Lucas decided to leave things as they were for now. Perhaps if things were meant to be, he and Amber would find their happy ever after. In the meantime, he would not go out of his way to see her. It was most likely for the best, especially when it came to her safety.

Fired from his booth, the ECHO agent took his time to wander around and explore the booths. He snagged a sausage on a stick from one of the food booths, skillfully avoiding the ones which had been burned to a crisp when the chef decided to get distracted talked to girls from Bel high.

As he munched on the snack, he dodged the stray ball thrown by a guy aiming for the dunking booth – he'd gotten distracted when his girlfriend had leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek, resulting in howls and whistles all around.

Lucas avoided the miniature haunted house being run by dorm 1. Though it was supposed to be a "horrifying 6 minutes" – not his quote but directly from dorm 1 – all that could be heard was consistent laughter from anyone who entered. In fact, the one or two screams that sounded came from the ghosts who ended up scaring each other.

On his walk, Lucas caught sight of his cardboard cutout. It stood, proudly displayed in a booth being run by some of the hockey team from dorm 3. Someone had the brilliant idea that girls liked baked goods, and thus they opened a mini bakery. It didn't seem to cross their minds until that moment that none of them could bake.

Ultimately, they had kidnapped a guy from the tennis team and put him to work as his family was in the gourmet chef industry – it took all but a few minutes to figure out that his family's talent had not been passed to him. Now, the mini bakery was sharing packaged snacks that had been bought from any vending machine within proximity. Of course, now not a single vending machine was in stock when it came to food.

Lucas paused briefly when he caught sight of Lucas 2.0 in the booth. The cutout was wearing a chef's hat that covered his head; 2 circles cut out for his eyes. Choosing to ignore the strange addiction to his clone, Lucas explored further booths. Though he looked relaxed, the boy was on high alert at all times, keeping an eye out on anything out of the ordinary.

The morning flew by and soon the loudspeaker announced for all athletes to move to get changed and the audience to make their way to the sports field.

The dorm heads ran around like headless chickens, looking for their champions while also trying to coordinate the seating in the stands.

It had been arranged in a way that the bleachers had been split into different sections for each dorm. The Bel girls had the honor of sitting in whichever section they wanted. Of course, each dorm had its own perks to try and lure them such as free drinks, cushions, or promises of umbrellas being held to block out the glaring sun. A few even offer grapes on silver platters.

Lucus allowed himself to be herded to the changing rooms. He held the uniform he was given, eyebrows raised. The uniform was primarily a bright red. In the middle of the jersey, the image of a rubber chicken stared at him, eyes wide. Upon turning it around, the back revealed the back of the chicken and the bold words: Crowing Roosters.

Another dorm 3 member was turning the jersey over, looking a little lost. "This is the mascot that was decided for this year?"

"I thought we were going for sexy," another complained.

He was smacked across the head. "Sexy doesn't win you the tournament," someone scolded.

"It does the girls though," another muttered.

"Hey! It's eye-catching," another defended.

There were mixed reviews as the competitors put on their jerseys. Lucas was tactful, making sure there were no eyes that would catch sight of the multiple scars as well as the new wound that covered his chest and back.

Soon, the locker room was filled with a mix of yellow and red-clad boys.

"Are we ready?" Noah yelled.

Check!" came the response.

"Do we have Jamie under control" he double-checked.

"Double check, sir!" A salute was paired with the answer.

"Are we going to win?"

"Yes!" was the roar.

"Line up, line up!" Noah urged as he got the boys in line.

"No victory cheer?" someone asked.

"Later," came the reply.

The boys were herded into a line as a marching band began to play to get the crowd riled up.

The boys in the stands turned their attention from trying to please the Bel High girls and started to cheer. The girls joined in, the excitement in the air infectious.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" One of the boys who had been chosen as announcer yelled into a mic as he strutted back and forth on the athletics field for all to see. His hat, which doubled as an umbrella, was quite the eye-catcher.

"Let's welcome our athletes."

Voices rose in a boom.

"First up, the Prancing Velociraptors, who will be competing under the flag of Dorm 1!"

Cheers rose from the dorm 1 seating as boys ran out from the changing rooms and onto the field.

They wore sky blue jerseys with a white velociraptor that looked very much like it was prancing while wearing a baseball cap. While their uniforms ranged on the spectrum of still "normal", the moment they stepped out, a cheer group assigned by the dorm also appeared.

Laughter roared as seven guys wearing inflatable riding dinosaur costumes waddled into view. With pompoms in their hands, they proceeded to attempt a cheer dance to rile the crowd up further.

The boys in the bleachers of dorm 1 turned together, pulled out inflatable cheering sticks, and began to bang in rhythm. The girls with them soon picked it up and the noise rose even further.

The teachers and staff let it go on, some even joining in.

With new confidence, the cheer team for the Prancing Velociraptors gave their all into their little dance routine. All the while, the athletes had gathered on the field, watching in glee as they thanked their stars for having volunteered to compete and not be the ones dancing away.

The announcer had to yell several times before the crowd quietened. He stood next to the leader of dorm 1.

"Do let us know, why did you choose your mascot this year as a Prancing Velociraptor?"

The dorm head grabbed the microphone. "Because, this year," he announced, "we will be prancing all over the other dorms to take the crown!"

Dorm 1 cheered while the other 3 tried to drown them out with boos. The inflatable cheer sticks won in the end.

"Very philosophical," the announcer nodded.

He took his mic back and cleared his throat. "I'd like to ask the cheerleaders to take a break," he said meaningfully as he eyed the cheer dance that had turned into something along the likes of twerking - or 'attempted' twerking. "Yo! I said stop!" he yelled again.

The dinosaur riders got the hint and moved to the side, allowing the spotlight to move to the next dorm.

"Flying under the flag of dorm 2," came the announcement, "The sumo-rinas!"

Dorm 2 bust into cheers as their athletes sprinted to the field,

Leading them out were three boys dressed in inflatable sumo costumes with tutus attached.

Giggles sounded and laughter roared as they waddled with enthusiasm, falling over every few moments. The athletes behind them finally gave up helping them up and, deciding they were too slow, simply took to rolling them onto the field, taking the spot beside dorm 1.

Their uniforms took the approach of having a fierce-looking sumo wrestler on them, drawn in a Japanese art style, only that each wrestler wore a pink tutu.

Their stands were filled with foam fingers and drums. The boys whistled and cheered loudly enough to rival the inflatable cheer sticks from dorm 1.

Once again, the dorm head was given a moment to share why they had chosen their team mascot.

"We will be both fierce and elegant," the reason came.

Laughter roared as one of the boys in the sumo gear promptly fell over. He was kicked and sent rolling. The other two sumos waddled after him, helped him up, and then went to stand next to the cheer team from dorm 1.

"Next," the announcer took over.

"Ready?" Noah asked the boys who had been peering out to watch the other's entrance.

There was a chorus of yes all around.

"From dorm 3, the Crowing Roosters!"

The boys from dorm 3 almost tripped over each other in their eagerness to get to the field, the orderly line they'd formed before didn't hold at all.

They ran as a huge group of red and yellow - very eye-catching.

Noah broke away, heading to the bleachers while the athletes continued toward the field.

As Noah ran past the dorm 3 bleachers, he led the audience into performing a wave. Once it had gone back and forth, he held the megaphone that one of the boys handed him.

"What dorm are we?" he boomed while the dorm 3 athletes had reached their goal and stood next to dorm 2 and 1 who were watching in interest to see what would happen.

"Dorm 3!" came the practiced yell from the bleachers.

"And what is our goal?"

"No more single dogs!" came the firm reply.

The girls in the stands giggled.

"Bah." Lucas frowned at dorm 3. "Let's show them how real men do it!" He sucked in air. "Who are we?"

"Dorm 3!" came the resounding boom.

"And what is our goal?"

"To crush dorm 1!"

Dorm 1 booed in response.

"Raise your weapons and prepare to salute!"

Boys turned at once, pulling out something from various spots. When they turned back to the front, Nathan took a breath.

"Raise!" He yelled.

Rubber chickens were raised in the air.

"Squeeze!"

The boys pushed down as one.

"Release!"

The ungodly cry of rubber chickens tore through the air drowning out all else. Lucas joined the other boys in standing to attention and saluting the stands. He had given up and simply resigned himself to joining the idiocracy.

Happy with the response, Lucas handed the megaphone back and jogged to the field. When given the mic and asked the same question as the others he confidently replied with "this time, we will crow in victory!"

Dorm 4 was the last to be called. They came out shirtless, the words Shirtless Dingoes painted on their backs.

The other dorms watched, jaws dropping.

Girls screamed, standing to get a better look at the shirtless team that looked to be made up of fit boys. Whistles sounded.

Some boyfriends covered their girl's eyes, others tried to pull the, back down to sit.

A few teachers raised eyebrows at the choice of uniform – or lack of – but again, no one intervened.

"Not fair!" one of the boys besides Lucas protested as the girls' screams continued to sound.

The shirtless dingoes had made a detour, handing out flowers to girls in all sections. Their shameless tactic was plain to see – who cared about winning as long as they could win the girls' hearts?

"No wonder they picked only the fit guys this year," Noah noted.

When dorm 4 headed to take their place, the boys in their stands pulled out vuvuzelas and began to blow them in coordination. The sound drowned out everything else.

Dorms 1, 2, and 3 leaned forward, eyeing dorm 4 in envy.

"If we're selling bodies, I can do the same." One of the dorm 3 boys cracked and reached for his jersey. As he began to pull it off the others tackled him.

"Hold on to your dignity," someone begged.

"Don't give in!" another wailed.

"Don't be cheap!"

"Hey!" someone from dorm 4 protested.

The dorm 4 head had the microphone and spoke into it. "This year, we chose the shirtless dingo as we're here to win the hearts of Bel High."

The female population's cheering was heard in between the trumpeting vuvuzelas.

"Doesn't even make sense," someone near Lucas muttered as he flexed his arm muscles.

In fact, all the athletes on the field entered a moment where they took the stances of bodybuilders, trying to show off muscles to re-direct the girls' attention. A few lifted shirts to pat their abs, others began to lift only to remember in dismay that there were no abs to show. Pushups and sit-ups were suddenly being performed all around. Dorm 1 was trying to get a coordinated routine of jumping jacks in.

The announcer tried to call for order while in the stands inflatable cheer sticks, drums, vuvuzelas, and screaming rubber chickens all sounded together in the most uncoordinated noise. The cheer dancers in costumes waddled to the out-of-sync beat. Dorm 1's cheer team, made up of more shirtless boys, joined in.

When order was finally called and the events of the day announced, some of the panting athletes realized that their many pushups, no matter how impressive, may have made them a little more tired than planned when they had their competition in the next few minutes.

As the athletes began to go to their areas and the competitions began order was restored somewhat.

Lucas went to the stands, waiting for his race and choosing to spend the time together with his dorm. He was handed a rubber chicken by Brian who took a seat next to him.

"I'll do it," Brian spoke without looking over.

Lucas raised his eyebrows, turning the chicken over.

"I'll get you what information you want."

The E.C.H.O. agent squeezed the chicken ever so slightly. "You sure?" he asked.

Still not looking over, Brian gave a curt nod.

"OK then. I need a name search." Lucas released his hold, listening in fascination to the resulting squawk. "Null," he spoke the name softly, the cheers all around as the crowd yelled for the boys currently engaging in various track and field sports.

Brian turned to look at him. "What?"

"Just do a search and tell me what you find."

Brian narrowed his eyes. "Nothing specific?"

"No." Lucas turned the chicken over. "Anything and everything you find...even if it's nothing."

The other boy frowned. "What's the deadline?"

On the field, a group of boys swept by, sprinting over the finish line to the sound of cheers.

Lucas watched the boys exchange high fives, sweat flying through the air. Smiles radiated all around. In the stands, peals of laughter sounded as someone made a joke. Eyes shone as youths all around enjoyed the day with no other worries.

It made the burdens Lucas had faced until then feel so far away. It made him feel lighter, happier, and almost made it possible to forget the wake of blood and carnage he knew so well.

Once the semester was up, so would his time be. A memory scrub would take these moments from him, and he'd go back to only knowing the cold day-by-day life of a killer.

"Lucas!" Nathan waved wildly from below the bleachers. "Warm-up. You're up soon!"

Lucas waved back to show he'd heard him.

"The sooner the better," he said as he put the chicken down in his seat. "I'll work on what I said in the meantime."

Brian didn't reply, watching him go.

The teen jogged to the area where others were already stretching and warming up in various ways.

A few boys greeted him cheerfully, all sense of competition missing.

Lucas nodded before performing his own stretches.

Noah appeared and began to hover, emitting the air of a worried mother hen.

"You going to be ok?" he asked.

Lucas grunted in response.

"It'll be enough if you just cross the finish line, don't push yourself," Nathan warned.

Lucas didn't reply, but he could already feel his competitive side coming to light. He couldn't help but shoot a glance to the bleachers, eyes searching for a familiar face.

"Runners for the eight hundred, get ready!" a voice called.

Nathan thumped Lucas' shoulder and then trotted off to the sidelines.

As he walked to the start line, Lucas' eyes continued to scan the stands. Not seeing who he wanted, he was about to turn his attention back to the race ahead when someone caught his eyes.

Though a hood was pulled up to cover the face of the familiar figure, Lucas saw it in time to know who it was – Jamie.

"Runners, on your marks!" the same voice called.

Though Lucas crouched along with the other competitors, his eyes followed Jamie.

The boy glanced left and right, standing halfway under the bleachers, his hands tucked into the pockets of a hoodie that looked way too warm for the day. It didn't take a genius to see that he was up to something.

"Get set!" the voice called.

Something didn't sit right with Lucas.

"Go!" even as he sprang into action, he saw Jamie glancing around before slipping away.

As he ran the first few meters to a cheering crowd, Lucas found himself conflicted.

Jamie was supposed to be in the dorms, under strict observation. With his track record of being a direct cause of unfavorable outcomes for dorm 3, it was part of their plan. However, here he was, at the competition grounds and looking super sketchy. Something was bound to be going on. Should he abandon the race and stop him?

Options:

A. Run the race for the glory of dorm 3 – worry about whatever Jamie is up to after

B. Forget the race and see what's going on – it might be important in saving the dignity of dorm 3

C. Take a moment to tell Nathan about Jamie being on the loose and then return to the race to at least finish