"The great question that has never been answered... is 'What does a woman want?'."
- Sigmund Freud

Spectre

The most wanted woman in the city, 'and probably the country', was walking brazenly in broad daylight, and not a single person realised it. It's amazing what a simple shirt, jacket, jeans, and sunglasses could cover up. She was hiding, 'Right under those noses you've all got turned up'

She could've, and likely should've, left the city last night; they were unaware of her theft and she could've flown far, far away. But she didn't. After all, 'Where's the fun in that?'

So here she was instead, leisurely strolling through the streets, taking in the sights of a city she hadn't been to in years, now able to focus on something other than scouting the Metropolitan. To hide in plain sight was a risky bet, one could argue downright stupid when you considered the context and factors, but it was equally satisfying. She had often heard people say that criminals always returned to the scene of the crime; she had known enough criminals to know that that was total nonsense, and reckoned it was just an extremely tiny minority that naturally stood out because they often got caught because they did something so stupid as return. Unfortunately, as fate would have it, she counted herself among that extremely tiny, extremely stupid, minority. 'Just my luck...'

It probably was going to screw her over one day, she fully understood that, but that didn't help much when the risk of being caught was part of why she did it in the first place. While the things she stole, precious metals, gemstones, artwork, valuable technologies, crucial info, all had a certain value to them that others were willing to pay or trade for, the thrill of stealing from someone only to look them in the eye and see that they were utterly oblivious was invaluable. Who knows? Maybe in another life she could've been an actor with how good she could deceive others, 'or perhaps a politician?'

Her time in the city, as enjoyable as it was, didn't have much to show for asides from the ruby worth almost half a billion. She'd done some window shopping but refrained from any purchases; even now, after twenty years of stealing, of accumulating a great deal of wealth for herself and herself alone, she still lived like she was one emergency away from ruin. She ate plain food, sometimes heard her dad yelling at her to put things down whenever she was at a store, and budgeted herself rather ruthlessly. The only thing she splurged on was her work. The fact that her stealth suit was far and away the flashiest and prettiest piece of clothing she possessed was not lost on her, nor was the irony that if things went the way she wanted no one would ever even see it. Work and love often demanded such sacrifices, and her work was her love and her love was her work. 'Maybe when I retire I'll write a memoir, reveal it all. Maybe...'

A rumble from her stomach reminded her how long she had gone without eating and she looked around for the nearest place to eat. She spotted a diner and walked towards it, joining about forty others in jaywalking across the street even though the light was green. Despite how long she'd been away for, that remained the same; some things never changed. She entered the diner and a waiter, likely not even twenty, quickly came to greet her. "Hello ma'am, just you this morning?" he asked her, to which she simply nodded as she removed her sunglasses and hung them from the neck of her shirt. "Alright, let's get you seated then."

The waiter waved to follow her as he began walking and she did so. Several machines rolled alongside the waiters and waitresses to various tables, carrying food on them, an alien sight to her. They came to a simple table and the waiter placed a menu on the table as she sat down. "Here's the menu, I'll give you a moment to-"

"Three sunny-side eggs with bacon, hash browns, and toast."; her rapid delivery of everything she wanted, without even opening the menu, had silenced the waiter for a second. "Oh, and as for my drink: Coffee. Black."

The waiter quickly pulled out a notepad and pen and began writing down everything she had just said. "Okaaayyy, and you'd like butter with your toast, right?" to which she once again simply nodded. "Alright, I'll put your order in and get that coffee for you."

"Oh, one more thing. If you've got any, I'd like a banana too."

"I..., I'll check with the kitchen."

She flashed the kid a smile. "Thanks, hun."

The waiter nervously returned the smile back and headed off to do his job, leaving her alone. She took off her backpack, zipped it slightly open, and reached inside to retrieve a black hexagonal case. Once it was in her lap she rezipped the backpack closed and placed it between her feet. The aluminium case, mundane in appearance, seemed to be nothing special. She opened it and inside was a phone, which she took hold of and turned on, the screen illuminating with several logos as it powered up. After a few seconds it was ready to use and she navigated to a news app, eager to see what was being said about her work. And, just as she hoped, it was splayed all over the screen which made her eyes widen like a child on Christmas Day seeing presents under the tree, not that she had ever experienced that. Her face positively gleamed with energy and excitement as she scrolled past all the headlines. 'I'm the talk of the town!'

Her eyes glanced down to her bag, the ruby contained within unbeknownst to the world; without a doubt her crowning achievement, made all the better by the fact that she'd been stealing from the fox for months now. But now that she thought about it, it was all far less grandiose and far easier than she had suspected, in fact it was as elementary as it was underwhelming, especially when compared to the many other things she had stolen from the fox that were of far less value; her magnum opus was only so due to what she now possessed, the process itself wholly disappointing. It made her wonder if there was something she wasn't realising; perhaps the Bhavna was merely a lure of the fox's design, intended to ensnare her. She thought about all the things that just didn't seem to match up and as she did the idea of this all being a trap of some sorts festered in her mind just as it had back in the museum. A sense of vulnerability began to creep up on her. 'What if-'

"Here you go, ma'am."

His voice snapped her out of her thoughts as he slid the cup of coffee in front of her. She turned to face the waiter who still had that nervous look on his face from before. "Thanks."

He just gave her a nod and walked away, likely having to deal with a host of other things, leaving her alone once again. Now that she had been shaken out of the process of inventing disastrous hypotheticals, she pushed them all to the back of her mind; she had made it so far, now wasn't the time to let second thoughts and self-doubt eat away at her triumph. She took a sip of her coffee, the scalding bitterness sliding down her throat as her fears faded away. 'Just nerves talking...'

She returned her eyes to her phone and returned to browsing through various news stories as she slowly drank her coffee. It seemed no one had deduced how she had gotten inside the Metropolitan, or if they had then they hadn't made the information public, likely to spare the fox from further embarrassment. She wondered if he had been informed yet and guessed he had. 'Oh, what I'd give to see the smug look on your face disappear when they told you'

It was a pity that she'd not be witness to anything of the sort, leaving her to be content with whatever her imagination could dream up. "Unless..." she muttered to herself as a new thought was seeded in her brain. She shook her head at it. 'Of course not, even I'm not that crazy!'

A reckless folly it was, and would be, to go back to the Metropolitan the very morning after she had stolen from it. 'Ridiculous, of course' she assured herself. There would be a great deal of people outside and around the museum as well as the streets, curious spectators as well as officials; she'd be surrounded by potential threats and dangers. 'But it would be funny to see all those cops, blind to who was walking right in front of them...'

And, most likely, a certain fox would probably be arriving there in person to inspect the scene and try to piece together what the hell had happened. The thought of him with a scowl across his dour face, when he was usually smiling with his teeth showing, so smug, confident, and satisfied, looking as if he owned the world, was a thought that brought much glee to her; she wondered how much better the sight of it would be. 'Well, if I didn't stick around for too long...'

What began as a reckless folly had rapidly transformed into a wonderful fantasy that proved extremely attractive to her. Before she could decide on whether or not to indulge in it, her waiter came once again. "Here's your food. And sorry, they didn't have any spare bananas."

She smiled and nodded, knowing it was a lie. The truth, she assumed, was that the chefs likely cursed out the kid for asking for such a thing and he was left to contrive a reason to give her as to why. She wasn't about to give him a hard time. "Thanks for checking anyways."

He left, leaving her to think over whether or not to do this. 'I'll decide whether or not to go by the time I'm finished'

Simulacrum

They finally reached the Metropolitan and he lowered down to the ground, not letting her go till her feet touched the pavement. Before he could set foot on it himself, people attempted to swarm the two, only restrained by barricades and law enforcement, though this only prevented their physical encroachment and they at once began to sling their questions at him as they eagerly jockeyed for his attention.

"Mr. Prower, thoughts on the theft?!"

"Any info on the whereabouts of the ruby?!"

"Anything to say to those who claim you're to blame for lackluster security?!"

She knew how he got around the media, and she herself found these incessant calls and questions immensely irritating even to her. Her hope was to get him inside before one of their questions could get to him. "C'mon dad, let's not keep Bunnie waiting any longer; who knows how long she's been holding the museum officials up for."

He nodded without speaking, his sunny disposition from their flight had already fled and been replaced by a scowl. The questions kept up their barrage as they walked and one in particular stung him fiercely. "Isn't it irresponsible to fly around with your child, secured only by the grip of your hand, Mr. Prower?"

She saw his ears angle back, a clear sign of anger, and quickly moved to intercede on his behalf. "I'm quite able to speak for myself, and I assure you I was, and always am, completely safe from any danger, as I've reiterated publicly multiple times."

She returned her attention back to him, not even bothering to see the reactions of the people to her response. "I do good?", to which he gave a slight smile and nod, able to recover some of his cheer from earlier thanks to her own smile. "Yes. I'm grateful you're better at PR than I am, that's f-"

"Are the rumors regarding the use of spray paint true, Mr. Prower?"

He stopped right in his steps and despite her tugging wouldn't budge forward an inch. "Oh no..."

Taking her hand off his arm, he walked over to the crowd, which now was far less talkative and approached the one who had asked that question. "Where did you hear that from?"

The question caught the reporter off guard and he didn't answer it. "Did I stutter? Speak in a language you didn't understand? Should I repeat it for you, in a slower voice perhaps?" he delivered the demeaning queries with a harsh tone and they were enough to get the reporter to shake his head to them all and answer the original question.

"I-I just heard it mentioned."

"Fascinating. Listen here, I am not a child and I am not here to babble or prattle on about rumors this or gossip that. I'm here, to get to the bottom of this whole thing, to uncover what has happened. So save the baseless rumors for your article. And if you want quote, listen closely. I'll do everything in my power to exact justice on the damn thief, or thieves, who thought they could help themselves to what I gifted and to return the Bhavna to its rightful place; as for those who claim I am at fault for this situation, I have three words: Go-"

He didn't get to finish as she grabbed him by the foot and yanked him away from the crowd, pulling him through the air. "Great speech, now let's get inside!"

The crowd quickly erupted back into their frantic questioning as he lowered to the ground and she continued to practically drag him forward; he was upset, obviously, but at least he wasn't fighting her. They reached the entrance to the museum and were ushered inside by security. Once in they made their way to the Great Hall and upon entering it they saw several people arguing with a rabbit wearing a dress covered by a coat, both black. "Can Ah smoke in here?"

"No Madam Rabbot, you cannot. Now please, go wait somewhere else; the sooner you leave us to do our jobs the better our chances are of getting to the bottom of this!"

"Damn shame ya won't let me smoke, and no Ah don't think so; in fact, Ah think that if Ah let ya lot roam around ya'll just mess things up. Ah'm not budging till-"

Bunnie ceased to speak upon seeing that she and her father had arrived, and even though her face was covered by the net veil of her fascinator, a feather plume sticking up into the air, she could see the smile on the rabbit's face. "Just in the nick of time, eh Bun?"

Bunnie rolled her eyes at the statement. "A few minutes earlier would've been dandy."

That elicited a chuckle from her father as they all converged. Bunnie made a great deal of noise as she walked across the floor on account of her legs and the sound echoed throughout the uncharacteristically empty Great Hall. Her father greeted Bunnie in the typical manner with cheek kisses, which as tame as they were still made her look away. 'Grossss...'

"What took ya so long, sugah?"

"Oh you know, had to get dressed for the occasion."

"And where were ya last night, Mistah No-Show?"

"Something big came up related to a special project Nicole and I've been working on."

"Ah hope it was worth it."

"Oh it was, without a doubt."

He turned away from Bunnie to flash a smirk to her and she returned it; last night indeed proved most bountiful. "Indeed, it was. And it also seems someone else was hard at work last night, so how about we get to figuring that out instead of making pretty eyes?"

Her father and Bunnie nodded at that and he turned to face the museum guards and officials that had been held up so far. "My apologies for the delay gentlemen, but I assure you it was necessary. I need to be here, there might be something that you may miss or be incapable of handling, either due to a lack of expertise or intelligence."

They all gave an annoyed look at the statement which she found amusing, however she couldn't blame them for feeling that way; it was hard to see it as anything other than a disparaging remark. The only thing she was unsure of was whether he meant it as such or if he was just being honest; she loved how easy it was for him to do one or the other without giving a clue as to which. She also also found it funny how they had to hold their tongues. "So gentlemen, bring me up to speed on the details."

"Well to start, we're still unsure of how they got in, there's no signs of forced entry and all the normal entrances have cameras pointing to them which are still functional."

"Speaking of cameras..."

"Ah yes, the spray paint. I'm afraid to inform you that it is indeed true."

The curator pointed past her father and to a camera in the distance. "That one right there."

Her father turned around and floated up and towards the dome camera, inspecting it with great interest. She wasn't quite sure how he felt as he did, other than insulted. After several seconds of silence, he spoke. "And what of my laser grids?"

"The system wasn't functional last night."

He switched his attention from the dome camera back to the curator and returned to him. "They weren't functional?"

"Correct."

"And why exactly, pray tell, is that?"

"We're not sure, nor are we sure how it happened, but the entire system was down. Without it, it was practically a straight shot through the Hall of Geology and Gems to the Bhavna."

"And how come the glass break alarm didn't go off?"

"Because the glass wasn't broken."

"What?"

"The display case is in perfect condition as far as we can tell; and speaking of it, there was something left inside."

"Which was?"

The curator gave a nervous look to Bunnie. "Perhaps it's best if Madam Rabbot told you."

Both her attention and her fathers switched to Bunnie. "Miles, there was a message inside thuh display case."

The revelation didn't visibly affect him but she was sure he was just as surprised as she was. 'A message?'

Instead of inquiring further, he walked towards the Hall of Geology and Gems in a slow and methodical manner, looking as if he was on the brink of erupting. Everyone else observed him with equal parts confusion and worry before turning to her to see what she was going to say or do. "Umm..., wait right here for a second."

She jogged after him and quickly caught up. "Dad, you okay? Not gonna lose your cool in public, right?" to which he didn't react, let alone respond; it was quite clear how frustrated he was. "Maybe read the message letter?". He didn't react or respond like before and his expression meant no such thing was going to happen. "Alright, worth a shot at least..."

At last, they came to the room where the Bhavna should've been. She looked up at the two dome cameras and noticed that there was something wrong. She stopped and scanned them, revealing interior damage. "I think she fried their CCDs with a laser." she told him in the hope that might get his attention.

It didn't work and he approached the display case. Once in front of it, he stared inside to where the ruby once was and placed his palm on the glass and his eyes and rested his head against it, his bangs folding messily as he did. She walked up behind him and rubbed his back, a pathetic gesture of consolation, but she wasn't quite sure what else to do. After several seconds of vainly trying to comfort him, he finally said something. "This is how she did it."

"What?"

"The glass, right here, she must've made a cut somehow."

"Wouldn't that be visible?"

"She must've used immense precision in doing so. And seeing as I can't push the glass that she cut out inward, she must've also used a powerful adhesive to keep it in place; nano polymer, I suspect."

She wanted to say something, but wasn't sure what exactly. A confirmation of what he had just said might just feed into his anger and frustration, a condemnation of the thief who had been stealing from him for months could resurface unpleasant memories of past grievances, and an affirmation that they'd get her may come across as patronising and she knew better than to do anything of that sort; in short, she didn't see any good options. Before she could figure something out, he spoke again.

"Nicole, darling, I need you to stand back."

She immediately put a few feet between him and herself before she asked the obvious question: "Why?"

He raised his head and stood up straight. "Because of this." is all he answered her with before smashing the display case with his gloves, shattering the glass into countless shards. Unlike when he smashed the tablet, she flinched at this destructive display.

"And why exactly did you do that?"

He turned away from the now glass-less podium and walked right up to her. "Same reason I was so insistent I be here before the scene could be combed by anyone else." he whispered to her; she understood now.

"Right."

"Nicole, please grab the paper in there. Unfortunately, I need it. I'll go handle the laser grid system, you look around in general in the meantime."

She nodded and headed over to the podium to grab the paper as he left the room. She went to take hold of it, the first thing to stand out to her was the lipstick mark; it was quite a baffling sight. She then began to understand what had likely given her father a great deal of motivation to smash the display case as she read the words on the paper, in addition to his already stated reason.

"Thanks for the gift, Foxy Boy. It'll make a great souvenir. Love, Your Spectre."

She scowled at the words, at the insult to him, and was riled up at the thought that this thief, no, this spectre, was smiling, as if she'd gotten away with it. However, the prospect of the karmic retribution she was certain was soon to come brought joy to her. "Laugh it up, bitch; a storm's coming to wreck your whole world."

"The pendulum of the mind oscillates between sense and nonsense, not between right and wrong."
- Carl Jung