I became involved with the always lovely Secret Santa, fanfiction edition. To make someone a personal story with them in mind, and to have that done to you as well is such a Christmas-y thing!
I read my pairings' likes and dislikes, and formed a story idea in mind specifically for them, and I hope it does not disappoint!
This one-shot is for you, junejunkie, and is thus dedicated to and for you. Enjoy and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! May your 2016 be blessed!
Love,
Your not-so-very-well-kept-secret Santa
"Bree, are you sure you want to do this?" Chase asked worriedly, sizing up her opponent. He was a huge, skyscraper of a bionic kid, originally named S10, but he switched it to Butch.
Butch not only had super strength, but also fast reflexes. He was a sure shot to win the bionic showdown competition, if he could only find someone to fight him.
Which he did. Bree took one look at him and offered to take him on, much to the dismay of nearly everyone around her. Despite the way the relationships looked on the outside, neither her brothers nor Mr. Davenport wanted to see her get hurt.
"I wouldn't have stepped up if I wasn't," Bree sneered, brushing aside Chase's concern. "Unlike you big babies."
"Hey, I said I'd fight him," Adam whined.
"And I said not with that broken arm you will," Donald reminded him.
"I could take him," Adam said, obviously needing reassurance.
"Of course you can, buddy," Chase gave him, causing his older brother to smile contentedly.
"Bree, your superspeed will be rendered useless with his reflexes," Leo pointed out.
"My superspeed isn't my only ability," Bree said.
"Yeah, but it's a pretty big one," Leo murmured, causing him to get a glare from his step-sister.
"In or out?" Butch asked, cracking his knuckles and neck in preparation.
"In, unless you are having second thoughts," Bree taunted. Butch merely laughed, bending down in a fight position. Bree grinned. "Call it, Mr. Davenport."
"Um, okay .." Donald really didn't want any part in this. "Ready, set ... go?"
Bree sped forward, turning invisible. Butch smiled, following the wind movements with his eyes, and sticking his right arm out to gut check Bree. An ooph escaped her lips, and she flew back onto her butt, hitting her head against the rough mat. She looked disfigured, translucent in some areas and invisible in others.
Yet, the speedster picked herself up quickly and charged again, ducking a punch and getting a few of her own in, unseen to the naked eye. Butch seemed to have allowed that, though, for he swung himself around, gripping Bree under her armpits and flinging her over him and to the ground once more.
The bionic girl groaned, refusing to give up, and rising to her feet. She wiped sweat that quickly beaded on her forehead. This time, Butch ran the line, appearing like he was aiming for her head. Bree dodged, only to have her legs swept out from under her. Being her third time down in under five minutes, the speedster still somehow burst with energy.
Bree kicked out her legs, jumping back to her feet and leaping up onto Butch's shoulders. She blinded him with a hand and maneuvered around his punches, digging her elbows into the crevice of his neck. Her opponent swung his burly arms, but couldn't do more then skim the girl's shoulders.
Wrapping a bicep under Butch's chin, Bree grasped her opposite arm, and squeezed. It took a lot of struggling, but the masculine teen's fight seemed to fade, his knees buckling as soon as the blackout occurred.
Everyone paused, dumbfounded. Staring was the only thing that didn't require too much thinking. But as soon as the initial adrenaline died off and set in again, Bree's audience erupted in whoops and loud clapping.
"Bree!" Donald exclaimed. "That was amazing ... but I should probably check on Butch, excuuuse me." He gently pushed passed the victor to aid the unconscious loser.
Bree was flushed, which was odd since the fight hadn't lasted that long and she had agility better than anybody. A broad smiled was there though, and that made Chase and Adam confident enough to approach their sister.
"That was awesome," Chase congratulated, patting her on the back. Bree leaned in for a hug, but he pulled back and shook her hand instead. The bionic female sighed, shaking her head at her brother. He wasn't one for showing affection.
"Dude, you totally killed him," Adam smiled. He punched his free fist in the air, reliving the back and forth between Butch and Bree.
"You looked like a spider monkey," Leo commented, laughing a little at his own humor.
"Thanks?" Bree murmured, her grin suddenly disappearing and her red face turning pale.
"Bree?" Chase prodded, poking her arm with concern. "You feeling okay?"
"Just a little," her voice was faint, a wisp in the air. "just a little woozy ..."
"Well, here, sit down," Adam offered, pulling up a chair with his unbroken arm.
Bree, however, didn't make it into the seat. Instead, she collapsed onto the gym floor, arms sprawling out, her legs tucked neatly under her.
"Bree!" Chase screeched, falling on his knees and taking her face in his hands. "Mr. Davenport, Bree!" He gently squished her cheeks, taping them to try to jar her senses awake.
"Check for a pulse," Leo insisted, assuming the worst. Chase did so, not out of belief that it was necessary, but to quench his own fears.
"Is she?" Adam hovered.
"No, not yet ..." Chase sighed. Donald rushed over and checked her vitals himself.
"Her heartbeat is slowing, we have to get her to the the academy's infirmary," Donald decided. "Adam, help me lift her." Adam bent down, scooping his little sister up in his strong arm, laying her limp legs on top of his cast, and jogging ahead of the others to the infirmary.
"What happened? Did her's and Butch's fight do this?" Leo inquired.
"I don't know," Donald admitted.
"It couldn't have," Chase refused. "She had such a strong finish."
"Mr. Davenport, do something," Chase moaned, watching his sister's heart monitor spike. Donald was rushing from the cabinets to his daughter, repeating the action in search of anything that could relieve her for a moment. He needed time to think, to find out what was wrong with her, but her heart rate had slowed than quickened all at once. Neither was good for her, and neither gave him any breathing room to really help.
Adam stood at her head, stroking her hair almost subconsciously, eyes baring down into her closed ones. Chase took up the rear at her feet, looking on at Bree's entire demeanor, noticing it fade. Leo remained at the door frame, too speechless and thoughtless to be of any help.
"Chase, scan her bionics, maybe the issue isn't bodily health at all," Donald commanded, squeezing another bottle of medicine into Bree's tubes.
If he hadn't been so busy worrying, the smartest person alive would have thought of doing that as soon as Adam had laid Bree's head on the infirmary table. "Okay," he breathed out, putting two fingers to his temple in concentration. His bionics booted to life, cat scanning the sick girl. Chase widened his gaze, hiccuping as a lump stuck in his throat. "She has a virus, Mr. Davenport."
"Perfect!" Donald exclaimed, deciding to explain himself when he got three pairs of glares. "I can handle a virus, she'll be fine now that I can just remove her chip."
"But, Mr. Davenport-" Chase interjected, getting interrupted by his father's excited ramblings. His over panic was always snuffed out immediately by a revelation and answer. Yet, the third bionic knew it wasn't that simple.
"I'll just get her chip into the extractor, and work at getting that virus removed .."
"Mr. Davenport!" Chase yelled, earning him all the attention. "If you take out Bree's chip, her own health will deteriorate."
"What do you think it's doing now?!" Adam snapped.
Mr. Davenport had paused, going blank for a moment. "I have to, Chase," he sighed at last. "She'll hold up for a few minutes. I'll act quickly." Yet, it was obvious this new information drained the hope out of him. His eyebrows furrowed worriedly, as he peered over at his daughter. Her breath was so quiet, you had to put your ear nearly all the way to her lips to listen to it.
Chase walked over to Bree's side, ready to protect her from stupid ideas. She wouldn't make it if they left the source of the virus in her neck and let it run its course, but she also couldn't last all that long without a chip in her system and part of an inhuman virus attacking her important organs. "You have a total of six minutes, Mr. Davenport." Chase had calculated that time carefully, wanting to make sure it was correct.
Donald nodded in understanding, placing a middle finger on the extractor device and holding it to Bree's sweaty neck. It took him a minute to get up to courage and faint confidence to press down on it and remove the chip. His clock started then.
Donald picked the tiny chip up delicately, racing to his work space to get started.
Without a bionic chip, the very thing that was giving her the silent killer, the virus already in Bree's nervous system could roam free and shut down whatever it pleased. The girl moaned, the rest of the drugs leaving her quickly, not even five minutes after being syringed into her. "Chase? Adam?" she croaked, unable to keep her eyes open longer than to just spot her brothers.
"And Leo," Leo added. Chase shot him a deadly look.
"We're here, Bree," Chase comforted, rubbing her cheek with the back of his pointer finger. Adam twirled and played with her hair silently.
Her dry lips parted slightly, wanting to say something, but no words capable of reaching the surface. The unvoiced thoughts faded back down. Bree flopped her head to the side. The monitor had stopped going haywire the moment Mr. Davenport had put medicinal liquid down a tube to satisfy Bree's dying system, but now the rate dwindled and was barely picking up a heart beat.
"Stay with me, okay, big sis?" Chase coaxed.
Bree groaned, raising a weak arm to smack her brother on the shoulder, needing unknown help by Chase leaning into it. "I'm not fat."
"Breezy, do you remember that time you made me braid your hair?" Adam asked, pursing his lips.
Bree could only nod.
"I told you I hated doing it," Adam continued. "But in truth, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would." Bree gave a small smile.
Chase peered over at the annoyingly ticking clock on the wall, attempting to appear unfazed by what he saw. Davenport had four minutes left.
"Bree, you did so good in your fight today," Chase commended.
"Aw," Bree sighed wearily, eyes still closed.
"Butch had no idea what hit him," Adam joked sadly.
The bionic girl raised both her arms, hands balled into fists as she tried to pound them together. She missed it by a hair, dropping her limbs to her side again. Seeing Bree without any strength was something Chase had never seen and wished with his life never to see again. Bree was the strongest person he knew, and that was accounting for Adam. She had physical skill, but was also mentally sound and stable, and had the courage and will of ten men.
Adam knew it. He bragged about being the strongest bionic, but deep down he knew Bree's real skill, and that wasn't superspeed. Her bionics were only the cover.
"When you get out of here, I think you can go and win that tournament," Chase stated, unwillingly having his voice crack at the end.
Adam checked the time now. Two minutes left. He looked at his younger brother and both of them groaned quietly to each other.
Leo took a step into the infirmary, taking one look at Bree before backing out. He hated seeing his step siblings like this. He had seen this one too many times, and now practically refused to be witness. The newly bionic was there for her, in his heart, but never in body form. He couldn't. He wouldn't. If anything happened to Adam, Bree, or Chase they wouldn't be remembered in his mind as weak and defeated.
Chase heaved a breath from deep in his chest, reminding himself of every time he could have been more affectionate towards his sister, less obnoxious, and kinder. They all came to him as regrets now. If Bree didn't make it they'd forever be so ... no, he couldn't let himself think that way.
"Bree," Chase squeaked. No answer. Not even a nod or shrug. No time to lose. He lowered his torso to his sister's, wrapping one shaky arm around her, then another. Adam noticed his brother's tear and burst into a few himself, plopping his body atop Chase's.
"Oh!" Leo gave up, running in to embrace his step siblings in the group hug.
Donald walked in on three very emotional teenage boys and one teenage girl who was hardly awake enough to know. "Move, move," he demanded, checking for a pulse on Bree. There was the slightest one left.
"You fixed it!" Chase exclaimed, tear stricken previously. His face was smudged with clear liquid and reddened cheeks.
"Indeed," Donald said, nearly shoving the chip back into the extractor, flipping a switch to have it insert instead, and sending it back into Bree's neck like a needle. All breaths were held. All fingers were crossed. All eyes were on Bree.
A gasp came from her lips, her eyes fluttered open in confusion. "What ... what happened?"