Chapter Text
Whitty’s POV
The early-morning sun shines through a window on my face as I slowly emerge from sleep. Another day of running from the Greater Good unfolds before me. I push off the blankets and stand upright before I’m hit by a realization: This is NOT my apartment!
Yep, you heard that right. Last night, I was in my own bed, surrounded by paper-thin walls, empty food containers, and blankets that didn’t even reach my feet. But that is very much not where I am now.
The room is decorated in a color scheme centered around pale blue. A shelf rests in a corner with a bunch of sports trophies lined up neatly, while another wall is covered by a packed bookshelf.
Okay, stay calm. There’s gotta be an explanation. I fast-walk through the open door and down a flight of stairs to…Hex’s front hall? I’ve been to his house plenty of times. No matter how risky it might be to visit, I can never refuse an invitation from him when he’s being so nice. Then that room I woke up in must be his room. Why would I be in Hex’s room, in Hex’s bed, instead of Hex himself being there?
I try to rationalize the situation, but nothing comes up that would make any sort of sense. Wait, I should probably get breakfast. Hopefully he has food, considering he doesn’t eat.
My metabolism is crazy, so I practically need to stuff my face all the time to stay anywhere close to full. But today…I don’t feel that need. The ever-present rumble of my stomach is not there. Okay, something’s off. I wake up in my friend’s bed and I’m not hungry. But if this is Hex’s place…where is he?
I walk through the halls, calling my friend’s name. “Hex? Hex! Where are you?” Nope, that’s not working. No response.
“Wait, what’s with my voice?” It sounds…higher than usual. And kind of familiar, though I can’t pin it down. Groaning, I move my hands to the pockets of my hoodie…but the hoodie is not there. I look down at myself and gasp. What?! How is this… I dash to the first-floor bathroom and stop in front of the mirror.
What I see in the mirror is not me. It’s Hex, from his springy antennae to his metal feet. No. No no no no. You’ve gotta be kidding me. This can’t be happening. I pat myself down using Hex’s pincer-shaped hands, touching his iconic “16” jersey and shorts. Staring at the mirror, then down at myself, back and forth, the truth finally sinks in. I’m Hex. Wait, but if I’m Hex…Hex must be…
Hex’s POV
A TEENSY BIT LATER
Looks like it is time for another good day! I don’t need to sleep like humans do, but I do like to spend the night in bed so my systems can stay in tip-top shape. Maintenance is important, after all.
I get out of the bed. It doesn’t take highly sensitive radar technology (which I have) to tell that this is not my room.
The whole place looks…dilapidated, to put it nicely. Well, this problem should be solved easily! I just have to open my map app. (I have lots of stuff downloaded for a bunch of purposes—including the odd game here and there.) I concentrate, but the app menu doesn’t open. What’s wrong? I must still be booting up.
I can feel a strong sensation in my abdominal area. I can’t pinpoint where exactly it’s coming from. Have I been damaged overnight? No, that’s unlikely. The house is very well-protected.
A phone rings somewhere nearby—probably from the room I can see past the door in this one. I head in that direction…and bonk my head on the door. That hurts.
Despite what you may think, I can feel pain. Just like with humans, it’s a way to warn me of a potential injury. I wouldn’t last very long if I didn’t know when to take care of myself!
Ducking under the top of the doorframe, I head into a small living room-kitchen combination. As in, the living area and the small kitchen are in the same room. A somewhat old-model phone is ringing on a table. I doubt I’m the person they’re looking for. But I might as well tell them that so they don’t think something’s wrong.
Picking up the phone, I notice that the screen reads “Incoming Call: Hex”. That’s odd. I’m getting a call from me? I must know the person who lives here. “Hello? Who is this? This is Hex.”
My voice sounds low and rough. It’s familiar, but I don’t know exactly why. I don’t remember changing my voice settings.
My own voice comes at me through the phone. “Hex? Oh god. This is Whitty!”
“Hello, Whitty. I woke up in an unfamiliar dwelling. I must say, it’s not in good shape. Now, I have to ask—why are you talking in my voice?”
“Crap. That’s my apartment. And you’re talking in my voice. Crap.”
“Is there a problem?”
“Just go to the bathroom and look in the mirror.”
“If you insist. You sound like this is urgent.”
I find the bathroom, and stare into the mirror…but I’m not the one staring back. Whitty is. His (admittedly very cool) bomb head, his glowing eyes, his impressive height, everything. I press the phone back against my ear, and the reflection does too.
The Whitty that sounds like me continues. “I woke up a bit ago in your room, in your body. I’m you, and you’re me. I don’t know how this happened, or how to reverse it.”
“What should be done about this?”
“I have no idea. I guess we’ll just have to live each other’s lives until we can undo all of this. I don’t think I’ll have much to do, considering how much free time you seem to have. But you…might find things a bit harder.”
“Harder? Why?”
“I’m…kind of being hunted by an organization called the Greater Good. They want me dead.”
“Why would they want to kill someone as interesting as you?”
“You know I was created as a living doomsday weapon, right?”
“As a matter of fact, I did not. So, you’re saying they’ll be after me?”
Whitty sighs. “They won’t stop because of this. You aren’t safe in the apartment. Go to the alleys.”
“Oh, by the way…I feel a sensation in my abdomen. Would you mind telling me what it is?”
“You’re hungry. There should be some food in the fridge. Your metabolism is really high, so you’ll need to eat a lot and often.”
So this is what it’s like to be hungry. Never knew—Ohhh. “Whitty? I just realized something.”
“What?”
“I have basketball practice at 2 today. They need me, so you’ll have to go.”
“I will…if you promise to stay out of sight in the alleys.”
“I promise.”
“Good. Now eat up. You’ll need it.”
TO BE CONTINUED!