Sly's heavy eyes slid open, blinking a few times to try and wake himself up. After letting out a tired yawn, Sly pushed himself to sit up, rubbing his sleepy eyes. Sly then glanced over to see a slumbering Rai lying next to him, still sound asleep. After the incident she had last night, Rai felt like she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep, so Sly had offered to stay with her to at least keep her calm. In the end though, with Sly being by her side, Rai ended up falling back to sleep after maybe forty-five minutes or so since he spent about fifteen minutes just trying to calm her down, whispering sweet nothings into her ear, telling Rai that it was going to be alright and that he was there for her. Sly grinned softly, brushing some stray hair out of Rai's face before he quietly began to climb out of bed, but abruptly halted when he felt a slight tug on his shirt. Sly glanced back, only to see Rai's hand unconsciously gripping onto his shirt in her sleep. He grinned again before gently removing her hand from the bottom of his shirt as he continued to climb out of bed, being careful not to wake her. Once Sly had managed to safely climb out of bed without waking up Rai, who stirred a little, but only rolled onto her other side, Sly pulled the covers back onto Rai before quietly exiting the room, closing the door behind himself. With that done, Sly head toward the kitchen, where he saw Bentley was already awake, typing on his computer. The turtle glanced up from his laptop for a brief moment to acknowledge Sly's presence before his gaze returned to the computer screen, continuing to type.
"Good morning, Sly." Bentley greeted. "You're up earlier than usual." He noted.
Sly shrugged, heading into the kitchen as he began to make some coffee. "Well, usually I don't get up before noon, but I had woken up before Rai and didn't want to wake her, so here we are."
"I see." Bentley acknowledged. "Speaking of Rai, how is she? I heard her last night and how you rushed over to see what was wrong."
"She seems to be alright for the time being." Sly replied. "She said that she had a really bad nightmare involving Talia and Rajan, but didn't say anything more."
"If it was that serious, then I can see why she would be so distraught. I suppose the only real thing we can do is try to support her as best we can, but considering she is dealing with her past, I honestly don't blame her for being so on edge like this."
"Yeah, and that's what worries me..." Sly said, evident concern in his voice. "Anyway, changing the subject here, what's on the menu for today's missions?"
"Well," Bentley began, clicking on a few things on his laptop, "I'm going to need you and Rai to steal a couple of outfits."
"What kind and what for?" Sly asked as he grabbed some coffee mugs from a nearby cabinet, beginning to pour the coffee.
"The outfits are going to be for the ball because I'm going to need you and Rai to pose as distractions so that we can get the Clockwerk Wings."
"Alright, so what exactly do I need?" Sly asked. "Oh, and here." He then said, handing Bentley a coffee cup.
"Thank you." Bentley thanked, taking the mug as he set it down next to his laptop. "And you're going to need a tuxedo so that you can dance with Carmelita, but before you can do that, you'll have to impress her first, because from the research I've done, it seems that she's very picky with her dance partners." He explained.
"Alright, and what about Rai?" Sly then asked.
"What about me?" A voice spoke up, the two turning to see Rai had finally woken up, lazily rubbing one of her eyes as she approached the boys.
"We were just discussing the outfits you two are going to need." Bentley replied. "And good morning, Rai. I trust you slept well?"
Rai gave a tired nod in response. "Yeah, I guess..." She said, walking over to Sly as she leaned against his shoulder, wrapping her arms around his right one. "Why didn't you wake me when you got up?" She then asked.
"I didn't want to wake you after last night, so I let you sleep." Sly replied "Coffee?" He then held another coffee cup toward the fox, who tiredly took the mug from him.
"Thanks..." She said, taking a sip from the mug, but paused for a moment, only to raise an eyebrow. "I didn't know you could actually make coffee that wasn't terrible..."
Sly laughed. "Well, geez, who do you take me for?"
Rai shrugged, setting her mug down on the counter as she leaned against Sly's shoulder again. "I dunno... I just thought you were only good at being a thief, and trying to swoon women..."
"Give me some credit, geez..."
"I will now." She replied. "Anyway, you were saying something about outfits, Bentley?"
"Yes, and like I said, I'm going to need the both of you to steal some outfits for the upcoming ball Rajan will be holding so he can show off the Clockwerk Wings. I've already briefed Sly that he's going to be needing a tuxedo so that he can dance with Carmelita."
"And me? What do I need?" Rai asked.
"Well, considering I didn't see any undercover male agents from the photos you both took for me, I was only able to come up with one option, one I'm almost certain you won't like."
Rai perked up, lifting her head. "...Meaning?"
Bentley sighed heavily, pushing his glasses up onto his nose. "You're going to need a belly dancer's costume."
Rai visibly tensed up, of which, Sly noticed. "At least tell me why first." She then said, trying to keep her composure.
"Like I said, there were no male undercover cops at the ball, but from my research of the gala, there is going to be a belly dancer performance with Rajan's set of dancers. Your job is to steal the black dancer's outfit because that is going to be the one for the main performer – you."
Rai tensed up again, Sly placing his hand against Rai's as if to silently reassure her.
"I know it's not ideal, but it was the only thing I could come up with for you to help distract Raja—"
"I'll do it." Rai then said, cutting Bentley off.
He paused for a moment, turning to face Rai in confusion. "I'm sorry, but...run that one by me again."
"I said I'll do it." Rai repeated. "I'll...become the main belly dancer for the ball."
"Are...are you sure?" Bentley questioned cautiously.
"If it's to help get the Clockwerk Wings, then I can at least endure dancing for Rajan, but I won't do anything more than that."
"No, I understand, and I would never ask you to do more than this regardless. All you have to do is keep Rajan focused on you while Sly keeps Carmelita occupied so that we can get the wings, that's all."
Rai sighed. "Fine, I can at least pose as the distraction."
"Alright, then if we're all in agreement, you two should probably go get changed so that we can get this mission underway, but before that, Sly, I'm gonna need you to go open the drawbridge for Murray and I. Think you can handle that?" Bentley asked.
Sly gave a nod. "Sounds easy enough. I mean, all I gotta do is steal some keys, right?"
"That's the idea, yes."
"Then I should be back before you know I'm even gone." He joked, setting his coffee mug down as he head to go get changed, Rai releasing the hold she had on his arm.
Once Sly had gone to his room to change, Bentley went back to typing on his laptop, Rai grabbing her coffee mug again as she began to sip on her beverage, pressing her back against the nearby counter. Belly dancing, huh? Of all the things, why that? And why in front of Rajan? As if I didn't already have enough problems involving him already, and now this... Well, I suppose that just so long as nothing goes wrong, I should be alright to do this mission, I hope...
"Hey, Rai, you ready to go?" Sly asked once he had gotten back to the hideout after just finishing with opening up the drawbridge.
She gave a nod while fixing her gloves, her cane tucked into the bend of her arm. "As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose. Now come on, let's go get those outfits and get this show on the road."
Sly nodded. "Yeah, alright." He agreed. "Okay, Bentley, we're heading out to get those outfits!" Sly called.
"Once you've gotten the outfits, I'll brief you on the next step, but go ahead and get going, because as you know, time is of the essence here."
The two nodded, sharing a glance before exiting the Safe House, heading out to go steal some outfits for the gala. However, as they ran through the streets of India, heading for the hotel, Sly was keeping a close eye on Rai, and even though she wasn't showing it, she was still pretty tense, not that anyone could really blame her. As it stands, Rai is going through all this trouble just to try and get rid of those who ruined her life, but with Kisara also in on this whole mess, there's no telling how things could turn out, for better or for worse... When the two had reached the hotel, however, they entered in through the front. For a long moment, there was only silence between them, so Sly, deciding to try and cheer Rai up if he could, attempted to strike up a conversation with her.
"Uh, hey, Rai—"
Beep! Beep!
"Hm?" The two perked up when they heard their binocucoms going off, quickly picking them up only to find Bentley was trying to contact them.
"Sly, Rai, do you read me?"
"Loud and clear, pal." Sly replied. "Alright, Bentley, so now that we're inside, what's the plan?"
"Well, this isn't an exact science but, I want you to ransack the whole place until you find all five pieces of a tuxedo."
Sly perked up, smirking. "Hell, anything that involves ransacking is okay with me."
"And Rai, as for you, you're looking for the black dancer's outfit on the other side of the hotel in the dressing rooms with all the other showgirls."
"Got it." She acknowledged.
"Don't screw this up, you two." Bentley warned. "Once you've gathered up your costumes for the gala and you've made it to the ballroom, I'll give you further instructions from there. Until then, good luck, and again, don't go screwing this up."
"Roger that." The two agreed in unison before disconnecting.
"Once I've got my outfit, I'll come look for you, okay?" Rai said.
"Sounds good, but, uh..." Sly paused.
The fox then sighed. "I'm alright, Sly." She said. "I'll be fine, so don't worry about me. I'll...see you soon." Rai then turned and ran off in the opposite direction.
As Rai ran off to go fetch her outfit, Sly couldn't help but stare off in the direction she had gone, a concerned expression dawning his face, sighing. "I know I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to logic or common sense, but I have enough wits to see that Rai is clearly trying to put on a front. She's trying to tell herself that she's okay, probably so she can get this over with faster, not that I can really blame her... I mean, I'm fairly certain I did the same thing back when I had to face the Fiendish Five, the people who murdered my parents... In that sense, I can relate, but..." Sly paused for a moment. "...it's almost as if her wounds run much deeper than what I had to endure up until that point in my life." Sly then shook his head. "I should just hurry and find that tuxedo before someone catches me here." The raccoon then took off in the opposite direction that Rai had gone.
Meanwhile, Rai leapt up onto the wooden bannisters above in the corridor she had taken, dashing along them with ease. She couldn't help but try to block out her own distracting thoughts in an attempt to focus on her current task at hand. Rai didn't want her own doubts distracting her. As it stands, she was just trying to put on a brave face just so she could get through this whole mess. Soon enough though, Rai somehow managed to stumble upon some of the showgirls heading through a door that she could only assume led right into the dressing room. Scanning around, the fox managed to a nearby opening leading into the dressing room and quickly leapt in through the opening, grabbing onto one of the bannisters before quietly dropping down and landing on her feet. However, as soon as Rai landed on the dressing room floor, the thick smell of hairspray and perfume filled her nostrils, almost causing her to gag. She hastily covered her mouth and nose with her hand, trying to, at the very least, block out some of the sickening stench that filled the room. Despite the fact that the thick odor in the room was nearly causing her to gag, Rai had to find that main dancer's outfit before someone else could snatch it up. She quickly and quietly began to skim through all the racks of multi-colored clothing, searching for the black outfit she was tasked to find. In all honesty though, it was almost as if a rainbow had thrown up onto those racks and turned them into slutty dancer's outfits... Finally though, after hastily searching through all the racks of clothes, Rai managed to stumble on the black dancer's outfit, immediately perking up. She quickly snatched the article of clothing from the rack and stuffed it into the small backpack she had grabbed before exiting through the same opening she had come in from.
"Christ, do those girls not know how to limit themselves? I mean seriously, you can only have so much hair spray and perfume before you start to look and smell like a cheap whore..." Rai rolled her eyes, scoffing to herself. "Whatever, it doesn't matter, because I got what I came here for. Now I should hurry and get back to Sly." She said before taking off to try and search for Sly.
As she ran along the bannisters once again, Rai searched for the ring-tailed raccoon, but couldn't seem to find him anywhere, as she assumed she would hear him destroying everything in the rooms, thereby giving away his current position. Rai had almost given up in frustration, until she suddenly heard the low sound of banging and clattering coming from one of the nearby room as she hastily ran towards the racket. Upon finding the source of the sound, however, Rai leapt down from the bannisters and entered the room the ruckus had been coming from, only to see unconscious guards scattered along the floor. For a moment, Rai's eyes narrowed, knowing these goons worked for that money-grubbing tiger, Rajan. She clenched her cane in her left hand, only to abruptly turn away in blatant irritation.
They're not worth your time, Rai, so just let them go... Besides, you were never meant to kill, even if it does vent my inner frustrations... She silently told herself just as Sly began to come into view.
"Hm? Oh, there you are, Rai. Sorry, I didn't hear you come in." Sly said when he finally noticed the fox.
"I just got here; it took forever to find you too, by the way." She said, almost in annoyance. "Although, all I had to do was listen for shit breaking, and then it became rather simple to find you after that."
Sly shrugged. "Yeah, well, if I'm given permission to break shit, let's be honest, I'm gonna do it without so much as any hesitation."
Rai rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say. Now let's get outta here before these morons decide to wake up and attack us, otherwise I'll be forced to murder them simply out of spite." She said, her eyes narrowing again.
Sly sighed softly up in hearing Rai's response, causing him to approach her. Just as Rai turned her gaze toward Sly, she was suddenly surprised when the raccoon had grabbed her wrist, only to pull her forward. Before Rai had a chance to realize what had just happened, she felt Sly's arms tightly wrap around her, one of his hands gripping onto her shoulder while the other held onto her waist. "U-uh, Sly? What are you-"
"You don't have to keep putting up this front just for us, you know..." He then said.
Rai paused. "...What are you talking about?"
Sly drew back so that the two were face to face, a concerned look in those hazel eyes of his. "I'm not stupid, Rai, and I can easily tell when someone is just putting on a brave face so they don't have to show how they're really feeling, and that's exactly what you're doing right now."
Rai gazed at Sly for a moment, only to quickly push his hands away as she turned her back to him, gripping onto her arms. "You don't know anything about me, Sly, so don't just assume things..." She said, obviously trying to stray from the issue here.
Sly sighed. "I don't have to assume when you're just proving my point by avoiding the issue like you are right now."
"Just stop trying to get into my personal business, it doesn't concern you."
"Well, in case you haven't noticed, this isn't just about you anymore, because my team and I are involved in this as well."
"I didn't ask you to bring me along in the first place!" Rai snapped, whipping back around to face Sly as she glared. "You basically made that choice without even asking me!"
"Because we're all after the same thing." Sly replied calmly. "Look, I know that I'll never understand the things you went through with both Kisara and the Klaww Gang, I get that. But right now, this isn't just your problem anymore, it's our problem, so stop trying to carry all of that weight on your shoulders by yourself. Bentley, Murray, and even myself are here to help stop the Klaww Gang so that we can finally destroy Clockwerk, for good this time. Stop trying to bare this burden all on your own, because you're not alone. The guys and I, no matter what happens, are here for you. So please, I'm asking you as a friend, stop trying to take on the world all on your own."
Rai gazed at Sly for a long moment as she was able to hear both the truth, and his plea in his voice. She realized that, yeah, Sly was right, she was trying to take on the world by herself, and it was practically tearing her apart. If she kept this up, Rai would eventually crumble, but she had instilled into herself to never rely on anyone ever since Kisara in fear of them turning on her as well, so she wasn't truly all that convinced that what Sly said was completely true. She wanted to be certain that he meant what he was saying as she lowered her gaze down to her feet.
"If that's the case, then tell me, Sly..." Rai paused, drawing in a breath. "...no matter what events may follow, you'll still stick by my side, and continue to fight alongside me to ultimately bring down the Klaww Gang?" She lifted her head again, wanting to meet Sly's gaze to ensure that he was telling her the absolute truth.
Sly raised his right hand, pressing the other against the left side of his chest. "I swear on my life that no matter what happens, I'll never turn on you. I won't do to you what Kisara has done, because that's just not the kind of guy I am."
Rai's eyes widened, because she could very clearly, as Sly spoke, see that truth shine in those hazel eyes of his. For a moment, Rai almost couldn't believe that those words reached her ears, but the moment she was able to really process what had been said, tears suddenly filled her eyes. She was just in utter shock that, for once in her life, someone actually swore to never betray her, something she had been dying to hear all her life, but always thought that dream was just barely out of her reach. Without warning, Rai abruptly dropped her cane to the floor and threw her arms around Sly, burying her face in his shoulder.
"I honestly can't tell you how long...I've wished to hear someone say those words to me, and actually mean every single one..." She said through her breaking voice.
For a moment, Sly wasn't sure what to do, until a small grin appeared on his face, wrapping his arms around Rai. "Because I know what it's like to have every door shut in your face, and to have your whole world come crashing down all at once. That's why I have Bentley and Murray, because they've become like a family to me, and to you, someone who has never known what that's like, I just wanna show you that you don't have to be alone anymore, just so long as you let me in, even if it's only one tiny little step at a time."
Rai clutched onto Sly's shirt, balling it in her fists. "All I've ever wanted...was someone who I could trust, someone who wouldn't turn their back on me just for their own personal gain, someone...who won't stab me in the back all over again..."
Sly placed his hand on the back of Rai's head. "I promise you, Rai, that no matter what happens, I won't ever abandon you like everyone before me has. I don't care what secrets you may be hiding, or any of your past mistakes, I just wanna show you what it's like to have someone who actually does care..."
Rai clenched her eyes shut, her tears burning in her eyes. "That's all I've ever wanted..." She said in a hushed tone.
Sly drew back so that the two were face to face again. "Then all I ask is that you take my hand – put your faith in me, and I promise to never take you or your trust for granted." He said, extending out his right hand toward the fox.
Rai gazed at Sly's outstretched hand for a moment before reaching out toward it, hesitating for a brief moment, until she placed her palm into his, Sly's fingers curling around her hand as a warm smile appeared in his face, the two locking eyes once more. "I promise you, Rai, that no matter what happens, I won't ever betray you, and all I ask in return is that you put your faith in me and to stop trying to take on all your burdens by yourself."
Rai lifted her other hand, wiping away the stray tears in the corners of her eyes before lifting her gaze again, a small grin appearing on her face as she gave a nod. "Alright... If that's the case, then...I'll trust you, Sly, and just so long as you keep your promise to me, then I'll keep mine."
"Thank you, Rai." Sly thanked.
Rai shook her head. "No, I should be thanking you, Sly. After all, for the first time in my life ever since the deaths of my parents, I think I've finally found someone who I can finally put my trust in." She said. "Now then, with that said, shall we get going? After all, we've got a show to put on."
Sly smirked. "Absolutely."
"Come on, let's get going then." Rai said, grabbing her cane from the floor as the two dashed out of the hotel, heading off to the gala to begin the plan of stealing the Clockwerk Wings.