"Bentley," said Sly after getting out his binnocucom, "I'm in position."
But to Sly's surprise, it wasn't Bentley that responded, but Thaddeus.
—"Bentley is too busy researching the blueprints to the main building that Emma gave us. I'll help you for now, old chap."
"Really? Cool. So, any ideas on how we're going to get inside that building over there?"
"Now," Thaddeus began to explain the plan, "while I will inform Bentley of this later, I feel the need to talk to you about it first, seeing as you're out and about and all. I saw the blueprints. You'll be needing to find something called a ventilation system. Yes, that's it. It should be located somewhere close to that statue of the Eaglet over there, near the left side of the building's front entrance. Now that those smiling contraptions aren't working anymore, you should be able to get to it just fine."
"Thanks," said Sly.
"Not a problem, chap. I have to talk to you later, I must inform Bentley of the situation."
Sly ran over to the Eaglet statue and crawled underneath of the vent to get inside of the main building. But he then saw that many rooms were locked.
"Alright, Thaddeus, now what?"
"Judging from locked door over there," said Thaddeus, "I'd say that that is that wasp's office. One of the guards may have the key to the door, so search everywhere, okay chap?"
"Copy that, said Sly, "But wouldn't-"
"Say no more," Thaddeus cut him off, "Sly, my boy, for I already have a plan. Just try using that vent over there, though that will need a key, too. Try searching in every room, and you should find it."
Sly managed to make his way past several guards, including three Pesky Ponies, and climbed up a pipe at the far right of the room, which lead directly to the open window of an employee's lounge. Sly climbed into the lounge and pickpocketed a sleeping pony who had a key that Sly needed, though unfortunately, it wouldn't get him into Ven's office. It got him into a small café instead. The café is located on the other side of the main lobby, which is where Sly managed to infiltrate earlier. By using the key, he'll be able to enter the café, where Sly was greeted by laser security and searchlights. He crawled under some tables and headed toward a Horrible Hare who was too focused on his tea. He was able to get another key from the guard, which was able to access the repair department just underneath the lounge and next to what looked like a printing press room where they posters and other such things were made. Once in the repair department, he rail-walked on some broken roller coaster rails to get behind a Dastardly Dormouse who had yet another key. This key didn't seem to be useful at first until Sly got to the printing press room. Sly snuck past the hares and ponies on duty and reached an air vent, where the key was finally useful. Once inside, Sly reached the end of the vent and got into Ven's office. Once he reached the office, Sly placed a device under Ven's desk.
"Good," he said to himself, "done... " he then walked to a wall in Ven's office and took the Jack the Ripper costume from the hook it was hanging on, "and done. Thaddeus, are you there?"
"No," said a familiar turtle, "I am, Sly. I'm done researching the blueprints now, so I can resume talking to you. So, what did I miss?"
"I took that chip you gave me and planted it under Ven's desk," Sly explained, "it should be able to pick up what he's saying."
-"Excellent, Sly! Now head on back to the hideout before Ven gets back."
But just then, Sly and Bentley heard Ven approaching the office door.
"Oh no," said Bentley, "he's here! Find a place a hide, quick!"
Sly hid behind a sofa. Ven opened the door to his office and quickly sat down on his chair. He soon glanced over at a picture of a beautiful mouse woman.
"Oh, Belle," Ven said to himself, "it's been too long since your passin'... You were always such a tender soul. Someday, I swear I'll see you alive again. I just know I will."
Sly moved a bit so he can see Ven. Sly was shocked and confused to see a picture of what looked like a redheaded Penelope on Ven's desk holding an infant mouse in her arms.
"Huh? Penelope?"
"Willington Inc. will pay for taking you from me," the bug continued his soliloquy, "I know I keep saying that, but I mean it. I love you too much not to avenge your death. Benjamin needs you. I need you. I was assured by Willington Inc. that they would be able to make the safest rides ever, but they failed me. I hate failure. That rude little witch Penelope and that friend of hers won't go anywhere near Ben. As soon as you come back, everything will be okay again. It needs to be. It has to be. It will happen. It must happen. I will not let the shackles of death bind you and I to loneliness! I- "
Ven was interrupted by his office phone ringing. He answered it.
"Yes? This is Ven St. Claire speaking."
During this time, Sly got out his binocucom.
"Look at that picture," he whispered, "Is that Penelope?"
"Not from the looks of it, Sly," said Bentley, "Penelope is a natural blonde. This woman is a natural redhead from the looks of it. But I have to admit that it's pretty shocking how similar she looks to Penelope. Hold on a second, I need to see who Ven's wife was. Okay, Sly, I found it. Her name was Belle St. Claire."
"Wait," said Sly, "She's a country singer, isn't she?"
-"Yes, Sly. Yes she is."
"I know about her! She used to be my favorite country singer! She was married to this nutcase? Wow. The things you don't know..."
Ven hung up the phone, only for it to ring again.
"Great. Now what?" Ven asked in annoyance before picking up the phone, "what is it? Ah, Jenkins, there you are. So, have you brought Penelope to the carousel? Good. You'll be getting a promotion and a raise for that. Is she hurt in any way? Scratch the promotion. You're just getting a raise."
Ven hung up the phone once again, then quickly left his office.
"Bentley," said Sly at normal volume once Ven was at a distance, "did you hear that?"
-"Yup. I'm heading over to the indoor section of the park. You head back to the hideout."
"Got it," said Sly.
All Sly needed to do was go back the way he came and he was back at the hideout.
"Hey Bentley," he asked the turtle after he made it inside, "you have a plan?"
"Yeah, but it's risky," Bentley responded, holding up a slightly busted RC Car.
"You fixed it?" Sly asked in surprise.
"Just barely," Bentley admitted, "a hit from anything and it'll fall to pieces. Anyway, that vent right there next to the one you just crawled out of is right where we need to put the RC Car in. The vent will lead right into the indoor section of the park, but from what I can see, there's laser security in it. I'll need to be careful."
-"And I was just about to ask why I couldn't do this myself. Alright, I'll head to the safehouse. And thanks for helping with the RC Car."
"No problem," said Bentley. He placed a sticky bomb on a vent and it detonated, loosening the grid, enabling it to open, and placed the RC Car inside.
Bentley's RC Car has a lot less health than previously, and the laser security will be quite tough to navigate around at times. Halfway through the vent, there will be a crossroad. To the left will be the intended destination, while to the right, there will be a Secret Bentley Mask. Bentley's RC Car must collect the mask, head back to the crossroad and continue onward, avoiding lasers as it goes. Once it reaches a dead end at the end of the ventilation system, a cutscene will begin.
"Good," Bentley said as he turned on the RC Car's camera and a recorder-like device, "now I can listen to everything Ven and Penelope have to say."
Bentley then saw something he didn't expect to see; Penelope tied up to one of the merry-go-round's horses.
"What?!"
"Let me go," shouted Penelope as she struggled to break free, "you overgrown bumblebee! I'm your boss!"
"Au contraire, madame," said Ven, "I'm the master here. Well, so long as you're in my park, of course. And no, you're going to be in here for quite some time until we figure out how the ritual will go."
"Ritual?" Bentley whispered to himself.
"Ritual?" Penelope said, "what kind of ritual? It'll just be a waste of time, you supersti-"
Ven shushed her before saying, "I'll have none of that kind of talk, mouse. What y'all don't understand is that I had a wife who loved me, and I want her to see just how much I love her by breaking the laws of nature just to bring her back from the grave. Mz. Ruby didn't lend me her spell book for nothing, you hear me, mouse? I will see her again, even if I have to hang you by the neck to make that happen. You see, you're just a means to an end. I tricked you into thinking I was working for you, and now that we're here, my ritual to bring her back shall soon begin. Oh yes, she'll be so happy. I was just a broken young man when I met her, you know. She was just starting her career back then, and she wasn't so sickly. Well, not until a year after Ben was born. She would've recovered if it weren't for that despicable company. Y'all would've loved her voice, you know that?"
"Y'all?" Penelope kept struggling, "there's only one of me, you dumb-"
At that moment, a small poot squeaked out of her.
"What did I just tell you?" Ven told her, "I won't be having any of that, woman! And none of that gassy attitude, either. By y'all, I meant you and the rest of the Cooper Gang."
"That wasn't me," Penelope tried to deny, "that was the sound of my body rubbing against the horse. And I'm not a member anymore, remember? Now, let me go!"
"Quite the opposite," said Ven, "you've always been a member. Once a Cooper Gang member, always a Cooper Gang member. Y'all can't be trusted, not in any way, shape or form."
Ven's antennae began twitching.
"Speaking of which, I smell rubber. Somebody's watching us."
Bentley tried to get the RC Car to move, but Ven quickly opened up the vent where Bentley's RC Car was, grabbed it and threw it across the room, breaking it indefinitely.
"Like I said," Ven continued, "y'all can't be trusted. It's like when it's Mardi Gras and everyone is in a costume. Y'all can't be trusted, you hear me? Now, you just stay there like a good lil' sacrifice, and I'll be back with a proper plan. Au revoir."
And with that, he flew to the exit.
"Oh, and in case anyone tries getting in through the roof, here's this," he added, activating laser security directly below the ceiling before leaving.
Penelope struggled in vain to escape her bonds.
"Oh, Penelope, What a little fool you were..."
Penelope began to remember what happened back in Medieval England. She started out feeling guilty, but then all of a sudden got angry.
"Lousy Cooper Gang! I wouldn't be in this mess if Bentley had only listened to reason!"
Bentley's microphone-like device, which had been active for awhile, finally stopped working. He then rolled himself out of the building.
"I'll rescue you, Penelope..." he muttered, "but it'll only be because I want answers."
Job Complete
