Manticore Was A Painting? II

The agents waited until dark to commence the operation and to Giorgio's credit, it may very well have been the easiest one ever... until it wasn't.

Sure, he and Lucia managed to sneak into the museum with ease.

Sure they were able to render the cameras useless and effortlessly take out both security guards, yep there were only two patrolling the entire museum while one was checking the cameras.Speaking of the one in the camera room, the two agents had killed the communication lines, blocked the phone signals and killed the alarm, so he couldn't call for help once he sensed something was amiss and was promptly dispatched as soon as he left that room.

That was pretty much all this place had in terms of security. It was quite sad, almost disappointing as far as our two agents were concerned. Of course in their line of work, boring meant good. Lucia carefully removed the miniature from the wall. They then proceeded to leave the building, hop into the nearby getaway car drive away.

"What-a did I tell you?" Giorgio boasted while driving.

Little did they know that a tiny device had been embedded in the frame. A device that would send a signal to the closest branch of the Brandy Police Force if the painting ever left the museum in any vehicle not belonging to the wealthy enthusiast. The same police force whose tactical unit was now in hot pursuit of their car.

"What-a kind-a response time is this?!" Giorgio screeched, pushing down on the accelerator with all his might, "All-a we did was-a steal an old pic-ture,"

Lucia berated him,

" 'In and out without issue', you said. 'This'll-a be a kakevalk, you said!"

"I say a lot of things-a! Like, ‘Make-a yourself useful!’,"

"Vhat do you vant me to do, shoot at them?"

"Get-a rid of the painting,"

"Vhat?!"

"If we're caught, we can't be seen with that thing-a. I'm-a going to turn into those woods up ahead-a. Look for an opening-a and use that great aim of yours to toss it into some trees. That glass should protect it-a,"

She sighed, "Alright,"

Giorgio drove past Nicky's pizza and made a sharp left turn into the woods across the road. Having found their opening in the chase, Lucia stuck a small tracker to the back of the miniature and prepared to throw the miniature into some trees,

"Keep-a the kar steady!"

"Understo-Oh crap-a!"

A police car came out of nowhere, forcing Giorgio to swerve out of the way. The painting left Lucia's hand and flew towards the lake,

"No no NOOOO!" She screamed as it fell into the water and disappeared, right before Giorgio drove the car into a tree.

"Dammit!" He cursed, desperately trying to start the car and hitting the steering wheel, which caused the airbag to deploy and knock him out.

"Are you kidding meh, right-a now?!" Lucia screamed in frustration, "Kould this situation get any vorse?"

"We have you surrounded!" Screamed a police officer, "Come out with your hands up,"

"Me and-a my big mouth," She muttered. She grabbed Giorgio and pulled out some smoke bombs, tossed them out of the windows of the car, concealing her escape as she dragged Giorgio along with her.

The painting floated back to the surface of the lake for a while, until water found its way inside through a tiny crack in the glass. The water filled the frame and caused the painting to sink and the glass to crack even further.

In a couple of hours, 800 years of preservation was undone and the painting was destroyed, except for its subject matter. The lines, shapes and colours that made up Kāma's image became a full three-dimensional form. A living being that was free to move and interact with the world around. A living creature that was currently drowning and had to summon every ounce of strength she had left to swim herself to the surface and take her first breath in centuries.

A creature whose first sight was a young man with dark skin and big bushy hair, staring at her in wide-eyed terror and the rest, as they say, is history. Now, let's get back to the present our not-so-dynamic duo to see if they're still at each other's throats.Giorgio and Lucia turned away from each other.

"Whatever, we better get that thing-a before it eats-a that kid," Giorgio said, "What was he even doing out here, anyway?"

"Probably taking-a shortkut home," Lucia surmised, "Poor guy was just-a unlucky,"

"Well, he can-a join the club,"

"How are we going to explain this to headquartars?" Lucia asked,

"Easy. We won't,"

"Are you krazy?"

"No, I'm experienced," He explained as they began their long walk to their truck, "These things happen from time to time-a. So long as we get it done, they don't-a care,"

"But you pramised them an-a easy mission," She pointed out.

He waved her off, "I promise a lot of things-a, like watering your plants before we left,"

"You didn't-a water my plants?!"

"Calm down-a, I left them outside. It was rainy back home, so they'll get-a plenty of-"

"YOU PUT THEM OUTSIDE?!"

He walked noticeably faster, continuing his point, "The point is, we just need to capture the-"

"No. No. No. You are not valking away from this!" She yelled chasing after him, "I told you they're-a not supposed to receive direkt sunlight. I swear if they're dead-a-"

Their long walk to their truck was made shorter, and louder. So loud that Kama, even as she got further away, could still hear them.

"What is it with humans and screaming all the time?" She muttered, "I can't believe I owe those two fools my freedom. They had better not become a problem for me,"

Sokoro started to snore and shift on her back. She slowed to a and tilted from side to side to 

keep him steady.

"And you had better be grateful," She quietly warned him, "I'll be expecting another pizza in the morning,"