Isaac stared at the painting.
He was excited—quite the opposite of all the previous heists. Normally, he would be calm. His emotions would stand still, and every fiber of his body would be ready to step through the portal and complete his job as quickly as possible.
But this time, so many things were different from his usual routine that he had trouble adjusting.
For one, he had only just finished the painting shortly before. After that, Noctis had handed it over to the boss—not him. Normally, he had very close contact with the boss before a heist. This time, everything had been handled through Constantin. He really made an effort, and Isaac knew he always took care of everything with absolute perfection. Still, it bothered him that he had no chance to communicate with the boss personally, because since the incident with Nico and his people, there had been complete radio silence between Isaac and him.
Then there was his condition.
He hadn't fully recovered yet. He could walk on his own again, and he was sure he could run in an emergency.
But would he be able to run long enough?
Would his stamina be sufficient?
Could he still access his usual speed and agility despite the injury?
And how long would it take until the job was done and they were back outside?
He didn't want to admit it, but he was a little afraid of stepping through the portal and facing whatever awaited him on the other side. He would do it—no question. Still, that uneasy feeling remained in the pit of his stomach.
His gaze shifted to Noctis, who stood to his right. He was studying the painting, otherwise silent. That evening, he wore a skin-tight black outfit that allowed him to move freely. It stood in stark contrast to Isaac's snow-white clothing. His outfit covered his entire body; he also wore gloves, boots, and a hooded cloak that further obscured his silhouette. He would discard the cloak if necessary, but until then, it was a tactical means of misleading the cops.
In his hand, Noctis held a mask, almost identical to Isaac's and Noah's.
When he noticed Isaac's gaze, he looked up.
"Are you excited?"
Isaac let out a quiet snort. "No."
The answer came faster than it should have.
"Thanks to you, we know everything they've come up with. I know where their traps are, and I have the tools needed to disarm them."
A faint grin spread across his lips.
"I wish I could see their faces when they realize that not only is the object gone—but all their security measures and traps were simply… meaningless."
His gaze returned to the painting.
He would complete the mission without any problems, because Noctis would have his back. Isaac didn't need to worry about the cops or being targeted by multiple people at once.
This time, he wasn't alone. Despite his injury, he would manage—it was time to think positively. He would steal the painting, come out without a scratch, and personally hand it over to the boss at the end of the mission.
He would clear his name, and then everything would be fine again.
Noctis smirked. "It's always fascinating to see how people fall apart when things don't go according to plan."
He studied Isaac closely, a hint of concern in his gaze.
"I'm always close to you. If you need help, I'll be by your side faster than you can call my name."
Isaac returned the smile—calm, but not entirely without tension. "Ideally, I won't need any help. In and out—without it even turning into a fight."
He liked the idea. Quick entry, clean work, silent exit. It had been a long time since he had operated alone and the theft had only been noticed hours later—too late to do anything about it. As before every mission, he found himself longing for the old days, when it was just him. A thief without a persona.
Noctis's expression turned thoughtful. "I thought you'd be more worried." He stretched. "But it's good to know you're not. I'll cover your back, and you steal the painting as quickly as possible. I'll wait for you until you reach the painting."
Isaac gave a slight nod, pulled out the earbud, and put it in. Before activating it, he looked at Noctis once more.
"I am worried," he admitted. "But I know nothing will go wrong. I don't need help walking anymore, and if necessary, I'll run as fast as I can. And as a backup, we still have your illusion."
Noctis nodded in agreement and inserted his earbud as well. "We just can't get separated. That would make everything unnecessarily complicated."
Isaac raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in his gaze. "I can take care of myself. You know that."
Noctis didn't hesitate. "I still worry. Even if you were in perfect condition." His voice grew quieter. "After the state you were in during the last two heists, anything else would be careless."
For a moment, Isaac said nothing. Then he gently brushed a hand over his shoulder—a calm, familiar gesture.
"That's why I have you with me," he said confidently. He leaned in and kissed Noctis on the cheek. "Thanks for having my back—and for getting the information from the notebook."
Noctis's grin widened, almost challenging. "You're welcome to show your appreciation after the mission."
Isaac's voice dropped to a soft promise. "I'll do anything you want."
Noctis returned the kiss—this time on the lips. Brief, almost fleeting, yet intense enough to linger for a moment too long. When they pulled apart, a quiet aftertaste remained, a sense of closeness that faded too quickly.
Isaac already missed it.
Noctis's gaze darkened slightly, his voice lowering. "Then make sure you don't get hurt this time. I'm the only one allowed to make you cry today."
A barely audible breath escaped Isaac. "Okay."
He forced himself to let go of the moment, took a deep breath, and activated the earbud. Noctis did the same.
"Ember?"
The response came immediately.
"Moonshadow? Finally joining the conversation," Ashe replied. She sounded slightly stressed. "Are you there too, Sandman?"
Noctis leaned slightly to the side, a crooked smile on his lips. "I am. What's up, brainiac?"
"Hey guys, I'm here too!" Noah chimed in.
"Ink Phantom—about time," Ashe responded. "I don't want to waste any more time. There are six cops in the building. Three of them are in our target exhibition room. Two are patrolling the floor, and the last one is positioned a bit farther away—probably keeping an eye on everything from there."
"So everything's as expected," Isaac said.
"Exactly. I actually wanted to go to the museum today to install a bit more 'toys,'" she sighed. "But it was closed. I think they wanted to take as much time as possible to set up their nice little traps. Do you have the EMP with you, Isaac?"
Instinctively, his hand moved to his pocket.
"Yes."
"That's the absolute last resort. It will disable electrical devices and traps within a radius of nearly a kilometer. But if you use it, you'll lose all contact with us, understood?"
"Understood," he replied curtly. "I don't plan on using it. You're jamming their communication again, right?"
"That's the plan, yes."
Isaac gave a slight nod. "Then nothing should go wrong."
Noctis watched him without pause, his gaze fixed on Isaac.
"What does it look like outside?" he finally asked.
Ashe exhaled slowly.
"Crowded. A lot of onlookers have shown up again—in fact, I'd say more than usual. It'll make your escape a bit harder, Ink Phantom, but it also gives you more cover from the cops. Just stick to the plan and nothing will go wrong."
"Got it!" Noah said cheerfully.
"Noah," Isaac said.
"Yeah?"
"Remember what I told you. If things get critical, you get out."
"Don't worry. I've got a plan," Noah replied. Isaac could practically picture his optimistic grin.
"Shrimp will manage. He's trained just like we are," Noctis said. "Ember, can you tell me how many cops are near the portal right now?"
"The exhibition room is empty. If you step out, there's one relatively close on the left."
"Okay," Noctis said.
He gave a barely noticeable nod. Then he leaned toward Isaac and pulled him into another kiss—brief, but intense. That familiar, dangerous glint was in his eyes.
"Remember your promise, darling," he murmured softly.
He pulled away and straightened up again, as if nothing had happened.
"When we're done here," he added, a barely concealed grin on his lips, "I've got a little surprise for you."
Then he pulled on his mask and turned toward the portal. In one hand, he held a card with the golden spider symbol, and in the other, one of his combat knives. Suddenly, he radiated such a murderous intent that Isaac shuddered.
Before he could jump through the portal, Isaac instinctively held him back.
He still had a bad feeling about this.
"Take care of yourself, okay?" he asked quietly.
Noctis gave a soft chuckle. "Of course. Look forward to a relaxed walk to the painting," he said. He stepped up to the portal and glanced at Isaac one last time. "I love you, darling. See you on the other side."
He blew him a kiss—then disappeared.
"Stick to the plan, Sandman! Nobody gets killed!" Ashe snapped.
"Yeah, yeah," he muttered. "Quiet now, I've got work to do."
"Haaah, that idiot is driving me insane," Ashe hissed.
"I heard that," Noctis murmured with a smirk.
"You're supposed to be working!"
Noctis let out a quiet laugh but didn't respond further.
For a moment, only the faint static in Isaac's ear remained.
"You should go too, Ink Phantom," she finally sighed.
"Take care," Isaac said.
"Hehe, I kind of like that you're worried about me, big brother," Noah replied cheerfully. "By the way, I ordered some pretty great food for after the mission. Look forward to it! I'm heading in now!"
Shortly after, Isaac heard the crowd cheering, and communication with Noah was cut off.
"One less. You can follow slowly now, Moonshadow."
"The path is clear," Ashe confirmed. "Take care. As soon as Moonshadow approaches the exhibition room, I'll start the distraction."
Isaac took a deep breath in and out.
In his mind, he went over the plan once more.
First, he would slip into the exhibition room unnoticed. Then, at the right moment, Ashe would initiate the distraction. He would disarm the traps, secure the painting—and disappear.
Together with Noctis, he would return through the portal, cut the connection, and hand the intact object over to the boss.
He would have cleared his name, at least a little, and afterward he would eat with the others. Noah, like everyone else, would make it out without a single scratch. And once Isaac had sent Noah and Ashe home, he would turn his attention to Noctis.
Warmth spread through him at the mere thought of what they would likely do together.
With that feeling, he put on his mask.
Plan A was clean. Precise. Perfect.
Plan B was… less elegant. But feasible.
His heart pounded with anticipation.
They wouldn't need Plan B this time. After all, Noctis was there.
He felt Noah bring his scribble monsters to life. The talisman drained his strength as usual, and the portal—strained further by the double passage authorization—drained him as well. It was exhausting, but he felt like he could manage it. Like all the times before.
After all, he wasn't alone.
With a smile, he tapped his earbud.
"I'm going in," he said—and stepped through the portal.