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“Alright, let’s do this,” I mutter, grabbing the small toolkit I keep in the glove compartment.

I slip across the street, staying in the shadows until I’m at the side entrance. Picking the lock takes longer than I’d like, my hands fumbling in the cold, but it finally clicks open.

“Easiest part’s done,” I whisper, pushing the door open.

The hallways are silent as I make my way toward the dean’s office. Every creak of the floorboards sets my nerves on edge, but I keep moving. When I reach the door, I crouch down, pulling out the picks again.

“Come on, come on,” I mutter, sweating as the lock fights me.

After what feels like forever, it gives, and I slip inside. The gavel sits on a polished wooden stand, catching the faint light from the window.

“Gotcha,” I say, grabbing it and stuffing it into my bag.

I’m out the door and halfway back to the car when a flashlight beam sweeps past me.

“Shit,” I hiss, ducking behind a bush as a security guard mutters something into his radio.

I hold my breath, waiting until he moves on, then bolt for the car. The engine roars to life, and I peel out of there, my heart racing.

One down.

When we meet up at the clearing the next night, Logan’s got the trophy tucked under his arm, and Finn’s dragging the old, faded banner behind him.

“Nice work,” I say, holding up the gavel.

“Yeah, you too,” Finn says, grinning. “Bet they didn’t expect us all to pull it off.”

Red Mask and Black Mask are waiting, their silhouettes stark against the torchlight.

“You’ve proven yourselves resourceful,” Red Mask says, his voice tinged with approval.

“Not bad,” Black Mask adds. “But the night’s not over yet.”

Logan groans. “What now?”

Black Mask smirks. “Your next task is... less subtle.”

Red Mask steps forward, tossing a spray can to each of us.

“We want you to leave a message,” he says. “Something the whole campus will see tomorrow morning.”

Finn flips the can in his hand. “You mean vandalize something?”

“Exactly,” Red Mask says. “And make it memorable.”

Logan shakes his head. “Man, you guys really don’t give a shit about the law, huh?”

“This isn’t for the faint of heart,” Red Mask snaps. “If you’re too scared, walk away now.”

None of us move.

“Good,” Red Mask says, his tone icy. “You have until dawn.”

The campus mascot is an oversized bronze statue of a hawk, perched proudly outside the gym. Finn’s the one who suggests it, and honestly, it’s not a bad idea.

“Alright,” I say, shaking the spray can. “Let’s do this fast.”

Logan takes the first shot, spraying a bright red “BROTHERHOOD” across the hawk’s chest. Finn adds a crude outline of a mask, and I finish it off with a message across the base: “The strong survive.”