"It's been a while since I've seen someone so foolish." Jovial as he was normally, it was clear to the gray rose that this man was not accustomed to being talked down to.
"I should really send these books to the Ytterbium prince." Third prince of Claire de Lune had occupied the desk of the meat. Whatever the fat man name was, who looked spiffy in his dark suit and tie, I found it not to matter. There was no question that when I was done, something would be happily fed.
My personal care, and desire to give concern was steadily dropping as the days passed. How many times does someone have to threaten, beat, destroy, maim ect… before they stop doing something stupid, and start doing what I tell them to? At this rate, there might not be a criminal enterprise left anywhere by the time I track Lady Harmony down.
"Oh wow, this is high quality stuff. The mark up is high, but since there's no taxes it appears to still be worth doing." Having lost it after he was ignored by third prince, his two compatriots behind him moved to remove us. They didn't seem to know that the second prince was a percussion expert. Sharp brown eyes relaxed and he sighed when the two-set foot on the hidden triggers that they placed when they broke in initially.
"Such music for my ears…sharp crystals of sound…a joy that could not be found…in my heart to be near."
"Not bad Your highness" Clapping lightly and sarcastically at the prince's impromptu poem. Fire magic like that was designed to propagate through the air by generating a quick flash of heat. So, a small flash near the ground and a loud bang, left two pairs of legs dangling from the ceiling. There was a slight ring in the air, and a clearly shocked gangster in front of them.
"Well since that's out of the way, let me be frank. My sister was here." Second prince looked at the person in front of him like trash, which was fitting because enough of the documents here had confirmed he was high order trash.
"Don't bother there's at least five more of them, several lethal as well." I cut off the gangster before he could call out for help. The office was mostly sound proofed, so no one was close enough to hear the explosion, much less the cries for help.
"You think that I'll-" Whatever he had to say became as I threw one of the crappy vases from the room at his forehead. The pottery made a spectacular bounce between his eyes before shattering on the floor.
"The next words you say will be about my sister and where she is now. If not, Sir Xavier here is going to throw heavier and heavier objects at you until you talk or die…whatever comes first." There was nothing but dismissive hatred in his voice.
With the vase thrown, I reached against the wall and ripped the picture frame down. It wasn't heavier but I didn't have to many steps before this man was the heaviest thing in the room.
"That was a seven-copper painting, you know." Flicking the frame like a frisbee, he managed to put his arms up.
"Let's do that small table there next, good sir." The prince directed me to grab the small table that was next to a potted palm.
Orders were orders, I would have gone with the fake plant since the end table is less wieldy.
"I will not stand; the brethren will not stand! I belong to the Steelchese family-" Despite his smarting arms and insolent demeanor, he still cowered when I let the table fly. I dropped him to his knees with the solid wood.
"Let's pause and get the man a drink, his throat must be dry since he keeps speaking of things other than where my sister is." It took a few paces to get to the man on his hands and knees on the floor. Hefting him up by his sleeves and collar, I used way more strengthening magic than I should have otherwise. What a porker.
"This is cheap scotch…really cheep scotch. Well, it's all we have…" I threw him on the couch and took the glass from the prince.
"Perhaps we were unreasonable, he is of the Steeplechase family after all." Indignant at calling his impressive crime family name, pig slammed back the drink in one go.
"If you wish to talk business the time for that has passed, your days are numbered." Coldly, I wondered if we should of started with something more pointy.
"That lovely davenport, Sir Xavier."
I picked up the sofa, person and all, spilled him onto the table and floor after a meaty thump when his head collided. I held the couch over the man as he looked up at me from his back.
"Princess Harmony was here; her magic is on that ugly leather that my esteemed associate is holding. So, if you can afford to wage war against the entire kingdom of Claire de Lune, please continue being obstinate."
Crime families weren't weak enterprises; however, a large part of their success was that they worked within the system. When a very powerful noble or agency ignored the system, or in this case, became the complete enemy of the public, it was a completely different ball game. That was enough to que this bottom feeder in that these were not trifle individuals.
"Wait, wait!" I paused keeping the couch suspended in midair. "We can talk, we can talk."
"Opps." I said as I let go of the furniture. Since I was holding it over our squalling piggy, gravity decide to help them get closer.
"You seem to be dropping things more often in recent times."
"You drop a guy of the roof one time and one lousy couch and never hear the end of it." I responded to the second prince's quip. A loud moan and groan came from the floor.
"Well let's get this over with and get a move on it."
Things had not been that simple. We didn't really break the man so there need to be some gentle prodding. His desk had been a nice tool to administer that. We were able to narrow down who and what they were doing, as well as a name.
Having the name was a problem. Before I could put a name to the face, I didn't have anything to go by. In absent it was easier to focus on just tracking down her highness. Now it was Louis. Louis and Harmony. Louis and Harmony…I slammed my fist into the wall.
They could be buying matching couples items at this moment with their names on it!
"We know where they are now so let's make haste." The second prince was as egger to get on the move as I was. We left the shattered office, dropping off some key evidence pieces in the mail. Once it reached the metals investigation teams, they should be able to move on a large chunk of the enterprise.
Grateful that the prince didn't ask me to kill the crime boss, I found this method much more tasteful. It's not that I was above killing or ending others' lives, I just didn't want to if I didn't need to. That was why if someone ran, I let them. If I could reasonably control the situation without blood, I did that instead of butchering people left and right.
At the end of each day, I was still responsible for my choices, and when I laid down to sleep, I didn't want to waste time with pointless regrets and slaughters.
Still scum was scum and roughing those bastards up was normally fair game. Punishment was still punishment, I tried to line things up with the law where I could.
"I think your going to need to sit this one out your highness." Trixie and Bay, trotted rather than galloped, given the distance we had to cover. We had left Quicksilver behind, traveling along Quarry River approaching the capital. Despite the damage we did no one pursued us, it seemed that after the fact the group realized that they needed an army to deal with me.
"If you think for a second that I'm going to sit back while that thing has my sister…" He didn't finish but his intent was clear.
"I wouldn't either, the problem is this isn't Bagatelle. If we mess up, we can be detained, prince or not."
"Then we shouldn't mess up." He growled, I cursed siscon of a brother.
"We won't, the point is if we come in bust up the museum and a few guards, even if we recover Lady Harmony, we could still be imprisoned here."
"Do you think I would let a mere princedom stop me?"
"Do you think you can stop me?" It had been several months since I had last had a need to beat the prince into the ground. Being number one of the girls who had every family member wrapped around her finger made life so peaceful in a way.
"You wouldn't dare, you know how I feel."
"If you truly wish to help your sister, the best option is to get us freedom to operate in the city. Ill stake the museum out since it's unlikely they will steel things during the day. If we can get the reigning prince to go along with us, it will much more likely to find her as well, its not like we are going to a small city after all."
"I suppose your right. Don't think I'm doing this lightly, it's just because it's the best for my sweet, cute sister."
"Well than, lets hurry, Ytterbium awaits." I said spurning Trixie on.