Siren of the Shadows - Part 3

Tier Reward for EB18

~

The Shrouded Spectre stood in the dimly lit confines of his clocktower hideaway, the rhythmic ticking of the grand gears providing a steady, almost meditative backdrop to his thoughts. The room was filled with a labyrinth of papers, maps, and photographs pinned haphazardly to the walls. At the centre of it all was a large oak desk, cluttered with files and sketches, the focal point of his meticulous investigations over the past few weeks.

He leaned a gloved hand against the desk, his fingers tracing the edge of a photograph pinned to the wall—a blurry shot of a woman in a sleek, dark outfit, mid-leap across rooftops under the cover of night. The Fox Burglar; a name he had come up with himself thanks to her mysterious fox mask. She was more than just a thief; she was an enigma, her motives a puzzle that gnawed at The Spectre's mind.

He always had justice on his mind, so when this woman started flagrantly breaking the law of course he made it his mission to stop her. But as his investigations continued he found himself near becoming obsessed. Criminals were petty, he knew their minds inside and out after years of study but the Fox was something new and it fascinated him to a degree even he was alarmed by. 

Her targets varied wildly, from priceless jewels to seemingly worthless historical trinkets. It was this inconsistency that intrigued him the most. A master thief would logically go for the most valuable items, yet she often risked as much for a dusty, old relic as for a glittering diamond. The Spectre tapped a finger on his chin, his mind sifting through possibilities. There had to be some keystone he was yet to uncover, some clue that would make all the facts slip into place. 

He turned away from the desk, pacing slowly to the large window overlooking the city. From this vantage point, he could see the sprawling metropolis, its myriad lights twinkling like stars in the earthbound sky. Somewhere out there, The Fox was planning her next heist. He needed to anticipate her moves, but to do that, he had to understand her. He tried to ignore the way his heart pounded in his chest with a mixture of nerves and excitement; he knew the Fox was a master of seduction, the few who had caught her admitted as much...after some interrogation. 

What he needed to do was anticipate her new job; but with her seemingly random love of both the expensive and mundane that was hard. He was yet to meet her in person, having only caught glimpses of her on security camera footage, there wasn't much to go on though, she always disabled the cameras after a few seconds, so he had less than thirty seconds all up despite multiple locations. 

She moved with a grace that was almost inhuman, each step calculated, every action purposeful. He had to admit, there was a certain admiration he held for her skill and audacity. Yet, it was tinged with frustration. She was a criminal, after all, and it was his duty to stop her. 

The Spectre sighed, rubbing his temples. He needed to think like her, to get inside her head. What drove her to steal those trinkets? Sentimentality? A hidden agenda? He returned to his desk, pulling out a fresh sheet of paper. He began jotting down notes, listing the items she had stolen, their histories, their previous owners. Maybe there was a clue in the provenance of the items. As the list grew, so did his determination. He would catch her, not just because it was his duty, but because he needed to solve the riddle she represented. He refused to be defeated by some sultry minx!

~

The gala was in full swing; a soiree for the city's elite to rub elbows and show off. Some high society investment banker had hired out the entire museum for the event just for his wife’s masquerade birthday. It was as if they were begging me to rob them; not only would all the attendees be decked out to the nines trying to one up each other with bigger and better trinkets; but the museum itself was full of little treasures that could use a more appreciative home. Not to mention, everybody would be in masks for the occasion, it was a perfect storm. 

I’d been experimenting with my mask's powers more and more of late and discovered that if I concentrated, I could subtly change the clothes my new form wore. I was still a woman with a head of fiery hair but I could change that sleek body suit to something more stylish, like an evening gown. 

The fox mask shifted to be polished white porcelain, painted with little red details at the edge and together with my outfit we had no problem mixing in with the crowd. Flirting my way in without an invitation was laughably easy, the security guard only required a quick kiss and a feel before he let me in. He probably wanted more but once I was inside he was hardly going to follow me and risk causing a scene for his employer. 

I walked at a leisurely pace, taking in all the exhibits with the other patrons, champagne glass in hand. Slowly picking my targets for later tonight when everybody was just that little bit drunker than they intended to be. 

“What a lovely idea for a party!” One woman said politely. 

“Oh yes,” I gushed, “The birthday girl certainly has style.”

I chatted effortlessly, my natural charisma doing half the work. Half the time all I needed to do was smile and nod to come off as mysterious and sophisticated. 

“Have you heard about this new cat burglar?” One man said in hushed tones. “Stole Mrs Bedford’s black pearl necklace just last night!”

“That would explain her bare neck.” Said another snootily. “Clearly trying to get sympathy and goad people into asking.”

I sipped at my drink to hide a smile; Mrs Bedford’s security had been easy to dismantle and her husband was surprisingly good in bed. Not that she would know; he’d never admit he had been home when I pinched those pearls. I should have worn them tonight, now that would have been daring. 

“I hear they are calling her the Fox Burglar.”

“Fox?”

“Yes, she wears a mask with fox ears on it!”

“How intriguing.”

“Do you think the Shrouded Spectre will catch her?”

“I think it’s just a rumour.” I cut in. “Rich people not wanting to admit they lost some baubles, or wanting to claim on insurance.”

“You think?” One woman gasped, scandalised. I could see a cunning look in her eye; something told me she would be reporting the Fox Burglar stole something from her tonight whether I actually did or not. 

The mention of the Shrouded Spectre put me on edge though; we were yet to meet but I was sure he was tracking me. Rumor says that he works with the police, others say he’s a lone agent. Regardless, he was real and I needed to keep my distance until I knew what I was working with. Hopefully, The Shrouded Spectre was little more than some comic book loser who took things a little too far LARPing; not an actual threat. 

I spent the next few hours flirting, taking mental note of every person who I wanted to target as well as several museum artefacts. It was ambitious of me I admit, I’d never tried to steal from more than one mark at a time, and never a museum but all these prizes gathered together in one place was far too tempting to pass up. 

I loved the way the silk of my dress felt as it brushed against my legs. I was so used to having my skin covered by the body suit, unless I was working of course; it was nice to feel so free. And to have so many admiring eyes upon me. My outfit was simple and chic; I saw both jealous and lustful glares and drank them both up. 

My ass swayed gently as I sashayed through the crowd, my breasts rising and falling with each deep breath I took and the gentle slope of my shoulders catching the light. I stood out only in the sense that I had no other adornments, save my mask. No gold or jewels decorated my throat and ears; in this crowd I felt almost naked. That wouldn’t be a problem much longer though. 

The moon was high and I decided it was time to stop window shopping; I would start easy and slow and zeroed in on a young, single bachelor with a pair of diamond cufflinks. It was all I could do to stop from laughing; this was going to be like taking candy from a baby. 

“Good evening.” I said smoothly, sidling up to him against a wall. “What’s a handsome fella like you doing all alone? I thought the single ladies swarmed to your type at these events.”

He rolled his eyes and shrugged, never taking his eyes off his drink. The brooding type then. 

“I don’t much care for them myself, I only came because my friend begged me.” I lied, “Now she’s disappeared with some guy, leaving me to find my own fun.”

The man in question slid an eye toward me, one that darted down to my exposed cleavage for just a moment before returning to my masked face. 

“What sort of fun are you after?”

God, this really was just too easy.

“The kind that involves more private areas of the museum.” I replied huskily, slowly slipping my hand into his and giving it a squeeze. We headed for the arched doorway that led into the next room. 

It was full of smaller displays focusing on natural history; butterflies, shells, rare uncut rocks. They didn’t have nearly the draw the great paintings and statues did back in the main chamber; so we found ourselves alone. A hand wound its way around my waist, fingers resting just above the curve of my ass as the man smiled down at me.

“I hope you’re not looking for some sudden romance, I’m not a one woman sort of man.”

“Oh I hoped as much, in fact, it would work well for me if you pretended you never saw me at all.” 

His eyes lit up, probably imagining me as some cheating spouse and the risk made things all the sexier. Before the blood had a chance to flow back to his head I leaned in and parted my lips around his, moaning for emphasis until he melted against me. 

I pulled him close, enjoying the slight roughness of his face against my lips and allowing myself a few moments of enjoyment before mentally switching gears. My arms ran up his sides then gripped his shoulders before slowly slipping down his arms. From his point of view, I probably looked like I was slowly losing myself in the pleasure of our make out session. When in fact, I had my eyes on the prize. 

With two small flicks of the wrist, the cuff links were loose and I quickly changed our positions, flipping my back to him as I braced myself against one of the display cases and presented my ass for him. All the while slipping the cuff links into my cleavage. They were hard and slightly uncomfortable, but it would have to do until I could get my utility belt back. 

I planned on skipping out to find a new target with a few whispered words but then I felt the hands grip my hips. What the hell, I had time. I let his hand push aside my dress and shivered as he pulled the silk panties down away from my pussy. I braced my hand on the display case and admired the little tools and arrowheads with desire as he slowly pushed into me. 

I’d gotten over any squeamishness when it came to being fucked by other men while in this body. Not only did it feel too good to deny myself, but it usually made them like warm putty in my hands. More so than usual. I groaned as loud as I dared, squeezing him tight inside me and enjoying the way his fingers tightened at my hips. He thought he was in control but he was anything but, it was cute really. 

“Come on then.” I teased with a little wiggle. “Show me a good time.”

With a grunt he began to thrust, starting slow before building up to a full on jack hammer. He had all the endurance and speed a young man could want and I let my eyes roll up in delight as the pleasure built. Every few thrusts I squeezed him tight between my inner walls and enjoyed the groan it elicited. A thief was supposed to blend in and be forgettable but I couldn't help myself. I always wanted my targets to remember the redhead who robbed them and the pleasure she left as payment. 

Speaking of pleasure, mine was starting to reach its zenith. I moaned, letting my breath fog the glass as I shuddered and came around him, tightening until he couldn’t hold back any longer. I pushed back, forcing him to cum down his own leg rather than inside me; I giggled looking at his mortified face.

“Why did you do that?” He cried looking at the stain slowly seeping into his pants without anything to wipe it away.

“A girl has to be careful.” I smirked, pulling my panties back into place and adjusting my dress and mask. “Thanks for showing me a good time, big boy.”

I walked off, enjoying the afterglow still burning in my pussy and the feel of those diamond cufflinks still nestled between my breasts. It was time to start pinching more than just pretty baubles. 

On my way back through the main area I grabbed a few more trinkets for luck, a bracelet here, a ring there. Nothing too big. My cleavage could only store so much. I was about to head to a quieter, more abandoned area of the museum to change back to my utility belt when something caught my eye. A pendant in a display case, marked with a fox. It was carved from black onyx stone and matched my new thief persona perfectly. I had to have it. 

I waited for a moment when the crowd thinned out near the display, then made my move. With a practised hand, I formed the glove of my body suit over my palm, metal claws at the ready. I pressed it against the glass, testing that I truly had disabled the system and smiled; nothing. I slowly cut a hole big enough to slide inside to grab the pendant when all of a sudden a high-pitched wail blared from the speakers sending the room into chaos. Damn, there must have been some delayed back up! 

My heart skipped a beat, but I forced myself to stay calm. Quickly I withdrew my hand, meaning to hide the glove but unfortunately the display lit as security lights turned on and the room quickly turned to catch me, literally, red handed. 

“She’s stealing something!”

“Wait, that mask? Could it be?”

I couldn’t help it, I smirked. So what if I had been caught, nobody knew the real me. Nobody suspected that I was really a man transformed by the power of the mask; so why not make this more fun? I took a dramatic and low bow, changing my outfit back to my skin tight bodysuit and utility belt, making sure to drop the earrings out of my cleavage before it disappeared. 

“You’ve been wonderful hosts, but I think it's time I go!”

The universe seemed to have a unique sense of humour because the moment the alarms stopped there was a crash of thunder and lightning lit up the room, projecting a silhouette against the floor. Everybody, including myself, looked up to see the silhouette of a man in a billowing trench coat standing in an open panel of the skylight. 

He moved with the precision of a predator, his face hidden behind a mask showing only the bottom half of his jaw as he repelled down on a thin rope.  I turned on my heel and glided into the crowd, aiming for the nearest exit. 

“Stop, in the name of justice!” his voice cut through the noise, commanding and unyielding.

I didn’t look back, even as I was forced to cartwheel and roll across the floor to avoid the caltrops he threw my way. I slipped through a side door into a service corridor, my heels clicking against the polished floor. I could hear him behind me, relentless. I needed to get out of the building. I crept down the corridor, every sense heightened. I reached a back exit and pushed through, emerging into a narrow alleyway.

But as I turned to run, a shadow detached itself from the wall ahead of me. Shrouded Spectre stepped into the dim light, blocking my path. More silver caltrops glinted on his belt. 

“You’re not getting away this time,” he said, his voice low and dangerous. “This crime spree is over, a lady as becoming as you should never have taken to such a life.”

Was this guy for real? I looked him up and down, despite the cheesy lines, I couldn’t underestimate him. He was a full head taller than me and built like a bodybuilder. His own costume was heavily armoured and the bulky belt probably held more than just caltrops. If this came down to a hand to hand fight, I might have the speed and flexibility advantage, but his pure strength would counter it easily. I needed another approach, luckily, I had one. 

“Becoming?” I raised an eyebrow and straightened myself, standing with one arm under my breasts to lift them slightly. “You think I am becoming?”

“You are clearly a woman with great beauty and skill, to have seduced your way past the guard.” He said without a hint of temptation. “But not quite so skilled that he didn't give you up.”

“Hm, well, I will be sure to give him extra attention next time.” I cooed, “Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

With a flick of my wrist, I tossed a small smoke bomb at his feet. It erupted in a cloud of thick, dark smoke, obscuring everything. I darted to the side, using the confusion to scale a nearby fire escape. I moved quickly, the adrenaline giving me an extra burst of speed as I climbed to the rooftops. From my vantage point, I looked down and saw him emerge from the smoke, scanning the area before looking up and spotting me. I blew him a kiss and made to run only to hear a puff of pressurised air as a grappling hook appeared at my side.

“Uh oh.”

I turned and started running across the rooftops, a head start was my only chance. Or so I thought. Suddenly strong arms were around me and we were tumbling to the ground. We rolled over and over until we came to a stop near the edge of a rooftop; strong arms pinning me down and his legs either side of my waist. A lesser thief would have been nervous, maybe even intimidated, but not me. This position put me in a more powerful position than he realised. 

“Your foul deeds are at an end.”

“Oh, my deeds are hardly foul.” I cooed sweetly, covering my nerves with more confidence.

“I think it’s time to unmask you, cur.” 

“Go ahead, big boy, I have been very naughty.” I replied huskily. 

The voice had the desired effect, I couldn’t feel anything through his armour but I was sure his body reacted, even if just fleetingly. One arm let go to raise a hand to my face and remove the mask but that was my chance. I reached up and pulled his head in close, kissing him hard and passionately. The Spectre went rigid in shock and his grip relaxed enough for me to roll and slip out of his grasp. 

I wasn't going to risk getting caught again; a quick dip into my utility belt produced another smoke pellet and soon I was obscured in the gloom. I ran across rooftops, ducking down into an alleyway and quickly removing the mask. My womanly curves suctioned away and my clothes returned to normal, save the utility belt,  just in time for me to tuck the mask safely into my shirt as the Spectre appeared overhead, peering into the gloom for a moment before moving on; probably assuming I was some drunk taking a leak. 

I smirked; my heart was still pounding, that was so close. I’d never had a more thrilling experience. Even back in my normal body I could still feel the heat of his body seeping through that armour and into my body. I could feel his solid build pinning me down and it made me blush. A strange part of me knew, despite how risky it was, that I was looking forward to our next confrontation.