The Protectors Of Fortune And Power

Chapter Seven: Mission Gone Wrong

After hours of discussion and planning we finally had the time and place of our attack. We had worked through most of the whole day and decided to get some sleep before tonight’s mission. Being a spy had many advantages. One is that I can sleep anywhere at any time no matter what is going on around me. I have learned to sleep in so many different situations, places, and positions. Never know when an opportunity will come up where you can catch some Z’s.

I woke up an hour before we had planned to get ready. I decided to wander around the shapeshifter’s home. Making sure I stuck to the shadows and made no noise I began to creep around the house. The first thing I noticed is that practically every door I tried was locked. The only doors that weren’t locked were closests or bathrooms. And the occasional bedroom.

Finally my curiosity got the better of me and I stopped at the next locked door I came to. Pulling out a hair pin from my hair I began to pick the lock. The lock sprung open after a few tries and I quietly stepped inside. After closing the door and relocking it I flicked on the light. I gasped as my eyes fell on stacks and stacks of newspapers.

I picked one up and read the headline and year. This newspaper was from years ago when the shapeshifter first appeared. I was about to set it down and move on to the next stack when the word weakness caught my attention. Hope and excitement grew inside of me as I began to read the paper. It was an interview between a much younger Xavier and a reporter.

“It took a great deal of work and time but we finally discovered what the shapeshifter’s weakness is.”

“Can you tell us what the shapeshifter’s weakness is?”

“No. But know this, we will bring the shapeshifter to justice.”

My excitement faded. This might have been my only chance at finding out what the shapeshifter’s weakness is. But even though it hadn’t told me what it was,  it did tell me something else. That Xavier had found out what the shapeshifter’s weakness was long ago. Maybe he could remember what it was. But then again it happened so long ago and the records had been destroyed.

The door handle clicked as a key was inserted into the lock. Crap! I thought. I knew I was caught. There was nowhere to hide, but behind a stack of newspapers, but I would still be easily found. I didn’t have time to hide however because the shapeshifter walked in.

“Lena? How? What are you doing in here?” he asked.

“Sorry. I went exploring and all the locked doors spiked my curiosity. I picked one at random and opened it. And when I saw the newspapers I had to take a look and read it.” I explained.

“I stole them because I was worried that something about my weakness or anything that could help people bring me down would be inside the pages. There have been a few close calls.” he said.

“The one I read almost said your weakness. It was during an interview between Xavier and a reporter. Do you remember that?” I asked.

“Yeah. I remember freaking out when I first saw it. I remember talking to myself and saying what a horror it would have been if anyone found out my weakness. If you blindfold me I can’t shapeshift. I don’t know why but it’s the truth. I don’t know why I just told you that. Don’t tell anyone my weakness okay? I probably shouldn’t have said it at all.” the shapeshifter turned red.

“You can trust me. I won’t tell anyone. Promise.” I lied.

“Really?” 

“I have no reason to. We are partners after all.

After that we both left to head to our destination. That truck would come around the corner and will have no idea what hit them. It was silent the whole way there as if someone sprinkled awkwardness dust over us. When we arrived we had ten minutes to kill before the truck would come. We stood outside the car in the shadows watching the time. Ten minutes passed and the truck never came.