Welcome to the Masquerade

"Different For Girls" by Dierks Bentley

AN: Standard disclaimer! I only own Lory. Everything else is the property of C.L.Stone. Constructive criticism is welcome, but flames will be used to make s'mores. I love votes and views. Happy Reading. 

Once the boys were gone, Lory sighed deeply before looking at Sang.

"This isn't a pretty story, honey. And it may not paint the Academy in the best light because a lot of things should have been stopped long before they were if they had been monitoring the work like they should have. I've found out that I don't know the Academy like I thought. A lot of the things that have happened to me couldn't happen to you."

"Why not?"

"I'll give you nine reasons. And I'd bet good money they all have noses pressed to the glass. Well, maybe not Owen, he's too self-controlled for that."

Sang giggled and, after looking over Lory's shoulder to see all nine watching them have this conversation, she dissolved into full blown laughter until she flopped over sideways on the sofa. When she got herself back under control she waved and smiled at the boys before turning her attention back to a now smiling Lory.

"Told ya," Lory joked weakly. "OK so let me tell you a little about me. My mom and Uncle Henry joined when the Academy when they were young. I've been living with or around Academy people literally my whole life. My father was academy as well, but all I really know about him is that his name is Marcus and he didn't want kids. From some things my mom said the last time she came to Charleston when I was about 12, I think he's dead. He didn't want me. But my mom never got over him. I think he was her big regret in life. She was pretty out of it at the end and kept apologizing to him. Saying 'I'm so sorry about Lory, forgive me' with her last breath. So yeah, in the end I guess she wanted him more than me. But thats one of my issues for another day.

My mom specialized in what is called backstopping or legend making. I'm going to assume you know nothing as I go through this and explain everything. A legend is a completely backstopped false identity. They are sometimes used by people undercover or spies. Backstopping means having all the documents needed to prove the identity- Birth certificates, social security cards, identity papers, passports, school records - and having them entered in the appropriate systems for someone to run a check against. She was the best and she trained me to do the same things, but I had my own interest. When I was about 9 or 10, just after I met Owen and Sean we worked with a traveling theatre group. I was fascinated by the makeup and wardrobe group. The ability to transform yourself. I learned everything they would teach me. How to make realistic bruises, changing face shapes with a few brush strokes, distracting people with bright and shiny accessories, they whole shebang. The actresses loved me. They taught me how to watch people I wanted to imitate. They said you have to really know the part you want to play. We were with them about a year and even got on stage a couple times completely disguised. I worked with theatre groups every chance I had. I did a stint in a creature shop once and learned to love prosthetic latex.

Mom noticed I was good at blending in wherever we ended up. I could basically become invisible. So, she encourage me. When I was about 13 we were given a job. Runaways were disappearing off the streets. I watched the street kids about a week, put on a disguise and went to live with them. Mom made me check in once a day, but we were a two person team and She couldn't be seen. I was mostly on my own while I waited and watched to see who was taking the kids."

"On your own????"

"Yeah, no back up. Just me on the streets at 13. It's only been in the last little bit I realized how fucked up some of things I thought were. Let me tell you right now, Sunshine. Never, ever, ever take a job that makes you go in without backup. It's not legit Academy work. I've found out since then that me being on a job with no back up was a huge no no. I'm not sure anyone even knows I did that job. I'm not sure that anyone beyond my mom knew I was doing academy work. She told me in a letter that I wasn't academy. She'd kept me out, but used me. I was working towards a graduation I would never get. So, there's that. We finally found out who was snatching kids. They were being sold into trafficking rings. We stopped them and the Academy started a series of 'Safe house' locations for runaways to sleep no questions asked. They worked with them and if the issues that caused them to run were serious they worked on getting them safe and off the streets. Lots of kids have benefited from that. That was my first time living in someone else's skin, because I wasn't out there as Lory. Her name was Elyna Ruiz. She was my first. But we burned her soon after so no one would be able to track her to me."