Posted august 16, 2020

For The wattys 2020

I went undercover at the Enforcers Of Peace to try to uncover my enemy's identity.

That was my new plan. The IP address led to a room at the EOP headquarters. After several hours of reflecting and a night's sleep, I woke up with a clear mind and an even clearer goal. My enemy was clever, and smart. He was extremely good at hiding his trails, and identity from the world.

I seemed like the foolish one to authorities although he was the one to follow me closer than my own shadow. Something I knew and believed completely is that you should always be holding you own hand, and take care of your matters by yourself.

No one will ever hold your issues as dearly as you. It's not depressing. It shouldn't be sugar-coated. It's just the truth.

I had secretly bought a house with my own money a little over a year ago. I had several products to change my hair, and other parts of my physical appearance. I also had knowledgeable people who had created me fake identities. I had multiple ones for multiple occasions. Blue, who met Calumn was one of those.

Having a fake identity was legal for famous people. The counsellors recognize that it can be infuriating going out and being stopped by overly eager fans every twenty seconds.

I had everything under control to go undercover into the Enforces of Peace headquarters. I was going to get him. And he wouldn't know it's me because technically it wouldn't be me. Jasmin would have a completely different life, and backstory.

I told the Lab that I was going on vacation for more than a month. I assumed a month was going to be more than enough to at least get his name.

What a fool I was.

The first few days I only tried to adapt to my new environment, and lay low. I was not familiar with the system, and how they take knew students.

The only highlight of those days were the unnecessary and numerous calls I would get from my Isic. There were so much it led me to think that maybe I should block him.

I don't know how he knew that about Blake, and the reason I left. But he made sure that I knew he knew. I think there were hints all along of how he knew about Blake, and the surgery. He seemed to always pop up at the right moment.

He would call around 25 times per day. I never answered to any of them, and skipped through the voicemails.

Until he left me a very peculiar. Maybe I shouldn't have ignored his calls. it wouldn't have made him worry that much, and boost his superhero complex.

He would have thought I was okay.

"if you don't call me in the next 10 minutes Autumn, I'm telling the media everything I know about Blake, and the surgery you're doing. And the reason why you really want to do it. It's in your hands now."

He hung up. I stood in shock at my locker, not knowing what to do. It was four o'clock. There was no way I'd call him there.

I leaned on my locker. This is why you never talk to people about what you don't want others to know. they can use it as leverage against you.

I hadn't even told him anything. How did he know?

I dialed his number.

"What do you want? I'm fine." I said, teeth clenched.

"come to the park at 25 Queensplate."

"no. I don't care about you"

"if you don't come. I'm telling everybody. Besides I care about and that's what matters."

He hung up, and when I dialed again, he declined my call. I tried sending him a text, to convince him of leaving me alone. But he blocked me. Not before sending me ten-minute counter chronometer.

I took two deep breaths, rubbing my forehead in frustration. He was going to blow my cover.

With each second passing, sweat trickled faster on my face as I tried to find a plan. But I knew there was nothing that would help. I had to abide by his rules. I took my hoodie, and my bag, and called my AirCar to wait for me in a shallow street.

I had no bodyguards. Only Autumn Air needed them. I didn't have time to retransform into me. But I took my wig, and makeup off. I removed my tan. But I was in brown cargo pants, and a long teeshirt. Isic looked at me a second too long when he saw me. It must have confirmed all of his crazy theories.

when I got there, the park was crowded. What I mean by crowded was that wherever you stand there was somebody a few inches from you. there was a live book reading at the park with thousands of teenagers, and a few parents. Isic sent me his location, and I sent him mine.

We met halfway.

He asked me politely for my new address. I tried to resist. I tried to fool him and take him to a less crowded destination. But he was smart, smarter than I thought.

he gave me his phone opened on the "Notes" app. I reluctantly wrote it. I could have given him a fake one. But I knew he'd throw a tantrum the next day, and do so much worse than just ask me to come to him. Maybe he'd show up at the headquarters, and ask for me? I wasn't taking any chances.

"I care." He whispered. "I really do. I care so much." He said with soft eyes.

"We aren't friends."

He didn't let himself be affected by my words. "Right. We are so much more. We are family. "

I rolled my eyes and left him standing. He was delusional.

When I hopped on my car, he followed me to the house, in his own AirCar. I knew he'd do that. When he saw me go inside, he waved. With the same smile. I shouldn't have looked back one last time. But I wanted to make sure that it was him, and not someone else.

He cared, he said.

Did he really?

I had to ask him next time about how he knew about Blake and I, and the surgery. Why were they so many people not involved who knew?

And how much more knew but that never approached me with it ?

It didn't feel like a secret anymore.