Chapter 14

Alex had seen Otto out of the corner of his eye, the look of determination in his eyes. The moment Otto had stepped into the cafeteria, he knew something was wrong. But he was better at hiding it than Otto, and continued, without a flinch, talking to Laura.

Alex had looked up when Otto started talking. Otto wanted something badly; Alex could see it in his eyes. Me? Why?

It dawned on him the moment Otto asked about the time.

"Oh, hey, do you have the time?"

The time? Such a change of topic. A distraction. He could've just looked across the cafeteria at the big digital display. Or check his Blackbox. Actually,Alex was surprised that they didn't know how to keep track of time internally. It was a skill every spy was taught the first week of training. Why the distraction?

Don't be so obvious. Alex chided himself. He looked at his left wrist. "Sorry, no, I don't." He replied bluntly.

"Do you usually wear a watch?"

That was it! Otto looked so victorious. My watch. From Smithers. He knows about me. How? Doesn't matter. First things first. Get out of this trap.

"Yes, I do, but…" Alex trailed off.

"Um… I used to have a watch too. It was white, and it was really cool, with all sorts of gadgets which could…"

"… tell the time." Shelby finished for him and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah! That. Did yours do that?"

More rolled eyes around the table.

Silence.

"Okay, never mind-"

I guess I don't have to plan how to deny this feasibly. Malpense is digging his own hole.

"Otto, why do you want to know about Alex's watch?" Laura asked.

"The reason I want to know is–"

Okay, Malpense, you're not going there. "Yeah, I did have a watch. It got stolen along with all my other belongings the instant I arrived at H.I.V.E."

"Yeah! I KNOW!" Shelby said enthusiastically. "All my clothes. Accessories. EVERYTHING. Gone, gone, gone. I love them long after they're gone, gone, gone…" she sang, wiping pretend tears from her eyes.

Wonderful. Malpense looked positively depressed.

"THE REASON I want to know is… is because Alex is a spy."

He actually said it. Alex stared at Otto. Then he noticed those laughing. And smiled. Oh, Malpense. That wasn't good. At all.

"I'm serious! Alex is a spy. He works for MI6, and he had a spy watch. It's in the Professor's lab, undergoing experiments. It has an AI inside it, and contains Raven-like blades–"

Shelby couldn't contain her laughter. "Otto, this is funnier than the time you tried to prank me but ended up falling on your face in the middle of the–"

"Which time?" Laura giggled, which sent the two girls laughing like maniacs.

Time to say something. "I never knew you had such great creativity! It's like, we're meant to be brothers. I used to dream I was a spy, you know, and now, at H.I.V.E., I guess I'm an evil spy…" He. He. He. Gotcha there, didn't I, Malpense?

"Come to the Professor's lab. The AI's name is Chase, and–" He's desperate! He doesn't have a thing on me.

"Great job inaugurating Alex to your weird antics. E for effort! Or F – for eff-ort!" Shelby clapped. "H.I.V.E. would definitely recruit a spy, I mean, it's not like it's a school for evil geniuses, right?"

Franz stepped in. "I am thinking that Otto is very serious. He is always very serious when he says he is. Even the time when he is not serious, he is being serious. He is being influenced by the Wing thinking."

Oh, Franz. Thank you. You're the most fun I've had in years.

"Well, thanks for the laugh, Otto," Alex said. "It's almost four. I've got to go see Wing. Mind telling me where, though? I got a bit lost on the way here."

"Aye, don't worry, we'll go with you," Laura said quickly, and linked arms with Shelby. That's so nice of her. Unlike Malpense.

"Follow us!" Shelby yelled back.

Alex stared at Otto again. Malpense, you better watch it. "I don't work for them. Never will again." After everything I've done for them. They are not worth it. And neither is getting worked up about you knowing who I really was.

Otto grabbed his arm. "Where do you think you're going? You lie in front of my friends and pretend they're yours. You're nothing but a–"

A what? A spy? You and I already know that.

"Are you coming or not?" Otto quickly let go of Alex's arm as Laura and Shelby appeared again. But they saw it, and Alex quickly took advantage of the situation.

Alex rubbed his arm. Loud enough for Laura and Shelby to hear, he said, "I'm just a new student at H.I.V.E.. I guess bullying is just another form of evil, Otto."

As Alex walked out, he only had one thing in mind. Malpense said that the Professor was experimenting on my watch. Of course H.I.V.E. already knows everything about me, but doing anything to a Smithers' gadget will alert him most definitely. MI6 would know I'm here. Obviously, they're not going to save me. What I've got to do is make them stop H.I.V.E. from creating mini villains completely ruling the world. Convincing them face-to-face is the best way to do just that. And of course, figuring out where on earth I am.

Otto thought hard on the way to Nero's. There was something he missed. But what?

Something like a lightbulb clicked in that white-haired head of his.

The time. Alex said it was 4, and then that he had to leave to train with Wing. How did he know the time? He didn't have a watch means that he didn't have the time. He told me himself. Unless…

Why that little… He's pushed this way too far. And he's good.