Partners In Crime (Klance/Shidge)

Chapter 3 • Runaway

"From now on, you are a Phantom Thieve hostage. Do you know what that means?" the buff man before Katie inquired, dark brow raised as his deep, coal-colored eyes stared unblinkingly at her. She felt a chill travel slowly down her spin.

She gave him a half-smile, trying her best not to look directly at him. She was level-headed, smart, and confident, but the situation made the young lady lose her personality for a few minutes. She regained her composure and met Shiro's eyes sharply. "Of course I do not! Why would I bother learning such things? It is not like I have been previously shamelessly abducted before," Katie sneered, making sure her facial expression was intimidating and mean.

However, the strong facade she threw up was easily demolished by the other. "It means that you are our property. It also means you are stuck with us for the future. Any last words as a free woman?" the older of the pair informed haughtily, smirking down at her in victory.

At this, Katie refused to back down. "I do, actually. You cannot revoke my liberty. I am in control of myself. You can never make me bow down to you or the Phantom Thieves. I refuse to ever sink so low!" she spat hastily, crossing her arms and immediately looking elsewhere. To add an extra bop to her threat, she harshly stomped on his feet.

Shiro revered in pain, large hands reaching down to comfort his foot. Between his teeth, the man hissed, "We will see about that!" Then Katie was off, ready to explore the machine's engineering a bit. However that plan was stopped by an older man — probably middle aged — with orange hair and a large mustache.

"I do not think so, young miss. You do not hold a free card in this crew. You are to be kept under great supervision, which will be me. Where you go, I go. Understand?" the elder said, the last word sounding harsher than the rest yet somehow keeping a pleasant, friendlier tone than Shiro's way of speech. Still, Katie did not take well to the thought of having this guy lurking behind her every step she took.

With a glare, she fumed out, "I do not need a babysitter. I am fifteen!" The old guy did not respond and instead slapped some strange device on her wrist. The cold metal hit her skin, in contrast to the warm blue line that stripped the device. "What the hell is this!?" she retorted, trying her best to remove the device.

The mustache guy only gave her a welcoming smile. "We call it a schicksalskette, but you may call a tracker cuff," he answered, smiling expectantly down at her. This guy gave her the chills.

The young teen snorted. "Doom chain does not sound anything like a tracker cuff," Katie mumbled to herself.

To her surprise, the guy perked up and gleamed heartedly. "You are as smart as they say, young miss. You are very familiar with different languages, I see," the orange-haired man with wrinkles complemented, still offering a smile. Does this person ever stop smiling?

"Coran, don't scare the gal! Your constant smile is creepy," a voice shouted, but the owner of it did not seem to exist. Well, until the pilot turned around to look at them. Remind you, the blue guy who was piloting took his eyes off of his surroundings.

Coran — the mustache man — only scoffed. "Lance, you are not aware of anything. Children like people who are kind to them and offer tons of smiles. It is in no way offensive or frightening!" At his words, Katie only proceeded to become more exasperated.

She scowled deeply at Coran. "I will have you know that blue guy, or Lance or whatever, is quite correct, good sir! You are coming off as rather creepy! And, you, so-called pilot, drive with your eyes ahead of you! You are about to hit something!" The smart teen lectured, pointing demandingly at each male when she addressed them.

Lance only gave a chuckle. "How amusing. I am called the tailor because of how I thread the-," the boy informed as he slowly turned around only to realize the truth in her statement and screamed as he narrow dodge an obstruction. Katie cocked her head and crossed her arms. She was already beyond those of this guild.

Lance let out a rough breath and continued, "...N-needle."

Katie sighed at his foolish actions and pushed her glasses further up her nose, as they has begun to shift down with his highly reckless piloting. "I honestly doubt that. Either your hearing is diminishing with old age, or you are actually the worst pilot of your guild and only got to train because a person with actual talent flunked out."

Lance huffed and slumped in his seat while the one in red — Keith, Katie believed, turned towards her with a light smirk. "Careful, guys. We've got a cerebral on our hands."

Maybe this gang wasn't all bad after all.

Suddenly, the only woman Katie had seen thus far in their group rushed into the control centre of the Blue Lion. "Lance! There is a tracker on us!"

Lance groaned. "Again? Really, what is their issue?"

"Who is 'they'?" Katie asked Allura quizzically.

Shiro approached the main controls, scowling heavily at his crew. "After everyone discovered who we are, they dare attack us while we are down?" he spat, gripping onto the pilot's chair as Lance pulled a swerve. "Allura, Keith, locate the tracker, diffuse it, and see if it is actually their technology. Lance, go off course in the meantime and sound the alarm. Coran, Katie, you are with me. I will require your intelligence."

Confused, the young teen could only follow along, leaving the cockpit. They passed fretting members of the thieves guild, each trying to complete some accustomed task. Katie followed Coran and Shiro deeper into the mechanic lion until they reached the mainframe.

"Can you infuse an intricate function that can help us in this situation. Something to help us abscond from them without any other complications?" the buff leader questioned, brow raised. Katie offered a cocky smile.

She looked him in the eyes and said, "How does cloaking sound? I may also be able to make it where this baby can defuse trackers, bombs, and other attachable mechanics for the future."

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Another chapter brought to you by your authors, spaceaholic & ThatOneServant !!! Love you guys~~