The Stargazing Witch & The Dungeon Planet
Side Chapter Metous 14: Heist

Side Chapter Metous 14: Heist

Lila and Tyell had to do some investigating to figure out where everything was going to go down. Tyell knew the artefact was being moved, but he didn’t know if it was simply being moved to a new location or traded away. Lila gave him an earful when she learned about that, for the longest time he was acting confident about this plan working, but he didn’t even know where the item was stored.

However, she wasn’t that mad, as that meant there was a chance they exited this place without doing anything exciting because nothing happened in their vision.

“You know, we could turn back now.” Said Lila. 

Tyell replied, “Why are you so insistent on being the devil on my shoulder?”

“Devil? Please, the least you can do is call me the angel. I am trying to save you from danger.”

The two of them wore a hoodie, which wasn’t strange due to the weather, but both had collapsible masks in their pockets to put on when the moment called. Technically, this mask was a defence item, as they could block damage up to a low extent.

They had searched around the city for hours looking for any kind of lead.

Eventually, as fate would have it, they would find a number of individuals who could be a possible lead. Lila had more skill in this field, as part of her training was to find people in a crowd. The issue was they weren’t sure what group of people to follow. There could easily be multiple criminal deals occurring at once, and carelessly playing hide and seek with them was dangerous.

Though they both knew that and tried doing it anyway. 

“Let’s follow them,” Tyell suggested and Lila followed. They decided on a man who was headed for a location in a nearby complex that they had seen a few people enter.

They threw their hands at each other to try and choose a direction to go. Eventually, they ended up going to the nearby building, walking in like they owned the place and found not the closest room but one nearby where the man was going.

“Not the most secretive of locations…” Tyell commented as he saw a group of men standing around in the back of the complex. They were looking down from a window, lying on the ground so they wouldn’t be noticed, using their phones as a camera so they could see the area with their heads being visible. 

“Weren’t you saying how they liked to be more public here?” Lila adjusted her stretched-out phone so it would be well hidden.

“I did, but even this is a bit much for what the criminals here would do.”

They stayed stationary, unwilling to blow their cover for any reason. Tyell was focused on the meeting, and while Lila was also looking at it, she was also focused on the entranceway to the room they had broken into. This building had pretty much been abandoned, and Lila checked the cameras and there was none in sight. This was a location where likely many deals had been struck.

Finally, after waiting for a long time, one man who wasn’t wearing any clothes particularly different from anyone else walked in, but he entered with an authority that made everyone else in the room to be quiet from their small talk.

With deep red eyes and black hair, he looked over the men and held a briefcase in his left hand.

They could barely hear the words said, but they still tried to listen in.

“Everyone here I take it?” He asked.

“From our side, but we are still waiting for our associate.” An individual from the crowd answered calmly.

He didn’t even sigh, “I would assume they are being held up–” and then ordered, "–we will wait for a minute.”

“A minute Sir?” One of the guards asked.

“Yes, that should be the time for the reinforcements to arrive.”

“What reinforcements? Why would they arrive now, you just got here boss.”

“That I am, we were about to make the deal of a lifetime.” He stared at the sixteen individuals that were in the small open area. Six guards stood in the corners and the ten men who were waiting for him.

“A deal that would’ve made… Each.” He spoke with a clear diction in each and every one of his words, “And. Every one of you, very rich men.” 

One member of the entourage spoke up, “We can still go through with the deal? There are other buyers even if our client doesn’t arrive?”

The man replied, “Really? Other buyers, yes, you would know that well.”

“Sir?” The guard questioned. 

“It doesn't matter anymore.” The man let out a small sigh and shot the guard in the head.

BANG!

…

…

…

It was a swift clean motion without a hint of hesitation or an additional second of thought.

…

Everyone else around him froze in shock as they realised what the man had done.

“Throw the body in the corner, or dump either work.” He said as walked towards the exit of the backend of the complex.

In the corner that they were watching from, Lila whispered, “Why are they so shocked? They are criminals aren't they?”

Tyell answered, “Did your previous employers kill recruits who were misbehaving?”

“No. Not that I would know.” Lila would fully admit that she was well over her head in her previous employment. 

“Exactly–well maybe not exactly.” Tyell quickly corrected himself. “Look… criminals don’t kill each other here, no matter how much the security and regulation have fallen apart in this city, the rule is you don’t kill.”

Lila asked,“Why?” But she had an inkling for why if the rules were any bit similar to Earth.

“Killing is still a big no, once someone is dead the investigation authorities will get involved. They aren’t a city branch, they are a full branch of the government, they will investigate and crack down on this place.”

“Why wouldn’t they do anything beforehand?”

“Likely no probable cause, nothing is public here, even if illegal dealings go on, but if a death occurs here and it is clearly a murder, there would be no way to sweep this under the rug.” If the death was an accident even if it was in suspicious circumstances, the operation wouldn’t be dug up because there were people with truth detection skills who would find the truth easily, however, they were prevented from exploring outside the death, so if they got their answer, legally they weren’t allowed to explore any other activity in the area.

“It’s a bit similar to Earth, but each city has its own body of law enforcement.”

“They just rope that with our other emergency services, cases that would need someone to execute the law and defend the people are very low. If something big did happen, the city would likely need a high-level hunter or military. Which is what usually happens, as hunters can appeal and are recommended to appeal for a licence to operate in those kinds of operation.”

“Interesting, though better wrap this conversation up. Not the safest of places.”

“You're right.” Tyell nodded.

While they were right in the danger zone, there was an unmistakable fact that what was inside that briefcase was what they were looking for. Tyell and Lila could feel the mana emitting from it. It was weak, but there was something coming from that briefcase that couldn’t be covered up.

“Plan?”

“I think the best plan is to literally just run and steal it.”

“With your bullshit [My Highway] and [Run Light] skills?”

“Those bullshit skills are going to make these heist a success.”

They stood up and moved towards the exit of the building.

Bang Bang Bang

Bang Bang

Bang Bang

Before they could even leave, loud noises started exploding from outside. 

“Fuck, we need to leave now,” Lila ordered.

They were both wearing their mask and additional small plates that covered their vitals underneath the jumpers. 

They ran towards the exit but two three men not aligned with the company broke into the building and lit up the place.

“Charge, get to the objective!”

“Time to make that money!” They yelled with excitement.

[Pocket Lightning]-[Lightning Wall]

Lila immediately countered with her skill which blocked the bullets in her path. Tyell, who was afraid, didn't immediately jump in. 

Lila jumped forward with [Quick Step] and [Accelerated], lightning gathered around her hand as she zapped one of the men, ripping their weapon from them and throwing it at Tyell. 

She immediately followed up, summoning forth more constructs with her [Pocket Lightning] and using [Accelerated] on them to launch them at high speed. Spears of lightning which deconstructed into actual lightning bolts pierced through the two men. Their armour was such a low quality that it couldn’t even attempt to resist the strike.

“...Weak, but–” She looked outside the door and saw many people begin to fill the area. While she could take out these three, they appeared to be people purposely chosen to test the waters rather than take the building.

Tyell fiddled with the weapon in his hand, “I don’t know how to use this?”

“Learn it quickly! We got company and an item to maybe steal.” Lila ordered, “Place your hand on the glowy bits to input mana, and press the trigger when the switches on the top and right of the stock are flipped and you will shoot the weapon if it has ammo–

Bang

Before Lila had even explained how to adjust the output, a hole was blasted into the roof.

“I am praying to something that we both make it out of this alive…”