From First Day – Walden.
On the first day,
When we fell in love
It all changed.
We were living life in the fast lane,
Showing all the world
It's the rest of our lives; it's the rest of our lives.
On the last day,
When we called it off
It all changed.
Slowing to a stop but it's okay,
Cause I'll show the world
Got the rest of my life; the rest of my life.
Bentley's Lab, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. 6:05pm 1st August 2013.
The soft footsteps of Sly walk off the green paper and out of the room past the watching gang. No one says anything; they just watch the end, the end of all of their adventures together.
For now…
There will be more in store for them, considering that such a brazen declaration on the world's media will no doubt attract attention. Bentley does not need to focus on that, he knows that it works. Sly goes over to the Thievius Raccoonus to flick through it's pages. He now will get the opportunity to imprint his ways and adventures alongside Bentley's contributions and the ancestors he is indebted to for the entirety of his existence. The gang slowly filters out of the room to see Sly doing this. Sly turns to them from his position. Sly look sat this can and throws it to the gang. Bentley catches it with his extendible arms that place the cane across his wheelchair. Sly takes off his mask and places it gently on the Thievius Raccoonus. The black fabric draping off the pages of this tome of thieves. Sly walks off and goes into a room by himself. The gang looks at themselves and back at the door, trying to figure out what the other is thinking. A nasally voice cuts the air.
"He's… gone." Bentley says.
"Again." Murray says, almost going to tears.
"But we'll always be with him, right?" Penelope asks.
"In all my years of knowing him I still don't know what goes on inside his head." Bentley says with futility.
The door reopens with Sly now changed into his black shirt and kharki pants.
"Sly!" Murray shouts.
"What? Did you think I'd leave you guys again?" Sly asks rhetorically.
"No. Not at all." Bentley fakes.
"I thought we should go out tonight and celebrate this moment, go out on the town and have a great time." Sly explains. "I was just getting changed, that's all. I don't want people to recognise me."
"What'd ya say?" Sly asks.
The mood in the room elevates to complete happiness and a feel good atmosphere.
"Sure." Bentley says. "Penelope, where do you recommend?"
"I know this great place next to the canal, great food, great wine, the best that money can buy in this city." Penelope explains.
"That's settled then. Dinner's on me." Sly exclaims.
They all start to walk out to the van that is parked inside. The lift hoists them up to ground level.
"Hey Sly, can I borrow a spare 2 million? I'd like to re-unite myself with my car again." Joey asks.
"That won't be necessary." Sly says.
Murray drives the van out of the driveway and guess what car is parked outside the show shop.
"No way! You, my friend, are an absolute legend." Joey exclaims as he jumps out of the van to get inside. In his excitement, he forgets a vital piece of this machine.
"Keys?" Joey asks.
"Check your pockets." Sly replies. Sure enough, the keys rest in his left pant pocket. Joey is stunned on the inside but he plays it cool.
"You are good, very good." He mutters as he turns to unlock the car. The van drives off and Joey follows behind.
They enjoy the night at the restaurant, they talk, they joke, they laugh and they have a great time into the night. The bill is large but they can cover it. The night is dark but they continue on in the perfect conditions for thieving. There is an open-air concert on, they watch that into the night, listing to bass line booms and thumping drops into the night. Joey particularly enjoyed himself that night; he even snuck his way backstage to meet the DJ. It is now his mobile phone home screen picture.
The gang continued the night with a long walk along the canals, talking and chatting with each other like they were just mates catching up for the night. It is perhaps the best moment, seeing them all like this. No barriers, no grudges and no restrictions. They can be their natural selves for once, not needing to hide behind these personalities that they create to hide from each other.
The night wears on into the next day but it is not over for them. They return to the lab still talking and chatting to each other and go back inside to chat some more. Murray gets in the kitchen and whips up some snacks for them to eat while they just sit back and relax and enjoy each others company. Whether it is Sly with Carmelita, Bentley with Penelope, Murray with a pizza or Joey with… no one, they are enjoying the night.
It keeps going until one by one they go to sleep. The clock continues forward at it's unchanged rate as time has done for millennia. Sly is the last one left; he looks around the room to see if everyone is gone. They have. He goes up to his possessions and looks at the new addition in this area with all this family heirlooms. It is a small metal box with a combination lock. There is only one thing to do with it.
It's 4:20am, and Sly has a safe to crack.