(Dakotas POV)
Even though the boys had recently had a near death experience with a bomb in the X-deck, we still found time to be idiot teenagers. This time we we're playing laser tag with our Mech-links. I sat up in the work lab above the hallway that lead to the x-deck knowing for sure that Spyder and Ryan were in the X-deck. I know for a fact because I heard "Walker," Being whispered in what is referred to as Spyder's scary voice. Spyder eventually jumped out from his hiding spot and they began shooting at each other.
"Why do I always get out first?" Spyder groaned after Ryan hit his mech-link.
"Because you always use that stupid scary voice!" Ryan says. "It gives away where you're hiding!"
"Dude don't mock my scary voice." Spyder responds.
"If you really want to scare people, use your 'talk to girls voice' thats freaky." Ryan says before Mark shot at him from around the corner.
"First rule of mech-laser tag, never let your guard down!" He yelled. Once his back was to me, I snuck down from the lab and tapped on one shoulder and ducked the other direction and intently shot a laser that passed right by his face, just long enough to to distract him enough for Ryan to shot his mech-link.
"Ah-ha ha yes!" I cheered getting up from the ground. Mark rolled his eyes and said,
"I'm surprised you're not moonwalking, oh there it is."
"Okay, smooth." I laughed passing by Mark. "You losers just got double teamed hows that feel?"
"Hey you two can't work together!" Spyder complained.
"Sure we can." Ryan responds standing next to me with a arm on my shoulder.
"What if it comes down to the two of you huh?" Mark asks.
"Simple." I answered. "Every shooter for themselves and I'm going to beat you."
"No you're not." Ryan says confidently.
"Yes I am."
"How do you know?" He asks.
"Because I just did." I answered. He didn't know what I meant until he noticed the arm on the back of my shoulder was the arm with his mech-link on it, that I was able to hit when he couldn't see. Mark and Spyder found this hilarious while he was shocked. I ran a few paces away standing on the table in X-deck.
"I just fell for that?" He wondered out line.
"That you did! Hook, line, and sinker! Ha!" I cheered from the table.
"Oh just you wait, I will get you back." He says glaring at me.
"Sup Y chromosomes!" Veracity yells running from the elevator. We we're both trying to hit each other when Harris came running from a different hallway and hit us both at the same time, because he was wearing two mech-links.
"Dang son! I am the Major of Laser, The Master of Blasters, El Ray de Los Rays." Harris celebrates "As in, Ray beams.
"Hey, you can't have to mech-links." Spyder says pointing to his wrist.
"Theres no rule that says that." Harris defends. "Don't hate the player, hate the fact that you guys just lost."
"Not cool cheater Dinklage," Veracity says while I stepped of the table next to her. "Excellent use of loop holes though.
"No, don't compliment him, He's evil! Totally evil!" Ryan says while we all followed him out of the X-deck, everyone except Harris.
—————
"It feels sorta weird." Ryan says while he, Spyder and I walked into school the next morning.
"What does?" Spyder asks. "Harper gone, Leo a traitor, another girl in the robot, big bad destroyed?"
"Well when you lay it all out like that, it's all sorta weird." Ryan laughs while we keep walking.
"Gram tag, 'Axed by the Axe.' Gram tag, Axed by the Axe." Spyder says into his phone.
"Okay why do you keep gram tagging Axed by the Axe?" Ryan asked before Spyder showed us his phone. "Axed by Boston Axe? You want to get in the ring with the angriest guy in ultimate knuckle crunching?"
"So basically you have a death wish?" I added.
"Yes, and sort of." Spyder answered. "See its a contest. You learn a few moves from Boston Axe, then you spar with him, and after you get a video of the fight. And you get another chance every time you Gram tag 'Axed by the Axe.' And I've been doing it for a while now."
"Define a while?" I asked.
"Uhhhhhh, its been a while, but I promise, it never almost got either of you killed." Spyder responds. "Wow." We followed his gaze up to the stairs where we saw Harris walking towards us, but not in his usual sweater vest, this time with a partial comb over in his hair, black jeans, and a black leather jacket. This mans coming for my brand or something.
"Harris?" Ryan says while he approached us.
"Think of it as, Harris, 2.0." He says. "As in, 'Too bad I can't be Harris,' and 'Oh, hes so cool.'"
"New look?" Veracity asks coming up from behind us. "Hey where's the rest of your vampire boy band, I don't see them anywhere."
"Nice. New glasses right?" Harris asks in return. "They look good on you."
"Okay, a compliment?" Veracity asks confused. "No weak attempt at a comeback?"
"Of course not, were friends now right? Hold on let me get back to you bro." Harris says before marching over to Wade who was busy bullying a kid he cheated off of. He grabbed his hand his one arm, twisting it behind his back until he said sorry then shoved him away.
"What?" Ryan asked as confused as we all we're. "Dude what's going on with you?"
"We took out Traeger, The drones are out looking for Grey, and if they find her, we'll be ready for her." Harris explains before starting to walk away. "Own the moment son."
"I like Harris 2.0." Ryan says while I look between Harris and him. "What?"
"Hm? Oh nothing, just thinking about how you'd look in a leather jacket." I answered. He laughed with one arm around me as we headed of to class.
—————
At lunch, I sat at our usual table with Spyder, who was still busy gram tagging at Boston Axe while we waited for the others when Harris walked up.
"Spyder, you don't think I got this?" He asks. We pointed to the launch room doors that swung open and a big super tall and buff guys walked through the front with a bunch of business people behind him, and a smoke effect. I'm not a Ultimate Knuckle Crunching fan, but I knew enough to know this was Boston Axe.
"Spyder! I'm calling you out!" He yells as he walks over.
'Harris!" Spyder asks standing up. "What did you do?"
"Ran a bot thats been gramtagging him for weeks." He explains. "No way you we're gonna lose. Plus I added a random insult generator. Just to make sure it got his attention."
"You!" Boston yelled as he got close to the table while I just watched silently in my chair. "You the kid saying he's gonna punch me so hard, it's gonna knock off my mothers mustache?" Spyder looked to Harris who nodded before he practically squeaked,
"Excellent use of smack talk kid." He says shaking his hand before tightening the grip. "Don't do it again! I'll see you in the ring!" With that he was out the door.
"I gotta go finish my will!" Spyder says looking back at the both of us "I'm gonna get my but kicked by a star!" He yells as he ran off.
"Harris what is going on?" I asked shocked at what just happened.
"Look, you guys all had my back when I was hurt, now I'm just repaying the favor." He says confidently, starting to walk away before pausing and asking, "Oh by the way, did you get a phone call yet today?"
"No" I answered confused looking at my phone.
"Oh don't worry, you will." He smugly smiles before Veracity came out of no where.
"Hey you, can I talk to you?" She asks.
"Sure." Harris answered before she drug him off by his sleeve out of the lunch room.
—————
After school, I still hadn't gotten the phone call Harris was talking about, but I was just trying to figure out what it was before I looked forward to it. I was packing up my stuff at my locker to meet Ryan and Mark in the auditorium for Marks dance team auditions, which was also work of Harris when Veracity appeared next to me.
"Guess what!" She asks excitedly.
"What?" I asked.
"Harris sent multiple letters of recommendation in for me, and got me accepted to the London Academy of Women in Science!" She says.
"What! That's amazing!" I said while she has a huge smile on her face. "Congratulations! When are you leaving?"
"Well I can move in whenever I want, so I'm going home to tell my family, then packing to be on one of the next flights to London." She responds. "I gotta make a stop on my way home so I'm going to get going, but I just really wanted to tell you in person."
"Yeah definitely, keep me updated okay." I said.
"Yeah I will, see you later."
After she walked away I zipped up my bag to head to the auditorium when I heard my phone ring in the top shelf of my locker. I didn't recognize the number, but it was a California area code, and Harris did say I should be expecting a phone call, so I answered it.
"Hello?"
"Hi, is this Dakota?"
—————
(Ryans POV)
"So Veracitys gone? Just like that?" I asked Harris over the phone.
"She's been eyeing this school her whole life." He says. "She deserves it."
"But Grey's still out there." I reminded him.
"I'm checking the drone feed every half hour, nothing yet." He reassured me while I waved at my brother. "In the mean time, just chill. I'll tell you if I see anything."
"Alright guys lets bust some moves." The principal says after Harris hung up the phone. I stood in the wings of the stage while my brother and the rest of the dancers were on stage. He started some music, cut a few people while Mark busted out his best moves before the principal stopped the music after only a minute.
"You are in!" He said pointing to Mark. "And you, Dane. You're his hype man."
"Just like old times!" Dane says celebrating with Mark.
"And we start right now, It's a very big time commitment, make sure, you're sure." The Principal says.
"Congratulations!" I said as Mark joined me in the wing.
"I don't know." He sighs. "I gave up varsity because of our responsibilities."
"Dude its like Harris said, we took down Traeger do something for you." I said. "I'm about to hit the skatepark myself."
"Without Dakota?" He asks. "Thats odd."
"Yeah I don't know where she's at, she said she was meeting me here then we we're going to leave from here."
"Guys!" She yelled bursting in the backstage door.
"Found her." Mark laughs.
"Guess, what!" She asks running to the two of us.
"D, I can never guess when something happens to you." I laughed.
"Yeah, fair point, anyway! Get this! I just got a phone call from the Vans headquarters!" She says excitedly. "They want to work with me for their next advertisement! I'm going to be in a Vans ad!"
"What no way!"
"I know I can't believe it! It's like my dream endorsement deal!" She exclaimed.
"Congrats Kota that sounds great." Mark says.
"Thanks, I'm so excited! They want me there as soon as possible and it's only a few hour drive so me and Kendall are probably leaving later today." She explains.
"Before that, you still want to hit the park with me for a little?" I asked.
"Aways got time for that. See you later Mark."