Issued Identity
"White Watch?"
"Yes."
"Welcome. Barnaby at your service—humble delivery guy, as it happens."
The air roared against me, but the suit held. My eyes squeezed shut as the wind forced its way in. I raised a hand, shielding my face.
I climbed up the ramp of the craft. The inside was stripped and utilitarian—metal walls lined with exposed wiring, narrow bench seats bolted along both sides, and dim overhead lights flickering. It was empty, so I took the nearest seat to the cockpit.
I fiddled with the white watch on my wrist.
"So, White Watch, tell me, are you excited for your first official mission?"
I looked over at the pilot. His back faced me. Hazel-brown hair, slightly unkempt. A worn jacket. The kind of person who looked too casual for something this serious.
"Official mission?" A pause. "I suppose I am. But it is more of a shadowing kind of deal, is it not?"
"Ah—right. Do try not to get yourself killed."
My eyes widened.
He laughed under his breath.
My fingers dug into the seat.
Ha Ha.
Those aliens laughed like that when I lay on the ground, beaten almost to death.
Ha Ha.
My breath trembled.
Why did it feel the same?
The aircraft hovered over the city shaped like a clematis flower—it was empty. They cleared out the city impressively quickly. Clematis City lay 247 km away from Starlight City. The aircraft lowered on an empty road within the city. I stood and walked over to the ramp as it slowly lowered.
"Good luck."
I turned my head and nodded.
The ramp closed behind before the aircraft lifted once again. I watched it fly away.
I was left standing in the middle of the road. I looked around. A national park stretched beside me, bordered by high-rise buildings.
I pulled out the special phone provided by the arena. It had special apps pre-installed. It had special apps pre-installed, one with tracking ability—to track co-members. I tapped it and followed their location.
On Petalfall Street.
Weird name.
I walked through the empty road. Cars were abandoned mid-lane. A city that should have been alive—buzzing with subways, ventilation, horns—was silent.
The heart of the city had been evacuated first—the government sector. And once that emptied, everything else followed.
Fresh air blew past me.
Never in my life had a city's air been this clean.
It didn't smell like a city anymore.
I smiled faintly at that thought.
I took a deep breath, closing my eyes.
Earlier—11:01 AM.
"White Watch?"
The lady asked, holding a board in her right hand while a pen in the other.
"Yes, that is me."
She nodded, gesturing for me to follow her. I stood up from the couch and followed her into the private room. It was large and pristine—mirrors lined the walls, soft lighting glowed overhead, and racks of fabric stood neatly arranged like a high-end tailor's studio.
She gestured toward a raised fitting platform.
"Take a stand and raise your arms up."
I followed her orders, stepping onto the raised platform. I raised both of my arms. A hovering robot like the one I met a few days ago came over and began scanning me.
The woman used the good old measuring tape.
The instructions for a 'hero suit' stated it had to be well-fitted. In simple terms, tight.
I didn't want that. The other female 'heroes' in the arena had tight suits, though some were the exception. Like the woman with long, luminous golden curls, or the alien who beat me, Reaver.
They had status within the arena. Maybe that is the reason they were allowed to make changes to their outfits.
Sigh.
This arena was not for me. But I had to push through.
I snapped out of my thoughts when she squeezed my chest, my pupils flaring in shock.
What th—
I smacked the woman's hand away and took a step off the podium.
"What was that?"
"Let me do my job."
"No, you can't just do that. Just because you are a woman doesn't mean you can squeeze me."
"Quit your whining and get back on."
"No. I won't. If you dare touch me again, I will report this to the authorities."
"Yeah, yeah. Stand still."
She waved her hand dismissively.
What was wrong with this woman? She just–
My jaw clenched, teeth grinding together. I watched her through the mirror—arms crossed, eyes tracking every movement of her hands.
Vile woman.
"Here is your suit."
A different woman stepped out, holding my suit in a garment bag. The woman from earlier walked back, staring at me with something unpleasant in her eyes. My face twisted into a frown.
Her stare clung to me. Even when I looked away, it didn't leave.
"Ms. White."
My head snapped back to the girl holding my suit.
"Come along, I will help you change."
I stood up and followed her.
Zip.
The girl backed up once the suit was on. It was fully black. Deep, light-absorbing black. With a strip of white running along the seams. The texture was rough—they said it was made out of carbon fibre. There was a space for gadgets on the white belt around my hips.
She handed me a pair of gloves. They were thick and touch-sensitive.
"You have to take off your watch."
She referred to the white watch on my wrist. I stared at it. The white watch.
It's just a watch. A simple-looking watch. Nothing interesting about it. Nada gave it to me before she left for New Zealand.
A simple watch.
The object that gave me an identity.
White Watch.
"No. I cannot take it off."
She stared at me as if I had gone crazy.
My feet were planted, and my hands curled up beside me—willing to fight for the right to keep it on.
I stood my ground.
⋆