Aliquam: The Academy of Arts - Eastern Group
"Marcus, Dylan, do you think it might be our thief?" Xandra clenched her first, and her prosthetic arm slowly began taking the shape of a hammer. "Their group was assigned to the northern section, right?"
“Right!” Dylan nodded in agreement, his own hands quickly readying his chalk and slate. He turned and looked down both sides of the Academy’s corridor, gaining his bearings on where they were exactly and the direction to the Academy’s theatre area. What Estelle, Aria and Dalia had commented over the communicator before it fell silent was exactly what Xandra noted – the thief. He knew his sister’s abilities well enough to know that if she saw someone where they weren’t supposed to be… then it was likely the man they were after. “It’s… this way! C’mon Xandra, Marcus! The others need our help!”
“…right…” Marcus replied with a frown, looking down at the silent communicator, and then glancing about their surroundings. The chances were, everyone else would be responding to Dalia’s alarm too, heading for the northern sector where their friends were. With as many of them heading there, the chances were good that the Masked Phantom would be as good as got, but…
He couldn’t shake off a sense of unease.
He raised his staff, and an emerald light washed over the trio. They immediately found their bodies grow lighter, and quicker, thanks to Marcus’ agility buff. It would only last approximately two minutes, but it would be enough to quickly run to where Estelle and the others were.
“Let’s go.”
???
A silent figure dropped down from the ceiling and onto the Academy’s marble floors, their feet lithely touching it and automatically springing forwards.
The blonde masked man expertly crept forward upon the two unsuspecting Priests with staffs in hand standing at one of the building’s many corridor intersections, thumbs and forefingers pressing down and pinching the men upon their nerves. Both passed out instantaneously and slowly slumped to the ground, their bodies gently falling as the Masked Phantom stalked on and around the corner. A third Priest met the Masked Phantom instantly, his eyes widening in surprised and his staff rising up to greet the thief. But, before he could do anything, his opponent had already moved forwards, stepping to the side and sweeping a foot out to kick the Priests’ legs out from underneath him.
Stumbling backwards, his body stopped inches from the ground, supporting on a cushion of air. Their body then fell, with a hand belonging to the Masked Phantom pressed over their mouth, smothering them until consciousness departed them. Patiently waiting another five seconds to be confident the man was indeed in slumber land, the Masked Phantom rose to his feet, nary a bead of sweat besmirching his smooth features as he continued to walk forward through the now barren hallway, stopping in front of a door with a sign outside indicating it was the basement.
He smiled.
A finger rose to the thief’s ear, pressing down on the communicator imbedded there.
“I’m at the basement and about to proceed with the next phase of the plan,” The Masked Phantom spoke. “You may proceed with your roles. Neutralise any and all individuals you meet and plants all of your charges.”
The Masked Phantom pushed the door to the basement open and threw two small metallic beads inside, the objects bouncing as they fell down the stairs to a crawling roll at its end. Both balls erupted into a blinding flash of white light, and agonised cries of startled and surprised Priests and Priestesses shouted out. The Masked Phantom ducked inside, and silently jumped down the stairs.
