Chapter 42

The Fortified Theater, Roya Lane, London, England, United Kingdom

She ventured further into the shop, her eyes wide with wonder. The shelves were laden with an array of peculiar objects. Each one seemed to whisper secrets of protection and power.

A display of intricately carved wooden masks caught her attention. Their hollow eyes seemed to follow her movements, like they were guards, making sure she didn't steal anything. Pausing, Gen studied the masks, wondering what strange magic was at play within them.

Rusty appeared at her side, his voice low and conspiratorial. "These masks, my dear, are imbued with the power of illusion. Wear one, and you'll blend into any scene, unnoticed by even the most observant foes."

Gen, tempted but not entirely convinced, gave him a skeptical expression. "What's the drawback?"

He grinned. "Very astute of you to ask. And yes, there's always a drawback or shortcoming with any defensive item. It's the price we pay for protection. For these masks, the wearer risks never being able to take it off. The magic on the items is very binding and has been known to not come off the person—making them seemingly invisible for all of their lives."

"I don't think I can risk that," Gen said, shaking her head.

"Very well, then we move on." He lifted his hand, leading her on to a collection of shimmering cloaks that rippled like liquid silver. Rusty gestured towards them with a flourish. "Ah, the Cloaks of Evasion! Slip one on, and you'll dance through danger like a phantom, untouchable and elusive. The key is that you have to actually be at risk of harm or otherwise the cloak loses interest and doesn't work properly?"

While intriguing, Gen knew she needed something more specific for her mission. "I don't think I'll face danger as much as I'll need to be stealthy."

Rusty, sensing her hesitation, led her deeper into the shop, past a cage of chirping birds. "These are clockwork birds that trill warnings of approaching threats. Not right for your mission, but clever little guys to have. Their little chirps mean that you're safe and I shouldn't worry about your presence as a threat."

Gen smiled at the cage of birds. "I'm glad you all sense that I mean no harm."

Rusty's eyes lit up when they came to a shelf at the back. Strangely it was empty, but that didn't seem to deter the theatrical man. He snapped his fingers, summoning a small, ornate compass seemingly from nowhere. It appeared in his gloved hands, shimmering under the spotlights above.

"Behold, the Compass of Revelation!" he announced, holding the compass up for her to inspect more closely. "This little marvel will guide you to the heart of any deception. It will spin wildly in the presence of those with malicious intent, leading you straight to the source of the chaos."

Gen, impressed by the compass's potential, nodded in appreciation. "That could be very handy for me to have in the Los Angeles Police Headquarters."

"My thoughts too," Rusty said, and then leaned in close, his voice a conspiratorial whisper. "But wait, there's more! Should you find yourself in a tight spot, simply whisper the words ‘Veritas Vincit' to the compass, and it will cast a temporary spell of confusion upon your adversaries, buying you precious moments to slip away unnoticed."

Gen, her mind already racing with possibilities, was about to take the compass from the shop owner when Emperor interrupted.

You can't use that,the dragon warned in her head.

She froze, pausing in mid-action. Why not?

Because you already have your lie-detecting intuition,Emperor explained. If you use a magical artifact that mimics what you can do naturally then it will interfere with that ability. You don't want to lose powers you have on your own by using an item that does it through magic.

Gen sighed, a little disappointed. Life is complicated.

True,he agreed. But it's set up like this for a reason.

"Thanks," Gen said to Rusty, realizing that she'd strangely gone silent for a moment, talking to her dragon in her head. "But I don't think that will work for me. Do you have something that will help me to go unnoticed without any dangerous consequences?"

"Of course," he said, shaking his hands and the compass disappearing at once. He reached out and picked up a small flat board. It was black and white and had strange writing on the front. On top was a thin piece that was separate, but attached to the object on the side with a hinge. "This is a clapboard and in the world of filmmaking, it cues the beginning of a scene. Once the board is clapped and ‘Action' is yelled by the director, then all must be quiet on the set. Those in the background must stay out of the way, allowing only those on stage to do their parts. When the director yells ‘Cut!' then things can go back to normal."

"Okay, so how could this help me?" Gen asked, scratching her head, a bit confused.

"Well, this is a magical clapboard, of course," he explained. "If you used it for your mission, you would say action right before you wanted to go unnoticed. Then you would be like a background crew member, going unnoticed for the length of the scene. You could walk right by someone and they wouldn't see you during the time under the clapboard's spell. You wouldn't be invisible, you'd just be like a stagehand, unnoticed and in the background."

"Wow, that's pretty fascinating magic," Gen gushed, reaching for the clapboard but then hesitating. "What's the drawback?"

He nodded, understandingly. "It only works for the length of a standard scene. That is approximately four to six minutes. So from the moment you say action and clap the board, you have between that amount of time to complete whatever you must, unseen. When you hear in your head the word, ‘Cut,' that means you're no longer under the spell. Then you'll be seen by anyone and at risk of being caught."

"So you're saying I have four to six minutes to enter this building and get what I want?" Gen asked. "And I wouldn't have to worry about security since I'm pretty much unseen, right?"

"That's all correct," he answered, tipping up on his toes and then rocking back on his heels. "Will this work for your mission? Do you want the magical clapboard?"

"Yes," Gen answered with a smile. "And thank you. So I don't owe you anything?"

"Only what we all owe to each other," he answered. "To make the world better."

"Thank you."

"Oh, and just so you know," he continued. "The magical clapboard can only be used once. They are rare and once that one is used it will disappear, so ensure that you're ready when you say action."

"Okay, I will." As she turned to leave, the shopkeeper called out, his voice filled with theatrical grandeur.

"Remember, my dear, in the grand play of life, it's not just about the final act, but how you navigate the twists and turns along the way. I hope for you that you unravel the mysteries and take center stage in your own thrilling tale!"

With a grateful smile, Gen stepped back out onto Roya Lane, the clapperboard clutched tightly in her hand. The Fortified Theater had lived up to its name, providing her with a unique tool to aid in her quest for truth and justice. As she made her way back to Emperor, Gen couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement for the adventure that lay ahead, knowing that she was now better equipped to face whatever challenges the City of Angels had in store.