Clang!

Rai bursted through the shutter of an air vent into the outside world of Prague. The moment Rai had kicked in the shutter for the vent and flew out through the opening, she quickly hooked her cane onto a nearby zipline as she slid down, the wind hitting her face. Once Rai had landed on a rooftop, she began to dash across the building tops as the crisp night air of Prague brushed up against her fur.

Finally, freedom! Oh, if only I could've seen the look on Kisara's face when she realized I was gone. Rai chuckled to herself. Ah well, not that it matters now since I'm finally free of that place.

It was then though that Rai had come to an abrupt halt, scanning around her surroundings. "Crap... I don't even know where I'm supposed to be going..." A thought suddenly occurred to her a moment later. "Wait! I almost forgot, Bentley was never captured back in the jungle, so I wonder if he's already here? Well, at the very least, I've gotta try..."

Rai then reached for her pouch as she pulled out her cellphone, only to scroll through her contacts. When she finally found the one she was looking for, Rai touched the name to dial the number, tapping on her earpiece to make sure that it was still working. Rai then waited, listening to the ringing in her earpiece, until someone finally answered the call.

"Um, hello?" The nasally voice asked.

"Oh, thank God, Bentley!" Rai said in relief.

"Wait, Rai?! Is that really you?!" Bentley exclaimed, shocked.

"Yeah, it's me." She replied. "Are you already here in Prague?"

"Oh, uh, yeah. I just recently got here and I managed to set up a Safe House, but other than that, I hadn't really come up with any plans yet as to how I can free all of you."

"Well, you don't have to worry about me, Bentley." Rai said. "The only reason I'm even contacting you right now is because I need a place to hide out in."

"Wait... No, don't tell me..." Bentley was starting to see where this was going.

"Yeah, I escaped. Guess I'm the first out." She replied.

"Oh my gosh, th-that's great! Hang on, let me just lock onto your location so I can send you the coordinates to the Safe House."

"Alright." Rai nodded.

There was a long moment of silence between the two, but Rai could very faintly make out typing in the background. After a couple of minutes of silence, Bentley had finally spoken up again. "Okay, so I've managed to lock onto your location and I just sent you the coordinates to the hideout, so go ahead and meet me here."

"Alright, I'll be right there. See you shortly." Rai then disconnected before pulling out her binocucom. She scanned around the area, perking up moments later when she saw a red waypoint displayed on the screen. "Gotcha." She smirked, stuffing her binocucom back into her pouch as she took off.

Rai began to dash along the rooftops again, making sure to avoid any of the guards she passed by as she went so she wouldn't get caught again. Soon enough though, Rai finally made it to her destination, leaping down onto the ground as she approached the small building near the edge of town with the Contessa's prison still visible off in the distance. After drawing in a small breath, Rai made her way up the steps before pushing the door open, peering inside the small building.

"Hello? Bentley, you here?" Rai called, pushing the door open further so she could enter.

"Ah, there you are, Rai." A voice called.

She turned toward the voice, immediately perking up when she saw the turtle entering the room. "Bentley!" She cheered, rushing over to him.

Without warning, Rai dropped her cane onto the floor as she hastily fell to her knees, only to wrap Bentley up into a crushing hug. "Oof!" Bentley gasped. "It's, uh, good to see you too, Rai, but you're...kinda crushing me..."

"Oh, sorry!" Rai quickly apologized, setting him back down on the floor so that they were eye level as the fox gave a small chuckle. "Sorry, it's just...I haven't seen you since I was sent to that prison, so I'm really glad to see that you're alright." She chuckled nervously.

"No, I understand, and I'm glad to see you're still in one piece as well, Rai." Bentley waved it off. "How did you even manage to escape anyhow?" He wondered.

"I had a little help from some of the other inmates I met there." She replied.

"Meaning...?" Bentley raised an eyebrow.

"Well, when I got to the prison, just before they threw me into a cell, they placed a tracker around my ankle, but I wasn't able to remove it without setting off the alarm it had."

"I mean, depending on the tracker, it isn't exactly rocket science to figure out how to take it off without setting the alarm off."

"But the thing was it had a special sim card, so if you even tried to tamper with any of the wiring, much less the lock itself, it would automatically set off the alarm, so to get around that, I met someone who was a hacker and a technological specialist that was able to hack into the mainframe to get access to the networking system. By isolating the network, we were able to disable the trackers' functions for a short period of time, enabling me to remove the device without setting off the alarm. Then after that, it was just me getting back to the outside." Rai explained.

"But wouldn't you need to have the place mapped out or have some kind of distraction?" Bentley asked.

"Well, yeah, and that's why with the help I had, we freed all the other inmates, giving me just the opportunity I needed to escape. And so, here I am, but I guess I'm the only other one, huh?"

"It's like I said, I haven't been able to come up with a plan to free you or the others since it took me a literal week of sleepless nights just to find this place. Then I had to figure out how to drive the van and I had to set up a Safe House once I arrived. Needless to say, I barely managed to get a few hours just before you contacted me, so I've kinda had my hands full..."

"Yeah, I can tell..." Rai replied knowingly. "Well, at the very least, you don't have to worry about me. Now the only other thing is Sly and Murray..."

"Sly isn't really the problem, it's Murray. Cell Block D is a lot trickier to get into than where Sly is at, so our best bet is to try and free Sly first, then we can focus on Murray afterwards."

"Alright, then if you can figure that out, just leave it to me to free him so you can get some rest since I'm sure you've been through hell and back."

"No, no, I'm alright, Ra—"

"Bentley, come on, you said it yourself, you've had a sleepless week just trying to find us. If you don't get some rest, you'll just end up wearing yourself down and we kinda need that big brain of yours to be fully functional." Rai reasoned.

Bentley merely sighed. "I suppose so... Alright, then as soon as I come up with a plan, I'll leave it to you to free Sly, deal?"

Rai nodded. "Sounds good."

"Then let's get to work."

"Alright, Rai, I think I've figured out how to break Sly out of The Hole." Bentley said as he lifted his gaze from his laptop.

"Lay it on me then." Rai said, directing her attention over to the turtle.

"I'm not sure if you noticed a set of train track just in front of the Safe House."

"I saw them, but didn't really give it much thought. Why does that matter though?" Rai asked.

"Because we're going to use that train to get Sly out."

"Uh, okay, and how exactly do you expect me to do that?"

"There are a set of six terminals along the train tracks, and by hacking into all of them one by one, you will steadily increase the velocity of the train, then by simply reversing its polarity, you'll turn that train into one giant projectile, smashing through the wall and thereby, freeing Sly. Just leave taking out all the guards along the wall, because I can deal with them just by using my RC Chopper."

Rai leaned back in her chair, folding her arms for a moment before she smirked. "So, turn the train into a battery ram then?"

"Well, so to speak, yes."

"Just leave the train hacking to me, you just deal with the guards on the wall that way Sly won't immediately get shot at once he's free."

Bentley nodded. "Just contact me once you've finished with the train hack."

"Will do. Just give me a second to get ready." She said, heading into the room Bentley had designated for her.

Once Rai was in her room, she sighed, staring at the mask in her hand. She stared long and hard at that plaster and paint which was barely even the size of her face, an almost sorrowful look in her eyes. Rai exhaled through her nose before simply setting the mask down on the bedside table as she pulled out a black eye mask. After gathering her hair up into a ponytail, the fox tied the mask around her head before letting her hair back down again. Rai then grabbed her cane, sending one last glance back at her mask before she turned and exited the room, heading out to go complete her mission.

I know that I've spent my whole life hiding behind that mask, becoming the person I had never dreamed I would be today, but now, after all that I've seen thus far, wearing that mask will only feel like a shell of the person I never wanted to become. I'm on this journey to face my past, so I can't just keep hiding because it won't get me anywhere, not anymore. I've gotta face this head on, even if deep down, I'm petrified... I have to face my own demons without needing to hide behind that wall I've built around myself. I need to break down this wall and face my past, even if it means that deep down, I'm afraid. I have to stop running and become the person I was meant to be. I have to let go of who I once was and become the person my mother wanted me to become.

Rai dashed out of the Safe House, hopping over the train tracks and heading over to the first terminal just a ways ahead of her. After making sure the coast was clear, she began typing, a small smirk forming on her lips. "And here I thought the Contessa was smart..." She chuckled. "Well, then again, I did escape from her prison, so really, who's the one laughing now? Oh, wait, me, obviously." Rai snickered as she continued to type. "And...done. Heh, that was easy. Only five more to go."

With the first terminal complete, Rai moved on to the second. It didn't take her very long to hack into this computer, smirking at her good fortune as the train began to increase speed. "From what I'm noticing, all these terminals follow the same pattern, more or less, changing small aspects with each one. If that's the case, then I don't understand how the Contessa has a degree in psychology if she's this simpleminded..."

Rai continued to type on the terminal, and not even five minutes had passed before she had finally finished with her hack, smirking at her work. "Alright, well, that should've begun to increase the train's speed. Time to move on to the next terminal." She said aloud, heading off to find the next computer.

For a moment, Rai was wary on treading along the train tracks, but quickly swallowed her doubts and took off, determination shining in her emerald eyes. I don't care if I'm scared, because it won't amount to what Sly and Murray are going through right now. Just hang on, Sly... I'll get you out of there soon, I promise.

When Rai reached the next terminal, she was rather surprised to see that the coding system was fairly similar to the first terminal she was at, raising an eyebrow. "That's odd... The coding on this terminal is similar to the last one... Geez... And here I thought the Contessa was smart... Sure, there's a few changes here and there, but aside from that, it's virtually the same, which is both convenient and slightly annoying. I mean, come on, give me a challenge, why don't ya!" She boasted.

Once Rai completed her business with this terminal, she drew back, placing a hand on her hip. "With that, the train should speed up by about 15%. I just wonder if the rest of these terminals will also have similar codings... If so, then how in God's name did she ever get a degree if her codings are this easy to bypass?" Rai then brushed the thought off, turning as she dashed off down the tracks again. "Well, doesn't matter, just so long as I get the job done, because the faster I hack into all these terminals, the sooner I can get Sly out."

Rai continued on her way, hacking through the remaining terminals along the train track. But with each terminal completed, Rai had to be more and more aware of the train's presence, because it was speeding up faster and faster, so if she wasn't careful, Rai could be struck. After finishing her hack on about the fifth terminal, Rai had quickly turned to head for the final computer. However, just as the fox was about to reach the last terminal, she had completely spaced about the train while he was running along the tracks for that brief moment. In that split second, Rai halted, hastily turning back to see that the train was heading straight for the fox as her eyes widened. Thinking on her toes, Rai immediately leapt out of the way, roughly landing on the ground from losing her balance as she rolled a bit before her body hit a nearby building. In that moment though, just before Rai had leapt out of the way, it was evident that she was almost a hair too late, which we all know could've been catastrophic. Once the train had passed, Rai sighed, pushing herself to sit up as she placed a hand against her head.

"Jesus, that was way too close for comfort..." She sighed. "Man, I've really gotta be more careful, but stupid me decided to just suddenly forget about the damn train. Geez, Rai... Get your head in the game before you get flattened like a pancake..."

After Rai got back on her feet, she dusted herself off before continuing to the final terminal, which was right next to the tunnel at the opposite end of the tracks. With the terminal in her sight, Rai began to type, perking up. "Oh? Well, well, looks like I was wrong, the Contessa isn't just a dumb bimbo. Perhaps she was using those simple codes as a diversion for anyone who wanted to try and hack into them, saving this monster for last." Rai just chuckled though. "Well, lucky for me, I'm no fool. Sure, this coding is much different than I anticipated, but nothing I can't handle. Besides, I'm pretty sure some of the museum's I've broken into had more complex codes than this. Step up your game, Contessa and get on my level." She let out another amused chuckle. "And...done!"

With the final terminal hacked, the train suddenly bursted out of the tunnel once it had come around again, but when it did, the train leapt right off the track and was heading straight for the wall Rai was intending to destroy. "Wow, what a beautiful trajectory!" She beamed.

BANG!

"Yes! Bullseye!" The fox cheered as the train blasted a hole through the wall. "Piece of cake!"

Rai grinned at her work before tapping on her earpiece. "Hey, Bentley, you read me?"

"Loud and clear. What's your status?" He asked.

"I just finished hacking into all the terminals and blew a hole through the wall, so it's all you now."

"Alright. I'll contact you once I've freed Sly."

"Sounds good. Until then, I'm gonna go ahead and scout the area to get a better idea of our surroundings."

"Alright, I'll see you soon then."

"Roger." And with that, Rai disconnected, though grinning.

Just wait, Sly... In just a few short minutes, you'll be free. She thought excitedly before taking off in the opposite direction.

Once Rai had disconnected with Bentley, he quickly head outside to launch his RC Chopper, the device heading for the prison. When the chopper was above the prison near where Sly was being held, he began to drop bombs on all the guards standing watch, taking them out one by one. Meanwhile though, while Sly was in his small metal box, he not only heard, but felt the loud crash of the train impacting the nearby wall. Upon hearing the loud rumbling sound, he abruptly stood, trying to see through the little rectangular slot on the door. Sly began to wait patiently, searching for something, some sort of sign – any sign – and then he saw it. Bentley's RC Chopper. It was dropping bombs on the guards with motion detectors around the perimeter as the raccoon couldn't help but smirk to himself.

"Bentley... You never seize to amaze me, pal..." He said under his breath.

"Yes! All the guards with motion detectors have been taken out! Now Sly can go free!" The turtle cheered when all the guards were eliminated.

Suddenly, the lock clicking caught Sly's ears, causing him to perk up a bit before he cautiously approached the door. He slowly walked up to the only exit before him, placing his hand against the metal before giving it a light push. It opened! Grinning, Sly practically flung the metal door open as he flipped out of that tiny metal box, stretching the stiffness from his muscles just before his binocucom started going off, the ringtail grabbing said device and holding it up to his eyes in eagerness.

"Sly, do you read me?"

"How I've missed that sensuous voice of yours." Sly replied, a twinge of excitement in his tone.

"Save the jocular comments for later..." Bentley sighed. "Look, do you see that hook up there?"

"Yeah." Sly nodded.

"It's your only means of escape. Jump and hook your cane onto it, then swing onto the train. I've already established a Safe House and have downloaded it's GPS coordinates into your binocucom. Head there now and that's where we'll rendezvous."

"Man, you've really thought of everything, huh?"

"Don't I always?"

"Yeah... Yeah, you do. Thanks for busting me out of that tiny box, I was starting to get the jitters."

"Well, you know the old saying: "If you can't count on a friend to bust ya out of jail, then what kind of a friend are they?""

"Truer words were never said...Wizard." He chuckled, Bentley rolling his eyes but cracked a small grin before they disconnected.

Sly quickly scanned around before jumping onto the metal box he had been contained in, leaping as he hooked his cane onto the large hook hanging above him. He swung himself forward before jumping and landing on the train, running out the hole that was kindly made for him. But before Sly jumped up to slide down the nearby zipline in front of him, a thought suddenly crossed his mind as he stopped.

"Sly, I know what you're thinking, but before you decide to do something stupid, I need you to head for the hideout." Bentley said in Sly's earpiece.

"Okay, then what am I thinking, smart one?" Sly replied, almost in a snarky tone.

"You're thinking of going to find Rai, obviously."

Sly flinched; Bentley really did think of everything and was always one step ahead of everyone else... "We can't just leave her there!" He suddenly raised his voice.

"Look, before you decide to go off on a tangent, come meet me at the Safe House." Bentley reasoned.

"But—!"

"Sly, I need for you to trust me on this one. Just get to the Safe House, then we can talk."

Sly sighed. "Fine..." He merely agreed before disconnecting.

Sly then turned toward the prison, a gloomy look in his eyes. Rai... I wonder if you're still in there or if you've escaped already... Sly clutched his cane in his hand. I hope to see you soon... He then took off again, quickly hooking his cane onto a nearby zipline.

Once Sly was at the end of the zipline, he unhooked his cane and dashed off along the rooftops. He held his binocucom up for a brief moment to see where his waypoint was before stuffing it back into his pouch, continuing on his way. After marking where he had to go, it didn't take very long before Sly had managed to find the Safe House. He hopped down from the rooftop he was on and began to walk up the steps to the door, which he slowly pushed open.

"Well, don't be shy. Come on and get inside." Bentley said, glancing up from his computer.

Sly pushed the door open further as he stepped inside the small little hideout, taking a quick look around. "Not bad, but you were all on your own, so I can't really say I'm too surprised."

Bentley rolled his eyes. "Hey, I busted you out and haven't slept for a week, so I deserve some credit here, you know."

Sly chuckled. "Alright, alright, point taken, chill out!" He defended. "Anyhow, about Rai..."

Bentley sighed, turning away from his computer. "You don't have to worry about her, Sly."

"If she's still trapped in that prison, then yeah, I kinda do, Bentley."

"She's just fine, Sly, so can you relax for just a second?"

"I can't really do that if I'm under the assumption Rai is still stuck in the Contessa's prison enduring God knows whatever torment. So give me one good reason as to why I shouldn't be worrying right now."

"Because—"

"Sly!" A voice then exclaimed happily.

"Huh—oof!" Sly turned toward the voice that had called out his name, only to suddenly be tackled to the ground in a massive bear hug. "Whoa, what in the—!?"

The person who basically glomped Sly to the floor pushed themselves to sit up, and it wasn't who Sly was expecting. "I'm so glad you're alright!"

"Wait, Rai?!" Sly exclaimed, confused.

"Uh, yeah, why?" She asked, being the confused one this time.

Sly pushed himself to sit up, Rai backing up a bit for him. "Wait, since when did you escape?"

"Maybe a couple of hours ago, if that. Why?"

Sly stared at Rai for a moment before chuckling, only to abruptly throw his arms around the fox. "Man, and here I was worried sick about you when you were doing just fine all on your own..."

Rai grinned, wrapping her arms around Sly. "Well, to be fair, I did have a little help on the inside in getting out, though against my better judgement."

Sly drew back, placing his hand against Rai's face as he gazed into those big, beautiful green eyes of hers. "How in God's name did you even escape?"

"I basically broke into the Contessa's office, hacked into her computer system, and shut off the tracking device around my ankle so I could pick the lock, freeing all the other inmates along the way while I was at it."

Sly stared at Rai with a blank expression for a moment, only to bust out laughing. "Oh, man! You really are an evil genius sometimes!"

"Welp, while you two have some time to catch up, I think I'm gonna go get some well deserved rest." Bentley said as he got up from the table, heading into his room.

Once Bentley had closed the door, Sly turned back to Rai, pressing his forehead against hers. "I missed you, ya know..." Sly said.

"Yeah, I missed you too..."

"Come on, we should probably get some sleep too. I'm pretty tired since you can't exactly sleep while trapped inside of tiny box."

Rai chuckled. "Yeah, and trying to plan my way into escaping that hell wasn't exactly easy, so I think we both deserve to get some rest."

"Agreed." And with that, the two head for Rai's room, where they crawled into her bed and snuggled up together, both falling asleep in each other's arms as the three finally got the rest they all desperately needed...