Despite their uncertainties about working together, Sly and Panda King managed to destroy the vampire crypt, and Murray, Penelope, and Guru had managed to destroy the dragon heads. As for Ben, Neyla, and Bentley, they managed to find the new battery for the Cooper Van but it needed to be charged up.
"So Ben, think you can give this a charge?" Bentley asked as Ben smirked, his bionic arm emitting electricity from the fingers as he placed it on the battery, supercharging it until Bentley told him to stop.
"Perfect!"
Neyla took the battery as Ben got down on one knee, his bionic arm having used a lot of its energy and needing to recharge.
"You guys go on ahead, I'll catch up. Don't worry, I'll be fine."
"Be safe and try not to get captured. Okay, love?" Neyla said, kissing Ben on the cheek as she and Bentley headed back to the hideout as Ben slowly got to his feet, he began heading back to the Safehouse only to come across an unexpected face.
"Well well well, Inspector Fox. Fancy meeting you here."
Carmelita groaned as she turned towards the Human Thief. "And here I was hoping I could run into Sly Cooper for a change."
"Well, if you want, he's waiting at the Safehouse for his favorite policewoman to come and visit him. That being said, we could use your help, y'know."
"And what do you need my help with this time?" Carmelita asked, a hand on her hip.
"Follow me to the Safehouse and we'll all tell you. I'm not very good at explaining things by myself."
Needless to say, Sly was indeed happy to see Carmelita brought to the Safehouse. Of course, she also wasn't pleased when the gang told her about Tsao and his criminal actions.
"Okay, everyone, time to go over a rescue, bait, and switch, and take all of Tsao's fortune in a plan I call Operation: Wedding Crasher!" Bentley announced.
"Cliche, but it works fine for this situation," Ben said as Bentley rolled his eyes before continuing.
"First, Ben, Penelope, Murray, and Neyla will go up to the treasure room to break in and steal the goods. I will go down to the docks below to help carry off the loot haul. In the meantime, Sly, Panda King, Guru, and Carmelita will proceed into the palace to switch out Jing King for Carmelita right out from under Tsao's nose! Once this is done, we'll rush out of here and, on the wedding day, Carmelita will bust General Tsao!" Bentley said.
"Think you can handle him?" Sly asked his love interest as Carmelita scoffed and held up her shock pistol.
"Do I NEED to tell you about my shock pistol again?"
Everyone soon moved into their positions for the big heist. Sly tapped into his comms to everyone else.
"I'm in the green light position, let's get a roll call."
"I'm here for ya, brother!" Ben said.
"Ready to do the dirty," Neyla smiled next to Ben.
"Ready!" Bentley affirmed.
"Roger," Carmelita said.
"In position!" Penelope nodded.
"I'm pumped!" Murray cheered.
Guru spoke in his Aboriginal tongue but everyone could tell he was more than ready.
"I too stand ready... even if we fail, it will have been an honorable effort. Jing King is not forgotten." Panda King said.
"We're getting her back, man. That's a promise! And guys like us never back out of our promises!" Ben said as Panda King smiled thankfully upon hearing that.
"Alright everyone, let's go!"
Ben and Neyla proceeded through the vent system at the top of the treasure room and, after crawling for a bit, they entered into the main area and opened the door for Murray and Penelope to get in.
"Opening the door for a lady, and some say chivalry is dead."
"Oy, he's mine, sweetheart. Stick with Bentley." Neyla said with a teasing smile as she wrapped her tail around Ben's waist protectively. Penelope just giggled playfully in response.
"Okay, what's the plan?" Murray asked.
"According to the blueprints, there's a security computer on the far side of the room, under the dragon statue. I should be able to destroy it with my RC Car, provided I don't trip any of the blue security beams along the way." Penelope said.
"I can help out too, you know? I have Slytunkahumen's Invisibility Technique." Ben smiled.
"Not likely. The lasers and the blue security beams sense body temperature too. You'd trip the alarms if you got caught by the beams and get burnt to a crisp by the lasers." Penelope frowned.
"Crap..."
Neyla and Murray both patted Ben on the back as Penelope pulled out her RC Car and maneuvered through the area with a special camera mounted on it that she was able to use with her Binocucom. She moved it through the area carefully until she blasted apart the computer in one blast!
"There! The laser door should be going... away?" Penelope said in confusion as the lasers remained online.
Murray rubbed the back of his head. "They must have another computer or something."
"Bloody hell, that Cock is more clever than I thought..." Neyla frowned.
"But... there was only supposed to be one! The security nodes are still active! If that second computer fully boots up, there's no way we'll get in!" Penelope complained in frustration and confusion.
"Penelope, we've been doing this for a long time. And if there is one thing I've learned, it's that, when a plan gets messed up, always fall back on the golden rule." Murray said as Ben smirked at that.
"Yeah, what's that?" Neyla asked.
"BREAK STUFF!" Murray and Ben both said at the same time as they high-fived.
"Y-You're right! If I can destroy all the security nodes before the other computer comes online, the laser door should deactivate! I don't have much time!" Penelope said as she began to start attacking the nodes. Soon, she managed to destroy them all in a snap!
"Wow, you're pretty good at breaking stuff. I, uh... I can respect that." Murray said as Ben chuckled.
"Who says women can't smash with the best of them just like us, big guy?"
"You got a point, Ben."
"Now let's get at that loot," Neyla smiled as the four proceeded forward and found the dragon statue and the fact that the treasure was protected by a double button trap door.
"On three, darling?" Neyla smiled.
"Got it," Ben smirked as he got to my button on the left. "One, two, THREE!"
The two pushed the buttons at the same time, but the trap door only opening slightly to reveal flaming dragon heads!
"Dragons?! I got 'em." Murray exclaimed in surprise as he smashed the dragon heads with his fists. After they were taken care of, Ben and Neyla went for the buttons again.
"Okay, one more time. One, two, THREE!" Neyla said, her and Ben pushing the buttons as the trap doors then opened up and the gang was granted access to the treasure!
"Let's get a look at that treasure," Penelope smiled as she got down there first followed by Ben and Neyla.
"What do you see? Is it awesome?" Murray asked.
"There's plenty of treasure, but the foundation is rotted out. Very unstable," Penelope frowned as the four got a call from Sly.
"Hey, guys, Tsao's on his way to the treasure hoard. How're ye comin' along?"
"We're doing awesome! Stand aside, guys! CANNONBALL!" Murray exclaimed as he then slammed down into the rotted-out treasury floors.
"MURRAY, YOU FOOL!" Ben cried as the place began to give way.
"Uh-oh..."
The four fell through the temple as Bentley jumped out of the way, the temple collapsing and falling into the river below.
"Okay, Muray, next time LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP!" Ben said as Murray rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, only for the gang to notice General Tsao having witnessed the destruction.
"My family temple...DESTROYED! Never have I experienced such an outrage! You shall pay!" Tsao growled angrily at us.
"Eat it, Tsao! I broke your temple, now I'm going to break your face for messing with the Cooper Gang!" Murray yelled back.
"Let me get some licks at him too. My metal arm still has some ironing out to do on his skull!" Ben growled as he stood beside Murray.
"You two cannot hurt me!" Tsao boasted but Ben smirked as he handed Murray the treasure chests.
"Oh yeah? Head's up, Bentley! Loot drop ahoy!" Murray punched the treasure chests down to Bentley. Needless to say, Tsao was greatly displeased upon seeing this.
"THE OUTRAGE! Stone Dragon of the temple! I summon you, from rock to flesh, aid the family Tsao in this hour of need!" Tsao chanted as the gang saw a green light coming from the river and gawked at what happened next. A giant red Chinese dragon appeared from the river, fire emitting from his mouth.
"Well...guess it's time to do a little Attack on Titan reimagining!" Ben said with a smirk as he fired a grappling hook from his bionic arm and launched himself toward the dragon, who breathed fire at him but he maneuvered out of the way before using his momentum to continue flying, even as he pulled the grappling hook back. He then unsheathed a long blade from his metal arm and in one fell swipe, cut the dragon's head off!
"Oh my!" Penelope exclaimed as Murray beamed in excitement.
"YOU ROCK, BEN!"
Ben soon fired his grappling hook again and swung back to the others as they all quickly made it to the rest of the gang and into the van.
"STEP ON IT!"
Murray grinned and slammed his foot on the pedal, the van driving off as Tsao furiously cursed the Cooper Gang out, not knowing that Jing King had also been rescued from under his nose and that Carmelita was waiting to bust him.
Suddenly, Tsao noticed a holographic projection showing Ben doing the Loser Dance from Fortnite, only further seeking to humiliate the Rooster Beastkin General!
*Ben POV*
With Jing King rescued and Tsao penniless and humiliated, we all headed a safe distance as Carmelita had her police force sneak into the wedding and record her busting Tsao, shocking him senseless, and taking him into custody right then and there. From what I hear, the locals were happy to see him go.
We dropped off Jing King with her aunt. The Panda King insisted that she'd be safe there and that he needed to pay off his debt to the gang. She seemed a little disappointed she couldn't join, especially since she and Murray seemed to be really hitting it off together.
Sly was still a little wary, but I was fully willing to give Panda King the benefit of the doubt. Besides, his skills would definitely come in handy. With everything taken care of, we decided to spend a few days living it up in Shanghai. What kind of gang of thieves would we be if we passed up on recreation like that?
Next Time: Dead Men Tell No Tales!
Dimitri calls in his favor Sly and Ben promised him back in Holland. The favor in question? Getting his grandfather's old diving gear and treasure back!