The Other Side of the Mask

I head over to the main room and elders room with XiaoLong to perfect my plan.

"Mmm yeah, 2233's identity, we'll use that to their demise."

We sneak into 2233's room at 1 am and tie her up. After stuffing her mouth so she can't scream and pull a cloth over her eyes. We escort her to the barrel.

I undo everything and KICK the barrel off the cliff. Her eyes flare wide open, and her face of bewilderment when she sees her 'clone' is quite satisfying.

"You're quite merciful," XiaoLong commented.

"Maybe I just don't want to dirty my hands," I reply half truthfully.

XiaoLong retires into 2233's room with 2233's pin, and I retire back into 2745's room.

The next morning, we act out our roles perfectly. Although we only got through half of the main and elders room shelves, we know information about the Pirate League that 1111, 1212, and 1474 don't know.

I smile as we chat on the boring, usual day. XiaoLong and I avoided the topics about the prisoner's escape, in case we leak out anything weird.

That night, once everyone retired, I snuck into 2233's room and pulled XiaoLong along back to the main and elders room to find out more.

"Mmmm…. Nothing useful…nope...nope nope…"

"Oh!" I pull out a record of the elders biography, "This'll be useful."

I scroll through and XiaoLong shifts to sit beside me, putting his head on my shoulder.

"... Medicine Elder…" I look at the picture and wrinkle my eyebrows.

"It's that witch," XiaoLong finishes for me, "Specializes in medicine and poisons."

I flip around, "Hypnotic Elder?"

XiaoLong reads over the page, "Elder in XX Year when the Pirate League was first formed. Died of Heart Attack. Replaced by Medicine Elder…"

I picked up the Hypnotic Elder's research book.

A smirk forms on my face, and I revise my plan.

Suddenly, XiaoLong pokes me, "Hey, you need to see this."

I turn and walk over to where XiaoLong is standing. He uncovers a hidden board and disdain fills my face.

"So it's like that, huh."

A map of the Yue and Ri Kingdom is on the board with marked skulls and fires. One base at the bottom: the Pirate League, and the Bandits up top.

"They want to take over both kingdoms for themselves," XiaoLong whispers angrily.

"I knew the northern bandits were up to no good," I scroll through a record of their plans, "They're moving out tomorrow. We'll set the plan then."

After a heated discussion of the two of us and fully checking out both rooms for any more secrets, I leave the room.

"Wait, since they took a map of our land, I'll take one of theirs," I take the blueprints of the entire Pirate League.

Knock, knock…

"2745! Today's that day! You need to hurry up!"

In reality, I've already finished with everything, and I'm fully prepared, but 1) I need to play my role fully and 2745 is always late, 2) I'm practicing my hypnotic skills. I yawn. After practicing it on random guards last night, I think it works pretty well.

I finally open the door and greet the group of angry friends.

"Hurry up! We're gonna be late!" 1111 yells.

"Ok, ok I'm coming jeez!"