Inside the Tailor's studio, Gjord sat on the Z-shaped sofa. He peered through his lorgnettes at the desperate trio standing before him. "I do not understand."

"It's very simple." Cindy karate chopped her palm and sucked in an enormous breath. "A hacker stole our grades by having an accomplice upload a virus through our computer lab via a flash drive which was delivered to a bumbling shopkeep in the VIP room of our school's casino but he finally grew a conscience and the device was stolen by a waitress."

Gjord squinted and struggled to make out Cindy's blurry form through his ancient spectacles. "So you need disguises to enter a casino?"

"Yes!" Cindy, Butch, and Jimmy answered with eager nods. Cindy clasped her hands and added, "Please."

Gjord set down his lorgnettes. "This I can do." He flashed a finger while saying, "A moment." He poured a finger of Mott's from the nearby decanter, closed his eyes, and swirled his drink.

The trio anxiously leaned forward while Gjord took a measured sip.

"I have it," Gjord said while opening his eyes and setting the glass down. He pointed at Jimmy and Butch. "You are Leopold and Reginald Farson. Sons of Oliver Farson, the famed Windsor molasses magnate. The business grows stale, so your father must expand. Opportunity lies here, so you have come to open a factory. You have brought your bodyguard, the mesmerizing Esmeralda. She-"

Cindy interrupted, "That's okay. We already have a plan."

Jimmy explained, "We just need you to disguise us as normal kids. We'll say that we go to school in Metroville, but cut class to come see this casino."

Butch chimed in, "We'll keep things simple for once."

Gjord's face fell. "No molasses?" The trio shook their heads while Gjord pulled a tiny glass jar out of his pocket. "I have a sample."

Butch quickly snatched the syrup. "I'll save that for later."

Gjord sighed. "Fine, normal students. Let us begin."

Cindy led the trio down a hallway towards the school's main stairwell. All were clad in T-shirts, jeans, and sneakers with freshly dyed hair. Cindy examined her brown pigtails and mumbled, "Haven't worn these in a while."

Butch's blonde hair had been lightly trimmed into a shag haircut. He looked around the corridor in fervorous awe. "You guys can see like this all the time? That's freaking crazy!"

Jimmy confidently coiffed his new long-trim black pompadour and said, "Let's focus on the plan. We don't know much about Snake Eyes, but we can infer that two kinds of students get access to its VIP room."

"The first are high rollers," Butch said while patting the thick wad of ten dollar bills in his pocket. "So I'll flash the cash from H.A.L.L.P.A.S.S.'s emergency funds."

Jimmy led them up the stairs and towards their target on the third floor. "The second group is people who ingratiate themselves with the staff. So I'll settle in at the blackjack table and count cards."

Cindy added, "Then I'll rat you out to the security team."

Jimmy said, "Hopefully you and Butch both get access to Rabbit Hunt. If you need help from the outside, you can radio me."

The group stopped in front of a closed classroom door. They all glanced up at the wood-carved sign hanging above the entrance: a pair of dice each sporting single dots.

Butch asked, "What should we call ourselves? I'm feeling like a Batch."

Jimmy said, "That's not even a name."

Cindy shrugged and said, "Eh, it's fine. These disguises are kind of lazy. I'll be Sandy." She turned to her boyfriend. "What about you? Timmy?"

Jimmy narrowed his eyes. "No. I've been waiting for the chance to use a codename. Call me Johnny Quasar."

Butch and Cindy shared a disgusted glance. Butch warned, "If you're going to snitch on this dweeb, you two can't be all lovey dovey. "

Cindy huffed, "That won't be difficult." She stared at an annoyed Jimmy and asked, "Ready to turn back the clock? I've got a few insults I've been saving for a rainy day."

Jimmy flashed a devilish smile. "Bring it on, Vortex." Cindy sneered back as he opened the casino's door and led them inside.

In spite of everything Retroville Middle School had ever thrown at them, the trio couldn't help but marvel at the wonder that was Snake Eyes.

Gone was any trace of the prior classroom. Plush red carpeting adorned with golden fleurs-de-lis covered the floor. An enormous crystal chandelier hung from the freshly renovated wooden parametric ceiling. The casino floor was an open design sporting three areas. The western wall housed the bar and blackjack table. The center of the space was home to roulette, craps, poker, and a half dozen other games. The eastern section sported an array of slot machines and, in the far corner, a door with a nearby bodyguard standing watch.

Immediately before the children rested a reception desk. Behind it stood a lanky and tuxedo-clad eighth-grader. He finished oiling his paper-thin pencil moustache and smiled at his newest guests. "Behold the greatest wonder to ever grace Retroville Middle School. Welcome," he splayed his arms at the space around him, "to Snake Eyes. Is this your first time here?"

Jimmy stepped forward. "Yes. We're actually from Metroville Middle School and heard a ton of rumors about this place."

Cindy none too gently bumped Jimmy out of the way and took his spot. She motioned at her and Butch. "Us cool kids figured that the last day of school was the perfect chance to cut class and check it out." She jerked a thumb at Jimmy and added, "The pipsqueak tagged along."

Jimmy narrowed his eyes. "Like you would have gotten here without my hover car."

Butch kicked the genius in the shin.

"I mean bicycle!"

"Mm-hmm," the host mumbled. "Now, our rules are simple. Play only with house chips, no card counting, and no distracting the dealers. How many chips would you like?"

"I'll do twenty-five dollars' worth," Jimmy said while trading a few bills for twenty-five white chips.

Cindy waved the attendant away. "I'll scope things out from the bar first." She turned to Jimmy and asked, "Want me to carry your chips, Quasar? I know it's a lot of weight for you."

"I'll manage," Jimmy snapped back. "But if you do decide to play, you should avoid the blackjack table. I know counting past ten isn't your strong suit."

The two kept exchanging barbs while heading into the casino. The attendant watched them leave and quietly told Butch, "They seem like a lot."

"You have no idea."

The tall eighth-grader smiled and asked, "How many chips for you?"

Butch revealed his thick stack of bills. "Two hundred and fifty dollars' worth."

The attendant registered a split second of surprise before flashing a professional smile. "Of course, sir." He took and quickly counted the money. "All in perfect order. One moment, please."

Butch watched as the greeter set a finely lacquered mahogany chip case onto the counter. He flipped the box open and inserted a variety of colored checks branded with a snake's face. In went thirty-five white, twenty yellow, ten red, five blue, and three green chips.

The eighth-grader latched the box closed and slid it towards Butch. "May luck be with you, sir. Enjoy your stay."

Butch grabbed the case, offered a nod, and headed into the casino. Jimmy was already settled in at the blackjack table with Cindy watching from the nearby bar. Butch figured it was best to stay on the other end of the room, so he took a seat at an empty slot machine.

Butch plucked a white chip from his case and unsuccessfully tried to jam it into the machine's slot. A slot attendant walked over and patiently explained, "These machines use tokens, sir. How many would you like?"

"Uh, fifty?"

The attendant snatched the case's five blue chips. Butch was given a bucket of silver tokens in their stead. "Best of luck," the worker said before continuing his rounds.

Butch watched the boy walk away, slid a coin into the machine, and pulled the lever. An apple, pair of cherries, and pulasan rolled into view and cemented his loss. Butch narrowed his eyes and played another round.

Five minutes later, he was out twenty tokens. "Hey!" he waved the attendant over. "Is this thing rigged?"

The attendant answered, "I assure you that all the machines have an equal chance to win. But feel free to try another game."

"Naw, I'm getting my money back," Butch growled. He slammed another token into the machine and angrily yanked the lever down as hard as he could. A heavy clunk accompanied the handle getting stuck at the bottom. He wiggled the lever, popped it back up, and watched three cherries land in front of him.

Butch grinned as five tokens spit out of the machine. He popped another coin in, studied the handle, and pulled it just as hard before yanking it up after he heard a clunk. Another trio of cherries preceded five tokens spilling out.

Butch grinned wider and said, "I can work with this."

From her seat at the bar, Cindy sipped her sharbat sekanjabin and watched Jimmy place another white chip onto the table. He tapped on the red felt and grimaced as a king of clubs made him bust.

Jimmy motioned for the dealer to wait, walked towards Cindy, and leaned his arms across the bar. A seventh-grader clad in a white tuxedo finished polishing a glass and told Jimmy, "We put the Spitoon's mocktails to shame. What magical delight can I craft for you?"

Jimmy grumbled, "Just a Purple Flurp."

The bartender narrowed his eyes, tossed the rag at Jimmy's chest, and said, "What a baby," before walking away.

Cindy chimed in, "I saw that last hand, Quasar. You say I'm the one who can't count past ten? You do realize that 23 is more than 21, right?" Jimmy shot Cindy a death glare as she leaned closer towards him. She whispered, "Seriously, what's the problem? You've lost five games in a row."

Jimmy quietly answered, "I'm memorizing everything, but card counting doesn't guarantee a win. It only makes it statistically more likely. I need more time."

"Well we don't have all day," Cindy warned. "Get to winning."

"Thanks for the incredible advice," Jimmy snapped back.

"Here's your garbage," the bartender said while rolling a can of Purple Flurp across the bar.

Across the casino, Butch whistled while popping another token into the slot machine. He was about to yank the handle when a sixth-grader he'd never seen before took the seat beside him. Butch cocked his head in surprise; H.A.L.L.P.A.S.S. had aided in him getting to know most of the school's denizens.

The preteen wore a plain black dress and ebony ballet flats. Her gaunt cheeks were partially hidden by a bob cut, which was a glossy auburn. Her hazel eyes, weighed down by light bags, studied the slot machine in front of her. The girl slid a token into the machine, pulled the handle, and watched three different fruits slide into view. She sighed and studied the last coin in her right palm.

"And it's all over," she whispered while sliding it into the slot. She was gripping the handle when Butch's voice stopped her.

"Wait," Butch warned the girl. "Pull it as hard as you possibly can, then yank it back up once it catches at the bottom."

The girl stared at him in silence.

"Just watch," he said while sliding in a token. Ten seconds later five coins spit out of his machine.

The girl raised an eyebrow but skeptically mirrored his technique. Three cherries slid into view and she marveled at her winnings. She scooped them up and asked Butch, "How'd you figure that out?"

Butch noticed that one of her front teeth was badly twisted. He tried not to stare while explaining, "I just got really mad. And I'm crazy strong."

The girl stayed quiet, so Butch put another token in. He was about to yank down the lever when she said, "Wait. How many times have you done that trick?"

"About five. Why?"

"You have to lose a few, then. If you keep winning, security will get suspicious and kick you out."

"How can they kick me out?" Butch asked. "It's a game. Aren't you supposed to get good at it?"

"It's a casino. They set the rules and want to take your money. They can throw you out at any time."

Butch pondered this new information. "That's rotten."

"Agreed," the girl nodded. "This is a messed up place."

Butch absent-mindedly played another round. "Why'd you come here, then?"

The girl wavered for a moment, then admitted. "I have some unfinished business to take care of."

Butch said, "That's kind of why I'm here. What's your name, anyway? I'm Batch. It's like Butch, but with an A."

The girl waited a long moment, then offered, "Raven."

"Twenty-eight," the dealer said while taking away three more of Jimmy's chips. "That's a bust."

"I know that!" Jimmy snapped before slamming his head onto the table.

"Big Head!" Cindy shouted from the bar. "Get over here."

Jimmy trudged over and whispered, "Don't use our real names."

"First, amazing you consider that your name. Second, how do you get to twenty-eight in blackjack?"

"He had an ace!"

"How many chips do you have left? Ten?"

"Eight," Jimmy grumbled.

"Give me those," Cindy snatched them out of Jimmy's palm. "We're not losing the school because Jimmy Neutron failed at math."

"It's Johnny Quasar."

"It's freaking ridiculous is what this is," Cindy said while jabbing a finger against his chest. "We're swapping roles. I'll win at blackjack because I'm actually competent and then you accuse me of cheating."

Jimmy scoffed. "You're not going to win."

"Watch me." Cindy stomped over to the bar, took a seat, and wagered a lone chip. She was dealt a king and a two.

Jimmy smiled as she hesitated.

"Uh…hit me," Cindy said as a queen slid her way.

"Bust," the dealer said while taking away her chip.

Jimmy asked, "Not so easy, huh?"

"I got closer than you!" Cindy shot back. She smacked the table and said, "Another round."

Cindy was dealt a king and queen while the dealer sported a five. Cindy smiled in glee and spun on Jimmy. "See? I don't even have to try."

She offered the dealer a small wave. Her grin faded as he dealt himself a six, then her jaw dropped as he received a jack.

Jimmy nodded and pulled a pad and pen from his pocket. "Fascinating strategy. Don't worry, I'm taking notes."

Cindy shoved herself away from the table, smacked the notepad to the floor, and pointed at the middle of the room. "There's plenty of other games we can win at. Let's just try something else."

"So," Butch began while carelessly pulling the slot machine's lever, "what exactly is your unfinished business?"

Raven glanced around the room, saw no nearby security guards, and pulled hard before yanking up the lever. "You first," she said while pocketing her winnings.

"I have to get into Rabbit Hunt," Butch answered.

Raven's hand froze an inch from the coin slot. "Seriously?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"That's where I'm trying to go. Why do you need to get in there?"

Butch cleared his throat. "That's, uh, kind of a secret. You?"

"Kind of a secret." Raven finally offered a small smile. "So, what's your plan?"

Butch motioned at his bucket of coins. "Flash some money around and wait for an invitation."

Raven shook her head. "Having money is only part of it." She hesitated and leaned closer to Butch. "I know how to get in, and you have the money we would need."

"Are you saying we should team up?"

Raven considered the question for a long moment. "I'm not a fan of asking for help."

Butch huffed in agreement. "I didn't used to be. But the past few months? I've realized it's not that bad to have someone watch your back."

"That just makes it easier for them to drive a knife in."

Butch promised, "I won't do that."

Raven stared into his eyes for a disconcerting moment, then sighed. "How much money do you have?"

Butch stared into his bucket and at his nearby chip case. "Close to two hundred and fifty dollars."

"That's more than enough." She pointed at the craps table in the middle of the room. "The box man hands out Rabbit Hunt cards like candy as long as you bet large and tip well. Play three rounds of twenty dollars, tip ten, and we're in."

"Sounds good," while getting up. He offered her ten white chips. "Come with me and bet with these. That way you're nearby in case I have any trouble."

Jimmy and Cindy stood in the middle of the casino floor and studied all of the available tables. Cindy squinted and read the golden letters adorning one table. "Um, we could try pai gow? It looks like dominoes. That's kind of mathy."

Jimmy shook his head. "Our best bet is roulette." Jimmy pointed at the enormous wooden wheel ten feet away. "I can calculate the torque of the spin with my watch, then interrupt the dealer at just the right moment to land on black 20. After that, you turn me in."

Cindy watched while Jimmy angled his timepiece at the spinning wheel. The device silently measured its spin while Cindy said, "You don't have the reflexes to stop the dealer in time."

Jimmy said, "I'll take that into account. Trust me."

Cindy sighed but followed Jimmy to the table. He placed his last seven chips on black 20 and locked his eyes on the croupier's hand. He let his left wrist hang under the table and angled the watch towards the dealer. He dialed his laser's intensity to a non-lethal setting and activated it just as the croupier was prepared to release the wheel.

The worker yelped in shock and reeled back as the laser singed his dress pants. Jimmy smiled as the white ball spun, landed on black 20, and then bounced into red 14.

Jimmy's jaw dropped as the dealer took his last chips.

Cindy whispered, "You would have killed Carl on Intergalactic Showdown, wouldn't you?"

"I'm beginning to think that's possible." Jimmy spotted Butch and a redhead place a large bet at the nearby craps table. "Who's Butch…I mean Batch…with?"

Cindy followed his gaze and watched Butch and the girl celebrate a win. Butch slid the croupier a blue chip as a tip. The girl whispered something in a suddenly anxious Butch's ear, then he slid another two chips over.

"This is our chance," Cindy whispered. She pointed at Butch and shouted, "Hey whoa, he's cheating!"

Jimmy angled his finger beside Cindy's and shouted, "Yep, that's a cheater over there!"

Butch stared at the duo and splayed his arms in confusion.

Cindy and Jimmy shared proud grins while the croupier motioned a security guard over. He nodded towards Jimmy and Cindy. Within a few seconds a quartet of menacing suited figures formed a ring around them.

The tallest officer crossed his arms. "You two have been loud as heck and insulted our bartender. Falsely accusing one of our best customers is the final straw. Do you even have any chips left?"

Jimmy rubbed the back of his neck. "Not at the moment, but I'm confident that with a little more practice we can-"

"You're outta here." With a snap of his fingers, the lead guard and his cohorts each grasped one of the duo's wrists. Cindy curled one hand into a fist and glanced at her boyfriend. Jimmy shook his head, and they both let the guards drag them towards the entrance before shoving them out of the casino.

Cindy rubbed the stinging handprints on her wrists. Once the door to Snake Eyes was closed, she mumbled, "I could have taken them."

"I know," Jimmy agreed while motioning for her to follow him away from the entrance. "But they're just innocent guards. We can't beat them up."

"We?" Cindy scoffed. While Jimmy narrowed his eyes, Cindy grabbed his arm and looked at his watch. "We need to come up with a new plan."

"Butch is still in there," Jimmy countered.

"Do you really think he can handle it?"

Jimmy didn't hesitate to nod. "He's H.A.L.L.P.A.S.S. He'll get it done."

The craps coupier grinned as the troublemakers were ejected, then leaned towards Butch. "Apologies for that, good sir. Please accept this as recompense."

Butch felt a tap on his leg and glanced under the table. The dealer offered him a playing card which he snatched. "Thanks," Butch said while realizing it was an ace of spades sporting a skewered rabbit. He and Raven walked a few feet away and studied the card.

Raven grinned and said, "We did it."

"Plus that last bet got our losses back and then some." Butch stared at his chip case and offered her twenty five dollars' worth. "Here. You should have half."

Raven stopped and stared at the offering. "It was your money."

Butch shrugged. "But it was our plan."

Raven studied him for a long moment, then snatched the chips. She led Butch towards the guard in a dark grey Armani suit standing beside Rabbit Hunt's entrance. The eighth-grader grumbled, "You need something?"

Butch straightened his back and held out the ace of spades. "We're here for Rabbit Hunt."

The guard took the card and unclipped a black light from his belt. He angled the beam to uncover a hidden green picture of an arrow piercing a bunny. "Alright, you can head on in."

Butch and Raven both took a step forward and walked into an abruptly thrust out an arm.

"Just you," the guard clarified while pointing at Butch. "One card, one entry."

"But, uh…" Butch scrunched his face in thought.

Raven immediately wrapped herself around Butch's right arm and protested, "I'm his date."

Butch's eyes widened and his heart raced. Raven cleared her throat, so Butch croaked, "Yeah…it's a date. My first one. I mean our first one."

Raven closed her eyes against the cringe.

Butch swallowed hard and managed to say, "So can we please go in?"

The guard stared at Raven, who offered a pleading smile. He sighed and said, "Ah, whatever. It's the last day of school. Enjoy the show."

"Thank you!" Raven said as the guard opened the door and ushered them inside. As soon as the door closed behind them, her grin faded and she released Butch's arm.

Butch stared at his tingling skin for a long moment, then surveyed the new surroundings.

Rabbit Hunt was a different beast than the main casino. Dim red lighting provided scant illumination. Straight ahead were three room dividers with plush velvet drapes serving as doors. Two of the private booths had their curtains drawn; one was open to reveal a curved leather sofa around a small round table.

Ahead of the booths were a half dozen black marble tables. They were arranged in front of a semicircular stage. A tuxedo-clad seventh-grader played piano while a member of the school chorus clad in a a bejeweled silver gown sang haunting jazz. On the other end of the room behind the tables rested a small bar where a mixologist crafted smoking mocktails. Next to the bar was a solid wooden door.

Butch let out a disappointed huff. "I expected more, uh, what's another word for kind of evil stuff?"

"Debauchery?" Raven offered.

"Yeah, that's it."

Raven pointed above them. "That enough for you?"

Butch looked up to find Bolbi Stroganovsky clad in a silver jumpsuit. He was strapped by the wrists and ankles to a golden Cyr wheel suspended from the ceiling. The ring completed a lazy revolution while the trapped child said, "Bolbi mysterious."

"Eh," Butch waggled a palm in the air.

Raven jerked her head towards the booths. "That's where the illicit stuff happens. I've seen kids plan how to cheat on tests, the Candy Cartel set up drop points, and even an eighth-grader step out with a hickey."

Butch gulped and shyly glanced away. "You've been here that many times?"

Raven didn't answer. She simply nodded towards the open booth. "Act natural and get some drinks. Meet me in there. Then we'll talk."

Butch agreed and headed towards the bar. He ordered a fiery mango tango and preggy punch. A few minutes later he entered the booth with drinks in hand. He sat them down on the table while Raven instructed, "Close the curtain."

Butch did as he was told and sat on the end of the sofa opposite Raven. He slid her the preggy punch. She glowered at the colorful concoction and asked, "Really?"

"Don't girls like jelly beans?"

Raven said nothing while grabbing his mocktail and sliding her glass towards him.

Butch sighed and sipped the painfully sweet beverage. "Alright, so how do you know so much about this place? And what exactly are you after?"

Raven licked Tajin off her rim and took a measured sip of her spicy drink. "I used to work here. I'm not getting into the details, but I was fired this morning. You've seen that security here is tight. When people are let go, they take everything on you that's company property. That included something which is very important to me. I'm getting it back."

Butch asked, "What is it?"

"Help me grab it and you'll see. So why are you here?"

Butch admitted, "My name isn't actually Batch. It's Butch, and I knew those idiots who accused us of cheating. We're all in H.A.L.L.P.A.S.S."

Raven pulled back an inch and clenched her right hand tight around her glass. She stared at the beverage for a long moment, then took a painfully slow sip. After she swallowed, she repeated, "Why are you here?"

"We've been tracking down the Grade Snatcher. The trail led us to a waitress who works here."

"Which waitress?"

"We don't know her name. She's tall and has long brown hair."

Raven took another slow sip and nodded. "I know her. She's the one who got me fired."

"So why were you-"

Raven didn't let him finish. "Not important. We're still after the same thing. Snake Eyes's owner was training her to be part of management next year. She'll be in his office working on payroll. Lucky for us, that's also where we'll find what I'm after."

Butch asked, "Where's the office?"

Raven said, "It's the door near the bar. We can distract a security guard and try to steal their key."

Butch suggested, "Or I could kick down the door."

Raven shook her head. "It's nearly two inches thick and double locked."

"Doesn't matter," Butch explained. "There's a spot just below the knob. If you hit it with full force, you can knock nearly any door down if you're strong."

Raven considered this. "You're absolutely sure you can get us inside?"

"Yes. My main job at H.A.L.L.P.A.S.S. is being a battering ram. But we'll need a distraction." Before Raven could chime in, he pulled a walkie-talkie out of his pocket. "I could ask my partners on the outside for help."

Raven shook her head. "I don't want to involve more people."

"I won't tell them all the details. I'll just ask them to cut the lights." He waited for Raven's approval but settled for her silence.

Butch turned his radio's volume down and activated the receiver. "Neutron? Cindy? You two there?"

It only took a second for an obviously relieved Jimmy to answer. "Butch, thank goodness. Are you in Rabbit Hunt?"

"Yep," Butch answered. "And I have a way to get the information we need. But I need a favor."

Cindy quickly said, "Name it."

"Cut every light in the casino."

Raven and Butch waited a tense moment while Jimmy and Cindy whispered to each other. Eventually Jimmy said, "I can do that from the basement's main fuse box. But we'll need a few minutes to get there."

Butch nodded and stared at the watch on his wrist. "I've got 10:21 and 14 seconds. Can you cut the lights at exactly 10:30?"

"Copy that," Jimmy assured him. "We're headed to the basement now. What exactly is your plan?"

"It's too complicated to explain. But you can count on me. Butch out."

Butch turned off the radio before Jimmy could ask any further questions. His face suddenly fell. "Wait, I don't even know the plan. The lights will confuse people, but it won't buy us enough time to interview the waitress inside. And how do we escape?"

Raven assured him, "Once I get inside the office, I can make another distraction for us to get out of there."

"What is it?"

"There's not enough time to explain."

Butch cocked his head. "What about interviewing the waitress?"

"She'll come with us when we leave. You can ask her questions after."

"So we're kidnapping her?" Butch shrugged and said, "That's fine."

"We're not kidnapping anyone," Raven bristled. "I just know how to convince her to come with us."

"What will you say?"

"I'll explain everything once we're done. You'll have to trust me until then."

Butch studied his partner and said, "I don't know you. You're asking for a lot."

Raven considered his point and admitted, "I guess so."

Butch waited for more, but she didn't say another word. He finally said, "Look, I'm starting to feel like you're going to leave me behind to take the fall for this. Can you just promise that you're not going to screw me over?"

Raven sat in silence.

"Seriously?"

She said, "I was considering your proposal."

"What proposal?"

"Taking the fall."

"I wasn't offering to-"

Raven interjected, "But you've been a good partner so far. So I promise I'm not screwing you over. We're both getting out of here with what we want. Good enough?"

Butch took a deep breath. "Okay."

Raven swallowed the rest of her drink before rising from the booth. "Once we get inside the office, look to your left. There's a bookcase a few inches from the entrance. You can barricade the door with it while I grab my stuff. That will buy us the time we need."

Butch nodded, reached into his pocket, and offered her a small flashlight. "If I'm blocking the door, you use this." She pocketed the device as he said, "Let's wait near the bar."

Raven agreed, and soon they were back on Rabbit Hunt's main floor. They both walked towards the bar and Raven ordered two extra spicy ginger switchels. Butch studied the door to his right. Four steps away and the doorknob is a foot to the left. I have to kick six inches under it.

Raven joined him and passed him a drink. "This'll keep us alert," she assured him. "How long do we have?"

Butch glanced at the watch on his wrist. "Thirty seconds."

"Down the hatch, then." Raven tapped her glass against his, then they both slugged their shots.

Butch gagged as a trail of fire scorched his throat. After a few seconds he managed to gasp, "Dang. What the heck was in that?"

Raven smiled while counting down the last few seconds on her fingers. "One last secret. Here we go."

At once, every light in Snake Eyes and Rabbit Hunt sizzled and exploded. Nice touch, Butch thought as the VIP room became awash in terrified murmurs. Butch walked four paces forwards, found the doorknob, and kicked beneath it with all of his strength.

Oak splinters showered him and Raven as he caught sight of the pitch black room. He felt movement behind him as Raven dashed inside. Butch pushed the door closed, reached for the nearby bookcase, and dragged it in front of the entrance.

Once it was in place, Raven's flashlight clicked on. The beam of light illuminated the room's contents. The space was small; Butch surmised it was a reconfigured storage closet. Other than the thin bookcase which he pushed his back against, there were only four items of note.

A thin computer desk, large monitor, and chair rested directly before Raven.

A small safe was built into the wall in front of the desk.

Butch's eyes widened as he realized what was missing. "Where's the waitress?"

Raven leapt over the desk, ripped open its drawer, and sighed in relief. She offered Butch a slim smile while grasping a pen branded with Snake Eyes's logo. "You're looking at her."

Butch cocked his head in confusion. A security guard began to push on the door; he pushed his back against the bookcase. "What are you talking about?"

Raven held her thumb over the pen's cap. "You might want to duck."

Raven slammed her thumb down.

Behind Butch, bright light, deafening whistles, and tiny explosions rang out.

Butch felt the security guard stop pushing against the door as they went to deal with the insanity inside Rabbit Hunt. Butch asked, "Are those fireworks?"

Raven ignored him while reaching into her dress's pockets. Butch spotted a Zippo lighter in one hand and makeup tube in the other. "You seriously need to duck," Raven warned while squirting the tube's dark grey contents along along the crease between the safe and its door. "I have no idea how dangerous this part is." Before Butch could protest, she sparked the lighter and held its flame to the safe.

The gel began sparking with frightening intensity. Butch and Raven leaped over the desk, took cover behind it, and covered their ears.

An enormous BANG! accompanied a blinding flash of light.

Butch cleared the ringing from his skull while Raven dashed in front of the blown open safe. She grabbed an empty duffel bag from inside and tossed five thick stacks of dollar bills into the satchel. "Knock the computer down and put the chair up there," she ordered.

Butch didn't hesitate to destroy his second monitor of the day. He slammed it to he ground with all his might and placed the chair atop the desk. "Seriously, what is going on?"

Raven zipped the bag closed and slung it across her back. "We're robbing a casino," Raven said climbing atop the desk and chair. "You have to deal with that."

Butch watched her pop open a ceiling a tile and complained, "I have so many more questions."

Raven said, "And if you want answers then you have to follow me," before disappearing into the abyss that lay above.

A furious voice shouted from the other side of the door, "Forget the fires, I need some help here!"

"Damn it," Butch snarled while struggling to heave himself into the ceiling. He crawled as fast as he could towards his distant flashlight, which abruptly died. "Raven!" he shouted.

"Straight and then left!" a barely audible voice answered.

Butch grit his teeth and followed the instructions. He soon spotted Raven's distant form and upped his pace. "Where are we going?"

"Quiet," Raven bristled. "I need to think." Butch clenched his jaw but kept silent while following her. A moment later she stopped before an intersection. "Left, right, straight, left…right," she said with a confident nod. She took the turn, crawled ten yards, and then came up against a dead end.

Butch gulped and asked, "Do we go back?"

"No. This is it," Raven assured him while pushing the tile in front of her onto the floor. She waited a moment, but no surprised voices erupted from the dark room below. She dropped down, cushioned the fall with one palm, and let out a barely audible grunt of pain.

Butch glanced down. Raven was already gone; his stomach churned at the ten foot drop. He closed his eyes, fought a pang of nausea, and heard a metallic screech.

Butch opened his eyes and saw Raven shove a desk beneath the hole. "Shorter drop," Raven simply said before limping away.

Butch nodded in relief, hung from the ceiling, and fell onto the desk. He hopped down and stared around the abandoned classroom. He wrinkled his nose at the sour smell of rotten leaves. "How'd you know it would be empty?"

"This is the room with the black mold." She pointed at the fuzzy dark spots lining all of the walls.

Butch scrunched his face in disgust. "What do we do now? Just sneak through the halls?"

"No, they'll be looking for us. Over here," Raven pointed at one of the windows. A long coil of rope was tied to the radiator beneath the sill. Raven pushed the glass open threw the cable outside.

She and Butch watched it fall and stop just below the windows on the floor below, still a dozen feet above the ground.

"Come on," he moaned. "You had tons of explosives but skimped on the rope?"

Raven snapped back, "The explosives were provided. I had to buy this. Do you have any idea how much Tom charges for butt posses?"

Butch stared at her unsteady leg and said, "I'll go first, then catch you."

"I can survive the drop," Raven countered.

Butch shot back, "You'll be easier to catch if you have to crawl away."

Raven said, "Fine. Get moving."

Butch clenched the rope as tightly as he could and got in position to crawl backwards out the window. He glanced over his shoulder, spotted the unforgiving dirt twenty-five feet below, and felt the world become unanchored.

His head swam, the ground moved, and sweat poured down his face. Bile lurched into his throat as distance voices rang out in the hallway.

"No one saw them take any stairs. They've got to be on this floor somewhere."

"Let's go room by room."

Raven warned, "Butch, move it." Butch's hands began to shake. He was about to tell Raven that he couldn't do it when she said, "Just look at the building. Not down. You're strong enough to do this. Okay?"

Butch managed a nod. He clenched his jaw and silently told himself, You're not scared of nothin'. You're H.A.L.L.P.A.S.S, damn it. Time to act like it.

Butch opened his eyes, swallowed hard, and crawled out the window. He wrapped his legs around the rope like in gym class, took a deep breath, and slowly worked his way down.

Raven whispered, "I think they're getting closer."

Butch moved faster and hesitated at the bottom of the rope. He felt the fibers begin to strain and looked up to find Raven smoothly sliding towards him.

"Are you crazy?" Butch asked.

"They're coming in any second," Raven warned. "Let go."

Butch stared at the ground a dozen feet below, then up at Raven. He half expected her to stomp on his frozen hands, but she simply said, "You can do it."

Butch gulped, then released his hold.

For a horrifying moment, he was in freefall. He bent his knees as the ground raced towards him and did his best to tuck into a roll.

The air was knocked from his lungs and his knees flared in protest, but nothing broke as he roughly tumbled across the ground. He staggered to his feet and saw Raven hanging from the end of the rope. She asked, "You ready?"

Butch hobbled underneath her and held out his arms. "Yep."

Raven removed one hand from the rope and gripped a small Swiss Army knife from her pocket. She reached as high above her as she could and started sawing.

Butch's eyes widened as Raven began to sway in place. He struggled to keep his arms beneath her. "Why do you do so many crazy things?"

"I'm slowing down those idiots up there." Raven finally sawed off nearly six feet of rope and tumbled to the ground. She kept impressively silent and fell straight into Butch's grasp.

"Down the street," Raven said while scrambling out of Butch's arms and hastily limping off of school property. "Woods behind the playground."

Butch hobbled beside her as a chorus of furious voices erupted from high above.

"Don't worry," Raven said. "We'll be long gone by the time they use the stairs."

Butch managed a grunt as he and Raven hustled down the street. A minute later they entered the woods, struggled to breach twenty yards into a dense thicket, and finally ducked beneath a line of trees.

"Okay," Raven panted while swiping a stream of sweat from her brow. "I think we're good."

Butch panted while collapsing onto a a bed of fallen pine needles. "Finally. Now tell me what the heck is going on."

Raven set down her duffel bag and sat beside Butch. "Fine. How much do you know?"

"Just that the Grade Snatcher sent a package to one of the booths in Rabbit Hunt. It was for the owner of the school store but he left it behind. Then a waitress…you…stole it. That's how the hacker took all our grades."

"I didn't know that's what would happen," Raven explained. "I watched Tom read the letter and stare at it for a long time, then leave. I was curious, so I checked it out. All it said was that I had to plug in a flash drive first thing this morning, run the program inside, and I'd get five hundred dollars for the trouble. I'd be stupid not to."

"If you got all that money, then why are you robbing a casino?"

Raven clenched her hands into fists. "Because the Grade Snatcher lied. When I opened the flash drive there was only one file. I activated it and a bunch of code started running. After a second a document opened. It said that if I wanted the money, I had to get it myself. It told me to go to a PO box at the school's post office. Inside that were supplies and instructions to rob Snake Eyes. That's where I got the tube of thermite paste and a lighter to blow the safe. It also had the fireworks and a detonator disguised as one of the casino's pens. Snake Eyes makes a deposit each afternoon, so they suggested robbing it during the audit."

Butch said, "That would have been just another way to make sure they shut down R.M.S. So how the heck did you plant all that stuff without being seen?"

Raven explained, "I got to school super early this morning. Since I worked in Snake Eyes, I had a key. I was able to hide all the explosives easily enough. But I'd never been in the boss's office before, so I wanted to scope it out. The owner caught me right after before I left. No one is allowed in the boss's office - it's the number one rule. So he fired me and had security escort me out after confiscating all company property, which included the detonator."

Butch asked, "So you disguised yourself to break back in?"

Raven nodded. "I wanted to win enough money to get access to Rabbit Hunt, but I only had three dollars to start with. I was about to give up when I met you." She shrugged and said, "More money would have been in the safe if we had waited until the audit, but when you told me you were H.A.L.L.P.A.S.S. I figured that option was out."

Butch took a moment to absorb all that she had said. "Okay, so you didn't know what the zip drive would do when you used it. But after the grades were hacked, you had to have figured it out." Raven stayed quiet, so Butch growled, "You should have told someone. We've wasted a ton of time tracking you down."

Raven huffed. "Really? You wanted me to walk up to H.A.L.L.P.A.S.S. and say that I was the one who ruined the school? Oh, and that I planted a bunch of explosives? I'd be expelled and get nothing out of it."

"But we'd save R.M.S.," Butch countered. Raven rolled her eyes and Butch narrowed his. He motioned at the nearby duffel bag. "You really care more about that than this school?"

Raven nodded.

"Why? What are you even going to spend it on? Let me guess. Another kid sold us all out for an Xbox?"

"No," Raven calmly answered. "It's for food."

Butch cocked his head. "Like…dessert?"

Raven glowered at the boy. "No. Like rice and beans and vegetables."

Butch withered under her glare, studied her frame, and realized how thin she was.

"My family…" Raven cringed and looked away from Butch. She settled her gaze on a dying oak tree and explained, "We're not doing well. A few hundred dollars changes everything for us. I know this insane school means a lot to everybody. But it's hard to care about supervillains and foam wars when you have to convince your little brother that hot water is a meal. So I'm sorry for what I did. But I'm not sorry I did it."

Butch couldn't think of what to say. All he could manage was a quiet, "I'm sorry."

"I don't need your pity," Raven shot back. "Life sucks most of the time." She shrugged, then pointed at her duffel bag. "But I'm dealing with it. So, are you going to let me go?"

Butch considered her question for a long moment.

Raven added, "I don't want to fight you. Mostly because I probably can't win. But I will absolutely try." She rose to her feet, so Butch silently did the same. He reached towards the walkie-talkie sticking out of his pocket. Raven clenched her hands into fists, then cocked her head as he pulled out a small glass jar.

"Do you want some molasses?"

Raven shot the offering a confused stare. "What the heck is molasses?"

"I have no idea," Butch admitted. "But I think it's food." Raven skeptically accepted the jar as Butch said, "You can keep the money. But you have to help me stop the Grade Snatcher. What PO box did you get the fireworks from?"

"Forty-eight," Raven immediately answered.

"Are you telling the truth?"

"Yes," Raven said. "I wasn't out to destroy the school. If you're letting me go, there's no reason to lie."

Butch inquired, "Do you have any idea who's behind this?" He considered her story and asked, "Was there a signature on the letter?"

Raven offered a pitiful stare. "What do you think?"

"There has to be something else you can tell me."

She shook her head. "The program deleted itself from the computer after it ran and I smashed the flash drive. There was a blueprint of the school along with instructions on how to escape from Rabbit Hunt, but I burned both of them after I'd memorized everything." She shrugged and offered, "Since you know the PO box, hopefully those post office role players can tell you where the package came from."

Raven slung the duffel bag over her shoulder. Butch asked, "Where are you going now?"

Raven shrugged. "Home, I guess. Though my mom will get mad at me for skipping class." She stared at the jar of molasses in her grasp. After a long moment, she offered, "Want to get lunch at the Candy Bar? I'll treat."

Butch stared into her hazel eyes. She glanced away and mumbled, "Might be nice to get to know you."

Butch swallowed hard, considered the notion, and then glanced back towards the school. "I have a better idea. We both save R.M.S. together, then celebrate with lunch tomorrow."

"I already told you everything I know about the Grade Snatcher."

"But the school's still a disaster. You lit a bunch of fireworks in a classroom. That mess has to get cleaned up before the auditors arrive."

"I'm not stupid," Raven argued. "There's no way I'm ever stepping foot in Snake Eyes again."

"You don't have to," Butch assured her. "Just go to the Tailor's studio. Tell Gjord, the kid who works there, that Butch sent you. He helps H.A.L.L.P.A.S.S. a lot. He'll watch your money and give you a new disguise. Then you find a mess anywhere else that someone is trying to clean up - it shouldn't take long. Take their place and send them to the casino."

Raven huffed. "You really think one kid will make a difference in saving this place?"

Butch shot back, "That's all it took to destroy it."

Raven faltered, then asked, "You expect me to leave this money with someone I don't know or trust?"

"I trust Gjord," Butch assured her. "Do you trust me?"

Raven stayed silent.

"I'm letting you keep the money," Butch reminded her.

Raven still said nothing.

"And the molasses," he offered.

Raven offered the barest hint of a playful shrug.

"And I'll treat us at lunch tomorrow. I'll even get a burger for your brother."

Raven let out a quiet sigh. "Fine," she agreed. "But if this friend of yours steals one cent from this bag, I'm coming after you."

"Fair deal," Butch said.

Boy and girl stared at each other, then she offered a crooked-toothed smile. "Let's get going, then. After me," she said while leading the way out of the woods.

Butch grinned while grabbing his walkie-talkie. He thumbed it to life and said, "This is Agent Pakovski. The Grade Snatcher sent the zip drive to the R.M.S.P.O.L.A.R.P. and used PO box 48. I'm heading back to headquarters and sending a volunteer to help clean up the school. Bennett and Yen, the rest is up to you."