A/N: haha well i did say this would only be updated to the best of my ability...
Chapter 12: Disappearance
We spent the majority of the rest of the night selling off the various things I'd gotten from Skyler on ThiefNet. Shockingly, I made a lot more money than I was expecting. Skyler had stolen some quality loot.
I figured it was only fair to give him half of the money I'd made from his loot. I just didn't know how to get it to him without the others getting suspicious. After collecting all the money and trading off all the loot, I returned home. Considering I had sold the loot, I was allowed to keep the money I made on ThiefNet. Whoever sold the loot got the money. That was the rule.
So I just sort of took it into my room and waited. I was hoping I'd get a chance to take it to Skyler at some point. It didn't seem fair to keep it all to myself when he had gone through the trouble of stealing it in the first place. It was really the only sense of honor I had. If you stole it, and I sold it, I felt you should have some of the reward money. On the other hand, if I stole something, and you sold it, I won't want any of the money. I guess I'm just weird.
Anyway, I waited for everyone to go to bed. Well, not everyone. Atlas, unlike Rajan, did hold the tradition of cats being nocturnal. Sure, he would go out and about during the day, and he'd sleep at night if he had to, but for the most part he slept in the wee hours before sunrise and the ones before sunset. I didn't see how he had any energy at all.
I got off topic again. Damn.
Anyway, I waited for almost everyone to go to bed, and then made my way out to the van. Atlas was sitting on the couch when I got down there, but he only nodded at me, seemingly more interested in some documentary on the T.V. about WWII. I got in the van, dumped the money in the seat next to me, and sat there for a moment contemplating what made me believe that I had any reason - aside from out of the goodness of my heart - to be doing this. After quite a few minutes of wondering, I realized there really wasn't any reason aside from me just being nice.
That settled, I started the van and drove off.
On my way to Skyler's hideout, I had a sudden thought. Maybe I could get him to help me out from time to time. Not join the team or anything, but just help me in particular. He was a skilled thief and I could use a little backup on some of my heists. My team didn't need to know... As the leader it was my job to make alliances anyway. Even if it's against my team's wishes.
And I can guarantee it would be against their wishes. They had thrown a hissy fit with Atlas, so it stood to reason they'd be just as idiotic with this Skyler character. Besides, I was a thief, I was supposed to be secretive. This would just be one of my secrets I'd actually have to keep from my close friends. Oh well.
I pulled up and parked the van. I sighed, thought about what I was doing very carefully, then made up my mind a second time. I'd come all the way here, I might as well just share the loot.
I went in the same way I had the last time, just for novelty's sake, and dropped into Skyler's loot room. He wasn't there. I looked around for a little bit to see if maybe he was just in another part of the room, but no such luck. It was as if he'd never been there in the first place - except for all the loot.
It was still there. All of it. I hummed softly and decided to search the whole place, but as I roamed the halls of his rather extensive mansion, I began to notice something. There was no sign of any of his guards, or even any security measures. All the doors were open, and the rooms abandoned. The first thought that crossed my mind was that all of his stuff, including his house, were mine for the taking if he had left. The second was, "Where did he go?" and the third, "Why did he leave all this stuff here?"
After searching the entire house, I found only one clue as to what had happened. A piece of paper had been left, folded, on the chair he'd been in when I'd been there last. On the outside, it was addressed to me, in handwriting I found odd for a man like Skyler. It was oddly feminine.
Ms. Caldicot
I would like to inform you that I've left this particular universe for another one. Everything in my lair is yours. Enjoy.
Ps. I'm not a man. ;)
-Skyler
I blinked. "Oh. OH. Well that makes sense now." I looked around, "Wait. All of this is mine? Fuck yes."