Hey everyone,
I am happy to announce that, even though I have 16 stories per month to post, I keep finding myself done earlier and earlier down the month for a few months now, meaning I have more and more time to work ahead. However, this does not YET mean that I can up my amount of posting from one chapter to two per month.
However, there is good news hidden in this as, while I cannot promise to up my posting amounts just yet, do I still feel that, maybe starting somewhere around August-September or later, I will be able to get that done, granted that things in my personal life don't turn themselves on their head or go out of their way to keep my busy.
So yeah, hooray,

Venquine1990

Sly's POV

Drifting in the stream of the lake created by my ancestor many centuries ago took away everything that had been done to me by Akudo; the pain, both emotional and mental, the sickness as well as the strong sense of guilt and insecurity that I have been feeling ever since the team got back together and reunited in the Hide Out.
However, while my friends have yet to find the lake, does the spirit of my ancestor have no problem finding them and it seems he found them not having fun and relaxing, but in some kind of pickle as it rushed back to where Carmelita and I were floating in the watery surface and surrounded me with the concern it felt for my team.
This action apparently caused for something to alert Carmelita as well, yet while I don't know who could have found us at our secret little spot in the park, do I mutter: "The rest is in trouble." And with that, do I stand up, feeling rejuvenated, feeling all of my body healed of the flu and once more ready for any kind of fight.

Carmelita sees this as she sees me stand up and only seconds later, is she out of the lake and does she hold her shockgun in both her hands and near her head with the end of the gun aimed for the sky as she says: "Let's go." And while I can't help but worry for her in a somewhat strange sense of familiarity, do I nod at her.
Feeling glad that I didn't undress in anyway, do I just jump out of the lake and reach for the tip of my cane with my arm while dashing for one of the lower branches of the trees surrounding the lake and while Carmelita is shocked to see me this agile once again, does she just smile afterwards and follow me by foot on land.
Feeling my body fully healed and once more under my own control instead of that of the illness that troubled me for days, do I happily and easily dash from one tree to the next, making sure to jump in between clusters of branches and leafs to make sure I make as little noise as possible to keep the attacker in the unknown.
Carmelita follows me from the forest floor, yet she proves that she and I have the same strategy in mind as she constantly looks from the ground in front of her to the path ahead of her, making sure not to step onto large branches or clusters of leafs that lie on the ground and like this, do we reach the clearing outside the forest.

Yet instantly upon arriving there, does Carmelita hide herself behind one of the last trees and do I move to one of the highest branches and peek through a set of branches that have just enough leafs to let me see through, while at the same time properly hiding me from view unless you were to look at my spot with real focus.
I lower a small branch to improve my vision of the park and instantly try and spot one of my team members in the apple trees, feeling a strong sense of relief when I spot the purple scales – that is until I see that these same scales are combined with black chains and I turn away from him as I think: "Well, that's one partner less."
And then I see that it really will just be me and Carmelita as everyone else is actually tied together in a heap of what I can only imagine are mind-numbing herbs that seem to be ignited just enough for their odor to wave up and flow into the noses of all my other team members, only to, at second glance, realize I am missing one.

Then Carmelita gasps and I look down at her before following her line of sight and my eyes widen at the same time that my blood boils over with fury as Penelope is knocked out and actually chained to the park wall, her arms hanging above her and her legs stuck to two bushes that are placed nearby and spread her form out wide.
And to make matters worse is she not only naked, but are there already clamps on her cleavage and a chain around her neck as well as a ball in her mouth. How whoever is behind this can knock her out enough to – ugh – cloth her up like this without her waking astounds me and I think: "Time to repay a debt. I'm coming, Penelope."

"Not yet." Carmelita suddenly hisses and while I wonder how she knew that I wanted to dash for the poor mouse girl, do I look down and she hisses: "We need to know our enemy before we attack or we just run into a trap. We can't help the team if we're caught as well." To which I grunt in anger, but still give her right.
Only at the same time that I do, does the actual set of dirt bags show themselves and they apparently are a familiar bunch as Carmelita gasps again, yet while something about them feels familiar, can I not recognize the two Weasels that walk with the Hedgehog that stops after passing the apple trees, looks around and then walks on.
The Hedgehog is well build in muscles and has the same height as Dimitri, yet is just slightly less bulky than Murray and I have no doubt it will take a lot of teamwork from Carmelita and me to take him out. The Hedgehog has his spikes pointed outwards and has his auburn red hair wrapped around it with the tips sticking out.

"That was the Hedgehog that was keeping your cane at the Krack-Karov Volcano. Ugh, why did I not arrest him when I knocked him out? I can't believe I made such a rookie mistake." Carmelita hisses more to herself than to me, yet while angry do I not feel like blaming her as right now I need to focus on saving my team.
"Later." I hiss at her and just when I do, has the trio reached Penelope and does the Hedgehog again look around his surroundings, obviously trying to find me, before he sighs and says: "Well, if that cane-stealing beast won't come out and show his ugly mug, I might as well just go and have some fun until he gets here.
Wake her up, boys." To this the two ugly looking Weasels show grins that are darker and more sinister of nature than any I have ever seen on the face of some simple lackeys and while hating how they obviously intend to use the so-called toys to do this, do I, instead, focus on coming up with an escape and rescue plan.

Letting my eyes roam over the entire area and analyzing all the problems and what could be a possible solution to them, do I suddenly feel like Bentley as I instantly feel a solution come to mind and I whisper: "Carmelita, I got an idea." Which apparently draws Carmelita out of her own need to dash in and make her look up.
I then reach for the vine that hangs from the top of the tree next to me and say: "I need you to draw their attention and put your Shockgun on just the right kind of power that it feels like getting a static shock. However, make sure to make it a powerful one or we might not be able to wake Murray up and we will need his bulk.
In the mean time, while you draw their attention, I will swing over, from here to the team, use my cane to reach them, pick the lock and then over to Dimitri and free him. After that, all we have to do is wait for Murray and Bentley to see Penelope in her current state and they will do the rest. Just make sure to keep their attention and to shoot."

The fox seems hesitant, yet I make sure to wrap the vine around my wrist for extra security and give her a wink, telling her silently to trust me, to which she nods, focuses on the Weasels and their victim and while I make a silent dash off my branch and out into the open field, does she shout: "Yo, ugly!" Reminding me of Bentley.
The two Weasels, who had just been able to wake Penelope up by constantly pulling on the clamps fastened to her cleavage and the Hedgehog look up shocked and Carmelita leans against her hiding tree with her back and left foot as she focuses on the big guy and asks: "Remember me, Mr. I only look in one direction?"
This makes me hold in on a snort and makes the two Weasels look at their Hedgehog boss in shock, while Penelope shouts: "Carmelita, look out!" Yet this only broadens Carmelita's smirk and she slowly pushes off of the tree. I, in the mean time, have reached the rest of the gang and have managed to unlock their chains silently.

I send a look at Carmelita, which the fox picks up on from the corner of her eye and just in time as she smirks and says: "Yeah, they should be looking out – for this shock." And after swinging the shockgun around her finger for a few swings before taking it into her hand and shooting a perfect shot exactly at my friends.
Penelope shouts in shock as she sees this and the eyes of the other three widen when they see where the shot is aimed for, yet by this time have I used the bulky form of Murray to run, jump and swing over to Dimitri and while the shot hits my entire team, do I use my cane to knock Dimitri back into the land of the conscious.
The Iguana wants to shout, yet I release the vine to slap my hand over his mouth and I whisper: "Make yourself scarce, Dimitri and head for Interpol. Bentley, Murray, Carmelita and I will leave them like the Cooper Gang always does, but Carmelita didn't take her equipment with her, so someone will have to warn Barkley."

The Iguana nods and then Bentley suddenly shouts: "HANDS OFF MY GIRL!" Which makes me look away from my scurrying friend and over to where Murray has used his muscles to send Bentley's wheelchair at the three thugs with incredible speed, enough to – when he hits them – knock over both Weasels and crash into the wall.
Yet after Murray has sent his friend rushing over and while Carmelita makes sure to keep the Hedgehog busy with blasts shots from her shockgun, does Murray use the distraction of the sweet inspector to rush at the bastard of a thug together with Panda King, yet the Guru doesn't as he instead looks at me.
I lock eyes with the small purple Panda and he reaches the tip of his cane out to me, making me smirk and use the trunk of the tree I am still leaning against as leverage to jump over to him and then use the movement of the Guru's arm to further power up my next jump, following this up twice more with the shoulders of Murray and Panda King.

Both of them halt their steps for only a second, yet their speed and the power of Guru launching me with his cane allows me to jump high and far enough to actually reach the Hedgehog, who seems too shocked to see me arrive out of nowhere and I hiss: "Here's the cane-thief." Before giving the mammal a firm whack.
The man's neck snaps back and I use the rest of my momentum to land against the park wall, using my cane to help Bentley free Penelope, the turtle actually pulling himself out of his own shell after we've cut all of her binds and while uncomfortable, does Penelope still smile gratefully as she slides her slimmer form into the shell.
Then I look up and smirk as Panda King has the Hedgehog's arms behind him, using the wristbands around the mammal's arms to keep his arms behind him by hooking them into his own spikes, while at the same time the beast looks dazed, obviously shot by Carmelita, while he is also being knocked out by Murray's Flaming Fists.

I whistle at the large hippo and when the two of them look at me, does Panda King release his hold on the Hedgehog, who responds by falling onto the grassy terrain under him, Murray only looking at the beast for a second before I say: "Let's go and head home. Guru, enchant that bastard to remain asleep until the authorities get here."
"But Sly –." Carmelita tries saying and I smile: "Don't worry, gorgeous, that is what Dimitri is for. He rushed to warn Barkley just before Bentley let out that battle cry. I'm sure Barkley will be here in ten minutes max." The fox nods and smiles and after a quick enchantment of the Guru, do we all hit the van and then the road home.

Okay, that is it!
And I have MORE GOOD NEWS! This is the SECOND TO FINAL CHAPTER of this story. Next chapter will be about the end of the week, Carmelita returning to Interpol for a short amount of time, maybe a little more Akudo – in a good, we-won-you-lost kind of way and the whole chapter ending with Carmelita going home.
So, starting June, I have the chance to have another story replace Dangerous Threats. Either that or I will use the time I now no longer have to use on this story to revamp and re-edit the Reading Series. YES, I AM HEARING YOU! I know you love that series and I love it too, only I am just not yet ready to post that series along with the others.
Hope you understand,

Venquine1990
PS. YEAH, ONE MORE CHAPTER!