The Tales of the Phantom Thief of Hearts (Akira's solo mission thread)

Mission Synopsis:

A day began to shift in to night, with the hour of twilight approaching, it was gradually becoming the perfect ground for a Phantom Thief. The perfect time of day for Akira Kurusu, member of the Ibwa clan and a puppeteer at that, or as he would be better known in that moment as he perched on the thickest trunk to hold his weight; Joker. With his mask in place they would not notice him, he didn’t exist except to those with strength behind them, and that was how he operated best. With Le Mat drawn he just had to wait. One by one he had stalked the boundaries of the village to which had commissioned him to a mission, and witnessed just the very theft he had begun to suspect. It was all an inside job. That morning he had stalked the local mine, and thanks to his mask he had watched a haggered young woman hand off a heavy rattling sack to a scrawny young man. That sight was enough to tell Akira plenty that he needed to know. The woman was a victim of circumstance. He elected not to report her. But he did follow the boy. He followed him all the way back to a cave, or what he figured from the look of things, an older mine that had collapsed in and turned redundant at some point.

The boy could have been an easy take down, but if he was halted outside of the mine, it might warn them. As the entrance was overtaken by shadow, Joker made his move. He swung down from the branch and hurried to pin himself to the walls as he entered the old mine. At first there was nothing but the silence, and the faintest of foot steps that came from himself. Pressed in to the wall he was left alert of direction, albeit it was rather easy when the main shaft was a direct straight down. “Master Akira, there is a pressure release trap just two feet in front,” Perks of a spirit companion after all were his Kitsune companion could walk ahead and make out any traps for him that he might be unable to see. And she could do it without being seen by any but those of the Ibwa clan like himself if she did not choose it. It also meant he could be utterly silent in his gestures. He slowed his pace, waiting for the signal from Kaen to step over the plate with a long stride. And he was past that particular danger. It also meant for certain that he was on the right track.

Not ten minutes later there was a faint clang clang clang that broke up the sounds of feet shuffling through gravel and avoiding traps. Gradually they were getting more dangerous, but once more Kaen was guiding her partner around them. One particular trap was especially difficult, a trigger mechanism through chimes. And for that he needed the help of his puppet Io too to glide over it without setting off the bones hanging from the roof. But once he was past those, he was absolutely home free to continue on. With a wave of his hand, he ushered Kaen onwards to scout ahead, spot any further dangers.

Less than natural light made it easier to spot just where he was going, as the depth of the cave opened out in to a natural cavern. The smell of fire and smoke was clear proof to the theory that Akira had made on receiving the mission. And he saw plenty of it down below. The bandit gang wasn’t exactly huge, it seemed there was one man on the forge as it seemed they were smelting the latest batch, the young man he had seen earlier was shaping a bastard sword in to place with a young woman besides him wrapping the hilt of an axe. Besides those, Akira took note of two others, one woman at the back of the room at a desk surrounded by scrolls. Even from a distance he could make out the clear lines that set them up as blue prints. Taking a look around, he spotted the perch he needed. A path that went around the chamber had clear collapsed at some point, but the lantern perches were still built in to the wall still remained sturdy. With careful movements, he found the right perches to get himself up there quick enough to avoid detections. For as good as his Mask was, it didn’t actually make him invisible. Just eliminated his presence. It was phase 2 of his scouting. He saw the shimmer that was Kaen floating around, examining as much as she could up close without interfering or giving away anything.

He was up there close to an hour. The group hadn’t changed much, the boys on the forge and with the sword moved on to working on a piece of armour together, whilst the two woman kicked back and shared a drink. With Le Mat, he could immobilise three of them if they weren’t strong enough to fight back too much. But from the looks of things it would be easy enough. Paralyse the workers, and he would go after their boss at the desk. Take out the Queen Bee, and the workers will just fall in line. But this was Kurusu Akira, the Phantom Thief known as Joker. He had a clear flare of the dramatic. Fishing his hand in to the inner pocket of his jacket, he took out his signature Calling Card. Looking around he saw his next perch a couple over. And with his radius of influence activated, he threw the card, guiding it in to a curve to better mask it’s original position, and landing corner down cut in to the desk.

“Joker, the Phantom Thief of Hearts, is coming for your Treasure.”

“... Men! Take up arms! … We have an intruder in our mits. Our guest is here somewhere, and they won’t be taking our goods without a fight, and their head on my platter. We’ve worked too hard to be beaten by a fool.”

Mission. Go.

WC: 1025 / 1000

Spoiler:

Akira watched the fledgling gang running about, arming themselves with freshly made swords and armour. His training and his mask worked perfectly together. He knew how people worked, and he was in the perfect spot. Most wouldn’t even look in his general direction any way, but with his mask, they had to look directly at him. And at the angle he was perched, it just was not in human psychology to look his way. Kaen had finsihed her search and returned to her master’s side.

“They are really well stocked. But it seems we have come on a good day. Scouts orders are on the table as are the blue prints to a certain compound just outside of Dipugakure. It seems they plan to over take a supply route and profit heavily from the village itself. We came at the right time. Their main fighters are off protecting these negotiators. “ Akira nodded along. This was all good news. The combatants were gone, and the group was just cocky. That would make this so, so easy. But he had to keep his word after all, and he needed to see what this boss’s real treasure was. His move was finally being made as he witnessed her fumbling constantly with a dagger hilted on her thigh. The war hammer leaning in to her desk suggested that was her favoured weapon, which meant the dagger likely had sentimental value.

Akira dropped from his perch and rushed in to the shadows behind the blast furnace. And with a swing of Le Mat, a shadowy dagger shot out and stabbed in to the ground. The young man he had tailed to find their base was frozen solid. First this was only out of shock, but the dagger was doing it’s work in pinning him in place. It seemed he was not strong enough to break out, and that was just great. His sudden cries attracted the other guy, who got the same shadowy dagger treatment.

“Ah! What is… Boss! We’re stuck!”

“What the hell is fucking happening to us?!” They were both in hysterics. Amusing all around.

“Shut up and let me think. Garla, get up here with that bow.”

Akira could see this girl, Garla, was a true guard for the boss. With a crossbow she was scanning the cave with a well trained eye, and a clear itchy trigger finger. He had to think quickly. The two were so close together he could not safely pick up Garla without alerting the boss. Io wouldn’t be a good choice either, she would give away his position. He could summon the skeletons of Orpheus and Arsene, hit for a rapid assault before they could be attacked in turn and broken.

“She is a smart one.” Kaen was not helping this time.

“... Right. Let’s go,” A thought occured to him, Io was designed to look like a little girl riding a bulls head. “Kaen, you mind if I unsummon you for a little while, I need Annie,”

“Hrm… but of course Master Akira.” She bowed her head as she fluttered away in to nothingness as she took herself back to the Kitsune’s realm. Taking a breath he readied himself, reaching out in to the great beyond and with his own spirit, pulling back on the one he needed. In her spirit ball form, Annie appeared in his palm. “Ready girl? I need a distraction,” A low hum was the answer he needed, an animal spirit was still rather unusual in terms of contact, but the two had been partners long enough now for him to understand now.

Knowing this would be where things changed, he tapped the seal on the side of his mask, and his first ever puppet was summoned. With a spiritual push, Annie was combined in to the puppet, and the duo burst out from behind the forge. For each arrow that Garla unleashed in her direction, Io-Annie shot back ball bearings. The whole aim was to look like it was Io who was attacking, attracting attention whilst Akira leapt out and snuck around. As he ducked behind the table of armour, he only got the proof it was working as the boss and Garla were focused on the puppet.

“How could I be so foolish! It’s just a little girl, capture her!” They really thought Io was Joker.

“She’s tricky to hi- The fuck?!” Everything stopped for her then as she struggled to pull the trigger one more time. “I… I can’t move!” Akira caught her too in his final dagger. And now the boss was truly getting worried.

“What… what trickery is this? Come out!” Akira finally made his appearance, sliding the mask from his face with one hand, as the other pinned the blade of Le Mat against the bosses throat. “... Joker, I presume?”

“Thats right. And your stealing days are over.” A clatter of metal echoed as the woman kicked over her war hammer. Effectively surrendering. A total victory without a single drop of blood spilt. This was truly how a Phantom Thief worked. In the shadows, and eliminating targets one by one. With rope he bound the bosses’ wrists to keep her from being a problem, and shoved her down. Breaking a shadow dagger one by one, he repeated this for the rest in the room, until he had them all beaten.

The next two hours were boring. Leaving them bound in the cavern, and returning to the town to alert them of the goings on, and to have guards brought to escort them to prison. A simple job, and then would join them in ensuring that all of the goods were gathered up and accounted for. He was given the blue prints and the plans, something to be taken back to Dipu for investigations to ensure that the towns around the village would not be placed under threat by this group any further.

That night Akira returned home with the promise to return the following day to peruse their goods, and to get the necessary materials. He rolled over that night, looking at the blue prints for Arsene and Orpheus. “... Soon my beauties. We’ll be together soon,”

WC: 1018 / 1000

Both are approved, you've got the same choice for both so you can either make the same choice twice or two different choices:

A) 1 C-Rank of Pig Iron(Grade I Metal, D), 200 Xel, 1 C-Rank tech or 2 D-Rank techs

B) 3 D-Ranks of Glittering Iron(Grade II Metal, D, B), 200 Xel, 1 C-Rank tech or 2 D-Rank techs

C) 900 Xel, 1 C-Rank Tech or 2 D-Rank Techs