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The strumming of violin strings quietly hummed in Will Mystery’s ear. It was as if the precious sarcophagus called to him. Perhaps because it was, with the help of the earrings he wore, given to him by the Potiri people of the Land of Radiance. The Potiri dabbled in portals to the other realms, to gather information and do research. This does cause the barrier between their world and others to thin. Thin enough that they lost one of their treasures in this realm.
The Seven Roses Unit promised to get it back, as the lost treasure was an important one. It was the sarcophagus of a prince who died young. It's said that his body housed a forgotten god who had to be sealed away… If anyone were to open the sarcophagus, it could spell disaster for everyone involved. Including the mice at this party.
Why was the sarcophagus, and by extension Will, at a party? Well, it all has to do with who exactly found it in the first place… The owner of this rather large house was an Egyptologist, and when he had found this sarcophagus with seeming Egyptian origins on his own land, he was overjoyed to put it on display in his home. Fortunately, he had half a mind not to open it, so as not to endanger the integrity of the ‘historic artifact’.
Will’s mission was to find where the sarcophagus was being displayed and use his music box transporter to take it back to its home dimension, where another SRU agent was waiting to take it back. Ideally, the sarcophagus was being displayed somewhere he could proceed unobserved.
“Hm… Maybe it's on the second floor…” Will wondered, his eyes scanning the stairwell and the little balcony of the second floor that hung over the foyer and the ballroom. “I think I’ve lingered here long enough to look natural…”
Will stood up straight and lifted his back off the pillar he was leaning on. He smoothed out his suit, keeping his (mostly decorative) glass of wine aloft and walked towards the stairs, but not too quickly so he didn’t look suspicious. Although it appeared that he wasn’t the only one with someplace to be. Because when Will reached the base of the stairs, someone had run right into him. Since he was one foot on the first step, he had been caught off-balance, and he fell to the floor with his wine glass falling with him.
“Ouch… Oh no… This is the only suit I have…” Will muttered when he noticed the mess the red wine made of his shirt and blazer.
The man hadn’t even seen Will there while he was speed-walking to the stairs; he only noticed his presence when he had knocked him over. He turned his head and looked at him with what Will assumed was surprise, though it was hard to tell behind those reflective sunglasses.
“Oh— I’m so sorry, sir,” he said, getting down on one knee to help him up. “I haven’t the slightest idea what I was thinking. I must not have been paying very close attention…”
Will took his hand, and they both rose to their feet. Will dusted off his pants and surveyed the wine’s damage with a click of his tongue. “I just had to get red wine, didn’t I? I really hope this can come out in the wash… None of it got on you, did it?”
“No no, I’m fine,” the man said. “Besides, I have more suits than I know what to do with… Here, I can write a check to pay for your dry cleaning…”
“That’s— That’s not necessary…!” Will said with a nervous laugh. “I can manage… It’ll be a while before I go to another one of these shindigs anyway, so don’t worry about it…!”
“Hm, if you insist…”
He had no idea why, but the gentleman in front of Will struck a familiar chord. It was like an alarm bell was ringing in his head. Had he seen him somewhere? Let’s see: Blonde hair, thick, well-groomed beard, kind of burly, and mirror-like aviators… That description plus the English accent…
Will was right. He did recognize him. He exactly matched someone the Thea Sisters had described to him. A certain Luke von Klawitz, an artifact thief, a modern-day tomb robber. A rather competent one at that, even if his minions weren’t. Deadly-sharp intellect paired with bleeding-edge technology at his fingertips. Though judging from the girls’ jabs at him, Luke doesn’t emerge from his headquarters often, if at all. So why was he here in person instead of his three goons?
Will’s wariness must have shown on his snout, because Luke raised an eyebrow and asked, “Is something amiss, sir?”
“No— No, I’m fine…” Will stammered. “Just… thinking. About how to wash this suit.”
“I would personally recommend a stain remover, then you can soak it for half an hour, and after washing, it should start coming out,” Luke advised. “You may need to repeat multiple times.”
“Good to know… Thank you. I— I should go to the men’s room, and see what I can do to clean myself up here.”
“Well, I hope you have a good night, and that the stain comes out.”
“Thanks, you too, Mr. Klawitz.”
As soon as the name left his mouth, Will wanted to kick himself. How the hell was he going to explain that? Maybe if he’s lucky, Luke won’t notice the slip-up.
For a millisecond, Luke hesitated at the stairs before carrying himself up the steps. Once he was out of view, Will breathed out his relieved sigh. “That was the closest call I’ve had in a long time… Let’s hope that doesn’t become a trend in the future…”
Will made haste as he rushed to the restroom and locked the door behind him. Once his heart stopped racing, he went in front of the mirror and took off his suit jacket to get a better look at his shirt. Will sucked in through his teeth as he looked at the big red splotch dead in the middle of the stark white button-up.
“The suit is probably salvageable, but I’ll definitely need to replace my shirt…” Will said to himself. “For now… I guess I have no choice but to make do… Unless some kind soul offers me a spare…”
Resigning himself to looking like he just came out of the filming of Carrie for the rest of the night, Will put his jacket back on and left the bathroom. Now that Luke von Klawitz wasn’t around, he could go upstairs without being noticed or further interrupted. Hopefully, he didn’t run into him again, especially not literally.
Will took a deep breath and remembered the advice of his mentor when he first started at the Seven Roses Unit. “Always look like you know what you’re doing, always walk like you’re meant to be there. Nobody will question a thing.”
So he walked with his head up and movements slow and easy to see, to convey ease of mind and a casual demeanor. Keeping up his act of nonchalance, he went into each room, strolled around a bit, seemingly browsing through their contents, and promptly leaving.
He kept this up until he came upon a door that was already open. A lot of the doors that Will saw were closed, so this was a bit unusual. Someone else might already be in there. Hopefully not, since here was where the sarcophagus’ song was at its loudest. Will poked his head inside the room. Good news, nobody was there. Even better news, the sarcophagus was indeed in the display case! Will smiled and went inside the room to take a closer look at the pearl-carved artifact.
However, when he was halfway inside the room, a few steps away from the sarcophagus encased in glass, the door clicked closed. Will froze, and then he heard the lock slide into place. There was someone else inside this room. Who else could it be other than Luke von Klawitz, a knowing look curling on his snout as Will turned around and stared at him with an expression that can only be described as a deer bathed in headlights.
“I had a feeling this sarcophagus was what you were after,” Luke spoke quietly, with a hint of intimidation tinging his voice. “You knew who I was, since you said my name. Though I bet you were hoping I wouldn’t notice. You were likely looking to get to this artifact before I did. Not that you were successful.”
He knew, he knew it would never be that easy, not with such a serious threat like Luke von Klawitz on the prowl for his next prize. But somewhere in his mind, Will had prayed that it would be.
“You’re— You’re never getting your hands on this sarcophagus,” Will had to take a moment to be able to form words at least somewhat coherently. “It does not belong to either you or me.”
“Ah, so you’re some kind of law enforcement,” Luke clicked his tongue. “I thought so. Briefly, I considered that you were a petty thief or a cat burglar, but that notion was quickly discarded when you opened your mouth. In fact, you remind me of those… Thea Sisters. Altruistic, pure-hearted, and so eager to do the right thing.”
“What have you done to the Thea Sisters?” Will demanded. Forget him, if Luke hurt his girls, let’s just say he could throw quite a punch.
“Well, now I know how you found out about me,” Luke muttered. “Anyhow, this banter is getting us nowhere. Now, there are two options here. Either we can fistfight for the sarcophagus like a bunch of ruffians, or we can discuss this like civilized men. And you’re not much of a fighter, are you?”
Luke did have a point there; Will didn’t like to fight if he didn’t have to. He certainly could; he’d fought off his fair share of thugs looking to cause him harm. That being said, if they fought now, they’d certainly cause a scene and most definitely blow both of their covers. Yes, it was in their best interest to talk this out.
“I agree, this is something that can be arranged in a calm, orderly fashion,” Will said. “But not here. I want to talk where people can see us, so you can’t pull any tricks that may be up your sleeve. We can use code words so we aren’t detected.”
“I knew you’d see sense. Fine, I accept your terms, but if we’re found out, it’s your responsibility to cover yourself.”
Luke, being the one standing by the door, unlocked it and opened it for Will to walk through. As he walked closer, Luke bent in a small bow, gesturing with his arm. “After you.”
“…thank you…” Will eyed the bearded man as he went by. He made sure to keep a close eye on him as they left the room, Luke closing the door behind them. As they went down the beautifully stained wooden steps, they noticed music was playing a little louder than usual. Mice were beginning to slow dance on the ballroom floor.
“Maybe if we keep our voices low while we dance, it’ll draw less attention,” Luke suggested.
That proposal made Will’s stomach churn nervously, but not for the reason you think. You see, Will was never that great a dancer. He could haphazardly follow his partner’s movements, and that’s about it. Truthfully, he had no idea how he’d managed to not make a fool of himself during all of those celebrations. But he didn’t wanna arouse suspicion by refusing, so Will went along with it anyway.
They got down to the dance floor, and they started getting into the proper starting position for a waltz.
“I assume you’re going to lead?” Will ventured a guess, secretly hoping Luke would say ‘yes’.
“Naturally, since you’ve no clue how to dance.”
“How— How did you—?”
“For one, only a man with very little dancing experience would ask his partner to lead,” Luke explained. “Second, judging from your little tumble earlier, you are the slightest bit clumsy. And that’s putting it nicely.”
“Well alright, you didn’t have to say it like that…” Will scoffed. “You’re way too smart for your chosen profession… You could do so much good with that kind of smarts.”
“I’ll pass, thank you. Before we begin our dance, I think it is proper for me to take off my sunglasses so you can actually see my face. It’s awfully rude to continue to obscure my snout while engaged in such an intimate art. I’m a criminal mastermind, not a philistine. Besides, nobody knows who I am anyway.”
Luke swiftly took the aviators off of his snout, folding them up with two quiet clacks, and slipping them into his pocket. Without the reflective shades, his presence somehow got more intimidating. Now with nothing to obscure Luke’s eyes, Will could see the cold look he gave, matching the irises’ blue hue. They lacked the warmth of compassion, but there was a spark of… something. Was that… excitement?
Will tried not to seem like he was staring, even though he definitely was, by occasionally darting his eyes away as they danced. But they always returned to Luke. Now that he thought about it… Luke von Klawitz reminded Will of an ice sculpture. Fleeting, untouchable, yet… beautiful. Everything about him was sculpted with the utmost precision. Every detail was painstakingly carved to look unequivocally flawless. There wasn’t a single chink in that veneered armor. Or was there?
Luke held the SRU agent at arm's length at first, simply going through the motions just as he’d no doubt rehearsed while also helping Will keep on his feet. Probably to save himself from embarrassment as much as Will… Then Will began to stumble, and Luke grabbed him in a knee-jerk reaction to keep him from falling over. Problem was, he grabbed him by his waist and pulled him a little too close for comfort. Their snouts almost touched as they were flush against one another.
There it was. The chink in Luke’s armor. For the first time that night, he was caught off guard. His eyes were a little wider as he stared at Will, almost reminiscent of how Will stared at him just a moment ago…
“I’m— I’m sorry. I did not mean to do that,” not knowing what to say, Luke’s voice sounded stilted and robotic.
“It’s okay, I’m glad I didn’t fall,” Will answered, keeping relatively calm. He was used to these little accidents. “Shouldn’t we be discussing what to do with the sarcophagus?”
“Right, right…” Judging from the shift in tone, Luke had regained his composure now that the topic had changed. “Before we make any negotiations, tell me: Who are you? And what would you want with that sarcophagus?”
Slowly, Will began to adjust to how Luke’s body moved to the music, so he was able to keep up while they talked. “I… can’t tell you everything, but my name is Will Mystery. I’m… not quite law enforcement, more so a… history enthusiast. I’m very dedicated to historical artifacts, and making sure they end up in their rightful place,” Will said those last two words pointedly.
“So you have secrets of your own… Interesting, very interesting…” Luke’s voice lowered to a hum. “If you are in fact a history enthusiast, tell me the story of that sarcophagus. Oddly enough, I cannot place it, and I am quite well versed in ancient Egyptian treasures.”
“It was from an era that wasn’t really recorded,” Will started. “It was a time of great wealth, and a lot of dependence on the sea, as evidenced by the pearl. The people who made it weren’t really the Egyptians as we know them today, hence the portrayal of an angelic being on the sarcophagus instead of one of the more typical animals on a royal sarcophagus. I did notice that the angel’s halo was broken, it had the face of a snake, and its wings tattered and almost severed, so perhaps that was a representation of evil or a figure fallen from grace?”
Will couldn’t stop himself from rambling. The meaning of the carving on the sarcophagus really was fascinating to dissect. Hopefully, it at least sold the lie…
Luke made a sound of approval. “I came to the same conclusion when I first saw the sarcophagus. Well, I suppose there’s not much I can gain by stealing it away for myself, since I know next to nothing about the damned thing. But you… You seem to know all about it…”
Will wasn’t sure how to feel about Luke’s steely glare honing in on him, like he was finally seeing him in his crosshairs. That spark of excitement in his eyes seemed to get hotter.
“Now, you could simply take the sarcophagus and put it in a museum where the woefully uninformed, unintellectual masses gape at it, or… You could come along with it to my personal display, where every ounce of it can be appreciated in its entirety; its beauty and its past. I’ll pay you handsomely, I have more money than I frankly know what to do with.”
“That’s a firm no, Mr. von Klawitz,” Will refused, with little room for argument. “It deserves to be appreciated by those who can, and I can promise you that you’re not the only one. Like I said, it doesn’t belong to you.”
“Fine.”
Luke sounded strangely… disappointed when he huffed his response. Disappointed at the sarcophagus or at Will not taking up his offer? Will didn’t have time to ponder that answer before Luke once again pulled him very close, close enough to whisper to him.
“Next time I won’t be so kind as to ask.”
“Next time—”
Another mouse had backed up a little too far and bumped into Will, causing Luke to almost topple over as well. Will scrambled to grab onto him before he hit the ground, but in his haste, combined with Luke attempting to remain proper, it now looked as though Luke was being pulled into a dip.
At least they didn’t look out of place…?
Now it was Luke’s turn to look like a deer in headlights. The expression of shock and surprise looked so foreign on his face, yet at the same time, was so satisfying to see.
“I am so sorry, Mr. von Klawitz…!” Will forced an apology from his mouth, dragging Luke back upright. “Really, I didn’t mean to—”
“I need to go now.”
Luke von Klawitz, with fingers noticeably clumsier than earlier, took out his sunglasses and put them back on his face. With his face hidden again, he walked away from Will, making a beeline for the door.
Will cocked his head in utter confusion. Did the dip offend him that much? Or were there other forces at play… In any case, now Will could transport the sarcophagus back to the Land of Radiance without any more interruptions.
After he saw an opening, he left the dance floor and went back up the same stairs and went through the same door that was left ajar. It was only after the sarcophagus disappeared from its case, and the device confirmed the transfer to be successful, that Will could finally relax. Though even after the night was over and he was back at home, something still nagged at him…
Apparently, the same could be said for Luke von Klawitz as well. Because as soon as he was out of his suit and into his prissy nightclothes, the first thing he did was look up the name “Will Mystery” on his computer. What came up was sparse; too sparse for his liking. Only a few photos from his university days, and his driver’s license picture.
“Mark my words, Will Mystery,” Luke said lowly. “I will pry you open; I will find out everything there is to know about you. I will see you again. And when that time comes, you’ll be a ‘mystery’ no more.”
“Boss, why are you staring and muttering at some guy on your computer…?” a voice called out groggily from down the hall. “It’s kinda creepy…”
“Christ on a stick— Go back to bed, Max!”