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Chapter 05
The Museum and a Flash of Insanity
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The five Villainous Kids made their way around the School acting as calm as possible, making sure that they were seen and that they are observed getting lost. Keeping their eyes on their maps, given that everywhere they went on campus, they were being watched by hero kids and their sidekicks' kids as well.
Watching, and whispering roomer and gossip was still the primary source of information for teens even on the mainland. They needed them to believe that they were ordinary kids getting to know their new surroundings. Acting like they were lost only enhanced that, as no VK would be stupid enough not to read a map and memorise it very quickly as a survival instinct.
As far as the Hero kids were concerned these strangely dressed foreign kids were just regular kids, or as normal as a Villain kid can be, this was part of Ace's plan. They needed to appear harmless and at least some semblance of average for the mainlanders. As the hours passed and they ate and 'explored' they needed the facade to be as real as possible.
The five waited until 11:00 pm before making their exit, using the Library cameras and the security cameras to give them the solid and unquestionable alibi of being in their rooms. Mal using her mother's magic book, created several illusions of them in their beds sleeping, the spell even included light snoring sounds and had the illusions chest move up and down as if they were breathing.
Suspecting that the security would be heightened and knowing that the doors of their rooms were going to be locked and watched the small group of kids made their way out of their windows. Leaving them open only a crack so they could get back in just as quickly as they went. They stuck to the shadows and the bushes to disguise their journey halting at the slightest sounds like Deer during the hunting season. Despite their nervous temperaments, they managed to get to the Museum with enough time to sit and wait.
"Time?" whispered Mal as she watched the doors to the Museum intently, Ace pulled an old damaged pocket watch from his tunic and opened the fob, he ignored the engraving to read the faded roman numerals on the face.
"11:50 on the nose" he whispered back to her "the guards will be gathering before leaving for the night shift." He added as three guards converged at the side entrance before going in, they left through the doors a few minutes later after hanging around the entrance chatting for what felt like an hour, before they finally dispersed.
When they passed their position, Ace began a mental count down backwards from a hundred, as his countdown hit zero, he began to move followed closely by Mal and her crew.
The doors were locked tight. Ace pulled out the fob watch again before turning to Mal.
"we're good for the time." He said as they watched the lone Guard at the Security desk turn his chair so that he was facing the secondary bank of monitors, the loud squeak of the chair was sharp and painful to Ace's ears. They ducked as he turned towards them, with only the spinning wheel display between them and the Guard they had just enough time to dart out of the way before he spotted them.
After a few seconds, another squeak signified that he had turned away again and they came back to the door, crouching and ready to dive again should he turn around.
"Mal, is that the Dragons spinning wheel?" he asked, making both Carlos and Jay burst into barely concealed laughter, "I was expecting something more…significant maybe?"
"it's kind of Dorky," said Carlos "what do you think, Jay?"
"that's so lame."
Mal Huffed in annoyance. She thought it looked lame too, but it was her mother's nefarious spinning wheel, she held an entire kingdom in the palm of her hand with it, but it just looked so average, plain and lame.
"it's magic," she said quickly "it…it doesn't have to look scary" she turned to Evie whose hand was covering an evident smile, with another huff she pulled out the Dragon's spell book. She thumbed through it quickly. "magic spindle do not linger, make my victim prick a finger" the Guard turned to face the spindle, but nothing happened.
They ducked away again before they noticed that the Guard had the glassy look of someone under a charm, or at least how it was described in the books, Jay let out an undignified snort that barely stopped him from dropping into full belly laughing.
"that, that was so impressive" he practically fell on Carlos in laughter.
"I got chills" laughed Carlos who mimed a shiver before lifting his sleeve slightly "look goose bumps." Another round of hushed laughter came to a quick stop as Ace held up a hand, the two teen boys paled slightly remembering his earlier threat.
"Indeed, truly you are the mistress of the mystical arts" it was a rare moment of levity for Ace, but he allowed it to go on for a moment more before Mal stopped them with a look and a waving of her hand.
"prick a finger prick it deep send my foe back to sleep." That spell worked wonderfully, the Guard reached a handover and pricked his finger, after a long-drawn-out yawn he patted the displays base before he slowly dropped down to sleep, snoring very loudly.
"Not so Dorky now, huh." said Mal with a smug grin.
"no, it's still dorky Mal." Ace replied getting a scathing look from the girl, a quick flash of green in her eyes made him smile. Mal grasped the handle of the door and pushed, but it didn't budge she then tried to pull only for the door to once again not even budge.
"step back guys I got this," said Jay as they moved out of the way Ace was expecting a thief like Jay to have some form of lock picking equipment, his hopes were dashed as he began to start for a run-up.
"make it easy make it quick open up without a kick." Intoned Mal, the spell worked perfectly both doors flew open quietly as Jay jumped to kick them. He sailed through the two doors before his momentum stopped and he crashed to the ground with a heavy meaty thud.
Mal laughed as she led her crew through the threshold and into the Museum, she nudged Jay with her foot, the taller teen smiled before getting to his feet. Ace grabbed Carlos by the arm, stopping the group as Mal turned to face him.
"Turn off the cameras and erase them" he said. The grey-haired teen nodded quickly as Ace turned back to Mal's group. "no sense in not taking that precaution now", he said as he released the teen's arm, Carlos ran to the security desk and began to hack the system, as he started his work Ace turned to Jay.
"What kind of master thief doesn't have a set of lock picks?" Jay was taken back by the comment, he couldn't believe that he was being openly criticised like this. "you're supposed to be the best sneak thief on the island."
"I am!" he said, getting in Aces face his usual fear of the teen abating at the fury he was feeling. "I am the best, the greatest thief and pickpocket on that island."
"Are you sure?" Ace asked not backing down in the slightest. They would have come to blows but for the sudden interruption of Carlos.
"Done!" he said with a smile turning back to the others, "I couldn't find the security measures for the wand, but it's on display on the second floor." He smiled, Evie took out her magic mirror and used it like a compass.
She made her way to the head of the group and led them down the corridor. Even though they knew it was on the second floor Evie and her magic mirror would get them to the exact place faster than having the five of them running all over the second floor. They followed the girl who was running surprisingly fast in for the type of shoes she was wearing. As they reached the stairs none of the group noticing the signage for the Hall of Villains.
Had they known they would have steeled themselves against the shock of seeing their parents, as the group rounded a corner, they all stopped almost knocking each other over as they came face to face with their parents. Or what their parents were, at the height of their Power, in the prime of their lives.
Each one standing in supposed iconic poses with copies of their iconic equipment with holographic illusions of their magical auras dancing over them. It was with much trepidation that Mal and her friends stalked through the hall. But as she came to the statue of her mother, she paused, enthralled by the sight. Her friends snuck by avoiding eye contact with their parents until they had passed them and out of the room.
Ace came to a stop Infront of the effigy of his mother looking strong and powerful, holding a sword in one hand and a fan in the other. They managed to capture her indignant sneer as well as her overall physicality.
The echo of her screeching voice drew itself from the vault in his mind, a forgotten memory that only served to infuriate him.
"worthless, useless, should have drowned you when you were born". The voice echoed from his memory like an acidic poison serving only erode the controls he used to keep his burning rage he locked away.
"they gave you more dignity than you ever gave me." He sneered in absolute disgust. "Where was all of this strength when I needed it?" he asked the figure almost expecting the inanimate object to draw breath and speak to him. "and that superior attitude didn't save you from me." He drew his blade slowly a parody of a smile drew itself across his face as the razor-edged tip released from the sheath. The dark shadows of his past began to take a firm grip of him allowing the rage to dig deeper into his soul. "last time I pulled this blade on you, it went too quickly, this time though I will enjoy it more, even if it's not really you."
With speed like a bolt of lightning, he took the left arm than the right, the stone that it had been carved from was no match for his blade or strength, he then took the ears slashed the eyes and finally his last act of desecration and with a slight grunt of effort, he cleaved the head from the body.
He drew the blade between his leather-covered fingers slowly, checking his sword for damage, he then gave off a mocking parody of a salute to the vandalised statue. As if he had faced a foe of equal strength in a duel before re-sheathing the blade, he reached down to the head, lifting it to meet him. He looked into the slashed eyes for a moment.
"not as satisfying as last time." He said slightly disappointed "stay in the trash bin of history where you belong you pathetic old relic." Using his surprising strength again, he crushed the head to powder and rubble. He turned away to continue his mission the spike of psychotic rage that had overtaken him had abated and the cold calm demeanour of Ace the Crimson Prince had returned. Mal had been jolted out of the admiration for her mother by Ace destroying the effigy of his own.
"we're supposed to get the wand and get away cleanly." She said before pointing to the mess he had created. "What happens when they find this mess?" she asked, he didn't respond or even turn to face her he was trying to regulate his breath and regain his calm.
"Mal, Ace we found it." called Evie as she re-entered the hall briefly waving them over, doing her level best to avoid her mothers' lifeless eyes that were entirely too accurate for her to be comfortable.