The paintings on the walls glared down at the two. Scarlett squinted their eyes as the flash of cameras burnt them. Kafele stared ahead. Scarlett hushed all their questions like they would a crying child. “Here we are.” Kafele said as he came to a smooth stop. Scarlett stopped beside him. A group of people stepped away from the painting, heading the other way.

Scarlett locked gazes with the portrait. There she was. Sylvie Seydoux. An ethereal woman stood in front of a pastel garden. A white robe rested across her chest, flowing against the night sky behind her. Kafele whipped a dark pair of sunglasses out of his pocket. “Here we are.” He said as he slid them on. “--Ah, there you are!” Scarlett turned. Another man in a suit came up.

Scarlett’s eyes landed right on his thin, silver nose ring. “Scarlett, this is Aapo.” Kafele said with his wide, happy smile.

“You didn’t tell me we were wearing sunglasses today.” Aapo stated in a heavy accent. The two burst out into giggles. Scarlett watched with wide eyes.

“You’re Scarlett Hughes, aren’t you?” Aapo asked, sounding upbeat and musical.

“Y-Yes.” Scarlett swiftly nodded.

Aapo held out his hand. Scarlett shook it. “It’s great meeting you.” Aapo happily chirped. “You both know where to meet me. I’ll see you there.” Kafele nodded.

“Follow me.” Kafele told Scarlett swiftly. Aapo headed off in the other direction. Kafele and Scarlett went on their way.

“So what exactly is the plan?” Scarlett stammered, the confusion in their voice poured.

“Did you see that portrait back there?”

“Yeah.”

“That was a fake.” Kafele said rather seriously. “Nobody knows that but us.”

“.. Alright.”

The crowd grew sparse. Kafele glanced over his shoulder. His eyes narrowed slightly. “Just a bit further and we’ll be there.” He said after clearing his throat. “Anyway, you’ve got basic self-defense skills, don’t you?”

“I do, but uh.. why would I need them?” They asked, completely baffled.

“Well, we’ve got some competition.” Kafele stated casually.

“And why are we stealing this portrait..?”

“Because, it’s a lead. It’s said to have something that’ll be worth it.”

Scarlett raised a brow. “Did a credible source say?”

“I don’t doubt it.”

“So you’re just going to steal a portrait without any concrete evidence to back up your actions??”

“Yes—sort of.”

“Do you know how much trouble you’re going to get in for this?!” Scarlett spluttered as if it were the dumbest thing they’d ever heard.

Kafele snapped. Loud ringing burst throughout the building. An oddly enthusiastic disembodied voice was soon to follow.

“We are sorry for this abrupt interruption, but the establishment will be closed from now till’ 9:00 a.m tomorrow. We hope your visit was enjoyable. Have a nice day.”

“There will still be guards.”

“That’s true, but our people have it all covered.” Kafele dismissed. “We’ll be out as fast as we came.”

Kafele glanced around. “You don’t see anyone around, do you?” He said in a low voice. The people that were around were so far off they almost looked like ants. Scarlett looked back at him and shook their head. He eased open the door and slid in. Scarlett followed his lead. He shut the door softly behind them.

“If you want to walk out of this, do so now.” He said as he twisted the lock.

“They gave me that chance before I signed the contract.” Scarlett said calmly.

“Alright. Follow me.”

The two rushed along. It was just one long hallway. Lockers, shelves and boxes were stacked up to the ceiling, they covered the walls as far as the eye could see. A knot formed in Scarlett’s throat. They swept all those questions under the rug and kept their eyes on Kafele. Every step they took echoed like it was blasted through a speaker. Kafele made a sharp stop. Scarlett looked over his shoulder.

There it was. The portrait stood like the biggest gem in the establishment.

The two jogged over. A spotlight illuminated the portrait. Kafele slid over to it. Scarlett stopped. “I need you to keep an eye out.” He said in a low voice. He shoved his hand into his pocket. “After I grab this thing we’re getting-”

Sparkling shards flew through the air. Everything seemed to just.. stop. Thee shards shone like a million tiny suns as they hit the floor. The portrait looked beautiful as ever, but it would’ve looked even prettier if the blade of a literal scythe wasn’t blocking it. It sparkled, just like Kafele’s sunglasses as they bounced across the floor. He ducked.

Scarlett shoved their face into their hands. The blade flew backward, chains clanged and cluttered. Merry humming echoed through the room. Footsteps grated Scarlett’s ears. “Look who I found just hanging around.” A poison-laced voice mocked. “I think you two might’ve forgotten something at the entrance.”

Kafele muttered curses as he pulled the painting out of its frame. One shining oxford landed out from around the bend.