Shadow

Cole's POV - The Reveal

I let my head fall back and I squinted at the sky behind my mask. A raindrop fell onto the plexiglass covering my right eye and I flinched before wiping it off. Were windshield wipers for masks a thing?

"Blaze," Phantom snapped, scowling at me. "Are you even listening to me?"

"Yessir," I mumbled. He'd been going over the plan with me for approximately . . . (watch check) . . . twenty-seven minutes. A plan that required less than forty seconds to explain and understand. "Go to the Senator's house, snoop around, and take anything that might look suspicious. Did I hear it right the first time or do you need to go over it for the seventy-second time?"

I wasn't fast enough to duck his hand as he whacked the back of my head. I glared at the man. "Don't sass me, boy. I'll end your life faster than you can say, 'Phantom is the best.'"

"Now why would I ever say that?" This time, I expected it and danced out of the way of his swinging hand. I heard his muttered curses at me as I flew towards the Senator's house with a smirk on my lips.

Unlike the Clouds, Senator James Mason was a little more modest with his abode. Sure, it was a bit larger than your average suburban home, but the minivan in the driveway, basketball hoop hanging over the garage, and the cute flower boxes on the windows gave off the aura that he didn't much care what people thought of his house. You might even say he was a family man.

Too bad he was also a murderer.

I huddled on the roof as a few more raindrops dared to fall. After about eight minutes, the Senator's wife and his two middle school-aged sons hopped into the minivan with duffle bags and basketballs. They backed out of the driveway and closed the garage door from a button. The minivan drove off down the street, unsuspecting of the villain that was about to sneak into their home.

At the last second, I pulled off one of my boots and threw it in front of the garage door sensor, immediately making the metal slab retreat back up. I flew down and landed on the concrete before pulling my boot back on. Stupid Society. Why won't Phantom let me have any cool technology? Even a lock picking set would be useful at this point.

I grumbled to myself as I tiptoed up to the door into the house. Using my Super hearing, I listened for any movement inside the house. When I was satisfied that I found none, I closed the garage door and entered the Senator's home.

I walked through a small hallway into a kitchen with polished granite countertops and top-of-the-line appliances. Maybe he isn't as modest as I thought.

The living room was connected with the wooden flooring that seemed to cover the entire bottom floor of the house. Well, everything except for the room protected by a heavy wooden door with frosted glass. Tufts of soft carpet poked out from under the door. Bingo.

A soft thump in the living room made me freeze. I felt my skin heating up with the sudden rush of adrenaline and tried to keep my cool. Soundlessly, I lit a flame in each of my hands and prepared for the worst. I floated centimeters off the ground and made my way to the corner that separated me from the living area. After a 0.43 second pep talk, I took a deep breath and shot out from the corner.

"Meow."

For some reason, that sound scared me more than the cocking of a gun. Probably because I wasn't expecting it. Luckily, I stopped myself from burning the cat to a crisp. I released the breath I was holding and dropped to the floor. The fluffy gray cat stared at me from the top of the couch, not having any idea that it almost just got fried. "Stupid cat. You almost died."

The only response I got was two blue eyes staring me down.

"Aww, I'm sorry, kitty. I didn't mean that. You're not stupid." I walked up to it and pat its head. It closed its eyes and rubbed against my glove, a purr rumbling through its chest. I stuck out my bottom lip at the cuteness.