Tribute Tales: Heartbreak

Balar, Uland

Time: 1700

Location: Tremor Estate

“Do you think that Veil is actually coming?” Stanley whispered to his partner as they both stood at the entrance gate of Nebula Tremor’s massive mansion. His partner scoffed at him before stretching his right arm.

“That no good thief only knows those useless, undertrained grunts on Uland. They’ve never met us.” He said confidently. Stanley took his words and sighed. Something about the thief never really sat right with him. They always knew where to hit, what to take, and who was the weakest link, and Stanley KNEW he was the weak link compared to the rest of his guard team. “Stop your sweating and just worry about getting your job done.”

“Yea! Okay!...And what if they do make it past us?” Stanley asked. His partner groaned.

“What?! You want them to fuck you?” A blush spread across Stanley’s face as he averted his gaze. His partner chuckled. “What? Marcus getting too lame for you?”

“Don’t talk about Marc, okay?! But, no, He’s honestly a sweet heart.” Stanley said as his gaze started to float to the clouds and he started to imagine his boyfriend of two weeks.

“Yea, I remember when you first met. Wouldn’t stop talking about the loser for a day straight.” Stanley chuckled before he heard a twig snap to his left. He quickly aimed his rifle where he heard it, and its flashlight revealed it was just a harmless mouse. “You really are paranoid tonight.”

“Shut up.” His partner gave his signature chuckle. Stanley rolled his eyes. But, when his gaze fell on Nebula’s mansion, he saw a slender black silhouette walking through the, supposed to be, empty mansion window. “Is there anybody supposed to be in the mansion?” Stanley asked.

“Nope. Clean up crew went home like an hour ago. Why?” Stanley quickly ran to the entrance gate and entered his entrance code. “What the hell are you doing?”

“Someone’s inside.” Stanley announced.

“How? They have to go through the gates to inside.” His partner said. Stanley watched as the gate opened and he quickly ran past them and onto the slightly damp grass of the estate. “Stan, wait!” Stanley’s partner scoffed as he grabbed his walkie-talkie. “Gate teams, check in.”

“Team two here!”

“Team three here!” He patiently waited for the fourth and final team to buzz in and confirm that Stanley was just being a paranoid freak, but the silence he was given was a bit too long.

“Team four?” Silence. “Team four. Team four call in.” The static that blared back at him was louder than it should’ve been, but that’s not what he was worried about. His best friend just ran into a building with an unknown person that just took out two capable guards. And he KNOWS that Stanley’s the weak link.

“Shit.”

Stanley carefully moved through the large mansion’s hallways with his rifle at the ready. His breathing was the only noise he could hear, and that was scaring him beyond what it should have.

“Come out! I won’t shoot, I promise.” Stanley said. He mentally facepalmed himself when he said that. Whoever was in this house isn’t going to be convinced by that. He’s used to kids coming by and vandalizing this place, drunks climbing the walls, spectres and grunts coming to escape masters, those things, but never had someone made it past a guard team AND make it past all of the system’s alarms. If he hadn’t seen their shadow in the window, they might’ve gotten out undetected, but Stanley was on his guard tonight. “Listen, if you’re here and you don’t want to fight...then maybe me and you can sweep this under the rug and move on!”

He moved through the halls and sighed as he felt hopelessness wash over him. This mansion is huge and, if they managed to get past the entrance alarms, they might’ve gotten in and out before he could find-

Just as he was about to give up, a blaring alarm could be heard down the hall he was standing in.

“Isn’t that convenient?” He quickly ran down the hallway and looked into the room with the alarm.

The room was Nebula’s trophy room. The room where everything that she liked to keep out in view, could be in view while being protected. Podiums holding up trophies, artifacts, and other miscellaneous things were scattered around the room, while the walls were decorated in rare weapons, animal heads, and other things Nebula collected on her rare travels.

Stanley saw the figure who set off the alarm and stared for a second. They stood in front of one of the podiums and were chuckling to themselves. They slid a flash drive, presumably one they stole, in the back pocket of their pants, or underneath their skirt, and placed down a card on the podium. Stanley used his rifle’s scope to get a better look at it. Though, he couldn’t make out the words, he did noticed it was signed with a kiss. A kiss with purple lipstick.

“Veil?!” Stanley exclaimed. Veil stopped moving and froze in place. “Stay right there, thief!” Stanley slowly walked forward. “Put your hands up!” Veil followed orders to the letter as Stanley slowly approached them. “I don’t know how you got in here, but you’re not leaving! I mean you’re not leaving free.”

“That’s a nice thought, but I’m afraid that I’m leaving richer than I came in, darling.” Stanley’s eyes widened at that voice. No. It couldn’t be.

“Turn around!” He heard Veil snicker as he turned around and Stanley slowly lowered his rifle as he saw his face. “Marcus?” Stanley looked at his boyfriend in shock and betrayal. “Wha- How did- Why?!”

“It’s nothing, darling. Just...the art of the steal.” Veil said. Stanley was too shellshocked to notice Veil reaching to his right and revealing an umbrella. 

“Wai-” He didn’t get to finish that sentence as Veil pointed the umbrealla at him and pressed a button on its hilt. The head of the umbrella shot forward on a chain and wrapped itself around his neck. Veil roughly pulled the umbrella towards him and Stanley was dragged forward. Veil caught Stanley by his collar and they were face to face.

“Just so you know, the name’s Levi Toronto.” Veil said as he punched Stanley unconscious.

Stanley’s partner ran through the mansion with his backup and came across Nebula’s trophy room.

“Stan?!” He exclaimed as he walked in the room. He looked around and saw his best friend on the ground unconscious. He ran to his side and examined for any scars. The rest of the guards rushed in after him, and they searched through the rest of the trophies to make sure nothing was stolen. Until, one of them looked upon the podium with Veil’s signed card.

“Sir! Take a look.” Stan’s partner took the card and read it.

_________________

“Dear Nebula,

Here we are. Me besting your stupid security again. I hope you aren’t mad, we were both invited to Jaxson’s birthday after all. I would hate for the little minger to see us fight on his special day. Anyways, tell Stanley that he was a real help too, I couldn’t have done this without him.

Love, ‘Marcus’ :)”

_________________

Levi smirked to himself as he examined the flash drive in his hands. He revealed his holo-projector and stuck the flashdrive in it. It projected a hologram of the planet Apollo and he chuckled.

“The planet’s core? That’s interesting.” He said to himself as he put both devices in his pocket. He was about to proceed to his ship when he heard a twig snap. He looked over and saw a mouse. “Aren’t you cute?”

He carefully walked over to the rodent and gently petted it. The critter leaned into his touch and he smiled. He held out his palm and the mouse crawled into. Levi placed the small on his shoulder and giggled.

“Beautiful. Just the way I like my treasures.” The mouse curled up and proceeded to fall asleep on his shoulder. Levi chuckled again. “I think I’ll name you...Stanley.”

The End.