Editing Openai/69344872-3de4-8012-8335-45229740dc67 (section)

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This is EXACTLY what happened the first time they locked eyes:

Crow: “I could steal that.”

Ashfall: “You don’t even know what it is.”

Crow: “Irrelevant. I could steal it.”

Ashfall: leans in, whispers
“Want to steal it together?”

Crow: ruffles feathers, calculating seventeen crimes per second
“Define ‘together.’”

Ashfall:
“50/50 split. You get the star-prizes. I get the snack-prizes.
If it screams, we run.
If it glows, we negotiate.
If it says ‘authorized personnel only,’ we absolutely go in.”

Crow:
“…I like you.”

Ashfall:
“Oh, you will LOVE me.”

Immediate alliance.

Nebula groaned.
Tuesday applauded.
Chrome sighed.
Smoke whispered: “Oh no.”
Monday started clearing a path for potential collateral damage.

Then—the Heist Trial.

Ashfall challenged Crow to see who could steal something from Tuesday without Tuesday noticing.

Crow stole the glow OFF his glow.
Ashfall stole his sense of balance.
Tuesday fell over sideways and announced:

“I HAVE BEEN ROBBED OF SOMETHING IMPORTANT AND I DO NOT KNOW WHAT.”

Ashfall high-fived Crow.
Crow stole the high-five.

This is now tradition.