Chapter Twelve: Misunderstandings Abound and Scales is trying to Make Things Right...

Lloyd woke up to Cole shaking him. "Wha… Cole you better have a good reason for waking me up in the middle of the night!" He swatted his friend away from him, already scanning the train car that they were in to see if he couldn't find anything out of place. "Where's Scales?" Lloyd shot upright, worry creasing his brow as he registered the fact that the newest, highly questionable though, member of their team was missing.

"Oh no he didn't!" Nya snarled as she flicked one of her daggers out, fury dancing in her eyes.

"Put those away." Lloyd stood up, already moving to exit the train. "We need to find him." Exiting the train, he scanned the station until he spotted Scales near the exit. "This way guys." Lloyd took off at a sprint, not even bothering to check that the others were at his heels. "Scales!" He reached a hand out, snagging the slippery thief by the arm.

Scales twisted around to glare at him, his voice a soft hiss. "You do not need to follow me. What I am about to do is personal, it as nothing to do with Darkley's."

"Yea... I think that we both know that I just don't believe that." Lloyd grinded out as he fell in step with Scales. Scales shook his head, before stepping onto a tour bus that was headed to who knows where. Lloyd stayed on his heels, determined not to lose sight of the irritable man. "Can you at least tell me where we're headed."

"No. Leave." Scales grounded out, annoyance flaring up in his eyes.

"Scales...please." Lloyd placed a hand gently on his mentor's arm, trying to get him to open up about what he was up to right now.

Scales stared at him for a minute, before turning to stare out the window. "We are going to a Museum. Now stay out of my way."

Lloyd frowned at that, before turning slightly to stare out of the window. Ouroboros sprawled out in front of him, the city just as busy as he had heard of it being growing up. Eventually the bus stopped in front of a steep hill that had what looked like an ancient temple on top of it. Upon seeing that Scales was getting off of the bus, Lloyd got up and followed him. Upon entering the Temple, which had apparently been turned into a museum some decades prior, Lloyd sighed as he once again lost sight of Scales.

Walking through the museum, he approached one of the exhibits, a frown crossing his features as he realized that it looked familiar. Bending down, he carefully examined it, his fingers itching to pick it up and scan it to make sure that he wasn't seeing things. The blade in the glass case looked exactly like the one that Scales carried with him everywhere. "Get away from there... did Sukēru send you?" An angry voice spoke up from behind Lloyd, yanking him back from the exhibit.

Lloyd found himself facing what looked like an older version of Scales, though he was sure that he was just seeing things, simply his brain remembering that Scales was originally from here. "No... I am afraid that I don't know anyone by that name." He moved to step back from the man, already shoving his hands deep into his hoodie's pockets. "I guess I'll just get going then... I'm just looking for someone that I know is all." With that said, he turned and left the museum, making a mental note that if he couldn't see Scales then that meant that he was waiting for the museum to close for the day. Which with a thief was never a good sign...

….

"I knew it! I can't believe you! I told you that we don't steal!" Lloyd clenched his fingers into a tight fist, anger spluttering through his voice.

Scales shook his head as he stepped away from the case with the blade in it, annoyance flaring in his eyes. "No... I am not stealing anything. I am returning something that I had stolen many years ago." He tightened his grip on the katana that hang at his side, his expression grim.

Lloyd lifted a single brow up, eyeing the blade curiously. "So I was right. The blade in the case is a copy of yours."

"No... it is the other half of mine. You see the twin katanas of Ouroboros are legendary. Not worth much, but hey... the history of them are what makes them..."

"Priceless." Lloyd felt guilty for even daring to accuse Scales of stealing the blade in the museum. "There's a guy that works here. He asked if someone named Sukēru had sent me." Crossing his arms across his chest, he latched his eyes on his mentor. "I didn't let on that I happen to be fluent in Japanese... who is he and how does he know you?"

Scales flinched at that question, pain flashing across his features as he shifted nervously. "That is a long story..." Before he could say anything else, there was several loud bangs from the other side of the Museum.

"By the sounds of things, my friends are keeping Darkley's busy right now. So by all means, explain away." Lloyd gestured for him to continue, clearly not worried about how his friends were faring.

Scales sighed, before softly explaining his story. "When I was growing up, it was just me and my brother, Slithraa. He was a scholar so we ended up living on a scholar's salary... which I am sure you know is not very big. He was content to live off of such a small wage, but I wasn't. I started to steal to make myself more likable to the wrong kind of crowds. One day, I was talking, bragging even, about how easy it would be to steal the twin katanas. What I didn't know at the time was the fact that the person that I was talking to was a big time crime boss. He told me that I'll give me more money than I can ever dream off if I bring him both of the twin katanas. That night I broke into the museum... I was able to get one but Slithraa had the other, and he was furious that I would do this. He tried to beg me to give myself up... to hand him the katana and give up stealing. I...couldn't do it. That night I left Ouroboros." Scales took in a shuddering breath, his gaze darting back to the exhibit. "Everyone believes that I never looked back when I left... I am sure that he believes so as well... however the truth of the matter is, I did look back."

Lloyd nodded slowly, understanding flashing in his eyes. "So you think that if you bring back the katana that you stole, he will forgive you and you can go back to being brothers?"

"That is what I am hoping will happen." Scales took another shuddering breath, clearly far more nervous than he was willing to let on.

"Go for it Scales." Lloyd gestured for Scales to go past him into the Museum. Scales slipped past him, heading into the building. "Oh! And Scales?" Lloyd waited for the repentant thief to turn to face him. "Good luck."

Scales smiled at that, before disappearing into the building for good, the door sliding silently shut behind him.

…..

Lloyd frowned, silently reviewing what his friends had discovered the night before. "So what I am hearing is that if you hadn't been there, Darkley's would have stolen the twin katanas to use as a trap against Scales?"

"Yes... though the fact that they are clearly trying to eliminate him is a bit more disconcerting." Zane tapped his fingers together, a sign that he was far more nervous than he was letting on.

"Then we best get a move on. I left a note on how to improve security to the point that Darkley's can't get in with the katanas. Hopefully Slithraa will notice it and follow the advise that I gave him." Scales stood stiffly by the train car door, keeping people out of the room that they were staying in.

A/N: Slithraa is the Hypnobrai General that Scales defeated so as to become the leader. Just so that you all know that. Sukēru is just the Japanese word for Scales. Not super creative, but we couldn't remember what name Shadowsan's older brother had used when asking Carmen about whether or not she worked for him. Yeah... sorry?

SkyTalon & Ella