Yukine adjusted his foot against the power pole and pushed away slightly so he had a better angle on the security camera he was installing. He and Yato were in the process of upgrading their security system so that they had a better early warning system. He wiped his forehead and pushed back his hard hat, thinking that if he ever decided he didn't want to be a supervillain he might have a promising future as a lineman. He heard they made good money.

"Look, Yukine!" Yato cried. Yukine peered carefully down and saw Yato standing at the foot of his power pole excitedly waving around a piece of paper. Yukine rolled his eyes and finished installing the camera before carefully climbing to the ground. Once his feet were back in the dirt he took the paper from Yato and smoothed it out over his thigh/

"A flyer for the new exhibit at the Metro City Museum, so what?"

"SO, they're showcasing the Fallen Star Diamond!"

"And?"

"AND it's the largest diamond in the world!"

"I know what it is, Yato, why am I supposed to care?"

"Because we're going to steal it!" Yukine looked back up at Yato thoughtfully.

"They're going to be guarding it like crazy, you know. I went to the museum once in third grade, we've never managed to break through a security system that tight before."

Yato smiled, knowing this statement was Yukine agreeing to hear him out. This mission would provide them with funding for their next attempts to take over the city, not to mention their rent and food bills for years.

"We'll have to scope it out."

"You mean I will have to scope it out. The Metro City Museum has metal detectors at the door that will pick up your disguise watch."

"Tonight we should break into the Metrocity Records office to see if we can find the floor plans and security system blueprints for the museum."

"Do you think you can hack the security system?"

"I can't, but I may be able to find someone who can." Yukine gave him a skeptical look. "I do have some underworld connections you know. Who do you think taught me the programming that I know?"

"If you say so."

"I've always wanted to be lowered into a room from an air vent, you know?" Yato said.

"Oh God."

Yukine placed his phone, pencil, and notebook in the plastic bin provided by security and stepped through the metal detectors, keeping his face locked in mixed interest and boredom as he began committing every detail of the museum to memory.

"You here for school?" The guard asked mildly, sliding the bin across the table.

"Yeah, I have to pick an exhibit to write about."

"Try the Ancient Egypt room. I've got a niece about your age who is obsessed with ancient Egypt." Yukine nodded and took his stuff back, opening up his notebook and beginning to jot down notes. He took pictures of everything. His phone pinged and he rolled his eyes.

Yato: how's it going? Is everything alright? Do you need me to come and get you?

Yukine: I'm in a museum, what could possibly go wrong? Stop being so worried and let me work.

Yato: I just want you to be safe!

Yukine: I just want you to leave me alone!

Yukine put his phone on silent and went back to work. Wow, this security system is ridiculous. Employees had to swipe an ID badge to get into any room labeled employees only, and maintenance rooms probably required special badges.

Every threshold had motion sensors, probably only active at night, and there were proximity alarms on the most valuable artifacts, including the Fallen Star Diamond.

Yukine: Starting to think our best option is to blow the place open and run for it, the security here is off the charts

Yato: Really? They must have upgraded it since I was last there

Yukine: or you were too busy fighting over pudding cups with Bishamon to notice

Yato: Maybe

Yukine: Need to test response time to the museum, can you at least attack the electronic system to set off the alarm?

Yato: I think I can do enough so the system alerts the authorities, but I don't want you in there when the police arrive.

Yukine: I've been with you for years, there's no way they'll recognize me even if they worked my dad's case

Yato: I'll take no chances, I'll trigger the alarm once your done and you can wait somewhere nearby and time their response.

Yukine: are you sure that you're a super villain, I've never heard of a villain who worries as much as you

Yato: I don't want you to be taken away!

Yukine's sigh was much more tolerant this time. Yukine would never admit it out loud but it was nice how Yato was always worried for his safety. It contrasted starkly with his early childhood. It was annoying but at least it didn't hurt.

Yukine decided to take a look through the Ancient Egypt exhibit, since the guard had recommended it.

Yukine: Did you know King Tut was made king when he was ten?

Yato: What are you even doing right now?

Yukine: Well we paid admission to get me in here

Yato: do they have any mummies

Yukine: Unfortunately not

Yato: Lame

He took a few more notes for the benefit of the security cameras, even though the effort was probably pointless. Yato would probably destroy the footage from all day long to protect him.

Yukine: duuuude, they have the car Bonnie and Clyde died in

Yato: thats cool, but also feels like a potential thieves beware sign

Yukine: thanks for that new and terrifying prospect

Yukine was dreading telling Yato about his observations and plans, mostly because he knew how he would react.

"So," Yato asked, setting a plate of spaghetti in front of Yukine, "what's the verdict?"

"I think our best bet is… the air vents," he grumbled.

"Really? Yato cried, wearing a childlike delighted expression. Yukine prepared to convince Yato that this was not going to be some elaborate heist made for living out his childhoods dreams.

"Don't get excited! We still need the plans from the city record office to see if the ventilation system is connected to the security system. It may not help us." Yato nodded, still grinning giddly.

"I'm not lowering you into a room from the vents, Yato."

"Okay," Yato said, but in a way that Yukine knew mean Yato still thought that he was going to be lowered into a room from an air vent.

Yukine pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I feel like these plans should have been harder to access," Yukine said.

"If the plans to the entire city are here why isn't the security better? That feels like a problem. On the plus side, now we know we can use this office for any heist that we plan in the future."

"Yeah, once you're Evil Overlord you should really do something about this, We don't want these plans to fall into the hands of a potential insurrection." Once again Yato was floored by Yukine's strategic mind. He was nearly thirteen but he already had the mind of a supervillain. "What?" Yukine asked looking at Yato warily as his vision swam.

"I'm so proud of you!" Yato cried, throwing his arms around Yukine. "You're such a good minion!" Yukine made a surprised sound and shove Yato off him, blushing faintly.

"Let's just get out of here, the abysmal security of the Metro City Records Department isn't our problem."

"Not yet at least!"

About a week of planning and research into the tensile strength of the metals used in your typical air shaft and they were ready. Yato insisted on both of them wearing all black like the cat burglars from the movies, though Yukine was the only one who had to wear a ski mask. Another extra security measure to make sure that the cameras didn't pick up his face.

Their experiment in the museum had revealed that the police response time to the museum was four and a half minutes, which wasn't nearly enough time to complete the heist, so they'd have to be careful. In the event they did set off the alarm Yato was carrying a bag full of explosives to blast his way out the fast way.

Yato would be the only one entering the building, as he had to navigate the air vents to do it, Yukine popped open the breaker next to the door and began plugging in the equipment they had brought, fresh with a battering ram program that Yato's contact had written for him.

"Alright remember, I'm going to override the security system and clear your way through the vents, don't enter a new area until I give you the go ahead."

"Alright, Alright, I get it Mom, this isn't my first heist."

"If I have anything to say about it it will be your first successful one."

"I've managed heists before! I was a supervillain before you came along!"

"Yeah, a really bad one!"

"I'm a great villain!"

"Uh huh, sure, get ready to repel hot shot." Yato grumbled something about ungrateful brats under his breath and Yukine rolled his eyes.

Yato slipped inside the air vent and repelled down, his annoyed muttering amplified by the small space.

"Yato, do you read me?" Yukine asked, turning on his bluetooth. Yato had insisted that they use 'spy talk.' What a child.

"I read you loud and clear, minion."

"No one is listening, you can use my name."

"That's a negative, minion."

"You're unbelievable."

Yukine pulled up a scan of the blueprints and began directing Yato through their pre planned route.

"Now stop, there is a weight sensor five feet in front of you, I need to override it. Okay, hurry, it will reset itself in sixty seconds."

"This security system is insane."

"I told you, but you just had to stealth it. I still think blowing the place wide open and running in then out would have been the best bet."

"Metro Woman would get an alert for an explosion, and she could be here in seconds, I'd rather risk the Metrocity Police department, it was too much of a risk that she'd show up and find you here."

Yukine shook his head slightly and suppressed a smile. Always to protect him.

"Okay, you're right above the room with the diamond, but the vent isn't over the case. Look through the grate and tell me what you see."

"Lasers!" Yato said excitedly.

"You'll have to dodge them to get it."

"Awesome!"

Yato threaded a small cord through the grate before kicking it out. The cord held it suspended in the air above the lasers so no alarm was triggered. He anchored his repel rope to the inside of the vent and repelled down, not bothering to hold back his broad grin of excitement. This was so cool!

"Well, well, well, it seems Kazuma was right." Yato nearly jumped out of his skin as Metro Woman emerged dramatically from the shadows. Something else he'd always wanted todo, which she knew, and had probably decided to do it just to mock him. "That false alarm earlier this week was you testing the police response time. And here I thought he had me here every night this week to get rid of me."

"Well why wouldn't he want to get rid of you, since you're so insufferable?" Bishamon didn't respond, but she was wearing a distant expression that he had come to realize meant Kazuma was talking in her ear.

"Minion, code crazy bitch, get the hell out of here!"

"Just say 'Bishamon is here!'"

"Bishamon is here! Go home! I'll handle things here!"

"No way am I just going to leave you here with her!"

"Is your minion nearby, Yato? Maybe it's time that the two of us were formally introduced, maybe they'll give you two a joint cell in the supermax." Yato's sword was already in his hand.

"You should worry more about me you crazy bitch."

"Kazuma, any idea where the sidekick may be?" Yato's heart froze, Kazuma would know where Yukine was for sure, but would he tell her? Bishamon's eyes lit up, Yato's breathing hitched.

"Now how did you manage to get your man down in the basement?" Yato's heart resumed it's regular rhythm. Thank you, Kazuma, Yato thought, making a mental note to buy the man a drink sometime.

"Minion, get out now!"

Yato attacked with all the rage and ferocity he would have if Kazuma had revealed Yukine's real location in order to maintain the ruse his best friend had set for him. He jumped straight at her, vaulting through at least a dozen lasers and setting off the alarm.

"Yato you have four and a half minutes to get out of there! We don't have the funds for a jailbreak forget the diamond and just escape!" Through the bluetooth Yato heard the sounds of Yukine frantically packing up his equipment.

"Damn you, Bishamon! Or maybe I should say 'Damn you Kazuma' since he's the one who did all the work?"

"Maybe he did, but I'm the one who gets the pleasure of kicking your ass!"

"Yeah right, he only helps you because he feels bad about how lame you are!"

Somewhere, far away in their secret lair, Kazuma slapped his forehead in exasperation.

Yato and Bishamon exchanged blows several times before Bishamon kicked him upwards, wedging him in the grate hole in the air shaft, then yanking him back down and slamming him into the ground by the ankle. He pretended to be unconscious so she was taken by surprise when she reached down to pick him up and he slashed at her neck, forcing her to reel backwards. He scrambled back and jumped through a window, sprinting down the street.

"Yukine I'm out of the building, Metro Woman in pursuit!"

"I've found shelter."

Bishamon caught up to him easily, flying through the air next to him, looking smug.

"You're going to jail this time."

"Not this time," Yato pulled some of the explosives out of his backpack, lit them, and shoved them into Bishamon's face. While she was distracted he ducked into a back alley, and then another, and then another, then turned the face on his disguise watch and became someone else.

"Yukine, Yukine, can you hear me? I'm clear."

"I'm a few streets away in a twenty four hour diner and- holy shit!"

"What, what is it? Is everything alright?" Yato asked, already imagining the worst.

"Why the hell is Hiyori here?"

"Language! Don't let her see you, she knows your face! I told you that you needed to wear a mask when we kidnapped her!"

"She saw my face the first time when I was the bait, there was no point!"

Yato stepped out of the can and asked it to wait for him while he went inside. When he stepped through the door he scanned the restaurant and his eyes landed on the familiar silhouette of Iki Hiyori, sitting at the bar with her back to the restaurant.

"You really should move, Hiyori, look, I found this really nice apartment for you!"

"I'm not going to move, Yama."

"Megamind knows where you live!" Her other friend said, the mention of his nickname jolting Yato.

"Whatever, even if I moved he'd just start abducting me from different places, and it's more convenient for him to drop me off directly at home anyway."

"You talk about it like the two of you are carpooling to work, not like you're being serial abducted by a supervillain!"

"Because he's not a threat! I keep telling you guys that Megamind is not scary."

Rude. Yato thought, slipping past them and into the mens restroom.

"Yukine," he whispered as the door shut.

"Yato," Yukine replied, emerging from one of the stalls looking worried.

"Are you hurt?"

"Not too bad, just a few scratches."

"What about Hiyori?"

"She's seated with her back to the restaurant so we should be able to just walk out. Pull up your hood though."

Yukine obliged and Yato placed himself between Yukine and Hiyori as they walked briskly to the door.

"What do you mean he just tried to break into the museum?" Hiyori asked, and Yato glanced over his shoulder to see she had her phone to her ear. "Yeah of course I will, I'm not far from there now. Just have the news van meet me at the site."

The door closed behind Yato and Yukine and they jumped into the cab and instructed them to drive.

"See, Yukine, I told you that it wasn't bad! Just a few scratches."

"Well you say that about everything, and it's almost never true," Yukine said, applying Neosporin to Yato's scratches.

"Too bad we didn't get the diamond though."

"Oh well," Yukine said, "we still have enough explosives to pull off a minor heist of a less secure building." Yato grinned.

"I know exactly where to hit."

"You've got to be kidding me," Yukine said, standing in front of the large craft store, flanked on all sides by an army of brain bots. The other side of the city was still lit by lights and sirens as the world turned its eyes to the museum they'd tried to hit just an hour before. Yato had decided now was the best time to do it, while the entire Metro City PD were distracted.

"It's perfect! We're going to get so much stuff!"

"You're just doing this because you're mad their fabric is so expensive. Admit it." Yato shot him a mischievous grin.

"Are you ready?"