"Mmm..."Sly mumbled as his eyes slowly slid open.
Warm... I feel strangely...warm. When Sly's vision had finally cleared, his gaze trailed up a bit, only to find that his face was nestled in Rai's chest as she was still snoozing away, which caused him to grin softly. Ah, right, now I remember... Rai and I decided to get some sleep after I had made it to the hideout... He noted. Well, I should probably get up and see what Bentley has planned, but I'll let her sleep at the very least.
Sly then carefully slipped out of Rai's hold on him as not to wake her, climbing out of bed. After putting everything back on, he grabbed his cane and quietly exited her room, closing the door behind himself before approaching Bentley, who was already awake and sat down by his laptop. "So, what are we up against?"
"It's tough to say, but I do have a few jobs for you and Rai to complete." The turtle replied.
"Alright, well, I can handle what you've got for me, but I just let Rai sleep for now. She should be up soon, so fill her in while I'm out of and when she wakes up."
"Will do." Bentley nodded. "And don't worry, you two will have plenty of time to "cuddle," or whatever it is you do..."
Sly abruptly flushed. "W-well, you didn't have to say it like that, you know..."
Bentley rolled his eyes. "Just get out there so I can brief you on your tasks." He pointed.
"I guess I do kinda owe ya for saving my ass back there, don't I?" Sly rubbed the back of his neck nervously.
"I suggest you hop to it then, killer."
"Yeah, no need to tell me twice." He then exited the Safe House, taking one more glance back at the hideout before he head out for a mission.
Why do I still feel uneasy...? I understand Murray is still locked up, but I'm sure he's more than capable of handling himself. I mean, I'm free and so is Rai, but still... I just can't shake this uneasiness I feel... Sly quickly shook his head. No, I can't focus on that right now. I have things to do and can't be getting distracted right now.
The ringtail climbed up the walls of the prison before hopping over, but at that moment upon landing, his binocucom began to go off. He quickly pulled the device out and answered the call to see Bentley, of course, wishing to fill him in on a mission. "So then, what's the scoop?" Sly asked.
"I'm going to need your help in order to crack the Contessa's encryption algorithm."
"Love to help out, pal, but...I literally have no idea what you're talking about right now. Mind filling in the gaps?"
"Okay, then let me explain this one step at a time." He said. "See that security station ahead of you? The guard holding the key is in charge of its upkeep. First, pickpocket the key from the guard."
"Alright, I'm with you so far."
"Next, head back over to the security station and set off the alarm."
"Hold up! You want to set off the alarm?"
"Yeah. Set it off and then clear out, as the guard is sure to come running. Once he sees that it's a false alarm, he'll input the code to turn it off."
"Oh, I see, so you want me to take a picture of the code then, is that it?"
"Move to a safe place to get a clean shot of the digital output."
"Should I hit all the security stations while I'm out here?"
"Yes. Once I gave a large enough sample of the security codes, I should be able crack the Contessa's encryption algorithm."
"Ah, see, now ya lost me again."
"Just take the photos, I'll handle the rest..." He then disconnected.
Sly gave a small chuckle as he put his binocucom away, until a thought crossed his mind. Rai... I wonder if she's awake yet?
The raccoon suddenly tapped on his earpiece. "Hey, Bent—"
"Looking for me?" A voice chirped.
Sly perked up. "Rai? That you?"
She chuckled in response. "Well, who else would I be?"
"And how exactly could you have known I was looking for you?" Sly asked suspiciously.
Another chuckle was heard. "You did leave while I was still sleeping, so lucky guess, I suppose."
Sly chuckled this time. "Alright, fine, you win."
"Always do." Rai replied.
The raccoon let out another chuckle. "Well, I'm sure you've got missions of your own to accomplish, so I should let you go, huh?"
"I overheard your conversation between Bentley, and he's already filled me in one what I need to do, so yeah, I should get to it while the going is good. I see you back at the Safe House, lady killer, so go on and get those codes so Bentley can start decoding the Contessa's encryption algorithm."
"Okay, see, now ya lost me..."
Rai sighed. "Just get the photos and Bentley can handle the rest, darling. Ciao for now." And with that, the fox disconnected.
Sly chuckled to himself. She certainly has a way with words, that woman...
Sly then leapt down from the building and went for the guard while his back was turned, easily getting the key from his pocket. He then went back over to the security station and set off the alarm. Once it was going off, Sly quickly took off and climbed up on top of a nearby building just as the guard had come to turn the alarm off. While he was inputting the code, Sly took out his binocucom, getting it ready for a good shot. When he saw the code flash on a screen above the keypad, he snapped a photo, grinning at a job well done.
"Alright, one down, three to go."
Sly quickly made his way to the next security station, snatching the key and getting up to a good vantage point where he could get the picture. It was a little tricky with the smaller guards prowling around, but Sly managed to get his shot. Now halfway there, he quickly head off for the next one, which was right by the Contessa's manor, but before he decided to rob the guard of his key, Sly wanted to scan around for a good vantage point.
"Hmm... Given the angle of the screen, that spot up there would be my best bet, but how would I get up there given the limited time frame?" He thought for a long moment, studying the area. "Oh, I see. I'll have to be quick though." The raccoon then went to snag the key.
It wasn't difficult to get the security key, at which, he used on the station, setting off the alarm. With that done, Sly quickly climbed up to the vantage point he was eyeing. Once up there, he whipped out his binocucom and snapped a picture when the code was displayed to him, smirking a bit. "Not too shabby, if I do say so myself. Now then, only one more to go." He then head off for the final security station, but upon arriving, he huffed.
The guard was standing in the way of the security station, throwing a monkey wrench into his whole plan. Sly had to think of a plan to get this guy's key, set off the alarm, and get a picture without getting caught. He thought about it for a moment, until it hit him. Sly took notice of a bell next to a nearby building and found that it was close enough so the guard would hear it. The raccoon walked up to the bell before whacking it with his cane and taking off as the guard came running. Without a second to waste, once the guard had his back turned, Sly grabbed the key and set off the alarm. Next, he climbed up the building with the bell on it before hopping onto a spire point on a wire, whipping out his binocucom just in time to see the guard inputting the code as he quickly snapped a picture of it.
"Okay, that should be enough codes. Nice work, partner." Bentley praised as Sly let out a sigh.
"Alright, what's next then?"
"You need to destroy a giant attack robot."
"I'm sorry, but...say that again?"
"Did I stutter? I said that you need to destroy a giant attack robot."
Sly raised an eyebrow. "U-umm..."
"Just head to the waypoint I've left for you and I'll fill you in on what to do from there."
Sly just shrugged, deciding not to argue with him as he quickly head for his next waypoint. Once back inside the prison walls, Sly head toward about the center of the prison, where he was stood on a rooftop as he pulled out his binocucom. "Okay, Sly, that's it, the Contessa's giant attack robot!" Bentley said.
"Look, Bentley, with all due respect, it looks an awful lot like a water tower."
"Don't be fooled, that's what she wants you to think! If we try to free Murray while that thing is operational, why..."
"What, we'll have plenty of fresh drinking water?" Sly cracked a joke.
"I'm serious, Sly!" Bentley defended.
He just chuckled. "Of course, I do owe you one after all."
"The lightning rods around the prison are designed to draw lightning strikes away from the water tower-err, giant attack robot."
"Uh-huh, yeah..."
"By turning the wheels on the rod, you should be able to redirect the electrical current away from its ground wire, rendering it useless. Just follow the lighting strikes to locate all five lightning rods."
"Okay, hold up, let me just see if I got this: You want me to break the ground circuit on all these lightning rods so that a bolt with strike, "and destroy" the giant attack robot posing as a water tower. Did I miss anything?"
"Nope, that's an accurate summation. Now then, get on it, field man." Bentley then disconnected.
"Wait, but I—" Sly groaned, realizing the call line had already ended as he stuffed the device away, sighing. "Seriously, is that some sort of sick punishment game? What gives?"
"Hahahaha!"
Sly perked up for a moment, only to then frown when he recognized that giggling. "Are you laughing at me over there?"
"Sorry, Sly, I just couldn't help but tune in on your guys' conversation. But really, I didn't know the Contessa would stoop so low as to make a, quote, "giant attack robot" and have it pose as some kind of water tower. I just find this whole situation amusing is all, but I'm not laughing at you, Sly." Rai explained.
The raccoon sighed. "Whatever, I'll just do what Bentley says since he knows best."
"Will do. See ya soon, stud." Rai replied before disconnecting.
He went ahead and disabled the first lighting rod, which he was already standing on. After turning all threw wheels, a loud thudding noise was heard, followed by static currents, meaning this one was out of commission. With that done, Sly moved on to the remaining four. It wasn't too difficult in locating all the lighting rods, especially with him following the lighting strikes, so he made quick work of disabling each one. However, as Sly continued disabling the lightning rods, he began to notice that it was becoming more difficult in breaking the ground circuit, since the lightning had fewer and fewer rods to strike. When he finally got to the last rod, which was one a building with a rather large rooftop, giving him ample room to move around, Sly hopped on the platform the rod was sat on, spinning the first wheel.
Boom!
"Urgh!" Sly immediately leapt backward, just narrowly avoiding the lightning strike as it hit the rod. "Damn... That was close..."
However, Sly couldn't let that stop him as he got back on the platform and spun the next wheel. Suddenly though, just like before, another lightning bolt struck the rod.
Boom!
Sly leapt backward just in time, landing on the wire attached to the building. Now with the lightning gone, he quickly went back and spun the last wheel. "That should do it."
Crash!
He smirked. "Nice."
BOOM!
"Ugh!?" Sly gasped. "What was that?" Without a moment to waste, Sly climbed up the wire and onto the prison walls just in time to witness a huge bolt of lightning strike the water tower.
"Like I said: Giant. Attack. ROBOT!" Bentley emphasized.
Sly shrugged a bit, realizing he was right when he saw those red eyes open, only to shut moments later due to the lightning strike putting the robot out of commission for good. "Alright, fair enough. I stand tremendously corrected."
"Glad you realize your mistake. Now then, go ahead and come on back to the Safe House."
"Be right there." He then disconnected, sighing. "Geez... I never get a break, do I?"
Sly quickly head back to the hideout, but once there, he turned to Bentley, who was typing on his computer. "Hey, I—"
"She's in her room getting ready. Feel free to go see her if you so choose." Bentley pointed with his thumb.
Sly nodded. "Alright. Be right back then."
"Mm-hm..." Bentley mumbled, too focused on typing up his plans to really give it much thought.
Sly leaned his cane against the wall before quietly opening the door to Rai's room. When Sly peered inside the room, he saw the fox fixing her gloves before tightening the mask around her face. It was then though that Rai glanced back, perking up when she noticed Sly in the corner of her eye, which caused her to grin as she turned to face the raccoon. "You know, you could've woken me up."
"And ruin that pretty face of yours? Sorry, but I just couldn't jeopardize that." Sly joked.
Rai laughed a bit. "Okay, casanova, I get it, but it is really so wrong that is like to spend a little time with you, especially after being apart the way we were?" She asked as she approached Sly, draping her arms around his neck.
Sly smirked, grasping onto Rai's hips as he spoke. "No, but you just looked so peaceful sleeping that I didn't want to disturb you."
"Alright, fair point." Rai then paused, her eyes flicking away from Sly's for a brief moment. "Can I ask you something?"
"Ask away." Sly replied coolly.
Rai exhaled through her nose. "What exactly are we to each other?" She asked. "This has been bothering me ever since Monaco. So...what are we, you and I?"
"Well, now that depends on what you want us to be." Sly replied. "I'm sure that by now you know how I feel about you, and I've got the feeling that you see it too, am I right?"
Rai sighed. "Honestly, ever since we shared that first kiss together back in Monaco, every time I'm with you, I can't help but feel my heart flutter, and clench whenever we're apart. So, you tell me, Sly, what does that make us?"
Sly was the one to sigh this time. "I think you already know what I'm going to say, but I'll do it anyway." He said. "It's pretty clear to me that, for as long as I've come to know you, you've never known what love is."
Rai unintentionally tensed up. "Love, like trust, was just always something that was out of my reach. If I can't trust anyone, how could I ever learn to love? I asked myself this question I don't know how many times, but at the same time, I don't think you're wrong either... I want to believe this, to believe in what we have together, yet I also don't want to make the same mistakes I have in the past."
"Hey, look at me, Rai." Sly urged, placing a hand against her cheek as their eyes met, but Sly could clearly see that doubt shining in those emerald hues of hers. "Look at how far we've come, at what we've been through this far. I'm still here, aren't I?"
"Well, yes, but—"
"Here." Sly then grabbed Rai's hand, pressing it right against his chest as the fox could feel a light thumping on her palm. "You're the only one who has ever made my heart beat this fast. I feel like I'm on Cloud 9 whenever I'm with you, and like I'm sinking when you're not. So then, it all comes down to you. What do you want, Rai? What is it you really want for us?"
Rai stared into Sly's hazel eyes for a long while before averting her gaze for a split second, only to then take her hand away from Sly's chest. However, she surprised the raccoon when she took his hand and placed it against her chest this time, where Sly could feel that rapid heartbeat of hers pounding. "You can feel it, right? How fast my heart is beating?"
Sly nodded. "It's like a humming bird flapping its wings."
"You're the only person who has ever made my heart pound like this in all the years I've been thieving. So..." Rai exhaled sharply. "I...I want to believe in this, I do, but... Damn it...!"
"What do you want, Rai, that's all I'm asking." Sly said.
She bit her bottom lip for a moment before gazing back up at Sly. "I want to be with you, Sly. You're the only person who has ever showed me so much kindness and has proven to me that I should learn to trust again, so...if you'll allow it, I..." Rai let out another sharp exhale. "I want you to stay with me, Sly, to heal the wounds on my heart."
Sly gave a warm smile, pulling Rai into a tight embrace, which caused her to blush ever so slightly. "Of course I'll stay with you, Rai, because I feel the same way about you. I know you're still wary, but just so long as you put your faith in me, I promise to never take it for granted."
Rai was quiet for a long moment before a soft smile finally appeared on her face, wrapping her arms around Sly. "That's all I've ever wanted to hear..."