everyone who sees you into seeing something else. Like a disguise that isn’t there, only in the mind.”
“And that will get us in?”
“The body I can change,” said the Admin, “but you’ll have to find your own clothes.”
“That won’t be a problem,” said Grim. Without further ado, the Admin stepped out from the desk and went around to meet them. One by one, she placed her hand over their face, with her index finger pressing into the centre of their forehead. Patience was last, and felt the effects straight away.
Her face went cold, and then the sensation fell across her entire body until she felt something like a bubbling rise up inside her. It was over in a heartbeat.
“I don’t feel any different.” The Admin handed her a mirror and her eyes widened.
According to her reflection, she was a woman in her mid-twenties with beautiful flowing, golden hair.
Her smile was dazzling, and her eyes were like sapphires. She could get used to this. “Can I make this permanent?”
The Admin laughed. “I’m afraid not, the affects will wear out in a few hours. Should be more than enough time to get in and out of the factory.”
Patience looked to the side. Mortus was a tall dark haired man, his jaw line was exquisite and defined.
Then she saw Grim, and burst out laughing.
“Okay, very funny,” said Grim, looking in the mirror, “why was I the one to get this body?” His body was large, there was still muscle, but with years of constant ‘burger eating’ on top. His ginger hair was greasy and long, while his face was chubby with a gigantic curved nose.
“Brilliant,” cried Patience, roaring with laughter to the point that she almost collapsed on the floor.
Even Mortus let out a brief smile out of the corner of his mouth.
“Anyway,” said Grim, “if you’re done being immature, we should go and save Mercy.”
“Oh I’m not, but yeah, let’s go.”
They got into Bessy, Grim adjusted the seat to accommodate his new body, and then they set off.
Parking a little way away from the factory, they climbed out and walked the rest. It wasn’t guarded, probably because armed guards would give away the disguise of it being just an ordinary banana factory.
If they were to find a uniform, then they should be able to just walk right in. So, they stood outside and waited.
As if it was destiny, or just pure luck, three men walked around a corner, all of them wearing a factory uniform. They didn’t say anything as they got close, though they did let their eyes get caught up in Patience’s beauty. She giggled.
Grim and Mortus glanced at each other, nodded, and then pounced. It was over before Patience even had a chance to realise what was going on.
Grim knocked the first man off his feet with agility she thought impossible from someone with a body like that. Mortus wrapped his arm around the neck of the other, while splaying his free hand out and slapping the last factory worker around the face with a whip of shadows. The man in his arms went limp and was dropped to the floor.
“That was easy enough,” said Grim, wiping his hands together, “and I hope you’re not gonna keep getting too busy being ogled at to help us.”
“What can I say? I’m beautiful.”
“That’s one way of putting it.” They dragged the bodies out of sight and stripped them down to their underwear. Patience slipped into the clothes and found they weren’t the best fit. It was men’s clothing after all, not really suitable for her sleek, glorious body. She had to keep reminding herself that this wasn’t actually her that looked like that, but rather that everyone (including herself) was being fooled.
“Now we don’t look like ourselves, and we look like we work here,” said Mortus, “so we should be able to get in alright.”
“Things always tend to go wrong when I’m around Grim,” said Patience, “so I wouldn’t hold your breath.”
Mortus smirked. “Don’t worry, I’ve been on the field with Grim enough times to know that wherever he is, trouble is sure to follow.”
“I am still here,” said Grim. Laughing, she went around the front of the building and walked straight through the front door. This was a dream, just being able to waltz up to the front door of the enemy’s lair, and just stroll in like she owned the place – probably a good idea because that would hide the fact that they weren’t actually supposed to be there. Confidence was key, and she certainly had a lot of it.
As they walked it diminished slightly, Patience couldn’t help but feel nerves biting at her. Not at the worry of getting caught, but she was worried that they in fact were an ordinary banana factory, and those men they just beat up were actually just regular guys trying to earn a living. She was almost looking for people with sinister looks or blood stained shoes to prove that they were right in breaking into the factory.
Damn, why was everyone looking so friendly?
“Where do we go?” she whispered, trying not to make it look obvious that they weren’t supposed to be there.
“Just keep walking, we’ll find her.” Sure enough, after a few minutes of walking they came out into a corridor that looked completely different to the factory areas they had just traipsed through.
“This is more like it,” said Patience, “a classic movie hideout if ever I saw one.”
“Since when have you ever seen a bad guy base that looks like this one?”
“Shut up. I’m just trying to be optimistic.” They kept going on. She knew they were getting close, even if Grim was sceptical. Which made it even more difficult to restrain her cheers when they walked around the corner to face a man with a giant club in his hands.
“This area is off limits,” he growled, “go away.”
Grim didn’t move. “See, an off limits zone does make you wonder a certain question.” He stepped forwards. “What exactly is it that is off limits?”
“One more step and I’m gonna have to hit you with this gigantic stick,” he said, almost nervously, “don’t think I won’t do it. I’ve had lots of training.”
“I doubt it.” The man attacked first, rushing forwards with the club raised above his head, screaming something that either resembled a battle cry or a wail of terror, Patience couldn’t decide.
Grim reacted instantly, extending his fingers out and causing wind to whip the club from his hands. Now that he was unarmed, the man jabbed towards his face. Grim closed his fist around the man’s, squeezed until there was a disgusting crack, then he raised his elbow into his chin, knocking him out straight away.
“These people should really get some proper guards,” he said, almost disappointed, “they’re making this almost too easy.”
“I wonder why that could be.”
Naturally, they entered the room that was ‘off limits’. It was fairly empty, for the size. There was medical equipment layering the sides of the walls, and a suspended bed in the middle. Lying on the bed, was a woman, strapped down tightly so that all the veins in her body popped to the surface.
“Mercy,” Patience exclaimed, rushing forwards to the bedside. She undid all the restraints, allowing Mercy to breathe straight away. “Hello, can you hear me?”
She sat up in the bed, and looked around, her eyes wide open as she analysed her surroundings for what seemed like the first time. There were loud footsteps at the door like a stampede was heading their way.
“Ah,” said Grim, “that makes sense.”
“What does?”
“Why it was so easy to get in... they were expecting us.” The first fireball jolted passed Patience’s head, burning the edges of her shoulder blade. She snapped her head to the side and watched the four men entering, all of them with fireballs hovering in their palms. It took a moment, but Patience recognised them as the fearsome five – apart from Kensuke, who was suspiciously absent.
More fireballs flew in their direction, and Patience dragged Mercy behind the bed, which she tipped onto its side for co
ver. Mercy was still staring dully around the room, as though the colours of the flames fascinated her rather than scared her. Somehow she had forgotten who she was, and didn’t seem to have a clue what was going on.
The tall man with pointed teeth appeared on the other side of the bed, but unlike last time she was prepared. Her heel clasped onto the side of the bed as she kicked it out, tripping him up. But he climbed up off the floor and scurried towards her.
She led Mercy away, and ushered her back away from the fight as a fist came her way. Patience blocked it, and countered with a sharp uppercut to the face. He faltered backwards, but didn’t seem deterred. If anything he just looked angrier, and more dangerous.
He picked her up, holding her away so that even her kicking legs were unable to reach him. She struggled for a bit until his hands found her throat, and began to tense. Everything seemed to go dark, and all her efforts to create fire in her hand only succeeded in making sparks.
There was a thud as Mercy rammed her shoulder into the man, knocking him off balance and allowing Patience to fall to the floor. She looked at her, her eyes now panicking like a small child. She still didn’t know who she was.
The man was more enraged now than ever. But he didn’t advance. Instead, he kept his distance and let flames erupt from his hands, it then spread to the rest of his body until he was completely encased in flames.
“What the hell?” she cried. Even the man seemed shocked, and a little scared. Streaks of hot fire broke off from his body and attacked