Chapter Text
“Do you think Alter was scrutinizing me more than usual?”
Magnus glanced over to the spot the villain had been a moment ago, the twins having fled once the sirens were in earshot. They didn’t bother chasing; even if they caught the two, they’d never be able to keep them detained for more than a day, at best. Catching one and not the other just meant losing the captive about an hour after being incarcerated.
“Nah,” Magnus responded, reaching past his mask to scratch casually at his neck. He always complained about how itchy it could get, but he’s too stubborn to get a new one.
“I’ll have to start over! Do you know how many people’s merchandise will get scrapped if I get a new look? ‘Oh, who’s that’ ‘Oh, that’s just I’Mork ō.’ ‘ I’Mork ō?’ ‘Yeah.’ ‘Man, he looks like such a dweeb now!’ See the problem with that?”
“I’m sure no one will call you a ‘dweeb,’ Magnus,” He’d reassured, to which he’d only received the ‘Magnus Look’ in response.
“He’s just a weirdo, you know?” Present Magnus shrugged. Kravitz glanced over to where the police had begun investigating the area for clues as to the Twins’ identities. Kravitz knew from personal experience that those two didn’t leave a trace, no matter the rush they left in. Not even a hair.
“Sure,” He returned distractedly.
Kravitz was not always a hero. He sure as hell never thought he’d end up as one.
See, Kravitz was not made for heroism. Due to…preferably undisclosed reasons, Kravitz had what many would call “witchcraft.” Of course, that was a simpleton’s standpoint. What Kravitz was capable of was a set of very, frankly, questionable abilities. Let’s just say he more than walked the line between life and death.
He glanced at Magnus as they ate lunch together the day following the theft. According to news reports, what they stole this time was a blueprint of the museum. On his way here, he’d seen a group of police cars crowded around said museum, so at least that explained that. Idiots, really. The twins weren’t dense enough to let something like that be known to the public. There was surely a twist under wraps.
“...It’d be so interesting to see that happen.”
“Dude, you should go stake it out!” Magnus smiled at their friend as Kravitz tuned back into the conversation. Barry gave him a quizzical look, but seemed onboard for the most part. Realizing what they were talking about, Kravitz jumped in.
“Magnus,” He gave him a pointed look. He turned to the other man at the table. “Don’t. The police will probably catch you before anything happens anyways.”
“I guess,” Barry frowned. Police sirens.
“That was sooner than expected,” Kravitz turned to look towards the street, where police cars rushed by. They were leaving the parking lot of the silent museum.
Called it.
“Where’s it coming from?” Barry jumped to his feet, pulling out his phone, likely to call his fellow hero/villain fanatic. Despite hearing it ring continuously, Kravitz still watched Barry hurry to his car, grabbing his bag on the way.
“Hey! Do you want me to take your leftover- he’s gone,” Magnus sighed, cutting off his prior yelling.
As per usual, the twins were putting way too much effort into presentation.
The police had quickly put up a makeshift barrier around the bank, ducked behind their low walls. There was never any knowing what the twins might pull.
“Gentlemen, hold your applause,” Alter announced at the sound of guns shifting to trail the two elves.
“Keep it, babe,” Umbra said, patting the shoulder of the woman she’d just stuffed a twenty into the breast pocket of. The woman, despite this, didn’t look too pleased.
Kravitz could probably chalk it up to the fact that the elf had her in a headlock as they walked forward, holding the hostage in front of most of her body.
“Release the hostages and drop the money! If you go quietly, there will still be chance to negotiate your sentence!” The chief of police announced. Kravitz could tell in a second that that was a bluff; these two had committed enough crimes for twenty people in their years of villaining. It was clear that the twins knew the same. Colorful smoke wafted about the twins’ ankles as they broke into wider grins. “Presentation is what determines your intimidation, my man,” Alter had told him once. “Without it, you’re just a bozo with a gun and a mask.”
“Oh, Davenport! Davenport, Davenport, Davenport, I can’t do that. Who’d keep all this money?” Alter asked.
“I would,” Umbra grinned as she leaned over to her brother.
“I’d die first, dear sister,” Alter grinned back.
“Arranged.”
“This is your last chance!” Davenport shouted. The men around him lifted their guns once more. “Take it or leave it!”
The twins turned to face one another.
“Tough one,” Umbra feigned contemplation.
“Horribly. Horribly so,” Alter shook his head. He and Umbra played out what was clearly a fake discussion under their breaths to one another.
“We’ll have to take a no on that one, Dav,” Alter answered casually. Davenport made a single discrete motion with his right hand, and the gunner closest to him fired.
“Charming!” Alter caught the bullet between his slim fingers, twisting his hand back around to his lips, and blew out a puff of pink chalk in the shape of a heart towards the chief. The rest of the gunners hefted their weapons, but Davenport closed his fist, a sign to stop, then gestured two fingers towards the hostage, who was now clinging to Umbra’s arm, clearly trying to break free. Umbra didn’t even seem to be straining her arm against the struggle. Magnus glanced past Kravitz, towards the chief once more, then turned back forward, grinning.
“What-” Alter turned his head towards the bank, probably responding to the flick I’Mork ō had just delivered to the back of his head.
“Ko!” Umbra scolded, pulling her brother away from the bullets that had begun racing towards him the moment he turned.
Ko.
She kept him near her. Of the two, she was much more obvious in caring about the other’s well-being. It’d almost be sweet if they weren’t, you know, killers and thieves.
Kravitz focused a small amount of energy to the concrete below them, and Umbra stumbled as a crack opened between her feet; enough to displace ground, but not so much that things can get out.
In her moment of distraction, Magnus used his power again: phantom fists. As she balanced herself, he pulled the woman from her grip and then proceeded to punch the villain square in the face.
Alter’s eyes narrowed, and Kravitz watched as his gaze traced the line of the crack in the concrete...right to the two heroes.
“Not cool, earthquake boy!” He called, pulling on the laid back stature, though his grin was harshly strained. Kravitz rolled to his right, glad that Magnus had already gotten up to face Umbra full-on, narrowly avoiding Alter’s bolts of energy.
One of the policemen had moved up behind Alter, raising his gun like a bat.
“Alter!” Umbra called, hands matched with Magnus’, pushing against one another. Alter whipped around, hands slamming onto the gun, and promptly turning it into a giant candy cane. Disarmed, the cop stepped back, holding the candy like a sword to shield any blows. Magnus, off to the side, had mistakenly turned his attention to this for a second too long, as Umbra bent and charged forward, her head making contact with The Bear’s gut.
Kravitz whipped his cords forward, grappling either of Alter’s arms, then torso, and dragging the elf towards himself. As they made eye contact, Kravitz fought relentlessly to hold his resolve. Still, the moment the elf opened his mouth, Kravitz faltered.
“Deja vu?” He proclaimed, raising an eyebrow.
Did...did he know? He couldn’t know, he’d changed himself for this new life, he couldn’t. Right?
A firebolt came shooting towards the two at lightning speed, catching Kravitz’s sleeve, which gave Alter just enough slack to pull free, and return his sister’s favor by hitting Magnus straight in the back with another bolt of energy.
They took this chance to regroup, Alter grabbed the case of money and suddenly it disappeared from his hand. However, it was shown to have been, in fact, transmuted into a simple blue stone, which was visible when he gave an armyman’s salute to the crowd of officers. And, at that, they vanished.
It was made known to the public that evening that the museum had been robbed of half of its artwork within the same hour as the heist.