Chapter 4: New

"I can't believe he agreed to this." Andy Andrews shifted the strap of the bag he was carrying and trudged on. The British exchange student was on his way to school, to his first school ever, but he wasn't the least bit happy about it. Perhaps those stories about high school that his friends told him weren't that bad, not that he had more to think about, but his older brother didn't even think twice when Marlene practically demanded that the boy go to school after she found out the truth. Well, a friend of his, the only sane one around his age and neighborhood, was the one who did some digging into his past, but he was supposed to have a say in things, right? He should decide on what happens in his private life, right? "Apparently not." Andy mumbled while pulling his jacket even closer around him to block out the early autumn wind when a voice called out to him.

"Private!" The boy winced and was in the middle of choosing between running away or staying when another boy ran up to him with a goofy smile. The newcomer had sandy brown hair, huge yellowish brown eyes and tanned skin. He wore slightly worn clothes that matched his stained baseball cap that had tuffs of hair sticking out the loop and dirtied shoes. His bag was none the worse and the entire sight of the boy made Private pity him, if not for the annoying attitude the boy had unluckily inherited from his childish uncle. "Hey Private!"

"Um, 'morning." Andy replied in a less happy tone, which did not come unnoticed by the unintelligent kid. "Do I know you?"

"Of course you do! You're Private!"

"No, I meant if you knew me," Andy shook his head, "I mean, if I knew you. And no I don't know you, not really."

"Well, yeah, you're Private!"

"Mort!" The boy hissed angrily, with his hand tightly clasped over the smaller one's mouth. Andy looked around and walked deep into an abandoned looking alleyway. "I thought we already told you about the identities." The boy just blinked his big yellow brown eyes at him. "The plan? The secret identities?" More blinking. "Nothing?" 'Andy' spoke in disbelief and dropped his hand. "Are you kidding me?"

"Nope. But Maurice did say something about not joking about the Penguins' other halves."

"Halves? Oh you mean the identities?"

Those big eyes blinked again. "What are identities?"

"Nevermind." Andy looked around again and pulled the boy closer, bringing his voice to a close whisper. "Just remember, if you see our real faces, it's not our real names. It's our fake names. And if you see our fake faces, we use our real names. And right now, I've got my real face on, so I'm Andy Andrews, you got it?" Mort nodded slowly and continuously for a while before Andy sighed. "You have no idea what I just said, do you?"

"Ohkay!" Mort piped before skipping away, whistling a happy tune.

"Great. Now I'm acting like Kowalski."

"Come on, Andy! We're going to school!" Andy's eyes couldn't grow any bigger at the statement.

"How did he, but I…Ah, forget it. There's no way I'm turning into a Kowalski." Andy hoisted his bag over his shoulder and followed the boy. "But wait…how did he know I was going to school?"

Zack Andrews hopped out the black van that his friends made from scrap metal, slammed the door and marched up the stone steps to the building labeled 'Police Station' in big, old-style letters. He walked past the onlookers, up the steps and in the room that occupied half of the second floor and was labeled 'Finders' Incorporated'. In this room were five tables and a door that led to what looked like a laboratory. Each table had its own distinct personality, depending on the owner except for the fifth table which was empty of anything but a trash can and a discarded pen. All of which he passed, with Blaine Chase, one of his partners in the delivery industry, at his heel. "Here's the folder, Mrs. Thelma." Zack threw a folder down on the desk next to the door with the only frosted glass window in the entire building and the woman behind it picked it up and flipped through it.

A smug grin started at Zack's lips, probably caught on from Blaine's own, when he remembered an event in the early morning but he held it down as a familiar man walked, no, stalked up to him. He was dressed in the complete blue police officer uniform and an ugly scowl directed at Zack, who stood straight and looked at the man with the same fierceness despite the height difference. "Officer X."

"Mister Andrews. You're late." It could've passed as a growl with the way he said his sentence but it didn't faze Zack one bit.

"Something came up, sir." It still disgusted Zack that he had to call one of his hated enemies his boss, but to actually give respect to someone who didn't return it? Even he had to agree to his younger brother's statement about giving people what they deserved.

The man crossed his arms, oozing the authority he knew he had.

"Let me guess, traffic?" The meaning behind that was clear to Zack. The officer didn't believe that Manhattan's fastest delivery team could be caught up in morning traffic.

"Yes, sir." Zack could see that the man resisted the urge to blurt out the possible things they could have done to allow time to elapse, and instead eyed the empty space behind Zack.

"Where are Jefferson and Junior?"

Zack glanced over at the two desks that belonged to the two men. "Obviously not here."

"Are you sassing me, mister?"

"No sir. I was about to say that the two are on a temporary leave."

"And who gave you permission to let them off?"

"That," Zack urged the grin that was coming up to go back down before X could see it, "would be me, X." X turned his attention to the big and even burlier man leaning against the desk. This guy was also dressed in a blue uniform, had thin white hair crowning his bald head and upper lip and his nameplate stated that he was 'Chief Jayson Rutherford'. Apparently from the slight opening in the door behind him, he had entered while the two were having a glare down.

"For what reason, Chief?" The bear of a man pushed himself off the desk with much grace and towered over X.

"For obvious reasons, like how a boy is still not in school even after years of arriving here. The boy will be getting a diploma and I'd like to be one of the reasons why."

"And what about Jefferson, sir?"

"He is also occupied with his own work. You don't have to concern yourself with any of the boys' problems. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Chief."

"Good. Now I need you to supervise over the McKinley case. McKinley's lawyer should be here any second."

"Yes, Chief." The man walked away without another word and Blaine let out the breath he had been holding. He had been standing quietly off to the side of Zack, eyeing X with much conviction until he locked the door behind the man.

"I'ot." Blaine mumbled and walked over to the table with overflowing papers, perched on the edge and started making a paper plane from one of the stacks. Chief Jayson Rutherford, or Jay, raised a brow at him and picked up the cup of steaming coffee from the table with a grin.

"He still on your case?"

Zack shook his head and glared at where X had gone to. "He still thinks we have a link to the Penguins."

"Sorry, but I can't do anything without alerting her, and you know I can't grant the sudden dismissal of a good recruit."

Zack gritted his teeth and crossed his arms. "Good recruit. The world really is a crazy place."

The folder that Zack had placed on the table earlier on was handed back to Zack, who took a look at it, and then at the woman whose manicured hand was holding the file. "I know you don't approve of this new recruit-"

"I think X's is a pain, but I don't think anybody'll listen to me, Mrs. Thelma."

Thelma just ignored him and continued. "I know you don't want another recruit, but this is a direct order from the doc. You have to take her, whether you like it or not."

"And I don't like it, so I won't take it." Zack pushed the folder away, but Thelma shook her head and pushed it back.

"It's her or your job, Skipper."

"She can't possibly-"

"I'm not one for jokes, Skipper. Take it or leave the badge."

Zack stared at Thelma, who stared back with indifference.

"Why is this newbie so important to her?"

"Do I look like Catriona Carmichael to you?" Thelma forced the folder into his grip and sat back down in her chair. "I don't know why, but she's my replacement."

"What?" The three men chorused in shock as the room went into a stand still. Zack and Blaine turned to Jay, who raised his hands in defense.

"Don't look at me like I should know. I didn't know that either." Jay turned to the aging lady. "What do you mean she's your replacement, Mrs. Thelma?"

"The doc is thinking of getting the expertise of one of her field agents into desk work, since she is pretty good in that area too."

Zack frowned in thought. "She's a spy?"

"You didn't read the file, did you?"

"Um…"

"Skipper, this is one of the reasons why you lack intellect on details. Crucial details are important."

"Yes ma'am, but-"

"No buts. You are taking this new recruit, whether you like it or not, because I am retiring."

"But-"

"Skipper. Just trust me on this. And I say that you can trust the girl."

"I have a problem with females." Thelma raised a brow at him, noting his dry tone. "They hate me. All of them."

"Then I guess that little fan club of yours was just make-believe."

"A fan club?" The man repeated incredulously and Blaine burst out in laughter, earning a glare from Zack. "You're kidding."

Thelma shook her head at him and sighed, adjusting her glasses a bit while peering at the folder. "She'll warm up to you. She has a likeable personality."

"Oh no she won't. Not after that incident with her cousin and one of my men."

"She doesn't have a choice on this either. She can agree to work with you and your team, or sacrifice ten years of hard work at the academy and field."

"Is she that good?"

"I don't think the boss would just allow anyone on your team, Skipper."

Zack licked his lips, looked back at Blaine, who was watching him and then back at the folder, before flipping it open. "I have one last request before you go. Get me a meeting with Barbie McHale today before the sun sets."