Gone In A Flash

Several days ago, in a place far away from Twinford...

...Lorelei narrowed her eyes, and pressed her fingers to the full-length mirror- basically the only decoration in the small room she was in. She traced the outline of her face on the glass – today she had remade herself in the image of a film star, one of Hollywood's most famous. For now and as long as she wanted, she looked the spitting image of Audrey Hepburn – even her mother probably couldn't tell the difference.

It wasn't as if she needed the confidence boost brought by looking exactly like Audrey Hepburn, or even wanted it. Despite her talent for disguises, Lorelei Von Leyden felt exactly at home looking how she was naturally. Her unchanged face was, she felt, the perfect reflection of her personality. Beautiful, sharp, dangerous. This was simply homework; reassurance that her skills hadn't declined in the short time that she hadn't been practicing them.

Lorelei ran her fingers along the contours of her cheeks for the briefest of seconds, and then dragged her painted nails sharply down those perfect, doll-like cheekbones. The latex mask tore – ruining what would be considered by most people a work of art. She tore off the wig that she had been using – flinging it to the back of the room to rest with her bags- and undid the hairnet that had been keeping her natural hair in check.

There was a knock at the door, and she spun around sharply – she had not been expecting visitors. She stalked over to the entrance, not bothering to fully remove the damaged mask from her face, and paused before opening. "Who is it?"

"I'm here with some news, sweetie," purred a voice – Australian accent heavy. Lorelei froze instantly.

"How did you find me?" she said, looking for a way to barricade the door. But apart from the mirror and her bags, the room was empty- nothing to use as weight.

"It wasn't hard, you just need to learn to read the signs. You going to let me in, or am I going to have to get my boys to force the door open for me?"

Lorelei grit her teeth, and unceremoniously flung the door open in her unwelcome visitor's face. "You are not my mother," she said to the woman standing on the other side, flanked by two burly, hulking bodyguards.

"Never said I was, sweetie," said the woman calmly. Lorelei inhaled, and it was subtle but she could still smell cinnamon and the traces of smoke on the Australian's body and clothes. "My, though- this is beautiful." She reached up to touch the ripped latex mask that still covered most of Lorelei's face. "Hepburn, correct? You always were so skilled, darling. I must say, I'm very proud."

Lorelei flinched back instinctively, pushing the older woman's hands away.

"So jumpy," the woman smiled, seemingly unruffled, even as she returned her arms to her sides. "Is that a recent thing, I wonder, or were you always like this?"

"What do you want," snapped Lorelei, unwilling to be drawn into banter.

"Just came to drop by some news, like I said," the Australian said, showing her teeth. "Little Ruby Red's found out something she shouldn't," she said, sing-song.

"Found out what?" Lorelei asked, interested despite herself. "You don't mean – the identity of –"

"I doubt that she's worked that out," the Australian dismissed, "at least not yet. But she's found our mole in the system. Well, the Count's mole, anyway."

"That has nothing to do with me." Lorelei turned, and stalked back to her full-length mirror. Carefully, she began removing the mask from her skin, peeling back the latex. "If you have nothing useful to add..."

"I also wanted to let you know I'll be in touch," said the Australian, and a business card went whistling through the air, landing on the ground in front of Lorelei. She stopped peeling back the second skin, and leant down, somewhat unwillingly, to pick it up.

On the card was printed a phone number – nothing more, nothing less.

Lorelei turned back to the doorway, just to see the tail end of the Australian's coat as she whisked out the door.

"I'll be in touch," she shouted as the footsteps of both her and her bodyguards echoed down the hallway. "Don't call me – I'll call you."