A/N: Hey, guys! This episode will teach you guys not to cheat in school or games, especially video games! Time to get only with Cheat It!

Cheat It: Part 1

In the world of Unitas, in the city of Schwarz, the championship round of a PVP tournament was underway. The crowd cheered as the two avatars, a Water Magi a modern magician-like clothing and a Fire Blader wearing red steel shoulder armors, breastplate over his shirt, knee armor pads to his legs, and bladed wristbands clashed with weapons and magic with the Magi gaining the upperhand.

"And Wasser is slowly gaining the upper hand!," the announcer said. "It looks like Vanis's massive winning streak may finally be coming to an end."

Wasser wove his staff repeatedly, shooting stream after stream of water at Vanis, with the later doing his best to deflect them. But as sure as it may, the Blader was loosing ground due to elemental disadvantage.

Eventually, Wasser blasted Vanis's sword away and sent a powerful vortex of water that sent him flying into the floor as the audience cheered and gasped.

As the Magi approached, the announcer cried, "Uh-oh, look like this could be it for Vanis!"

But as Wasser stood over Vanis and was about to strike the final blow and win the tournament, the Blader nodded his head over at the sidelines. The Magi looked and saw several large bodyguard-looking avatars, who looked like they were gonna pound should he strike the final blow.

Stunned and scared, Wasser looked back at Vanis, who half-glared and half-grinned evily at him. Realizing what he meant Magi sadly drooped his head, and slowly backed off a bit. This allowed Vanis to recover his sword, and with that he unleashed a barrage of fiery slashes and thrusts, that were too fast for Wasser to block. Once he had forced him to the edge of the arena, Vanis kicked him off the edge viciously, winning the match.

"Unbelievable, in the most unexpected comeback I've ever seen in my life, our champion is once again, Vanis!," the announcer said as the crowd cheered immensely. Vanis waved bowed to the crowd as the bodyguard avatars lifted him up on their shoulders, while several other avatars rushed to the aid of Wasser, who was seriously injured. In the crowds, Lilith Shroud, who was watching the match, glared with suspicion at Vanis.

"Unbelievable indeed," she said as she continued to observe the Blader.

In the real world, at Fils-Aime Moffitt School, it was Monday, and the students were gearing up for Midterm Week. In Class #128, the history teacher, Mr. St. James was about to hand out the class, (which Kani and Lena were a part of) in their tests.

"Now class, I hope you are all prepared," Mr. St. James said as he passed the tests out. "This is the biggest, most important test of the semester, and it is big. I mean, really big. Huge."

This caused some of the students to become scared as they started their test. The test started off quietly, with many focusing only on their test. However, other students who either hadn't studied or had panicked about the test, had covertly started to cheat, using hidden cheat sheets, or answers written on their shoe soles or parts of their bodies. Lena, on the other hand was blatantly cheating off Kani's paper. It wasn't until the latter turned a page while the former was still copying off her, that Lena spoke up.

"Hey, I'm not finished yet," Lena said.

"What?!," Kani said stunned.

"And write bigger next time."

Kani rolled her eyes and tried to cover her paper, but Lena kept finding ways to see her answers. Eventually the test finally ended and Kani, along with the rest of the class exited, met up with her friends, the rest of the ULO Gamer Club.

"So how's the test?," Jordan asked.

"Brutal," Kani answered. "But that's not the worst part."

"What is, then?," Itzal asked.

"Lena. She keeps cheating off me."

Just then, Lena exited the classroom and walked up to Kani.

"See you at last period for our Math midterm, Kimura. And remember write bigger," she said as she walked away with Sierra and her posse behind her.

"You see."

"Uh-huh," Zeus said. "Well why not tell the teacher?"

"And get labeled as a rat? No, thank you!"

"Well I was hoping that the test was gonna be easy," Bren said.

"Why?," Kani asked.

"Jordan and I went to visit our cousins this weekend, and I didn't bring my History notebook or textbook, so I didn't get to study and…"

"You're a goner," Kani said.

"Okay, not the response I was looking for."

"How could you forget your books," Andre said. "This test is one of the biggest test of the year."

"That we all have to take at various points this week," Layla added.

"You're not helping either, guys," Bren said. "I have to take the test on Wednesday, which is also the day the midterm of my worst subject: math!"

"So what are you gonna do, Bren?," Calla asked.

"I dunno."

"Why not just talk to Mr. St. James? I'm sure he'll let you reschedule, the test for some time later during the week," Jordan said.

"Are you kidding? He never believes my excuses."

"Well, it's the truth this time," Layla said. "I mean what else are you gonna do."

"I don't know. Man, if I come home with any grade lower than a 'C', my dad'll kill me."

"Well you could use Lena's Cheat-My-Way-On-To-The-Honor-Roll method," Itzal suggested sarcastically. As he said that, everyone looked to see Lena polishing her name engraved in a small gold plate on the school's Honor Roll plaque, with a devious smile.

"Ugh, I hate cheaters," Kani said.

"Me too," Andre spoke up. "They are the scum of academics! The cancer of our educational system! The Axis powers to hard working student's Allies, the…"

"Okay, we get it," everyone but Bren said.

"We all hate cheaters too, don't we Bren," Jordan said to her cousin who was staring at Lena.

"Um, well…," Bren said uneasily.

"Brenton Revie! You aren't seriously thinking of cheating on that test are you?!"

"Well, I don't know. I mean, I don't want to fail, but…"

At that moment, Jordan's RunCom rang, at which she answered it.

"Runners, I need to see you all at CodeX United right away," Tina said. "It's an urgent and important mission."

"We'll be right there."

At CodeX United, Tina quickly cuts to the chase as she starts, "It's not Black Tundra or other world-related incident, but an ULO situation."

She pulls out a footage of the last night's tournament of the finals and starts to explain, "Last night, I saw some foul play in the -Challenger's Reign- tournament."

"What kind of foul play, Ms. Reyheart?" Jordan asked.

"The winner's challenger put up quite a fight, until the last second where he stops and backs away from the winner, like you see right here," she explained as she motioned to video from the projector, seeing the same scene from yesterday.

"Whoa, you ain't kidding," Calla said in shock. "He just turned to confident to reluctant hero."

"Yeah, how can someone throw a match like that?" Jordan asked in a serious tone.

"Well, it's not only happening in this tournament, too. The previous tournaments I saw also have challengers became reluctant at the last second they were about to win. Also the same with mini-games and quests. I suspect sabotage and foul play at hand," Tina explained in a same tone as Jordan's. "Your mission is to find out behind these foul matches. It's not like your previous mission you six accustomed to, but if this keeps up, we have a major scandal in this game."

"In the name of fair play, we'll do it, Ms. Reyheart," Zeus said in a determined tone.

"Although I don't like boring missions like this one, I can't stand here and let even a single game get rigged like that! It's cheating!" Bren said in anger.

"Oh, like you're planning to do, Bren?" Jordan asked as she stares at him in sarcasm.

"Can you stop talking about that, please?!"

"Yeah, I'll show that culprit behind those foul play that when you messed with the game, you messed with the -Dark Reaper-!" Itzal said with confidence.

"What do you want us to do?" Kani spoke up.

"You'll be questioning the challenger from yesterday, Wasser. He's a Level 39 Mage and his element is Water," Tina explained. "The PCs in the basement are ready, so head over there immediately."

"We're on it! Time to get online!" Jordan said as she and the other Runners run straight to the elevator outside Tina's office.

"Good luck and be careful," Tina said as she waved to them on their mission.

Later, in Schwarz, the Runners, Aries, and Mako were looking around the restaurant district for their witness. Finally, they saw an avatar that resembled the description of the picture sitting at a table.

"There he is," Jordan said as the group walked up to him. "Kanoi Wasser?"

"Yes," he said as he turned to them. "Who's asking?"

"The Union Runners. We wanna ask you some questions about the the -Challenger's Reign- tournament last night."

Wassar's face sank with worry as he said, "I'm telling you as I've told everyone else: I just hesitated."

"That looked like more than hesitation," Calla said. "You practically backed off, and just when you could have won."

"Yeah, you had that guy on the ropes," Itzal said. "Did somebody force you to lose that tournament on purpose?"

"No!," Wasser said. "I just stalled for a second and he got the drop on me."

"Look if there's somebody, making threats against you, we can protect you," Layla said.

"No one can protect me from him! He's got friends and connections all over this region! He'll do anything to get his way!"

"So there is someone involved!," Jordan said to Wasser in realization. "Who is it?"

Before he could answer, Wasser looked behind the group and saw Vanis, the same Blader he'd thrown the match for. Accompanying him were even more burly bodyguard avatars. Vanis and his men glared coldly and sinisterly at Wasser, whose eyes widened in horror.

"I-I gotta go!," he said as he gathered his stuff and ran off.

"Hey dude, wait a second!," Bren called after him. "What got into him?"

Vanis smiled as he and his men walked away. Unknown to them, Andre had seen them as they were walking off.

"I think that guy, who looks a lot like the guy who he lost to," he said.

"Hmm," Kani said as she dialed Tina on her RunCom. "Tina, what was the name of that opponent Wasser lost to?"

"Alistair Vanis," Tina replied. "Level 40 Blader, and his element is decorated and recognized for his constant upgrading of his power, armor, and appearance, as well as all the tournaments, mini-games, and quests he's won."

"By chance, are any of the tournaments, mini-games, and quests that he competed in the, the ones you noticed, match-throwing or point shaving, by others?"

"Already checked that. And it looks like on a vast majority of them."

"Well, we just saw him with a bunch of big bodyguard-like avatars, while we were questioning Wasser."

"Yeah, he was already reluctant to talk to him about the match and when he saw this Vanis guy with his men, he totally freaked and ran off on us," Zeus said. "If you ask me, Vanis is behind all of this."

"Most likely. Talk to some other former opponents of his, and see if you have better luck."

"We'll do that tomorrow, we have to get back to school. We've still got midterms to take and others to study for."

"And I have a Math midterm with Lena on last period. And I'm not gonna let her cheat off me again," Kani said.

"And I'm not letting my cousin cheat either," Jordan said.

"Very well," Tina said. "I'll send you a list later."

"Right," Jordan said. "Come on you guys, let's log out!"

Later on, the gang was at Andre's locker, as he was showing off a new invention to his friends.

"Well guys, I think I have a solution to Bren's problem," he said as he opened his locker to show a helmet fitted with many technological upgrades. "Say hello to the Cram-Master Visor Helmet! When you put it on, it's computerized visor screen displays facts, pictures, names, dates, etc. Anything of any subject right before your eyes! So who wants to try it first? Zeus"

"Uh, look! I forgot my textbooks back in my locker, I better go get them," Zeus sheepishly said as he left to get them.

However, as Zeus rushes to his locker, he quickly bumped into a brunette-haired boy wearing a white dress shirt, blue dress jacket and shorts, and blue dress shoes, which accidentally spilled his drink, but luckily missed his clothes.

"Watch it, you hooligan! You're lucky that my iced tea missed my clothes!" the boy scolded him in anger.

After Zeus recovered quickly, he angrily says, "First off, I have a name and it's Zeus Starr! Second, it's just an accident!"

"Well, looks to me you didn't see where you going on purpose!" the boy said in anger.

"It was an accident and there's no need to call names!"

"Well, is there a need for being the clutz of the month like you?!"

Then Jordan rushed to Zeus's aid and angrily defends him, "Hey! He said he's sorry, you jerk! Who do you think you are?!"

"Simon Doyle Sanford is whom," he said in a proud tone. "And I suggest you don't raise your tone on me, unless your famous for something."

"Oh I am."

"Jordan, I-"

Jordan stops Zeus from speaking further and says, "I'm Jordan Waters, leader of the first ever ULO school club called UR Gamers and Investigation Club! And Zeus is in fact one of my co-founders!"

Jordan then winks at Zeus as he sighs in relief, seeing that she doesn't want to reveal her UR avatar from anyone.

"Oh, you mean that wannabe detective school club dedicated to that online game that has all those other lousy excuses for gamers," Simon said as he laughs at them. "I can't believe that blondey Zeus joined such a useless club!"

"EXCUSE ME?!" Jordan and Zeus exclaimed in anger.

"Hey what's going on here?," Calla said as the rest of the group came up. She then saw Simon and recognized him. "Oh-no, Simon Sanford."

"Calla Gale," Simon said, recognizing her.

"You know this jerk?," Zeus asked.

"Yeah from back in 3rd grade. Our parent met and tried to fix us up with each other. Needless to say, it didn't work out."

"And I can assume you're with these wannabes?," Simon asked. "I give you my pity."

"And I give you a knuckle sandwich," Jordan said as she prepared to punch Simon. Itzal and Zeus quickly stopped her before she could.

"Forget it, Jordan, this jerk's not worth it," Itzal said before turning to Simon. "And you, get lost."

"Fine, but best watch yourself," Simon said. "You just made a very cunning enemy today."

With that, Simon walked away, leaving the gang very angry.

"That guy's a bonkhead," Andre said.

Later, at last period, in Classroom #109, Intermediate Algebra teacher Mr. Wan had passed out his test and the students were taking it. Lena was once again copying off Kani's paper. Kani tried to cover her answers, but Lena would either rapidly switch seats to see the answers again, or would have her posse, who surrounded Kani, look and tell her the answers. Kani soon became very frustrated and gave up.

"After all that, she still managed to find a way to copy of me," Kani said to the others at Calla's mansion, upset that she'd failed to stop Lena from cheating.

"Don't worry Kani, you'll get her next time," Calla said as she comfort her cousin.

"And you, mister, better get that cheating idea out of your head right now," Jordan said.

"Well I'm desperate here!," Bren said. "What else can I do?"

"How about, take all your notes and your books and start cramming?," Jordan answered as she shoved the said items into his hands.

"Man, that'll take forever."

"Then you best get started."

Bren groaned as he headed over to a table and started cramming History info into his head.

Later back at Unitas, Jordan, Zeus, Itzal, Calla, Mako, and Aries are wandering around the streets of Cereus as they try to find the previous opponent of Vanis.

"Thank goodness Kani was happy to guard Bren from doing anything stupid while he's cramming and let us borrow Amica for a while, Calla," Jordan said to her best friend.

"You know Kani, she may be kind to us, doesn't mean she doesn't have to be mean and bossy," Calla said.

Then, Zeus pulls out a holographic profile as he explains, "According to the profile Ms. Reyheart sent us, the person we're looking is Zapper Raiko, a Level 51 Trader. His element is Lightning and he was supposed to be an undefeatable at Monster Brawl, until Vanis came and somehow defeated him."

"I know him. He was a victim of a hacked score until I PKed the hacker responsible for it," Itzal said. "He has a confident personality, never backing down."

"How can a fired-up person got defeated by Vanis?" Jordan thought.

"I don't know, but we're about to find out," Itzal said.

When they arrived at the arcade in Cereus, Itzal says, "This is his usual hangout. Maybe he should be here."

The Runners searched the arcade, and eventually found Zapper playing his favorite game, -Fire Port-.

"Hey Zap," Itzal called. The avatar turned to see his old friend with the Runners.

"Itzzy," Zapper said, "what's up? And who are you're friends?"

"We're the Runners of the Union," Jordan said. "And we wanna talk to you about Alistair Vanis."

Like Wasser, Zapper's face sunk as he stammered. "I-I, uh, never heard of him."

"Yeah, you have," Zeus said. "He outmatched you in Monster Brawl, you're favorite mini-game some time ago, when you apparently held back just when you were about to win."

"And don't try to deny it," Calla said. "We have proof."

"And we can protect you," Itzal added. "Like I did with that guy who hacked your score."

Realizing he couldn't lie, Zapper said, "Look, if you're asking about this guy, you're looking for trouble. He either has spies in, or own a piece of every business in this town, including this very place. I wish I could help but this guy is dangerous, very dangerous. You do not want to cross him."

"Please," Mako said. "I'm sure he's nothing compared to what we've encountered."

"Trust me, it's best you left well enough alone. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to get going."

With that Zapper left, leaving the Runners in worry.

"What kind of player who have connections to any business around here?!" Calla asked in shock as they left the arcade.

"Well, it's possible we could be looking at a Mafia boss/minor hacker here," Aries said.

"There's a mafia in here?," Calla asked.

"Well there is some organized crime," Zeus said. "While Ms. Reyheart does have a special division for stuff like this, she probably picked us to do it since we are the best of the best and all."

"And we're not letting her down," Jordan put in with determination.

"So you're the ones who've been askin' about our boss?"

Hearing that voice, they saw some bodyguard-like avatars blocking their path.

"Uh, what's with those bodyguard-like creeps?" Mako asked in shock.

"I don't know, but something tells they are Vanis's guards," Jordan answered as she become suspicious about them. "What do you want?"

"Simple, halt your investigations on our boss and face your PKed fate," one of the guard said to them.

"PKed? As in they're PKers?!" Mako asked in shock and horror.

"I was afraid this would happen," Itzal said in a serious tone.

"So what do you say? Stop and you'll be spared," another one of the guards threatened them.

"Continue and you'll face severe consequences," another one put in.

"Hmm... I have to say..."

Jordan then pulls out her sword and finishes, "I'll take "100" for "severe consequences", Alex! No way we're gonna be threatened by jerks like you!"

Itzal, Zeus, Calla, and Mako agreed as they pull out their weapons, with the latter pulling out her black sword.

"I dunno, guys, they look all large and muscly and stuff," Aries said.

"Come on, man," Itzal said. "Get your weapon ready. This is no time to turn chicken!"

"But what if…"

"JUST DO IT!," they all said in unison.

"Okay, okay," Aries said as he pulled out his hammer.

"Well boys," the leader of the bodyguards said. "We got us a bunch of tough guys."

"Let's just see how tough they really are," another said as the bodyguards prepped to fight.

"You asked for it! UR, time to get online!" Jordan said as she quickly charged on the guards first.

A/N: Runners VS Vanis's goons! This is not going to be pretty, can they defeat them? Stay tuned!

And update on Project: Arcanum! It has now 85 hits! Again, if you guys share it to everyone you know and reach this teaser to 100 hits, we'll put up another teaser for it and the reveal count in my profile will increase! Plus, if you guys exceed 150 hits, I might post some special UR art at dA for all to enjoy! The deadline is next Monday, September 30, so get sharing and reading, everyone! This is our project fic you want to share with everyone!