Hit 'em Right Between the Eyes (Odion)

[Lani Hunter]

The fog settled around the streets and the night was blessedly moonless. Over the wall and onto the streets Lani had been unleashed on the poor unsuspecting folks of Pilot Ridge. His quota had been raised and he was starting to get desperate. Lani moved like he was a part of the shadows himself. Dressed in incomplete black blotched with grays and browns. If one wore black it would make them stand out even against the shadows. He clenched his hands. He had them wrapped underneath sleek gloves. His shoes were the ones that had toes. It made balancing easier and he had been more than excited when he got his first pair. He didn’t wear a mask or hood, that would be suspicious. He had a small bag slung over his shoulder and he paced down the streets seemly just searching for a good place to sleep.

Lani ducked down an alley and knocked on a door. The man that answered ushered him in. He was the man sent by his boss to crack down on Lani. The stress had made him practically discard all of his school work. He was sneaking out almost once a week and sleeping most days in order to get his sleeping schedule to match with his new more intense agenda. He was still spending quite a bit of time with Adrianna, though he was sure she was starting to notice his preoccupied mind. He was so screwed with his classes and training. Twice now they had come looking for him and found him sleeping. He was already on all sorts of probations, behavioral, academic. They had just added a new one that he wasn’t sure really existed. Powers Probation for training. He was skipping so many of his training sessions that someone had said something and basically Lani was on lockdown. Well, just goes to show how that was working out.

It was frustrating. They could barge into his room and wake him up if he skipped and so he was taking to sleeping on the roof, the only real hiding place left. Luckily they couldn’t legally track him, well maybe they could, but they hadn’t yet. Good thing too. He made his way up the stairs and looked over the maps of what he was going to do again. This guy was having a party and Lani was going to shake things up a bit. He pulled on his hat and pulled up his high collar so it covered his mouth and nose leaving only his eyes visible. He was a shadow. He smiled as he slipped out the window, this was the part he loved. Even if he quite stealing he wasn’t sure he could quite sneaking around. There was something very thrilling in slipping into a room without anyone knowing. It was risky but he loved the risk. There was a rather special collection of jewelry, there was a party in the lower levels was opened for the public, for a new piece to the museum’s collection.

He balanced on the window sill and with a jump upward his fingers grabbed the roof and hauled him up. He danced across the roofs and followed the light of party staying low and in the shadows. Slipping around the back of the building on the roof he put his bag down and grabbing a bundle of rope. Before his power he could have secured it and lowered himself down but now he just had to hang on and it would get him there. He looked around and with his power shifted the cameras so he would stay just out of sight but still cast shadows, as was his signature. He lowered himself down and he sat on the windowsill out of sight. He peered inside, all was dark but there were bound to be alarms. Too bad the guards didn’t think they would have to defend it from the inside. He pushed against the alarm sensors set into the windows and watched the lights carefully. He then unlocked the window and slid it open. He grinned behind his mask, telekinesis was a thief’s dream, that book he had lifted from the library had had good tips. He just made the alarm system thing that the window was still closed. He slipped in like a breath of air careful not to touch the window.

He slid it shut and released his power hold. He slid along the floor shifting the cameras and fooling the other defenses. This was going to be his payday. After this heist he wouldn’t have to steal for another month at least. Lani had gone far beyond his pick pocketing days, had been trained as the best and this was what he was trained for. He reached the jewelry and stopped. His eyes snapped do the door as it swung opened. He backed up quickly hiding himself in a little pocket in the wall. His heart hammered but when no light flickered on he risked peering out. He bared his teeth behind his mask, there was another person in the room now... but how had he gotten past the front security and what was he planning on doing with Lani's jewels?

[Odion Martins]

Odion was getting that itch again. It had been a long while since he last pickpocketed anyone. The best time to do that was day, since a lot of wealthy businessmen were walking about during lunch, too preoccupied with the ladies walking about to notice that their pocket watches had been successfully... borrowed. But the itch occurred a little too late for the afternoon buzz, and now was good a time as any. He could try and go back in time to the perfect time of day, but there was always tomorrow. Sometimes laziness won out. Besides, maybe people would be walking around in a drunken stupor – in other words, maybe he’d get lucky and nab a few unsuspecting things. He wasn’t made for the night time. He wasn’t particularly inclined to blend in by trying too hard. No, he just looked like another kid roaming the streets at night; if he looked suspicious it was only by default. Odion stuck his hands in his jeans’ pockets, his fingers fidgeting around. This was the simple way to conceal them. He kept his head up and smiled at those who passed, which were few and far apart. The smile wasn’t overdone or creepy, just a passing smile, making eye contact to keep people at ease. The night was cool, but a snug, long sleeved teal shirt kept the shivers away. He didn’t want to look too dingy. A local department store in the mall just so happened to have a five finger discount on teal shirts and he simply couldn’t stay away.

There was nothing special about today. Odion smiled. It was utterly perfect. He didn’t mind being along most of the time. His chain bracelet from Rhett rested snugly against his wrist, and he took a few deep breaths to be made more aware of his surroundings. There was something pressing him to go out tonight, something that he needed to do. It wasn’t just because he hadn’t been able to use his powers functionally for the last little while, there was something else urging him on today, something he simply couldn’t put his finger on. Odi didn’t think too much about it, other than letting his body take him wherever it pleased to go, feeling completely safe in Pilot Ridge. Anywhere here was safe, especially when compared to Europe.

Chips on his shoulders, he had none. Odion was free as a bird. No one seemed to notice his comings and goings. He was barely passing in school, but he was still passing. The illegal things he did were on his own timing and out of his own accord, and he answered to no one but himself, and maybe Rhett once in a while if he thought the advice meaningful in any way. That wasn’t to say he couldn’t be bought and sold, but his freedom was his number one priority. How could you focus on what you wanted if you were under someone else’s beck and call? Speaking of which...

The ginger slid behind a nearby building. Waiting for someone to walk by, he made to sort of walk with them, and go unnoticed. Odion grinned. Sorry Lani, there’s no denying those eyes... Odi smirked to himself and slid into the back alley of the building, ditching his cover person, who had been too preoccupied on their phone to realize what was going on. He wasn’t going in the building, party or not. He would easily lose the blonde if he set foot in a crowd. He scanned the sides of the building, waiting for some kind of sign of him. He wasn’t going to just announce himself, he was just curious to see what Mr. Hunter was up to. Yes, he’d done his research. Apparently the school had a lot to say about this particular telekinetic. There he was, jumping towards the roof. Odion watched without trying to hide it, finding the boy’s agility fascinating. Just what was he capable of? That, and why hadn’t Alice snatched him up for the ‘family’ as well? Lani slipped out of sight and Odion walked and tried to keep up with him. He crossed the sidewalk just in time to see Lani float through a window, and Odi was stunned. Lani was good – maybe too good.

“Hey! You there!” Odion simply looked at a man dressed in a sort of cops getup, trying not to smile. “Care to explain what you’re doing back here?” He asked the teenager, who still had his hands in his pockets. Odion shrugged, a subtle smile on his face. The guard could prove nothing, Odi had nothing, he hadn’t even started stealing yet. Damn Lani for distracting him. The guard snatched the ginger up, pushing him to the entrance of the museum. “Don’t bother saying you’re here for the party, otherwise you’d be in there,” he was saying to Odion as he unlocked the museum door. The older man must’ve been new at this, but Odi thought it would be fun to go along. Convinced the boy took something, the guard paraded him into the hallway of the building before searching for a light switch. He couldn’t find one. Odion played along as the guard made him empty his pockets, and seeing as he wasn’t wearing much, he couldn’t have anything more to hide. Though as they trotted on into the actual display rooms in the museum, Odion couldn’t help but think that the guard should’ve also checked his shoes at the very least...

The guard looked over the displays, and Odion simply watched him. He wasn’t trying to play innocent, since he was. No, he was just relishing this guy trying to figure things out. Stupid cops were abundant here. “I swear I just saw someone... the window...” The guy was trailing off with his words, walking behind a pillar, looking at the art work. Odion stood there, a bored look on his face now. Odion saw the guard’s trail of light from his flashlight disappear, and the ginger could feel Lani watching him, though it might’ve been too dark for Lani to see just who was with him. Dark blue eyes scanned the cases for anything shiny, and found nothing. Huh, that was odd. Nothing shiny in a museum... He decided to give himself away. “I suggest leaving,” he said into the air, before the guard came back. When he did, an apologetic grin was on his face, and Odion watched him carefully once more. “Sorry kid, the cameras haven’t caught a thing in here, I guess I’m just having a rough night...” He said, and Odion’s face remained blank. The guard escorted Odion out of the museum, locked up, and told him to have a good evening, apologizing once more.

Odion began to walk away, before rounding about and heading towards the building once more. Lani owed him, Odi knew the blonde wouldn’t like that. Odion fidgeted with the new ring in his pocket. The guard’s wedding band. Wouldn’t that be fun to realize it was missing? The ginger usually didn’t steal such personal things unless he was desperate, but this time it was out of spite. Besides, the guy was too easy. He had to make some fun out of it. He hadn’t even used his powers to get the stupid thing. He tried slipping it onto his own finger, but it was too big, so he slipped it into his shoe, a welcome stone. He climbed up the black, hanging metal stairs that he saw on the building before. Lani would make his appearance at some point, unless he planned on being a sitting duck for the guards tomorrow morning.

[Lani Hunter]

A glare was cast around the room as frustration started to well up in Lani. Well that explained a lot, the person coming through wasn’t anyone he knew a man from security. That was how he had gotten past; he was part of the people keeping people out. Lani’s eyes narrowed as he tried to see through the blackness. Some sort of night vision would come in handy right about now. He shrunk into his little alcove using the advantage of the shadows and blend in. It was like he wasn’t even there, at least for the guard that came in shortly after followed by another person. Someone younger, but why? The man had only a flashlight. He flattened himself against the wall as the beam passed nearby. He looked up and around quickly for an escape route, but luckily the guard was either new or simply inept because the light wasn’t flickered on. Lani’s breath caught in his throat as the man moved around the room searching around for anything amiss. Good thing Lani hadn’t actually taken anything yet. He turned a little as he caught snatches of the conversation. The man had seen something, well that wasn’t good. Careless Hunter, he scolded himself, you’re still not paying attention to your surroundings, still letting people see you and follow you.

Not exactly, his mind countered, they saw a shadow, a ghost, now the man isn’t even sure he saw something. He watched as the guard left the other alone for a moment. Who was that? His heart was hammering so loudly he was surprised he wasn’t already caught. What if this was a trick? One cop framing the other and leaving thinking Lani would be foolish enough not to realize that there was another person left in the room. It was the oldest trick in the book, any thief who fell for it deserved to go to jail. ‘I suggest leaving,’ Lani bit his tongue and covered his mouth to prevent himself from uttering a noise in surprise. His eyes were wide and if someone could see him now they would claim they were going to pop out of his head. He whirled his eyes boring on the one who spoke. He knew that voice. Not very well but he had a name. Martin. Of all of the people to run into… A swear threatened to tear itself out of his throat and he swallowed it down with great effort. He slid back out of flashlight range as the cop came back. Of course the cameras hadn’t caught a thing; Lani smiled more than a little pleased with himself.

A breath released from his lips as they left and the door had been locked. He frowned and looked around seeing nothing but the shadows of display cases deemed it safe. He moved quickly. He had planned on disarming the alarm by hand and doing it carefully but now time was not on his side. It would take too long for him to do it by hand so his power put pressure on the alarm and just like the window tricked it into thinking nothing was amiss. Why was Martin here? Why the hell did he call him out? Thoughts whirred in a million different directions as he tried to figure out why this guy hadn’t told the guard about him if he knew Lani was hiding somewhere. He beep caused him to freeze and he forcefully slowed his thoughts. His power was so closely tied with his emotions that this worry and this fear was starting to cause it to react instead of do as he commanded. Martin would have to wait until later for analysis.

He wanted to follow Martin’s advice and leave but if he didn’t get this job done now he wouldn’t have another chance. With excessive care he pulled his lock picks out of his pockets and set to work. If felt good to do things by hand, especially with his power occupying the alarm. Sure he could use his power to unlock the case as well but where would the fun be in that. A smile flashed under his mask as there was that familiar feel and sound of an opening lock. Yeah, they still hadn’t invented a Lani-proof lock. He carefully lifted the glass and quickly took the jewels and slid them into his bag. He secured them and with a little smile closed the glass and locked up again releasing the alarm. Perfectly done, it looked as if the jewelry had just vanished. The gems were safe and secured in his bag and he wiggled around a little bit fitting it over his shoulders under his larger shirt.

Making his way back to the windows he carefully repositioned all the cameras to their original positions, one of which showed the now empty display case. Voices caught his attention outside the door. Apparently the cop wasn’t completely convinced no one had been in the museum. Words started to come through and Lani’s interest was piqued a little. “I swear I had it,” the man said forlornly. His eyes narrowed and his quickened his pace. He against pressed at the window and holding onto the top kicked his feet out. He landed smoothly in a crouch as soundless as a cat on the fire escape. He slid the window closed behind himself and a sudden chill passed through him. He froze, apparently his hope that Martin would let him be wasn’t too be. He carefully scanned the area around them. His legs braced for motion as soon as he had things figured out. How had Martin even found him? He tried to go back through what he knew about him. Martin hadn't actually been a first name he had realized, he didn't have quite as thick a file as Lani but it gave him the basics. Most importantly that his power was time control. That had explained a lot. He had been unhappy at the lack of information but just as he had turned to his own and started contemplating filtering it a little he figured as long as nothing was incriminating it wouldn't really matter.

Men like Lani were very much like prey animals that fancied themselves predators. They hunted and preyed on the unsuspecting. But the real predators were the police, and sometimes even other thieves. The flight response in Lani was higher than that of most people, he knew when to call his losses and flee. As his panic that someone had seen him built within him he knew his only option was flight. But then he knew this person, what if he could be an ally? His thief’s instincts took over and the thought of allies was tossed out the window. With a sudden whirl he mimed a blow at his fellow student, just enough to make someone flinch away. Then Lani bolted like a frightened animal. He dove over the edge of the fire escape trusting his hands fully to find the rails of the one nearby. He swung himself around and as soon as his feet landed on the metal he was off sprinting down the stairs dangerously close to falling several times. He wasn’t thinking about stopping to chat he was thinking of how dangerous this could be and how he just wanted to get away. Someone at school knew it was him, they knew his ways. He could tell everyone! Escape! Must escape!

[Odion Martins]

Odion waited with his hands limp beside his body. This guard was a complete moron, and that was being kind. I guess whoever his superiors were thought that it wouldn’t be a big deal to let the new guy take the night so that everyone else could get wasted at the party going on. Odi wasn’t sure who was stupider, this guard, the person watching the cameras, or Lani. Odi didn’t feel responsible for what the guard saw by the window, since he wasn’t anywhere near the second story window. That had been all Lani’s fault. Odion was only too happy to leave the museum, which had things that were too risky to steal, too hard to sell anywhere locally. It would raise too much suspicion, not that he hadn’t thought of it before. He contemplated this as he played with the guards ring, waiting for any sign of Lani. Odion wasn’t going to deny that he was curious as to why Lani was in there. Had he been looking for solace? Or looking for a pay off?

It was really too bad his powers weren’t working. He was feeling a bit playful tonight. It would’ve been fun to stop time and rearrange the guards, so that when time returned to normal, they were utterly confused. It also might’ve been fun to see Lani’s reaction as Odion magically appeared out of nowhere, since he had no idea what Odi’s powers were. But that wasn’t going to happen tonight. He was just a regular street kid, not that he minded. Lani was safe from Odion and his trouble making for tonight; he should be thanking his lucky stars. Odion wiped his hands over his face, the cool night air keeping him awake along with his excitement of being out at night. Truth was, Lani could’ve used Odi if he played his cards right. Stopping time could be perfect for any heist.

Odion’s dark blue eyes scanned the dark of night; Lani wasn’t anywhere in sight. He shrugged. Wasn’t his fault at this point if someone else found Lani in there, he had been given fair warning. The guards were on alert now. Odion heard some scuffling from down below and pressed his back against the wall, the same guard swearing under his breath as he searched the ground carefully. Someone must’ve finally noticed their missing wedding band. Odion felt proud, maybe a little too proud, to have taken away at least a little bit of dignity from the guard. What would his wife say when he got home? Had he really been working? Odion settled himself back down on the black steel staircase once the guard passed into the party. Probably for a drink. A drink was starting to sound really good right now. But patience was a virtue and he would reward himself later once he found Lani.

Odion got up again when the guard suddenly burst back into the museum, speaking loudly on his walkie talkie. Discretion wasn’t in play here, although it should’ve been. Looking back, Odion watched silently as Lani repositioned the cameras. The robber would know that he was being pursued right away. Great, the cop knew what Odi looked like. He would probably assume it was him. He would probably end up at the school looking for him and questioning him. They couldn’t prove anything, and he wouldn’t be convicted, but it would be god damn annoying. Odion barely glanced at the culprit as he landed on the fire escape, more interested in what the guard was doing. Maybe it wasn’t about the jewels at all, since he seemed to be searching the floor in there too. Maybe someone told him he spotted a ring on the floor and it simply wasn’t there. How could it be when it was in Odion’s pocket?

If Lani fled now, Odion wouldn’t hesitate to rat him out. And as soon as he thought the thought, it sprung to life, and Odi had to wonder if it was his thinking that caused Lani to flee. Maybe he was reading too much Emma Bovary. He had been distracted a moment, but it was only a second. Silently, Odion kept up with Lani by way of parkour. He wasn’t as gifted as Lani, but he was as skilled. It didn’t take long to keep up with the jewel thief, probably because he didn’t have as many things to carry with him. Eventually both boys ran out of rooftop, and the only way out would be down.

Maybe it was the adrenaline, maybe it was good luck, but Odion stopped time. It was what he was thinking and suddenly everything was still. Too still. No night time noises, no heavy breathing from Lani. Odion put his hands on his knees and tried to stay up right. “Damn you’re a quick little bugger,” he said, squinting and shaking his head a couple times. Lani was a perfect statue. Running his hands over his face again, he felt his control of time slipping away, but hopefully what he had done would be enough to stop Lani for a few moments. “I thought I was a coward...” he said, his voice trailing off as his eyes landed on the bag the blonde had. “Look, I don’t go about things the way you do,” he said it like this just in case there were hidden ears, “but I’m pretty sure I just covered you and you left me there to take the wrap. Forget your manners again?” Lani wasn’t very fond of saying thank you evidently. Odion didn’t think Lani had to answer to anyone else, otherwise he might’ve let him be and harassed him about it later. But how would he know that? Especially when the very thought of working for someone who could send ten other guys to ring your neck if you didn’t get the job done made Odion cringe. He didn’t want part of the bounty, he just liked the person who piqued his interest.

[Lani Hunter]

Lani’s eyes were wide catching sight of all of the light in the darkness. He moved like a shadow and if someone, well someone who wasn’t currently perusing him, were to look up they would think he was trick of the light. He glanced back at Martin and his eyes narrowed to hide the fear and panic in him. Martin was good, better than Lani would have ever guessed. A small smile crept over Lani’s hidden face. Well he had to give him credit for something; Lani hadn’t been challenged like this in a long time. There was a part of him that enjoyed it under the panic. He might give it a little more thought but his mind was occupied by escape. He moved upward leaping from the stair to the roof. He kicked his legs up and rolled coming up and running again. He frowned this was hard, to keep from being perused and also to keep himself hidden from those on the street below.

It wasn’t luck that Lani ran away from the building in the direction he had chosen. He researched the areas before he went in so he could have several different escape route ready. This way he could stay high and move fast for the longest distance. The roofs were close together and he leapt easily from one to another. Every time he did so he glanced behind him, partially to see if Matrin was following and partially making sure if Martin fell that Lani could stop and catch him. Lani just couldn’t let a man hang like that, no matter how much he wanted to get away. He gritted his teeth when leap after leap Martin kept up. Lani hadn’t mapped it out this far. He looked up and with a startled gasp realized there was nothing for him to land on if he kept on his flying speed. He skidded to a stop and turned. Then one moment Martin was across the rooftop and the next he was nearly a yard away.

He took a step back startled. He looked around quickly and made a split second decision to assume that Martin was not his enemy. Sure he could be someone hired by the police or even working for Hammel. Either way, Martin knew it was him and even if he hadn’t been trapped like this, this night would not be forgotten and would rear its ugly head again. Well it was done. Finished. He panted his shoulders shaking and the cloth over his mouth and nose making it difficult to catch his breath. He pulled his collar down and folded it down taking gasps of clean cool air as he did so. With his hat still on he glared at Martin, his face was grim and there was nothing friendly about it. Lani ignored the first comment besides a little confusion. How was it that Martin could have expected Lani do to anything but run? Thieves weren’t people prone to stay around and chat at a crime scene.

“What do you want?” Lani asked flatly instead of honoring the comment. He wasn’t a coward, he was a wise thief, and wise thieves ran. The only reason Lani wasn’t fighting like a cornered fox was that he didn’t think Martin would turn him in. Maybe blackmail, but at the moment, there was no use in trying to run. If Martin wanted to blackmail him, he knew where to find him. There would have been no reason to pursue. His mind was flying in a million different directions. All of them taking the worst case scenarios and planning them out, how they would play out and how he would get out of it. If Martin did want to blackmail him Lani could bring him down with him. Or rather, anyone who was holding something over Lani, Lani could always just tell his boss. But he didn’t want to do that because generally the solution was a rather permanent one.

Lani cocked his head at Martin suddenly interested. The skeptic in him was very much doubtful that Martin did anything like what Lani did. He crossed his arms and shifted so his bag was more securely on his back, if Martin was going to be a rival thief Lani wasn’t going to take any chances. But he still wasn’t sure what his power was, who knew what he could do. He couldn’t help rolling his eyes, “Covering for me?” Lani echoed in a hushed voice, “Why the hell were you following me anyways?” He huffed a little upset that Martin would think he needed saving. “I had it all under control. I always have it under control.” He said it more to himself trying to convince himself that he hadn’t lost his touch. He squinted at Martin wondering if he had given this any thought. Lani gave him a little smile. “Oh ok, so I, the one who would get arrested if caught, should have stopped to chat. Thank you oh so much for following me. Maybe have some tea? What are you thinking?” Lani pitched his voice mockingly taking out all of his pent up anger and frustration out on poor Martin.

Lani wasn’t done yet, “And you wouldn’t have been charge with anything, they wouldn’t have even kept you overnight. What do you think would have happened if we had stopped, huh? I would have been put away for years. Not only that! I’ve been caught red-handed and now you’re an accomplice! So don’t blame me for this.” He didn’t normally loose his cool like this but Martin was stepping on his toes and he wasn’t about to let himself get in trouble for this. If Martin wanted a cut he was going to be sadly mistaken. He bit his tongue and clenched his fists trying his hardest to resist the urge to strangle Martin. This was not a time to honor manners! “Manners!” He growled and shook his head glaring at Martin. He did have a point, he could have turned him in but didn’t. But why? “I didn’t ask for your help… But for the record, I suppose I am grateful you didn’t turn me in. I swear…” Whatever he was about to say got cut off as his heart flew into his throat. There it was, the tell tale pitch of sirens. They knew, shit, they knew! His eyes went wide and he looked at Martin. His mind was in utter panic and his power was starting grab at everything. Well whether they liked it or not, they were in this together now, the police would take Martin as an accomplice if they caught them.

[Odion Martins]

It was strange to consider all that Pilot Ridge had. Surely they had a brigade of gay men, but there were a lot of delinquent teenagers who seemed to fly over everyone’s heads. The only thing Lani received from Odion as he was hot on his trail, was a hesitant smile. This wasn’t a game of hide and seek, even though Lani seemed to hope that’s what it would turn into. No, this was cat and mouse. Or was it mouse and mouse? Odion wasn’t completely sure, but he was glad to be the pursuer. Odion never worried about discretion when he was jumping over rooftops, even in broad daylight. Like the person he had stalked before, people weren’t really as aware of their surrounding as Odi or Lani might be. Most average people are too preoccupied with themselves to even be a witness if they saw a murder. It was a human flaw, something that only a few people were aware of, like knowing when someone was looking at you because you could simply feel it. No one would notice two, let alone one, boy jumping over buildings in the dead of night. So while Lani might have been more majestic, Odi was quicker because he didn’t care about landings and all that. He just wanted to catch.

Really Odion should’ve known these streets and buildings like the back of his playing cards. It was usually one of the first things he did in his surroundings. But Pilot Ridge didn’t seem big enough to bother with. Besides, he didn’t need to draw more attention to himself, and he didn’t particularly like running about. It had always been about necessity. If tonight taught him anything it was that what little he knew about life, he should probably stick to. Like knowing your surroundings. Next time, he would be ready.

Lani seemed more than disturbed by Odion’s sudden closeness and the ginger automatically raised his hands in case the other should fall. He wasn’t trying to startle Lani, and he certainly hadn’t tried to use his powers. Lani reaction would’ve been Odion’s had the roles been reversed. Lani stripped away his restrictions to breath and Odi took a couple steps back, still breathing heavy himself. He hadn’t really thought about what to do once he did catch up to Lani, as it would inevitably happen. A wise thief, a coward, it was the same thing. A confused expression crossed Odion’s face as he realized no one had ever asked what his intentions were, including himself. He scratched the back of his head, looking at the moonlit sky as though the stars would care to spell it out for him. “Uh,” he paused, and then shrugged, “I don’t want your prize, if that’s what you mean.” He had to redirect the question until he thought of a better answer.

Odion didn’t like blackmail, it was petty. No, he just wanted a little recognition from his fellow, yes fellow, thief. A thank you would have sufficed. Odion wouldn’t have chased him then. Or would he? He could just rewind time and try again. But then Lani would probably have a heart attack and that didn’t seem like a good idea, for now. They weren’t rivals. They were apples and oranges. Odion raised his eyebrows, “Don’t flatter yourself Lani, I wasn’t following you, I simply came across you.” He said, shaking his head. “Under control? Is that why that moronic guard saw you go through the second story window?” He asked, an eyebrow raised. Lani was good, but he wasn’t perfect. Odion wasn’t going to apologize for that. “Tea, brunch, beer, something like that,” the redhead said, nodding a couple times. It was just to throw Lani off, “we’re already half way there.” Lani had stopped, hadn’t he? He was talking, wasn’t he? Idiot.

Odi grinned a bit, enjoying how Lani was reacting. “Are you just about done your little speech? Honestly. What did you think I was going to do? Capture you and take you to the guard? Come on.” Odi was interested in far greater things. Odion whipped out the wedding band and put it in Lani’s gloved hand. “Again, don’t flatter yourself. The guard was looking for this, not for you.” Of course, Odion wasn’t one hundred percent on that. “Maybe you should be a little more flexible in this kind of heist,” he offered, “so I blame you completely.” The ginger wouldn’t be an accomplice. “If it’s really such a concern to you what my criminal record would become, I will gladly go and return those precious gems for you right now.” That would shut him up. But no, it didn’t.

“Yeah, bloody manners!” Odion sneered. “What makes you think I won’t?” He let the comment float in the air momentarily. “Lucky for you I don’t have a hero complex.” And then the sirens came, and Odion held Lani’s eyes. The other was panicking. He neared the edge of the rooftop, keeping a close eye on Lani. Odion didn’t trust anyone. There were a couple cop cars at the museum now, and people were flooding onto the street. Odi laughed. Some were dancing, some were slinging themselves over the cops, touching their guns suggestively. “You did pick one hell of a night,” he said, grinning still. It was nearly perfect. Odion wasn’t worried, not even a little. “I reckon they don’t even know about the jewels yet, they’re only there because of a few rowdy people.” Indeed, the police seemed interested in the bar, not the museum.

“So let’s get back to the school before they figure out what’s really going on,” he said. Odion was innocently excited to be a part of something big. They were in the clear for now. “I don’t understand why you want those things though, can’t really sell them on eBay can you?” He smiled. Oh god, was he trying to be charming? Now? At a time like this? It was better than letting on that he dealt with the pawnshops around here and the surrounding area. Better to let Lani believe Odi was simply in the right place at the right time and simply curious.

[Lani Hunter]

Lani grit his teeth, he was fast but Martin was just as fast. One thing though, he could always hear him behind him. Lani landed like a cat, but in Boston people were more adept at listening to thieves that in Pilot Ridge. Perhaps Martin didn’t have to be quiet. There was no time to dwell on that. He had to admit that underneath the panic and fear that was fueling his flight he was curious about why Martin was here and why he was chasing after him. He could have easily warned him in the building and went about his business and confronted Lani at school. Though Lani was rather good at hiding. He knew Hammel very well and if he didn’t want to be found it often took security quite a while to track him down. Give him the benefit of travel and the span of the United States and Lani could be gone forever. At least for those on the top. Those in the underground would always know. Lani wasn’t even sure but word spread like a wildfire in a drought through the underground. It was pretty clear as Martin gained on him that finding somewhere to hide was not going to happen and so he kept going.

Lani glared at Martin, did he know the lay of the land better than he did? Probably. Lani had been here just under a year; you’d think he would know the lay better. But he didn’t know how long Martin had been here, chances were like most other people at Hammel his powers hadn’t manifested so late and he had come here earilier. Of course Lani knew nothing of Martin’s life before Hammel. He needed to make better maps and memorize them. His boss’s representative was actually currently working on that, Lani would have to borrow his charts. Secret places were the lifeblood of large criminal organizations, even Lani’s boss wasn’t too large but he had a far reaching hand and it was good to make sure there was someone to keep an eye on things everywhere. And on every wayward thief apparently.

He glared and couldn’t say he wasn’t relieved when Martin took a few steps back. He didn’t want to have to hurt Martin but if this came to a fight Lani knew his best bet was to run, and this time he wasn’t going to leave any chance for pursuit. Could Martin balance on fences as well as Lani or scale walls? He hoped he didn’t have to figure that out. It was a relief that Martin was just as tired as he was; it would have been rather depressing if Lani was more out of breath. Though irrational it told Lani that if he hadn’t hit this dead end he could have kept going. Lani crossed his arms unsatisfied by the answer. “Well… good.” He narrowed his eyes and nodded. He cocked his head and wondered if Martin was hiding something. Redirecting a question usually meant they were hiding something, at least when Lani did. “That doesn’t answer my question,” he said firmly not letting Martin get away with his diversion. At least Lani could relax a little, he didn’t know what he would have done if Martin wanted a piece of his loot. He would probably figure out some way to make a run for it again. And then fight if that didn’t work. That wouldn’t be pretty, Lani didn’t fight fair.

Not following him? Well Lani certainly felt sheepish, he relaxed his rigid posture a little and it was his turn to run his hand through his hair. Well that wasn’t good. He opened his mouth to protest but shut it again at the mention of the guard. “You…” He began with a snarl and cut himself off before he insulted Martin for something that was actually a fact. That didn’t mean he had to like it. Must not strangle. “Look, I’ve made it out of worse scrapes before.” Lani didn’t feel like going into more detail, mostly because the last time he had almost been caught he had sent cars flying through the air. Yeah, that was not something he wanted to have a redo of anytime soon. But he was a little insulted, he had things under control. “They would have had no proof that anything had ever happened. Shadows don’t get convictions.” He gave Martin a curious look and was about to start on a tirade again but his next sentence completely threw Lani for a loop. He couldn’t be serious! He pinched the bridge of his nose and rubbed his eyes. “I’m going to need a drink if we keep this up.” He had to hand it to Martin, he was good at picking out just what to say to throw off Lani’s focus. Lani ground his teeth reminding himself that he was not the kind of person to resort to violence, but oh was Martin pushing it.

Lani wasn’t sure he liked that grin and soon enough he realized that he didn’t. It was the grin that said, ‘I’m just humoring you by listening’. Lani hated it when people did that to him. He huffed upset that his little rant was met with such an unsympathetic ear. He paused and looked at Martin again as if trying to understand where the man was coming from. “Well, yeah,” he said after a few moments, “What would you think? I don’t know anything about you! You don’t get good in the business by thinking everyone around you is a friend. I’m sure you know that.” He challenged his ferocity coming back. Lani picked up the ring between his fingers and examined it. “You took this right off his finger?” Lani asked thoroughly impressed and now more than a little distracted. He looked up at Martin his eyes locking with the others. “Flexibility opens the door for mistakes and mistakes get you caught,” he said handing the ring back. “Do you ever plan things or are you just spontaneous? Spontaneity is dangerous.” Lani was reciting now, thing that had been drilled in. Yeah, if things went wrong Lani could deviate, but to leave something to chance was just too much risk. Maybe that was his flaw, he planned to much and wasn’t prepared for things to go wrong. At least not as much as he should be. Lani bared his teeth and took a step back until his knees hit the little rail. “Back off,” he warned.

Green eyes narrowed flashing dangerously and a little trickle of fear passed through him. He clenched his fists and whirled on Martin. “If you get in my way, I swear I will end you.” His voice was low and menacing, but it was all a bluff. Sure Lani could do anything to make Martin’s life a living hell but he would never hurt someone. Not intentionally. But Martin was talking about compromising everything Lani had, his sister, his family, his future. He scowled at the hero comment, he was too unsettled to find any humor in the comment. Lani shifted a little to watch Martin stick his neck out over the edge. “Careful planning,” Lani answered simply. At Martin’s explanation Lani decided to take a look. To his relief Martin was right and they were much more focused on the people than the museum itself. He glanced at Martin not convinced he wasn’t going to turn him in, but at this point he just needed to rid himself of the evidence and he would be in the clear.

If only things were that simple. No Lani had to get these jewels back tonight. He needed to get his money and then he could head back to school. Martin had a point, they were running out of time. If only he had more time! He shook his head, his night wasn’t over. “Not yet,” Lani answered unconsciously including Martin in his thought process. There was a certain amount of glee in Martin’s voice and he wondered if he had actually been a part of anything big before. Lani glanced at Martin and grinned back conspiratorially, “I think you know better than that.” He shook his head. “You go back to school; I have to make a stop first.” He pulled up his collar and walked the perimeter of the roof before finding a water spout that he could climb down.

[Odion Martins]

If Odion had been trying to hide himself it would only have been too easy. He wasn’t looking for easy tonight; he knew where to go for that. No, tonight he made his intentions pretty well known, well, pretty well known to himself. He wanted to be useful, and the wedding band wouldn’t fetch much but there was always tomorrow to steal something better. Tonight had presented a different opportunity, and Odion didn’t know it yet, but he had bitten off more than he could chew by assuming Lani was stealing for himself. The only thing fueling Odi was pure selfishness and curiosity. It would’ve been no different if an agile cat were in hot pursuit of Lani. Odion didn’t want to confront Lani at school, that was too easy, and, it was too open. What was he supposed to do? Approach the boy in the hall and say, ‘Oh by the way, next time I save your ass, a thank you would be nice’? No, he had to let Lani know that he wasn’t some chump who happened to follow him into the museum. There was nowhere to hide that Odion couldn’t see.

Odion was all about bluffs. He didn’t know Pilot Ridge any better than the next bloke, because he figured he didn’t need to know. Again, that was going to change. Lani would know from reading Odi’s file that this was his first year here, and unless he was keen on doing so, wouldn’t know the rooftops at all, aside from the little parkour he did. Honestly Odi would rather play cards. No one would no Odion’s past life except himself and Rhett, and since the blonde had ESP, Odion had learned quite a bit more. Lani wouldn’t know about the almost family Odion had been recruited into, a secret gang of teens from the high school bent on taking over the town. Seriously. It was exciting stuff, but had blown up before it begun. In hindsight, it was probably for the best. Odion worked better on his own. He had secretly believed it would end.

Odion wasn’t going to physically fight Lani. There were enough people at school who he had brawled with. Leon Belenos had even managed to break his nose. Granted Odion sort of deserved it after fighting dirty. He had paused time just to spit in Belenos’ god damn face and then kick him in the groin. Leon didn’t mind returning the favour. No, things were better left said and not done. Had there been more roof, Odi was sure they would’ve just kept on running. Between the fun and the adrenaline, he wouldn’t have noticed how tired he was now until his lungs felt like they were going to collapse. He thought it was possibly a time span thing that made him forget to keep an eye on things like that. It was sort of like holding your breath and not knowing how long you had been doing it for. Lani took a minute to accept, calculate, and sputter a response. Odion didn’t like to think that this was how he operated as well. “You’re pretty quick to believe my every word,” he said, passing judgement instead of fessing up. He could simply just pause time and take everything Lani had, leave him stark naked on the rooftop if he so pleased. Odi grinned at the thought. “I don’t want anything. I was just curious.” He said. He had been satisfied to say the least. He got to see what Lani was capable of and judging by the other’s reaction, people didn’t get to see that often.

Odion’s arms stayed still at his sides. He raised an eyebrow as Lani tried to speak but became tongue tied. How sweet. “Oh, so this isn’t your first time?” He asked, sounding interested. “Could’ve fooled me,” he added harshly, undermining his interest. He was interested though, he just didn’t want to come off that way. Then Lani would wonder why he was so interested and that wasn’t something Odion could answer even for himself. Of course it wasn’t his first time, Odion knew that. It was Odi’s first time chasing someone down, and he had to admit it had been rather exhilarating. “Maybe. But maybe the guard would’ve seen you instead of me, then what?” He paused. Odi knew that Lani knew he hadn’t thought everything out, he simply wasn’t admitting to it. “We’ll never know,” he said nonchalantly. He blinked a couple times before grinning madly. “I’d offer to buy, but you don’t seem to appreciate what people do for you,” he said in a testy voice. He just couldn’t understand why people wanted to punch him so badly.

Lani seemed to be getting more and more upset and Odion was eating it all up. He planned his every look and grin in a particular way and it affected Lani just as he thought it might. It was all about pushing buttons and seeing how far they would go. It wasn’t that Odion wasn't interested in Lani, it just seemed a little straight forward to say so. Lani would have to figure that out for himself. “Well if someone helped me resist arrest I might find the courage to say thank you, or give them a thumbs up or something.” Odion was still grinning. He was just projecting his own personality onto Lani. Courageous was something nobody would use to describe Odion, including himself. Lani might be the same way. If Lani was impressed, he wasn’t hiding it very well. “Didn’t have to use my powers or anything,” he said, taking another stab at Lani, who had used his powers in the museum. Another thing to hang over his head for no reason other than it felt good to do so. “Flexibility opens your eyes so you can catch your own mistakes and find a backup plan,” he countered, “seeing as you were caught either way.” It hadn’t been a flawless victory, and it would’ve been a complete failure had Odion not intervened. Odion took the ring. “You can’t plan life, better you learn that now,” he said, offering lessons like he was some kind of superior. That was bound to piss Lani off and Odi couldn’t wait to see his reaction. Lani was the one caught, and yet he was telling Odi to back off. He was pissed off indeed.

Odion stiffened slightly at the unexpected turn, his grin fading, and he took a daunting step forward towards Lani. He could call a bluff a million miles away. It was all in the eyes. Odion knew people, he depended on their regularities and personalities and he’d be damned if his intuition failed him now. “Good luck. It’s fucking hard to get rid of me,” he said, meaning every word. Odi had nothing Lani could take from him. He would be hard pressed to hold anything over Odion’s head. He backed off and went to check on the scene happening by the museum. The niceties were over, and Odi watched Lani walk off to the spout without a word. He waited for Lani to disappear before turning away from the ledge and making his way down the building. He wasn’t sure where he was now, but there was a different bar nearby that didn’t have cops swarming it. He thought about following Lani again, but decided against it. He was interested, and Lani didn’t need to know that. But Odion wasn’t stupid. There were a few options as to why Lani just didn’t go to the school with him. One, trust. That was simple enough, but with police everywhere Odi though Lani would accept the backup. He had proven himself hadn’t he? Two, Lani wasn’t doing this for himself. Maybe that’s why he had been acting like there was a stick up his ass the whole time. The sudden burst of retaliation that had caused small pebbles to hover over the rooftop. Lani didn’t even seem to notice he had been doing that. Or three, Lani wanted to see where Odion would go, and Odi wasn’t too blind to consider that someone else might be interested in him.

He thought about going to the bar but instead began walking towards where he thought the school was. He couldn’t decided if his night was ruined or not.