Unknown Enemy

Alicia showed no surprise at all when Jay bluntly exposed her disguise. She smiled lightly, stepped back a little, brushed back her lovely hair, and asked, "So you really did notice."

"My memory isn't that bad. X-Sight, remember?" Jay shrugged. "I saw your face when we were underground. That pretty mask of yours didn't do much."

"I thought so. I just couldn't confirm that you had X-Sight before, but now I can." Alicia looked around, then stood up. "This isn't a good place to talk. Come with me. There are some things I need to discuss with you."

The match was nearing its end, and the fans' fervor had reached its peak. Spectators rose to their feet one after another, shouting loudly toward the arena. Their voices piled together like rolling, muddied thunder, too loud for any words to be distinguished. Jay struggled through the excited crowd and followed Alicia down to the empty parking lot below.

"So," Jay asked as they leaned against a load-bearing pillar in the parking lot, "what should I call you? Calling you Huntress or Alicia now sounds pretty stupid."

"Just call me Helena." She smiled. "That's my real name—I can guarantee that."

Jay knew that, at least, she was not lying. It was a good start.

"You work for the government?"

"More or less. I work for a special operations division, a new organization formed after the Apocalypse Invasion. It recruits agents with special abilities to carry out special assignments," Helena said.

"So I'm assuming you haven't told anyone about me?"

"Not yet," Helena said. "I left your part out when I reported to my superiors."

"Then thanks. I guess I owe you one now." Jay paused, then asked, "So you definitely didn't come looking for me just to hear me say 'thank you,' right?"

Helena's charming smile faded, and for the first time since Jay had met her that day, she wore a serious expression.

"Yes. I have some very important intelligence that I think you need to know." She said, "Two days ago, my superiors informed me that a member of an Assassin Organization had been spotted around Metropolis. From what we know so far, it's a fairly massive operation. Their assassins are all ruthless and dangerous, with blood all over their hands. Our agents have clashed with them many times, but we still know very little about them."

"Like those men in black from some comic whose members are named after liquor?"

"I'm being serious. Don't interrupt."

After Helena's stern rebuke, Jay wisely shut his mouth. Helena continued unhurriedly, "I was sent to investigate. Based on intel, I identified one of their temporary hideouts and raided it last night. Unfortunately, they were clever. I didn't catch anyone, but I retrieved some data from their computer equipment that might have been related to their mission in Metropolis. Then I found this."

As she spoke, she operated the watch-like device on her wrist for a moment, and soon it projected a small floating screen. Until then, Jay had only seen such sci-fi technology in spy movies. He instinctively began wondering whether he should get himself something that cool too.

A photograph soon loaded in the center of the screen. When Jay saw his own face appear in the middle, his mouth fell open in surprise.

"That's... me?"

"Obviously," Helena said.

Jay frowned. "Are you saying I've been exposed?"

"Unless you can come up with another reason why an international terrorist organization would target a high school student." Helena paused and spread her hands. "Before you ask again, I'll answer it first—not me. I didn't report a single word about you to my superiors, and I certainly didn't contact terrorists."

So where had he been exposed? The Underground Mall incident was still the first time Jay had used his abilities in public, and he was quite certain Helena had been the only witness. Otherwise, those people must have had some connection with the original owner of this body before Jay crossed into this world.

That did seem like the most likely explanation.

"I can't determine the specifics of their mission. I don't know what they want," Helena said. "But I can be certain of one thing—they're after you."

After pondering for a long while, Jay said, "All right. Either way, thanks for warning me. I'll be careful."

Helena asked, "Do you mind if I ask how you plan to deal with this?"

"How do I deal with it?" Jay gave a bitter smile. "What else can I do? If it turns out someone really is coming after me, then in the worst-case scenario, I'll have to say goodbye to my current life. I'll have to abandon this identity and leave far away, so no one connected to me gets dragged into it."

Helena blinked. "Then are you prepared?"

Jay fell silent for a long time.

"I don't know," he finally said. "But I don't think I have a choice."

"Well, I sincerely hope it won't come to that." Helena patted his shoulder. "That's all for now. If I find anything else, I'll let you know."

"Thanks again, no matter what."

Jay said goodbye to Helena, his mind a complete mess. Suddenly, he had a strange premonition, as if everything had poured into his life over the past two days like invisible storm clouds, shattering the delicate balance he had maintained for so long.

Helena turned to leave as well. She strode toward the parking space where her car was parked. The instant her fingers touched the door handle, a cold blade was pressed against her throat. An overwhelming killing intent seemed to erupt from behind her out of nowhere, instantly enveloping her entire body and turning her limbs ice-cold. Her instincts told her she could not fight the enemy behind her, because he was far stronger than she was.

By the time Jay's sharp super senses registered that something was wrong, the black figure had silently appeared behind Helena and restrained her. He was wrapped head to toe in a pitch-black combat suit, with a pair of white lenses set into his mask. A gaze as sharp as steel blades shone through them. He locked his elbow tightly around Helena's throat and pressed a gleaming dagger against her skin, white as snow. His piercing eyes seemed to warn Jay not to make any rash moves.

Jay could not help but feel horrified. He possessed microscopic-level super vision and hearing powerful enough to catch the slightest movement miles away. He had been confident that no one could lurk near him without his noticing—until today. Because this black-clad man had done exactly that. He was like a ghost. Jay could not hear his breathing or heartbeat, and he had appeared here from nowhere like a phantom.

The enemy had arrived, far sooner than he had expected.