The Dragon's Diadem - A Dragon Dells AU

Summary:

Ryan Jannic Foster left his life of crime behind him when he moved from the United States to London. After a decade of heists and thievery, after two years of working as a voice actor and living in a cramped flat above a bookstore, Jannic's life is normal again. His best friends, including an MI6 agent undercover as an office worker, have no idea what he's done, nor does the rest of the city. But word of a heist is spreading through the underworld, a big heist planned by an American crew, though the target is unknown. With his ear to the ground, this sounds a bit too familiar to Jannic to be coincidence, it must be his old organization, Mercurial. He and his friends are soon thrown into a tangle of intrigue and danger as Jannic must try to stop Mercurial’s plan without getting caught by either side. Who to trust is the biggest question, and the wrong answer could lead to disaster.

Lead Characters:

Ryan Jannic Foster – 27 – A runaway from South Carolina, Jannic worked for the crime organization Mercurial in New York City from age fifteen to twenty-five as a thief, cat burglar, and occasional con man. But after a job gone wrong, he couldn't stay any longer. To escape their reach, he moved to London, putting an ocean between him and his old life. Now he's held a voice-acting job for about two years and lives in a small flat above a bookstore. In his free time, he also does amateur acting and is working on a compilation of folktales from around the world. A friendly guy, he’s got a free spirit, wit to spare, and just a bit of arrogance at his back. Though, as he likes to say, it’s only arrogance if he can’t back it up, and he always can.

Kiara Grey – 25 – To most people, Kiara seems like any typical Londoner. A regular human resources job at a regular technology firm in a regular office building is nothing special. But she doesn’t ride the trains to a regular office building, her real job is actually as an MI6 agent. Regularly assigned to the princess’ protection detail, Kiara has an eye for detail that helps counter any threats. Just like her detective father though, her desire to protect is countered by investigative skill, and she is regularly called in to help with other missions. She’s about to get called in for another mission, and find out more than she expected about her friend and neighbor Jannic. Kiara is kind and enjoys a playful conversation, but when dangers present themselves, she can be ruthless.

Felicite ‘Faye’ Ryans – 24 – Faye’s life has been hard, after losing her parents to a drunk driver and her sister to cancer, she struggled with depression and developed a mild case of kleptomania. Never having much attachment to the foster home in which she lived, she basically grew up from age five to age fourteen without a family. At that age though she was caught stealing and sent to juvenile detention for one year. While there, she hit an all-time low and attempted suicide. She was rescued though, and her stay in the hospital helped her find her true purpose. Once she was returned to society, she put all her focus into studying to become a nurse, and now she works in training at a local hospital. She is friends with Jannic and Kiara, who she met in the bookstore by their flats.

Richard ‘Rick’ Velim – 28 – Rick is a mid-level member of Mercurial, though not for lack of skill when it comes to burglary. He’ll tell you he’s happy where he is and isn’t seeking a promotion, which is true. But his superiors cite a quick temper and his demand that his sister always accompany him as the main reasons for blocking his advancement. He’s a crack shot with a pistol, often put on protection squads for the higher ups since their jobs generally don’t involve bloodshed. Back when Jannic was in Mercurial, they had a friendly rivalry, but Rick hasn’t heard word of the thief in two years. Now he and his sister have been sent to London for a job, one that could change the face of Mercurial forever.

Nichole ‘Nikki’ Velim – 19 – Nikki is also a mid-level member of Mercurial, and is Rick’s half-sister. After their father ran out on her dying mother, Rick took charge of the young girl, inducting her into his world of stealth. Nikki picked up the needed skills quickly, becoming one of the top cat burglars in her age group. Even though she’s only a teenager, she is often called on for jobs that require a small, silent infiltrator. Her brother always comes along as well, overprotective even though. She is a very snarky kid, just as capricious as the organization she works for, and is the only one who dares pester her brother since Jannic disappeared. She’s been brought in as one of several infiltrators for the job in London, but she has no idea what they’re after, details of the heist being kept under wraps until the time is right.

Helena ‘Hela’ Bachmeier – 29 – Known as Hela in her private life, Helena is a top agent in the United States’ FBI white collar crimes department. After her parents were killed in a break in, she came to hate thieves and dedicated herself to catching as many as she could. She’s been on Mercurial’s trail for years, but has never caught any member with knowledge of the organization as a whole. Even if she gets word of a heist, she always ends up too late to stop them. This time though, she’s caught wind of a foreign heist, uncharted territory for both her and, to her knowledge, Mercurial itself. With a ticket to London, she has to figure out the target in a city where she doesn’t know a soul. A determined woman, she won’t give up on a chase, but also has a knack for stirring up trouble in her investigations.

Miranda 'Mia' Moore- 26 – With a knack for knowing everything about everything, given a little time, Miranda Moore is a popular journalist in London. She gets assigned the stories that take a bit of time, and quite a bit of effort, but she always seems to find the scoop. Recently she’s been told to do a piece on the Dragon Diadem, an ancient crown from the Far East that’s recently been donated to the British Museum by an anonymous backer.  Mia has a feeling there’s something more to this donation than simple generosity, but she’ll find more than even she expected. She has quite a way with words, imparting wisdom with a dose of sass and always able to turn a phrase to make her articles the most popular in the city.

Princess Jocelyn - 24 – The next in line for the English throne, Jocelyn spends her days doing typical royal duties. Hosting parties, visiting schools, and otherwise helping with the royal duties, she still underwent military training like so many before her. She swears she can protect herself, but she has never been in an actually dangerous situation. Her visits to battlefields have been ceremonial and far from combat, and her security team is always on alert. Engaged to a young businessman from Wales, she is kind, poised, and just what a princess should be.

Natalia Zhae - ?? – Known only as the Dragon Queen, this capricious woman runs Mercurial. Her choice of targets seems random, but this time, her lieutenants wonder if there is something else behind this heist for her.