Between the Shadows

By: Ethereal Fury

Chapter Three: Mission Gone Wrong?

Zephyr checked his watch impatiently again and rested his head against the wall in aggravation. It was almost 8 o'clock, the time of the guard switch approached when security would be at its lowest, and there were still people loitering at the gate. He sighed in frustration and pulled out his binoculars, directing them to the iron gate of the Presidential Mansion, where a few guests chatted leisurely, and then towards the sentry guard stationed half-hidden atop the high protective walls. Zephyr could not believe it—for two weeks he had carefully planned and rehearsed every aspect of today, and how his efforts were about to be wasted because five people could not be bothered to enter the building.

Great—the Akademy's finest and I can't even complete the first part of the mission, he thought, bringing a hand to his forehead in dismay. He had three minutes and forty-five seconds until the sentry guard descended from atop the wall, a minute after that until the relief one went on duty, and thirty seconds in between where the security cameras were not aimed at his planned route of entry. Dammit, can't you socialize inside? he muttered, once again peering through his binoculars at the people beside the gate. He checked his watch again—two minutes and he could not see the guard anywhere. From inside his black leather jacket, he extracted a small black terminal and glanced at it. It indicated that the sentry was descending the stairs carved into the wall and was relinquishing his duty early.

Zephyr crept out of the darkened alley he had been hiding in and gingerly approached the Mansion, trying not to look suspicious. He consulted his terminal again—the sentry guard was nowhere to be seen and the relief guard was not yet on his way. The inconvenience by the gate remained and the security camera directly above his head was focused on the wall above him. But, he could waste no more time and had to attempt an entry now. Zephyr knelt on the moist ground and input various commands onto his laptop. An 'Error. Access Denied' message popped up on his screen. He tried again, inputting the same commands in a slightly different order. The same error message came up again. Dammit, why doesn't it work? he thought with frustration as he tried a different approach to override the Mansion's security system. He typed a few quick words on his laptop and pressed enter. An ear-splitting alarm immediately rang throughout the Mansion's grounds, drawing all security guards not currently on duty to the gate.

"Hey! There's someone by the wall!" one of them called, beginning to run to where Zephyr knelt.

Oh shit, they're coming! Dammit, gotta get outta here! he thought, shutting his laptop, picking it up, and sprinting as fast as he could towards a small wooded area with thick trees near the Mansion. Zephyr leapt over and ducked under branches and tree stumps, attempting to lose the security officers that were hot on his tail.

Dammit! How could I have let that happen? he inquired as he ran blindly across the woods, pushing his tired legs on and gasping for breath. There was no way he could outrun or lose the guards; they were too numerous and they were well spread out. And they're closing in on me he thought. He was at a loss, he didn't know what to do… and there was no way he could help Storm if he was caught now. So using whatever strength he had left, he pulled himself onto the branch of a nearby tree and began climbing towards its top. When he heard rustling in the nearby bushes, he stopped climbing and waited with bated breath. Just my luck to stop at a broken branch he muttered, trying to keep as much of his weight off the branch as he could.

"Where'd he go?" one of the guards inquired.

"Don't know, but he can't have gone far. We have strict orders from the President to arrest anyone loitering near the Mansion, so I suggest we catch this prankster and take him to Mr. Jecht. Let's spread out, he's here somewhere," the lead guard ordered.

Zephyr watched from atop his broken branch and gulped. He was in so much trouble… why did his first mission have to go so wrong? He leaned heavily against the thick trunk of the tree that hid him… good, it seemed like the guards were dispersing. That would make his escape much easier. As he leaned over the branch to get a better look, it came crashing down with a loud crack (Zephyr still atop it), trapping two of the guards underneath it and thus softening his fall. In the confusion that followed as more guards returned to find the source of the crash, Zephyr slyly sneaked out of the wooded area (knocking out a few guards on the way) and returned to the Mansion's wall, intent on completing his mission and getting his pay.

Not caring what security he could run into, he noiselessly unzipped a bag he had slung over his shoulder, pulled out of it a hookshot, slid on a mask, and placed the terminal into it. He then zipped it up, aimed the hookshot at the wall, and fired it with a soft swoosh. The hook clung to the far side of the wall with a metallic clunk. Zephyr then pulled on the rope to check its stability and began climbing. Once atop the wall, a guard rushed at him, but Zephyr just kicked him in the groin and leapt off the wall, using his leather jacket as a parachute. He ducked behind a bush as another guard went to aid the fallen one, racing noiselessly in the humid night towards the back of the building as the second guard stooped down to help the first one. Once at his destination, he pressed his ear against the wall—good, the music and chatter from the ballroom seemed very distant.

Zephyr pulled out his laptop and consulted it—he had to climb three floors to the President's office and once there avoid infrared movement detectors. He rummaged through his bag once more and extracted talcum powder that would enable him to 'see' the infrared sensors. He then concealed his bag in a nearby bush and began the climb along the Residence's stone exterior. The many grooves and dents in its façade made the climb to his destination relatively easy for an experienced climber like himself. In the Akademy, the elite ZIFE candidates were drilled in the climbing of buildings—including glass—and Zephyr had always topped the class. Without much effort, he reached the office's window and skillfully slid it open, propping himself up on the windowsill and scattering the talcum powder. He narrowed his eyes in concentration, striving to see where white clumps that seemed suspended in midair formed and avoiding those, as they indicated that an infrared sensor was at work. It was a slow and tedious process, since he could neither make a sound nor touch the sensors, but he finally made it to the far end of the office, where a desk cluttered with papers and a computer sat.

Zephyr flipped through the papers, photographing each one with a minute silver camera. Most of them were about the Zanark -Aerith treaty his 'boss' had mentioned, but a few of them were personal letters. One that caught Zephyr's eye was written in a feminine and perfectly neat cursive—a letter from either a female politician or some torrid mail affair. With a shrug, he photographed the letter as well and moved on to the computer, easily breaking through its firewall (which was a lot less secure than the one surrounding the perimeter's security cameras) and copying all the files onto his laptop. Hacking had never been taught, but it had been a hobby of Zephyr's since he'd joined the Akademy. And it came in really handy too, he thought with a smirk as he replaced the computer's security firewall and rearranged the papers into the cluttered mess they had been in before.

Now it is time to meet Mr. President himself. Off to the ballroom I go, he thought with satisfaction, pleased at how well that aspect of the mission had gone. He turned to face the weary task of retracing his steps and was surprised to find the white talcum clumps that had identified where the sensors stood gone. This is just great he thought, bringing a hand to his forehead in his customary gesture of dismay.

How the heck do I get out now? he muttered, struggling to remember where the movement sensors were located. Before he took a decisive step in any direction, he heard voices coming from the hallway. Zephyr stepped back, looking for a place to hide. A key was now heard rattling in the lock. He looked around frantically—he couldn't advance to the closet about five feet from him, since he didn't know where the sensors were, and he was backed up against a wall. Just as the door was opened and the bright light from the hallway flooded the office, Zephyr dove into the minute space between the chair and the desk that housed the computer.

Two men in black tuxedos, most likely the President's aides, stepped into the office. One went to a small panel beside the door and keyed in a few numbers, which disabled the movement sensors and lit the room up. Zephyr, who was watching from between the chair's legs, shrank as far back against the desk as he could as the room was lit and the two men seemingly approached the desk. Zephyr could hear their footsteps louder and louder, and see the black luster of their polished shoes nearer and nearer. He held his breath and closed his eyes—after all his efforts, he was going to be caught cowering underneath a desk, and he wouldn't be able to help Storm after all. He waited, expecting a hand to reach into his miniscule space and yank him out, but no hand could be felt. Slowly, he opened his eyes and found that both men had stopped in front of the desk—one's hand was even on the chair that was concealing him! He breathed a quiet sigh of relief that he hadn't been discovered and listened intently as they began talking.

"So, why did the President send us up here again?" one inquired.

"He told us to remove all the papers on his desk—he doesn't want any of the cleaners to read his private mail while he's at the party," the other responded, matter-of-factly.

"And because of that he takes us away from the party and makes us come here? I was having fun," the first one exclaimed incredulously.

"Yeah, well, let's get on with it. I don't want to be here all night," the other replied, stepping towards the end of the table where the papers sat.

Zephyr saw this as his chance. He pushed the chair he had been hiding behind, which threw one of the men off balance. He leapt out of his hiding space and punched the first man in the nose, kicking the second one in the stomach. As both men reeled back from his attack, holding their respective injuries, Zephyr knocked their heads against each other, causing both men to slump to the ground unconscious. He wiped his brow—that had been very close. He checked the men's pulses… good, they weren't dead, just knocked out. With one last backward glance, he stepped over the men's bodies and headed for the door.

This mission is far more important than the well being of those two men, even if they did nothing, Zephyr told himself as he reached the door. Before he walked out, he shed his black leather jacket and pants to reveal the black tuxedo and bowtie he had on underneath. Zephyr placed the minuscule camera in his pants pocket and slid the diminutive terminal into the inner pocket of his jacket. He checked that he had his fake invitation and strolled casually out of the room, disposing of his jacket and pants in a bin by the elevators.

Darn, that was one of my favorite jackets he mused, as he stepped out of the elevator and into the foyer that led to the ballroom. He approached the bouncer at the door with an apologetic smile.

"I'm so sorry I'm late, I got stalled by traffic. You know how congested the South Zanark Highway gets on Fridays, with all those kids going off to parties and bars," he apologized profusely, handing the bouncer his invitation.

The bouncer checked the name printed on the invitation against a list of invited guests, one which Zephyr had hacked into and inserted a cover-up name. "Oh yes, Mr. Kane. It's a pleasure you could join us, please go right inside and enjoy yourself. The reception is about to begin."

Zephyr thanked him and walked into the ballroom with a big smile on his face. That had been too easy. The room itself was breathtaking—rich, flowing curtains stitched with gold were draped meticulously over high and extensive windows; long tables adorned by white silken tablecloths with the Presidential crest engraved in gold encircled the broad room, forming a dance floor in the middle; silver cutlery and the finest china sat regally upon the tables; and an uncovered skylight allowed the guests a glimpse of the round silvery moon buried into the onyx sky. It was truly a sight to behold, and Zephyr couldn't help but look around him, wide-eyed. A waitress approached him and offered him some champagne and caviar. He took the delicate champagne glass and swirled its contents around, inhaling the scent of Zanark's best. He took a sip, and immediately chastised himself for getting swept away by the grandeur of the ballroom instead of concentrating on finding the President. He wandered over to a darkened corner where he could observe the whole ballroom and struggled to remember any pictures of the President he had seen in history class or in the newspapers. His mind drew a blank, so he watched the guests with scrutiny in hopes of finding the President.

Zephyr looked on with boredom as more and more couples took to the dance floor. There was still no sign of the President and he was beginning to draw attention. A couple of pretty girls had even come up to him and asked for a dance, but he was on duty and had no time for such nonsense. He sighed and took another sip of his champagne, leaning against the wall. This is going to be a long night, he thought, closing his eyes and shifting his weight. Yup, a long, boring night. He opened his sapphire eyes and was startled to see a pair of enchanting, almost hypnotic, eyes, one a bright emerald green and the other a bluish hue, directly in front of him, staring right at him. He cocked his head and arched an eyebrow in question. The eyes immediately melted into the beautiful fair face of a young dark-haired girl dressed in an elegant midnight dress that contrasted wonderfully with her flawless ivory skin. The girl thrust her hand out in introduction.

"Hi, I'm Aurora, it's a pleasure to meet you…" she began, in a sweet voice.

Zephyr reluctantly stretched his hand out to meet hers. "Auron Kane," he replied solemnly, using the name of his invitation—his father's name and his mother's last name.

The girl smiled up at him—she was considerably shorter than his 6-foot frame—and shook his hand vigorously. "Pleased to meet you Mr. Kane. Say, why are you hiding here in the corner all by yourself?"

Zephyr was taken aback by her openness and downright curious behavior. He wasn't used to people prying into his business—in the Akademy, everyone lived their life and cared little for the matters of others. What's more, in the Akademy he tended to be introverted, antisocial, and focused solely on his studies. He had no friends and no acquaintances; the closest he got to social relationships were his exchanges with his rival Reed. "Trying to avoid girls like you," he answered with a scowl, peering above her head to keep observing the ballroom.

Aurora reeled back as if she had been hit, her angelic features contorting into an expression of hurt. She had been watching the solitary young man for a while and had just wanted to get to know him, him being so cute and all, but she wasn't expecting him to be so cold. She began to turn to leave.

Zephyr realized what he had done needed amending. Dammit, you can't be antisocial now, maybe she knows the President, he chided himself silently. He reached a hand out and touched Aurora's arm—it was soft and smooth and strangely comforting. "Hey, I'm kidding, don't get mad. I'm sorry, I didn't mean that."

Aurora turned back around and locked her captivating emerald-and-blue eyes onto his elusive sapphire ones. She studied his rugged profile under the dim light with a smile. He was definitely remarkably handsome; those eyes of his could bring any woman in her right mind to her knees. "So Mr. Kane, I believe I do not know you, what brings you to this reception?"

"I'm a representative from the Akademy, here on behalf of the Headmaster," he lied, trying to reveal as little about himself as was possible.

"Oh? I believe there is an Akademy student in our midst, perhaps you know him?" she inquired politely.

Zephyr shrugged indifferently. "There are many students there," he stated, matter-of-factly.

Aurora smiled at him. "Come on, I'll introduce you!" she insisted.

Zephyr shook his head vehemently. "No, really, it's not necessary. I… uh… have a duty to carry out here," he replied, standing his ground firmly.

She pouted playfully at him. "Come on! All work and no play make people grumpy. You've stood there long enough, it's time you enjoyed the party," she asserted, crossing her arms.

"Uh…I, ah, can't. I'm here on behalf of the Headmaster, I'm supposed to be working," Zephyr insisted.

Aurora cocked her head. "What kind of Headmaster doesn't allow his students to have fun? Come on, the other student is enjoying the party."


Zephyr sighed. She was not going to give up; she was intent on having him meet the other Akademy student. What difference does it make? You probably won't know him and he probably won't know you, so your cover is safe. She's right, chill out a bit, his inner self scolded. Raising his hands in defeat, he agreed. "Fine, whatever. You win."

Aurora smiled at him and grabbed his hand, literally dragging him from his secluded corner and through the middle of the dance floor. The soft touch of her small, delicate hand felt refreshing in his rough, callused own. Being uncomfortable with the feeling, not being much of an affectionate person, Zephyr unclasped his hand from hers and reluctantly trailed after her until they were standing behind a broad-shouldered tall figure, whom Aurora tapped playfully on the shoulder. The figure turned around, an annoyed scowl on his face and froze when his aqua eyes landed on Zephyr.

"Leonstrife," he whispered coldly.

"Lockheart," Zephyr replied, narrowing his eyes menacingly.

"Hey! So you two know each other?" Aurora asked excitedly, only hearing the latter part of the exchange of words.

"Hardly," Zephyr answered.

"Not really," the other man said simultaneously.

"So, let me introduce you! Mr. Kane, this is Reed Lockheart, a student at Zion Akademy, Reed, this is Auron Kane, also from the Akademy," Aurora said, pushing Zephyr closer to Reed and extending his hand.

Reed and Zephyr glared at each other, sea green burning into sapphire. What is Reed doing here? Zephyr wondered as he unwillingly shook Reed's hand and muttered an inaudible, "Pleased to meet you".

"Aurora!" came a grave voice from the entrance of the ballroom.

She grinned apologetically at the two. "Whoops! That's my cue! I'll see you around, okay Reed? Pleasure to converse with you Mr. Kane," she said with a small curtsy and hurried off to whoever had summoned her. She turned her head slightly to look back as she walked away and found Zephyr's sapphire eyes on her. She gave him a slight smile and kept walking briskly.

Zephyr watched her leave, a strange heaviness settling in his heart. No way Leonstrife. You just met her. Stop that nonsense and focus on your mission, he told himself, shaking his head. But he couldn't seem to draw his gaze away from where the vibrant girl had stood just seconds ago.

"Really Zephyr, what are you, 14? You're practically drooling," Reed commented with dripping sarcasm, raking a hand through his black hair. "And what's with the whole 'Auron Kane' thing? I should have just told her your name is really Zephyr Leonstrife… quite a difference, huh?" he continued with a snort. "You probably told her you ran the Akademy or something."

Zephyr's angry azure gaze met Reed's teasing one. "What are you doing here, Reed?" he inquired, ignoring the previous comments.

"I was invited. As a matter of fact, I'm Aurora's escort. She's pretty fine isn't she?… totally not your type though. But, I beat you at something Zephyr… I got the girl first. So what brings you here? I don't believe you were invited," he replied with a sneer.

"Then you believe wrong. My name is on the list," Zephyr retorted, shoving his invitation towards Reed, who picked it up and glanced at it.

"The invitation looks genuine," he said. "But it's not your name; you probably tied this 'Auron Kane' guy up and took his invitation," he added with a smirk.

"Whatever Reed," Zephyr replied, taking his invitation back and turning around to scan the room with his azure gaze. He spotted a balding man in his late thirties or early forties approaching a small stage. He nudged Reed and pointed at the man. "Who's that?" he inquired.

Reed rolled his eyes, "President Decan Jecht. Really Zephyr, you should pay more attention in history, being the best student in the Akademy and all," he replied with contempt.

"Sorry Reed, but I was too busy kicking your sorry ass," Zephyr shot back, directing his full attention to the man on the stage. That's right… that's President Jecht, the man I am to kill…now I remember… he looks so different. Would I have recognized him if Reed hadn't told me? he pondered, watching him gracefully move about the stage and step up to a microphone.

Before Reed could utter another wisecrack remark, President Jecht began speaking.

"Honorable guests, ladies, gentlemen. It is an honor to have you all united here in this room to celebrate the electoral victory of the Zanark United Party, and on a more personal note, my re-election as Zanark's president, a duty I truly cherish and will do anything to efficiently serve it in my next four years," the President began.

Yeah, four years if you're still around… which I don't think you will be after next week, Zephyr thought, clapping with the others. President Jecht waited for the claps and cheers to subside, then continued. "The ruling of Zanark is not merely a task laid upon my shoulders, it is a privilege you enjoy, and as citizens, a right you should exercise. Zanark, the most powerful and most advanced nation in all of Terra, is our home, everyone's home, and we should take great care and pride in it. In my next four years in the Presidency, I hope to bring Zanark way ahead of the other nations, improve our technology, our resources, and our living standards. In short, I hope to bring out the best in every Zanarkist so that we can make Zion and Zanark the very best they can be. I sincerely hope you will rally your support behind me and approve all the plans I have to improve this great city. Thank you again for coming, and now let us continue enjoying the party," he finished, descending from the stage amongst loud claps and excited cheers. Zephyr narrowed his eyes as he clapped— the President really did know how to work the crowd into a frenzy of enthusiasm. He let a small smile play on his lips as Aurora winked at HIM, and not Reed, with a smile from the front of the room. He turned to his rival and elbowed him in the ribs.

"So, Reed, do you and Aurora have a 'special' relationship?" he inquired with a smirk.

"Like? Do you mean, if we're involved?" Reed replied.

Zephyr nodded, a wide, teasing grin on his lips. He was so going to get Reed back for previous comments.

"Um… why do you care anyway? That's private!" Reed retorted, anger etched into every line of his handsome profile.

"Oh, no reason. Just wondering if there was any reason at all why she would be winking at me and not you. She really isn't that bad looking. Well, enjoy the rest of the party Reed," Zephyr finished with an arrogant smirk. He then turned on his heel and strolled confidently out of the room, not bothering to turn back to look at a fuming Reed.

Once he was outside, he crept stealthily to the back of the building and to the bush he had concealed his zippered bag in. He groped around in the dark (it was fairly late) and pulled out his backpack noiselessly. He then slung it over his shoulder and proceeded to stroll leisurely out the gate. When he stepped outside, he felt a hand on his arm and immediately brought his hand to the presumed attacker's neck, restricting his breathing and pulling him upward against the wall. Noticing it was one of the subordinates of the man that had hired him, he let go of his throat and the man dropped to the ground, gasping. Zephyr helped him up and whispered, "Sorry, it's a reflex. What brings you here? Does the Boss want something?"

The guard rubbed his bruised throat and replied in a harsh whisper, "How did it go? Did you get inside well?"

Zephyr shrugged indifferently. "I got in, yeah. Anything else?" With a heck of a lot of trouble too, he added silently.

"Well… did you get all the stuff? Find anything interesting? Are you ready to kill him?" the guard inquired curiously, attempting to keep up with Zephyr's long strides.

Zephyr stopped and faced the man, narrowing his eyes dangerously. "Does the Boss want something, or are you just here to annoy me?" he questioned menacingly.

The guard gulped and backed away from Zephyr. "Uh… n-no,n-n-not really… just, uh, meet him tomorrow at the tavern…t-t-that's all," he answered.

"Fine, then just get out of my way so I can get back," Zephyr snapped, pushing past the man and walking towards the Akademy, his black zippered bag slung over his shoulder.

***