The wind nearly knocked Cas off his perch, the relatively empty rooftop offering no protection from the rage of nature. A chill ran through his body as a particularly strong gust passed by, and he pulled up his hood with a shiver. His mask was useless for keeping him warm.

He shifted through his bag, filled with gadgets. Cas grabbed his signature pair of goggles from a pocket. He slid them over his eyes, vision darkened by the shaded lens. His hand glided over the top, searching for the start button, before eventually finding and pressing it.

The world brightened drastically, his surroundings going from midnight to noon instantly. The only downside was the blue tint and the glow they gave off, but these goggles were the best quality, and Cas was certainly not complaining.

He'd found them about two and a half years ago, while shopping in the Underground. They came straight from a military shipment, meant for generals and other higher ups. The high-tech night vision was useful in most heists, and Cas bought them without a second thought. Afterall, he was one of the most infamous thieves in the world, stealing during the day was almost out of the question. The bright blue glow from the goggle lens also got him a nickname in the black market, Cobalt.

Cas could have honestly done without it. Out of anything to be named after, Cas seriously had to be called a shade of blue? Sadly, the name stuck, but at least having a secret identity had benefits. Plenty of people had sought after Cobalt, stories of his robberies spreading like wildfire; the stories of his escapes spread even quicker. A name brought business, and God knows that he needed business.

He kept himself busy, shifting around at times to be comfortable and watching the people over the edge of the roof, walking and driving cars below, blissfully unaware as to what would happen soon. Cas's eyes flicked over the train tracks below, quickly glancing away. He couldn't think about it, that would only make him more anxious.

A faint train whistle was heard in the distance. Cas froze, his breath quickly picking up. He rolled up his sleeves, just above his wrists, revealing mechanical hands. He concentrated, and his palms started to faintly glow, a turquoise circle in the center. Cas grabs his bag, throwing it over his shoulders and walking to the very edge of the roof. The train rounded onto the street, ear-shrieking whistles echoing through the city.

The fall to the tracks was seven stories. If Cas didn't time everything perfectly he'd either fall to his death or be crushed by a train.

No pressure.

He pushed off the ground, the wind whipping around him as he fell, almost in slow motion. The train rushed down the track, closer and closer, and closer.

The ground got closer too.

Cas was right above the train when it passed under him. He slammed his hands onto the roof, the rest of his body being flung to the side. Cas pulled himself up, until he was lying on the roof.

He lifted his left hand and quickly pushed his way down the train. It was in the third car. He just had to get there. Fast.

He slid across the roof, hoping he wasn't being too loud. Cas could feel his heart beating out of his chest and hear a pounding in his head. One wrong move is all it would take for guards to swarm the roof, aided by suction boots and powers. If he was lucky they'd shoot him through the head, killing him instantly. Otherwise, he would spend the rest of his life in a dark, dingy cell, deep underground in a prison, miles out in the middle of the ocean.

Finally reaching the train car, Cas wanted more than anything to take a quick breather, but he'd already wasted enough time. He heated up his pointer finger, the tip becoming white. Quickly, he drew a circle in the metal roof, just big enough to fit him. It fell with a clang, and Cas hopped inside right as the alarms started. He landed in the safe-room, taking in his surroundings as the glowing on his palms dimmed.

Besides the glass case in the center, the room was completely empty with only a metal door, as if it had been emptied to showcase the item inside the case. Cas's jaw dropped at the sight of what he was about to steal, admiring its sheer beauty. It was one of the most valuable things in the entire world, worth more money than most people would ever have in a lifetime.

The Hope Diamond.

Cas didn't search long for the case's lock, as it was centered on the glass case. It was an older design, probably created with the best materials known to humanity. Fireproof, bulletproof, durable under pressure, it was almost impossible to break, which is needed when most of the world's population has superpowers.

Cas fished his lockpicks out of his bag and got to work.

Someone was banging on the door behind him, but Cas just grabbed a tension tool and pick, carefully sliding them into the lock. He pushed the pick up and down until he felt a click, then moved onto the next pin until the lock dropped to the ground.

Cas breathed a sigh of relief and kicked the lock away without a second thought. He grabbed the door and swung it open. The necklace glittered in the low light, the center diamond dark as the night sky. Careful to not drop it, Cas clutched the necklace in his right hand, pausing a moment to admire its beauty before carefully placing it in his bag. He fished through his bag, pulling out a small metal box with Smoke Bomb written on the sides.

Holding the smoke bombs in one hand and the box in the other, Cas navigated his way to the door, easily avoiding the lasers this time. He tested the handle, but it didn't move. The lock was right above it, sitting there all smug and electrical. No way to pick it. They really make it difficult for him, don't they?

In one motion he touched the box to the lock, which immediately flung the door open. With his other hand Cas pulled the pins on the smoke bombs, filling the hallway in front of him with smoke in his signature blue. Coughing erupted from the guards. Cas ignored them, sprinting like his life depended on it and hoping that there were no superheroes on the train.

Cas ran into the next car, locking it behind him. Unlike the other car he had been in, this one was designed for serving food with tables and a bar at the end. Everything was expensive, the train was probably used for transporting rich passengers and had been redesigned to hold the diamond.

Immediately Cas noticed the windows covering the walls. A grin spread across his face. That was his ticket out.

"So you must be Cobalt," a voice echoed through the train car. Cas jumped, surprised after being momentarily lost in thought. His eyes quickly darted around, trying to find the source of the voice. "You know, I was expecting someone more... threatening."

A figure stood up from a chair near the back. They were facing away from him, but their clothing made it very clear what type of person he was dealing with. A black, suit looking outfit accented with flames on the back and sleeves. They turned around, revealing wide goggles that flickered like they were made of fire. A giant smirk was plastered on their face, like Cas had walked right into their trap, though Cas had dealt with people enough to notice the way he was anxiously creating sparks with his fingers.

He should probably be worried, but god, heroes were the worst. Cas didn't recognize them from heists or government news programs, so they must be new; possibly a sidekick. He'd rather fight an experienced hero, but it could be worse. Dealing with heroes in training was hilarious, especially when it was their first mission.

"And I hoped an actual hero would be here, but guess I got stuck with a rookie who cares more about an entrance than their backup." Cas cringed a bit at his voice, forgetting his mask changed it to sound more metallic.

They chuckled in what seemed to be an attempt to sound tough, but came out more as nervous laughter. "Like some smoke will stop some of the most elite guards in the world. I just have to hold you until they get here." It sounded like they were more reassuring themselves than anything.

Cas tried to hold in his laughter, "That 'smoke' puts anyone who breathes it to sleep, unless they're wearing a special mask," he tapped his own, "and I know for a fact that every guard on this train must have been sent to stop me as soon as the alarm was raised, so you're probably the only person left awake on this train." Their visible face paled, and Cas could only imagine the fear in their eyes. Messing with superheroes was the best. "Don't you worry though," he said, pausing for dramatic effect, "just let me go, and I won't kill you."

Flames flickered to life around him, the immense heat causing him to feel lightheaded. This hero was powerful, shown by the pure blue flames surrounding them. And not only that, but from their expression it was obvious they were not happy. Cas had a gift of pissing off dangerous people, and sooner or later it would get him killed.

From how this hero was acting it might be sooner.

"I—" Cas didn't hear the rest of their sentence, as it was cut off by a fireball being shot right at him. He managed to duck enough to save his face, grateful for his fireproof clothes. "I was top of my class in the academy, if any new hero can beat you Cobalt, it's me." Cas ignored him, an idea forming. He stumbled over to the wall, using a hand to steady himself after nearly falling into it.

"I never did get your name. Kinda unfair that you knew mine already." Cas smiled at the bewilderment on their face.

"It's Scorch. And it will be all over the news once I bring you to the police and finally put an end to your reign of terror. I can beat you in a fight, you don't even use your power." He almost laughed out loud at the ridiculous speech. I mean seriously, Cas could count the people he'd killed on one hand, and most of them were in self defense! Stupid propaganda, ruining his image of a carefree, peaceful thief who was only wanted for grand larceny and property destruction. He was quickly pulled out of his thoughts by Scorch shooting a whirlwind of flames at him.

Fire filled his vision, and Cas barely pulled his arm up in time to cover his face before it was fried. He urgently stood up, thrilled that his plan had worked. The glass had melted, and he should be able to stand on the window.

As he pulled himself up, Cas turned around to watch Scorch's face go from one of growing confidence, to horror. "Sorry Scorch, but I gotta go. I think I missed my station." The glowing in his palms returned. The hero across the room glared at him, knowing better than to use his power while an open window could set fire to anywhere the train passed.

With that Cas let go, pushing off with his legs and flinging himself towards the skyscraper behind him.