CHAPTER 13
Breaking in
Around 3:00 PM, Krist and Maya finally called it a wrap on their intense combat training. After a quick session of freshening up and changing into a crisp pair of clothes, Maya whipped up a late lunch. They were just settling down to eat when the front door swung open, announcing the arrival of Harrison and Luna.
"Hey, we've got plenty. Want to join?" Krist offered, gesturing to the table.
"No, thank you," Luna declined smoothly, smoothing down her jacket. "We actually just finished eating."
She spoke too soon. Harrison had already bypassed the living room entirely. A moment later, he walked back out of the kitchen holding a massive, steaming bowl of noodles topped with three fried eggs. Without a word, he sank into a chair and began devouring it like a man possessed.
Luna shot him a glare fierce enough to melt steel. "You are truly unbelievable," she hissed. "You ate literally everything I cooked at home, and you still come over here and inhale food like you've been stranded on a desert island? What kind of human being are you? I genuinely can't believe we share DNA."
Harrison paused, lifting a massive forkful of noodles toward her with a goofy grin. "Want some? It's really tasty."
"Get that away from me," Luna snapped, recoiling with a sneer. "Note to self: never go anywhere important with you. You'll embarrass me to death. Anyway..." She turned away from her brother, fixing her gaze on Krist. "What is this big plan of yours?"
Krist, who had just finished his last bite, set his plate down with a soft clack. He leaned forward, looking at the siblings. "First things first. Who among you can drive?"
"I can," Luna said immediately.
"You can?!" Maya and Harrison blurted out in unison.
Luna shot Harrison a look that promised a slow, painful demise. "Yes, I can. Dad used to take us out for driving lessons every chance he got. Remember?"
Krist shifted his gaze to Harrison. "I'm guessing you were part of those lessons, Harry. Can you drive or not?"
"Me?" Harry asked around a massive mouthful of noodles.
Luna promptly facepersoned.
Realizing all eyes were locked onto him, Harrison swallowed forcefully, clearing his throat with a loud gulp. He offered a sheepish shrug. "Well, technically, I never actually learned. So, naturally... I can't."
"Never learned? Is that the lame excuse you're using to hide the fact that you're just dumb?" Luna scoffed, crossing her arms. "I've been driving for two years now, and you still don't even know the difference between the brake pedal and the accelerator!"
"Oh, what the hell did you just call me?" Harry sputtered, dropping his fork. "Wait, wait, wait. Did you just call me dumb? No, you did not. First of all, I'm not even eighteen yet, so learning to drive isn't a legal necessity. Second of all, you called me dumb? I am literally the smartest person in this room!"
"No, you are not!" Luna fired back, stepping into his space. "Apart from playing video games and staring at your computer and phone, what do you actually know how to do? Can you cook? No! We took two different cooking lessons together—first from Mom, then from Dad—and you still burn water. And you can't drive!"
"Like I said, I'm under eighteen! A license wouldn't even be valid!" Harrison protested, standing up to match her height. "And who says I can't cook? Who says I can't drive? We can go to a track right now and I will absolutely destroy you in a race!"
"Oh, you want a piece of this? I will gladly take you up on that offer," Luna countered, her voice dropping into a dangerous, competitive register. "But we're not doing a normal race. You're going to bet something incredibly precious to you. I want it to hurt when you lose."
As the twins stood toe-to-toe, practically shooting sparks at each other, Maya leaned over and shot a sharp glare at Krist.
Krist, who had been watching the sibling rivalry unfold like a tennis match, suddenly caught Maya's icy look. "What?" he whispered.
"Look at what you just caused," she murmured, her voice so low it barely carried across the inches separating them.
"Me? How is this my fault?" Krist whispered back, a look of pure shock and denial washing over his face. He glanced nervously at the twins, who looked ready to throw punches.
"Was it absolutely necessary to point out that Harrison couldn't drive?" Maya whispered aggressively. "You poked the bear!"
"Well, Luna said 'us,' so excuse me for trying to clarify if she was mistaken, or if Harry was just trying to slack off," Krist hissed back defensively. "How was I supposed to know he was too stupid to learn how to drive?"
"Ahhh!"
A sudden, dramatic gasp echoed through the room, cutting the twins' argument dead in its tracks.
The living room fell entirely silent. Krist and Maya froze, slowly turning their heads toward the siblings. Harrison was staring at Krist with wide, trembling eyes, his face pale with utter betrayal. He raised a shaking hand, pointing a single finger at Krist.
"You... You!" Harry stammered, his voice cracking.
Krist blinked, completely caught off guard. He and Maya had been whispering beneath the volume of the twins' shouting. There was no anatomical way Harrison should have heard them. "What do you mean? I didn't say anything," Krist replied, keeping his tone carefully neutral despite the sudden knot of surprise in his chest.
"Take that back, kid," Harry said, his expression darkening into a comical mask of fury.
"Take what back? And who are you calling a kid?" Krist asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You... you just called me dumb!" Harrison whispered, his voice dripping with tragedy, as if he were delivering news of a national disaster. "In that exact tone!"
At this point, Luna was staring at her brother like he had completely lost his mind. "When did he call you dumb? He hasn't said a word to you."
Maya, however, was staring at Harrison in utter bewilderment. How on earth did he hear that from all the way over there? she thought, a chill of awe running down her spine.
Deciding to ignore the anomaly, Krist checked his watch. "Alright, we're burning daylight. We don't have much time left, so I need to brief you all on the plan." He picked up his and Maya's empty plates and walked toward the kitchen.
"No! No way! You take that back right now!" Harrison yelled, storming after him into the kitchen.
Krist placed the plates in the sink and turned around, sighing heavily when he saw Harrison still breathing down his neck. An idea struck him. A slow, wicked grin crept onto Krist's face. He bypassed Harrison, walked back into the living room, and looked directly at Luna.
"Hey, Luna," Krist called out casually. "Do you want to know what I found on Harrison's phone the other day?"
Luna, who had been chatting with Maya, perked up instantly. A bright, devious smile lit up her face. "Oh, I would love to know."
"What do you think you're doing?!" Harrison materialized out of thin air, throwing himself bodily between Krist and his sister like a secret service agent blocking a bullet.
"Just sharing some fun facts with your sister," Krist said, his tone entirely indifferent.
"You wouldn't dare," Harrison hissed, shooting Krist a fiercely aggressive glare.
Krist stepped closer, meeting his gaze with unblinking confidence. "Try me."
For a solid ten seconds, the two engaged in a silent, high-stakes staring contest. Finally, the tension popped. Harrison slumped his shoulders, let out a defeated sigh, and looked away. "Fine. Okay. You win."
"No, I haven't won yet," Krist corrected, his smile widening into something genuinely sinister.
Harrison groaned. "What do you want from me?"
"Are you dumb or not?" Krist asked pleasantly.
Harrison's face contorted. He tried a desperate, chummy smile. "Come on, bud. We're a team, right? You wouldn't betray a brother like that, would you?"
"I am one syllable away from telling your sister everything," Krist warned.
"You are evil," Harrison muttered, closing his eyes in defeat. He took a deep breath. "Fine. I'm dumb."
Krist patted him on the shoulder mockingly. "There, there. That wasn't so hard, was it?"
Without waiting for a response, Krist turned and walked out toward the garage.
Behind him, Luna and Maya were frozen, their jaws practically sweeping the floor. Maya blinked rapidly, turning to Luna. "Did... did Harry just willingly submit to someone?"
Luna rubbed her eyes, utterly dazed. "I'm not sure. I think I might be hallucinating."
Spurred by intense curiosity, Maya sprinted into the garage, catching up to Krist. "What do you have on him?! What did you use to force Harry to break like that?"
Krist chuckled, opening the door of the black van he had been tuning up all morning. "Give up, Maya. I'm never telling. If the secret gets out, the leverage loses its power."
By then, Harrison and Luna had slunk into the garage, their bickering finally silenced by Krist's display of psychological dominance. Krist turned to Luna and tossed her a heavy set of keys.
"Luna, you're behind the wheel," Krist commanded. "This van is going to be our mobile command base."
Maya's expression sharpened, all playfulness vanishing. "So, what's the play?"
Krist looked at the three of them, the shadows of the garage cutting across his face. "First, we drive to Dexdia Street. And then..." He unrolled a blueprint on the hood of the van, detailing the execution of the heist.
**8:36 PM – Dexdia Street**
A black van rolled to a stop in front of the tallest building on the street.
The engine died.
For a few seconds, nobody moved.
Then the side door slid open.
Two figures dressed completely in black stepped out.
One was Krist.
The other was Maya.
As soon as the door closed behind them, the person sitting in the passenger seat climbed into the driver's seat and pulled away, disappearing into the night.
The street fell silent once more.
Krist adjusted the earpiece hidden beneath his hood.
"Comms check."
A burst of static answered him.
Then Harrison's voice came through.
"Loud and clear."
Luna's voice followed.
"Unfortunately, I can hear Harry too."
"Hey!"
Maya rolled her eyes.
Krist ignored them.
"Stay focused. If anything goes wrong, call immediately."
"Copy."
With that, the connection went silent.
Krist turned and led Maya through the plaza.
The building was nearly empty at this hour.
Most of the stores had already closed, leaving only a few lights glowing inside.
They passed through the lobby and headed straight for the elevator.
Minutes later, they stepped onto the rooftop.
A cold wind greeted them.
The city stretched endlessly beneath the night sky.
Maya walked to the edge and looked toward Stark Institution.
Even from here, the massive school looked imposing.
Its upper floors were brightly illuminated.
The server room was somewhere up there.
Waiting.
Protected.
Krist dropped his backpack onto the concrete floor.
Maya immediately noticed the strange confidence in his movements.
"You've already planned this out, haven't you?"
Krist smirked.
"For days."
He unzipped the bag.
Inside was a compact bow.
Three custom-made arrows.
And a coil of black cable.
Maya blinked.
"You brought a bow?"
"Less noise than a grappling gun."
He picked up the first arrow.
Instead of a pointed tip, it had four mechanical claws folded together.
Krist nocked the arrow and pulled back the string.
The bow creaked softly.
His eyes locked onto the school building across the gap.
He released.
*THWIP!*
The arrow shot across the night sky.
For a moment it looked perfect.
Then—
*CLANG!*
The arrow struck the balcony railing and bounced away.
The cable snapped loose and fell.
Maya raised an eyebrow.
"Days of planning?"
Krist stared at the distant building.
"...That didn't happen."
Maya laughed.
Krist calmly detached the failed cable.
Then picked up the second arrow.
This time, his expression became serious.
The joking atmosphere vanished.
He inhaled slowly.
Exhaled.
And released.
*THWIP!*
The arrow cut through the darkness like a bullet.
Seconds later—
*CLACK.*
The four mechanical claws opened.
Wrapped around the parapet of the school's top floor.
Locked.
The cable pulled tight.
A black line now stretched between the plaza rooftop and Stark Institution.
A bridge.
A very dangerous bridge.
Maya walked to the edge and looked down.
The ground below was nearly seven stories beneath them.
One mistake.
One slip.
And whoever fell would not be getting back up.
"You actually did it..."
Krist tugged on the cable several times.
Satisfied, he smiled.
"Phase one complete."
A few moments later Harrison's voice suddenly came through the earpiece.
"Uh... guys?"
Krist frowned.
"What?"
There was a pause.
Then Harrison spoke in a nervous voice.
"I think we have a problem."
The smile disappeared from Krist's face.
"What happened?"
More silence.
Then—
"I think someone just entered the school."
Krist and Maya exchanged looks.
The wind seemed colder.
"Security?" Maya asked.
"No."
Harrison's answer came immediately.
"They're heading toward the top floor."
A chill ran down Krist's spine.
Because the top floor contained only one thing worth visiting at this hour.
The server room.
And suddenly he wasn't so sure they were the only people planning a break-in tonight.