Since it's been a long time I think a disclaimer is required right about now. I do not own anything beside the idea behind the story and any OC that may appear. Those badass characters and the amazing shen-gong-wu aren't mine and they will never be. Sad but would be all.
Enjoy!
Lasting
Ruby red eyes watched, focused on the passing windows popping out on the bright screen as his fingers continuously typed on the battered keyboard. A slight crease decorated his brows but his unmoving gaze stood solely on the laptop, whatever was concerning his mind staying unknown to the world around him.
The black car was rumbling with anticipation, the engine turned on and hardly waiting to run wild, but the young man ignored completely his surroundings. The bluish light of the computer engulfed the enclosed space reflecting in his eyes with purple hues, however, despite the bright illumination he kept on staring at the source.
Fingers momentarily hovered over the keyboard before returning to their mad dash once again. The young man's shoulder relaxed a tiny bit as a small twitch of his lips indicated a smile. One hand moved to the side of his head and searching through crimson strands of hair reached the device secured in his ear.
"It's all clear." He whispered with an ever-growing smirk.
The static buzz hummed for a few seconds before a voice called back: "Neat! I'm going in!"
Jack leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes for several moments. The laptop purred in his lap but he was more preoccupied with the thoughts of a certain raven headed police woman. She left that morning and neither he nor Raimundo were sure of her intentions. She only gave them a brief summary of what she was planning and from that only, he could draw just one conclusion: failure. But Raimundo was adamant in trusting her and as he said, he loved a challenge.
'Well, I hope this challenge will satisfy him for at least a few weeks.' He reflected dryly. He really regretted coming back to Japan now.
-.-
Phantom silently sneaked through the mansion with the skills of a hunting cat. Easily stepping on the carpeted floor he listened intently for any signs that may indicate an approaching figure and when he didn't hear anything he went on exploring the rooms with caution.
He had an ambiguous idea of where the Eye of Dashi was located. He was on the right level, that much he knew, what he needed to do now was seek the chamber. Softly touching the handle of a door, he turned it slowly and peeked through the creak he created: another bedroom. He resisted the urge to growl in exasperation and slam the door shut. Instead he gently locked it and moved to the next one.
'Why the hell does he need so many bedrooms anyway?'
Shaking his head he walked around the corner after making sure the coast was clear. Jack hacked in the house's system earlier deactivating the cameras on the floor he was currently on, however, there were still guards patrolling around. Phantom had met two men so far but he wasn't going to let his guard down still. In such a small space, a potential fight would equal catastrophe. And him most likely in prison garb.
Passing by a large tapestry, the thief let his eyes wander around. The embroidery looked Egyptian and quite expensive if his mind wasn't fooling him. The thought brought a nasty taste in his mouth and he grimaced. Again he was proven the human's voracity.
His pace sped up but he halted briefly in front of a mahogany double door. His mind kicked into gear and his arms stretched to grab the knobs. He had a weird feeling about that door. Pushing easily, they swung open revealing the large chamber. Shelves decorated the walls with various statues and vases lined up elegantly as well as many drapes and shawls. Tables ran along the walls displaying old maps and pages, or jewels with sparkling gems or even a few swords that looked to belong to different parts of the world. There were no windows but from the ceiling hung a crystal chandelier with unlit candles placed around.
Phantom sighed and soundlessly stepped inside, hidden eyes scanning the surfaces for the rectangular Chinese pendant. His body tensed for an unknown reason. He was certain his heartbeat echoed through the room with loud thuds and his steps slowed down. Something was nagging him at the back of his mind; a sort of primitive instinct warning him of an imminent danger.
Hands clenching nervously, the thief composed himself and continued to search the room. On one of the desks there was a velvet cushion and resting on top of it stood his prize. He smiled slightly and advanced towards the scarlet jeweled antiquity. The simple medallion flickered mysteriously in the light pouring through the opened doors before it was shadowed by Phantom's body. He raised a gloved hand to take it when a click from behind disrupted his action.
"Do not move."
The stillness that fell upon the room was heavy and tense. Phantom swallowed mutely and his hand dropped down to his side. Gradually, his head tilted to glance over his shoulder at the figure standing straight with the gun pointed at his head. He couldn't quite make out his features but he had long dark hair and black clothing that somehow resembled a police uniform.
"Turn around." He commanded in an unyielding tone. Phantom slid on a glacial face as he turned on his heels. "Hands up." The man instructed again. He obeyed.
The man reached for a communicator but before he could say something, Phantom threw his leg upwards kicking the gun out of his hand. He then swiftly charged at him, shoulder smacking him in the chest, turned around to grab the pendant and sprinted out of the room all in four seconds.
He heard a growl from behind him but didn't dare to look back. His heart was pounding loudly in his ears and all of a sudden, the corridors were washed with a blinding white light. He gritted his teeth and pushed forward to the stairs. Thunderous footsteps resounded all around him and for a moment he felt like panicking.
He inhaled deeply, straining to regain his bearings and calm down. The image of his father flashed in his mind, strong and determined. He breathed and turned around a corner dashing with new found fortitude. The stairs appeared in his sight along with the guards jogging up to greet him.
Phantom didn't hold back. With a mighty shove, he leaped over them using their heads as springboards before sliding down the banister, curses and obscenities being flung his way. Finally, he allowed a smirk to slip on his face.
-.-
Kimiko gazed outside the car's window, her foot tapping impatiently. In the driver seat, Clay was gripping the wheel like his life depended on it. They had agreed on a plan earlier that day, however, putting it in practice proved to be quite nerve-racking. They were heading to Mr. Myuki's house hoping to catch Chase and put their plan into motion before someone could find out about Phantom being there.
However, Kimiko simply had this weird sinking feeling in her stomach that warned her of an impending doom. She related it to not having eaten very well lately but the voice in the back of her head said it was something entirely different. She could only hope her instincts were wrong for the time being.
As the car sped on the highway, her deep blue eyes trailed the shifting scenery of Tokyo. Her thoughts drifted to the times when the only thing she had to worry about was whether she would be partnered with him or her and not making sure an international thief made it out alive of a robbery that she would supposedly interrupt.
She heaved a sigh when her phone suddenly shone to life. Swiftly glancing at the caller, she frowned, her bad sensation from before weighting ten times more in her stomach. Clay watched her from the corner of his eye, easily catching the abrupt change in her mood.
Kimiko answered and she was rendered speechless as the voice on the other side began talking. Her eyes widened. "You're what?"
Another moment of silence. Kimiko cursed. "Where?"
Clay slowed down the car, somehow knowing that they would need to change directions soon. Beside him, Kimiko snapped her phone closed, an enraged expression resting on her beautiful face.
"Chase prepared a trap, Phantom had to make a quick escape and now he and Jack are in a car trailed by the police all over the city."
"Shit!"
"That's what I said too."
"Where are they?" Clay asked.
"They're heading for the docks."
"It's always the docks."
Kimiko smiled grimly.
The car veered right to an exit that would have made them take a detour if they had missed. Not wasting a second the blond accelerated, almost flying by the other cars in their haste to join the on-going chase.
-.-
Jack cursed for the nth time that night as he swerve around a civilian car trying to put as much of a distance as possible between them and the remaining police. From the passenger seat, Phantom gripped his seatbelt glancing in the rear view mirror once in a while for anymore pursuers that might be joining from the alleyways.
"Two more from right." He spoke and the red head took a left corner barely avoiding crashing in a car who pushed the brakes just in time to avoid collision.
"I tell ya, they're like cockroaches." Jack grumbled.
Phantom found himself smiling slightly but he frowned the next moment as the blaring sirens screamed closer to their car. He swore silently as he glanced at the back up pouring out of the sideway street. 'Like cockroaches, indeed.' He agreed.
Jack clasped his hands around the wheel, his foot pressing on the pedal until it reached the floor. The black BMW tore through the streets speedily, ignoring the traffic and the lights while the pedestrians stood frozen on the concrete. The night jam began to clear as the roads were blocked but the red headed driver wouldn't have any of that.
He took the narrowed, cramped avenues, mentally praying his car wouldn't have much to suffer from the whole affair. Rapidly changing directions, their pursuers slowly decreased in numbers and Jack felt like he could finally breathe.
"Don't get too comfortable." He heard Phantom mutter darkly.
A quick peek in the mirror and his stomach dropped. The silent emerald colored vehicle of a familiar face greeted his view. "Is that the guy Kimiko talked about?" He inquired shifting the speed and jamming the gas down.
The car lurched forward and their trailers followed in stride. Behind them, Phantom watched as Chase approached them gradually and he gripped tightly the seatbelt. "Jack, go faster!"
"I'm trying! We have to lose them somehow!" Jack growled, eyes darting around for a way out of the straight track.
He suddenly swung the wheel wide, cutting through the lane next to them and stepped up in a small road. Taken off guard, most of their pursuers went on and fortunately Chase did the same.
Jack whooped in joy and threw a smile to his friend. "Ha! I did it!"
"Awesome, man!" Laughed Phantom only to stop sharply as a blockade entered his sight. "Jack, stop!"
Shakily, the techno expert slammed the brakes, the tires screeching as they came to an abrupt halt in front of the fence. "Shit! It had to be a dead end, didn't it?"
"Turn around!" Yelled the thief twisting in his seat to look at the mouth of the alley where several cars were already parked.
Jack moaned at the damage that his car would suffer and switched into reverse, shooting backwards. Vague screams resounded as they approached and unexpectedly gun shots rang though the air. Jack didn't hesitate at the thought, and the automobile crashed in the police cars, having gathered enough momentum to go all the way on the street. Hurried hands searched the handle, and desperately ran through the speeds before accelerating once again.
"My beautiful car just got smashed!" He snapped at the grinning brunet. "And I've just fixed it."
"Oh, don't be a baby! Better the car than us, right?"
The red head huffed and swerved violently resulting in Phantom abruptly banging his head on the window. He smirked innocently as the thief threw him a glare and then focused on escaping the police still behind them with a disturbingly good mood.
Slowly, the bay came into view and with it the sirens distanced. Jack continued to take the alleys, avoiding the traffic and at the same time confusing the law men with their unpredictable spot. However, it all went downhill when a dark green Honda veered in front of them.
Phantom shouted a curse and Jack hit the brakes and twisted the wheel to go around it, but the vehicle seemed persistent in keeping its position in the front. He smacked the stirring wheel in frustration and headed for a back road, but the driver in front of them slowed down and tagged along behind them.
"Where did he came from?" Asked Phantom feeling the adrenaline pumping once more in his veins.
"How the hell should I know? I thought we lost them! Especially him!" Jack grunted in annoyance.
The small road exited right in the Hinode pier and the red head ventured through the many installations if only he could make Chase crash against something. Nonetheless, it didn't work and the Honda swiftly caught up to them. Jack grounded his teeth and forced the car to go faster. Little by little, they left Chase in the dust but before one of them could say something, they heard a thump from behind and the next second they were spinning around uncontrollably.
Both screamed clutching their seats as the car spun madly, the tires smoking on the pavement while Jack tried to regain control of the wheel. A wall passed over the screen and Jack's eyes widened as the car staggered straight for it. With an almighty pull and a growl, the red head swung the car sideways somehow lessening the impact with the rock fence.
The airbags shot out and Jack was grateful that his head didn't bash against the dashboard, nevertheless, he was a bit dizzy and a migraine already began to grow. Beside him, Phantom groaned, shaking his head, and felt around to release the seatbelt.
"Something broken?" He mumbled.
Jack nimbly shook his head, hands still firmly grasping the wheel. "Just my car." A dry laughter drifted from the thief as he finally found the button. The technician sighed heavily and his head slumped forward. "I'm never going to do this again."
"It's not over, yet." Phantom pushed the door open and slipped out. "Stay here."
Jack rolled his eyes without looking up. "You can count on that." He spoke listening to the decreasing beat of his heart.
Outside, Phantom stumbled slightly through the wreckage when the click of a gun made him glance forward. Chase stood impassively in front of him, a somewhat smug look covering his face.
"Is it just me or is there a sense of déjà-vu?"
The thief straightened up. "There will be after I kicked the gun out of your hand." A swift throb developed in his skull but he pushed the pain away.
The dark haired man scowled. "Let's see you try, pest."
He smirked in return only to gasp the next second. "Kimiko!" Chase's eyes widened and he turned around to look behind him. A sharp pain flickered in his hand and he had the good instinct to duck as another kick flew past his head.
He cursed himself for falling to such an easy trick. Stepping back he blocked a punch with an arm as the other one reeled back to send an uppercut. Phantom evaded it and spun with a roundhouse kick. Chase stopped it and raised his knee aiming for his stomach. With not enough space and time to move, the thief leant forward, the knee scrapping his skin as it went by.
However, that offered Chase the opening he needed and his fist violently connected with Phantom's head. He didn't stop there and flipped with a kick to his jaw and an elbow to the chest. The kick grazed his chin but Phantom managed to recover his bearings in order to sidestep the elbow.
He grunted, eyes blinking away the blurry tears beneath the mask as he clumsily parried another strike. It definitely wasn't doing anything for his headache. A kick shot for his midriff but he was able to get out of the way and fling his elbow in the side of the man's neck. Chase tilted his head just in time and spun on the spot placing his forearms on the thief's chest and pushing vigorously. He tripped the younger man's feet and he fell backwards only he succeeded in rolling away before Chase's foot would have slammed down on top of him.
Phantom panted as he stood up while Chase glared at him, already prepared for the next round and looking as if he could be doing that anytime, any day. Without notice, he leaped towards him and the thief hastily leaned sideways from a lashing kick. He bent down as a fist fluttered above him and casted his leg outwards in a low sweep kick.
Chase saw it coming and jumped, afterwards bringing his arms in a guarded position to hinder the punches that followed. Phantom rumbled, frustrated as each of his hits were stopped and swiftly brought his knee up before flipping with a flying kick. Chase dodged and a fist missed his shoulder as he stepped out of its reach.
He smirked, enjoying the irritation his evasive moves placed on his opponent. From the corner of his eye he spotted the gleaming metal of the gun and a plan began to form in his head.
A kick trailed by a quick stab motion pushed the thief several steps back. Chase hunched and twisted and then suddenly launched a strong kick that caught Phantom in his side despite his attempt at avoiding it. A muffled yell escaped his throat and while struggling to regain his breath, he failed to notice Chase diving for the gun.
But Jack did.
The red head had been watching the whole fight and he could easily tell who the winner was. As Chase moved towards the weapon, Jack jumped out of his car and slid on the harsh ground smiling slightly as his feet thrust the gun out of the man's reach. The moment was short-lived as the dark haired man, catching sight of him, growled angrily and reared back his foot.
The strike never hit since Phantom appeared behind Chase delivering a punch in the back of his neck. Jack also took the chance and aimed for the back of his knee, resulting in the man tumbling to the ground.
He quickly rolled back up, the gun securely located in his hand and a murderous expression framing his face. "This would be the end." He stated calmly. The two panting young men stood up as well, slowly raising their hands in the air. "You've offered quite a headache to everyone, however, this is where your luck ran out."
He smirked. "Catching the infamous Phantom will certainly give me the fame I deserve."
"Too bad it will not offer him any company." The thief mumbled, loud enough for only Jack to hear who hardly stifled the smile.
"Get down." The bark made both of them jump but they listened. Chase moved to cuffed them but stopped when the roar of an engine pointed to an arriving car.
The bright lights washed over them as the car halted. "Chase!" And the petite figure of one Kimiko Tohomiko emerged from the vehicle.