Gacha Gacha Hero

“I couldn't help but notice that we are not walking back to the marketplace." Said Eins.

“I have one little thing that I need to take care of. It will be real quick.” Tasha tugged on her cloche. She carried Eins in her arms as they walked down the street.

“Are we going back to your crime guild?” asked Eins.

“It's a legitimate guild. But no. But yes. But only for a moment. But not because I want to.” said Tasha.

“Huh?” Eins wiggled its ears.

“I'm only going to the meeting so I can tell them I'm not going to any more meetings. I'm not joining the heist. I'm only staying in town until my carriage is fixed.”

“What if we see that handsome man in the revealing shirt again?”

“We won't. He hates getting out of bed early in the morning.” said Tasha.

Eins nodded sagely.

#

*Knock*Knock*

Meeker opened the door to his apartment. “There you are. Come in, hurry, be quiet, take your shoes off.”

Tasha stepped inside the entryway. “Listen I’m not staying long I just wanted to say… why are there so many teacups in your apartment?”

Tasha looked around the room. Teacups, kettles, saucers covered every flat surface.

“Don’t worry about it. Also what is that?” Meeker pointed down.

Eins was in Tasha’s arms.

Tasha pursed her lips. “Mascot?”

“It’s not going to bark is it? I told you to be quiet.”

“No. He’s very well behaved.”

“Fine. Whatever. Get inside. I have more crew members coming.” Meeker shooed her away from the door.

“But I’m not-”

“Tasha! There you are.” Nick poked his head around the corner. “I was hoping that you would show up.”

“Nick, it's nice to see you too.” Tasha shuffled towards the living room.

Nick held up a piece of paper. “Can you help me? I’m trying to fill out my specializations and I kind of, don’t have… many.” The young boy blushed.

“I was… alright. What have you got?”

Tasha followed Nick into the living room. There was a table in the center of the room with a few stools placed around it in a circle. The Peach Basket Bandit was already sitting on one. A gruff man with thick arms wearing a breton hat was leaning back on another. Teacups decorated the entirety of this room as well.

Nick sat down at the table and pulled a pencil out from behind his ear. He started tapping the pencil on the paper in his hand. “So I still don’t really have a specialization yet. I was thinking about bunko booking, but that requires seed money. Then I remembered that you were a lockpick and I thought, that sounds cool, but I don’t have any tools. That was when he suggested intimidation tactics.” Nick pointed across the table at the Breton Bully.

The Breton Bully put one of his legs up on an empty stool. He had wide shoulders, a wide neck, and a wide jaw. His muscles were corded like hemp rope and visible beneath his tight striped shirt. A sleeve tattoo of colorful interlocking fish and birds ran up his left arm.

“That’s right. Intimidation’s ah man’s game. Hard work, but rewarding. You don’t need to sneak around in the night. When the Guards see you coming, they run the other way.” he grinned.

“I see.” Nick scribbled down notes on his page.

The Breton Bully cracked his knuckles. “Intimidation’s ah ripe field my boy. You can always scare ah mark out of their bloomers. After all, what's the harm? Everyone can always summon more if they really need to. Intimidations ah great field for travel too. You can put ah little fear into someone no matter the time or place. Second story work can only be done in ah larger town, with bigger houses, like here, or maybe the Capital.”

“Uh huh.” Tasha sat down at the table.

“Something to say fancy fingers?” The Breton Bully raised an eyebrow.

Tasha shrugged. “No nothing. Intimidation is certainly an option.”

The larger man *Sniffed* “It’s true. Not everyone has the stomach for it. Some people are just too delicate. They don’t have the natural stamina.” He looked down at Eins. “They like to talk big. But their bark is worse than their bite. And a dog can’t stand up to a wolf.”

Eins wiggled its ears in anger.

Tasha cleared her throat. She patted Eins on the head. “Intimidation never gets you what you want. Only what your mark has on them at that moment. So your hands always wind up covered in pocket lint.”

The Breton Bully straightened up at the table. “People respect the work that I do.”

“Fear isn’t the same as respect. Even a dog knows that.” said Tasha.

Eins wiggled its nose at the bully.

Nick was hunched down at the edge of the table. His eyes were wide. He nervously turned to the Peach Basket Bandit. “So, anyway, what is that you specialize in?” he asked her.

The Peach Basket Bandit sucked her teeth. “I specialize in infiltration. It’s a dangerous field, maybe not your thing little boy. But a cute one like yourself could probably play the pillow games.” She looked Nick up and down.

Nick readied his pencil. “The pillow games? What’s that?”

Tasha threw an arm in front of Nick. “Nick I-”

“Alright everyone, quiet down.” Meeker strode into the living room. We’re here to go over the plan.

Meeker seated himself at the table in the living room. A woman wearing a deerstalker hat followed him in from the front and sat down beside him.

Meeker tipped his panama to the others at the table. “Justice and Nescience.”

“Justice and Nescience.” The others at the table said back.

“Now let’s get down to business. I have a lot of other meetings today. I’m going to be handing out assignments.” He looked over at Nick. “So make sure that you have your work experience and certifications filled out.”

Nick *Gulped*.

Meeker continued. “Our target is the Ocean’s Bounty. I’ve been working on this heist for over a year.”

“That’s a long time.” The Peach Basket Bandit chewed a fingernail.

“The Ocean’s Bounty is one of the wealthiest and most heavily guarded Gambling Halls in the Four Kingdoms. A plan like this requires cunning. I had to find the perfect moment. *Dramatic Pause* And I have.”

Meeker spread a large roll of paper on the table. The paper displayed a detailed floor plan of the Ocean’s Bounty.

“In ten days the Ocean’s Bounty will host the largest banner event in the world.”

“The Hundred Aught Hundred Ought?” Nick asked.

Meeker nodded. “That’s the one. One hundred participants, each trying to summon the most spectacular novelties you can imagine. And the last one standing walks away with one hundred prizes.”

“Excuse me-” Tasha said.

“Five rounds of elimination over three days. Hundreds of prizes summoned in the main event and the satellite events.”

“Pardon the interruption but-” Tasha held up a hand.

“That means that all of those prizes have to be stashed away. And they will be. Inside this…”

“Meeker, I wanted to say-”

Meeker unrolled a new sheet of paper on the table. He had to push aside several teapots. An elaborate blueprint of a vault was drawn on it.

“It's one of the most complicated security systems in the entire kingdom.” Meeker said.

Tasha went quiet. She leaned over the table until she was almost perpendicular with the drawing. Her eyes were filled with intense concentration.

“Sorry. Did you want to say something?” asked Meeker.

“How many tumblers?” Tasha said.

“At least seven. But that’s only on the primary lock.”

“Redundant locks and combinations, very nice…” Tasha’s eyes daringly darted over the detailed diagram.

“While everyone else is upstairs watching the final round, we will be downstairs stealing all of the other summoned prizes. This will be the greatest heist the Kingdom has ever seen.” Meeker’s eyes sparkled.

“And nobody’s going to notice us walking out with armfuls of loot?” The Peach Basket Bandit asked.

Meeker waved a hand dismissively. “The hall will be full of tourists. Security will be stretched thin. And I have a plan. You will be divided into teams…” Meeker rambled.

Tasha studied the plans. Eins *Whined* as the dog was crushed between Tasha and the table.

Tasha hopped back. “Ah, sorry Eins.”

“Wow! This sure is impressive. I can’t wait to be a part of this heist. What about you Tasha?” said Nick.

“Huh? Oh yeah, it’s great. But…” Tasha tapped her nails on the table. “I’m not going to be a part of it.”

“You’re not?”

“No. As interesting as it is, I already have too many distractions.”

*Knock*Knock*

Everyone looked over at the door.

Tasha looked at Nick. “Is your mentor coming today?”

“No. He said he doesn’t like getting up early.”

The front door opened.

“Hello everyone! Tell me how much all of you have missed me.” Jonathan Reference said as he paraded into the room.