Sandabury Academy

Eavesdropping is My Job

**The President's POV**

    Sitting at my desk going through a series of applications for the academy, the old landline resting on top of a stack of papers begins to ring. I pick it up, surprised at the voice I immediately recognize on the other end.

"Hey Mr. Prez! How's it goin'?"

"Terry?" I reply in a bewildered tone.

"At your service. We managed to find one of those special phone booths that crosses the dimensional border that surrounds the academies in this small town just a few miles West of where we landed. Figured out we were still in America and that the mountains Jacques was talking about are only a few days hike from here."

"Why aren't you calling me from the inn?"

"Yeaaaaa, about that. We kinda got ambushed by a bunch of Doppelgangers that put a seal over the inn to make it look like an old abandoned chapel. By the time we had gotten there and broken the seal, the innkeeper and his family were already dead. I'm assuming they were killed by the Doppelgangers."

"Was anyone injured? Is Jaheara alright?"

"Well Jaheara did get pretty banged up but then she went all She-Hulk and dissintegrated one of the Doppelgangers by hugging it with her body all covered in flames. Man you should have seen it, she was so BA! She's okay now though."

"What about Valerie?"

"Funny you should ask. She was amazing too. She completely obliterated one of them and cut it into a bunch of tiny pieces. So nasty but so cool!"

"Spare me the details, Terry. This is grave news. Someone knows about the mission and is trying to stop you. I suggest you proceed with caution."

"Will do. Times almost up Mr. President. We will report back to you again as soon as we can. Buh bye now." Not two seconds after hanging up the phone does Jacques come sauntering into my office.

"Were you eavesdropping?"

"It is my job as an Overseer to eavesdrop and it sounds like the trio ran into a bit of trouble."

"That's one way to put it. They were attacked by Doppelgangers and we both know Doppelgangers only work for the Overseer council. It is highly unlikely this was a mere coincidence."

"What exactly are you insinuating, Dante?" Jacques inquires while making his way to stand in front of the window.

"It has been a long time since I heard that name, old friend. But do you not think it highly suspicious that they were attacked when the only people that know of the mission are those three and those of us in this very room?"

"You are a fool to think only the five of us are aware of the mission. The whole Overseer Council has been informed and apparently, they aren't happy."

I shoot out of my chair and slam my hands on the desk. "That doesn't give them the right to send their lackeys after my students! Just what business do they have interfering?! Same goes to you, for that matter!"

Jacques turned his head towards me and replied, "I am merely doing my job. If you don't like it, take it up with the Head of the Overseer Counsil. Now if you'll excuse me, I have places to be." He starts to walk towards the door.

"And just where do you think you're going?"

Jacques pauses and looks back at me. "To investigate, of course."

"You aren't going anywhere until I find out what exactly is going on."

"Let it go, Dante. It is out of your hands now."

"Regardless, they are my students. Besides, I like to keep old friends close and enemies closer."

"And which one have you labeled me as, old friend?"

"Depends, which are you?"

Jacques simply chuckles and walks out the door.

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**Valerie's POV**

"Awww maaaaaan, this blows."

Jaheara and I both turn to look at Terry unamused.

"What? I know you guys were thinking the same thing because here we are, stuck in an all human town with a bunch of Doppelgangers coming after us for whatever reason while having to get by with the limited supplies we brought with us."

"He does have a point, Val. Although I was half expecting him to complain about-" Jaheara gets cut off by Terry before she can finish.

"And it's freaking raining outside!" Terry says while throwing his arms up in the air and then sliding down in his chair with a pout.

I look around the small cafe that we have taken refuge in temporarily to make sure Terry is not attracting unwanted attention to our small table in the back corner. Luckily, the elderly couple towards the front register are too engaged in their conversation with one of the waitors to notice us.

"I knew he was going to do that," Jaheara states while shaking her head. She and Terry go on to talk about what they think is happening at the academy, but I tune them out so I can think. Terry is right, we have to stay on guard in front of the humans to make sure our cover as fellow humans remains in tact. Also, we would be completely screwed if a bunch of Doppelgangers ambushes us while we are still in town.

"That settles it." Both Jaheara and Terry stop talking mid-sentence and look at me expectantly.

"We have to get out of here before our cover gets blown. The last thing we need is for us to end up fighting Doppelgangers disguised as humans on the street."

"But Val, I would be completely useless in this rain if we get attacked on the road," Jaheara points out. Terry nods in agreement.

I put my hand on her shoulder. "J, it's more dangerous for us to stay here and risk causing a huge scene than for us to keep moving. At least now we all know how to kill them. Besides, they would be much easier to identify if we were in the woods versus walking down the sidewalk."

Jaheara sighs and reluctantly agrees. "Can we at least get an umbrella for me though?"

"That's fine, J," I reply in a mellow tone as I stand up to leave.

"Terry, I want you to go to that little clinic a block over and see if you can grab us some more blood bags. Jaheara, here are a few bucks to go across the street and pick up an umbrella and whatever else you think we will need." I hand her a few bills and throw the rest down on the table. I go to start walking but Terry grabs my arm to stop me.

"What are you going to do?" He whispers in a serious tone. Thankfully Jaheara has already walked out of the cafe at this point.

"Cover our tracks." I motion with my head slightly towards the other corner of the cafe. Terry looks over to where I motioned without moving his head. There is a man sitting in a booth by himself with a shady looking overcoat and hat pulled down low sipping on a cup of what appears to be tea.

"I didn't even see him come in," Terry points out.

"Me neither." We make eye contact and Terry nods his head. Letting go of my arm, Terry bellows a cheerful goodbye to the waitress by the front door and disappears into the rain. I turn to look back at the shady figure but he's gone. Narrowing my eyes with suspicion, I notice that the elderly couple is just now getting up to leave. Right behind their table is a small corridor that leads to a slightly ajar door. Stealthily, I let the dagger under my right sleeve slide down into my hand and make my way over to the door.