Find It Inc.

Chapter 10

A few days have passed since the hunters received their assignments and Caz and Frankie were ready to make their way to their individual destinations. Everything is going according to T’s plan which she was very pleased about except she has yet to figure out of to get Dylan to ‘save Caz’. T was sitting in her favorite red cushion throne-like chair pondering what to do and how to do it. She could try to kidnap Dylan and avoid all of this complicated planning all together but that would be no fun plus Dylan is too smart, powerful and strong to be easily kidnapped. She needs to figure out a way to make sure that all the hunters get into gigantic problems where they will need rescuing at the same time. This way Boss K and Boss J are helping the other two and Dylan would most likely go to help Caz but Dylan does not work for ‘Find It Inc.’ and there is a large chance that Boss K or Boss J could come to Caz’s rescue instead of Dylan. A risk she could not take.

While T was thinking about what to do and trying to figure out who got what assignment (she did not have a spy inside their office, she does not seem to be very good at this all planning thing) so that she knows who to send where; when Donny (one of her long-term hire) walked up to her holding a folded up piece of paper in his hand. It looked as if he ripped it off a wall or something, which he did. He gave the paper to her by holding it directly in front of her eyes. She took it in her hands and saw that this piece of paper was the answer to all her problems. It was an advert to work at ‘Find It Inc.’ and if need be ‘go to a dangerous location’. So they are looking for an assistant of sorts which is a perfect way for T to sneak someone in, now the question is: who?

T was staring at the piece of paper that she held in between her long, red, fingernails chewing over how to use this job opening to her advantage while Donny just quietly stands beside her. She has not noticed that he is there and he is an extremely quiet person that no one ever notices when he is beside them. His footsteps are like feathers touching the ground while is voice is a sound of a gentle breeze floating through short grass.

Donny is an odd fellow he joined T’s company since the first day she started it. He needed a job at the time and this was the only one that wanted to take him at the time. He did as he was told, not standing out from the herd, and did not question anything even though he wanted to. Donny was lonely, terribly so, and this was the first time he felt a part of something even if he was just standing in the group not saying a word, regardless how ‘bad’ that something may be to others. But this year Donny wanted to be different to how he was usually. He wanted to have more of a challenge at work as well as to taken a bit more seriously, not much but just a little bit. Donny spent his free time exercising (in case he needed to go out into the field which he has never did) and reading self-help books. One of the chapters in the self-help books was what prompted him to look for a challenge. The chapter was about that if one wants to get a head in life they have to look for their own challenges plus go big or go home. Donny saw the advert and took it as a sign that this would be his challenge, to be a spy. That is why he gave it to T but now he is trying to find his voice to suggest himself for the role.

Before Donny is about to say anything T gets up and leaves her room. Donny hesitantly follows her as she makes her way to her small stage with a mic in a mic-stand where she makes announcements to her employees. “It has been brought to my attention that we are on the break of a spot-on opportunity at this very moment.” Some people cheered, not because of what she is saying (although she does think so) but because they saw Donny standing alongside her and they knew that he was the one that gave her the information that she needed. They were cheering him on which made him blush a bit. T gracefully continued, “I will be holding auditions to see which one of you can pull off become a spy for ‘Find It Inc.’, to get in, stay in, and tell me who is where and what is happening,” there are mumbles from the crowd, we are not actually saying anything to each other, it always happens whenever a big speech is being given. “Tomorrow morning come prepared to impress me and remember to change your appearance because some of them have most likely seen you before.” and with that she turns her back and goes to her office. The employees get back to what they were doing which was training, or playing cards, some even start to get into character for tomorrow. Basically their job is to come to work, wait to be called and used and then go home. They get paid for waiting but they get paid extra if they actually do something. Donny has an advantage in the audition and that is, he has never left the office and the members of ‘Find It Inc.’ have no idea what he looks like because they never saw him. Donny goes to his corner of the place where he has put up a mirror to help him build his confidence. He also has a mic set up so he can record himself while he talks to make sure he is talking loudly enough but not too loud at all. He is really trying and has been for the past year. Tomorrow will be the day and he believes he turned down the correct path.

***

The next day at T’s office was a buzz with wannabe performers. Everyone was standing in a line waiting for T to come in and start the process. A lot of people needed the extra money while others were really bored and just wanted to do something else besides play cards. But there were still people playing cards in the line. Mimicers were trying to choose which power would be the best to impress T. Some people got into an argument that ‘Find It Inc.’ would be looking for someone who has different powers to the ones they already have but others disagree since (according to the people who are arguing) they already have two mimicers on their team so they would like the same since they know what to expect. But mimicers’s powers do not last long so they may want a ‘one power’ person. People argue about this while others were practicing different lines that they have rehearsed and a few here and there were reading ‘how to pass the audition’ books as they waited.

Our main man Donny was in the front of the line since he spent the night in front of the office so that he would be in front of the line. Part of the self-help book (which is titled: ‘Self and Us’ about how to be yourself with others) which he is reading says that obstacles are like removing a bandage, get it over with as quickly and painlessly as possible. So that is what a prepared Donny is going to do. While the others are playing card games or talking loudly to each other or reciting their made up lines, Donny is holding onto his fake CV and trying to think which literally face he should take on that would impress the ladies at ‘Find It Inc.’ He can ask T since she is the one holding the audition and seems to know them the best but that seemed to be unprofessional in his mind.

‘Hey Boss, which face do you think they would like better? This one or this one? Ummmmmm’

He imagines the scene in his head where he is a brain-dead moron while T looks at him as if he is a brain-dead moron. Donny takes a look behind him and sees people trying different moves and things to practice them before their showing. He sees that people are wearing wigs and costumes to try to change their appearances, but why not just do it like he can?

Donny is a swifter which means he can change his outer appearance at will. It also is similar to a mimicer in that he can also mimic other people’s powers but also for longer time. He has not mentioned this before because he did not see the importance of it. Silly Donny, he should have finished the book because there is a chapter about ‘use what you have and have what you use’. T has no idea he is a swifter, no one does. He only got the job because T needed numbers and Donny could make super magical coffee. T finally arrives to her office and tells the first one to come in and audition. Donny gulps and holding tightly onto his fake CV he walks in.

While inside he takes a seat in front of T’s desk and since she did not say how she wanted to do the audition Donny decided to perform how he would if he was at ‘Find It Inc.’ He does not tell her this and goes straight into introducing himself, handing her his fake CV, and saying things like ‘I have always wanted to work in a company like this and am no stranger to danger’ etc. He turned it into a work interview instead of an audition. This took T off balance a bit but she soon caught on and played along.

The audition, interview seemed to be going well until T asks him what ‘battle-ready skills’ he has besides being fit?

Donny blanked. He did not prepare this part at all. What else could he do that would benefit T (not ‘Find It Inc.’ but T, ummmmm? What could that be???). The silence in the room felt as if it was creeping over his whole body and going into him through his pores. It felt like lead and his body was getting heavy. The sweat on his forehead weight all the tons within the earth that his mind was too busy trying to keep it up and that he could not think. T grew impatient but could see Donny was having a panic attack. She asked him to leave and to come back later when he figured out how to answer her question. Donny left with an even heavier broken heart than the lead he felt inside him.

As he was, sadly, walking past the rest of the line, someone put a hat on his head. “Maybe change your look?” they said with a comforting smile on their face. Donny smiled back and made his way to his corner with this thought running around his head. He went back to thinking about changing his face and he decided to stand in front of the mirror and find a face (and body) to suit the mood. Maybe someone more handsome looking? The changing was painful that is why he did not like to do it at all.

The auditions were almost done and Donny decided to try again. He was the last one and he walked in and did the same as he did before. He managed to answer the question about what else he can add by saying he is mimicer and can do kung-fu (he can’t but he will learn). At the end of it all T raised her eyebrows and said:

“Who are you really?”

“It’s me, Donny” says Donny as he lets his face literally sink back into his normal face (which was less painful) so that T could recognize him. T’s eyes glowed and she mouthed “Yessssssss, yooooooou.”