"Here we are," Daisuke muttered as he landed almost noiselessly on the broad roof. His target. The Church Museum.
Daisuke looked around and discovered the narrow skylight. The entrance. He ran over to it and peered intently at the glass.
No alarms that I can see, but can't be too careful.
It's been boring so far, Dark replied.
He smiled.
The skylight was no hindrance for him and Daisuke easily entered the old building, a shadow in the darkness.
There was no alarm and no one was yelling, so he had not been seen yet. Stopping briefly to make sure he was still undetected, he slipped through the exhibition rooms.
The museum was large. The air had the usual museum smell, slightly old and dusty. It was strange, but museums everywhere, old or new, had this smell, Niwa mused with a smile as he checked his surroundings. He had been to many and they were all alike.
No one was here, but he heard distant voices. Part of the museum was open for the public, but the north wing, where the new exhibition was located, was still closed. Daisuke wound his way through rooms and hallways, down dimly lit passages and stairways. He ran into a guard once, who he didn't see the intruder, and had to pass by a security system twice. No problem so far.
Dark was muttering about child's play and where the fun was for him.
"Hey, Satoshi?" Daisuke whispered, the highly sensitive microphone attached to the collar of his black suit easily transmitting the sound.
"Yes?"
Daisuke grinned. "Just checking."
"Idiot," came the mild reproach.
Satoshi was outside, perched on a roof close to the museum, equipped with a laptop and communication gear. He was keeping track of the museum's security from outside.
Daisuke finally arrived in the North Hall, the one leading directly to the new wing with the exhibition he wanted to visit. He stopped and looked around. Two guards stood left and right of the entrance which had been locked. A large sign proclaimed that behind these doors was the soon-to-be opened exhibition. Neither of them noticed him. He snuck past the outer security perimeter and crept into a low passageway, a parallel walkway to the main corridor. He moved up a flight of stairs and, looking carefully around before proceeding, walked slowly into a vaulted hall devoted to ancient scrolls. Daisuke descended a sweeping staircase. Around here, everything was deserted.
Finally he stood in front of a display case that held his target. The Wheel of Dagan was actually nothing more but a golden plate, about the size of a pie plate. It was nice to look at but nothing special. It wasn't even the center piece of this wing.
Daisuke deactivated the security with a few key strokes and took the Wheel, stowed it in his backpack, and then slipped away again.
Once back on the roof, he tilted his head. No alarms.
Boooring, Dark sang.
You want to go the rest of the way by air?
Daisuke felt Dark's elation at the prospect of flying, even if there was no one chasing him, and he handed over control to his partner. The transformation was smooth, almost completely painless, and the wings erupting from his back hurt only a little. Then they were off into the night.
Satoshi had watched the whole operation with the usual professionalism,
and the moment Daisuke was clear, he packed up his things. He briefly looked
into the sky, feeling a twinge of jealousy and sadness as he watched the
black-winged figure. Then he just shouldered his own backpack and quickly
made his own escape to where he had parked his bike.
Eight years ago he had first started to hunt down the phantom thief.
He had been trained for this all his life, physically as well as mentally,
and he had been trained to be Krad's vessel. Since birth his destiny had
been clear. Highly intelligent, a small genius, he had graduated from a
university at a time normal children were in junior high school. He had
never been normal. He had been a Hikari, operating under the false name
of Hiwatari. He had never had a choice.
Satoshi sighed and donned his helmet. Even now he hadn't really had
a choice. It was either save Daisuke and Dark or watch them die. So he
had done the honorable thing; and he had sealed his fate once more. Krad
was back, Dark was back, and so were their problems. At least his. Daisuke
was simply blooming, blossoming… living.
I hate you, he thought, directing all that anger at the entity inside
him. He had no idea if Krad was even listening in. If he was like his old
self, he would be in his thoughts, in his dreams, hearing and seeing everything.
There was no reply.
Seven minutes after Daisuke had taken off, a motorbike drove off into
the night.
The basement was as gloomy as always and the fire pit was only giving
off a dim glow. Dark flashed Emiko a charming smile and placed the wrapped
up Wheel onto the ground.
"Got it. Way too easy. No challenge."
He smirked at Satoshi, who had come downstairs as well.
"It was a lot more fun when you were still trying to trap me."
Satoshi inclined his head at the compliment, a pleased light shining
in his eyes. "Sorry. Quit that job a while ago. Too boring without hunting
you down."
"You were a challenge. This was… child's play," Dark huffed, indignant.
"Next time we send a warning. It at least gets the blood going."
Adrenaline junkie, Daisuke laughed.
Daikii picked up the Wheel and removed it from the backpack. "Let's
get to work."
He placed it onto the pedestal and Daisuke was about to change back
when Dark frowned, tensing.
What's wrong?
I… I'm not sure. For a second it felt as if something sparked
Daisuke frowned and Dark glanced over to Satoshi, noting the tension
creeping into the other man's frame.
He felt it, too
The kaitou was about to say something to the others when the Wheel
suddenly glowed brightly. Emiko gave a startled gasp and stumbled away,
almost tripping over the robes she was wearing, while Daisuke's grandfather
raised his staff as if to ward off the strange flares.
"Shit!" Dark exclaimed, feeling the electricity of the discharge sizzle
over his senses. "Get down!"
What is this?! Daisuke yelled.
I don't know, but it's strong!
And then it roared out of the Wheel, a bright cloud of energy and magic,
blossoming over the pit and the startled onlookers. Dark pulled out one
of the black feathers, charging it. He flung it at the thing, trying to
seal the reawakened artwork, but it disintegrated his seal with ease.
"Oh-ohhh…" he murmured, then flung himself out of the way of an incoming
blast.
Satoshi had watched from the sidelines, standing back as always. He
wasn't the one to seal. He had never done it before. It was the Niwas'
job. Like Daisuke, he only brought the art here, either by theft or by
buying it the regular way. It was always impressive to watch the two Niwas
at work. Niwa Daikii had a small amount of magical knowledge, just like
his daughter, but together they were enough to put seals on the smaller
pieces. Daisuke's father was still looking for a way, a common key, to
make it easier. Satoshi himself had spent countless time in the depths
of his family home, looking for records of the past, of a complete list
of the work the Hikari had spread around the world.
A tingle raced through him and he stiffened. Inside, he felt something
he had tried to banish for the last three days.
Krad moved.
It was like he had been startled out of the silent state he had been
in, now looking frantically around.
--What…?-- the demon muttered.
Satoshi was too surprised by the sudden flare of magic to cringe under
the growing presence of his nightmare. Krad seemed to surge forward, trying
to look through his host's eyes. He gave a yell of warning and Satoshi
dove to the ground as magic crackled around them.
--What is this?!-- Krad snapped.
--The Wheel of Dagan--
The demon radiated confusion. --That's not a very powerful piece
of art… It shouldn't be able to do this!--
--We know that!-- Satoshi hissed, annoyed.
But it was doing it. He watched the others scramble for cover while
Dark got into a fighting stance again, charging more feathers.
Satoshi doubled over, a grimace of pain on his features. He clutched
his chest, feeling that familiar burning sensation of his body about to
change, to be torn apart. He fell to his knees, whimpering.
NO! Not now!
--I won't let you out!-- he yelled.
Krad's reply was a gasp that sounded like he was experiencing the same
pain as his host.
The artwork in front of him glowed more deeply, the eerie light spreading.
Inside of him he heard Krad's scream of utter pain and then there was the
sensation of being split in two.