The Pink Heist

Fiction fiction JC Milan 0 Comments

The city of Lumina was not an easy place to stand out. Neon lights cast eerie glows on skyscrapers of holographic sheen, and the streets bustled with people wearing augmented reality masks that shaded their faces in animated coyness. But then, amid the blur of colors and virtual noise, there she was—a vision in pink on the steps of the iconic Marble Scepter Theater.

Jayna Bliss wasn’t just anyone. She was a phantom in cyber fashion circles, a legend whispered about in the corners of underground networks. Her outfit—a soft pastel pink cut-out dress edged with faux fur trim and embellished with a luminous sheen—was a silent announcement that she was the main feature in tonight’s spectacle. On her head, a pair of fluffy pink ears crowned her presence, a whimsical but somehow powerful statement. But Jayna wasn’t here to model. She was here for a heist.

The Setup

The Marble Scepter Theater was hosting an exclusive gala for the unveiling of the ChronoSphere, a time-warping device said to have the power to temporarily pause the flow of reality. The corporate attendees were oblivious to the significance of the technology. To them, it was just another token of high-tech opulence.

Jayna was hired to ensure it didn’t stay in the corporation’s hands for long. Her employers—a shadowy faction known only as “The Verge”—had a simple mandate: nobody should wield anything capable of altering time. But retrieving the device meant navigating through some of the most aggressive cyber-security and physical barricades modern society could conjure. No problem. For Jayna, every heist was a performance, and tonight’s opening act was her entrance. The dress? A distraction. The ears? A signature.

The Intrusion

Jayna slowly descended the marble staircase, her dress catching the light in waves of pink and silver. Onlookers stopped and stared, their curiosity the perfect cover for her accomplice, Riven, who blended into the crowd as a server. Dressed in an unassuming black uniform, Riven glided past the guests, carrying a silver tray laden with an array of glowing champagne glasses. Beneath the tray lay an inconspicuous black box—a device far more advanced than even Lumina’s elite could fathom.

“You’re dazzling.” Riven’s voice crackled into her concealed earpiece.

Jayna barely moved her lips as she replied. “Focus, Riven. You’ve got thirty seconds to plant the disruptor.”

“Yeah, yeah. But seriously, those ears? You’re killing it,” Riven joked, though his voice betrayed the faintest hint of tension. He moved swiftly, placing a glass on each table. As he leaned close to the centerpiece of the room—a glowing pedestal where the ChronoSphere shimmered like a captured star—he slipped the disruptor underneath the base. The device hummed faintly, syncing with Jayna’s neural interface.

The Twist

Everything was going smoothly—until it wasn’t. A ripple of static passed through the air, subtle at first, then growing louder. Jayna froze mid-step, her fingers brushing the staircase railing. Neon lights flickered erratically, and the holographic menu hovering near the bar began displaying distorted text. Somehow, the building’s security AI had caught wind of the hack.

“Riven, extraction protocol now!” Jayna hissed as security drones descended from the ceiling, their metallic carapaces gleaming ominously.

“Not so fast,” a voice interrupted. From across the room, a figure stepped forward—a man in a silver suit that matched the shimmer of Jayna’s dress. His hair, platinum and slicked back, framed eyes that glowed an artificial blue. “Jayna Bliss. The Verge’s infamous phantom. Did you really think we wouldn’t anticipate this?”

The Finale

Riven acted first. A loud pop filled the air as smoke burst from concealed vents in the floor, enveloping the room in pink and gold clouds. Jayna leapt into action, her dress flaring dramatically as she sprinted toward the ChronoSphere. Security drones fired harmless stun darts, whizzing past her ear. Isaac shouted something, but the roar of chaos drowned him out.

Reaching the pedestal, she yanked the ChronoSphere free and slipped it into a hidden pocket in her glove-like sleeve. “Riven, window now!” she shouted.

A gust of wind buffeted the room as a side wall disassembled—revealing Riven piloting a neon-lit hover vehicle. Jayna spun on her heel and launched herself into the air. Her dress caught the wind, giving her the appearance of a cosmic bird as she landed gracefully in the open vehicle.

Drones pursued them, their flashing lights illuminating the darkness of Lumina’s night. But Riven navigated the labyrinthine streets like an artist painting on a canvas, and soon enough, they lost their pursuers. In the quiet of a hidden alley, the two finally breathed.

“We got it,” Jayna said, collapsing into the seat. She pulled the ChronoSphere from her sleeve and marveled at its beauty. A small smile tugged at her lips. “Not bad for an evening’s work.”

Riven smirked. “I may not be as glamorous as you, but I’d say I held my own.”

“You’re lucky I tolerate you,” she teased, her pink ears twitching slightly as she stretched. Despite the chaos, there was a lightness in her heart. The heist was done, but the night was far from over.