If stars could ✔

one

IF ONLY THE STARS COULD SEE, they'd know that he didn't like doing it. He didn't like putting on the mask that hid his identity or the gloves that protected his fingerprints.

But this was the life that he had born into; this was the life the stars had fated for him. This was all he could do.

So he did just that as he donned his black leather jacket and arranged his dyed blonde hair that made his brown skin, look more brown. Behind the cat mask, a pair of dark eyes stared back at him, swirling clouds of emotions so visibly evident in them.

"Take positions." In the dark of the night, a voice broke the silence and he straightened himself. He nodded as if the person was in front of him. He glanced at his reflection, standing in an empty apartment, two floors above the apartment that they were going to rob. He took a deep breath, and then walked to the large window of the apartment. It overlooked the entire city and if he looked at the sky, he could see the stars, twinkling, giving the feeling that they were watching but they couldn't see.

He produced a small drill from his pouch, it was customised in such a way that it didn't make any noise, as he slowly with hands of a man that was experienced, removed the bolts from the window.

The glass panel leaned towards him, as he started removing the second to the last bolt. He couldn't making any noise, and that's why he had placed multiple sleeping bags underneath the window so that it would land softly. Wind rushed in and out of the empty apartment, whistling, as if to draw attention to him. The panel landed with a soft thud and he looked at it for a lingering second.

He stepped on the frame of the window, and attached a hook on it. Then he tied a thin wire around his waist, and around his torso, and took a deep breath. Winds slapped him on his face, repeatedly, asking him to wake up. He ignored them as he jumped, the thin wire supporting him like a trusted friend, he reeled himself to the floor below him. He didn't mind the darkness or the height, these two had been his allies for a long time.

He swung away trying to look if there was anybody near the window. It was dark, but he needed to make out any silhouette. He waited, patiently to track any movements. There was none, so he reeled himself down, until he was parallel to the window of the apartment they were breaking into.

He produced another drill from his pouch, small, yet effective. Drilling glass made sound but he would have to risk that. He wore protective goggles over his mask as he went about drilling a hole that he could slide his slender body into. His team would be able to hear the sound and be on the lookout. He could not risk looking anywhere, time was money, and he needed the damn money!

He let the glass fall on the floor of the apartment. He swung himself sideways camouflaging against the building wall, and waited to see if that had attracted any attention. He stayed like that for exact five minutes, when he heard nothing, he supported himself on the frame of the window. Using his strong arms, he pulled himself up and placed his head through the hole. Then, he pushed his left hand inside to grab onto a nearest object that he could use to pull himself. There was nothing around except for the drapes, so he wrapped them around him arm, and pulled himself.

After a lot of effort, he fell on the apartment floor with a loud thud. Glass pieces cut his face a bit, but he stood up.

"I am inside." He said.

"You took your time." A voice spoke to him.

You do it then, he wanted to say but he didn't. He ignored the little jibe as he walked around the apartment. He knew where the safe was, he could ignore them altogether, and open the safe and be gone. He wouldn't need to do another job like this for a long time. The temptation was tangible.

But he ignored it too as he switched off the burglar system that the owners had placed. He tested the system, as he rotated the handle of the door to the apartment. When no alarm set off, he produced his knife and unlocked the door from the inside.

He opened the door for the three men outside. They wore similar clothes like him, and has masks over their face. One of them had a large backpack which he placed on the floor near his feet. He ignored the three of them, his job was done. He unzipped the backpack and rummaged through it, to take out his pile of clothes wrapped around with yellow tape.

He undressed without any hesitation to more civilian clothes fit for the neighbourhood. He couldn't walk out of the apartment wearing black clothes.

Once he was done wearing clothes considered to be proper. He took out a small bag from the backpack. This is where he will keep his share of the job.

He sat on the chair waiting for them to crack open the safe. They had practiced on a similar safe before and had timed themselves: ten minutes.

It was not good but they were not here to set records. No; they were here to do their job.

They were out of the room before the clock struck, grinning and sweating. They threw some diamond necklace, a wad of cash, and few more jewelleries at him. He took them and placed it in his bag carefully. He zipped the bag and hung it around his body. He waited for him team to dress up.

They would leave in pairs so that they do not grab attention. He was assigned Joe, their new recruit and the guy who could not stop talking.

He had been given the smallest portion of the share because he was still learning. Joe was a kid and he was not particularly fond of him. But Joe was also scared of him, so that helped.

"Come." He said once Joe was ready and had kept his share in the bag.

Joe nodded, grinning, as he grabbed his suitcase and walked towards the entrance. They peered out in the corridor to see if anyone would see them walking out of an apartment that was supposed to uninhabited.

Seeing no one, both of them walked to the end of the corridor. They pressed the button to summon the elevator and waited.

The elevator door opened and the security guard of the building stood inside.

Joe didn't glance at him as he stepped inside.

"Going down?" The guard asked.

"Yeah." Joe said.

"Never seen you before."

Joe didn't reply so he had to explain. He ran his hand through his blonde hair.

"We don't live here. We came to bid our aunt goodbye." He lied. He could hear Joe breathing heavily beside him and wondered if the guard could too.

"You're going somewhere?" The guard pointedly looked at their bags.

"Business trip. Out of town." He replied.

The elevator stopped at one of the floor, and Joe nervous stepped outside. It was the wrong floor and the guard noticed that. But that wouldn't have been too bad if the guard hadn't noticed something else. A wad of cash spilling out of the kid's suit pocket. Stupid kid had taken more than he deserved.

"Stop." The guard said as took out his gun.

Joe looked at him, apologetic, and he reacted in split second. He rammed the guard to his side with his full body and slipped out of the elevator just as the door was sliding shut. He yelled at the kid to take the Fire Exit and did the same. The kid literally flew down the stairs but he was not so lucky.

The guard must have figured out. He must have called for backup. Heart protesting against his rib, he did his best to climb down the stairs. He could hear the guard stomping down behind, and this break of concentration made him trip.

He tumbled down flights of stairs and lay sprawled on the ground. Blonde hair seeping in red, spine positioned oddly.

Height hadn't killed him, stairs had.