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This was a normal mission.
Get in, steal the necklace, get out. Nothing more, nothing less.
Nothing Abolish hadn’t done a hundred times by now and this time was no different.
Well unless you count the higher stakes, security systems worth millions, armed guards at every suggestion of an exit and the fact that just about every thief in the world worth anything will be trying their hand at taking this necklace for themselves.
‘The Champion’s Jewel’ or so it’s called, a piece of jewellery so expensive it was probably worth more than some small countries (it was, Abolish checked).
It was uncovered in Greece mere centuries ago despite being dated to what historians consider the ‘Dark Age’ of European history, making it almost three-millenia old. No one knows how it was created, nor by who or for what purpose, especially since nothing really similar exists from that timeline.
It's one of a kind.
A marvel of humanity.
And what a marvel it was!
Said to have been crafted by the gods themselves, a commemoration perhaps. It is crafted to such perfection that the twelve gods engraved on it are perfectly identifiable even after all that time buried under rubble and sand, adorned with various different gemstones, a different one to symbolise each god;
Zeus, Apollo, Artemis, Athena, Hermes, Hephaestus, Aeolus, Tyche, Pan, Morpheus, Chronos and Nyx.
To be honest, the unique combination of deities (mostly Olympians but with two primordials and some lesser-worshipped gods) was also a main factor in the incredibly high asking price, with no other piece yet discovered depicting such a mix of gods so well preserved nor created with such skill.
Hence, he and Nikos were here, at the gala of the year, to steal it.
They’d already infiltrated the event, that part was easy. Nikos was off swanning around the hired-out museum acting as some highfalutin socialite with a passion for the arts. Although, knowing the man as long as he had, that had likely just become drawing a crowd and seeing how many people he could get to reciprocate his boisterous flirting.
But that was fine, that was his job after all.
His tattooed counterpart had always had a big personality, drawing attention even when he wasn’t actively trying to be as charming as he was currently, allowing Abolish to slip into the background.
A much easier feat this time around given that this was a masquerade.
Why one would choose to host a masquerade when simultaneously trying to protect some of today’s most priceless artefacts Abolish could not say but it was honestly a foolish decision. It had been far too easy to knock out a server and steal their uniform, standard mask situated on his face before the ball had even started, allowing him to take his place next to a column in the main hall with a plate of drinks.
His eyes never left the necklace from its placement at the far end of the room, the fake he’d hand-crafted weighing down one of his suit pockets. From his peripheral, however, he could see Nikos surrounded by five people, all enraptured by the man as he told one story or another, warm, billowing laughter so loud Abolish could hear it from his station.
One such figure caught Abolish’s eyes more than the other, a lithe man in a soft outfit, teal fabric falling around him perfectly in waves, complimented by the corset and gloves he adorned, not to mention the piles of gold draped across him. Most interestingly however was his mask, it looked like clouds were spiralling out of his eyes, blown to the side by an unseen wind and getting lost in the white tendrils of hair spilling over the man. It was an interesting choice, one that demanded attention as everyone else in the ballroom mainly sported some kind of animal themed mask or just simplistic ones covered in feathers and golden swirls.
The man was attractive, even Abolish would have to admit that, and he seemed to be entertaining the thief’s partner quite well, hand lazily tracing the spiral in the middle of his chest, exposed by Nikos’ unbuttoned shirt as he stared up at the giant man with polite wonder and controlled seductivity, trailing his other hand to occasionally squeeze a bicep when he particularly enjoyed a joke. He was just as enticing as the thunderous one, with a big personality that was evident in every carefully acted position he took and comments he probably made (Abolish couldn’t hear what was being said from where he stood guard).
It was… interesting.
He did not mind when Nikos got this kind of attention, he knew his lover was quite the catch and that he enjoyed getting to indulge in the flirtations of others at these events. In his opinion it didn’t matter who flirted with or touched Nikos, he’d be going back home with Abolish tonight either way.
The only thing that mattered was whether or not they went home with the necklace or not, anything else about the night was no more than background noise to the stoic thief.
He drew his eyes away from his lover and the nymph caressing him to look down at his watch. In just a minute rotations would change and he would be right next to the jewels. That was his chance and it was the only one he was gonna get.
A bell dinged from off in the distance and he made his way over to his next position, discreetly pressing a button to the side of his watch as soon as he made it, looping the next five minutes of CCTV footage.
Five minutes, that’s all he had.
Another button pressed and a small robot, no bigger than the palm of his hand (his little ‘mini-me’s’ as Nikos called them) slipped out the heel of his boot, scuttling across the floor and to the back of the display case to begin cutting a hole into the glass.
Abolish’s eyes never left the crowd, never even glanced towards the scene of his crime. He could feel it however, the fear, the excitement, the adrenaline, starting to claw its way into his lungs, his heart, his head.
This was why he did this.
Nikos could have his own reasons, his own morals about it all, but for Abolish? This was what it was all about, the thrill of life or death, of getting caught whilst still being confident enough in him and his partner to know that that was never going to happen.
Three minutes and twenty-nine seconds.
A vibration came through on his wrist, he spared it a glance. A scan from the robot, just a precaution of course to check no one had already taken it, a confirmation that this was still the real deal.
And, as it was, he gave the next command.
He shifted the necklace in his pocket, feeding it through a purpose-cut hole to the next of his ‘mini-me’s’ that clambered down his body and over to the first. He watched through side glances with baited breath as the two crawled into the case, hiding from most views behind the white stand the jewellery sat upon.
Two minutes and thirty-seven seconds.
The switch was seamless.
(Of course it was, it always was).
For but the briefest of seconds, all anyone would’ve seen is a small tug as the real fell away, but then in a blink it was replaced as if nothing had ever even occurred. It could easily be played off as something else, a trick of the light or the result of too much wine, all the while the actual necklace was being slipped carefully into Abolish’s jacket as his two little bots reset to their hidden spots.
And all that with fifteen seconds left to spare.
Not his personal best, but he didn’t quite mind, not with stakes like this after all.
You may think that that was the hard part, getting the gems into his hands, but no, because now they had to get it out of the fortress that was this museum, and for that to happen he needed to get this swiftly and discreetly into the hands of Nikos.
That was an important step as taking the role of a server meant Abolish would not only have to spend time after the event doing clean up and other odd-jobs to keep his cover, meaning Nikos would make it back to the hotel far sooner than himself, but also because Nikos’ pocket had been in-lined with a special-made fabric (crafted by Abolish himself) that disrupted the workings of any metal detectors or other security machines, meaning no one would notice his newly acquired accessory when it came time for the man to depart.
It only took a few more rotations before he was stationed perfectly behind his partner. It was excellent timing as well, Nikos had increased the crowd watching him from five to eight, the pretty creature still clinging to him as his lover became more and more flirty, drawing all attention towards him like it was as natural as breathing.
Eventually, he made some grand claim about needing more booze, “For a good night one needs good wine,” he boasted, turning his attention to the ‘server’ behind him “Wouldn’t you agree Pretty One?”
That was it, the codeword they’d had since their very first (unofficial) heist together, an inside joke if you will.
“It is quite the pretty night.” Was the given response, confirmation he had the object of their desire.
Nikos hummed, as he moved one hand to Abolish’s pocket, making a show of pulling him closer by it, “Come, come, don’t be shy, wine is to share no?” It was said with gravel and a sickeningly hot smirk that would usually have Abolish internally melt accompanied by an eye roll or swat to the wrist.
Instead, he let out a hum, played to be cut off and distracted as he felt the necklace’s weight pass into his partner’s palm, the size of which easily hid the accessory from view before he was slipping it into his own trouser pocket, using the cloudy stranger’s body to hide his more suspicious movements from view.
“Wonderful!” He billowed, hand shooting back up to grab two glasses in his fingers. “A refill, Little Nimbus?” he hummed, turning to look down as he addressed the stranger.
It was at this point said stranger twisted in the tattooed-man’s hold, placing an empty glass promptly back on Abolish’s tray.
Even if he wasn’t a trained professional, it wouldn't have been difficult to see the sultry heat that graced him as the cloud-clad man eyed him thoroughly, fierce and without shame. “If one’s going of course~”. His voice was strangely melodic, calming and energizing all at once, and yet there was something underneath.
His tone was controlled, it did not fall effortlessly like most would think but instead was filled with calculation and practiced poise. To summarise; it was as fake as the necklace now sitting in the far-off display case.
Interesting.
A fellow entertainer, and a good one at that.
He was certainly putting on a show for Nikos and the rest of the crowd, with lulling confidence so strong it actually rivalled that of the man he was clinging onto. Yet, he did not command the conversation, he let Nikos do that, the long speeches and the stories, but he was quick witted in a way that Abolish found himself (only slightly) admiring. For every punchline or foolish story he had a quip, a comment, something that drew laughter from his audience that the performer appeared to revel in.
So, he was interesting.
Not entertaining, no, there were very few things that entertained Abolish nowadays. Three actually, inventing, heists and Nikos. However, even he had to admit the cloud-clad man was intoxicating in his own right, and thus could be dubbed ‘interesting’ in the thief's eyes.
In all honesty, the two men made quite a pair, both loud and eye-catching in ways that were so similar yet so distinctly different Abolish was sure any weaker on-lookers must be getting mental whiplash from the backwards and forwards the two were now engaged in.
Unfortunately, he seemed to have been too caught up in the two as he realised just in time that his position needed to be shifted again, prompting him to move out and over to the other side of the hall, sparing one last glance at his lover and the man’s new companion as he went.
And that was how much of the night continued, with Abolish moving from position to position, outpost to outpost, watching his lover from afar as the man mingled with these high-society nobodies with, well, it wasn’t really grace but he at least didn’t look out of place or uncomfortable. Occasionally his eyes would catch on a few others who had taken his interest over the night, such as a tall woman in all black whose mask reflected that of the stars or the one with fiery red hair and a goat mask, and, of course, the cloudy man from earlier.
That was how he spent the next couple of hours until he was making his way back to the main hall from his mandated break when he heard a voice, no, two voices, echoing down a nearby corridor. He was tempted to leave it, this part of the museum was open for guests to explore after all, but he very quickly recognised one of the voices and so turned to investigate.
“Again, I am so sorry-” the voice did not sound all too apologetic and as Abolish made his way around the corner it became clear why. Seemingly, the cloudy-clad one from earlier and Nikos had run into each other quite literally, with the former’s hand bracing against the larger’s pec.
“It is quite alright Windy One, you do me no harm.” A deep chuckle resounded in the space, bouncing off the walls as Nikos grinned.
“Oh I can change that if you like~” The small hand started moving, gliding until it sat just under the opening in Nikos’ shirt as the stranger’s head tilted to the side with false innocence.
The tension between the two men was palpable, and whilst Abolish was fine with his partner flirting and being slightly handsy with people that was still his partner and he did not really appreciate the very blatant proposition towards him.
So he coughed, alerting the two men to his presence to which their heads both snapped round. The ‘Windy One’ as Nikos put it made no effort to detach himself, however the taller did take a step back, likely understanding that his lover was not best pleased with the scenario before him.
Concealed eyes lit up for a moment as the stranger’s gaze shifted between the two before it melted, a half-visible pout forming on the smallest’s face as he glanced back towards Nikos, teasing filling his tone, “And you told me you weren’t waiting for anyone~” it was said in a way that was only playful, no hint of jealousy or malice marred his words. Surprisingly, it also seemed quite genuine. “Well I won’t keep you both.” He stated, dropping into a half bow at the waist, “Nikos.”
The man’s overly-large hand encased the smaller one, the stranger rising as Nikos bowed slightly too, bringing the hand to his lips, “Little Nimbus~” he purred, leaving a chase kiss to the knuckles, eliciting a melodic giggle before the cloudy one was pulling away and turning to walk past Abolish.
“Sir.” He mused, dipping his head slightly in passing, then he was off, making his way down the corridor in the direction of one of the balconies left open for the event.
The remaining two stood in silence for a moment, listening to the fading sound of high-heels on tiled floors before Abolish broke it. “So, what was that all about?” He asked, eyebrows raised uselessly behind the mask he wore.
He was met with a noise that would’ve been seen as mocking had it come from any other individual, instead it was endearing as always. “Do not be jealous, Pretty One, I am still yours.”
Were they not in public, Abolish would happily use this as an excuse to prove that last point with alarming success, but since that wasn’t an option he set on a pursed hum, trailing his golden gaze over the giant before him, eliciting a nice shiver from the heat it held.
That was all he allowed himself before schooling himself back into his professionalism, back straightening impossibly more as his face grew sharp. “Do you have it?”
“Yes, yes I do.” His partner waved a hand dismissively, the other reaching for the pocket that held the necklace “Honestly My Fire you are too paranoi-”
There was an abrupt pause, a silence that Abolish rarely saw Nikos succumb to, as patting turned into rough searching, feeling up the pocket and every other one he had. A cold dread surged through Abolish, only worsened when his lover’s eyes drew up to him and then were quickly drawn past him.
“Oh son of a-” It was loud, too loud to be stealthy as Nikos barged past, taking chase down the hall. Abolish turned just in time to see the stranger from earlier standing at the end, looking over his shoulder with the necklace held high in one hand. It was just a moment, and then he was gone, gliding round the corner and down another hall.
That moment was all it took before Abolish, too, gave chase.
Fancy dress shoes slammed onto expensive tile as the two men raced towards where the other had just been, racing after him as he fell back into view. Faintly, Abolish wondered how the stranger was keeping such good pace in such ornate heels but he quickly shook it off as unimportant, not when he watched as the cloudy one slipped out onto the furthest balcony, now hidden behind plush curtains.
Not even seconds later both men burst through and were drawn to a complete halt by the sight in front of them.
The stranger stood on the marble railing, necklace raised high in one hand and mask pulled away in the other. That was not what had Abolish (and probably Nikos) stop in their tracks, nor was it the fact this man had the bravado to be standing there in a deep bow.
No, it was those eyes.
They were green, piercingly so, like two daggers carved out of the finest emerald, lazily carving over both he and his lover.
But it was only for a moment, just that one moment before the man raised up, and up and over, falling backwards off the balcony with a flourish of fabric.
It was enough to snap both thieves out of their daze, making it to the edge in just a couple of seconds. And still, it was enough time for the pretty stranger to disappear completely into the night, no trace of him left, not even a smattered corpse lay on the ground five stories below.
Nothing.
It was like he faded into the wind.
Well, all except for a glinting of gold that remained where he had just stood. Abolish brought it into one hand, mulling it over. A tiny, yet well carved, glinting metal sat there, no larger than the pad of Nikos’ thumb.
A pure gold tragedy mask.
A calling card.
The two stood there in shocked silence, both trying to comprehend in their own ways not only how this man had managed to steal from right under both of their noses but then disappeared like some sort of ghost.
A chuckle bloomed next to him, deep and raw and somehow far more giddy than Abolish thinks he had ever heard it before.
Nikos leant back up, a thunderous clap of his hands echoing into the dark. “Oh-hoh-ho, now he is fun!” The shout billowed, not with anger like one might expect from a man like Nikos but with reverence and joy.
He could not find it in himself to disagree, what had just happened was, without a doubt, very fun. But, as he stood there, uncommon confusion whirring around in his brain, another word came to Abolish’s mind:
Entertaining~.