It is not sure if anyone is still hanging out in this fandom, but if there are, 2020 has sucked enough; here is to the remembrance of those halcyon summer days.

"Greetings, daughter of The Panda King." Taso smiled viciously at Jing as she stepped back from the bars, and a few single tears fell from her sapphire eyes.

Jing knew what nature of evil lurked behind the calm regal facade General Taso cultivated with his determination and the spirits of his ancestors.

"My father will never stand for this insult Taso. Nor will I." Jing bit out through clenched teeth as she forced the tears back, anger rising in her chest as her thoughts shifted back to the Cooper Gang hideout and the fate of the Guru.

Taso laughed pompously at Jing as the pale spirits of his ancestors slammed her closer to the bars of the cell. She gritted her teeth as the spirit held her in place, but she did not scream. Taso lifted her chin with his feathered index finger.

"I no longer have an interest in taking over your father's domain, at least for now," Taso added the last part offhandedly. "No, my interest lies more close to you." His smile took on a gleam of murderous intent as Jing's eyes widened in realization. Jing laughed in response while Taso and his ancestors' spirit looked at Jing with a mix of derision and loathing. Taso's feathers bristled as Jing looked at him, smirking with contempt instead of the fear he saw moments earlier.

"Sly beat you once while rescuing me. Sly will cause you to feel that same dishonor again. General Taso, you are weak and always will be." The ancestor of Taso grabbed Jing by the hair, banging her against the bars again, causing a lower lip cut. A small smattering of blood falling onto her chin.

"That is why my accomplices and I will be making sure he doesn't make it out alive; I have bought help with you and, more specifically, your body as payment. However, I am more honorable than you give me credit for Jing. You will choose who your new husband will be, though I must say after having met them, I am sure you will regret not staying in the arrangement I made for us." Taso turned his back on her walking up the steps to the top of the ship, his ancestor disappearing back into the enteral ether.

Jing sat upon the small bunk of her cell, wiping the blood from her chin with her paw, the wheels of her mind turning. She had to get back to Sly and the gang and had to do so quickly. She would not be bait for Taso and his plan this time. Before Jing had gone along with all Taso had wanted in exchange for Taso's promise to spare her father's life. Jing knew that no such deal would be reached with Taso this time. She pulled on the silver chopsticks from her hair and twisted it open, a sharp piercing needle long enough to penetrate a throat revealed in the dim light. Jing replaced it in her hair. She just now had to way for the opportune moment. A repeated thumping on the steps leading down to Jing's cell caused her to lift her head towards those steps.

"My dear Lady, you look parched in this soggy, misbegotten hole. I vow, my dear, the cells you shall reside over in the Welsh Triangle as my wife are superior to this one in every way." Sir Raleigh commented as he hopped in from Jing's cell, holding a mostly empty teacup thanks to his less than graceful movements.

"Watch what ye call my bloody ship, you scabby son of a mongrel! And once we kill Cooper and his crew, what makes you think ye get the poppet?" Captain Lefeew shouted at Raleigh, his gaze voraciously staring at Jing with devious intent. Jing felt the urge to vomit.

It was two days later from the time Jing and the Guru had been attacked that Sly and his gang made it back to their hideout in Paris.

Sly had never felt more grateful to be home as he sat in the back of Murray's van, hat over his eyes as he reclined in his seat, trying to ignore Bentley's and Penelope's furious typing on Theifnet. The heist had been successful, yet, it had been more of a challenge than Sly had counted on; who knew werewolves were a real thing? The other reason is that he had missed Jing more than he had thought possible.

Sly had found a jewel worth making into a ring for her during the heist, hidden within a seraph statue. Before they had headed back to the hideout, Sly had the gang make a pitstop at a renowned Jeweler related to Dimitri Lousteau. Dimitri had been adamant his chameleon cousin could craft a ring more brilliantly than any known brand name designer Paris could offer. The jewel now being fitted for an engagement ring was unlike any Bentley had seen before; the gem itself was a mix of sapphire, diamond, and emerald, all shifting their brilliance under the microscope. If Bentley was not a Turtle of science, he could swear the swirls of emerald and diamond moved ever so slightly.

"Hey, guys! Something is up!" Murray shouted from the driver's seat as they approached the Cooper Gang hideout. His apprehensive tone instantly destroying the harmony that had permeated the van since hey had left Transylvania. Penelope moved forward, first noticing that all the lights were off in the house and that the Guru was standing outside, waving his mystic walking stick in the air.

"My goodness, what happened? He looks hurt!" Penelope exclaimed as she and Sly headed to the first aid kit and hopping out of the van before it completely stopped. As Sly and Penelope reached the Guru, the extent of the damage he suffered was seen in greater detail. Dried blood matted the fur of his head near a wound nearly three inches; his right eye was swollen over completely, and fascinating combination of purple, black, and brown, and he was favoring his left hand.

"He na jee so na ben Jing!" shouted the Guru ignoring Penelope attempts to alleviate the pain of the wounds. Sly stopped his ascent into the house, turning as the Guru waved the walking stick in the air again, this time calling forth clouds of smoke as forms began to take shape within the smoke. Inside the sacred mist and, to their shock, saw their attack unfold before them.

"No way! Is that Sir Raleigh!" Bentley shouted from his chair

"Jing…" Sly whispered to himself as he saw her attempt to save the Guru and herself. Emotions swirled within him as he watched the past unfold in his present. Foremost of the emotions Sly felt was Pride at Jing's efforts and rage at those who had dared come into his home and touch her.

"Look, that's Mz. Ruby! And that's Lewfeew!" Murray pointed at the figures as they moved.

"Taso!" the gang shouted in unison.

"How the hell did they get out of prison!" Bentley yelled as he typed furiously on his laptop, looking for any news on this. The Guru dropped his stick and fell to the ground lying on his side bearly conscious.

"Master!" Murray cried as he ran to his former master and picked the koala bear up gently.

"Take him inside, Murray. We can clean his wounds better there." Penelope instructed as she followed the kind hippo to the house.

"Sly, you're not going to believe this." Bentley turned his laptop to his best friend. "everything they have been doing has been under the radar. No one has been helping them according to the contacts we have. There is no further intel on their whereabouts; it is like they vanished!"

Sly's paws balled up into tight fist as his sides, his teeth clenched tightly. Sly, despite being a master thief, always felt that consequences would never apply to him. Jail? That was for less superior criminals, those who lacked honor and skill. Old enemies coming after him? That was a laugh riot to Sly; no criminal ever had except for Clockwerk. Hell, Demitri and Sly were friends now. Yet, deep down, Sly knew that streak of good karma was bound to run out when it came to the tenacity of those he wronged. Taso, Sly realized, was driven, in the same way Sly was when he first set out to reclaim his birthright. The only difference is that Taso never bothered to let go of his fury giving rise to violent intentions that were never appeased. At the same time, Sly managed to turn his anger at losing his family into a legacy.

More than anything, however, the rage he felt was now boiling over on to his arrogance, that it led to Jing being the one paying for it.

Sly started to walk into the house; once Guru was stable, they were going after Jing. He knew her well enough to know she would not submit to anything Taso wanted.

Sly's train of thought was interrupted by Murray jogging to him in a slight panic, "Sly! We found this!" Murray passed Sly a rolled piece of Parchment. Sly unbound it, taking in the sight of elegant penmanship in black ink.

To Master Thief Cooper,

Greetings,

Thank you for keeping safe, the daughter of the Panda King. My ancestors and Mz. Ruby's informed us of your affection for each other. I know you will do anything for her. In that regard, let us make an exchange, her life for yours. I daresay you could not combat all of us, even with your proficiencies given to you by the Theveius Raccoonus and your ancestors.

I must also insist that you make your choice quickly, as Luwfeew and Raleigh have taken a carnal interest in your beloved, and I am afraid I cannot make an effort to save Jing from their desire.

You can find us where your adventures began, so it can be where you end.

General Taso