Srry for not updating in a while

[Two Weeks Later]

Tam's POV

"I think it's time," Mr. Forkle told us. "That we begin planing the retrieval of the artifacts. They are a dozen pricesless paintings from different eras, everything from Picasso to da Vinci."

We had been training for two weeks, going on fake heists, and learning the ins and outs of the security systems.

We were really prepared.

He held up a schematic with a bunch of lines over it. "We will be entering at the main entrance, looking like tourists. Fitz and Biana will be pretending to want to donate something to the museum. Dex, you're going to be an art student. But instead of canvases on your backpack, you're going to have a laptop and it's going to be where we store three of the paintings. He'll go into a deserted bathroom. It's barely used. That's where he's going to hack into the security system. And I know you aren't going to like this, but Sophie and Keefe will pair up and pretend to be a couple. They'll scout out the area, pretending to look like they're examining the art. They'll be communicating with Tam, Linh, and Marella, who'll have the same job, but in a different part of the museum. Then Dex will program the alarms and cameras to go off. The alarms will start sounding—"

"Sorry, Dex will what?" Dex butted in.

"Look, I know it's going to be hard, but it's the only way. Anyways, the alarms will sound and the cameras will shut down. Sophie will stand watch at the room with the paintings. They're right next to each other. Then, Tam, Keefe, Linh, and Marella will extract the paintings. They will bring them to Dex, who will put three of them in his backpack. Fitz and Biana will then meet back with you. The rest of the paintings will be divided between Marella, Tam, and Fitz, three in each backpack. Then you're going to exit through a back exit. Got it?"

Silence.

"Good. Pack your stuff."

No one moved.

"Kids?"

"Where will you be?" Sophie finally asked the question that all of us were thinking.

"I'll be overseeing the entire thing."

"How?" Biana asked.

"I'll be in the security room."

"But the cameras are getting shut off," Dex noted.

We formed a circle around him. 

"Kids...y-you're being ridiculous."

"Where will you be?" Fitz snarled.

Slow clapping came from all around us.

"Good job, trainees," a voice said. It sounded suspiciously like Mr. Forkle's. But he wasn't talking.

The world suddenly flipped upside down and I was in an empty bright room. Empty except eight beds that each person was occupying. And a screen.

We were wearing fucking VR goggles.

"Good job," Mr. Forkle said. "You all passed with flying colors. You questioned everything. You are ready. We can go on the mission within a week."

"Fork-man?" Keefe asked from beside me. 

We were all slowly getting up and gaining our bearings.

"Forkle. And yes, Mr. Sencen," Mr. Forkle said.

"That was fake?" Biana asked.

"Virtual reality has come a long way."

That seemed to be the end of that as he led us out of the room and into our rooms.

"Wait what time is it?" Fitz asked.

"12:46 am," Forkle replied coolly.

A collective groan went up.

"Sleep schedule is gone," Biana mumbled.

"I didn't have a sleep schedule to mess up."

I turned around. Just like everyone. Sophie was the one who said it.

"Neither did I," Marella said.

"Me neither," Keefe said.

Eventually, all of us, including Biana, admitted to having no sleep schedule.

Made sense. We were all crazy.

Even the readers.

***

[five days later]

Third Person POV

"You kids ready?" Forkle asked as everyone came out of their rooms, dressed for their appropriate roles.

Everyone nodded.

Their roles were the same as dream-Forkle told them, except Forkle would be posing as a guard, helping people escape when the alarms went off, and making sure no one saw Sophie scouting.

They all piled into the car and hoped the mission went as planned.

Oooh, what will happen?

Cya'll laters!