"Speech"
'Thoughts'
Three years later
Hermes had recovered fast after he was taken in by his new family. In fact, he worked, learned, and played fast. Soon it was discovered that Harry's reserves of energy were replenishing at an accelerated rate and filled within weeks of his stay. Rather than the years it might have taken if he'd been worse off. His special abilities were discovered before his ninth birthday and his skills improved the life of his family immensly. He was able to move faster than the eye could see.
Athena described it as being able to step outside of normal time. He and anything he was in contact with moved at a speed that made everything around them seem to be standing still. This helped when he had to go to the bathroom during a long movie. Which was the first time he'd used the power.
Now, here three years later, Hermes was helping his family to get ahead in the world once again.
Athena was giving the team the information she'd compiled on their target.
"The target's name is Thomas Smith. An obviously assumed name, but none the less our target's name. Here in Britain he's a collector of rare objects. Different pieces of art and assorted artifacts decorate his penthouse home."
At this point she brought up an image of a twelve floor building on a slide projector.
"This is his building and," the image changes to a close up of some windows," he lives on the top floor with access to the roof. Thanks to Artemis's excellent photography skills we have a good approximation of the penthouse layout."
"This is the piece of art we are to snatch."
An unusual painting is shown. A group of four people with strange robes is slightly faded within an old oak frame. Possibly related to a religious order.
"The painting is insured for roughly 500,000 pounds, and we are being paid 50,000 pounds to lift it. However, we are free to take what we wish as long as the painting is aquired intact for the client."
"So no damage." This was from Hephestus. "His security will likely be exceptionally tight so it will be a three person slip in. Raiden will short out the electrical systems and Artemis will be watching from the building next door in case problems arise. We'll use frequency six on our talkies."
Raiden flashed some elecricity between his fingertips and Artemis was concentrating on the image of the painting. Then she spoke up.
"The painting is wired. Hermes will have to grab it on the way out. That way the alarm will sound after the fact."
"Excellent observation Artemis. The alarm is silent and is on a separate power supply. It is the only piece wired in such a way. Why this piece is so important we don't know. It is, however, the only portrait in the collection. Statues and armor comprise the rest of the display items. Too heavy to remove without Atlas and he and oracle are gone on their honeymoon for the next two weeks."
At mention of the two the entire group smiled at the happiness the oldest of their group had found together. The rest of them were to much like family to be interested in such relationships.
"Hermes, will you be able to handle the painting on your own?" This was Hephestus concerned with the youngest of their group on his first big heist.
Smiling Harry disappeared from his spot and reappeared carrying three piping hot large pizza's in his ten year old arms.
"I think I can handle it Hephestus."
Laughing the group settled down to a nice hot meal. Afterwards they called it a night and got plenty of rest for the next days events.
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Hermes woke to the blaring of his alarm clock and got himself ready for the day. This had been their new home for two years now. After Raiden recieved a letter by owl Hephestus had them pack up and move to a new home. Oracle had assured that the new home was safe from detection. Not in so many words of course, but it was deemed safe.
Home was an old underground station that had been found structuraly unsound by inspectors and abandoned. Hephestus had been repairing it and a converting it for months before the owl had shown up. The move was swift and in itself easy. The anticipation for a fight was harder to get over. Keeping Raiden inside for over two months almost killed him with boredom, but the training he did with Hermes got him through it. After it was deemed safe they were still cautious for several months after.
The new home was easily renovated with the entire family working on it and very comfortable to live in. Connecting to the city's power, water, and sewage was time consuming, but all the same very necessary. All in all it made for a pleasant home for the large family.
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Five years ago.
"Obliviate. The tunnel is structuraly unsound. You will have to rework the route for the new tunnels three blocks to the east." Finished the faceless person in robes walked to a group of similar individuals.
"That's the last of them. How did we miss this activity so close to the department?"
"The wards prevent sound transference from any of our rooms from leaking to the next. The veil room is no different. The fact that they came within feet of breaching the wall to the veil is startling, but fixable." Came the leader of the group, faceless as the rest.
"What? Muggle repelling charms on the construction site and entrance to the station?"
"Yes, that should suffice for the moment. With tunnel access cut off this could one day be added on to the department. We'll see to that at a later date. Extend the normal wards over the tunnel and tie them to the departments wards for now."
Leaving the capable people to their jobs the robed figure made his or her way to the surface. Placing the tunnel problem out of mind the figure made it's way down to a nondescript phone booth and disappeared.
The tunnel and subsequent problems got lost in bureucratic paperwork and the tunnel forgotten. Until it was discovered many years later by a family of thieves on the run.
TBC
Well what do you think? Please review and tell me. If there is a problem anywhere feel free to mention it. I make some things vague for leeway in the story telling, but if you can offer specifics I welcome them. I'm american so don't know much about the british terms and all.
And pizza is an easy food for me to use since when i visited London I saw three pizza huts. lol. Later all.