The Techno Bandits

Chapter 4

Hazels POV
"Ok everybody move in" Griffin said over our coms. We're on another mission. "Hazel are you in?" Pitch asked. "The lower left vent is open for you" I said. "10-4" she replied. I slipped into a back room. "Hey! What are you doing here?" A guard yelled. "Oh me? Good question" I said. I punched him and knocked him out. I opened a closet filled with lots of guard uniforms. I put one on and took the guards key card. "Hazel, open the east door now" Griffin said. I rolled my eyes. "On it" I said. I opened the door for Harper and Pyro. "Wow! I've never been on the field before. I'm usually in the attic" Pyro looked around in wonder. She's like a puppy. "Pyro, calm down. You're only here because you're fast and we need you" I said. "Who is she?" Pyro whispered to Harper. Harper face planted herself. "Come with me Pyro. Go Hazel" Harper said. "That was Hazel?" Pyro asked, as they walk away. I walked out to the car. Its not there. "Griffin where are you?" I asked. Nothing. She had left. It all stared to click just then. "Pitch its a trap! Get out of the vent!" I yelled. The coms went static. I heard something behind me. "Griffin" I growled, knowing it was her. A gun pressed to the back of my head. "Bye Hazel" she smirked. It all went black.

My head shot up and I was drenched in sweat. I looked at my hands. "Oh my god. It was just a dream" I held my face in my hands. I walked downstairs to be met with a sweet smell. That's not normal. I looked into the kitchen to see Harper cooking. "Did I miss something? Since when do you cook?" I asked. "Since Griffin refused to come downstairs and do it herself" she said. She put a plate of pancakes in front of me. "I'm not complaining" I smiled. She smiled back. "So why weren't you at dinner?" She asked. I thought for a moment. What do I tell her? "I didn't feel well" I lied. She stopped what she was doing in the pan and turned to look at me. She squinted at me. "Ok..." she didnt believe me. I wouldn't believe me either. I never get sick. She turned back around. Pyro slumped down the stairs. "Someone's up early" I said. "It smells eatable" she sat on the counter. "Edible" I corrected her. "Same thing" she put her head down on the counter. "Damn Pyro. I've never seen you so drained" I said. Pyro mumbled something but I didn't hear it. "You want some chocolate with your pancakes pyro?" Harper asked. "No" she said. We both looked at her shocked. "I don't like chocolate" she shrugged. "Wow, that's a first" Harper said. Pitch joined us. "You feeling ok Hazel?" She asked. I nodded. "Did you figure out why Griffin was acting 'weird' yesterday?" She asked, using finger quotes. I paused for a moment. My hand started shaking. "Yes, she was offered to work in the field with us and is working to make it happen" I said. "Oh that's cool" Pitch said. Harper gave Pitch her breakfast and sat down. She didn't say anything though. Pyro stared at me. "What?" I asked. "Nothing" she looked away.

Harpers POV
After breakfast I knocked on Griffins door. "Come in" she said. I walked in. I handed her a plate of pancakes. "Thanks" she said. "So is it true that you're coming into the field" I asked. She smiled and closed her laptop. "Hazel told you" she said. "Yeah" I nodded. She raised her eyebrows at me. "Is that a problem?" She asked. "Well, whos gonna work behind the computer?" I asked. "Michael was thinking of you" she said. "Me!?" I said, stunned. "Yeah. He said I would be of better use to him. Don't take it personally though. Its just business" she smiled and shrugged. I laughed. "Yeah, business" I snapped. "You're a good cook by the way!" She yelled. I'm the leader of this team. I hold everything together. Why am I being pushed aside? Am I useless? Do they even need me anymore?

I'm in the garage welding. Pitch walked in. I could tell she was yelling for me but I cant hear her so I ignored her. She flickered the light switch and I stopped. "Do you mind?" I asked. "Yes actually. I'm trying to talk to you" she said. I put my stuff down and lifted my helmet up. "Talk" I ordered. "You had a chat with Griffin this morning" she said. "Get to the point" I snapped. "Are you mad?" She asked. "No, I'm upset. There's a difference" I said. "No one could replace you Harper. You know that" she said. "Then why am I being pushed aside?" I asked. She shrugged. "If that's what Michael wants..." she said. "What he wants isn't always the best choice" I said. My eyes started to water. "It'll be ok Harper" she said. "Could you leave please?" My voice cracked a bit as I spoke. She hesitated but left. When the door closed I broke down into tears. Why would Michael pick me?

Pyros POV
I'm awake now. I ran upstairs into Hazels room. "You could knock" she said. I turned to look at the open door and then back at her. She rolled her eyes and I closed the door. She looked up. "I would really appreciate if that door stayed open" she said. I sat down on the edge of her bed. "What happened?" I asked. "What?" She asked. "I may not be the smartest but I know when somethings wrong. Hazel, what happened?" I asked again. "Nothing happened. I'm fine" she lied. Her hands are shaking again, just like this morning. "Hazel. You can trust me" I said. A tear dropped from her eye. "Leave Pyro" she said. "Hazel-" I was cut off. "Go!" She shouted. I got spooked and ran out the door. I got down the stairs and stopped. I was shaking. No one ever yells at me like that. Not anymore anyway. Not after my mother left me. I curled into a ball on the couch. I was just trying to help. I didn't mean to make her mad. She's gonna hate me now. Why do I screw everything up?