It Happened One Heist

The Divorcé

Monty stomped on Night Terror's foot, making him let out a stifled squeal while he dashed away. The Dowager Della was only slightly distracted from the show, but thought nothing of it as she assumed it didn't concern her.

Monty had made some distance between him and Night Terror. He leaned against the wall as he turned on his earpiece.

"Margaret!" he panted. "My position has been compromised! I need you to continue in my place!"

"Roger that," Maggie calmly replied.

Monty retrieved the decoy gourd and tucked it among the branches of a plastic potted tree beside him. "Make a stop at the plant on your way there!"

"Will do!"

As she politely made her way towards the aisle, she glanced up at the stage where the two leads were getting into an argument, breaking character in their play-within-a-play.

Dang. Just when it was getting interesting...

Night Terror was catching up with Monty in spite of the injured foot. Monty dashed down into the lobby, where a few gossipy patrons were chatting over drinks at the bar and the theater staff were keeping an eye on things.

He loathed the notion of fighting in front of these people, so he eyed the restrooms where there were small windows leading to the side alley.

He made it halfway across the lobby when Night Terror stopped at the stairs' landing and slung a bolas across the room, tying Monty's ankles together and making him trip.

The patrons and staff members cried out in fear. The server at the bar was in the middle of mixing a martini when she ducked with wide eyes.

"Worry not, good citizens!" declared Night Terror. From behind an ornate arch he retrieved a wooden staff about his own height. "Vacate the area and I shall deal with this ruffian henceforth!"

The patrons and staff dashed out for their safety as Monty retrieved a bo shuriken from his sleeve and made quick work of the ropes around his ankles

"Just what do you think this is?" Monty questioned as he returned to his feet. "Some kind of show?"

"So, it is you..." Night Terror accused, his eyes narrowing as he assumed a fighting stance. "Maggie's new little ninja squeeze..."

"I beg your pardon!" Monty was flustered, briefly worried that his castle had a spy infestation.

"That sneak who made off with those artifacts in Middleton!"

"Ah, yes." Monty assumed his own fighting stance and the two men circled each other. "And you're her ex-husband. Needless to say she's spoken so much about you, none in a favorable way I must say. Just how did you find out I was going to be here?"

"Honestly, I didn't." Night Terror made a lunge for Monty's stomach but he promptly stepped aside. "I just figured dear old Della's money would be worth a lot to any n'er do well, so I bought her the tickets to see what happened." He grinned. "Lucky me. I caught me a ninja."

"Wait, so you set her up?"

"I prefer to think of it as 'baiting the snare.'" He took some hard swings with his staff, all of which Monty dodged within an inch. "At least now I can get even! You destroyed my chances at my Hero For Hire business!" Night Terror shouted. "Thanks to you no one will commission me!"

"I hardly see how that's my fault," Monty replied, bending backwards as another swing missed him. He flipped back on top of the bar, giving himself the higher ground. "Have you thought that maybe you were charging too much? Or perhaps switch to volunteer heroism?" He threw his shuriken and Night Terror shrieked as he leaped out of the way, barely avoiding an unwanted foot-piercing. "You'll get letters of recommendation that way."