~TOWICL~ Phantom Thief Returns

Chapter 24: Second Sign of Trouble, An Assault

The way he spoke that was mimicking her voice. It replaced the seriousness in the atmosphere and it got him to her nerves. Riku stopped to cool down her boiling blood. But when she turned her head to him, he's not there. He's already by the cashier, lifting groceries from the cart to the table. She ran towards him, shouting. "HEY WAIT!"

"You're so slow," he didn't even look at her. "This way, you couldn't go back there to slack off some more."

"Why you..." she muttered and paid her bill.

One of the staffs approached them and helped them with their packages to the package counter near the entrance of the grocery store. Dark sensed the presence of Fukuda and saw him across the other side, inside the coffee shop. He hurriedly claimed the previous packages and combined them with the new ones.

Riku noticed that something was bothering him. She shook his arm and asked, "What's the matter? What's the rush for?"

"He's here," he said without looking at her.

"What? Who?"

Dark didn't answer her as he motioned to the clerk and asked him, "Do you take deliveries?"

"Yes sir," he replied, "We deliver for free. A truck is being filled downstairs and those deliveries will be done tonight."

Dark nodded.

"If you want sir," the clerk continued, "we can deliver your packages, just write your address, your name and your package number at this paper and put this number on your packages and we'll take care of them."

"Thanks," said Dark as he placed the package number on their packages. "We'll be expecting that tonight."

"Roger," said the clerk

"Hey! You didn't answer my question!" Said Riku as she continued shaking Dark's arm more harshly this time.

Dark turned to face her and she stopped. He bent down and rested his palm on her shoulder. Her heart stopped when his face neared hers and a blush crossed her cheeks. Riku sighed as his face went passed hers and he whispered to her ear, "Your stalker is after you again. Be quiet and we'll escape this place in no time."

He stood backwards and patted her shoulder. Riku nodded with a serious look on her face as Dark grabbed her hand. They bolted off and started running towards the nearest exit.

Kai saw them through the glass wall of the coffee shop, where both of his hands are pasted. He alerted his boss, "Your target is running away from you and she's with the same guy."

Fukuda took one last sip of his coffee and set it down on the table, "He must really be persistent, eh? Trying me is not a good idea." He said with glinted eyes and eyebrows met.

"Let's go boss before we lose them," said Kai with his eyes full of perseverance as he stood up.

Fukuda slammed his palm with paper bills on the table as he stood up, and his sudden movement caught the attention of other customers.

"Thanks for the service," Fukuda acknowledge the waitress. "The bill is right here."

She gave him a quick nod and with that, two took off. They went running after the couple, which they lost in the chase. They were stuck in the crowd as Dark and Riku exited the mall. As soon as Fukuda and Kai got through the crowd, they headed to the exit, only to find Dark, preparing to take off. He had Riku carried on a bridal style with her arms wrapped securely around his neck. They were in the hidden behind a tree, but Fukuda noticed them with Dark's wing spread apart. Kai didn't look surprised at all.

Assuming that his calculations were exact, Fukuda performed a spell. He meditated as light surrounded his body. He chanted an incantation with his hair swaying, his eyes closed and his hands levelled to his face, intertwined with both indexes up. Light continued to surround his body as a magic circle was formed on the ground beneath him.

Dark sensed his power stronger and turned his head to see him. Riku froze at her place, while the other teen doesn't look surprised at all. Before the final blast, the couple took off, and no one noticed them, just as no one else noticed Fukuda in his state.

The moment Fukuda opened his eyes, a huge wave of light spread on the floor, coming from a magic circle. It struck once and the orange head dodge it. All people within the perimeter who failed to dodge it froze. The spell only took effect on any living object that touches the ground that moment.

Fukuda exhausted himself with that blow and Kai went behind the tree to check on their target, he found no one and his spirit lightened up in some way. When he saw Fukuda losing his balance, he ran to catch him, yelling, "BOSS! HANG IN THERE!"

Kai caught Fukuda before he fell on the ground and sadly told him, "They escaped."

Fukuda sighed, and everything turned back to normal. Everyone continued their business as if nothing happened, and were totally unaware of it. "Looks like there's nothing I can do when he's around."

"He can't be with her all the time, and when he's not around..." Kai assured him.

"...that's when we should attack." They said in unison. They looked at each other with smile and marvelled at their perfect plan.

(A/n: I didn't create Fukuda Kohei, he is a character from another DN Angel Fanfiction. Plot may start to be more interesting from this point, depends on how you view it. Stay tuned. Comments are appreciated, especially positive ones. Hope you enjoy my story J )

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