A dark figure watched the museum's security guard make his round from atop a nearby oak tree. As the guard walked out of sight, the figure leaped down from the perch and darted towards the museum's ten story east wing. His black boots made no noise as his dark clothing allowed him to melt into the shadows of the night. His form later surfaced under one of the museum's floodlights, next to the main circuit breaker. His long black coat was worn over his 6'5'' lean frame, obscuring a large brown satchel over his left shoulder. The enormous collar of his coat and a black hat concealed his hair and face. He put his right black gloved hand over the circuit breaker. The electricity flowed out of the box and into his body. Such a pity, he thought, people have become a little too dependent on electricity.

He heard footsteps approaching his position as he drained the last of the electricity.

"Time to go," he said to himself. The figure melted back into the shadows and fled the scene as a security guard ran up to the circuit breaker. The figure glided along the walls to the museum's entrance. The guard had left the doors wide open in his haste. Stupid fool, he reprimanded. He continued inside and as he walked deeper and deeper into the building, the darker it grew until it was pitch black. He could venture no further without light. He emerged from the darkness holding a ball of light in his hand to reveal his path to a room at the end of a hallway somewhere on the third floor. He froze as soon as he stepped into the doorway.

The thief gaped at the enormous ruby inside a glass case. The magnificent gem radiated a deep red color of fresh blood in the orb's light. It wasn't Kage's idea to steal the ruby in the first place - it was his brother's. He didn't know why Kenji, his brother, would even bother with it. His older brother was interested in old and rare artifacts or cash, but never jewelry, though now he understood. This wasn't any ordinary ruby. It was roughly the size of an ostrich egg - and still growing. It had been found by an archaeologist in the hands of an unfortunate thief who was buried alive under a construction site a while back. Apparently the thief hid the ruby in the wall of the foundation and tried to dig it out before construction workers began pouring in cement.

What this thief is doing is not exactly what it seems. He isn't stealing out of greed or desire. He was stealing for a rather noble cause, although it doesn't necessarily mean that his actions were justified. Kage would steal certain items he was instructed to - no more and no less. Kenji would then put word out onto the street and sell the items to the highest bidder. The money the two obtained this way was donated to various organizations and people.

Kage walked up to the glass case - the last barrier between him and the ruby. Simple enough, he sighed. Kage focused his attention at the middle of the glass - envisioning a hole - some sort of opening in the glass. He willed his thoughts into reality. He reached his hand out to the glass. Slowly at first, but surely, the glass parted beneath his hand - granting him access to the ruby. He took the ruby from its mount and placed it in his satchel. Kage waved his hand over the glass and the hole was no longer there, as if it were never made.

So far so good, he thought, patting his satchel. He strolled out of the museum rather carelessly. A few more feet and I'll be home free.

"FREEZE!" the security guard yelled, gun drawn. Kage mentally slapped his forehead. He turned around, paused a moment to look at the gun and will it out of existence, and looked back to the security guard.

"Why?" He asked nonchalantly.

"I'm holding a gun."

"What gun?" Kage asked, genuinely confused.

"The gun in my-" the guard began, realizing that he didn't have a gun. "Where did it go?" Kage had wasted no time fleeing the scene of his crime while the guard was distracted.

"Stop!" the guard shouted in hot pursuit. Why do they always say that? Kage pondered. A criminal never stops because someone ordered them to. Unfortunately, he began to slow down for some odd reason. He felt as if he was carrying a lead weight, which wasn't likely. The only thing he was carrying was the ruby, which weighed only a pound or two. He wasn't out of shape either. This twenty-six-year-old neurologist had an athletic build with short red hair and striking silver - yes, silver, not gray - eyes that many women have swooned over. So why was he running as fast as he could and getting no where?

Kage could hear the guard's audible footsteps catching up to him. I can't let him catch me, Kage thought desperately, think, Kage, think. I know.

Kage stopped running and spun around. The guard, uncertain about what to do, also stopped. The two were some distance from the museum now, standing under a streetlight. The guard didn't appear too happy about the situation. Kage had to grin; this guy had no idea what he'd gotten himself into. He pointed to their current source of light. The guard looked up to see what was so special when Kage let loose a stream of electricity from his earlier absorption. It mingled itself with the electricity in the streetlight, manipulating each other to form an electrical cage around the guard.

"I'd advise you not to touch it, unless you want to be fried to a crisp," Kage said, his back to the guard. "But don't worry. This will disappear as soon as they turn the lights off."