Chapter 3

It was truly amazing, Roxas has never felt so alive as Shadow in such a long time. For weeks now, he had such a fun time seeing how Sora manages to almost catch him but in the end, the blonde manages to slip away from his look-alike and disappear with the art in the dark night. He really love to see Sora's eyes that were filled with determination...

...but he is upset about one thing.

Those eyes of determination were set on Shadow and definitely not on him. Sora never seem to show any interest to Roxas but to Shadow he just want to catch the ever so infamous thief.

Now, he’s sulking. No surprise, Sora is here determined to catch a thief and it’s driving the blonde slightly insane.

A silhouette loomed over him. “Hm?” Roxas open one eye to see his old time friend standing in front of him. “Oh hey, Namine. Wassup?” His childhood friend glares down at him like a hawk looking down at its prey in response. Roxas could just feel a shiver going down along his spine just by even glancing at her.

“What is wrong with you, Roxas?” she scolds. “You ditched school, again. That’s unbecoming of you.”

Truth be said, the blonde goes to school everyday. Just because he’s so laid back in class and lazy doesn’t mean he didn’t want to pass the class. The teachers are really boring over the summer.

“It’s nothing,” Roxas responded, annoyed. “Why are you so worried about me?”

“We are friends, aren’t we?” Namine asked. “I’m always worried about you! We’ve been childhood friends since what? Four years old!” she said. Of course, of all the people she knew Roxas’ sexuality but she still hung out with him. Of course, she doesn’t know that he’s Shadow. Nobody knows behind Roxas’ playful mood is the thief that’s been stealing artworks for the past year. Plus, she’ll go ballistic if she ever finds out he’s Shadow. Roxas knows from first hand his quiet friend’s wrath first hand years ago. “At least tell me what’s wrong.” Her puppy eyes were one of Roxas’ greatest weaknesses since they’re so big, innocent and irresistible. He needs to develop an immunity for it, dang it. Roxas sighed in defeat.

“There’s this…guy I like…” Roxas began.

“Sora, right?” Namine cut him off. Roxas look at her. “It’s obvious. All the extra attention you’re giving to Sora. Everybody does know about the gifts you’re leaving on his desk.”

“I’m that obvious?” Roxas asked, acting innocent.

Remember, he has to act to throw everybody off; even if it has to be his best friend.

“…How is it that a teen like you manage to be so popular in school?” she wondered. Roxas immediately made a thoughtful look on his face, pretending to think.

“Maybe…it was my good looks,” he began.

“Pfft…yeah right,” Namine retorted.

“My clothing?” Roxas suggested.

“You need to change your fashion statement,” Namine pointed out. “Your outfit is so last year.”

“My…fine tone ass,” Roxas said. Namine’s left eyebrow twitched.

“Pfft. I’m afraid I’ll go blind if I look at it,” she joked.

“That’s because my ass is too fine for you, Nam,” Roxas laughed back.

“Jerk!” Namine cried. He ducked and dodged Namine’s incoming flying color pencils of doom, laughing along the way. Her insults may be plain, but her accuracy is better than any cop that tried to shoot him in the past.

How did you think the blonde managed to get so good at dodging?

“Kidding! Kidding!” He duck again to avoid the second round, this time she’s throwing paintbrushes. “I swear, Nam. I’m just kidding around! Just how many art supplies do you carry around in your bag anyways!?” Eventually Namine stopped and sat back down on the grass under the shade and glared at Roxas. Roxas sat down next to her; he knows that she always get over their little arguments after a workout of throwing art supplies.

“Here’s your problem,” Namine began. “You are too egotistical and narcissist that you don’t know the first thing about Sora.”

“…I know he’s a cop,” Roxas thought. “But Nam doesn’t need to know about that…”

“And you never had the nerve to ask him out,” Namine said. “Be a man!” The bell rang and the students began walking out of their sixth period class. Roxas got up and brushed the dirt off his pants.

“I’ll think about it, Nam,” Roxas said, walking away. “Thanks for the advice!”

“…Your welcome?” Namine responded with a questioning look. “Call me tonight and we’ll work on the music project together now. Remember that now!” At the distance she saw Roxas nod and wave at her before fading in the distance. “Just don’t go breaking another heart, okay?” she whispers the last part to herself before walking the opposite way home.

Roxas walk several blocks away from school before stretching his arm.

“Well Shadow, get ready to make another appearance now,” Roxas murmur to himself. “Cause tonight will be one of those nights…”

Sora was getting fucking pissed off at Shadow’s heists. He hates the thief’s annoying taunts and jokes. He was on his fucking breaking point.

The great Sora, sweating on latest mission just to catch a third-rate thief.

Wait till the guys’ back home hears about this.

He’s pretty sure Riku, his best friend back at Japan, would die laughing. He suddenly felt something wet and damp hit his nose. He looks up at the sky and another wet drop hit him again. Soon, it was pouring rain.

Great.

It’s fucking pouring.

How lousy can this day get?

His phone rang and he picked it up, it’s from work.

“Hello?” his deadpanned voice answers.

“We got information Shadow is coming to steal the ‘Heart’s Grail’” the commander informed from the other end of the line. “He’ll appear tonight at nine p.m. sharp.”

“I’ll be there as soon as possible,” Sora responded. He heard a click on the other line and he shoved his phone back to his pocket. He then sneezed aloud.

Shit.

Thanks to Shadow, he’s going to catch a cold. The bastard is going to pay for such a bad timing.

Roxas hid in the air ventilation as he watch the police run back and forth, looking for him. Well, they’re really looking for Shadow but he’s Shadow so it’s all the same. Currently he’s holding a rope that is connected to a baton that is dangerously hanging above one of the security lasers.

He still has to wait until his appointed time.

8:59:56….

Roxas slipped on his bandana and covered his mouth with his usual black handkerchief.

8:59:57…

He took a deep breath to relax for a moment and stare down at the rope in his hand.

8:59:58…

“Show time,” Roxas- no, Shadow thought.

8:59:59….

He let go of the rope and waited.

9:00:00…

He heard the police force running towards the place where the alarm triggered, giving him time to get out of the vent and dash towards the gallery where they kept the Heart’s Grail. That and Sora is waiting for him to have a little ‘fun’ with him.

“…Message to brain: Shut up and stop giving dirty suggestions!” Roxas flushed at the thought. He opened the security panel and began tampering with the device. Sure, on the first heist, he activated the alarm instead of deactivating it but after reading, “Security Alarms for Dummies” he knows his way around the system by heart.

Cut this…

Rewire this with that…

Red has to be with blue…

Put it back and press the digits “0000.”

…Security deactivated.

Shadow got up and waltzes his way in front of the grail and took it out of the display case it rested on. He marveled its beauty before placing it delicately into his backpack. Before he could secure the object on his back, a hand shot out of nowhere and grabbed a strap of the backpack, pulling it while Shadow pulled the other strap. Although a bit irked-it’s a very expensive backpack, which he bought from Amazon- he grinned behind his handkerchief.

“Evening, commander,” he said, still pulling the backpack and Sora pulling equally as hard. Shadow will be damned now if that backpack rip now. “Care to give me what’s mine?” he asked.

“The artwork isn’t yours,” Sora responded. “It belongs to the art gallery.” He pulled harder and the worst thing happened in Roxas’ entire stealing career: his backpack strap ripped. With his reflex, he kicked Sora away but was surprised how far the commander went. The commander is stubborn about staying on his feet. Today, Sora isn’t trying.

Hell, the commander isn’t trying to stand up.

…Maybe today wasn’t the best day to try stealing.

Unnaturally, it made Shadow annoyed and worried at the same time. He listened for any sounds other than the ones Sora and him would make. Just to check if any other guards are coming this way and hear nothing, so he heads over to the fallen brunet and examines him. His curiosity almost instantaneously turned to dread. The commander was running a high fever. It must have been the rain.

Dang it, dang it, dang it….

Now footsteps and shouts are coming towards the gallery he’s in.

Dang it all to hell.

Shadow didn’t know what the hell he was he doing or bother trying to figure out why; he picked up the commander – who was terribly light -, swung the body over his should, leaving the artwork behind-taking his prized backpack, and he didn’t want to leave behind any evidence- and hightailed out of there with the feverish commander.

Author’s Rambling: I’m NOT dead. Just tired from schoolwork and life. I think I rushed a bit too much in this chapter and it’s too shorts.

Thank you, Cedarleaf for the inspiration. Knowing my writer’s block, it’s going to a while till I add another chapter. You know, I was going to write a scene almost similar to that and you got it before I did.

…I’m not sure if there is a book named “Security Alarms for Dummies” exists. xP