1 week later.
"I did not agree to being monitored by forensic teams like this," Mom whisper-shouted at us on CarPlay. "Aura, please tell your dad he needs to settle this quickly."
Her voice was barely audible over the sound of water running. It was a common trick - she was in the bathroom with the tap running so the agents wouldn't overhear anything.
"It'll be over by the end of today. Trust me, the clone hack works every time." Dad assured her, his eyes focused on the road.
I cringed slightly upon hearing 'clone'. "What do you mean, dad?"
"It's a lifeless clone of you. I had it shipped to the house."
"How did you~" I began.
He shook his head slightly, in a rather sinister way. "I have a copy of the blueprints, so... we have our own machine."
They were probably working on it for a long time. My dad has a trillion secrets, and what he just told me, it's just a drop in the ocean.
"A lifeless...clone, though?" My stomach did a little flip. It was one thing to be declared dead on national news, another to think of a physical copy of myself, devoid of life, existing somewhere. "That's...creepy."
Dad chuckled, a low rumble in his chest. "Effective, though. The forensic teams will analyze the 'body,' confirm your 'DNA,' and close the case. No more monitoring, no more suspicion."
He glanced at me quickly. "Think of it as shedding an old skin, Aura. Necessary for what comes next. That clone was never alive to begin with... not in any single point of the creation process."
The government building loomed ahead, a stark, modern structure of glass and steel. Dad signaled a turn, pulling into a designated parking spot. "Alright, kid. Remember the plan. Play it somber, a little lost. We'll figure out the new identity once we're inside."
He adjusted his own brown wig in the mirror, a surprisingly good match to mine. "And try not to stare at the officials. Some of them have… interesting power signatures. Old habits, you know."
We got out of the car, the cool morning air hitting my face. Mom's worried voice still echoed in my ears. The weight of the charade, the fake death, the lifeless clone, pressed down on me.
As we walked towards the entrance, Dad placed a hand on my shoulder. "We're doing the right thing, Aura. This new identity is your shield. It will allow you to move freely, to learn what Aurelia is truly planning. But also... this is your chance to give up all this mess..."
"It all feels weird. It's too many emotions involved, and I don't think I can handle it."
He squeezed my shoulder reassuringly before letting go. "Just follow my lead, Aura. Let's go get you a new life."
Dad handled the initial paperwork with practiced ease, his demeanor polite but firm. Finally, a stern-faced woman with sharp eyes called out. "Next?"
Dad stood up, placing a hand on my back. We followed her to a small office. Behind a large desk sat a man with tired eyes and a neatly trimmed beard. He looked up from a file. "Mr. Carbon," he acknowledged Dad, then turned to me. "And you are…?"
"She's… in need of a new identity," Dad said smoothly. "Recent circumstances."
The official nodded, his gaze softening slightly. "Of course. We understand you've been through a difficult time. Mr. Carbon's… contributions to the Power Regulation Act have been invaluable. We want to assist in any way we can." He shuffled some papers. "We have a preliminary file started. For the new identity, do you have anything in mind?"
I hesitated for a moment, the weight of choosing a new name settling upon me. I thought of Dad, his strength, his unwavering resolve.
And then my gaze drifted to a periodic table poster on the wall. Helium, my real power, can be hidden as hydrogen.
Oxygen is common, unremarkable.
And then it struck me. A silent nod to Dad, a subtle twist on the elements I could control.
"Lexi," I said, my voice quiet but firm. "Lexi Hydroxide."
The official raised an eyebrow slightly, a flicker of curiosity in his eyes. "Hydroxide? An interesting choice." He began typing. "And the reasoning?"
"It reflects some things from my past," I offered vaguely, hoping he wouldn't press further. "I'd rather not say."
He nodded slowly, accepting my answer. "Alright, Lexi Hydroxide. We can work with that. There will be some routine monitoring, of course. Standard procedure for newly established identities, especially those with… unusual circumstances."
My heart skipped a beat. "Monitoring?" "I echoed, trying to sound merely concerned.
Dad stepped in smoothly. "Of course. We understand the need for due diligence. Lexi is ready to cooperate fully."
"Please fill this form. Not too many details, it's just a few things for her passport, citizenship ID..."
Most of the fields were filled in quickly by my dad, who obviously knew his way around these things.
He turned to me, then handed me the pen. He pointed to a box below my new name. "Fill in your new elements, Aura."
I began writing. "Lead, hydrogen, oxygen." I mouthed, then placed it back on the table after giving my signature on the bottom of the page.
The man stood up, then walked towards us. "Well, then... welcome, Lexi Hydroxide."
He talked to my father for a little while, then they shook hands and we parted ways. "He's got it handled."
"But I have no paperwork as 'Lexi Hydroxide' and my Aura Ozone paperwork is probably messy too. My birth certificate and all... I wasn't born, I was created."
"I know, but... having friends in high places, especially as a ghost is useful. The man we talked to just now? He used to work at the lab, in finance. A good friend of mine, who never did support Aurelia."
"Mhmm," I nodded.
"The woman at the front desk, she was Aurelia's secretary before for a while. Hated every minute of the job."
"Why, though?"
"The job paid well and all but... the problem was Aurelia. She just doesn't have the people skills... but I guess, I did. I think just being a friend worked, and... that's how I got the safehouse. It's all about connections."
"Connections are important," I agreed, a bit overwhelmed by the web of relationships Dad seemed to have woven over the years. "So, what now? Where do we go from here?"
"A place Aurelia never went to, a place you usually go to every day, minus weekends."
"School," I quickly answered. "But wait... why school?
"Exactly," Dad said, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "School. It's the perfect place to blend in, to observe, and… to get close to certain people."
"Archie," I breathed, the realization hitting me.
Dad nodded. "He's still there, isn't he? And from what you've told me, he's… somehow connected to Aurelia's work."
"But… going back to school? As someone else? It's going to be so weird..."
"I know, kid. But it's the best way. We need information, and Archie might be our best source. Besides, you're good at making friends."
I shook my head violently. "No way... thats not me at all! Carly and Archie are two of like four people I talk to every day. I haven't made many friends in high school at all!"
"Well, you can make new friends... and besides, they're all still there."
"I guess," I said, still feeling a bit apprehensive. "So, what's the plan?"
"First, we go back to the safehouse. We need to get you set up for your new life. Clothes, books, a new phone… all the essentials for a teenage girl named Lexi Hydroxide."
"And then?"
"Then," Dad said, his voice hardening slightly, "Tomorrow, we go to school. You get yourself enrolled, make some friends, and… you keep your eyes and ears open. You find out what Archie knows, what Aurelia's planning… and you report back to me. Every detail."
He started the car, pulling out of the parking spot. "Tomorrow, you'll be Lexi Hydroxide. A fresh start, a new life… and a spy."
The engine roared to life, and we drove away from the government building, leaving my old life behind. I was going back to school after two and a half weeks, not as myself, but as someone else. And I was going there to spy on a friend.
"One more thing," Dad said, breaking the silence. "Your sister is coming to visit you at the safehouse. She's bringing some of your things, and she's going to help you with your hair."
"My hair?" I asked, confused.
"Lexi Hydroxide needs a new look," Dad said with a grin. "And Zinnia, as you know, has a flair for the dramatic."
I sighed, a small smile tugging at my lips. A new name, a new identity, a new school, and now… a new hairstyle. My life had officially become a sitcom. And I had a feeling it was only going to get weirder from here.
We obviously couldn't be spotted near our old house to pick her, considering the sheer amount of research happening in the house. Zinnia's idea was to 'sneak off to visit Oxidane', but she really took the metro here. She came in, and I was in my brown wig when I answered the door.
The knock on the safehouse door was light, almost hesitant. Dad peered through the peephole. "It's Zinnia," he murmured, unlocking the deadbolt.
I stood back a bit, still feeling strange in the brown wig. It felt itchy and foreign, not quite me. When the door swung open, Zinnia’s eyes widened, a mixture of relief and confusion washing over her face.
"Aura?" she asked tentatively, her gaze flicking from my face to the unfamiliar brown hair. "Is that… you?"
She was dressed in her usual chaotic-chic style, a brightly patterned jacket over a band t-shirt, and clutching a tote bag overflowing with what looked like my belongings.
"Hey, Zin," I said, trying to sound casual, but my own voice felt a little off to my ears.
Her eyes narrowed. "The wig? What's going on?" She stepped inside, her gaze darting around the surprisingly normal living room. "Mom is a wreck, by the way. The cops are… well, they're doing their cop thing. Lots of questions, lots of sympathetic looks."
Dad closed the door behind her. "Everything's fine, Zinnia. Aura's safe. We just had to… stage things a little."
Zinnia dropped the tote bag with a thud. "Stage things? What are you talking about?" She looked from Dad to me, her expression demanding answers.
I took a deep breath. "It's… complicated. Remember how Dad said I had to disappear for a while?"
She nodded slowly. "Yeah… to stay safe from… you-know-who."
"Well," I continued, gesturing to the wig, "this is part of it. I… I can't be Aura Ozone anymore. Not publicly."
Zinnia’s eyebrows shot up. "What? Why not? Are you going into witness protection or something?"
"Something like that," Dad interjected smoothly. "For her safety, Aura needs a new identity."
"A new… identity?" Zinnia repeated, still trying to process this. Her gaze returned to my brown hair. "So… you're going to be called, I dunno… Brenda or something?"
I chuckled slightly. "Not quite. My new name is… Lexi."
"Lexi?" Zinnia repeated, trying it out. She tilted her head, studying me. "Lexi… with brown hair. Okay, that's… different. Mom's going to have a meltdown."
"She knows," Dad assured her. "She's… adapting."
Zinnia snorted. "Mom adapting is like a cat learning to swim. It's possible, but not pretty." She rummaged through her tote bag, pulling out a familiar faded band t-shirt. "Anyway, I brought some of your stuff. Figured 'Lexi' might need some… non-dead-girl clothes." She tossed the shirt to me. "Though... honestly this band has been dead since like 2025..."
"Gee, thanks, Zin," I said, a wave of affection for my chaotic sister washing over me, even if she criticized my clothes every day.
"So, Lexi," Zinnia said, her eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief. "Brown isn't really your color. We need to fix this." She pulled out a box of vibrant blue hair dye from her bag. "Operation: Not-So-Basic Brown begins now."
"Just the highlights," she shrugged. "Brings out those dead ass eyes of yours..."
Zinnia dragged me towards the bathroom, a somewhat evil look in her eyes.
"Mom is not gonna like this," I warned. "Cat learning to swim, remember?"
"Well, you're not Aura anymore, you're Lexi, and you are not bounded by your mom anymore. Not Aurelia, not Cadence, nobody."
I rolled my eyes. "Go get a job. At least then you won't have to live with your mom at 22 years old."
"Shut the hell up or I'm making the whole thing blue."
"Just make it quick. If you mess this up, Zinnia Chrome, I swear... you'll find out what's next."
