9. A Pact with Shadows

The headquarters was unusually quiet, tension thick in the air. Amanda paced back and forth, her black boots clicking softly against the worn floor. The Vanguard's infiltration was escalating, and her team was running out of time to respond effectively. Each passing hour brought more chaos: anonymous messages spreading paranoia, students turning on each other, and staff retreating into silence.

The question gnawed at her—was it time to call Luna?

Claire's voice broke the silence. "Amanda, we've got another breach. This one's targeting the faculty servers."

Amanda stopped pacing and turned sharply. "What did they take?"

"Schedules, emails, confidential files—everything," Claire replied, her fingers flying across the keyboard. "And worse, they've planted false documents. It'll look like some of the teachers are involved in... illegal activities."

Brandon cursed under his breath. "They're going to frame the faculty? That'll tear this school apart."

Amanda's mind raced. If The Vanguard succeeded, it wouldn't just be the teachers' reputations at stake—it would undermine the fragile sense of trust the school had barely begun to rebuild.

"We need to stop them before this goes public," Amanda said.

Claire frowned. "We can't. Their network is too well-hidden. The only way in is if someone from their side gives us access."

Amanda's stomach twisted. There was only one person who could help them now.

Amanda stepped out onto the balcony, the cold night air biting against her skin. She stared at her phone, the anonymous contact Luna had provided glaring back at her.

Is this really the right move?

Closing her eyes, she exhaled slowly, then dialed the number.

Luna answered on the first ring. "Amanda. I was wondering when you'd call."

"We need to talk," Amanda said, her tone clipped.

Luna's chuckle was soft but unnerving. "I'll take that as a yes. Meet me where we spoke last time. Midnight."

The line went dead.

Midnight came quickly. Amanda arrived at the park, her black jacket pulled tightly around her. Luna was already there, leaning casually against a lamppost, her silver hair gleaming under the dim light.

"You look tense," Luna said, a sly smile playing on her lips.

Amanda didn't waste time with pleasantries. "We need access to your network. You're targeting the faculty now, and if you release those fake documents, it'll ruin innocent lives."

Luna's expression turned serious. "Innocent? Are you sure about that? You of all people should know how deep corruption runs."

Amanda took a step closer, her crimson eyes locking onto Luna's piercing blue ones. "Maybe some of them deserve scrutiny, but not like this. If you're trying to fix a broken system, destroying everything won't work."

Luna studied her for a moment, then sighed. "Fine. I'll give you access—but only because I like you, Amanda. But there's a catch."

Amanda's jaw tightened. "What is it?"

"You help me with something," Luna said, her smile returning. "There's someone in your school who's been feeding us information. A mole. I need you to find out who it is."

Amanda froze. "You're asking me to betray one of my own?"

"No," Luna replied. "I'm asking you to do what you already do best: uncover the truth."

Back at headquarters, Amanda didn't tell her team about her meeting with Luna. She knew they wouldn't approve, and time was too short for arguments. Instead, she quietly began investigating.

Claire had built a program to monitor suspicious activity on the school's network. With her help, Amanda narrowed down the list of potential suspects to three names:

1. Mr. Nolan, a history teacher with a reputation for being outspoken against the administration.

2. Jessica Martin, a senior who had recently joined several activist groups.

3. Tyler Greene, a tech-savvy sophomore who had been caught hacking the school's Wi-Fi last year.

Amanda decided to start with Jessica.

Jessica was in the library when Amanda approached her, the glow of her laptop illuminating her face.

"Hey, Jessica," Amanda said, sitting down across from her.

Jessica looked up, surprised. "Amanda? What's up?"

Amanda leaned forward. "I need to ask you something, and I need you to be honest with me. Have you been in contact with The Vanguard?"

Jessica's eyes widened. "The Vanguard? No way. Why would I? I mean, yeah, I care about activism, but those people are extreme."

Amanda studied her carefully, but Jessica's reaction seemed genuine.

"Alright," Amanda said. "Thanks for being honest."

Next, Amanda turned her attention to Tyler.

Tyler was harder to pin down. Amanda found him in the computer lab, headphones on, engrossed in a coding project.

She tapped his shoulder, and he jumped. "What the—oh, Amanda. What do you want?"

"I need to know if you've been working with The Vanguard," Amanda said bluntly.

Tyler's face twisted in confusion. "The who? No, I've got enough problems without getting involved with something like that."

Amanda watched him for a moment longer before nodding. "Okay. Stay out of trouble."

That left Mr. Nolan.

Amanda found Mr. Nolan in his classroom after hours, grading papers.

"Ms. Flash," he said, looking up with a smile. "What brings you here?"

Amanda didn't waste time. "Are you working with The Vanguard?"

Mr. Nolan's smile faltered, and he set his pen down slowly. "Why would you think that?"

"Because someone is feeding them information," Amanda said. "And you've been vocal about your disdain for the administration."

He sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Amanda, I'm not your mole. But I do know who is."

Amanda's breath caught. "Who?"

Mr. Nolan hesitated, then said, "It's Claire."

Amanda's heart sank. She returned to the headquarters, her mind racing. Claire was at her usual spot, her eyes glued to her laptop.

"Claire," Amanda said, her voice steady.

Claire looked up, smiling. "What's up?"

"Why didn't you tell me you were working with The Vanguard?"

The color drained from Claire's face. "Amanda, I can explain—"

"Explain what?" Amanda snapped. "That you've been helping them tear apart the school?"

Claire stood, her hands trembling. "It's not what you think! I joined them because I thought they were doing something good, but when I saw what they were really like, I wanted out."

Amanda's fists clenched. "And you didn't think to tell me?"

"I was scared!" Claire cried. "They don't just let people leave, Amanda. I didn't know what to do."

Amanda took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. "You should have trusted me."

Claire nodded, tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry. Please, let me help fix this."

Amanda's gaze softened. "You will. But first, we're taking The Vanguard down—for good."