Heist School Story
Main Characters / Extra Characters
My Classmates
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Requirements
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Requirements
Danny: So... how exactly do we get into Hearst High to prove their web of corruption? We can’t just stroll on in anymore, not without Hearst IDs...
Mia: Oh, you’ll need more than that. Max will not shut up about how incredibly tough their new security system is. In addition to student IDs, they’ve also got reinforced locks on all the doors and a crack team of security guards working around the clock!
Nishan: They can afford that but didn’t have the budget for my physics club?
Sakura: Well, you DID ask for a particle accelerator...
Nishan: How else am I going to accelerate my particles?
Wes: Team, focus. I’ve got a plan to get us into Hearst.
Wes: To start, we’ll need to get some Hearst student IDs.
Autumn: I could probably put something together in Photoshop...
Wes: That’s not gonna do it. These things have watermarks, holograms, and RFID chips. No faking them. We’ve got to borrow the real thing...
Mia: Oh! I know! Kara and her stupid team are at a cheer retreat this weekend. It’ll be the perfect place to swipe their IDs!
Danny: What? Why?
Mia: Duh! No pockets on cheerleading uniforms! They’ll have to leave their IDs in their bags when they run drills!
Wes: I like it! We’ll just need some funds to buy admission to the retreat...
Requirements
Danny: That should cover it!
Autumn: Wow, cheer retreats are expensive...
Mia: Yeah...
Wes: What’s wrong, Mia?
Mia: It’s just... I used to be on the Hearst cheer team, you know? Kara was the team captain... and a total bully. I don’t know if I can do this... if Kara catches me, she’ll kill me!
Danny: Remember, Mia, when you left Hearst, you stood up to Kara face-to-face. All you have to do now is sneak around her, no faces involved. I know you can do it!
Wes: Besides, you won’t be going alone.
Mia: Really?
Wes: A cheerleading team is more than one person, right?
Requirements
Mia: All right! Uma, Channing, and I are ready to go!
Channing: Woot woot! Cheer retreat!
Uma: OMG! I’m so excited to go, I could flip! In fact, I’m GONNA flip!
Danny: Mia, did you forget to tell them that they’re not ACTUALLY going to participate in the cheer retreat?
Mia: I... may have omitted that fact, yes.
Channing: Wait, what?
Wes: Sigh. Gather ‘round, Uma and Channing. I’ll fill you in.
Time - 8 hours
A little while later, Mia, Uma, and Channing arrive at the cheer retreat.
Mia: All right, you two. We’ve got to move fast and sneaky. If Kara and her crew see us, we’re done.
She points across the large, padded floor. There, Kara is berating one of her cheerleaders...
Kara: You call that a hand spring?! That was sloppier than your makeup and Homecoming! No wonder Jerome cheated on you with that girl from Athena Academy! I bet she didn’t flop around like a beached whale!
Channing: Is it just me, or is Kara getting meaner?
For one moment, Mia looks frightened... Then she steels herself with a deep breath.
Mia: Naw. She was always that awful. And she always will be. Now look! Their bags are lying against the wall at the other end of the room.
Uma: How are we supposed to get to them without being seen?
Mia: By moving with cat-like grace and finesse, weaving behind other people for cover! It’s the ultimate test of cheerleading!
Channing: Wouldn’t the ultimate test be a cheerleading competition?
Kara’s team starts to assemble into a pyramid...
Mia: Now’s our chance! Go!
The three cheerleaders move nimbly across the floor, making sure to stay hidden from Kara’s angry glare! They get right up to the bags, just as one of Kara’s cheerleaders hits the ground with a crash, distracting Kara...
Mia: Now!
Mia and her cheerleaders unzip the bags, grab the IDs, and run outside!
Mia: Wooo!
Channing: We did it!
Uma: We rock!
They run over to Wes and hand him the IDs.
Wes: I can’t believe it! You guys pulled it off! Great work in there!
Danny: You doing okay, Mia?
Mia: Better than ever. Seeing Kara in there, tearing into some poor girl, made me realize that she gets her power from people being afraid of her. Well, I’m not afraid of her. Not anymore.
Danny: Well, we’ve got the IDs. What’s next?
Wes: We’ve got to mod them, of course, unless you were planning to get a makeover to look just like Kara...
Danny: So is this technically making fake IDs? Because I don’t know if I’m comfortable with that...
Wes: It’s for a good cause, Danny. We’ll just use them once to get in and out of Hearst so we can find evidence of the corruption. After that, you can get rid of them however you want.
Danny: Right. So do you have, like, a guy who does this sort of thing for you? Or do you do it yourself?
Wes: Actually... I was hoping you might know some folks who could help.
Requirements
Danny: How are the IDs looking?
Wes: Oh, these are some real beauties. Really, top-notch work. Your friends could be professional forgers. Actually, that gives me an idea...
Danny: Wes, you are NOT allowed to run a counterfeiting operation out of our school... and I can’t believe that’s something I had to say out loud.
Wes: Aw, you’re no fun.
Payton: Hey, I’m loving this ID... but why does it still say ‘Cheerleader’ on it?
Wes: All part of the plan.
Danny: Any chance you’ll share the plan with us?
Wes: All in good time... all in good time.
Danny: We’ve got IDs. What next?
Wes: This is where things get tricky. We’ll need a key that can open a classroom door at Hearst High.
Danny: And where are we going to get that?
Wes: I happen to know Max has one on his keychain. His dad let him have it so he could work out in the gym after hours. He’s hanging with some of his crew down at McGraw’s Grill. We just need an actor to go in as a waiter and get close to him...
Requirements
You and Carlos head down to McGraw’s Grill, a diner on the Hearst side of town.
Danny: You sure you can do this?
Carlos: Play the role? I’ve played kings and killers, conquerors and kittens. I think I can handle being a diner waiter.
Danny: Sounds good! Wait, when did you play a kitten?
Carlos: My kindergarten musical production, of course!
Danny: Oh, you guys put on Cats?
Carlos: No! We put on The Great Catsby. I was magnificent.
Wes: Well, what you need to do now is go in there, get close to Max, and then spill something on him.
Carlos: The Clumsy Waiter! A classic trope!
Wes: Right. Then, when you go to clean him up, nab his keys off his keychain.
Carlos: I’ve got this.
Time - 10 hours
Carlos walks over to Max’s table, where he’s laughing with a bunch of his friends...
Carlos: Well, hi there, buddy! Can I take your order?
Max: Uh, for starters, I am NOT your buddy. The name’s Max Warren, and I’m a pretty big deal. Go Hearst!
Max’s bros laugh and cheer, giving him high-fives and fist-bumps!
Carlos: Oh. Well, what can I get you?
Max: See, it’s funny. I thought that the nice thing about being a regular at a restaurant is that you don’t have to order. They just know what you want. So why don’t you go back there and tell Mr. McGraw you’re doing a terrible job serving his number one customer? See what he has to say about that.
Carlos: Right. Wow. Okay. I’ll just... do that. But first, may I recommend the soup?
Carlos grabs a bowl of soup off the serving counter, spins around, and ‘accidentally’ dumps it all over Max!
Max: Ahhhhhh! What is wrong with you?!
Carlos: Oh my! I’m so clumsy! What a real butterfingers!
Max lunges up. Carlos bumps into him, fumbling for his keychain... But Max shoves past him before he can grab it!
Max: Get out of my way, you clumsy loser!
Max storms off to the bathroom. A busboy stops him, trying to clean him off, but Max pushes the busboy out of the way.
Carlos: Grr... I was so close!
Just then, the busboy turns around, takes off his hat... and grins.
Wes: Oh, I think you did just fine.
Wes holds up his hand and waves, jangling Max’s stolen keychain!
Wes: Rule number one... always have a backup plan.
Later, you and Wes regroup back on your campus...
Danny: Well, we’ve got the IDs, and we’ve got the key. What’s the plan from here?
Wes: I’m almost ready to start the heist. I just need to get myself into the zone...
Requirements
Danny: Ready?
Wes: More ready than I’ve ever been.
Wes walks over to where Julian and Autumn are waiting on your school’s grassy lawn. Sakura and Nishan set aside their board game and join them. Mia and Payton put away their phones.
Wes: We stand now on the brink of a great chasm. I’m not going to lie to you. What comes next is risky... dangerous... uncertain. If you join me and this heist goes wrong, you might get in trouble. Serious trouble. I can’t promise you’ll come out of this okay. But what I can promise is that if this heist goes right, if we take Hearst down, then everything changes. Since our school has existed, Hearst has been trying to destroy it. That’ll all end. No more pranks. No more sabotage. And for the students still there, the ones who can’t leave, no more being victims of corruption. So I ask you, right now, are you in?
Autumn: ...I’m in. No school should ever promote bullying.
Nishan: I’m in too. Selling good grades to rich kids is just wrong.
Julian: Yeah, count me in. School should be about what you can do, not who you’re related to.
Danny: And I’m in. Because school should be a place where you feel welcomed, not judged.
Autumn: You said it!
Payton: I’m in too!
Sakura: So am I!
Mia: Me too!
Wes: That’s what I’m talking about! Now let’s do this!
Danny: So what exactly are we doing?
Payton: Yeah, we gathered all these pieces, but I still don’t actually understand why. It’s like doing puzzles with Grandma.
Wes: Mr. Georgette, the history teacher at Hearst High, has proof of the corruption on his computer. To get it, we’ll need to break into three teams. The first is Team Eagle-Eye. That’s me and Mia. We’ll keep track of everything from my van.
Mia: Ugh, just promise me you’ll clean it first.
Wes: ...the next group is Team Strikeforce. They’re going to physically break into Hearst High and get to the computer lab. Team Srikeforce is Nishan, Sakura, and Danny.
Danny: Oh boy.
Wes: They’ll need a good distraction though. That’s where Team Pom-Poms comes in. That’ll be Payton, Autumn, and Julian.
Julian: Heh, Pom-Poms. Wait... WHAT?!
Requirements
Wes and Mia sit in a van, surrounded by dozens of monitors showing live feeds from cameras all over Hearst High. Wes talks into a walkie-talkie...
Wes: All right, it’s go-time. Team Pom-Poms, you’re up first. Your mission is to impersonate the Hearst cheerleading team and distract the security guards. Roll out!
Just outside the Hearst campus, Payton, Autumn, and Julian drive towards the gate...
Julian: I still don’t understand why I have to be on Team Pom-Poms...
Payton: Because one of the IDs is for a boy, and no one’s going to buy Nishan as a cheerleader!
Julian: Yeah, I guess, but this still seems weird. Are you down with this, Autumn?
Autumn: Oh, I think it’s kind of fun! We get to pretend that we’re all perky and cheerful and spirited!
Julian: We must have incredibly different definitions of fun...
Payton: Look, Wes is basically a wizard. If he thinks you’ve got to pretend to be a cheerleader, you should probably do it.
Julian: Fine. But if this ends with me doing the splits, I’m punching him in his stupid wizard face.
Wes’s voice crackles over a walkie-talkie on the dash...
Wes: Okay, Team Pom-Poms, you’re almost at the Interception Point. Get into character now!
Time - 12 hours
The car with Autumn, Payton, and Julian drives up to the Hearst campus. A pair of security guards approaches. Payton rolls down the window...
Payton: Hi there, guys! We just got back from this cheer retreat, and we’re soooo tired! Could you help us with our bags? We’ve got, oh, three dozen...
The guards gruffly gesture for IDs. Payton flashes hers with a radiant, confident smile. The guard turns to Autumn...
Autumn: My ID? Of course! I’d love to show you my ID! I love showing all IDs! Give me an I, give me a D, what’s that spell? ID! Identification!
Payton: Scale it back, sweetie, you’re freaking ‘em out...
Autumn: I mean, um, here’s my ID, sir.
The guard checks it out, then turns to Julian.
Julian: Uh. Yeah. Okay. Here’s my ID.
The guard stares at Julian skeptically...
Julian: Sigh... Here’s my ID, sir! I sure am a cheerleader! I love yelling and flipping and, uh, more yelling! Woo woo, go Hearst High, let’s beat the team and make ‘em cry! We gotta win cuz we’re so great! The other team can’t get a date! What a bunch of stupid losers! They suck! Woo!
The guard considers this... then waves them on through! Payton and Autumn whisper intensely...
Payton: OMG! Julian, that was amazing!
Autumn: Are you going to try out for the cheerleading team? PLEASE try out for the cheerleading team!
Julian: If you guys tell a soul about this, you’re dead, you understand? DEAD!
Team Pom-Poms drives onto the Hearst campus with all the guards following them to help unload the bags. Mia and Wes watch from their van...
Wes: Looks like the pigs have swallowed up the cheesecake.
Mia: Were you always this weird? I really feel like you weren’t always this weird.
Wes: The guards are distracted! Team Strikeforce... get ready to move in!
Requirements
You, Nishan, and Sakura hide in the shadows at the edge of the Hearst campus...
Nishan: Oh man. We’re really doing this, aren’t we? Actually going through with it. IRL. Not pretend. Fo’ realsies.
Sakura Nishan, stop saying synonyms and get ready to run!
Ahead of you, the guards all round the corner.
Danny: The guards are gone! Move, move, move!
You, Nishan, and Sakura take off, racing across the parking lot towards the Hearst classrooms!
Danny: Hfff, hfff, hfff...!
Sakura: Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out.
Nishan: This... isn’t all that bad, actually... I’m running! I’m really running!
Just then, you see a puddle of water right in front of you!
Danny: Oh no!
You leap effortlessly, clearing the puddle!
Nishan: Nice jump!
The three of you make it to the Hearst academic building just as the guards finish helping Team Pom-Poms unload! You quickly open the door and run in!
Nishan: We made it!
Sakura: Don’t count your points ‘til you’ve beat the level. We still need to get into Mr. Georgette’s classroom.
Danny: Right... anyone know where that is?
Time - 6 hours
Danny: Well? Any luck finding the classroom!
Sakura: ‘Mr. Georgette, 10th grade history’! Here it is!
Nishan: Nice work, Sakura! You know, you’ve got amazing eyes! I mean, not, like, amazing, beautiful eyes... I mean amazing like they’re, you know, exceptionally well-suited for scouting and sorting activities.
Sakura: Oh. Right. Um. Thanks.
Danny: Uh, guys? Let’s stay on task.
Nishan: Right!
Using Max’s key, the three of you unlock the door and rush inside!
Back in Wes’s van, he and Mia keep watching the cameras...
Wes: Yes! The weasels are in the hen house!
Mia: Yeah, okay, if you say so. Sidenote, are these two cameras supposed to be showing static? Because they’re showing static.
Wes: What? No! That’s bad. That’s very bad! Those are the cameras I set up off-campus to keep track of the school’s perimeter! Now I can’t see if security’s going to come back! There’s probably something going on with the signal. Can you go call some people who know their way around cameras to get them back online?
Requirements
Mia: Looks like the filmmakers are fixing the cameras and...
Wes: Yes! We’re online!
Mia: The eagles are back in the sky!
Wes: ...
Mia: ...what? I can do animal metaphors too.
Wes: Well, it looks like the security guards are still helping Team Pom-Poms with their bags, so we’re doing okay...
Mia: Huh... then what’s that movement? There, in the shadows?
Wes: Is that...
Wes zooms in on the footage.
Mia: Oh no...
Wes: We need to get in touch with Team Strikeforce... NOW!
Requirements
You, Nishan, and Sakura huddle up in Mr. Georgette’s classroom. Your walkie-talkie crackles with static...
Nishan: Huh? It sounds like Wes is trying to say something, but I can’t make it out over the static...
Danny: Let’s just focus on getting the proof, okay? Nishan, can you log into the computer?
Nishan rushes over to the computer and boots it up. A password screen pops up...
Nishan: Uh oh.
Danny: What’s ‘uh oh?’ I don’t like the sound of ‘uh oh’.
Nishan: It looks like Hearst upgraded their security since I was here. It’s got three more layers of encryption.
Sakura: Can you still hack it?
Nishan: Yes... Give or take 8 hours.
Danny: We don’t have that kind of time! We have to get out of here before the security guards find us!
Nishan: Well, it would help if I had a seed of some kind... a hint as to what Mr. Georgette’s password might be.
Danny: Quick! Look around and see if you can find anything that might help Nishan figure out what the password is!
Sakura: A Hidden Object game, huh? I like it.
Time - 18 hours
Danny: Okay... has anyone found any clues as to Mr. Georgette’s password?
Sakura: I’ve got a teacher’s log... a framed photo of a supermodel... and a scrunched up piece of paper I found in the trashcan.
Nishan: No pressure, guys, but we probably ought to hurry. We don’t have much time left to guess Mr. Georgette’s password.
Sakura: What do you want to do next?
Danny: Examine the log. Hmm, let’s see here... ‘Kara Sinclair... one of the worst students I’ve ever had. Constantly late, disrespectful, and distracted. Also, she called me ‘baldie’, which was downright hurtful.’
Sakura: Ooo, ooo, find me!
Danny: 'Sakura... bright but odd. Seems mostly focussed on getting the best grades for the least work. Also, oddly fixated on the ‘killcount’ of every historical warrior.’
Sakura: That’s important to know!
Nishan: Maybe we should just focus on trying to find the password.
Danny: Examine the photo. It’s a photo of a gorgeous woman in a slinky red dress... I wonder why Mr. Georgette has it.
You take the picture out of its frame and turn it over.
Danny: Look! There’s a message here! ‘To my loving, wonderful husband, thanks for such an amazing anniversary! Going back to the research lab where we first met was so romantic! Love, Krystal!’
Sakura: Wow, Mr. Georgette did REALLY well for himself...
Nishan: Mental note: consider becoming a history teacher.
You put the picture back in its frame and set it down.
Danny: Examine the paper.
You unfold the paper and read the message on it...
Danny: ‘Buy at store: Break, milk, underwear (six pairs), foot ointment, romantic candles...’
Sakura: I feel like I know WAY more about Mr. Georgette than I ever wanted to...
Nishan: I’m somewhat curious about these romantic candles...
Danny: Let’s just try to focus, okay? Guess the password.
Nishan: You sure you’re ready?
Danny: Yes. I think it’s Krystal.
Nishan: Hmmm... let me try that...
Nishan types it in...
Nishan: Jackpot! It worked! Great work, Danny!
Sakura: Seriously. Not bad at all.
Danny: So you have access to the emails?
Nishan: Oh yeah. And it’s even worse than we thought. I’ve got an email log between Mr. Georgette and Principal Warren... It looks like Kara blew off all her homework and got an F on every test, but Principal Warren demanded she be given a B+! When Mr. Georgette refused, Principal Warren threatened to fire him!
Danny: That sounds like all the evidence we need!
Sakura: Mission accomplished!
Nishan: Now let’s get out of--
Before he can finish his sentence, he’s cut off by a blast of noise from your walkie-talkie!
Wes: Team Strikeforce! Get out of there NOW!
Danny: What? Why?
Wes: The cops are surrounding the school! You guys must have tripped an alarm or something! I’m not talking school security, either. I’m talking city police!
Just then, sirens blare from outside, and red-and-blue lights shine through the windows!
Nishan: Oh no. Oh no!
Sakura: What do we do?
What’s going to happen next? Will you be able to escape with the evidence? Find out in our next quest, The Showdown!
- Have 30 Classmates
Danny: So... how exactly do we get into Hearst High to prove their web of corruption? We can’t just stroll on in anymore, not without Hearst IDs...
Mia: Oh, you’ll need more than that. Max will not shut up about how incredibly tough their new security system is. In addition to student IDs, they’ve also got reinforced locks on all the doors and a crack team of security guards working around the clock!
Nishan: They can afford that but didn’t have the budget for my physics club?
Sakura: Well, you DID ask for a particle accelerator...
Nishan: How else am I going to accelerate my particles?
Wes: Team, focus. I’ve got a plan to get us into Hearst.
Wes: To start, we’ll need to get some Hearst student IDs.
Autumn: I could probably put something together in Photoshop...
Wes: That’s not gonna do it. These things have watermarks, holograms, and RFID chips. No faking them. We’ve got to borrow the real thing...
Mia: Oh! I know! Kara and her stupid team are at a cheer retreat this weekend. It’ll be the perfect place to swipe their IDs!
Danny: What? Why?
Mia: Duh! No pockets on cheerleading uniforms! They’ll have to leave their IDs in their bags when they run drills!
Wes: I like it! We’ll just need some funds to buy admission to the retreat...
Requirements
- Spend 200,000 coins
Danny: That should cover it!
Autumn: Wow, cheer retreats are expensive...
Mia: Yeah...
Wes: What’s wrong, Mia?
Mia: It’s just... I used to be on the Hearst cheer team, you know? Kara was the team captain... and a total bully. I don’t know if I can do this... if Kara catches me, she’ll kill me!
Danny: Remember, Mia, when you left Hearst, you stood up to Kara face-to-face. All you have to do now is sneak around her, no faces involved. I know you can do it!
Wes: Besides, you won’t be going alone.
Mia: Really?
Wes: A cheerleading team is more than one person, right?
Requirements
- Mia
- A Level 7+ Girl Cheerleader (Uma)
- A Level 7+ Guy Cheerleader (Channing)
Mia: All right! Uma, Channing, and I are ready to go!
Channing: Woot woot! Cheer retreat!
Uma: OMG! I’m so excited to go, I could flip! In fact, I’m GONNA flip!
Danny: Mia, did you forget to tell them that they’re not ACTUALLY going to participate in the cheer retreat?
Mia: I... may have omitted that fact, yes.
Channing: Wait, what?
Wes: Sigh. Gather ‘round, Uma and Channing. I’ll fill you in.
Time - 8 hours
A little while later, Mia, Uma, and Channing arrive at the cheer retreat.
Mia: All right, you two. We’ve got to move fast and sneaky. If Kara and her crew see us, we’re done.
She points across the large, padded floor. There, Kara is berating one of her cheerleaders...
Kara: You call that a hand spring?! That was sloppier than your makeup and Homecoming! No wonder Jerome cheated on you with that girl from Athena Academy! I bet she didn’t flop around like a beached whale!
Channing: Is it just me, or is Kara getting meaner?
For one moment, Mia looks frightened... Then she steels herself with a deep breath.
Mia: Naw. She was always that awful. And she always will be. Now look! Their bags are lying against the wall at the other end of the room.
Uma: How are we supposed to get to them without being seen?
Mia: By moving with cat-like grace and finesse, weaving behind other people for cover! It’s the ultimate test of cheerleading!
Channing: Wouldn’t the ultimate test be a cheerleading competition?
Kara’s team starts to assemble into a pyramid...
Mia: Now’s our chance! Go!
The three cheerleaders move nimbly across the floor, making sure to stay hidden from Kara’s angry glare! They get right up to the bags, just as one of Kara’s cheerleaders hits the ground with a crash, distracting Kara...
Mia: Now!
Mia and her cheerleaders unzip the bags, grab the IDs, and run outside!
Mia: Wooo!
Channing: We did it!
Uma: We rock!
They run over to Wes and hand him the IDs.
Wes: I can’t believe it! You guys pulled it off! Great work in there!
Danny: You doing okay, Mia?
Mia: Better than ever. Seeing Kara in there, tearing into some poor girl, made me realize that she gets her power from people being afraid of her. Well, I’m not afraid of her. Not anymore.
Danny: Well, we’ve got the IDs. What’s next?
Wes: We’ve got to mod them, of course, unless you were planning to get a makeover to look just like Kara...
Danny: So is this technically making fake IDs? Because I don’t know if I’m comfortable with that...
Wes: It’s for a good cause, Danny. We’ll just use them once to get in and out of Hearst so we can find evidence of the corruption. After that, you can get rid of them however you want.
Danny: Right. So do you have, like, a guy who does this sort of thing for you? Or do you do it yourself?
Wes: Actually... I was hoping you might know some folks who could help.
Requirements
- Have 2 Nerds
- Have 2 Artists
- Have 2 Slackers
Danny: How are the IDs looking?
Wes: Oh, these are some real beauties. Really, top-notch work. Your friends could be professional forgers. Actually, that gives me an idea...
Danny: Wes, you are NOT allowed to run a counterfeiting operation out of our school... and I can’t believe that’s something I had to say out loud.
Wes: Aw, you’re no fun.
Payton: Hey, I’m loving this ID... but why does it still say ‘Cheerleader’ on it?
Wes: All part of the plan.
Danny: Any chance you’ll share the plan with us?
Wes: All in good time... all in good time.
Danny: We’ve got IDs. What next?
Wes: This is where things get tricky. We’ll need a key that can open a classroom door at Hearst High.
Danny: And where are we going to get that?
Wes: I happen to know Max has one on his keychain. His dad let him have it so he could work out in the gym after hours. He’s hanging with some of his crew down at McGraw’s Grill. We just need an actor to go in as a waiter and get close to him...
Requirements
- A Level 7+ Guy Actor (Carlos)
You and Carlos head down to McGraw’s Grill, a diner on the Hearst side of town.
Danny: You sure you can do this?
Carlos: Play the role? I’ve played kings and killers, conquerors and kittens. I think I can handle being a diner waiter.
Danny: Sounds good! Wait, when did you play a kitten?
Carlos: My kindergarten musical production, of course!
Danny: Oh, you guys put on Cats?
Carlos: No! We put on The Great Catsby. I was magnificent.
Wes: Well, what you need to do now is go in there, get close to Max, and then spill something on him.
Carlos: The Clumsy Waiter! A classic trope!
Wes: Right. Then, when you go to clean him up, nab his keys off his keychain.
Carlos: I’ve got this.
Time - 10 hours
Carlos walks over to Max’s table, where he’s laughing with a bunch of his friends...
Carlos: Well, hi there, buddy! Can I take your order?
Max: Uh, for starters, I am NOT your buddy. The name’s Max Warren, and I’m a pretty big deal. Go Hearst!
Max’s bros laugh and cheer, giving him high-fives and fist-bumps!
Carlos: Oh. Well, what can I get you?
Max: See, it’s funny. I thought that the nice thing about being a regular at a restaurant is that you don’t have to order. They just know what you want. So why don’t you go back there and tell Mr. McGraw you’re doing a terrible job serving his number one customer? See what he has to say about that.
Carlos: Right. Wow. Okay. I’ll just... do that. But first, may I recommend the soup?
Carlos grabs a bowl of soup off the serving counter, spins around, and ‘accidentally’ dumps it all over Max!
Max: Ahhhhhh! What is wrong with you?!
Carlos: Oh my! I’m so clumsy! What a real butterfingers!
Max lunges up. Carlos bumps into him, fumbling for his keychain... But Max shoves past him before he can grab it!
Max: Get out of my way, you clumsy loser!
Max storms off to the bathroom. A busboy stops him, trying to clean him off, but Max pushes the busboy out of the way.
Carlos: Grr... I was so close!
Just then, the busboy turns around, takes off his hat... and grins.
Wes: Oh, I think you did just fine.
Wes holds up his hand and waves, jangling Max’s stolen keychain!
Wes: Rule number one... always have a backup plan.
Later, you and Wes regroup back on your campus...
Danny: Well, we’ve got the IDs, and we’ve got the key. What’s the plan from here?
Wes: I’m almost ready to start the heist. I just need to get myself into the zone...
Requirements
- Level Wes
Danny: Ready?
Wes: More ready than I’ve ever been.
Wes walks over to where Julian and Autumn are waiting on your school’s grassy lawn. Sakura and Nishan set aside their board game and join them. Mia and Payton put away their phones.
Wes: We stand now on the brink of a great chasm. I’m not going to lie to you. What comes next is risky... dangerous... uncertain. If you join me and this heist goes wrong, you might get in trouble. Serious trouble. I can’t promise you’ll come out of this okay. But what I can promise is that if this heist goes right, if we take Hearst down, then everything changes. Since our school has existed, Hearst has been trying to destroy it. That’ll all end. No more pranks. No more sabotage. And for the students still there, the ones who can’t leave, no more being victims of corruption. So I ask you, right now, are you in?
Autumn: ...I’m in. No school should ever promote bullying.
Nishan: I’m in too. Selling good grades to rich kids is just wrong.
Julian: Yeah, count me in. School should be about what you can do, not who you’re related to.
Danny: And I’m in. Because school should be a place where you feel welcomed, not judged.
Autumn: You said it!
Payton: I’m in too!
Sakura: So am I!
Mia: Me too!
Wes: That’s what I’m talking about! Now let’s do this!
Danny: So what exactly are we doing?
Payton: Yeah, we gathered all these pieces, but I still don’t actually understand why. It’s like doing puzzles with Grandma.
Wes: Mr. Georgette, the history teacher at Hearst High, has proof of the corruption on his computer. To get it, we’ll need to break into three teams. The first is Team Eagle-Eye. That’s me and Mia. We’ll keep track of everything from my van.
Mia: Ugh, just promise me you’ll clean it first.
Wes: ...the next group is Team Strikeforce. They’re going to physically break into Hearst High and get to the computer lab. Team Srikeforce is Nishan, Sakura, and Danny.
Danny: Oh boy.
Wes: They’ll need a good distraction though. That’s where Team Pom-Poms comes in. That’ll be Payton, Autumn, and Julian.
Julian: Heh, Pom-Poms. Wait... WHAT?!
Requirements
- Payton
- Autumn
- Julian
Wes and Mia sit in a van, surrounded by dozens of monitors showing live feeds from cameras all over Hearst High. Wes talks into a walkie-talkie...
Wes: All right, it’s go-time. Team Pom-Poms, you’re up first. Your mission is to impersonate the Hearst cheerleading team and distract the security guards. Roll out!
Just outside the Hearst campus, Payton, Autumn, and Julian drive towards the gate...
Julian: I still don’t understand why I have to be on Team Pom-Poms...
Payton: Because one of the IDs is for a boy, and no one’s going to buy Nishan as a cheerleader!
Julian: Yeah, I guess, but this still seems weird. Are you down with this, Autumn?
Autumn: Oh, I think it’s kind of fun! We get to pretend that we’re all perky and cheerful and spirited!
Julian: We must have incredibly different definitions of fun...
Payton: Look, Wes is basically a wizard. If he thinks you’ve got to pretend to be a cheerleader, you should probably do it.
Julian: Fine. But if this ends with me doing the splits, I’m punching him in his stupid wizard face.
Wes’s voice crackles over a walkie-talkie on the dash...
Wes: Okay, Team Pom-Poms, you’re almost at the Interception Point. Get into character now!
Time - 12 hours
The car with Autumn, Payton, and Julian drives up to the Hearst campus. A pair of security guards approaches. Payton rolls down the window...
Payton: Hi there, guys! We just got back from this cheer retreat, and we’re soooo tired! Could you help us with our bags? We’ve got, oh, three dozen...
The guards gruffly gesture for IDs. Payton flashes hers with a radiant, confident smile. The guard turns to Autumn...
Autumn: My ID? Of course! I’d love to show you my ID! I love showing all IDs! Give me an I, give me a D, what’s that spell? ID! Identification!
Payton: Scale it back, sweetie, you’re freaking ‘em out...
Autumn: I mean, um, here’s my ID, sir.
The guard checks it out, then turns to Julian.
Julian: Uh. Yeah. Okay. Here’s my ID.
The guard stares at Julian skeptically...
Julian: Sigh... Here’s my ID, sir! I sure am a cheerleader! I love yelling and flipping and, uh, more yelling! Woo woo, go Hearst High, let’s beat the team and make ‘em cry! We gotta win cuz we’re so great! The other team can’t get a date! What a bunch of stupid losers! They suck! Woo!
The guard considers this... then waves them on through! Payton and Autumn whisper intensely...
Payton: OMG! Julian, that was amazing!
Autumn: Are you going to try out for the cheerleading team? PLEASE try out for the cheerleading team!
Julian: If you guys tell a soul about this, you’re dead, you understand? DEAD!
Team Pom-Poms drives onto the Hearst campus with all the guards following them to help unload the bags. Mia and Wes watch from their van...
Wes: Looks like the pigs have swallowed up the cheesecake.
Mia: Were you always this weird? I really feel like you weren’t always this weird.
Wes: The guards are distracted! Team Strikeforce... get ready to move in!
Requirements
- Danny
- Nishan
- Sakura
You, Nishan, and Sakura hide in the shadows at the edge of the Hearst campus...
Nishan: Oh man. We’re really doing this, aren’t we? Actually going through with it. IRL. Not pretend. Fo’ realsies.
Sakura Nishan, stop saying synonyms and get ready to run!
Ahead of you, the guards all round the corner.
Danny: The guards are gone! Move, move, move!
You, Nishan, and Sakura take off, racing across the parking lot towards the Hearst classrooms!
Danny: Hfff, hfff, hfff...!
Sakura: Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out.
Nishan: This... isn’t all that bad, actually... I’m running! I’m really running!
Just then, you see a puddle of water right in front of you!
Danny: Oh no!
You leap effortlessly, clearing the puddle!
Nishan: Nice jump!
The three of you make it to the Hearst academic building just as the guards finish helping Team Pom-Poms unload! You quickly open the door and run in!
Nishan: We made it!
Sakura: Don’t count your points ‘til you’ve beat the level. We still need to get into Mr. Georgette’s classroom.
Danny: Right... anyone know where that is?
Time - 6 hours
Danny: Well? Any luck finding the classroom!
Sakura: ‘Mr. Georgette, 10th grade history’! Here it is!
Nishan: Nice work, Sakura! You know, you’ve got amazing eyes! I mean, not, like, amazing, beautiful eyes... I mean amazing like they’re, you know, exceptionally well-suited for scouting and sorting activities.
Sakura: Oh. Right. Um. Thanks.
Danny: Uh, guys? Let’s stay on task.
Nishan: Right!
Using Max’s key, the three of you unlock the door and rush inside!
Back in Wes’s van, he and Mia keep watching the cameras...
Wes: Yes! The weasels are in the hen house!
Mia: Yeah, okay, if you say so. Sidenote, are these two cameras supposed to be showing static? Because they’re showing static.
Wes: What? No! That’s bad. That’s very bad! Those are the cameras I set up off-campus to keep track of the school’s perimeter! Now I can’t see if security’s going to come back! There’s probably something going on with the signal. Can you go call some people who know their way around cameras to get them back online?
Requirements
- Have 2 Filmmakers at Level 6+
Mia: Looks like the filmmakers are fixing the cameras and...
Wes: Yes! We’re online!
Mia: The eagles are back in the sky!
Wes: ...
Mia: ...what? I can do animal metaphors too.
Wes: Well, it looks like the security guards are still helping Team Pom-Poms with their bags, so we’re doing okay...
Mia: Huh... then what’s that movement? There, in the shadows?
Wes: Is that...
Wes zooms in on the footage.
Mia: Oh no...
Wes: We need to get in touch with Team Strikeforce... NOW!
Requirements
- Danny
- Nishan
- Sakura
You, Nishan, and Sakura huddle up in Mr. Georgette’s classroom. Your walkie-talkie crackles with static...
Nishan: Huh? It sounds like Wes is trying to say something, but I can’t make it out over the static...
Danny: Let’s just focus on getting the proof, okay? Nishan, can you log into the computer?
Nishan rushes over to the computer and boots it up. A password screen pops up...
Nishan: Uh oh.
Danny: What’s ‘uh oh?’ I don’t like the sound of ‘uh oh’.
Nishan: It looks like Hearst upgraded their security since I was here. It’s got three more layers of encryption.
Sakura: Can you still hack it?
Nishan: Yes... Give or take 8 hours.
Danny: We don’t have that kind of time! We have to get out of here before the security guards find us!
Nishan: Well, it would help if I had a seed of some kind... a hint as to what Mr. Georgette’s password might be.
Danny: Quick! Look around and see if you can find anything that might help Nishan figure out what the password is!
Sakura: A Hidden Object game, huh? I like it.
Time - 18 hours
Danny: Okay... has anyone found any clues as to Mr. Georgette’s password?
Sakura: I’ve got a teacher’s log... a framed photo of a supermodel... and a scrunched up piece of paper I found in the trashcan.
Nishan: No pressure, guys, but we probably ought to hurry. We don’t have much time left to guess Mr. Georgette’s password.
Sakura: What do you want to do next?
Danny: Examine the log. Hmm, let’s see here... ‘Kara Sinclair... one of the worst students I’ve ever had. Constantly late, disrespectful, and distracted. Also, she called me ‘baldie’, which was downright hurtful.’
Sakura: Ooo, ooo, find me!
Danny: 'Sakura... bright but odd. Seems mostly focussed on getting the best grades for the least work. Also, oddly fixated on the ‘killcount’ of every historical warrior.’
Sakura: That’s important to know!
Nishan: Maybe we should just focus on trying to find the password.
Danny: Examine the photo. It’s a photo of a gorgeous woman in a slinky red dress... I wonder why Mr. Georgette has it.
You take the picture out of its frame and turn it over.
Danny: Look! There’s a message here! ‘To my loving, wonderful husband, thanks for such an amazing anniversary! Going back to the research lab where we first met was so romantic! Love, Krystal!’
Sakura: Wow, Mr. Georgette did REALLY well for himself...
Nishan: Mental note: consider becoming a history teacher.
You put the picture back in its frame and set it down.
Danny: Examine the paper.
You unfold the paper and read the message on it...
Danny: ‘Buy at store: Break, milk, underwear (six pairs), foot ointment, romantic candles...’
Sakura: I feel like I know WAY more about Mr. Georgette than I ever wanted to...
Nishan: I’m somewhat curious about these romantic candles...
Danny: Let’s just try to focus, okay? Guess the password.
Nishan: You sure you’re ready?
Danny: Yes. I think it’s Krystal.
Nishan: Hmmm... let me try that...
Nishan types it in...
Nishan: Jackpot! It worked! Great work, Danny!
Sakura: Seriously. Not bad at all.
Danny: So you have access to the emails?
Nishan: Oh yeah. And it’s even worse than we thought. I’ve got an email log between Mr. Georgette and Principal Warren... It looks like Kara blew off all her homework and got an F on every test, but Principal Warren demanded she be given a B+! When Mr. Georgette refused, Principal Warren threatened to fire him!
Danny: That sounds like all the evidence we need!
Sakura: Mission accomplished!
Nishan: Now let’s get out of--
Before he can finish his sentence, he’s cut off by a blast of noise from your walkie-talkie!
Wes: Team Strikeforce! Get out of there NOW!
Danny: What? Why?
Wes: The cops are surrounding the school! You guys must have tripped an alarm or something! I’m not talking school security, either. I’m talking city police!
Just then, sirens blare from outside, and red-and-blue lights shine through the windows!
Nishan: Oh no. Oh no!
Sakura: What do we do?
What’s going to happen next? Will you be able to escape with the evidence? Find out in our next quest, The Showdown!