"What are we going to do? I know for a fact that you're limited on training"
"That's why we're not doing physical training, we're going to be doing undercover training instead"
"But Clair you're not allowed to do undercover work, except as a contact between the police station and undercover officers"
"True, however just like you guys I was given a second identity in case I had to hide, I want us established in our second identities"
"But you already have a second personality"
"No, not for this identity, it's too dangerous, I have habits that could get me killed if caught, I need to not use them so much, you might notice I unconsciously go for the locket at times, I can't do that except under extreme stress because that's a stress response due to having to make sure I had it on me at all times during those seven years, it's what grounds me in the present"
"Okay so we have a month to establish a second identity?"
"Yes, with the given identity that the government gave you when you joined this station"
"Will we be testing our fellow officers?"
"Yes, eventually but not right now, right now we simply need to focus on establishing the do's and dont's of our second identity, that means what will we do and what won't we do when we have to become this second person for long periods of time at need"
"So basically this is going to be an ongoing process until we have things down pat"
"Yes, and if you haven't already you should start a bank account in your second identity, you don't need to establish a second living space right now, but I do need you to have a second bank account"
"Wait, the Captain didn't tell you?"
"Tell me what?"
"As soon as we join the station we have a second bank account, that's where part of our paychecks go every month"
"Oh...probably didn't realize that with me already having three different bank accounts"
"Three?"
"Hey, you try living with a terrorist group for seven years and not have a secret account so that you can survive once separated from the group, my thought process was that I would either be behind bars or be hiding from the law until the truth was revealed and that meant making sure I had money saved away in an account no one knew of"
"Okay that makes sense"
"Indeed it does, the other accounts are a savings account I created after I was free and then my primary account under my legal name"
"Well due to having an account already under our second name we can rent a small apartment, it can be our bolt hole at need"
"You mean a place to hide out in an emergency temporarily"
"Exactly, and it means you can rent a place as well"
"True" (thinks) "they don't need to know yet about the plans for going literally underground if it's needed, due to the money I have through family and other odd jobs I can actually afford a house, but I will instead use that to build an underground city essentially. I know that this will take time but I want a place that is safe for us officers and for civilians if it gets too dangerous above ground"
The Winspector team alerts their Japanese counterparts about the training they were going to undertake and Clair speaks with her family specifically to let them know that she would remain as safe as possible, but that she couldn't call them for a month and that they couldn't call her during that same time period
*Daichi, this is just for a month and to make sure I remain safe if I suddenly have to go into hiding for my and your safety, this is just a training situation and not real, we will develop codes for when it is the real thing so that you yourselves can take the appropriate actions, now then can I talk to dad for a moment? I need to talk to him about something*
Daichi hands the phone over to Masaki who goes to a private area of the house and switches to English, which Daichi was learning real fast
"What is it Clair?"
"Dad, I need you to look after some people who will be arriving in Japan soon, I can't explain why they are there or what they are going to be doing except to tell you that it's under my orders, and dad whatever you do, until told otherwise make sure that they are not interrupted for any reason except for dangers to their lives, I know this doesn't make sense right now, but eventually it will, and I was telling Daichi the truth when I said that we will be developing codes for when I do have to go into hiding for whatever reason, it's for your own safety"
"What about your Cybertronian family?"
"They already have codes with me and know that if I give them a code they need to obey what it means since if I'm the one giving the code it's serious"
"Understood"
"Dad, one more thing, I left specific instructions with the Captain if I don't report in after a month like I should, however I'm afraid he won't completely understand those instructions, which is why I addressed the video to both you and him since you have the background that he doesn't, I know this will seriously interrupt the schedule you have with Daichi but I need you in America to help the Captain understand the instructions given to him should he call you, which is part of his instructions given to him by the police Chief"
"Don't worry, I can make temporary arrangements if needed that will turn into more permanent ones at need"
"Just making sure that you're ready at a moments notice"
"Okay, is there anything else I need to know about?"
"Um...no"
However due to the fact that Clair said this slowly he knew she was lying and called her out on it with his tone of voice
"Clair..."
"Look even though you're family it doesn't affect you right now and there's a chance it never will which is why I am hesitant on saying anything, don't worry you'll be the first to know if it does ultimately affect you guys"
"Fine I better be"
What Masaki didn't realize was that Clair was hesitant on mentioning possible special drills for all EDC officers and their family's, however since that was still being debated she didn't want to say anything in case the drills never happened and especially because those drills would affect her family the most being connected to the Cybertronians which Daichi still wasn't even aware of with the agreement of Clair and Masaki who had realized that the rules that Clair laid down while he was thought dead were good rules, but they were going to have to be modified a bit because with the way Clair was acting he knew that Daichi might have to be introduced to the special family members sooner than what Clair wanted in order to keep him safe. Clair ended the call and then passed the phone to the others since she realized that they too would need to reassure their family's that they were okay
"Now listen up, we do not meet except by accident for the entire month unless you guys get an emergency call in, we do not act familiar with each other if we do meet during that month, and under absolutely no circumstances are you to reveal yourselves as EDC/police officers during that month except during emergency call in's"
"But Clair..."
"No Adam I won't allow it, it's too dangerous and that means getting rid of police habits if at all possible"
"How, how is it too dangerous?"
"If we legitimately need to use these ID's and you have police habits the group or groups after us would know in an instant and kill you, but only after torturing you to find out about the rest of the officers and any potential family"
"Oh really?"
"Adam, you know my background, you know I am telling you the truth"
Suddenly though they hear Adam speaking but no lips moving
"Except for one problem, that person isn't me, in fact I haven't even been in this office for three days"
Clair and the other officer look at the door and see...Adam
"Wait...two Adams?"
"Not quite, and no you aren't seeing a twin since I am an only child, no this was a deliberate test by the Chief to see if you could spot this undercover officer"
"Why test us like this?"
"Because the main test wasn't for you two, it was for the officer, he's about to go undercover in a very dangerous assignment that means little to no contact with the outside world, however he is also going undercover for the first time ever and as such needed a field test to see if he could get past you Kerenai-Masaki without any problems since you are a very observant person by force"
"I see, so basically if he couldn't get past me he wouldn't be able to go on his mission"
"Pretty much, but the Chief was concerned when he heard about your training plans"
"Plans that unfortunately are needed"
"He knows that and understands, by the way this officer has been passing on the orders to me through the Chief, good thing you used actual envelopes because that meant no one could access them without knowledge of the proper recipient, he kept confidentiality too since his security clearance is temporarily upgraded so that he can actually report to the EDC at need so that we know he's still alive"
"Backup system?"
"Backup system"
"Do they know?"
"We were ordered to do this when the station became what it was and I do legit mean ordered, and reprimanded once for not obeying orders"
"Oh?"
"Yes, Captain Faireborn was the one who gave us the orders in the first place, she was in her official EDC uniform and we were given orders on official paper, when those orders were disobeyed I was requested to come to headquarters, and I got reprimanded by the actual EDC leaders, and I don't mean high ranking officials, I mean the ones who created the EDC in the first place, the Cybertronian commanding officers"
"Is this part of the temporary clearance?"
"Yes, just in case"
"Okay just making sure, so how bad was the reprimand?"
"Have you ever been yelled at for being stupid? And then on top of that partially in a language you have no idea what they're saying?"
"That bad huh?"
"That bad"
"Could have been worse"
"How could things have been worse for the Chief?"
"Actually understanding the full conversation"
"Oh...forgot about that, you were yelled at when you came back weren't you?"
"Oh yeah, and I understood the full conversation, okay yes they understood why I did what I did six almost seven years ago but still they weren't too happy with me"
"By the way there's a rumor out that you didn't properly complete high school, someone looked you up and the high school you attended doesn't have a diploma for you, now then this was an unauthorized look and I of course know the truth but do you want others to know about your education?"
(Sighs) "I was wondering when that would happen, if someone asks then yes they can know the full truth about my education experience and how I got my GED early on and really only attended high school for socializing, the reason why my GED isn't always easily found is because I got it in Japan and I switched between Japan and America for four years as you well know, they can know about the GED, and how I went back and forth between the Japanese school system and the American school system but not the reason why I did both, they don't need to know about how I lived with Winspector during those four years, we can just explain that as the family was required to go back and forth between the two countries and as such so did I"
"Works for me, oh I received a message from the EDC recently, but I can't read it, can you?"
Clair is given the message and face palms
"Sorry Chief, all EDC officers around the world are required to be fluent in English for a reason, unfortunately they do sometimes slip and write in their native language and then forget to translate it into English, this is Korean and yes I can translate it easily for you"
"Good"
"Then I should have this done in five minutes, after that us Winspector officers have a month of training to do and your undercover needs to go on his assignment as well"
As soon as Clair starts translating though she realizes why it was never translated back into English, the officer that wrote this was in such a rush they automatically wrote in their native language and then made sure it got out ASAP forgetting about the fact that it was written in Korean and as such needed translated back into English and didn't make sure that it was done before being given to the police Chief
"Chief, there's a problem which means it's even more important that Winspector does this training now instead of later"
"What's the problem?"
Clair looks at the undercover officer though who gets the message and immediately leaves
"Korea is having potential problems with a terrorist group and an uprising against the government, this is a warning for you to be ready to lose EDC support though they're hoping that other EDC bases closer to them will be able to handle the problem"
"Like the Japanese unit who was here and then was sent to China?"
"That was more because of their specialization and the fact that they would technically be closer if they had been in Japan at the time than anything else"
"Okay why does this mean the training is even more important now?"
"If something goes wrong my unit has to be one of the first ones to go into hiding and doing it in plain sight, the reason is because of the fact that no one else at the station are actual EDC officers, though this is a temporary safe house used by the EDC it's still a police station at the end of the day where criminals are brought, but us as actual EDC officers means we're going to be the primary target of any terrorist that comes here, and I make it even more dangerous because of my background"
"Speaking of which I got a call shortly before the conference you went to, something about you potentially needing emergency time off because of your PTSD"
"Yeah...I've been struggling with sleep lately and my therapist was talking about me taking time off and doing a special retreat specifically tailored to those who have PTSD that allows them to get some actual sleep without medication and also meet others not part of your particular circle and possibly learn new coping methods, however with this being needed I can't afford to do that retreat right now"
"What I'm wondering is what are your particular issues right now with the PTSD?"
"Mostly I keep reliving the seven years with the group, and occasionally my mind goes into a what if scenario of where I am still with the group to this day, that I failed to get out and am still being a terrorist even though I never really wanted to be in the first place"
"Basically it's one of your common symptoms that was explained to me while you were at the academy by an evaluator shortly after you physically started attending"
"Yes, if needed I will use special EDC drugs, but I hope I don't have to"
"What special EDC drugs?"
"Sedatives, special sedatives that allow us to sleep safely and wake up quickly if it's needed, the military has used them for several years before I was even born"
"Well for now like you said you had training to attend to so I'll let you guys get to that"
"Thanks, we'll let you know that we're safe, but our actual station can't know until the month is over, at least except by accident which I hope doesn't happen"
"Wait, aren't you going to test the station?"
"No not yet, I can't have that until we're a bit more stable in our second identities"
"But Clair..."
"Chief, do you really want a code delta 49 or omega 68?"
(Sighs) "OK you know I don't and you're right those could happen, but Clair Elisa Kerenai-Masaki if I find out that officers are endangered because of no tests from the start I am alerting the station to what you are doing immediately and suspending any and all Winspector training that doesn't involve the rest of the station indefinitely am I understood?"
"Perfectly"
"Clair one more thing, I think you need to hide the tattoo I know you have"
(Sighs) "I can't Chief, my ways of disguising marks are too good and you know full well that tattoo is an identification symbol for dad and I, and eventually Daichi"
"Fine, but make sure it's not visible easily"
"Don't worry I know what to do"
"Okay, now get out of here and hide yourselves"
"Wait Daichi?"
"My adoptive younger brother, it's been decided that family can get the tattoo at either eighteen or twenty depending on which country you live in and when you feel you want the tattoo"
"What about marriage and kids?"
"Spouses and kids also will get the clan tattoo"
"Are you even looking for someone?"
"Yes and no, I do want to find someone but at the same time I need to know that I can trust them with my very life, and the life of my team"
"Well we're gone"
"Right"