A/N: Last time, the Runners managed to stop Vanis from cheating, but after they made a shocking revelation, they got caught by Vanis himself! Can they escape his wrath in time for midterms? Let's get online to find out!
Cheat It: Part 3
Later, the Runners found themselves on a hovercraft surrounded by guards, and locked in special chains and shackles that blocked their powers, with Vanis and his bodyguards (on four other hovercrafts) taking them somewhere to be "disposed of."
"Great, now what do we do?," Calla whined. "We need to find away out of here and stop Vanis."
"Don't worry, I have an idea," Jordan said as she secretly activated the SOS App on her RunCom.
Meanwhile, back in the real world at CodeX United, at Tina's office, she was writing some paperwork, when all of a sudden, her RunCom started to emit a siren-like sound.
"The SOS signal?!," she gasped. "The Runners are in trouble! Computer, locate the Runners!"
On a large screen in back of her, the computer searched for the signal of the Runner's distress call throughout Unitas before landing on a black and yellow striped area.
"Oh-no, not there…"
Meanwhile, at that same area, which was filled with massive areas and pits filled with corrupted data.
"What the-," Zeus said. "This area's off limits, Vanis!"
"Yeah, this place is still under repair from that last battle with that hacker Ohagi!," Itzal agreed.
"Who's Ohagi?" Bren asked.
"A big time hacker me, Zeus, and Itzal took down before you guys were recruited," Jordan explained. "He did so much damage to this area, Tina had to close it off until further notice."
"Well how'd Vanis, a.k.a. Simon, get access to it?," Calla asked.
"Like I said, he could have some hacker skills, or have someone working for him who does," Andre said. "He could be aiming to throw us into one of those pits of corrupted data."
The gang all looked at each other with worry. Unknown to anyone Jordan secretly was using a lock pick she had on her to try to open her shackles. Finally, the hovercrafts arrived at the biggest pit of corrupt data in the area. Vanis then spoke to his captors.
"So, Runners, any final pleas or words before I send you all into the pit, where you will feel the hardening pain of corruption until you cease to exist in this game world?," Vanis said with a cackle.
"You'll get no such pleasure from us, you lying, cheating, blackmailing scumbag!," Jordan said.
"Just for that you little miscreant, you'll be the first to go. Get her in position!"
As Vanis said this, a guard grabbed Jordan and lead her to the edge of a platform on the hovercraft, while the others held her friends back.
"This is your last chance, Vanis," Itzal said sternly. "Let us go and turn yourself in, or risk destruction."
Vanis scoffed at this, and said, "Get the girl ready."
With that, the guard pushed Jordan to the edge of the platform. Unknown to anyone, Jordan was almost out of her shackles. Just as she unlocked them, Vanis said, "Push her in!"
The guard then pushed Jordan, but just as she started to fall, she twisted herself and caught the end of the plank, using it to catapult back up onto the craft with a frontflip. Throwing her shackles aside, she drew her -Ice Crystal Blade- and slashed the chains of Itzal, Zeus, and Bren, freeing them all in the blink of an eye. The three boys then drew their weapons and attacked the guards, knocking several of them into the corrupt data pit below. Vanis, stunned, watched this happen.
"That's it! Kill them all! Now!," he screamed at his men as they converged on the hovercraft. Meanwhile after eliminating the last of the guards on their craft, the four freed Runners quickly worked about freeing their friends.
"Nice, Jordan!," Layla said. "Did you plan this?"
"Sort of," she said. Just then, more guards converged on the hovercraft via their own, as Calla, Kani, Aries, and Mako drew their weapons.
"You guys handle these lunkheads," Jordan said. "Itzal, Bren, you two and I'll take Vanis."
With that, the Runners set out to bring down Vanis.
Itzal, Calla, Kani, Aries and Mako hopped onto the other hovercrafts and engaged the guards. Itzal blocked most of the guard blows with his scythe, then used his -Mind Blinding- abilities to force some of them to jump into the data pit, while making the others fight each other.
Kani, with Amica, used their -Spore Touch- and -Roar of Nature-, respectively to incapacitate most of the guards they faced, while Calla, with her -Vortex Palm-, blew all the others into the pit.
Aries, found himself surround completely by guards, until he, with his hammer, used -Thunder-Quake- to shock all but one into incapacitation. Before the last one could move, Aries quickly used -Lightning Lasso- to lasso the last one and throw him into the pit.
As for Mako, the guards were about to swarm on her, until she turned around and saw her with her -Charcoal Gem Barrel-. Scared, half of them, jumped into the pit, while the other half jumped onto clear, uncorrupted ground and started to run.
Seeing that his guards were losing badly, Vanis decided to cut his losses.
"Well it's time to leave," Vanis said as he whistled. "RETREAT!"
At that, all remaining guards started to try to get away from the Runners. Vanis then turned to leave too.
"Give it up, Sanford."
Vanis then sees Jordan, Bren, and Zeus surrounding him, blocking his escape path.
"It's time to face justice. You're under arrest for illegal hacking, scamming, and point shaving in every tournaments, minigames, and quests you played," Zeus said in a serious tone.
"I suggest you peacefully surrender or it won't be pretty when you will become our human skill test dummy," Jordan added.
"And what make you so sure of that? I'm the best of the best! I don't care if this game is not up to my standards, I will be the best of everything! Number one in life!" Vanis shouted in an arrogant tone. "I am the great Alistair Vanis! AND I WILL NOT SURRENDER TO ANYONE NOR TO EVERYONE ELSE, ESPECIALLY TO YOU THREE PEASANTS!"
"Cut the 'best of everything', Vanis! Your 'achievements' are nothing but a sham!" Bren angrily shouts back to Vanis. "You intimidate players to win, hack the game's system to complete quests, and cheat every game you can get your hands on! In my words, you're not a number one winner, ikaw ay sore winner and cheater!"
"And you think you're any better? I heard you and the girl here discussing about you cheating on something earlier. So you're just as bad as me."
"I was considering cheating, yes. But I realize now I was wrong. And all that you've done is far worse. You've hurt and terrorized people with your cheating. There's nothing in the world that can justify that. You're a cheater and a criminal, and you're going down!"
"Then prepare for the fight of a lifetime, Runner-scum!"
"I was hoping you'd say that," Jordan said.
The fight starts with Vanis pulling out his sword and charges in the gang as they pull out their swords and block his attack. As they clashed their swords into each other, their respective elements' aura starts to glow from their weapons as they try to overpower each other before breaking their lock.
"Inferno Wave!" Vanis shouted as he creates a fire-elemental slashing wave again to the Runners. "Try to dodge that, losers!"
"I don't even think about dodging that. Reflected Flash!" Zeus shouted as he uses his katana to block the wave, protecting Jordan and Bren as well as absrobing the wave into his katana at the same time. Then he quickly does a counterattack as he uses the powered katana to create a slashing wave back to Vanis, causing him to pushed back into some boxes, but was able to dodge the corrupted data around him. When he recovers quickly, he saw the Runners with determination on their faces, which he's now angry upon seeing them.
Meanwhile, the other Runners chased after the remaining guards, who were still retreating on Vanis's order. Suddenly, the guards found themselves surrounded by NPC police characters as Lilith stepped forth.
"You guys are all under arrest," she said
"Lilith!," the Runners all shouted as they approached.
"How'd you find us?," Aries asked.
"One of you sent out a distress call, and I traced it here. Looks like I got here just in time too. Hey, where are Jordan, Zeus, and Bren?"
"I think they are taking on Vanis as we speak," Calla said.
Vanis back as far as possible with their attacks, and soon their weapons had locked again. Right then and there, Vanis knew he couldn't beat them all at once. So he decided it was time to for a little…underhandedness.
"Give it up, Vanis. It's over," Jordan said.
"Yes, for you," Vanis said. "Fire Pit Corruption!"
He quickly creates a fire pit below Jordan and Zeus and when they quickly sank down into it, half of their bodies are now covered in corrupted data. As they are trying to struggle free from the pit, Bren could only watch them in horror.
"Guys!," Bren shouted as he quickly recovered to see his cousin and rival incapacitated. "What did you do?!"
"Just incapacitated them. It's just you and me now. Though this should be easy."
"Excuse me?!"
"I mean, come on, you're just as bad as I supposedly am, due to you just considering cheating on…whatever it was that you were planning to do. What happened? Didn't feel smart enough to do it alone? Or maybe you didn't feel smart enough to cheat without getting caught? Either way, you're a cheat, just like I am. And you will be the loser of this row.
"I. AM. NOT. A. CHEATER!"
With those words, his fist is now covered in fire aura as Bren shouts, "EXPLODE PUNCH!"
He quickly punched Vanis in the stomach with his fire-covered fist, forcing them to break the lock from their swords as Vanis bounced back a few steps away from Bren as he holds his stomach in pain.
When he winces in pain, Bren then got up and prepares not only his twin swords, but also his throwing daggers.
"Time to end this, Vanis," he said as he throws the daggers in the air. When they quickly fell down, they are now covered in fire as they are now heading to Vanis's direction, much to his shock as Bren is now charging his twin swords with his aura.
"Apoy..."
"Alright, alright! I surrender, I give up!"
"Ni..."
"Stop! Please! NOOOOOO!"
"DATU!"
With a double fire slashing wave, Vanis got hit by it as multiple fire-covered daggers rained down on him, which they quickly explodes as they reached the ground.
The explosion was so massive that it kicked up a whole lot of smoke in the area. When it cleared, Vanis lay several feet away from Bren, battered and beaten. Jordan and Zeus, who had recovered from Vanis's sneak attack came over and saw this.
"Wow, that was incredible, Bren," Jordan said.
"Yeah, you roasted him," Zeus agreed.
"I guess we hotheads are even more powerful than I thought before," Bren said.
"I guess so," Jordan said.
"Well, never thought I'd say this, but good job, Revie," Zeus said.
"No problem, Starr," Bren replied.
"Well look at that," Jordan said. "You two are finally starting to get along."
As this happened, Vanis, who'd partially recovered, tried to crawl away weakly, but was stopped by none other than a very peeved Lilith.
"Alistair Vanis," she said as she brandished a pair of handcuffs. "You're under arrest."
Vanis could only groan in disappointment and defeat.
A little later, Vanis and his cronies were being placed in police vehicles and those in the pit were being fished out. Lilith was with the Runners, Mako, and Aries discussing the end of the case.
"Well done, once again Runners," Lilith said. "You've brought down another one of the best in-game crooks this game has seen."
"Well that's what we do best," Itzal said happily.
"So what's gonna happen to all of them," Kani said.
"Well we've rounded up Vanis and nearly all of his cronies, and we're fishing the rest out from the pit," Lilith said. "Once they're back to normal, which shouldn't take long, they'll all be brought before me and the other admins and councilmen of Unitas for a penalty trial tonight."
"And what kind of punishment are they looking at?," Andre asked.
"For most of them, a long-term suspension of accounts. For Vanis aka, Mr. Sanford, he could lose his account altogether."
"Serves him right," Calla said.
"Indeed," Lilith informed. "We're also trying to urge every player whom Vanis wronged to come forth and testify against him so we can make things right for them."
"Good, I guess this'll teach him that cheaters never win, and crime never pays," Zeus pointed out. "Especially when it comes to challenges and tests."
"Tests!," Bren said. "Oh man, we gotta get back! It's late, and my History midterm's tomorrow. And I haven't been able to cram due to this case!"
"Well then you all best get back on the double," Lilith said. "I can finish up here."
"Right. Runners, let's LOG OUT!," Jordan said.
The next day in the History class, Mr. St. James was about to had out Bren and the rest of today's period their midterm exams
"Now class, I hope you studied hard and 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. It's huge, enourmous. But no pressure."
Like last time, some students, especially Bren, became terrified due to not studying enough, or panicking. Slowly like last time, the cheaters of the period started showing themselves, with glancing at others papers, using cheat sheets, or the answers on their shoes or body parts. Seeing all of this, caused Bren to be conflicted and tempted as he struggled to keep his eyes on his own paper.
"What do I do?," he thought to himself. "If I flunk, my dad'll kill me. But if I cheat, I'll break my promise to Jordan and the others. Plus if I'm caught, it'll be even worse."
Bren saw several people's papers wide open to look at. He glanced at them briefly before slapping himself to regain control of himself.
"Man, this is so conflicting," Bren said to himself as he slumped down in his chair.
Meanwhile at the hallway, the other members of UR Gamers Club are still waiting on Bren to get back from his exam.
"Man, I hope Bren didn't cheat on his test," Jordan said in worry. "If he does, I'm going to blast him off to Jupiter!"
"After what just happened earlier, I have a feeling he will not cheat," Zeus said as he comforts him. "Looks like seeing Vanis and his evil actions made him think otherwise about cheating."
"Speaking of Vanis, since he's Simon's avatar, how can we faced him when we encounter him in person once again?" Itzal wondered.
On cue, they quickly saw Simon walking down the hallway in anger with his butler trying to calming him down. And not bothering to notice the UR Gamers Club, he quickly rants, "I can't believe those rotten, classless player scums ruined me and get me not only a 16-month account suspension, a 9-month ban from all tournaments, mini-games, and quests after my suspension is over, but those admin and those so-called Council demoted me down to Level 1 and stripped all of my stats, weapons, upgrades and privileges!"
"Wow, I wonder why?" Zeus said as he approaches him with his friends backing him up.
"Back off, Starr! I'm hardly in the mood for you peasants right now," Simon said to Zeus in anger. "I will get my revenge on those rotten, classless player scums who ruined me!"
"You do that. Until then, I just have to warn you that your day will be get worst," Jordan said to Simon. "Although I have vague details about that game, those players already taught you about karma."
"Karma shmarma! Come on, Griswold," Simon said as he stomped off with his butler still following him. At that moment, Bren walked up, having returned from his test.
"So he's feeling the consequences of his actions?," he asked.
"Yep," Jordan said. "I'll tell you his punishment later. How'd the exam go?"
"Well…let's just say I got an 'A' in moral values," Bren said.
"You flunked, didn't you?," Layla asked.
"Big time. But the important thing is I didn't cheat, as much as I was tempted to. And I took Jordan's tip and talked to Mr. St. James and explained everything."
"Brenton," Mr. St. James said as he walked up to the group. "You can retake the exam, say, Friday last period. But make sure you take you're book and notes home with you this time, okay. I mean this is the biggest test of the semester. I mean it's really big. It's…"
"Huge," the UR Gamers Club said.
"Huge,"Mr. St. James said as he left.
"Well, I'm very proud of you, Bren," Jordan said placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Me too," Zeus agreed.
"We all are," Itzal said.
"Thanks," Bren said.
"So I bet you can guess how I did on my Spanish midterm?," Kani said.
"Uh, you got another 'A'?," Andre guessed.
"Nope, I flunked, just like Bren, and so did Lena."
"Huh?!," the others said in confusion.
"Well Bren said he'd rather fail than accidentally go in the ladies' room again, so I took his words to heart. I put down all the wrong answers on my test, and she copied every single one of them down."
"No way," Itzal said.
"Way way."
At that moment, Lena and her posse came up, with the former holding her test, which had a big, fat, red 'F' on it.
"Kimura, you're such an idiot," she said. "I'm never cheating off you ever again."
"Oh, what a shame," Kani said sarcastically. "And just when I was actually starting to look forward to us having exams together."
"Puh-lease. There are plenty of other naïve brainiacs in this school that I can and most certainly will cheat off of."
"Oh, really Lena?," a stern voice said. "Is that so?"
Everyone turned to see Principal Roenick, Señora Gonzalez, and Mr. Bigby, all looking disappointed.
"Principal Roenick!," Lena said in shock.
"Oops," Jordan said to Lena sarcastically.
"Principal Roenick, Señora Gonzalez, Mr. Bigby, what are you all doing here?," Layla asked.
"We came to talk to Ms. Baker and Ms. Kimura about their Spanish exams," Mr. Bigby said.
"Indeed," Señora Gonzalez said. "I was totally mystified about why my classes' two best student so miserably failed their exams. But I see Señora Baker has cleared the mystery up for us."
"Listen, I can explain –," Lena started to say, but Kani cut her off.
"No, let me. Lena's been cheating off my tests all week. So I put down all the wrong answers on my test, and she copied all of them just as I'd hoped."
"WHAT?!"
"Very smart, Kani," Roenick said in admiration.
"Very," Señora Gonzalez agreed. "Listen, I'd really hate to see my now sole best student come away from my midterm with an 'F', so why don't you swing by my class for a retake, say, tomorrow, 4th period?"
"I'll be there," Kani said with a smile.
"Good."
"And as for you, Ms. Baker, I think we need to have a little talk in my office, with your parents too," Roenick said.
"Oh, and you might want to bring the Honor Roll plaque with you," Calla said. "Given recent revelations, I think a few changes need to be made to it."
"I couldn't agree more, Ms. Gale," Roenick said.
"Let me get that for you," Mr. Bigby said as he walked over to the wall.
"Well, Kani looks like you get an 'A' for burning Lena" Andre said. Everyone chuckled as they all watched as Mr. Bigby removed the plaque from the wall and walked back to them. Roenick and Señora Gonzalez left to the former's office with a now sobbing Lena with them.
"Well that's a shame," Bren said. "Taking someone off the Honor Roll, I mean."
"Yeah, but it's as the old saying goes: true winners never cheat, and true cheaters never win," Bigby said. "I'll be a good lesson for her."
With that, Mr. Bigby and Lena's posse headed to Roenick's office a s well.
"And that's a lesson we all have learned these last few days," Jordan said.
"Yeah," Andre said. "And Mr. Bishop learned a lesson too."
"Which is?," Zeus asked.
Andre smirked as he reflected on earlier that day…
Flashback: Andre was in his underwear taking another exam in Mr. Bishop's class with a curtain surrounding him and preventing others from seeing his underwear.
"I said I was sorry for accusing you Mr. Renald," Bishop said. "You passed the test in your underwear. You don't have to do this for every exam."
"Oh, come now, I wouldn't want you to think I was cheating, Mr. Bishop," Andre said. "Besides, clothes were holding me back anyhow."
"The lesson being never accuse me of cheating, because you will be sorry," Andre said as the gang laughed.
"Well I'm putting myself in study mode for the next two days," Bren said.
"Me too, for tomorrow," Kani agreed. "Wanna study together, Bren."
"Well it's for different things but…okay."
With that, the two ran off together to hit the books.
"And this calls for a celebration for the rest of us," Jordan said. "Get-together at Calla's house after school?"
"You bet!" the others said as they left to finish off any more midterms they had that day.
A/N: Looks like everyone got a happy ending and Bren managed to learn cheaters never win and true winners never cheat. Can he carry this lesson on their next adventure? Review and stay tuned for the next episode! Until then, make sure you visit Project Arcanum for new teasers and check out Unitas Lounge for new episode announcements! See ya!