“We will but now, Melodramatic Soul. We first have to pay a visit to someone,” Julian says.
“Who?”
“My sister, she woke up you know. And I heard that Tom is doing good as well, but I just have to see her as soon as possible.” Henry nods but a slightly concerned expression appears on his face. “What is it, Henry?” Roy asks.
“Well, my friend who works at the police station called me, you know, I was speaking to him just now. But anyway, he told me that there is an art thief running around and their lead says that he is going to break into the museum either tonight or somewhere this week. And although they have the place well-secured, they can’t keep an eye on it twenty-four seven since there are a lot of other crimes to solve. So, I don’t know why he told me this, but I thought that, that would be a job for us you know. The more criminals we put behind bars the better. At least, for me, because if I may be honest, I’m quite scared to walk on the streets at night. It’s a crazy world you know.”
“I do not care about your fears, keep them for yourself next time and don’t bother me with them. But to answer your question as to why he’s giving you this information is that, unlike you, your so-called friend can put two and two together. Think about it, if you can. When he called earlier and mindlessly told you about the warehouse and the criminals that were in it, the same night those criminals got arrested. So, it isn’t hard to figure out that you are in contact with us. Hence why he is calling you since just like you, again, he is probably obsessed by our next great hero and he wants to see him in action.”
“You know, you could have just told me the reason without the rest,” Henry replies.
“Well, anyway, we should go after this thief,” Roy says.
“No, Roy, you need to visit your sister and train afterward. And the time in between you will use to recover. Now is not the time to catch thieves. Your priorities should lie elsewhere at the moment. Don’t forget, we still have a deluded and insane psychopath to deal with later on as well.”
“I know that I really do, but at the same time, heroes don’t catch a break just because there is a bigger villain out there. Heroes fight against crime no matter what the situation is and right now, we need to catch a thief before he steals even more art.”
“He’s right, I’m on your side, Roy, always!” Henry replies.
“Here we go again,” Julian sighs. “Alright, how about this. You go to see your sister with Melodramatic Soul while I stay here to plan this out, okay? But before you answer, know that after we catch this thief, that we will focus on training only, is that understood?” Roy nods and with a smile, he looks at Henry and they give each other a fist bump. “Alright, now go, and don’t ever do that again in front of me.”
“Dude, you really have some serious issues. I bet you don’t even know what the word fun means,” Henry says.
Julian then gives Henry an angry and serious stare and Henry then quickly walks out while Roy is following him. “See you soon, Mr. Herrick,” Roy says.
“That is fine and be sure that if anything happens that you call me immediately.”
“Will do!”
Earlier, with a lot of grunting out of pain, Toogaan comes running into the hotel while leaving a trail of blood behind him! People outside of the hotel are looking with shocked expressions on their faces and the woman behind the front desk immediately runs over to him and tries to help him, but Toogaan pushes her away and runs up the stairs to his suite. In his suite, he starts searching for something everywhere, even in the fault that is behind the painting. He breaks the furniture, rips open the couches and chairs, rips out the drawers in the kitchen, but he doesn’t seem to find what he’s looking for. With an incredibly angry expression on his face, he goes over to the phone while being wobbly on his feet, and calls Einar. “Toogaan? To what do I owe the honor?”
“Where is it?! Where is the blood?!”
“The blood from Icariptus? I… it should be in the vault.”
“It isn’t! It’s nowhere! I looked everywhere! If I don’t consume it then my recovery is going to take ages!”
“What happened then? Is everything alright?”
“What happened is irrelevant! I need the blood and you better tell me where it is before I will rip your spine out and brush my teeth with it!”
“I… I have no idea… oh no!”
“What?!”
“Lexi must have taken it! I knew she couldn’t be trusted!”
“Are you telling me that you gave something as valuable as Icariptus blood to a woman you didn’t even trust?! That is a mistake that can cost you, Einar, you better believe that!”
“I know, I… I promise that I will get Icariptus blood to you as soon as possible, I swear. Please, although I do not deserve it, please forgive me for my stupid mistake.”
“Forgiveness is something you need to earn, Einar, and if you don’t deliver within ten hours, I will come for your head!” Toogaan replies, as he then crumbles the phone into pieces with his hand!
At the front desk, the phone rings and the woman picks the phone up. “Mary, what the hell happened?!” Einar asks.
“Mr. Einar, I… I have no idea. All I know is that he came running in here with many cuts in his skin and not only that, he left a trail of blood behind. But don’t worry, the janitors are already cleaning it up.”
“Good, good, but tell me, did anyone see him run into the hotel?”
“Yes, Mr. Einar, in fact, a lot of people are still standing outside with their phone in their hands.”
“Dammit! Oh no, this is going to be ugly. Mary, when the police show up, and they will, try to stall them as long as possible so that Toogaan can make his way out, is that understood?”
“But of course, Mr. Einar, would you like me to warn him?”
“No! No, sorry, but do not disturb him right now. No matter what happens, do not disturb him.”
“Okay, okay, I won’t, Mr. Einar.”
“Good, Mary. Ah, before I forget, someone is going to make a delivery very soon, make sure that whatever is in the package makes it to Toogaan safely, is that understood?”
“But of course, Mr. Einar. I will make sure that Toogaan will get his package.”
“Good, you’re doing great, Mary, I’m proud of you,” Einar says, as he then hangs up.
Mary then puts the phone away and as she slightly blushes; a bright smile appears on her face.
Back in the present, Roy and Henry walk into the hospital but are immediately put to a hold by a police officer. “Sorry, guys, but after what went down here yesterday, I have to search both of you.” Roy and Henry both nod and spread their arms while the police officer searches them. “Alright, gentlemen, you’re good to go. My apologies for the holdup.”
“No problem, I understand why this has to happen. But can I ask something?” Roy asks.
“But of course.”
“I saw on the news that a man walked in here with swords, has the police already arrested him or?”
“I’m not allowed to speak about it, but all I can say is that we will make sure that, that person will not harm anyone anymore.”
“I understand. Well, thank you and have a nice evening,” Roy says.
“You too.”
Roy and Henry then walk into the elevator and as the elevator doors close, Roy sighs, “I don’t know why but my heart is pretty much pounding out of my chest right now.”
“Dude, you almost got murdered here yesterday, of course, you’re going to feel weird. I mean, even I feel weird. And to be honest, if your sister wouldn’t be lying here then I wouldn’t even have come back to this place. I feel like I have to look over my shoulder all the time now and that Toogaan can jump out of a random room at any moment.”
Roy chuckles and says, “I know, right? But, man, yesterday was… crazy. But it did wake me up and showed me that being a hero isn’t always going to be a good time. To think about the fact that I could have died yesterday is… I don’t know… it’s insa
ne. I mean, I know that this is what I want but at the same time, what happened yesterday really scared the living hell out of me.”
“Please don’t tell me that you want to give up on being a hero.”
“No, of course not. But… I don’t know, it’s just scary you know.”
“Oh, trust me, I know. I even peed a little yesterday when I looked Toogaan in his eyes. That man… his eyes… it’s like he has no soul at all.”
“I know, but then again, it’s better to have no soul than to have a melodramatic one.”
“Oh, very funny, you know, you should spend less time with Mr. Herrick. You’re already turning into him.”
Roy laughs and says, “I’m just kidding, trust me, you’re the best friend I’ve ever had, and I really appreciate you helping me and sticking by my side. And of course, for saving my life.”
“But of course, I’m Melodramatic Soul, your sidekick, helping you out is what I do, and what I’m supposed to do. Especially if I ever want to be on the news as well. Which would be totally awesome. Man, I can already see it, Melodramatic soul, the fearless sidekick, and a complete badass.”
The elevator then reaches the third floor and Roy says, “One day, Melodramatic Soul, one day.” He then walks out and as Henry follows him, he says, “Oh, you bet!” They then walk into the room in which Nathalie and Tom are lying. Nathalie and Tom are both in shock when they see that Roy’s face is bruised up, even more, this time and they want to know everything that happened yesterday. Roy proceeds to explain Nathalie and Tom, what happened and explains Tom about the powers he possesses. After Roy explained everything, Tom asks, “So, why does this maniac wants you and your mentor death?”
“He sees them as parasites, crazy, right?” Henry replies.
“Parasites? Why?” Nathalie asks.
“We don’t even know why, our best guess is that he’s just deluded,” Roy replies.
“Oh my God, so, why don’t you just run away? I mean, you said it yourself that he killed the ones who came before Mr. Herrick already. I can’t lose you, Roy, I can’t even bear the thought of you being murdered by the hands of that maniac.”
“Don’t worry, I have a good team behind me and I’m one hundred percent convinced that we can stop Toogaan. But I promise you that I will be careful.”
Right at that moment, Henry’s phone goes off and as he takes a look at it, he says, “It’s Mr. Herrick. How does he know my number?”
“He knows everything, trust me,” Roy replies with a smile.
Henry then gets up and as he walks into the hallway, he answers the phone.
“And here I thought that heroes with powers like yourself only existed in movies,” Tom says.
“Oh, trust me, I’m still not used to having these powers. It’s just so weird but I can’t lie that it’s nice as well.”
“Yes, but you’re not immortal, don’t forget that,” Nathalie says.
“I know, I know.”
Then Henry comes back into the room and says, “Roy, Mr. Herrick says that we have to go back to your apartment. Apparently, the thief is going to strike tonight. At least, the chances are high that he is going to.”
“Thief? What thief?” Nathalie asks.
As Roy gets up and gives Nathalie a kiss on her cheek, he replies, “We’re trying to catch an art thief, it’s a long story. Anyway, don’t worry about me and try to relax, alright?”
“Sure, but be careful, okay?”
“I will be, don’t worry.”
“Good luck, guys, go out and catch that thief,” Tom says.
Henry nods and Roy replies, “We will trust me.” Roy and Henry then walk out of the room and Nathalie takes a deep breath. With a smile, Tom looks at her and grabs her hand. “Hey, if it’s one thing I know about your brother is that he’s a lot stronger than most people I know. He’s been through a lot and yet, he always managed to pull through. So, don’t worry, he’s in good hands. Especially after I will train him. And most importantly, the kid got powers now, a simple thief won’t stand a chance against him, believe me.”
“I know, but he’s still my little brother and I don’t want him to get hurt. I’ve always been the one that took care of him and protected him and it’s just… I don’t know. Yes, he may have special powers now but still, he isn’t immortal and I’m just afraid that if in the future his identity will be revealed that more people like Toogaan will come after him out of jealousy and fear. And the last thing I want to think about is seeing my own little brother getting buried.”
“I completely understand that, but something in me says that he’s going to be fine and I honestly believe that he is going to be a great hero. Hell, they may even name an arena after him in the future or something.”
Nathalie smiles and replies, “Can you imagine that? That would be quite insane. But then again, my little brother having powers is already crazy in itself.”
“Oh, I know, but I always knew that he was special in some kind of way. I mean, we both know that he was destined for greater things than drinking whiskey on his couch all day.”
“Yes, that is so true.”
About twenty minutes later, Roy and Henry enter Roy’s apartment and Julian, who is seated on the couch with a newspaper, gives them a serious stare and says, “It is about time.”
“Sorry, it took a bit longer than expected,” Roy replies, as he and Henry take a seat on the couch as well.
“How are your sister and Tom doing?”
“They are still recovering but besides that, they’re doing pretty well. Anyway, is the thief going to strike tonight?”
“Yeah, but before we get into that, I would like to know how you got my number.”
“I’m so glad you joined us as well, Melodramatic Soul,” Julian sighs. “And how I got your number? Well, let’s just say that I know a lot more than anyone you have ever known.”
“What… what does that even mean?”
“That is irrelevant, Melodramatic Soul, we got a more important matter to focus on right now. And speaking of the more important matter at hand, yes, I believe the thief is going to strike tonight. The reason for that is that there is an auction tonight at the museum. They are selling a painting, which is estimated at roughly a hundred and fifty million dollars, created by a famous Dutch artist called Jan Ruiter.”
“A hundred and fifty million?! That is insane! Imagine having all that money. Jeez, I definitely know what I would do with it,” Henry says.
“Yeah, that’s insane. But I don’t think a thief is going to steal a painting that is being displayed in front of many people.”
“That’s the thing, it’s not going to be displayed the whole night. In fact, the painting isn’t going to be displayed at all. It’s going to be heavily guarded, probably, somewhere in the museum where the visitors are not allowed to come. And on top of that, I can only imagine that it’s going to be in a vault. But since our thief is quite clever, I think he is going to try to steal it. Risky, yes, but I’ve done some research and our thief is definitely an adrenaline junky. He often sets off the alarm, after he took what he came for just so he can escape the security guards. So, that should tell you enough.”
“Wow, that’s crazy. But does he also use lethal force or? Because I think that those security guards might be armed.”
“He doesn’t shy away from using lethal force, but he has also never killed someone. He only heavily wounded some security guards.”
“So, what’s the plan?” Henry asks.
“Finally, a relevant and important question. I’m proud of you, Melodramatic Soul.”
“You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you?”
“Alright, alright,” Roy laughs. “So, I assume you have already come up with a plan?”
“I have indeed, so, listen carefully since we cannot afford to make a mistake again. Especially not at a mission of this caliber.” Julian then starts to explain to them the entire plan on how they are going to catch the art thief.
Later th
at night, the valets are busy parking all the exotic and luxurious cars from the billionaires that enter the museum. Amongst them, is Julian and Henry, who are both wearing a well-fitted tuxedo. As they show the armed security guards their tickets and then walk past them into the museum, Henry says, “I… I don’t think that this is such a smart idea.”
“May I ask why, Melodramatic Soul?” Julian replies, as he smiles at the other people.
“Well, I… I know I’m Roy’s sidekick, but I thought that I was going to be the type of sidekick that stays behind somewhere safe and helps from a distance.”
“You have shown to be more than capable of being in the field, Melodramatic Soul, now man up and smile like you are a millionaire.” Julian then presses with his finger on his earpiece and continues, “Do you copy, Roy?”
Roy, who is standing outside of the museum, at the back, grabs the walkie-talkie out of his pocket and replies, “Yeah, I’m already in position.”
“Good to know. Make sure that no one sees you and wait for me to tell you when you can enter, is that understood?”
“Sure, but I do have one question.”
“And what may that be?”
“Well, what if I encounter a security guard while I make my way in? What do I do then?”
“The same thing you got to do when our thief decides to attack you.”
“But… I can’t just use the stun gun on them. They are just doing their jobs.”
“And so are we, Roy. If they will be getting in our way of completing our mission, then you have no other choice but to use it. Remember, we have a thief to catch and just for your information, a stun gun is not lethal. Yes, they may wake up with a headache afterward but that’s about it. At least the painting won’t be stolen.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
“Alright, stay focused and I will contact you again when it’s time for you to move in.”
“You know, I feel like you would take pleasure out of seeing Roy stun those guards,” Henry says.
“And why you think so horrible of me? What I have done to deserve that, Melodramatic Soul?”
“Well, actually—”
The Hero Without A Cool Name Page 11