The dorm light flickered like a bad omen, casting jittery shadows across the scattered gear and half-eaten snacks. Alex slumped in a chair, the decoded logs from Mia's tablet spread out on the table like a puzzle missing half its pieces. The VR hub downtown—Cipher's lair, a digital fortress where Vortex's hacker spun webs of code to snag global secrets. The squad had a window: hit it tomorrow, before the tech haul from the warehouse could bolster his defenses. But Alex's mind wandered, snagged on Mia's laugh from across the room, where she tinkered with her drone, tools clinking softly.
She glanced up, catching his eye, and smiled—that easy, familiar grin that always made him feel less like a walking secret. "You staring 'cause you're impressed, or 'cause you want to help?" she teased, holding up a circuit board like a trophy. Her words carried a warmth, but lately, there was something more, a linger in her gaze that made his stomach flip in a way he hadn't expected.
"Just thinking," he said, forcing a grin. "About how your gadgets save our asses every time."
She rolled her eyes, but her cheeks pinked a touch. "Flatterer. But yeah, Stinkwing's getting an upgrade for the VR op. No way Cipher hacks her mid-dive." She leaned closer, her arm brushing his as she showed off the new wiring, the contact sending a quiet buzz through him—comfortable, like coming home.
Lila walked in then, slinging her rifle strap over her shoulder, her presence shifting the air. "Briefing done?" she asked, voice cool but her eyes softening when they met Alex's. She plopped down beside him, close enough that their knees touched, a deliberate choice that made his pulse skip. "We hitting the hub at dawn?"
Alex nodded, caught between them—Mia's easy closeness on one side, Lila's steady pull on the other. The system's latest prompt buzzed in his vision, adding to the chaos:
SYSTEM PROMPT: Mission Unlocked! Objective: Upload a virus to Cipher's mainframe using Mia's drone as cover. Reward: Unlock 'Virtual Hacking Pro.' Failure: 'Salsa Dance Lessons.' Tip: Blend in the digital crowd—don't let the girls distract you.
Salsa again? The system's humor hit like a slap, but the task gnawed at him—using Mia's drone meant risking her tech, her pride. He pushed it down, focusing on the plan. "Dawn it is. Sneak in, jack into the VR, fry Cipher's setup."
Jax burst through the door, arms full of cafeteria loot. "Fuel for the fire!" he boomed, dropping bags of chips and sodas. "Can't fight hackers on an empty stomach." He tossed a bag to Mia, winking. "For the brainiac."
Mia caught it, laughing, but her eyes flicked to Alex and Lila, a quick shadow crossing her face before she masked it with a quip. "Thanks, Tank. Save some for the lovebirds over there."
Lila snorted, but didn't pull away. Alex felt the heat rise in his cheeks, the triangle tugging at him—Mia's joke laced with something sharper, Lila's hand now resting lightly on his knee. The room filled with chatter, Jax's stories turning the tension into temporary ease, but Alex couldn't shake the pull, the quiet storm building.
Dawn Dive: Code and Chaos
The VR hub pulsed with early morning energy, a sleek building downtown where gamers and coders dove into digital worlds. Disguised as techies—hoodies and badges courtesy of Mia's forgeries—the squad slipped in, the air thick with the hum of servers and the scent of energy drinks. Cipher's lair was buried in the basement, a node of Vortex's network hidden behind layers of virtual firewalls.
Mia's drone led the way, zipping through vents as they hacked the elevators. "Clear," she whispered over comms, her voice tight with focus. Alex felt a pang—her trust in him, handing over Stinkwing's controls for the upload. Lila covered the rear, her rifle concealed but ready, her glance back at him steady, reassuring.
They breached the basement, a cavern of glowing screens and humming rigs. Cipher—a lanky figure in a hooded jacket—hunched over his console, fingers flying. Guards patrolled, but Jax's distraction—a fake alarm upstairs—drew them away.
Alex jacked into a terminal, his implant syncing with the VR. The digital world bloomed in his mind—a neon cityscape of code towers and data streams. He navigated, the system guiding his avatar through firewalls, but the prompt pressed: upload the virus via the drone.
Mia's voice in his ear: "Stinkwing's in position. You got this?" Her tone carried that warmth again, a hint of something unspoken, making his chest ache.
He triggered the upload, the virus slipping in like oil on water. But alarms blared—Cipher spun, his eyes widening. "Intruders!"
The real world erupted—guards rushing back, shots ringing out. Lila fired, precise and calm, dropping two. Jax barreled in, tackling another with a grunt. Mia's drone dove, dropping smoke, but a guard clipped it, sparks flying.
"Stinkwing!" Mia yelped, her voice cracking. Alex's heart sank—his virus had drawn the fire. He unjacked, lunging to cover her as bullets whizzed.
In the frenzy, the Dorks crashed in—Caleb leading, face triumphant from the decoy chase. "We followed the real trail!" he shouted, but Tessa's gadget misfired, filling the room with glitter instead of gas. Finn slipped on it, crashing into a guard, and Rico's stealth camo flickered, turning him into a sparkling disco ball.
Chaos reigned—glitter-coated fights, Mia's laugh bubbling up despite the mess as she hacked Cipher's console. Alex fought back-to-back with Lila, her shoulder against his, but Mia's glance from across the room lingered, a silent question.
They nabbed Cipher, his rig fried, but as they escaped, Mia pulled Alex aside in the van. "My drone—did you...?" Her eyes searched his, hurt flickering.
"Accident," he said, throat tight. "I'm sorry."
She nodded, but the distance grew, a crack in the warmth. Lila squeezed his hand later, whispering, "We'll fix it." But the system's reward chimed, and Alex wondered if some things broke too easy.
The hub faded behind them, but the next lead—a gala for Vortex's Siren—loomed. With Mia pulling away and Lila drawing closer, Alex felt the pull tearing him in two.