Also waiting to be disciplined by the school administration was an assortment of malcontents. Calvin recognized a few of them; a shifty looking boy known for his aptitude for theft, a poorly groomed guy Calvin knew as a class clown, and much to his dismay, one of Moe's friends. As his gaze passed over him, Moe's friend recognized Calvin, and gave him a wicked grin that reminded Calvin of a shark. He just shuddered nervously and leaned back into his chair, trying to maintain the appearance of calm cool.
Spike Speeder naturally found himself in a similar situation, handcuffed in a holding cell having been brought in by one of the cybered goons the corporate pawns that jokingly called themselves the Sprawl's police fielded in the urban hells Spike frequented. He glanced at his fellow inmates, an infiltrated he knew through his rep, an anti corporate political activist (who Spike reckoned had been picked up during a protest), and worst of all a combat drug junkie who ran Morris' strike team.
The edge runner fished his mirror shades out of his jacket pocket and placed them over his eyes before trying to relax before being pulled in front of the precinct captain Spike knew on a first name basis. All he could do now was hope that he didn't get a shiv or cyber knife between his ribs from the hit team berserker. Spike shifted only slightly as he waited, kicking himself for getting caught, even if it was inevitable.
Calvin waited a tense twenty minutes before the receptionist told him to head into the office of Vice Principal Cantle, and he promptly headed into the office, dropping his nervousness and dressing himself in his coolest and slickest expression. A pasty skinned man reaching middle age was sitting behind a desk in the office waiting for Calvin. Mister Cantle took one look at Calvin and reached from a bottle of antacids to grab a handful he promptly began chewing.
"Commander Cantle," Calvin said with as much charm as he could manage, now lost in the world of Spike Speeder.
"Mister Cantle, Calvin, not commander, how many times am I going to have to... never mind. Just... tell me how you got up on the roof and why I should suspend you right now," Mr. Cantle said.
"Listen commander, I know you've been itching to put me away for a while, but this one you can't blame on me, and I can prove self defense, any judge in the Sprawl will let me go," Calvin replied.
"Yes," Mr. Cantle said, trying to ignore the strangeness of the conversation he was having, "I was told that you were running from other boys. That does not however justify your stunt out there."
"Stunt? That was a matter of life and death! Those 'boys' as you put it were a crew of hit men trying to geek me right there. You're not about to bring me up on B and E charges when I was running for my life," Calvin replied earnestly, to which Vice Principal began rubbing his temples.
"Why do you hate me Calvin? Why are you trying to send me to an early grave?" Mr. Cantle said after a while.
"Commander Cantle, I'm the last one who'd spaz if something happened to you, and I know you feel the same about me, but I'm telling you the truth this time. I was being chased by hired goons who wanted me as dead as you do, only they were being much more proactive about it than you."
"Yes, well," Mr. Cantle said exasperated after a while, stunned at Calvin's words for lack of comprehension, "Since it does seem you were being chased, you won't be suspended, but you'll be attending detention for the rest of the month and if you don't show up you'll get the suspension I want to give you. Now just go to class and stop bothering me."
"Yes sir commander Cantle," Calvin said with a nod, making a swift exit and back into the halls, feeling as though he had conquered another foe on another battlefield. His futuristic alter ego hit the streets at the same time.