It Happened One Heist

The Hero

Maggie was apprehended by two people in black suits, one a man and the other a woman. Neither of them had badges or uniforms identifying them as museum security, which Maggie found suspicious.

After the woman confiscated the Diamond Snare from her, she was brought to the manager's office where they proceeded to tie her to a wooden chair. Maggie remembered to keep her muscles tense as they were binding her.

The two goons stood vigilant at her sides and Maggie, while tempted to point out how unorthodox and unlawful this was, she figured they were waiting for their superior. She wanted to find out who it was.

The office door opened.

Before her stood a man in a dark coat and a matching wide-rimmed hat, tilted so that his face was obscured. He lifted his chin in a dramatic fashion and Maggie recognized the masked face of the notorious villain Night Terror.

He was of relatively small stature; Maggie had maybe about three inches over him when she wasn't in heels. His current getup was no different from their days as villainous accomplices. He mostly favored muted purples and his trench coat was frayed at the ends from foes stepping on it. He appeared to have gotten his hair cut since Maggie last saw him. His dirty blonde hair was now only about jaw-length and no longer tied back.

Maggie laughed upon recognizing her ex-husband, looking so smarmy as he stood on one foot and leaning against his wooden staff. He had grown a small mustache since she last saw him.

"Oh, no! It's the Dread Pirate Roberts!" she mocked.

"Ho ho ho!" Night Terror laughed back. "Look who's got a smart mouth on her now."

"Well, I was the only real smart one in the lair. Our hired goons notwithstanding, of course." Maggie glanced at the suited agents. "Speaking of which, I see that your choice of company has become more... law-abiding?"

"Yes, yes," Night Terror nodded as he shifted his weight back on his two feet. He paced about the room as he continued. "A lot has happened in the last few years." He paused and shot a knowing glance at Maggie. "After someone told the authorities about the location of our secret lair..."

Maggie smiled in response. She had no regrets about what she did.

"So, what? You out on good behavior?" she queried as she lifted an eyebrow. "Is this your community service? Because last I checked, it's standard do-gooder protocol to turn a scoundrel such as myself over to the authorities." She raised her fists enough to make the ropes around her wrists squeak. "I mean, really, Jeremy. If you wanted to engage in a little bondage play, you had your chance over five years ago!"

Night Terror looked flustered as the female goon struggled to keep from laughing.

Meanwhile the other goon looked concerned. "Uh, should we leave? Do you two need to talk this out?"

"No, stick around!" Maggie insisted. "You might learn something. Namely, how to not fail in marriage!" She tossed an accusing glower at Night Terror.

"Oh, I failed?!" the masked vigilante objected. "You just up and left me! As soon as I'm in jail you saddled me with divorce papers!"

"You signed them, didn't you?" Maggie reminded.

"Well, yeah," Night Terror reluctantly admitted. "But only because I wanted you and your little flying rats out of my hair for good!"

Maggie's nostrils flared. How dare he bring up her babies...

"There's an order to these things, you know," he continued. "The criminal mastermind can't keep getting henpecked by a mere lab assistant!"

"'Lab assistant?'" Maggie echoed. "Excuse me, buster! I did all the work in the lab! You wouldn't have your 'striking fear in the hearts of men' schtick if it weren't for me! Also, making suggestions hardly constitutes as 'henpecking'."