Chapter Text
This was, as the matter of fact, classic night for me. I mean the chasing part. I never thought that I would meet a murderer. Such an experienced one. He leaned his back against edge of roof and then started talking to the wind.
“Ah, Phantom thief, you are an amazing person” he breathed out dreamily. “From the first moment I’ve heard about you, I knew that my life goal will be to get to touch with you.” Even through his mask, I could easily tell how huge are his irises in this moment.
“And now you’re here. Standing before me.” He metered me with his eyes. I was flattered, obviously. This was a compliment. However the freaky one.
“Tell me, you did not kill hundreds of people just to meet me.” I demanded. This freaked me out. I am dealing with so much regret and sorrow already.
“Don’t worry. I would be monster even without you.” He shrugged and offered me a smile, not the crazy one though. “How did you miss today?” I tilted my head. I know how it is. Shooter never miss unless he is told to do so. “Exactly how you think. All this I did to drag your attention on me. God, how satisfied I am that it worked!” he landed his feet and excitedly jumped around.
For a second, this was my thought: Turns out, I’m type for freaks all over the, ehm, Earth.
“You wanted me to notice you? Why would you want it for whatever’s sake?” I fussed my brows. I know I’m the greatest thief to ever exist, but I did not expect this. Well played Life, well played.
“Yep, you are so perfect. I thought we could work together.” He straightened his right hand towards me. “What if I offered you a deal of some kind.”
“I’m listening.” I nodded, though I didn’t intend to listen too long.
Masked man began to walking here and there in front of me. “How about we do the greatest crime that was and will be ever done? And travel together. And steal from and kill people? I know you, you would like to, wouldn’t you? In any case... be partners in crime?”
I stood still. Sounds fabulous. But I wasn’t sure I want to run away with serial killer. I opened my mouth, meant to answer, but he interrupted me.
“Let’s meet tomorrow. You can think about it, what do you say?” I knew that he would say that. I nodded. “Yes. I will give you my answer.”
He clapped happily and moved on the edge. “Well, see you tomorrow, Phantom thief~” he sung as he fell down from the roof. I smiled and made my departure as well.
I got home through an opened window, through which I also left earlier. It’s no use to be afraid of thieves, when you are one. It was 2 o’clock and I assumed that I wouldn’t fall asleep anyway.
I opened my chat with Ajit. He sent me yesterday that Dan’s intentions were to play with murder case and plead me to not participate. I did not say anything back. I could not promised him. Seems like that killer has some interest in me. I felt like walking a thin ice.
I turn the communication off and went take a shower. I’ll let Ajit know later. When will everything be clearer. Few hours passed and it was late morning. I ate something, I needed energy when I didn’t sleep at all.
KNOCK! KNOCK!
I made my way to the door and opened them. There was standing my neighbour Seth. He was smiling crazily. “Good morning, Storm.” He greeted me. I remembered I have been asking about him lately. “Good morning. And come in.” Seth closed door behind himself and made his way to my living room.
I disappeared to the kitchen. “You fancy tea? Or coffee? Or anything else?” Seth began to walking around, as if looking for something. “Yeah, I’d like to tea. Do you have ginger? Or passionflower?” He laughed as he finished sentence.
“Both. Therefore which one?” I prepared things and started to brew water. “Ginger for me... or you know, make passionflower for both of us.” Seth grinned. I sighed and nodded. I like the taste of it, so I didn’t bother to ask.
“You have some playing cards?” he shouted at me to kitchen after some moments of silence. I thought about it for second. They are here somewhere. Everett brought me one fancy package from France. I left the tea to be and reached Seth.
“Look in shelves next and under TV. Or go check in my room.” He obediently did in this order. I watched him looking through my stuff, but I wasn’t alarmed.
“Why do you need playing cards? I don’t like gambling.” I lied. I listened to his voice: “I have one nice trick, I’d like to show you... ah, here they are!” he shouted. I nodded and went back to check up the tea.
Seth came back to the living room and sat down on a couch. He placed his elbows on tea table and began to shuffle cards. After while I brought teapot and two cups for tea to the living room and laid down opposite Seth.
I stared at him and he gave me confused look. He put down cards and reach for a top of the teapot. He looked in and then he nodded contentedly. And started to shuffling cards all over. “What was this good for?” I lifted my eyebrow. He chuckled. “Just checking if it is not one of those assassin’s teapots, hehe...” I blinked and laughed shortly afterwards.
Seth poured tea to cups for both of us. “Show me the trick.” I encouraged him, as he sat back down. He nodded excitedly. “But watch carefully. Or you’ll miss it.” He smirked.
I was watching as cards were shifting from one of his hands to the other. “Oh right. Pick a card first.” He lifted package and there was king of spades at the bottom.
“Alright, I got it.”
“Nice, nice...”
My mind strayed, thinking about what kind of idiocy is Seth going to pull out. I can see through many of card tricks. But it’s fun to watch other people trying to impress.
Confident look appeared on his face as he opened up pack and show bottom of upper half. “Is this your card?”
I locked my eyes on the card and became sinisterly amused. “That is not it. The card was king of spades.” I pointed.
“Check again.” He said coldly and then I realised.
My eyes snapped open and I was staring desperately on the card, what amused me a moment ago. Hive like symbol, red colour and green bolt across whole card. And jackal mask on top of it. It was my card. Seth has bursted laughing opposite me.
I stood up and intuitively threw closest object at him. For his bad luck, it was wooden tray I brought the tea on.
Seth was lying on couch unconscious the moment it smacked his head. I was stunned. How did he figure out? I thought I was the one who knew, who’s the other one...
What happend next was quite disturbing. Seth’s forehead was black ‘n blue and bleeding from nose. I carried him into his flat. That included stealing his keys.
His flat was freaky. But I sort of expect that. I opened door and first thing I saw were knives. A fancy collection of knives. They were hanging from shelf in kitchen, which was right opposite the corridor. I figured it was for throwing at people at the door.
I took one of the chairs from the table and after I found rope in his flat (I knew it would be somewhere) I tied him up to the chair. I put the chair’s back against mirror. I thought it will prove useful, just not sure why yet.
There were two more room at his place. On the left side from where I tied him was one longer wall. I walked in this room. It was his bedroom, obviously. Quite mess, I must admit. But what surprised me was that there were yet another door in his bedroom. But as I walked toward them and tried to open them, I couldn’t. Locked. As expected.
I returned to the room with my hostage. Since he didn’t seem to gain consciousness anytime soon I’ve begun going through his stuff. There was shelf past the long wall. I opened them and found thing I very expected I’ll find. Guns, bullets, knives. And more knives and the mask he was wearing in the night.
I laid my eyes on him, he doesn’t seem like a type to be a killer. Also I noticed that the blue bangs matches colour of the mask perfectly. It was probably on purpose.
“Hey~ Why are you fiddling with my things?” Seth suddenly glared at me. His left eye was twitching from a bruise on his forehead. On his lips was smile anyway.
“Ah, woke up, already?” I remarked and moved closer to him. We stared at each other for solid minute. Then his eyes strayed lower and stopped at my hand. “Put that gun down. You can’t shoot, can you?” I sighed and did as I was told.
“I would miss, with high probability.” I admitted. He nodded. I walked past a table and grab chair, he was tied to. I turned it around therefore now Seth was facing a mirror. “Heh, well..” he spoke.
“What?,” I noted, “Silent now, are we?” he raised his eyes, trying to reach mine. “I mean, I’m not going to pretend I don’t know who you are as well as I don’t expect you to pretend, so...” I place my arms on his shoulders and hummed quietly in response.
I could feel his head was still pounding from a blow. He was quite definitely uncomfortable right now.
“So, if you knew it was me, the killer, all along, why did you let me in you flat so easily? Why didn’t you bring it up there and then?” he adjusted his eyes to stare in mine in the mirror.
“I figured it only when you knocked today morning. I’ve have never guessed you would hurt a fly.” I answered.
“However you moved here only to be close to me. I mean city, wait, you even knew where exactly I live.” I crept out. “Yeah, sorry about that. But I feel pleased by the fact that I found you sooner than you did me. Haha... ouch..” His confident laugh changed into weeping.
“You could have just invited me over, and I’d found out in an instant.” I remarked as I looked around his flat once more. Yeah, there is not a single thing that would make me doubt that he wasn’t killer.
“I suggest you to not visit my home. It’s dangerous here.”
“What is so dangerous?” I place my glaze at knives.
“Me.” He said, deadly serious.
I laughed a bit. Then realised he’s probably talking true and stopped. “Talking big, but do you realise you are still tied up to a chair, right? Only now I let go of his shoulders and walked back a bit.
“No, I almost didn’t notice. Thanks for reminding me.” He checked if I was speaking true and then raised his head again.
I put on a confused look: “Excuse me, WHAT?” I pointed at the reflection in the mirror, “you literally see yourself tied up in reflection.”
“Yeah, I forgot that man is me.” I said absolutely calm.
“Please, can you untie me, it’s uncomfortable...” Seth pretended to be begging.
“You didn’t mind at all a mere seconds ago?” I held laugh. He nodded quickly. “Can’t you untie yourself?”
“What am I? Houdini? Of course no!” I got yelled at by him. I murmured “Pathetic”, but untied him after that. “Thanks, friend.” He smiled and patted his head.
I leaned on the table and laid my sight upon Seth. He twisted himself on the chair and began to smile crazily. Them he started talking...