//------------------------------// // A Daring Rescue // Story: Equestria Ninja Girls: The Thievius Raccoonus // by RainbowRaptorDash1 //------------------------------// Sly, Visamo, Karai, Adagio and Rarity arrived at their next destination at the volcano, only to find it incredibly guarded. "Okay, I'm starting to sweat from this heat." Rarity panted. "Makes sense since we’re at a volcano." Adagio noted. "Careful, guys! Those tiles are boobytrapped. You better get outta there!" Bentley said before Sly noticed something. "Hold on! That’s Carmelita and Mei Ling! They looked trapped." Sly responded. "They're persistent, I'll say that." Karai admitted. "Serves those cops right. They’ve been dogging us from the start." Bentley scoffed. "It’s just a misunderstanding. We’ve gotta free them." Sly declared. "You're really in love with her." Adagio smiled. "Hehe! Why am I not surprised?" Visamo laughed. "Are you crazy, Sly? Clockwerk probably stuck them there to trap you and the others!" Bentley pointed out. "It's still the right thing to do. Besides, stealing just won’t be any fun without her." Sly responded. "Sly, your ridiculous raccoon logic sends shivers up my shell, but if you and the others are determined to go through with this, Rarity’s shields will undoubtedly help, though I have no idea how it would last long enough against all that security." Bentley said. "Won't know till we try." Rarity pointed out. "Come on, Bentley. You know we can get this done." Sly said as he, Visamo and the Beauty Trio rushed at the traps. "This feels like a test to anyone else?" Rarity noticed. "It does feel like a standard Foot Clan obstacle course." Karai answered. "You’re kidding, right?" Adagio asked. "Ha! Talk about deja vu." Visamo added as Rarity redirected the lasers. "That means the leader of the Fiendish Five is the leader of the Foot Clan." Sly noted. "Definitely." Karai agreed. "We're almost there." Adagio pointed out before she and the others arrived. "This wasn’t even a challenge!" Visamo said. "You ladies were waiting for us?" Sly asked. "Sly Cooper! I should’ve known you and your friends were behind this." Carmelita growled. "You got us wrong, Ms. Fox… We’re here to rescue you." Sly explained. "Why should I trust a traitor and the Foot?!" Mei Ling hissed. "Black and white much?" Adagio asked. "You’re really dense." Rarity noted as Mei Ling banged on the cage in anger. "Come on, you two. A raccoon and a fox aren't that different, same with a Snow Leopard, a Tiger and an Asian Golden Cat." Visamo pointed out. "We're on the same side here." Sly added before some strange gas started leaking into the room. "Not good." Rarity dreaded as a silhouette appeared on the screens around them. "Hehehehehe. You sentimental fools. Empathy has always been the downfall of the Cooper and Hamato clans." The silhouette laughed. "You're wrong!" Karai retorted. "Still, to think that a Foot Clan from another realm have allied themselves with the Hamato Clan and changed their ways. I admit that it’s… irksome." The silhouette admitted. "If that makes us traitors to you, then that's a bonus!" Adagio mocked, angering the silhouette. "That anger you made me feel will only strengthen me." The silhouette said as the five thieves started falling unconscious. "I knew this was a trap! Looks like I’m going to have to do some fast and furious hacking to shut down that gas before Sly and the others’ brains are turned to cheese." Bentley declared. "Can you do it?" Murray asked. "I have a feeling that there are four levels of security in this with thirteen data keys, so I’ll have to give this hack all I got!" Bentley answered as he hacked as hard and fast as he could to say his friends. "Level 2! That’s one data key!" "Please, hurry!" Murray shouted. "Level 3! 3 data keys!" Bentley informed. "Last one?" Murray worried. "Level 4! 7 data keys! Almost there!" Bentley answered. "I'm stressing out!" Murray panicked. "All 13 data keys! The gas chamber is shut down! I’m the best! No code can stand before me!" Bentley boasted after deactivating the gas chamber while Murray threw up outside from the suspense. Back in the gas chamber, the gas went away and the five thieves regained consciousness. "Is everyone okay?" Carmelita asked. "Yeah." Sly answered as his friends agreed. "Now, I'm mad." Karai hissed. "Sly, we were wrong about you and your friends. Break us out of this force field by smashing its base and we’ll make it up to you somehow." Carmelita said. "Honestly, some help would be appreciated." Mei Ling admitted. "Give us a second to catch our breath." Adagio responded, but Sly smashed the base, destroying the force field and freeing the officers. "Still wanna shoot me and Adagio?" Karai asked as Carmelita shot the door behind her, blasting it open. "Guess that's a no." Adagio noted. "Come on, just follow us." Mei Ling responded as she and Carmelita walked out of the hole the fox blasted. "Guess they're starting to open up." Rarity said with a smile as she and the other thieves followed the two officers out of the room.