7.3

"Leander, can you hear me? What's wrong with you?"

Jerry leaped up with tears in his eyes, upon hearing his spy's voice. Brittney, Sam, Clover, and Alex rushed over to the cellular device, trying to decode what the teen was saying. Jerry's heart pounded in his chest as a mix of relief and worry washed over him. His hands trembled as he clutched the cellular device, struggling to maintain composure. Tears streamed down his face, blurring his vision, and making it difficult to decipher the urgency in Lee's voice.

The office lay silent and desolate, being this late, the spies were tired, eyes were red from stress and crying, its emptiness echoing the loneliness in the older spies' hearts, as they yearned for the camaraderie of their departed colleagues. The younger spies, new to the job, were unaware of the pain their elders were feeling. They continued to work, unaware of the emotional toll their work was taking. The older spies felt a sense of guilt, knowing that their younger generation was unaware of the sorrow of the past.

As the tears cascaded down his face, they blurred his vision, making it a challenge to focus on Lee's urgent words. He blinked rapidly, trying to clear his sight, but the tears kept flowing, blinding him to the world around him. Every word spoken by his trusted spy carried a weight that Jerry struggled to comprehend amidst the turmoil of his own emotions.

"Jerry? Jerry is that you? Oh Jerry I'm so happy to hear your voice!"

Lee's voice emerged as a choked tunnel, tears streaming down his face. Megan, Marc, and Tony joined him, their voices trembling with tears as they rushed to speak with their boss. The audio barely registered their words, drowned out by their overwhelming emotions.

"All four of you, are you ok?"

The siblings all confirmed their safety in unison.

"Alright, that's good, good enough for you four. It's so nice to hear you four again!"

Brittney, Sam, Clover, and Alex huddled closely around Jerry, their faces etched with concern. Their eyes darted back and forth, searching for any clues to understand what was troubling their fellow spy. The tension in the room was palpable as they desperately tried to decode the cryptic message.

Jerry's voice quivered as he responded, "Lee, we're here. What's happening? Are you in danger?" His voice cracked with emotion, mirroring the fear that gripped his heart. The girls rushed over to reply with thousands of "OMG HIII" and basically 300 "Are you guys ok?"

"I don't think we need anything...No, Not as of right now. Can you send something, gadgets, money, anything at this point, we'll take it. "

Leander's voice crackled through the speaker, strained and filled with an underlying sense of urgency. His words were a jumble of fragments, making it harder for the team to piece together the puzzle. The room fell silent, save for the faint sound of Lee's voice, as they strained to catch every word.

Time seemed to stand still as the team collectively held their breath, their minds racing to decipher the hidden message within Lee's desperate plea. The weight of the Miami situation bore down on them, urging them to act swiftly and decisively.

Jerry wiped away his tears, his determination resurfacing amidst the chaos. He turned to his team, a fierce determination gleaming in his eyes. "We need to focus, girls, we have to give the kids what they need," he spat out through gritted teeth, his face flushed with frustration and his hands clenched into tight fists.

" Lee and the siblings need our help, and we won't let them down...not this time I won't. I almost lost you guys once, and I won't let that happen again! Lee, make sure you check the card that was given to you, there should be some money, around $160,000 should do for the next few days, Megan, there should be a weapon for you and Marc to use, and Tony, make sure that you look at the pens nearby. Those should be mini knives, razors, and lock-picking tools used. Let's decode this message and get all of you out of Miami. The best I can do is Saturday. Lee, stay out of whatever trouble you're in."

With renewed determination, Sam and the girls went to grab gadgets and pulled their phones out to Cashapp the teens, gathered around the cellular device, their minds working in unison to unravel the mystery before them. Their bond as a team grew stronger with each passing moment, ready to face any obstacle that stood in their way.

"WE GOT CONTACT, WOOHOO!" Lee, filled with excitement and adrenaline, shouted at the top of his lungs after ending the call with Jerry. He then proceeded to tightly embrace Megan, jumping up and down in pure jubilation as the other teenagers joined in the celebration.

"Lee stop yelling!"

"Why not?!"

As the four calmed down a bit, they realized things were going to be ok. The four of them hugged it tears down their face, this mission was over soon and they could go home.

It was going to be great.

(Indigo Hotel pool, 7 pm later that day)

"Why the hell are you here?"

"Setting the record straight with you-"

Tami's eyes were angry with Marc, her heart looked with such betrayal, Tamera stormed off, wrapping her towel around her small body, giving glares to Marc, she went to her room, but Marc, trying to reason with her, quickly walked after her. Her pace quickened, her heart pounding in her chest as she hurried away, unable to bear the thought of facing Marc's pleading eyes after the kiss, as she made her way to the sliding door, Marc grabbed her arm..

"He dosen't love you, Tamera"

It was late at night, way to late to be out, Tami likes it like this, anyways. The sky was a deep blue, clouds were passing by, you could see the city where she was sitting to, which was nice for Tamera. Tami's blonde hair blew delicatly as the wind hugged her; the wind was picking up faster, more aggressive, signaling that a storm might be on the crisp air tingled across Tami's skin as a cool breeze blew across the surface of the water, sending ripples and waves across the shimmering blue pool. Her long dark hair was tied back in a tight braid, securing it from getting messy as she slowly walked into the shallow end. The water felt chill across her bare feet and ankles at first, but she pressed on, wading deeper in until she was up to her hips. Calisha swam nearby, her golden blonde hair bouncing with each stroke, and she seemed unbothered by the cool pool felt cold, way to cold during June, and Tami, who had her hair in a braid and was wearing a black swimsuit with shorts, felt a bit confused. Calisha was with her, sporting long blonde hair in two braids and a red swimsuit. They were also joined by two other girls they had met at the hotel, named Chloe and Irina. The twins were from the Miami area and had golden bronzed skin, long black hair, and sweet doe-like black eyes.

While the girls were chatting away, Tami was distracted by that fight; how did Megan know about kissing Marc? Did Marc tell her, or did Megan have an instinct about it?

Whatever it was, Tami was just still angry about Lee letting her attack Megan like that, and Tami was trying to relax by the pool, thinking about that damn kiss.

Why would Marc do that?

Tami was still thinking of this when Marc showed up. He wanted to clear the air about their kiss, but Tami wasn't having any of it. She was angry with Marc for cheating on his girlfriend, Sheena, her best friend!

Tami was angry, at herself, not only at Marc. Lee was her's, even though he belonged to another, was it hurtful to love from afar?

She was angry and couldn't wait to get back home and tell her everything. Tami knew that Marc and Sheena were in a committed relationship,

...But that kiss...something happened...

That didn't stop him from doing that to her. Was Marc's intentions getting with Tami, was he using Sheena? She had been attracted to him from the moment they met, sure, at one point, but that was all after she met Lee, and the fact that he was taken only added to her intrigue. When Marc kissed her, she was angry and somewhat...flattered. But her elation turned to anger when she realized that he was cheating on his girlfriend. Tami got up from the pool and started walking away when Marc started calling out to her.

"I did this for you Tami I did this as a wake-up call for you-"

"You cheated on your girlfriend, as a wake-up cal for me, for what? Sheena would be so heartbroken right now, her own boyfriend in Miami, hangin out with her best friend, telling her that she needs a wake-up call, can't wait til-l I can't believe you! Just wai, untill she know about this! Can't wait to get back home and tell Sheena everything! Marcus Clark, you are by far the dumbest person I've meet so far! Your girlfriend is the prettiest girl in the grade, YOUR GRADE, with the biggest house, with a damn pool, the best grades, and the nicest nose and you had the audacity to kiss her best friend, because of some feelings with your brother, that had nothing to do with you.

You kissed me that night because you wanted attention, Marc. You didn't kiss me because you were, what, mad that Lee wasn't giving me attention, that Lee loves Kat more than me, and I deserve better, how low are you, Marc? and now you, what, want to go to second base, you weirdo?"

As Tami walked to her phone, Marc tried to explain himself, but Tami was not interested in hearing his excuses. She was furious with him for betraying Sheena and using her to fulfill his desires. Tami tunred to Marc, tears in her eyes as the two were near the pool's outdoor bathroom.

"Marc, how could you? How could you cheat on Sheena like that? She's the best thing that ever happened to you, and you ruined everything by kissing me all because you were feeling insecure about your relationship with your brother? What is wrong with you?!"

"If this was about my envy for Lee, how every single time

Tami couldn't understand why he would stoop so low and felt even more determined to confront Sheena about what had happened when Marc said something that stopped her.

"Tamera, you would've done the same thing. To me."

(Indigo Hotel, day after Kat and Lee's phone chat, 8:44 am)

Marc woke up, in a boiling sweat, hair caught on his forehead, eyes beady from fear, his head spinning around, the room felt so off... He remembered what he had done the night before, Tami was stubborn, sure, but she was right; kissing Tami was a mistake, and he did it due to his loneliness, and he felt nauseated. Marc knew he had made a mistake when he kissed Tami. He felt nauseated and knew he had to deal with the consequences. But what were they? How could he undo what he had done? The first thing he was going to do was go to Tami and apologize. He knew that wouldn't be enough, but it was a start. He had to make things right.

Marc had a bad feeling in his stomach. It had been gnawing at him for hours now, and he couldn't shake it. He didn't know exactly what it was, but he was pretty sure it had something to do with Lee. He needed to investigate, but he wasn't sure how to go about it. He couldn't just barge into Lee's and ask him what was wrong. That would be too obvious.

He needed to be more subtle.

"Morning Tone, wake up it's our turn to investigate the hotel."

Marc shook the boy up, his little brother, rolling the other way, as Marc just sighed in frustration. The sun shined bright, too bright as Marc looked towards the pool area. The scorching heat of the sun, only it being 8 am intensified Marc's frustration, making him feel as though he was being consumed by the suffocating warmth. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead and trickled down his temples, dampening his hair. The relentless brightness seemed to magnify the weight of his worries, making it difficult for him to find solace in the serene surroundings, but as he looked at the pool area, a certain blondie popped into his head.

Tami.

Marc couldn't stop thinking about the kiss with her as he brushed his teeth. Despite his love for Sheena, he knew he had to be honest. As the bristles of the toothbrush met his teeth, Marc's thoughts swirled around the complexity of his feelings. Sheena had played a pivotal role in his life, diligently thinking about the effects of his actions.

Was it fair to Sheena to keep up this act? Should he be honest with her and confront the feelings he had for someone else? These questions plagued him, causing a knot to develop in his stomach. Deep down, Marc knew that he couldn't keep living in this conflicted state. He needed to have an honest conversation with Sheena about his emotions and the kiss that had ignited this internal turmoil. It wouldn't be easy, but he owed it to both of them to be truthful.

As he finished brushing his teeth, Marc made a silent promise to himself that he would find the courage to address these feelings head-on. He knew it would be a difficult conversation, but he couldn't bear the thought of continuing to deceive the person he loved the most.

He had been in love with Tami for years now, why was she wasting it on Lee?

"Ugghh" Tony groaned, moving out of his bed, interrupting Marc's thoughts.

Marc wore a button-up shirt, blue jeans some Vans, a bandana, and a chain he stole from Lee to blend into the crowd while Tony wore...whatever Tony wore.

Walking out of the hotel room, Marc and Tony went to Lee and Megan's room, Megan wearing a flowy purple top and loose jeans, with a white headband, and Lee wearing a black tank top, his toned muscles making him more handsome, the veins on his arms traveled, they pulsed up upon seeing Marc and Tony's odd outfits and the loose jeans Lee was wearing matching with some sunglasses on his brown hair. As the two stepped out of their hotel rooms, Megan smiled at the two boys, but Lee looked very annoyed at Marc's outfit; specifically, what was on Marc's neck.

"Take that chain off. You look like a fucking loser."

"You look like a Weezer fan."

Lee pushed Marc, laughing, as the four headed to the lobby.

As Marc, Lee, Megan, and Tony made their way to the hotel lobby, joking and laughing with one another, Marc kept having this bad feeling in his stomach the white and blue lobby had its dim lights, the pair of four's energy was changed to stressed to calm, as the smells of pancakes, coffee, white people, fresh lemon, eggs, but the air was off, they couldn't help but feel the tension in the air. The lobby

Guests were exchanging curious looks, indicating their awareness of the events from the previous night. It was evident that the repercussions of their actions were imminent. The four individuals understood the urgency of the situation; they had to act swiftly to evade the consequences, conduct their investigation, and depart. They had to devise a plan promptly.

Lee looked so annoyed today, his face looked so off, and his mood was snappy, for some odd fucking reason.

Marc, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, broke the silence. "Alright, guys," he began, his voice taut with tension, "Ok, so, that call last night was tense and reliving, we need to act fast. So, we eat breakfast first, what do we agree on, split into two teams, one stays upstairs the other does investigations and we rotate, call J man, and call it a night and pack up for tomorrow, right?" The rest agreed, but Lee was somewhere else, mentally, Marc looked at the oldest spy.

The lobby, spacious and airy, echoed with the hushed chatter of guests as they made their way to breakfast. The ambient lighting cast a soft glow upon the area, making the surroundings feel almost ethereal. The scent of fresh coffee mingled with the faint tang of lemon, creating a subtle yet distinct aroma that wafted through the air, but the air felt off since lee was acting off.

"Hey, Lee, are you alright?" Marc asked, seeing Lee's energy was rather off-putting, his face angry and sad, but Lee just ignored him, his eyes wet and red, Lee looked so empty...so cold, very off for the bubbly, very bright teen.

"God, can't wait to chow down on some food!" Tony whispered, his green eyes lit up with excitement as Lee went to grab the plates.

While the teenagers were seated at a table, Marc casually retrieved his phone from his pocket in order to look at something on the screen. Sheena had texted him something, asking to talk later, saying it was urgent, but to please call her when he was free, but as he was replying to her, he felt an aura of darkness feminine energy had just walked inside the lobby. Lee arrived with their food, still annoyed for some odd reason, but they ate in peace; Lee with a breakfast sandwich and some orange juice, Megan with a veggie oatmeal, Marc and Tony sharing large pancakes with a larger milk.

Simultaneously, their eyes roamed around the lobby, observing their surroundings, eating their food and chatting about finally leaving, and what they were gonna do when they got home, that's when Asenji strolled past them, sipping on a cup of coffee and playfully winking at Lee. This unexpected gesture caught the attention of the trio of siblings, prompting them to fix their gazes on the 17-year-old boy. Megan threw her water at Asenji, but the woman remained unbothered, as she smiled.

"Hey, Lee, isn't this the front desk lady that you flirted with the other day? The Asian one?" Marc asked, as Asenji walked away.

"That woman gives me the creeps!" Tony admitted, looking at Megan.

"What the hell is up with her? We haven't been here that long and she's creeping on Lee?

"What... the...Holy...Yeah..."

"How old even she, 20 maybe? Lee you good?"

"I have zero clue, I don't care, I'm not sticking around to find out," Lee rose from his seat in irritation, feeling that remaining at the table was more unpleasant than stepping in dog waste. "Marc, all of my life, I have always been compared to you; your pros and your "non-existing cons" but in reality you have so many fucking cons, and you have the patience of a toddler who is hungry, and your ego is so high you could name a mountain of it. Goodbye."

As he made his exit, his eyes reflected emptiness and sorrow. Megan, filled with concern, chased after him, calling his name and causing a commotion. This left Marc stunned in his chair, wondering what he had done to upset Lee so deeply, causing the four to have a uneasy tension in the lobby once Megan and Lee left.

Marc and Tony just shrugged, as they ate their food, but Marc had a bad feeling with the way Lee..just admitted...that..to him. He couldn't shake off the feeling that there was more to this revelation than met the eye. The atmosphere between the four suddenly felt heavy, and Marc's mind raced with questions, desperately seeking answers to the unknown secrets that now hung in the air.

(Lee and Megan)

As Lee was storming off into the hallway, Megan came running up behind, her chest heaving and her face flushed with worry. Her heart pounded in her chest, matching the rapid rhythm of her footsteps echoing in the empty corridor. Sweat glistened on her forehead, evidence of the adrenaline coursing through her veins as she desperately tried to catch up with Lee, finally catching up with the sporty boy, confused on his change of mood.

"Leander Micheal Clark, what the hell is wrong with you-" "Megan demanded her older brother, as his body was back to hers, as Megan walked closer to Lee, before feeling a shift of sadness, seeing Lee's tears, eyes red and his body shaking as Lee leaned his body onto Megan's.

"K-Kat's parents *sniff* are a-a-busi-ing her. I think it's just h-her *sniff* mom though."

"...Lee...What?!"

Lee collapsed into his sister's arms, his body trembling uncontrollably, his eyes wide with terror as tears streamed down his pale face, Megan's body froze as Lee's hand clung to her as he was crying. Lee cried, sure, but this was the first he cried over a girl. Better yet, the first time he's cried because he cares about his girlfriend's wellbeing.

This is a first.

"Megan, she fucking lied to me, to ME! HOW COULD SHE DO-"

*SLAP*

Lee's face was red, as Megan's hand meet with Lee's check."

"What was that for?"

"I'm so sorry LeeLee, please don't fucking shout, we're gonna get caught, now let's go to our hotel room, and chat there, alright?!"

"Yeah sure, but I'm too sad to yell at you, at least I can yell at you in our room."

Lee rolled his eyes in annoyance as Megan and Lee entered the elevator, Lee's tears were dry, that phone call still making his body shake, as Megan pressed the button to their floor.

"Lee, sorry for-"

Lee reached out and hugged his sister tightly, his warm embrace surprising her. With so much going on in their lives, they had not had much time for each other lately. But in that moment, all that seemed to matter was that they were together. She hugged him back, feeling his warmth envelop her.

(Marc and Tony, outside the hotel, Friday,almost 2pm)

With the sun shining warmly overhead, casting its rays on the glistening outdoor pool and the lush green grass, a clear blue sky stretched out above Marc and Tony. As they walked outside the hotel, armed with the gadgets provided to them, they eagerly prepared to begin their investigation. As they strolled near the patio area, Marc casually asked Tony a simple question, his gaze shifting to the bushes behind them.

"Tony, have I ever done..like anything to Lee these past few days, that I cant recall?"

Tony looked up, thought for a bit, before answering.

"Maybe the time you broke his soccer ball, last month you stole $70 out of his wallet, there was that odd time you said you wanted to look like him, you started dating one of his exes, then she threw hot water on you when she found out you were Lee's little brother or the time you usedhis trophyas a bat on me...for using your laptop..no..wait...I got it... you kissed the girl he had feelings for."

"Mindy isn't even his ex-"

"Marc."

Marc sighed, as the two started walking over to the chairs in the patio area, but the comment still pissed him off enough to reply to Tony.

"Ok, look, you need to understand, Lee's in love with Kat. Deeply in love with her, Anthony, I doubt you would understand. Kat fits Lee perfectly; they're both stupidly popular, she's rich, and both of them fit well into society, and both of them are fucking better than me, they can both fuck off."Marc mumbled the last parts, annoyed with the world as of right, How could Lee think like that as of right now?

They had a mission to do, and Lee's pouring his heart out to him, calling him selfish, and was now annoyed that Tony even told him that. Marc was still annoyed, as they went near the swings of the patio trying to find evidence when they heard something near the outdoor pool.

" Our signal to go. Tone! Come on!"

Marc yelled as the two teens ran over to try to see where the noise was coming from, the pool door was broken, and walking in was a horror scene; upon arrival, the pool was covered in blood, blood on the walls, and blood on the rims of the balcony, broken pieces of the glass were surrounded a few parts of the pool, and all of the pool chairs were broken, smashed into pieces, the water itself was bloody.

Appearing from behind the two, Asenji appeared, her hair tied back, sporting a jumpsuit, wearing weapons on her.

"Hey, hey."

Marc and Tony jumped back as Asenji started her attacks, Tony was hit first, sending the brown boy flying to one side of the outdoor pool, as Asenji jumped from one boy to the next, swinging a large weapon on hers, trying to attack, landing a few on Tony, but she was having trouble with Marc.

WACK*

Marc went flying to the other side of the pool, as Asenji kept landing attacks, swinging the weapon faster and Marc kept dodging them better and faster, their pacing matching.

"You, pretty boy, are so annoying."

"So are you, pretty lady."

WACK*

Tony threw a whole chair, basically going 190 miles, at Asenji, crashing into her, as she went backward into the walls, her body making a loud thud, as Marc and Tony were able to be stable enough to fight.

But Asenji was smarter, as she grabbed a leg from the broken chair, still wounded, but strong enough, and chucked it as Tony came after her, the broken chair leg, stabbing him in the arm.

It was perfect, well, as a way to start distracting her, while Marc ran to her side to throw some hands, as Marc kicked the tool she was using out of her hands, twirled it in his hand for a bit, wielded it, and pointed it at the woman below him, but the woman was impressed.

"Talk."

"I knew it. You four are spies. I knew it, there was something so off about the four of you."

"You are such a weirdo, why are you so obsessed with my brother," Marc asked as he was now face to face with the Asian assassin.

"I'll make it short; Your brother is dating the daughter-"

"KAT!?"

"That's her name?"

"What is your problem, what about her?"

BOOM*

Marc looked down at his bloody clothes, as Asenji pushed him and shot Tony...

"Ask that little, annoying pink bitch about a guy named Mel."