chapter 18: Marcus Zane Enrolls
POV: Zai
Monday morning came like a slap in the face.
Alarm screaming. Eyes caked with sleep. Muscles slightly weary from the training and fighting over the weekend. But all of that was not on my mind.
What was?
Mac-Zero.
Correction: Marcus Zane now.
I rubbed my eyes and checked my system panel as I sat up. Notifications were already pouring in.
[SCHOOL INTEGRATION COMPLETE]
New Student Registered: Marcus Zane
Alias: Subordinate Mac-Zero (Human Cover Enabled)
Class Assignment: 10B (Same as User)
Digital Attendance: Signed In (Timestamp: 6:44 AM)
System Signature Masking: Active – No suspicious system energy detected by state-of-the-art tech.
I blinked, then looked to the corner of my bedroom.
There he was—fully dressed, brushing his teeth.
Where he even got a toothbrush from, I had no idea.
"You signed yourself in?" I groaned, dragging myself up.
He spit in the trash can and nodded. "System said I had to do that for stealth protocol. Attendance logged. ID confirmed. Facial scan spoofed."
"Bruh. you just said like five things that sound illegal."
He shrugged. "But effective."
".Can't dispute that."
We departed the household at around 7:20.
Marcus walked with me like any normal boy, backpack slung over one shoulder, hoodie mostly pulled down, try to look cool but mysterious.
And the craziest thing?
No one gave him a second glance.
By the time we entered Phelps High's glass doors, morning chatter was in full swing.
Deshawn was putting on his own one-man play at his locker. Teachers passed by, coffee mugs in hand, and did not give the commotion a second glance. I caught the eye of a few people who still remembered the "Deshawn Staredown" last week.
And now?
I had Marcus Zane walking in alongside me like my big, stronger, cooler cousin from out of town.
We arrived at our class just as the bell rang. I stood there and watched Marcus walk up to the front desk, where Ms. Patel was checking people's names on her tablet.
"Name?" she asked, not looking up.
"Marcus Zane."
She looked up fairly quickly. "Ah… You're the transfer. Homeschooled, are you?"
Marcus nodded with a cool, respectful voice. "Yes, ma'am."
"Sit beside Isaiah. Window side, second row."
He nodded again, got past all these people, and sat beside me as if he's been here the whole time.
The system beeped again.
[SOCIAL COVER HOLDING – NO DETECTION TRIGGERS]
[SYNC BOND: 25% → 26%]
I scowled at him.
He didn't say anything, just slid a folded note of paper past my desk.
I opened it.
"I will knock anyone off stage if they need to be today."
I smiled.
This could actually be a good day.