Chapter 4: Imperial Bank Heist - The Paycheck Gang
The night was still young in Vord as the lights and oil street lamps lighted the city's vast streets and the castle seem to be filled with life, as much as people could see. But nobody was expecting – not even the guards – what is going to happen.
"Rebbeca… Where are you?" Asked a blonde girl in a short skirt and tube top shirt that managed to hold her breasts pretty well, as the other girl jumped from behind and scared her a bit. "REBBECA YOU BITCH! DON'T SCARE ME LIKE THAT NEXT TIME!"
"Sorry, Mary. But you know the drill. Always have your back." Rebbeca said as she landed safely using some levitation rune-filled boots she wears. Rebbeca has red hair, wears a tank top shirt and cargo pants. On the shoulders, she got two automatic crossbows with 50 belts in the mag.
"Seems like you are outfitted for the job?" Mary asks her as Rebbeca gives her a crossbow and two boxes with the belts.
"Huh? But I thought I would only observe?" Mary asked as she looked at her.
"Yea. Like Mr. Komarov would ever allow that. Practice makes it better." Rebbeca said as she checked everything, including the soft writing on the crossbow of hers. The runes.
Soon a voice was heard in the jewels the two girls heard. "Ladies… You are in position?"
"Yes, we are, noisy head. You are lucky these jewels are set in a way that places the gem in my ears." Rebbeca said as she was a bit annoyed that it breaks their silence a bit since the voice can be heard because of how loud the runes are.
"Sorry for that." One of the men said as both were sitting on the mountains, facing the gothic-style entrance of the Imperial Bank. The central bank, of Tiritium Empire. "I am having a lock on the guard. On my mark, you are to take them down. Mary, check the dirt under you. There is a rune charged with teleportation spell on the second end of the stores. Use it."
Mary heard the command in her jewels as well and cleared out the dirt. Rune was there as the contact said. Placing the hand on it, the girl teleported instantly, making it glow weakly. Clearly, it was charged for small distance travel. And as the contact said, it teleported her to the end.
"Aim… We need to take them three out at the same time." One of the hooded men said as he aimed his bigger crossbow, at the guard in the middle when the girls aimed at the heads of the two legionaries standing nearby. "Fire!" Command was clear. The trio fired the thick bolts that were covered with runes, with a diameter of 7.62x39, with the larger bolt, being similar to a .50 cal in diameter.
"Target confirmed down, Bane." A dude nearby the one firing said as he observed the whole thing through the magical screen put in front of him as he used runes in the Imperial Bank's structure as cameras for observation.
"Roger, Scar." Bane said as he looked at the area in front of him. "Let's change vantage points."
"Got that!" Scar nodded as the brothers changed their position to better utilize the magic they were equipped with, by the powerful man that hired them.
"Rebbeca, Mary. Go. Remove the bodies." Bane said as he watched the two were still letting the bodies be present. He threw out a rune in the high mountain that they stationed on, so the girls could use the adequate magic. Girls did it flawlessly.
"lavomer ydob :noitatropnsart." Rebbeca and Mary both used their magic, successfully transporting the bodies to a hiding cave the sniper and overwatch made beforehand, knowing it would be successful.
Bane put his big crossbow on the stone and aimed through the sights, and prepared more bolts. When the girls went in and used the key they previously took from the guards, to open the gate itself. It was circular on the top with very interesting runes. They glew as the lock, recognized the key that belonged to the guards. Opening it, gave them a silent entrance.
"Overwatch, we are in. Scar." Mary puts her finger on the jewel she got in her ear, as the jewel glew a bit.
"This is Scar. You are in the entrance? Confirm?" Scar asks as he takes out his hoodie, revealing white hair, despite his young age. He claps his hands and projects a magical observation panel in front of him, to assist the situation.
"Yes, we entered the bank. What now? The place seems to be empty." Rebbeca said as she put the finger on the jewel in her ears.
"Got that. Now go to the first floor, and hit the vault section." Scar said as he looked on the area, as the girls were getting on the stairs and walked as silently as they could.
"Sure… Give us a bit." Mary said through a jewel as they went to the section, noticing the guards. "Shit."
"Something happened?" Scar asks as he makes Bane look at him with concern In his eyes.
"Well.. It is a guarded section. Two guards to be specific." Mary said with a bit of a nervous voice as she noticed two more with torches.
"I say it is 20 guards in the area… Shit. This heist has no right to be pulled off silently…" Scar said as he sit here for a moment. "Hide."
The girls understood the command as they hid in the nearby wardrobes and waited for the guards to pass.
"Shit.. Let me think a bit." Scar said as he got up and opened his backpack made from leather, hanging on his right shoulder. He pulled out two black stones from the bag and threw them into the building, instantly destroying them beforehand, chanting a spell. "laever aerA :cigam tnemthgilnE." This quickly made the new screen appear on the previously blank green slate. The plan of the building appeared for him, as he was lucky to not be noticed by the coming patrol of the Imperial Guard that was employed to protect the institution they are hitting now.
"All right get out, Rebbeca, Mary.." Scar said as Bane looked through the magically made lenses on the area.
"Tell me, and I am going loud." Bane said as Scar refused the area.
"You heard Lord Komarov. He wants it done silently.
"Yes, I did. Damn that paranoic noble, dealing with illegal shit." Bane said as he sighed.
"We are mercenaries. And legality is something we care about later.. You know that." Scar said as he looked at the map of the building, and the pings that moved around.
"Okay girls. Listen up. Get out of the wardrobes." Mary and Rebbeca got out as Scar, let them know. "Bane hit it. 200 meters, north-south, second floor… no wind. Apply body removal rune." Scar said as Bane nodded "Girls, rush in and take out these guards, apply body removal spell.
"lavomer ydob :noitatropnsart." It was all they could hear as their bolts got the charge needed. Bane let go of the bolt who has also applied a ghost spell that allowed for passing for dead items through the wall. Not people.
The girls also used it. Bane hit two guards and the girls ensured their targets – the two guards in front of them, are dead. Five new bodies are transported to the pit nearby. "Seventeen to go. Good so far." Scar complemented two heisterines as they went further, noticing footsteps and the vault.
"Shit. The vault is out of reinforced iron!" Rebbeca said as she looked at the door with a big steering wheel at the middle. "Give me a bit. If this is not going to work… Find us a solution around it that is silent."
"Then you must get to it fast." Said Scar as he looked on the panels and placed sapphires filled with mana, to the holes, and they started to levitate. This gave him manual control over the panel itself. "I guess this lack of guards on the entrance piqued the interest of the shift guards."
"All right…." Rebbeca and Mary took deep breaths as they concentrated the mana. Basic magic is accessible for everyone but not everyone has reached to train this section of combat. Thieves though… Do. "!ecroF eturB yB denepO rooD tluaV :cigam modsiW!" Girls said as the two magical circles appeared in their hands and then the big one around the vault.
"Bane, get in if you can." Scar said as he knew this will be crucial.
"Roger. !wobssorC decnahnE tneliS :htimsnopaeW." Bane said as he materialized the right crossbow for the job. Lightweight, automatic fire option in that baby gives proper firepower to him. Belts chambered in 7.62x39, like the AK bullet, it pierces well through most armor. Bane used the rune he saved up, filled it up a bit with mana, and teleported to the entrance point, they lay before the entrance. Meanwhile, Scar, the hit team's leader, watched over the panels when the action took place.
Luckily for Mary and Rebbeca, Bane went through the doors silently, managing to slip in through the guards, using the enhanced bolts with teleportation spell they designed for the heist. Instantly killing them, piling up bodies in the pit which when reached a capacity, were teleported to an unknown storage location. 5 more down. When he was about to reach to the girls, two guards noticed them. Dressed up in a red cloth robe covering the chest, parts of the shoulder and with an attached skirt in this one-piece clothing, covered with steel plate armor, shield, gladius, and two spears, they noticed them. "Cease!" Said two guards as they approached the burglars when they had gone halfway through, only for Bane to kick their ass with headshots and instant teleportation of their bodies to the pit.
"Well.. Looks like you owe me big." Bane said as the girls let out a sigh of relief.
"Thanks. We are halfway through. How is Scar?" Mary asks as she concentrates best she can on brute-force lockpicking the vault.
"Well.. He is the overwatch now. And it's a good vantage point so… In case, we have the runes for teleportation ready." Bane said as he put the crossbow to the hip as he aimed through the unchanged sights and moved around a bit to see if somebody gets in their way. And they were true. Two guards armed similarly were taken down by two well-placed headshots, again with great reload speed. "Gotta love auto crossbows!" He said with a cheeky smirk.
"Yes, Lord Komarov. We are nearly through the vault door. Silently as you asked." Scar said as he looked at the panel with a window saying 'voice communication.'
"Magnificent, brilliant! I knew I picked the right crew for this heist. Let me know when you will get it." Komarov said as he could not hide the excitement.
"Why do you need that titanium-mithril artifact?" Scar asks as he lets out a sigh of annoyance.
"Fine… There is a place I want to get access to. Shrine of Ascension. Ancient places were built by Gods as a set of puzzles made for the best to solve. And this is the first key.. First out of seven. And we need a total of 49 elements to get to the shrine." Komarov said as he could not do more but smirk. "I pinpointed the location of the first key… Strange to think the bank would hold it."
"Indeed, my lord." Scar said as he watched over the progress view runic spy cameras they set up before.
At the same time, the girls opened the vault.
"SCAR! IT'S OPEN!" Rebbeca said as she placed her fingers on the gem. "We are going in!"
"Good! But silently! I want no alarm raised." Scar said as he knew that stealing the key was important. "Take the key but also… Take gold if you want to. It's extra pay for us all."
"Got that!" Bain said as he put his fingers on the jewels and moved to the vault chamber. The three proceeded to scatter around and search through the vault. Deposit boxes, chests, vaults, bar doors… High-level security. But it is not what the heisting crew is originally after. They are after one of the seven Keys of Ascension.
"Found the key!" Bain said as he looked at a beautifully crafted metal key with extra ornaments. He smashed the glass window and took out the key. Girls smashed through the chests full of gold and stole it for themselves. They were about to get out when a guard, looking like a late-roman centurion, clapped his hands.
"Brilliant show of ingenuity, my dear thieves," Centurion said as he smirked. "My name is John Sanders… Centurion of the Imperial Army… And I must admit the break-in was a spectacular show!"
His voice seems pleased with the results of the heist.
"Shit.. Are we going to prison?" Rebbeca looked at the two partners as the Centurion smirked.
"No no no.. Not at all. You can take the key and the gold by the Emperor's orders… We were actually making an investigation into Komarov's interests in suspiciously supernatural items… Although magic exists in our world…. Old items are…. Increasing in popularity… His… Got a pattern."
"And you want to know that pattern?" Bane asks as he looks at the full strength of a squad. 100 Legionaries, with blades, pikes, and shields in a wall.
"Yes. I will let you out but…. In exchange you are to plant a listening rune, that will have its influence spread over the entire mansion. Does not have to be in plain sight." Centurion said as he smirked again, as he pulled out said rune. "But if not… I will just arrest you. You are outnumbered." Centurion said as he noticed a noise coming from the jewel.
"Bane. Rebbeca… Mary! You are alive? I see swarms of guards coming to you!"
"Yes we are, scar," Mary said as she put her finger on it. "We got the key and evacuate… For a favor…"
"Favor?" Mary asks as she looks at the others and curious Centurion that pays attention to the words.
"Well, you see I got an inside man who delays the guards from actually apprehending us… We can use him later." Mary said as she lets out a sigh of relief when she hears what Scar said.
"Fine. I will allow it. But only if it is not going to hurt our client." Scar said as Mary nods.
"It will not. I promise." Mary said as she hang out. "Mary out."
"So, you accept?" Centurion asks as he hands out the listening device.
"Yes. We accept your offer." Mary said as she looked at the two who are very much surprised at the move.
"You sure?" Bane asks as Rebbeca is annoyed.
"Dealing with the imperial guard!? You mad?" Revy asks annoyed as Mary took the rune.
"Calm down okay? If we did otherwise, we would not complete that heist. Plus imagine the pay. Easy money!" Mary said as the money was all that convinced them.
"Fine. I agree." Rebbeca agreed.
"Same." Bane said as he made the guard laugh.
"Hahaha! Good choice, heisters. Go to your client. And let's meet in a week, at my office to discuss the further terms of cooperation. You can take the gold too. Consider it my bribe check."
Centurion was assured that this will be the key to solving the mystery of Komarov's previous dealings with the black market, and why he was after such artifacts. As the heisters opened the portal, they teleported to the position where they are and pleased Scar with it.
"We got the key, we are pulling out." Bane said as he looked at the now sudden fill-out of the streets with town guards and regular armymen.
"Yea. Open the portal." Scar said as Rebbeca understood it was to her. She pulled out four runes from Scar's backpack, and threw it on the ground, opening a portal directly, to Komarov's mansion.
Once entering the mansion, an elegantly dressed man, in black trousers, leather boots, with a white shirt and black vest, alongside a cape. The robe was finished with a nice touch of a jewel on the neck, probably filled with mana.
"Ah finally!" Komarov said as his joy could not be hidden anymore. Young looking man despite his age being 40-something was actually looking like 28-year-old man, with age not showing his touch on him yet. "The Key of Ascension!" Said, as he grabbed it from Mary, who also got the listening rune. She decided to fake a sudden need to poop.
"Shit.. Where is the toilet?" Mary asked as she has shown that she really needs to do the business in the toilet.
"On this floor, two doors in the left." Komarov did not even care as only Rebbeca and Bane were the only ones who knew, what Mary is planning.
In the toilet, this was definitely a room out of a rich man's mansion. She found a loose stone tile, in the floor, and put the rune in this, forcing it a bit into the ground, noticing how the spell activated, and went out, as the listening device started to excerpt its influence, as it starts to listen on every word spoken.
"Perfect… The first part of the key. I want to know… Paycheck Gang… How do you feel about this successful heist." Komarov asked as he looked at the four.
"Well, it was scary as fuck, not gonna lie. I thought we will fail. But we did not." Bane said as Scar was nowhere to be found.
"And where is Scar?" Komarov asks as he is a bit suspicious.
"Ah.. He said that he got some other job to manage for other crew… He is quite popular in the black market sphere of interests.." Bane explained as it was surprising even to him.
"I see I see… You can stay here… Or go to do your business." Komarov said as the duo that left in the room, down down and left the room with their bags full of cash.
As Komarov was looking at the key, he put it down in a special chest, he hid under his desk, which he pulled out from the trapdoor and opened it. Opening the chest and putting in the key, he smirked. "One.. Out of Seven.." He said as he looked behind him. There was a similar man, almost identical. His brother.
"Cecil. I guess your search was fruitfull one?" He asks as he looks at his brother.
"Yes, it was, Ignis. Once more, House C'araboth will take over the Empire… The conditions are almost perfect… Perfect for the ideology we crafted… Of course, we will not believe in this bullshit once we will take over…. But the pleb will." Cecil said as he smirked. "I called it Communism."
"Perfect," Ignis said as he started to laugh. "We got the first key."
"One of the puzzles yes?" Cecil asks as he looks pleased.
"The heisters did well. Very well. I am willing to hire them on more hunts. Until then, I want to know if you pinpointed the locations of the other elements of the puzzle." Ignis said as he looked at his brother.
"Yes… It starts to become clear. We head to Keah. Mining city in the north. It got what we need. The Gauntlets." Cecil said as both looked at the big window of their mansion.
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