"Alright guys, I'd better head out." Bentley said as he grabbed his gear, getting ready to make his leave.
"Where ya off to, pal?" Sly asked.
"I have to make my way through the Contessa's crypts to gather up enough black magic so that I can destroy the Mind Shuffler and free the Clockwerk Eyes during the big operation, but it won't be easy..."
"Do you need any help?" Rai questioned.
"Actually, Rai, could you man my computer while I'm gone? I could use the help in finding the next crypt once I've finished with one."
"Oh, uhh, sure, no problem."
"Make sure your earpiece is on so we can communicate." Bentley reminded. "And you should also see when I've finished with each crypt so that it can direct you to the next way point."
"Alright, sounds simple enough."
"Just ask if you get confused with anything."
"Come on, Bentley, I think I can handle giving you a few way points to the four crypts." Rai cracked a small smirk.
"Then I'll just leave it you." He then took off.
"Alright, so the first crypt is near the graveyard, by the dock and riverside." Rai said through the earpiece.
"Roger that." Bentley confirmed as he ran along.
When he reached the crypt, he found a strange and round device that almost looked like there were two fan blades on the top of the bronze surface. He made quick work, using the trigger buttons to get rid of the guards while he collected what black magic was in the crypt. It was bit tedious, but after a while, the bat shaped stone destroyed itself. "Looks like this one is out. Time to move on to the next crypt." He said as he ran out.
"Alright, Bentley, your next way point is in your binocucom and it looks like you've gotta head near the far edge to the right, where two of the Contessa's tanks are patrolling."
"Thanks for the tip, Rai."
The second crypt seemed easier than the first once he got the hang of it, and not much longer later was the stone bat destroyed. Bentley grinned at his handy work before exiting, Rai giving him the new crypt location. The third was down under the well, but here Bentley had to really out his speed and reflexes to the test. The trigger switches reloaded faster, but the guards also came twice as quick as before. It was a struggle, trying to keep up, but when he wasn't quick enough, Bentley managed to use the fourth switch to trigger an electrical strike, zapping anyone else he missed before starting the pattern over again. When this crypt soon ran out of black magic, the stone bat destroyed itself as Bentley quickly made his leave. "Three down, one to go."
"Solid work, Bentley, and you're making great time too. Alright, so the final crypt is near the Contessa's castle."
"Alright, I'm on my way now. Shouldn't be too much longer." He said as he dashed off.
When the turtle reached the final crypt, this one was a bit trickier since the wait time for the switches took longer than he wanted, meaning Bentley would have to time this right. If he needed the extra time, he would use the one in the dead center to out the wolves to sleep to buy him a bit of time. Once awake though, Bentley would do his pattern again, getting rid of any guards that would try to hurt him while he gathered up the black magic. Again, it was tedious and he had to do a bit of thinking and timing, but it was finished. His mojo collector was now full and ready to destroy the Mind Shuffler for the operation as he exited the crypt. "Alright! Now I'm all set to take down that Mind Shuffler for the operation! This is going to be great!"
"Nice work, Bentley. You did a nice job of collecting all that black magic back there." Rai commented.
"I'll bring this back to the Safe House for later." Bentley said as he made his way back to the hideout, everyone greeting him with a grin.
"Nice work out there, pal." Sly smirked.
"Naturally, however, no time to waste. Sly, I'll need you to steal the Voice Modulator and the Wire Tap so that we can hook it up to a satellite underground in order to disguise my voice as Neyla's so I can control her mercenaries. Meanwhile, while you do that, Murray, I'll need you to hot wire one of the Contessa's tanks and go to town on some of Neyla's mercenaries to downsize her army a bit."
"Awesome! I get it blow up some tanks!" Murray roared happily.
Bentley just sighed. "I also have to head underground so that I can gain access to that old terminal that controls the Irontech 2-50 holding Carmelita."
"I can do it for you, Bentley." Rai suddenly offered, the turtle perking up.
"Are you sure, Rai?"
"Did you forget already that I'm not limited to just climbing and stealth?"
"Yes, right, I completely forgot! Forgive me, Rai." Bentley apologized. "If you can get the acid battery pack at the end of the underground hallway, you can use it to hack into the three computers that are scattered throughout the chambers to gain access into the terminal."
"No problem."
"But you'll have to be careful because it's rigged with dangerous traps, and you shouldn't damage the battery pack either since it's filled with acid after all."
"Alright, so a bit of a challenge, but I can handle that."
"Are you positive?" Bentley clarified.
Rai gave a nod. "Don't worry, I can do this, Bentley. Have a little faith in me."
"Alright. The coordinates will be transferred to your binocucom, but go ahead and get going, you two as well."
"Roger that. See ya soon." She then took off, Sly and Murray following to go and do their own jobs.
"Whoa... This is...interesting." Rai raised an eyebrow when she saw the spinning wooden logs with razor sharp spikes everywhere on its surface, along with those same spikes scattered in random patches on the floor that could pop up and cut you at any moment if you step near them.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
"Hmm?" Rai reached into her pouch and pulled out her binocucom, Sly coming up in a small box on the opposite side of hers.
"Did you make it there alright?" He asked.
"Yeah, but uh... This is not what I was expecting."
"Try to avoid all the obstacles in here; can't have you marking up that pretty body of yours, now can we?" He said in a flirtatious tone.
Rai rolled her eyes. "Funny..."
Sly chuckled. "On a serious note though, please be careful and don't let those things tear you up into tiny little fox pieces."
"Charming..." She replied sarcastically before disconnecting, stuffing the device away.
The fox took a deep breath to calm herself before she examined the spinning spike logs. It wasn't difficult to determine the pattern as she took a step forward, making a 180 to plant her other foot behind. Rai moved along gracefully, almost like she was dancing her way around the trap. Once through, she stepped away and made her way down the hallway to the next trap. She did the same technique with the spinning logs, but the swinging axes weren't so simple. However, the fox remained calm as she pressed on, slipping right through the center when the large axes swung away from each other, and again with the second set as well. The third obstacle was rather simple, having the same spikes logs, but they went back and forth, crashing into each other in the center. Rai would leap when they came to the center just before they could hit her before landing on the ground again, pouncing to the other side. The fourth obstacle was with those spiked logs yet again, only they weren't in any particular pattern, just moving at random, but Rai managed to get through without hurting herself. With the final obstacle, there were wooden squares in water. At first, it seemed almost too easy as she hopped on one of the squares, until out of nowhere, she felt something wrap around her waist. Rai froze for a moment until she was yanked up into the air, gasping.
"Ugh!? What the—!?"
Rai felt something wet and slimy wrap around her arms, legs, and torso, glancing down to see large, pink tentacles wrapping themselves around her. She gasped again, beginning to struggle. "Let go of me!" But the tentacles had a mind of their own, caressing her body as she squirmed around in the air, trying her hardest to free herself. "Damn it, stop touching me!"
The tentacles wrapped around her ankles tried to pull her legs apart, but she held them firmly closed, not giving them the satisfaction. Suddenly though, the fox tensed up when a tentacle wrapped around her throat, but not enough to choke her. Rai grit her teeth as the end was heading for her mouth, a plan in mind. Without hesitation, the fox parted her lips, only to bite down hard on the tentacle. She heard a loud squeal before she was suddenly released, quickly landing on a board, until at last, she reached the end, grabbing the acid battery and putting it on as if it were a backpack.
"Finally made it to the battery... Now to hack those computers." She said as she went to the first computer. It didn't take long considering she was smarter than the Contessa, making this hack job almost child's play. Once finished, Rai gave a low chuckle with an unimpressed smirk. "Is that all? You really are dumber than you look, Contessa, either that, or you underestimate how smart I truly am." She said aloud. "However, no time to gloat. I've got two more computers to hack into, but I have to make sure this battery doesn't get damaged on my way to the computers or I'm screwed."
With this thought in mind, Rai made her way backwards, finding the second computer in the third chamber. She quickly began typing, finding the codes she needed before moving on to the final computer. Once she reached the first chamber she began in, Rai found this one to be a bit more challenging. She was having a bit of trouble locating the codes she needed, but she's had tougher hacks before, so she would figure it out soon enough. "Ah-ha, there you are. Just input this in there, switch those around, and there we go, all done." She grinned at her handy work now that all three computers had been hacked and the terminal was online. "Now I'd better get going." Rei noted as she took the battery pack off and set it aside, dashing off into the night.
"Bentley, I've finished with the underground passage. The terminal is online and I'm heading back to the hideout now."
"Alright, nice job, Rai. Murray had a blast with the tanks and I believe Sly just finished his mission as well. When you guys get back, well get to work on the operation to get the Clockwerk Eyes."
"Understood." The line was then disconnected.
Rai leaped, snatching a rail as she climbed up to a rooftop, dashing along with silent steps. She thought, pondering over the past and all that's happened to her in the past few weeks she's been with the gang. It was different, almost like a fresh start with all the ups and downs, but a thought still lingered. Kisara. She was bothered by her to no end... Just her name made her ears twitch. Kisara was cruel – a backstabber – and she would do it to anyone in a heartbeat just to get what she wants, no matter who it is she betrays. She was always that way, and Rai too was a victim to this dark side of her when she put her in a horrible situation with Rajan. Now, because of this, she despises that black cat and would like nothing more than to shed her blood. It would give her great pleasure to see such a sight, she thought, but then what would that accomplish in the end? Self-gain maybe, but would it change anything? No. Nothing would change. The past is the past, and yet Rai was having a hard time letting something like that go. The two were best friends after all, only for Kisara to up and leave her just to get some sort of entertainment and amusement out of the torment she caused. She wanted to kill her, to kill that backstabbing feline and give her what she truly deserves, which is nothing more than death, but again, would that really accomplish anything? No, it wouldn't, but at least she wouldn't hurt anyone else... Suddenly though, Rai came to an abrupt stop when the sound of struggling caught her ears, causing one to twitch. She quickly scanned around until her eyes widened when she saw Sly struggling to get free from one of those vulture's grasp. It had the ringtail by the neck as he was trying his hardest to get free, but due to hanging over nothing but water below, he couldn't seem to get a good grip, and the messy feathers were getting in his way. However, Rai's eyes widened again when the bird suddenly smirked. She immediately started running, desperately trying to get to the raccoon in time, but she just wasn't quick enough as the vulture threw Sly backwards, the raccoon helpless to the water he would soon fall to below.
"SLY!"
Splash!
Sly hit the water hard with his back, sinking into the black depths. Rai's eyes were wide with shock as she quickly leaped, diving into the murky water. She frantically searched around, trying to spot the raccoon through her clouded vision. Rai began to worry, until she saw something. She swam for it, almost gasping when she finally found Sly. She couldn't tell, but he looked to be unconscious, which wasn't a good sign. Without a second thought, the fox swam down, grasping his wrist, until she noticed his cane was missing. Rai was running out of breath fast, her lungs beginning to burn as they begged for air, but she ignored it and continued to search. With an arm around Sly's waist, Rai suddenly spotted his golden cane, quickly snatching it before forcing herself upwards. When her head resurfaced, Rai gave a gasp for air before swimming toward the nearby dock. She struggled to get there since Sly was heavier than her, but her adrenaline was kicking in, helping her go all the way as she managed to get him up onto the dock. The fox tossed both of their canes up before climbing onto the old and damp wood herself. However, Rai didn't relax, especially when she leaned over to try and listen for Sly breathing, but received nothing as she gave an audible gasp.
"No... No, no, no, no, no...! This can't be happening...!" Rai quickly got on her knees and put her hands over one another, pumping on Sly's chest. "Come on, Sly, breathe! Breathe, Sly! Come on!" She shouted as she frantically pushed against his ribcage before pinching his nose and breathing into his mouth, repeating this process every so often. "Sly, don't do this to me! Come on, Sly, please! Breathe damn you, breathe! Breathe!" This went on for what felt like forever, but she received no response. Tears began to slide down Rai's face, making her push harder against his chest as she shouted louder. "Don't do this to me, Sly! Damn it, breathe! Breathe! ... Breathe... Breathe..."
Rai just sat there, Sly on his back with his eyes closed, motionless. More tears slid down her face as she covered her mouth. "No... No, no, no! Sly, no!" The fox threw herself into his chest as she silently sobbed, gripping his wet shirt. "No... This can't be happening... This just can't... Not you too... I've lost too many people... Please...I don't want to lose you too... Please..."
... ... ...
"Nnn...!"
Gasp...!
Rai immediately moved away as Sly bolted upright, gripping his chest as he started to cough violently. The fox slowly rubbed his back as he coughed horribly to get the nasty water out of his lungs. He coughed for a few minutes until he slowly stopped, panting hard to catch his breath. When Sly had finally calmed down and could breathe normally again, he turned to Rai, who had a worried look in her eyes and tears staining her fur, despite it already being wet, but he could tell from her reddened eyes. "Rai...?" He croaked.
"You idiot!" She shouted, punching the raccoon on his arm as he flinched.
"Ow! Hey! What was that for!?" He exclaimed, rubbing his throbbing arm.
"You damn near scared me half to death, damn you!" Rai replied angrily.
"Rai, I—"
"I thought I lost you! I've already lost enough people in my life, Sly! I can't lose you too!" Rai scolded before she went silent, her whole body trembling as her head dropped. "I can't lose you too..."
Suddenly, Sly lifted a hand, gently raising her chin to look into Rai's teary emerald eyes. "I thought I lost you, Sly... Don't scare me like that, please..."
He was silent for a moment, trying to find the words to say, but all he could manage was "I'm sorry" in a low voice before pressing his lips to hers in a gentle kiss. When they parted, Sly wrapped his arms around the trembling fox as she held him close, as if he were her lifeline. "I don't know what happened... That guard just caught me off guard, and—"
"It doesn't matter now..." She cut him off. "You're alive, and that's all that matters to me." Rai pulled away from the raccoon as she reached into the water, grabbing Sly's floating hat. She rang the dirty water out of it before placing it on his damp head. "And you tell me to be more careful when you're calling the kettle black... Don't scare me like that again, you big idiot..."
Sly gave a small grin as Rai rang the disgusting water out of her long hair when he stood up, holding his hand out to her, the fox looking up at him. "Come on," He said. "Let's get back to the hideout and take a shower because I sure as hell am not walking around after being in that water."
Rai gave a small grin as she took his hand, grabbing both canes and handing the raccoon his before they head back to the Safe House. "I couldn't agree more."
"What...in the name of science happened to you two?" Bentley raised an eyebrow when the two walked in soaking wet, both giving a nervous chuckle. "You're both soaked through!"
"Uhh... Went for a little swim?" Sly shrugged.
"Sly, you can't swim..." Bentley countered.
"I sorta can." He retorted.
"Well you're not very good at it then." The turtle replied in a snarky tone.
"We just had a little..."accident," that's all." Rai quickly chimed in. "Sly and I are gonna go shower now, after I start washing our clothes, so come on, Ringtail." She said as she pulled the raccoon along by his wet shirt.
"Now then, let's see, what do we have here...?" Rai pondered aloud as she dug through a suitcase of clothes before tossing a pair of basketball shorts and a T-shirt to Sly. "Here, you can wear those until your outfit is clean."
In just his boxers while Rai was only in a pair of dark blue panties and matching strapless bra, Sly went to slip the clothing on, until he remembered he needed to shower as he walked over to the fox and set the clothes down, wrapping his arms around her from behind. She flinched slightly, glancing back for a moment before going back to rummaging through the clothes to find something she could wear. "Can I help you, Cooper?" She questioned without looking at him as he leaned on her shoulder.
"No, but why don't you wear this?" He reached over and pulled out a royal blue T-shirt with a small version of his logo on the top left.
She sighed softly. "Fine."
"Good. Now then, shall we shower?"
"I think I'm more than capable of doing such a task on my own, thank you."
"Yes, but..." He leaned into her ear, purring softly. "...you feel so cold, I think I need to warm you up a little."
Rai frowned. "I'm showering first." She then stated.
"Oh, come on!" Sly whined. "Now you're just playing dirty!"
"Get over it. Buy me dinner and drink first and then maybe we'll talk." She replied nonchalantly.
Sly groaned, flopping down on the bed next to the suitcase as he folded his arms, pretending to pout. "You really are no fun, you know…"
The fox merely shrugged. "I know, but you know you still love me, right?"
Sly sighed in defeat as he grinned. "Yeah, yeah I do…"
"Then don't complain and wait here; I won't be too long, love." Rai smirked as her fingertips grazed Sly's chin while she head into her bathroom, closing the door behind herself.
Once the bathroom door had closed, Sly chuckled to himself. "What a woman she is…and a damn fine one at that."