Chapter Text
After an unfortunate incident including ghosts, all patrols to the museum had to consist of two people at least. It's one of many, many unspoken rules amongst the ninja crew.
Kai will gladly follow as many rules as possible to prevent any more incidents like that from happening ever again.
A quiet afternoon in the monastery was interrupted by a urgent call from the city's museum, requesting a backup security measures.
Apparently, a mysterious artifact was found, the staff describing it as 'expensive and dangerous looking', so they're afraid regular security guards aren't going to cut it.
And that's how Kai and Jay found themselves inside the museum, now inspecting the thing.
It was a small golden cube, with intricate details, swirling patterns, and beautiful ruby gems on each side. It sat on display, behind a sturdy looking glass.
It really does look like the most expensive thing Kai's ever seen.
From next to him, Jay let out a low whistle. "Wow, no wonder they wanted us to come, this thing is probably more expensive that the bounty."
Kai agreed, "Yeah, though it doesn't look too dangerous to me." He turned towards the curator of this section of museum. "What exactly is it?"
The curator, (Andy, as he introduced himself) fixed his tie nervously "Honestly, we have no idea, someone left it at the entrance in the middle of the night, just like that." He glanced towards the artifact. "We have no proof that it's dangerous, but we also can't confirm it's not."
Kai hummed, that makes sense. Better safe than sorry, after all.
"So-"Jay started, poking the glass case,"-we just need to guard it for the night and then see what happens, right?"
Andy the curator nodded, "Yes, if no one tries to take it in that time, I don't think there will be any further problems, since whoever brought it here probably won't be coming back for it." He chuckled nervously "I hope."
With that settled, the two ninja prepared themselves for a very long and boring night.
Oh, If only they knew how wrong they were.
-----
"-ok, I spy with my little eye-"
"Jay I swear if you say "something red and grumpy" again, I'll kick you in the knee."
"... something red and even MORE grumpy than befor-OUCH! OK, ok I'll stop!"
Jay rubbed his aching knee, muttering something under his breath.
They've been standing guard around the artifact and playing 'I spy' for almost two hours now and Kai was about ready to die from boredom.
Well, at least he wasn't the only one.
He heard Jay sigh dramatically. He pulled out his phone, and his face lit up as he read something on the screen.
Jay looked up at him and grinned "Looks like we missed Cole's cooking."
"Oh thank fuck"
-----
After about forty minutes of playing various games, something happened.
-Crash!-
A noise from somewhere outside the room, both men heard it, and immediately readied thier weapons.
It was well past the ten in the evening, so whatever it was, it's definitely not a visitor.
Kai notified other security guards present in the other parts of the museum.
Jay glanced at Kai, then tilted his head towards the entrance, "I'll go check it out, you guard the cube thingy?"
Kai nodded, "yep" and got into a fighting stance, as he wached Jay quietly sneak out into the hall.
He strained his ears, trying to hear any signs of physical confrontation, but there was nothing.
So he waited.
Anxiety started to nag him about three minutes after Jay disappeared around the corner into the hall.
Kai knew he couldn't leave the artifact unguarded in a situation like this, so he turned on his communicator, "Jay do you copy, how's it going on your end?"
Holding his breath and waiting for an answer, he relaxed when he heard Jay's voice from the device, "Nothing here, I searched the entrance, the hall, everything here looks good," he paused, seemingly talking to someone, "also the other security guards are checking all around the museum grounds, so it should be alright for now. You?"
Kai let out a sigh, "Same, nothing. I'm starting to think it was a pigeon crashing into the window or something."
Jay snorted, "if nothing else happens we're definitely blaming the pigeon."
Kai huffed out a laugh. "Alright, let me know if anything changes."
"Roger that, captain!" Click!
Focusing on the tasks at hand, Kai dutifully watched over the artifact, as Jay and the guards made sure nothing was amiss.
And then he heard it.
A breath.
From above him.
Kai's head whipped upwards, just in time to see a masked figure jump down, intending to land right on top of him.
Kai swiftly moved out of the way way, barely missing a boot to the head.
The figure recovered quickly, pulling out a sword and charging at Kai, who blocked the attack with his katanas.
Thier weapons clashed together a couple of times, but it was clear the masked person was struggling.
Kai easily overpowered the stranger, considering he was a good foot taller than them.
He pinned them down to the floor, bending thier arm behind them in a painful way, and immediately contacted Jay, "Looks like it wasn't a pigeon after all, there's a masked weirdo who tried to attack me."
Jay quickly responded "Aww you're getting all the action! At least it's getting interesting! We're on our way, I'll be there in 2 minutes max! Keep them busy!"
Kai chuckled, "Roger that captain." -click!-
He turned his attention to the struggling criminal. "So, you're trying to rob a museum, and on a Friday night too! What's the deal?"
The guy grunted, and muttered something Kai couldn't hear.
Kai put more of his weight on the would-be-robber's back, making him wheeze."What was that?"
The robber (Bob, as Kai decided to call him) coughed and spat out, "I said, I wasn't trying to steal anything!"
Kai set a very unimpressed stare at him, slowly
nodding his head, "Sure, right, no I totally believe you, you don't look like a robber at all-"
"-No, you misunderstand, I wasn't trying to steal anything" he laughed.
Uh oh
Kai had a bad feeling about this now.
"I was."
He turned his head, so fast he felt his neck crack, at the new voice, to see another masked person holding the artifact.
Shit.
Moving fast, Kai knocked out to he first guy, and swiftly attacked the second one.
This one fought more viciously, but was still struggling.
After about thirty seconds of fighting, it became clear both goons didn't know much about fighting.
Kai was about to strike him with the dull end of his
sword, when the stranger, in a moment of panic, threw the cube at Kai.
It fell on the floor. He blinked. They both blinked.
Kai snorted 'Well that was dumb-'
The artifact shifted, completely changing it's shape, and started emitting a soft red glow.
Dumbfounded, Kai only managed to hear the guy curse, before everything was washed alway in a brilliant light.
-----
Getting back to Kai in record time, Jay skidded to a stop in the room, the other security guards somewhere behind him.
No one was in the room. The cube thingy wasn't in the case anymore, but laying on the floor, looking completely untouched.
Jay looked around, "Kai?! Are you here?!"
No answer.
He tried the communicator. Silence welcomed him on the other end.
Oh, this was bad, so bad.
Jay was panicking at this point, asking the guards if they saw anything.
They serched the building, but there was nothing. No one.
Kai successfully prevented the artifact from being stolen. But where was he now?
-----
A couple of hours later, the red ninja was officially declared missing.