Chapter 2: The Heist-
Stealthily, the dark gray clad figure landed on the museum roof. She had used the time studying the gem last week to also examine several of the museums security features, and had mapped them perfectly. This would not be easy, but it would be her masterpie-
“Oh look, Selina. It’s Artemis.” The thief known publicly as Black Cat, privately as Felicia Hardy giggled.
“Oh my, doesn’t she just look lovely tonight.” Her lover and companion Cat Woman, or rather Selina Kyle giggled.
“Oh, it’s you two…” The thief sighed in relief. “I heard you were in town.”
“Well, why wouldn't we be? This is the Diamond Muffin we’re talking about.” Selina sassed. “It’s why you’re here, isn't it?”
“So much for a little one on one time with my prize.” The thief sighed.
“You know, we disabled the cameras. You can take off the mask.” Felicia smiled. “Let’s see that pretty smile.”
“For the last time, I’m not working with you two again.” Artemis sighed as she took a seat and pulled off her hood and mask combination, letting her indigo hair free to the world once more. “So please, quit trying to distract me, it won’t work.”
“After we found you? Made you who you are today?” Selina asked harshly, but laughed a second later. “Fair enough. So Arty, how about a trade? We’ll tell you what we know, if you tell us what you know?”
“Hmm, tell me what you know first. I’ll decide if it’s even worth sharing over.” Artemis dismissed. She knew already no matter what she would tell them some of her details. It was true that these thieves had trained her, but they also played by rules Rarity never would. None professionally, but rather privately, like their open relationship or their penchant of dating men that are trying to bust them.
“Feisty, I like it.” Felicia smiled. “Alright dear. For telling us about the security system update last year, we’ll play.”
“Rumor has it there’s a summoning ring in play. Scarred off damn near every thief in town.” Selina pouted. “We don’t like summonings. Nasty demons and what not.”
“I heard that already.” Artemis dismissed. “Word has it they brought in her grace, Lady Twilight Sparkle. Knowing her, the summoning ring will pull forth either Cerberus, or Discord himself.”
“I’m not taking on a god over this thing.” Felicia whined, pulling on her partner’s shoulder. “Babe, let’s just go home.”
“Discord? Good gods…” Selina sighed. “Damned teacher’s pet doesn’t want to make it easy on us, does she?”
“Well, when you start taking personal lessons from the goddess of the sun, you can decide whom to spare.” Artemis giggled as she stood back up, putting on her mask and hood again. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a rock to claim, and no gods or demons will stop me.”
“Wait, you’re forgetting our fee.” Felicia smiled as she drew out a small mage blaster. “And I do think you owe it to us.”
“Fine, I’ll spill.” Artemis smiled beneath her mask. “The guard’s onto you two. Mentioned you by name.”
“How do you know this?” Felicia asked, pointing the barrel at the giggling thief.
“Because I had the honor of the Captain’s company this week for dinner.” The lovely Artemis laughed.
“You and your amazing connections…” Selina smiled, walking over the edge. “I don’t feel like spending another night in jail right now, so we’ll be taking our leave. Bye bye Arty, stay beautiful.” The thief winked at Artemis, before disappearing with a flip.
“Thanks for the warning.” Felicia smiled as she pulled the trigger, a small flag with the word ‘bang’ popping out of the weapon. “Bye bye, Arty. You’ll be missed.” She sang as she joined her lover, slipping out of sight.
“No darling, you all will be missed, just as soon as I nab this diamond.” Artemis smiled, popping open the vent cover and looking inside. “Ah, my old friend, the Securus 900 system. Someone bought the cheap stuff.” Artemis giggled in song as she effortlessly slipped into the building.
<<<>>>
Miles away, on the banks of the Lovely River, a mage prepared her sacred spells. She focused her mana as she probed the depths of time and space, searching for that one special line of magic she needed so badly.
“Come on girl, you created this charm. You should be able to key into it!” The mage argued as she fought off a bout of cold induced shivers. She looked up as the rain started to roll in, letting out a large groan.
“Great. I either get to the heist, or catch pneumonia. Great way to live up to the Cheshire name. Just piggy back the portal charm.” The newest thief to take the name of Cheshire growled as she fought to calm herself. “Relax. Focus. You won’t find the mana trail if you're all strung out.”
Cheshire focused her power, reaching into the depths of time as she searched for her mana. After twenty minutes of sitting under her shield spell, she was ready to call it quits, before she finally felt it. Faint, but it was her line well enough.
Cheshire smirked as she poured her magic into the line, stretching it and expanding it. With a grunt, she tore the stream open, stemming the flow to her new location.
“Two way portal charms are hard?” Cheshire asked in a sweet, mocking tone. “Maybe for someone that isn’t about become the Thief Queen!”
But Cheshire didn’t step through instantly. First, she has one more spell to go. Cheshire took the space around her, pulling it here and pinning it together there. A stitch here, a clip there. Cheshire poured her all into making herself unrecognisable. She hid her face with space itself. Not even her voice remains the same. Too look at the thief now, whether in person or on camera, will cause one’s mind pain as it tries to comprehend the distortions. She could make herself invisible, but that is no fun. She wants the world to know the newest Cheshire stole the Diamond Muffin tonight.
<<<>>>
Without a sound, the figure dropped from the ceiling, into the showroom containing the Diamond Muffin. She had to be careful though, there was a guard walking around here somewhere. She was invisible to the machines, but gods forbid someone actually laid eyes on her. But the room was empty for now. And it was gorgeous all the same. Not a soul. Not a trap she didn’t expect, not an alarm she couldn’t beat. This was still going to be incredibly hard, but she was off to a very, very good-
The door swung open, making Artemis dive behind a display. Two guards walked in, thick burly men Artemis didn’t recognize from her scouting mission a week ago. It was plausible they were new, brought on for added measure. But the sight of those poorly fitting uniforms, together with the crowbars they carried told a different tale.
“Too easy.” One of the pair chuckled, setting down a large duffle bag by the jewel. Artemis scowled under her mask. She had a mage blaster, but that was not going to be much help against two opponents right now. Besides, she never killed. She wasn’t some young street hooligan, thank you. Artemis prided herself on never actually having to use her weapons, but still kept it for insurance. Surely, there had to be-
“What the-” Artemis heard, making her risk a peak. A figure, painful to look at had emerged right in front of the two men. “Shit, the summoning ring!”
“I do believe you’re not supposed to be here.” The figure said as it touched the men and grabbed the case, teleporting them away by using itself as a bridge for the magical channels. “Well… that was unexpected. Note, it is possible to bridge a portal charm after all.”
Artemis couldn’t move. She was at a loss for words. Someone has hacked the portal charm?! But how? Only I know about that! Unless they heard the story of the appearing thief… They might have puzzled it out from that… But still, hacking a portal charm is incredibly difficult, let alone bridging one! I- Those things aren’t even possible! No, it’s impossible. I’m hallucinating.
“Smoke, first objective is clear. Room is secure.” The figure muttered to no one. Artemis took the chance to move closer, trying to get a better look at the rest of the figure. Whomever it was, they were short and thin. Artemis couldn’t tell if they were well built or just really skinny, but it mattered not. One target was easier to handle than two. “Security might be through any minute now, though. Moving to break portal charm.”
Artemis saw her opening as she silently took a perch on the display she was behind, lounging into a very seductive pose. This little boy with the distorted voice would be too easy for her feminine wiles. “I wouldn’t worry about them security guards, sugar.” She purred in a very well built Cajun accent. Her favorite for a mysterious flirt. Also her only one for a mysterious flirt, but that was beside the point.
The thief spun around as Artemis pointed her weapon at them, chuckling as she imagined the look on their face. “Now I don’t wanna shoot ya, sweet thing. Split the profits with me, and I’ll…” She chuckled as she played with her zipper, “Y’all know.”
The other thief was understandably stunned as they looked on, not wanting to peel their eyes away it felt. After all, she was gorgeous. But then again, Artemis also had a weapon trained on them. With a chuckle at long last, the thief tore the weapon away with telekinesis, leaving Artemis there with a pout under her mask. “Nice try, Ma’am. But I have a job to do right now. Why don’t you go and play somewhere else.”
“Ma’am?!” Artemis cried, forgetting her accent, but just for a second. “Who do y’all think yer talkin too?”
“Don’t know, don’t care.” The second sighed. “Get out of here before I make you. Or worse, you’re caught.”
“Oh how carin!” Artemis sighed lustfully, delighting in hearing her audience gulp in awkward hesitation. She took the chance to grab her weapon back, pulling it towards herself with her own magic. “You’re such a sweetheart, ain’t ya sug?”
“Ahhh…”
“I’m Artemis. And it’s a… pleasure to meet ya.” In the ways of making words drip with desire, Artemis was in a league of her own.
“Cheshire.” The thief chuckled at long last. “Nice to meet another mage thief.”
“Wonderful to make your aqu- Cheshire?” Artemis stuttered. “But- But Cheshire is always a girl!” Artemis instantly realized she had let slip her accent, but thankfully, Cheshire failed to notice.
“Hey! I’ll have you know I am a woman!”
“You are?!” Artemis recoiled. “But y’all have no… curves. No toys for the boys.”
“Shut up!” Cheshire yelled, turning away from the thief as she covered her lack of mammaries. “Big boobs only get in the way! I prefer my small ones over sweater stuffers like those!”
Artemis followed the finger pointing at her ample bosom, as she let out a soft chuckle. She squeezed her girls together, purring to Cheshire. “If y’all believe that, come here and play with ‘em. Bet ya love it. Ah know Ah will.” Though she herself was not lesbian, it didn’t stop Artemis from playing it up. She had poured in too much effort, and it was working, so why stop now?
“S-Shut up!” Sparky? You know I can hear everything, right? “You shut up too, Smoke!”
“Ooo, Smoke. Are y’all talkin to some other fine ladies now?”
“Smoke is my little brother.” Cheshire said. Unable to see a face, it was hard for Artemis to figure out if that was a calculated move, or an error. So she would have to side on the belief that Cheshire was trying to trick her now. “He’s also my tech support. Smoke, turn on the cameras.”
Calculated. “Now that ain’t nice, sug.” Artemis sighed as she fired her mage blaster, destroying the camera in the room. But as soon as the weapon was off Cheshire, it was all over. Artemis noticed the weapon being jerked out of her hands, finding that now Cheshire was upon her, and claiming the firearm for herself.
“Butter fingers?”
“So that’s how y’all hid yer face. Yer using spatial warping magic. My, my, how clever.” Artemis chuckled as she slid off the display, grabbing Cheshire’s wrist and pulling her in tight. “Now gimme back my gun, sug. It’s make love, not war.”
“You want this? Catch.” The featureless face said, and Artemis could feel the smirk as the little thief threw the weapon at the case, watching as it popped out of existence in the room, off to parts unknown now.
“Well that ain’t nice.”
“Mind letting go of me. I don’t like bimbos.” Cheshire retorted, that unsaid threat well received.
“Well, at least I’m smart enough to know not to call myself Cheshire. Bad lucks on that name, girly. Anybody that ain't a descendant of Cheshire is cursed to get caught using that name.”
“I am a descendant, you fool. I’m the third daughter to the Cheshire name, and I will soon be the Thief Queen.” Cheshire cooed. Magical energy rippled out from her, and it took all Artemis had to keep from falling over herself here.
Thankfully, she had built quite the magical resistance by working with Twilight for as long as she had. “Y’all gotta do better, sug. Ah work with the best there is in magic.”
“I am the best.”
“Hmm, not even on yer best day.” Artemis giggled as she brought her knee up, connecting with Cheshire right in the stomach. Cheshire went down with a pained grunt as Artemis let go of her, dashing to the case as she attempted to rush her counter charm.
“Domi volo tangere! Domi volo tangere!”
“What the… Smoke, I’m starting to think she’s just not some mage. She knows about the portal charm. ID her, now!” Cheshire growled as she got back to her feet.
Artemis: Real name unknown. But she has been a recent player in several areas. Last active about six months ago in Manehatten. Going after the Diamond Muffin then too.
“Thanks Smoke.” Cheshire laughed as she pointed at the case as well. “Well, two mages are faster than one. Domi volo tangere! Domi volo tangere!”
“This is my score, sug!” Artemis cried out as her magic flowed forth, the charm beginning to react. “Tell ya what. My offer still stands. Split the profits, fifty/ fifty.”
“Why should I?” Cheshire laughed as she walked forward, putting the two mages shoulder to shoulder for when the time came to make the grab.
“Cause, Y’all got no escape route anymore.” Artemis pointed out as the charm finally shattered. Cheshire stalled, as Artemis lunged forward, ripping off the top of the case as she reached for the jewel. But something stopped her. Namely, Cheshire’s willingness to let her grab it first. “Aw hell, it’s booby trapped, ain’t it?”
Cheshire though was consumed by one vast mistake: Her now glaring lack of an escape route. Artemis was wrong to assume that the portal was her exit, but Cheshire was still in deep now. Her plans hadn’t accounted for another thief. Her plans to collapse space around her and wait for the museum to open was her exit. But she couldn’t risk sitting still now. Not with her here.
Thankfully, Cheshire was just as smart as she liked to believe. “Well, I figured I would let you grab it, find out for me big tits.”
“So you have been lookin.” Artemis smiled. “Go ahead, they’re waitin.”
“Will you please stop flirting?” Cheshire growled.
“Ah would, but Ah can also see how much you’re getting flustered by it.” Artemis giggled back. “Ah like it when yer flustered. You get so defencive.”
“Watch yourself, Artemis. You’re treading on some thin ice.” Cheshire purred back. Or tried, but her voice was far too distorted to make it clear. But Artemis took it as flirty anyways.
“Oh really now. Am I gonna fall into some trouble with ya?” Artemis purred as she wrapped her fingers under the edge of the muffin. “Well, I would love to stay and chat, but I have my prize, so deal’s off.”
“You’re accent is gone…” Cheshire noted absently as she watched Artemis raise the diamond carefully, holding her breath. “Gods, it’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen…”
“And it’s all-” Artemis began, but a swift sweep cut her short. Cheshire had taken her legs out from under her, grabbing the diamond as the thief tumbled backwards. “Oh you little cheat!”
“Where’s that lovely accent gone, I wonder?” Cheshire laughed as she backed up, channeling her mana into a fire blast spell. But her attempts were in vain, for as long as she held the diamond, it nullified all magic. “What the-” That’s not right, the gem was immune. It didn’t absorb mana… “Oh hell…”
“No magic?” Artemis asked, rising back up, and sporting a deadly tone. Her body language alone was laced with murderous intent. “Well, I guess you’ll just have to go at it au natural.”
“You sound familiar.” Cheshire mocked. “I think I know a girl in the dungeons that sounds like you.”
“Really now?”
“Well, I will in about five minutes!” Cheshire yelled as she kicked at Artemis again, a beautiful roundhouse kick punctuating her words.
But Artemis was no rookie. She dodged the kick effortlessly, making Cheshire struggle to connect, and struggle more to recover. “You really need to practice those kicks dear!” She cried as she delivered and quick one two punch to Cheshire, knocking the poor girl down as the diamond flew up in the air. “Blast!”
“No!” Cheshire cried as she instinctively reacted, shooting out a tendril of mana, grabbing the diamond seconds before it shattered on the floor. Cheshire stopped dead, as she finally saw the extent of her situation.
“Give me my diamond!” Artemis cried, lunging at the fallen thief as Cheshire spun onto her back, putting the recovered gem between herself and the thief.
“Here!” Cheshire cried, pushing the diamond out to arms reach. “I can see now I won’t escape with it. Tis better to flee and steal another day, right?”
“Wait, what’s wrong?” Artemis asked. This was too easy. She looked from faceless features to gem, not understanding anything about this sudden turn of events. Now that she had a second, she was looking over everything, not letting any details slip. The game was different, and Artemis had to stay on top.
“Take it. I can’t escape with it, so it’s worthless to me.” Cheshire lied.
“It’s a fake…” Artemis sighed. “Damn it. I should have known that…”
“Huh?” Cheshire asked. “How?”
“You manipulated the gem magically…” Artemis sighed. “It’s bound in space/ time so no one can use magic on the gem.”
“You- H- How did you know that?” Cheshire demanded. “Smoke, talk to me. Smoke? Smoke!”
“Freaking out much?” Artemis chuckled. “I’ll tell you.” The familiar voice cooed. “My friend and I discovered that a few-”
“Rarity?!” Cheshire gasped.
There was a pregnant pause, that gave birth to a another pause as the two thieves stared each other down. “How do you know my name?!” The indigo haired beauty nearly screamed from within her mask. “Who the hell are you!?”
“Um…”
“The only girl I know as small as you is Twilight, and she’s home si-” Rarity began, but stopped as one thing dawned on her. She only knew of one mage anywhere that could manipulate space like this, well enough to effortlessly hide her face. “Oh don’t you dare be…”
“Um, hi Rares…”
“You bitch!”
<<<>>>
Meanwhile, back in Ponyville, certain Tech support was failing in it’s job. Cheshire, now exposed as Twilight, was unable to reach her partner Smoke. But what had happened to the poor boy?
During his wait, he researched this thief Artemis. And he was not a happy drake mage. “She nabbed the Golden Dragon of Scale Lanka?! That’s a sacred relic!” The young mage screamed as he slammed his fists on the table, sparks of flame flying everywhere as his rage boiled over. One such spark did a wonderful job landing on his trousers, and quickly set them ablaze.
“Ow! Owie, owie, ow ow!” Spike cried as he tore off the smoldering lounge pants. It was true he had fire retardant pants around for just this kind of situation, but they were just plain uncomfortable. While these, these fitted silk lounge pants had been made by Rarity herself. “Damn it, not my favorite pair… Oh well, I guess I’ll just have to buy another-”
“What the hell are you doing!?” Spike heard as he stopped, looking to the door. Unannounced as always was Sweetie Belle, as she pointed to Spike’s lack of trousers.
“Wait, it’s not what it-”
“You pervert!” Sweetie Belle cried, pointing to the computer, the image of Artemis still up on screen.
“No, it’s-”
“I’m telling Applejack!”
“No! Not h-” Spike argued as he tried to run after Sweetie, tripping over his own flaming pants. For the first time ever, it was not a lie that had set pants ablaze as Spike tried to find something to wear so that he could chase down his friend. Tonight was nobody’s night.