off you'll be."

Jazlyn swallowed and tried to clear her throat. "Meaning?"

"Meaning, I may not kill you depending on your answer."

Her heart stuttered for the fifth time in the span of fifteen minutes at the admission. Jazlyn shifted her arm that was free from the debris before his arrival, and the earwig was within fingertip distance. She allowed her breath to hitch, but still said, "Doesn't matter really what I say. You'll kill me just for seeing your face."

"For such a smart, pretty female, it's such a shame…" He murmured, and she didn't need him to complete his sentence to know what he meant.

Her fingers slowly inched the earwig into her palm and pressed it until she was sure the transmission would go through. She wasn't even sure they'd be able to hear her conversation (or final words), but at least she'd have the reassurance that she wasn't totally alone with this assassin.

Again, the panther yanked her up by her hair until her back was screeching in protest along with her other wounds. His gaze hardened and he slashed the side of her cheek with a single talon, a hint of what was to come if she didn't answer soon. Jazlyn winced as blood bubbled to the surface, but she ignored the sting and reared her head back before slamming it into his. Her head pounded and pulsed after the initial hit, but totally worth it as she watched his head jerk back.

The second yanking of her hair had pulled her almost completely out of the shattered crates that covered her lower half, and Jazlyn took what little chance of getting some distance from the panther. Despite the stabbing pain in her side, she jerked her head away from his loosened grip and pulled herself up with determination alone. She stumbled backwards, still clutching the earwig in her hand and with a slight of hand, she placed it in her ear. The panther had staggered back into her worktable, spilling her tools and the valuables she'd stolen to the floor. Rage filtered through her numb, panicked blood as she let loose a growl—a challenge and a warning. It was more pitiful than anything else. After all, it was clear their strengths were on two different levels and she was hurt so he could easily take her down again with little trouble.

Her eyes landed on the fu tao sword resting against a filing cabinet she'd commandeered from a store and the snow leopardess took a slight step toward it. She may not be able to wield them as efficiently as she normally did, but at least she wouldn't be completely defenseless.

Unfortunately, her time was up.

The panther roared angrily and stalked toward her so quickly that he almost blurred as he pounced. Snarling in reply, she clawed and kicked and snapped her fangs inches from his face. Instinct had taken over, injured and scared and pissed, Jazlyn threw reason and her morals straight out the window. She'd be dead if she didn't do something and the teenager refused to just give in—to anybody. His claws raked across her face, from left temple all the way to the edge of her right jawline. Screeching, Jazlyn returned the favor as she dug her own talons straight into his cheek and kicked out with her legs, shoving him off her and across the room.

Pain seared every part of her body—her face where he'd cut her was burning, her ribs felt like they were stabbing into her lungs, and her head pounded from her rattled brain. She swayed a little as she stood again, but she ignored the agony in her, the blurring of her vision, and the voices crackling in the earwig as she ran toward her fu tao swords. Again, the panther blocked her path by slamming her into another wall of crates and they went tumbling, head over heels and limbs tangling together. Jazlyn landed first, her skull cracked against the concrete and all the weight of both the crates as well as the panther's body weight landed on her. What little air was in her lungs rushed out in a choking wheeze, and her opponent shoved his body against the boxes that had encased them in, digging his arms and knees into her abused form. She didn't have the air to scream in agony nor the strength to even stand anymore.

Green eyes were glazing as her thick lashes fluttered against the fatigue. Jazlyn couldn't lose consciousness here—he'd definitely kill her (especially after she headbutted him and cut up his face) or take her away to his hideout so he can question and torture her there.

"Stupid bitch." She didn't fight the grin from reaching her face as the panther spat at her. He kicked the sprawling wooden boxes and sent them tumbling over her again.

Jazlyn didn't cry out, instead she focused on breathing through the stabbing pain in her lungs. She definitely broke a couple of ribs and the shards were probably cutting her lungs; she'd die of internal bleeding or asphyxiation if she didn't go to a hospital. Even under the cover of the boxes, Jazlyn wheezed through clenched teeth, "I ain't…got much to tell you…but I'm not…gonna die."

She couldn't see his face, but based on his voice, there was enough fury there that she knew he'd torture her some more before letting her die. "Oh, I'm not going to kill you, hellcat. At least not without squeezing every ounce of information I want to know from you first. Then, I'll fucking rip your body to shreds."

"How…original." Jazlyn coughed, and blood dribbled from her lips as the boxes were shoved none too gently off her. She closed her eyes, forcing air through her lungs no matter how much it hurt or how hard it was.

Then, she heard it. The slight, near silent footfalls belonging to the only mammal the snow leopardess knew. Relief flooded through her, but she remained absolutely still, listening and waiting. More footsteps sounded, one set was heavier and made some noise while the other were small, hesitant steps. Cooper brought his buddies to help. And, boy, would they need help to beat this guy up.

Her body jerked as the panther yanked her by the arm, nearly pulling it out of socket, and continued to pull her out of the fallen boxes. She yelped as he dropped her on solid concrete once her body was out and kicked her as hard as he could across the room. Jazlyn opened her mouth to shriek as she almost soared through the air and into a supporting metal pillar, but no sound came out other than a guttural wheeze. She could hardly see anymore her vision was so blurred.

Her ears swiveled along her head, picking up the panther's boots as he stalked toward her with a growing growl. Cooper's feet stilled and she could almost hear the slight whistling of his breath. The hippo and turtle were coming to their positions as well, it seemed. Something creaked from the turtle's direction that Jazlyn couldn't figure out what it was, and the hippo's breathing was a little labored or…was it anticipation? She couldn't tell, but the moment Cooper's controlled breathing ceased, Jazlyn braced herself for another possible blow.

She tried to focus her gaze so she could at least see what was about to happen—especially, if the panther was going to continue his little kick-the-spotted-soccer-ball around. More blood flooded her mouth and she was having more trouble keeping her breathing even. Fear was twinging in her heart and panic was setting in more than the anger that had fueled her final stand.

She shouldn't have worried in hindsight because just before the panther could reach her, Cooper jumped from his hiding spot and slashed his cane down on the assassin's head. Unfortunately, he dodged at the last second and jumped back—straight into the pink hippo's left hook. Hippos were known for their profound strength and Cooper's comrade had just shown why not many mammals mess with them. The panther flew across the room and crashed into a pile of heavy crates, old metal beams, and other debris. Despite being punched in the side and probably having broken ribs, he began to pull himself free. That same strained sound—as if someone was tightening a steel cable—reached her ears again and just as she was beginning to wonder if she was imagining it, there was a soft whistling in the air. The next thing she blurrily saw was the male panther falling back into the pile of debris with a soft snore.

Jazlyn remained frozen in place, unsure if it was truly over, and Cooper stood hovering in front of her, muscles so tight that they could break through his skin. Since first entering the warehouse, he spoke, "Bentley, put a few more darts in that bastard. I don't want to risk it."

Her earwig crackled weakly in her ear, but she still heard the turtle nasally reply, "Roger."

Finally, the raccoon's body relaxed and he turned to her, his eyes sliding over her damaged form with growing anger. He knelt at her side and placed his cane beside him. His gaze softened when he met her unfocused eyes, but Cooper still asked, "Can you still hear me, Spots?"

She coughed but still smiled weakly. "Loud and clear."

Her body was so tired and everything hurt—even blinking fucking hurt. Jazlyn wanted to sleep so bad but the minute her eyes tried to close, the raccoon nudged her gently with his hand. At her weak glare, he said, "You need to stay awake until we can get you to a hospital."

Before she could retort, though she really didn't have a comeback, the hippo walked up with a worried frown and genuine concern in his dark eyes. For someone who fights and seems to enjoy the adrenaline rush, he was such a sweetheart. "Sly, is she going to be okay?"

"I don't know, big guy, but we'll get her some help." Cooper reached up to pat his friend's arm. He glanced back to see the turtle finally emerge from the shadows and grinned. "Nice shooting, Tex."

The smaller member of the group simply adjusted his glasses as he waddled closer, and the small crossbow in his arms was still loaded with, what looked like, darts. "We need to clear her airways so she can breathe easier."

"Aren't we supposed to sustain from moving her?" Cooper asked, glancing back to make sure Jazlyn was still awake.

She stuck her tongue out him but only succeeded in coughing more blood and wheezing. Her body seized as agony washed through her system all over again. Jazlyn's initial reaction was to curl into herself, but her limbs wouldn't move and panic began to set in once more. Did a piece of her spine snap or (and she prayed it was only this) was her brain shutting down muscle activity in her limbs to keep from further injury? Could the brain even do that in the first place? Either way, she decided that not moving or talking sounded like a very good idea.

Once her coughing fit had finally ceased, Cooper decided that arguing with his friend wasn't important and shifted her while the turtle kept her head still. Her body shuddered at the agony of her wounds and she clenched her teeth, hissing. The new position was better than her previous one, but she still had trouble breathing and Jazlyn began to worry that she might go into shock soon if she didn't get medical help.

"Bentley, what're we gonna do?" The hippo was practically sweating as he shifted from foot to foot, clearly wanting to help but not sure what he could do.

The turtle placed her head on the ground as gently as he could before turning to his friends. "We need to get her out of here and somewhere far away where they won't associate her with this place. Murray, see if you can't find some kind of board that's wide enough to carry her. Sly, go ahead and change into the street clothes I made you bring with us. As soon as you're done, head toward a more brightly lit place that's not on the outskirts of the slums. We need to act fast, otherwise, she won't make it."

Murray left without another word, appearing thankful that he had something to occupy his mind with. Cooper smiled reassuringly at her before hopping to his feet and disappearing into the darkness while the turtle remained at her side, checking her pulse and making sure she stayed awake. A brief silence blanketed the turtle and snow leopardess before he began to blot the blood that dripped in streams along her face. She didn't know where the sudden handkerchief came from, but she didn't have the strength or interest to question it.

"You're very lucky that we were getting ready to start a job, miss." His voice had gone soft, but there was a stern, no-nonsense undertone. When she tried to speak, he shook his head and held up his other hand. "No, don't try to say anything. You'll only weaken yourself further. Just listen."

When she simply stared at him in reply, the turtle coughed to hide his sudden awkwardness. "We heard everything that transpired once you activated the communicator. We know that ruffian had continued to ask how you knew Sly. I began to wonder why you refused to spill the beans, so to speak, about us. After all, any logical mammal would have." As he took another deep breath, Jazlyn tried not to feel insulted by the obvious conclusion the turtle made about her reasoning skills. "You hardly know us and we don't even know much about you despite all my digging and hacking. I told Sly to give up on recruiting you for the job because it was undoubtedly clear that you didn't trust us."

He paused and the hand trying to clean her cheek stilled. "Then you contacted us—most likely out of a need to avoid death and call for help. Or, a way to draw us in so we could take the fall for you so you could escape." Jazlyn's bruised vocal chords vibrated in a weak growl that nearly sent her in another coughing fit, but her response was clear to him as he lifted a thick eyebrow in reply. "What did you expect? We don't hear from you, you're practically off the grid, and you don't trust us at all. If I had been you, I would have taken the chance to escape if others arrived on the scene. I won't let anyone endanger my friends, so I have to think of these scenarios and you should be glad I did.

"The minute your voice registered and we knew there was something wrong, I already started planning. Sly would help you even if it meant walking straight into a trap, but he'd blame himself for getting you involve and that guilt would weigh him down." Jazlyn's mind came to a halt as her heart fluttered against her own will. Even as Bentley continued, she couldn't help but focus on that tiny detail. "I had schematics of the warehouse after your first encounter with Sly where we planned our attack. Knowing you'd probably be hurt and none of us have that much medical training, I forced Sly to pack some normal clothes for us."

She gave him a questioning look and he answered with another sardonic brow raise. "We need to blend in and not draw too much attention to ourselves. We are wanted by Interpol, remember?"

Jazlyn decided that this know-it-all turtle had a knack for making her feel stupid, but she let the irritation roll off her shoulders. She wouldn't let him have the satisfaction, though, the teenager honestly didn't think he'd care whether or not she showed her annoyance.

Murray yelled in victory in the distance, making both the turtle and snow leopardess jump in mild surprise. The hippo returned, grinning widely, with an old piece of drywall that was just long and wide enough for her. Although, she noted wryly, her tail would have to drag along the ground and she could only hope they didn't step on it. It was also molded from the damp warehouse from brief rain showers and she scrunched her nose at the smell, but she couldn't really complain because it meant less pain for her when they finally moved.

The turtle shook his head at the giant kid that was Murray in fond exasperation. Jazlyn wondered how long the Cooper gang knew each before becoming thieves, but decided it didn't really matter so much right then. She could ask later when she wasn't almost choking on her blood or felt like someone had run over her—twice.

Bentley instructed Murray on how they would move her to the dry wall and after a few minutes, they finally lifted her slightly off the ground to lie on the makeshift stretcher. Murray did most of the work, nearly picking up all of her body weight with ease, while Bentley ensured that her head wasn't jostled too much. They were very careful and moved slowly, asking how she was and if she felt any sudden pain in her lungs or sides. There was a lot of discomfort, but it was manageable and she refused to be a little kitten and cry about it. She was determined—she wasn't going to let everything she strived for go to waste. She wasn't going to let herself die. She was a survivor, damn it.

Even so, the fatigue in her body was still adamant about bringing her under and though she tried so hard to keep from losing consciousness, there were time gaps in her memories. One moment they were in the warehouse and the next, they were walking through the streets with the friendly hippo dragging the stretcher while Bentley made sure she didn't slide off. They were both in regular clothes, the impressive crossbow the turtle wielded with incredible accuracy was nowhere to be seen, and for the first time since she met them in that café, they actually looked like good Samaritans helping a stranger.

However, she was curious as to how they'd explain this to not only the 112 operator, but also the police and EMTs. Her thoughts swirled lazily, as if they were in a stream just letting the current pull them along. Jazlyn couldn't even find it in her to really freak out over the fact that she was freezing—some of her limbs felt like ice had replaced them. Maybe it had something to do with the blood loss? She wasn't sure anymore and found it hard to bring herself to care. Everything around her was muddled, both the turtle and hippo's voices were muffled, and she couldn't really make out Bentley's features anymore. Her vision was darkening around the edges and Jazlyn had to force herself to breathe—to keep herself from giving into that painless, sweet darkness that continued to caress her. Tempting her with honeyed words and sweet promises that everything would be alright if she just gave in, that she embrace the darkness that readily offered peace.

God, she just wanted to sleep. She blinked blearily, trying to get her eyes to focus for just a second but couldn't. Muffled conversations filtered in, but she couldn't understand everything that was being said—it felt like they were speaking a different language.

"Hey, you need to… Don't go to sleep, miss!" Bentley leaning over her. Were they not moving anymore?

"She looks bad, pal. Where are…Sly?" Murray biting his knuckles anxiously as he towered over them.

A paw, caressing her cheek, soothing away the burn for a second before it came roaring back. Without her volition, her head turned slightly, pushing her cut cheek further into the palm of that gentle paw. Her breath wheezed from her lips, her heart thumped wildly and painfully in her chest, but that palm against her cheek grounded her to reality. Gave her a little strength to stay in her body, as weak and frail as it was, and away from the darkness that called out to her.

Then, a calm and sober voice, one that should be filled with teasing and sarcasm, spoke over her. "On their way…Should be here…Wait! I hear…!"

And there was something—something that sliced through her muffled ears and rang in her head like hundreds of cow bells. Jazlyn wanted to tell it to shut up, she was trying to sleep, and the noise (Sirens, her subconscious supplied) were hurting her ears.

There was more talking, hasty and urgent, as the paw that held her cheek moved away and two pairs of hands replaced it. Her entire body shuddered and jerked at their touch, piercing and burning and stabbing agony erupted again. She didn't want this—she didn't want any more pain—she wanted peace and she wanted them to stop. As weak and pathetic as she was, her arms tried to fend them off and her claws were extended, ready to cut anyone who so much as tried to harm her again. A surprised yelp filtered through the night air as the two pairs of arms tried to gain control over her without getting any slashes across their faces.

Her lungs cried out, wanting her to stop moving, but she ignored it—survival had kicked in again and she couldn't see well enough to know that the ones touching her were trying to help. Jazlyn wheezed and coughed, her body failing her despite what she wanted, and the only reason she stopped was because of him. The damn raccoon who had gotten her in all this mess in the first place, had come to her rescue, and was getting her help.

"It's okay, Spots. You're going to be alright." His fingers wrapped around her wrists firmly but not exerting any more strength than was necessary to restrain her. She couldn't see, her eyes were closing against her will, and her limbs went slack.

The fighting she'd done had only made her worse as her breathing gasped from parting lips—desperately trying to bring oxygen into her lungs, but it wasn't working. Her heart felt like it was going to burst along with her lungs and the numbing cold in her body was growing stronger. She felt so cold, but the darkness was still there. And it wasn't taking no for an answer this time.

As the void latched onto her, dragging her into its depths, Jazlyn's breathing halted altogether.