Code: Eclypse

Chapter 19: Blending In

The bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. Gab stretched in his seat, glancing around the classroom as students gathered their things, chatting and making plans for after-school activities. It was strange—almost too normal. In some ways, it was a relief. No constant life-threatening danger, no deadly drones or brutal missions. Just students talking about clubs, sports, and homework.

"Well, that wasn't so bad," Jake said, stuffing his notebook into his bag as they walked out of the classroom together. 

"I mean, aside from the whole 'pretending to be a regular student' thing."

Gab smirked. "Yeah, you looked really comfortable during that math quiz."

Jake rolled his eyes. "Hey, I'm more of a hands-on guy. Let me wrestle a drone or defuse a bomb, and I'm golden. But math? Not exactly my thing."

Mary, walking beside them, smiled. "It's not so bad. Besides, this might be the first time in our lives we're allowed to be... you know, normal. Even if it's just an act."

Lily, who had been quiet most of the day, finally spoke up. "Do you think we'll ever actually get to be normal? After all this?"

Gab paused for a moment, considering her question. "Maybe not completely. But this... right now, it's about as close as we're going to get. So, let's enjoy it while we can."

"Still," Michael added, walking up behind them, "we can't lose focus. We know who the targets are now. We've seen them. We can't let our guard down."

Gab nodded. They had indeed identified the students they were assigned to protect. It had taken some careful observation and piecing together information they overheard during the day, but it was clear now. The targets were high-profile students, connected to powerful families and critical in ways they didn't fully understand yet.

As they walked toward the school's courtyard, Gab's mind flashed to ****, one of the students they were tasked with protecting. The quiet exchange during lunch, the body language—everything pointed to **** being a major part of why they were here. And yet, there was no way to reveal this without tipping their hand. No mistakes. No missteps.

Still, Gab reminded himself, that didn't mean they couldn't embrace their cover a little. Being "normal" high school students meant joining clubs, socializing, and blending in. It wasn't just a disguise; it was essential to gathering intel and staying close to their targets.

Later that afternoon, Gab and his team found themselves in the bustling main hall, scanning the bulletin board for club sign-up sheets. A small crowd of students were gathered, excitedly discussing which clubs to join. Gab raised an eyebrow at the options—everything from chess club to photography to debate. There were even more extravagant options like fencing and an international diplomacy club, which was fitting, given the student population.

"Okay," Jake said, his eyes lighting up as he read through the list, "I'm definitely joining the sports club. Apparently, they do martial arts, boxing, and some weird fencing thing. Count me in."

"Of course," Michael replied dryly. "You'd join the club where you can punch things and call it training."

"Hey, I'm just saying," Jake grinned. "I've gotta keep my skills sharp."

Gab glanced at the sign-up sheets, then at the others. "We need to split up. Different clubs will give us better access to more students. And it's a good way to stay close to... our targets."