Hello all! I'm taking a quick break from Bound in Brotherhood to share another one-shot, and this is a pretty long one - my longest to date, actually. I've been working on this for a while, and after several meticulous refinements, I finally found this one-shot to be presentable. In fact, I'm quite happy with it. The structure of this story is somewhat different, but I can't explain it in-depth without revealing a lot of the plot line. Therefore, I ask that you bear with me. A full explanation will be provided at the end of the story. What I can tell you is that this one-shot takes place throughout the events of the LR episode "You Posted What?!" I have been desiring to write a story about the two main characters in this one-shot for a long time. I haven't seen them paired together very much in the archives, and that surprised me. So, I decided to put them together myself - sort of. As previously stated, the structure of this particular one-shot is a little odd, but I hope it is still easy to follow. This story might be a candidate for AU, but I'm unsure. You'll know what I mean in a few minutes.*sighs* Okay, that's enough rambling.
As always, I don't own Lab Rats. Enjoy the story!
This was it. The moment of truth had finally arrived.
On second thought, perhaps that was misspoken. She couldn't dare think of this as a moment of truth. It would more accurately be called a moment of lying, deceit, betrayal. Then again, she was only being disloyal to certain people – specifically, the three people she'd been keeping tabs on for the last few months. The person who gave her this assignment, however, was getting her full dependability. Albeit, at this point, it was only because she could do nothing but obey him. If her mind was her own, she most certainly would not be here right now.
Gosh, that was a scary thought. Her mind wasn't her own… She hadn't thought about it like that before. She hadn't thought about it ever. Her complete and utter lack of control didn't bother her until more recently. She hated it. She hated being a puppet on a string. It was so belittling to be at the mercy of someone else; it was so frightening that that "someone else" was a deranged madman. This wasn't what life was supposed to be like – she was sure of it. She came to that realization after coming in contact with her three subjects. They had freedom of mind. She envied that.
If all went according to plan, however, they wouldn't have freedom for too much longer.
She tried to convince herself that it would be his fault. After all, he was the one that gave her this order. She'd be the one to carry out the plan, though. Despite the knowledge that she wasn't in control, she still felt at fault. It might've been best for her to get used to that feeling. She figured that he would have her cause much more turmoil down the road.
She still remembered how all of this started. It was about seven months ago when he first allotted her this task. She hadn't thought a thing about it at first, but that was to change soon enough. She had had no idea of the problems that would arise, of the intricate, tangled mess it would make.
Suddenly, she heard a powerful rush of wind in the distance that snapped her out of her thoughts. Surely that was them. She crouched behind the bush, making sure to be out of sight. The time had come.
"With all due respect, sir, why me?"
Her boss leaned back in the large chair nonchalantly. He spoke with the same authoritative, spine-chilling voice that she learned to fear. "Because you're the best I have. You're the most qualified, the most dependable, and the best equipped. I expect great things from you, S-1. Don't disappoint me on your first mission. Needless to say, I'm not the kind of person you want to disappoint."
She gave him one sharp nod. "I understand. You can count on me, Mr. Krane. I won't let you down."
His use of the word "mission" made her sick. What she was doing didn't deserve to be called a "mission." Her subjects went on missions, as well, but theirs were of good intent. In fact, the very reason she got them to show up here today was because of a mission – a fake that she had staged herself. There truly was no end to her deception and trickery.
That was all she thought about right now as she watched them work. Watching them work - watching him work – almost made her lose it. They showed up to do good, to protect, but the whole thing was a hoax. They were much too gullible. He was much too gullible. It only made her think about all the other ways she had misled him these past seven months. In all honesty, the brunt of her guilt only had to do with him – the spiky-haired good guy who managed to steal her heart. True; she had become close with his sister, and his older brother was the goofy friend she never knew she wanted. But he, he was the one that introduced her to the flip side of the coin. He was the one who created in her a strong desire for a better life.
He had been nothing but nice to her from the minute she showed up at his school. He trusted her. He introduced her to emotions. He opened up her dark heart and exposed it to the light. One side of her loved him for that; the other side hated him for it. Love, joy, sympathy – they were incredible sensations that had previously been a mystery to her. She enjoyed them. Life seemed devoid and worthless without emotions. At the same time, things were easier without feelings. If she hadn't developed them for him, completing her mission would've been a lot easier. Emotions just made everything complicated and confusing. Who wanted that?
As she watched him slowly turn in a circle, scanning the area, those emotions sparked. Her chest tightened, and she gulped. As if she had forgotten, it was once again made obvious to her why she liked him so much. That only made her more torn.
Much too quickly for her tastes, he began to face her direction. If she didn't act soon, she would be discovered. It was time, once again, for her to pull a ruse.
Activating bio-thermokinesis.
High school was much different than what she imagined. The shiny hallways, the blue lockers, the diverse student body – it was all quite interesting, much like her attire. From the floral number shirt to the tan jeans, it was all so different. Never had she worn anything but a leather jacket and combat boots. Today, however, she began parading around as an average teenage girl. It wasn't immediately apparent whether or not that would be easy. Either way, she was here on an assignment, and she intended to complete it. She couldn't allow herself to get distracted by the new surroundings.
She began scanning the hallways of Mission Creek High in search of the subjects. They were gathered by the corner lockers. According to Mr. Krane, the easiest points of access into the family were either through the girl or the younger of the two boys. It didn't matter much to her. Perhaps she would just dive in and let chance take the lead.
Collecting herself, she approached the group of teens. The younger boy – Chase, was it? – was closest to her, so she decided to speak to him first. Coming to a stop merely feet away from him, she prepared to start the acting performance.
"Excuse me," she spoke up.
Chase turned to her, and she immediately got caught off guard. This was the nearest she had ever been to him, and she didn't anticipate what she saw. The picture that Mr. Krane gave her hardly did him justice. Upon coming face to face, S-1 found herself rather caught up in how amazing his eyes were. The messy combination of brown and green was really – what was the word? – pretty. They also sparkled with this energy, this emotion that she had never seen. After so many years of looking into cold, calculating eyes, she had to admit that Chase's bright and cheerful gaze was… refreshing.
Soon, S-1 realized her folly and shook herself from her stupor. She gave him as warm a smile as she could muster, which was an odd and difficult – but not necessarily unenjoyable. Honest smiles were much different from the cunning smirks she was used to giving and receiving.
"Hi," she spoke again. Chase stared at her with a mixture of bewilderment and fascination. What was his problem? "I'm Sarah, and I'm new here. Sorry to bother you, but this is my first day, and I'm not sure which classroom I'm supposed to be in. Could you help me?"
Chase blinked dumbly, seemingly still lost in some trance. When she tossed a confused look his way, he seemed to snap out of it. His face briefly looked startled before he forcefully relaxed it. "Oh, uh, um… hello. I'm Chase. Uh, it's no bother at all; I'd be happy to point you in the right direction." He returned her smile with a charming grin of his own, and she got a warm sensation in her chest.
S-1 inwardly smirked. If Chase was going to be like this the whole time, gaining their family's trust was going to be a piece of cake.
She didn't know it at the time, but her strange behavior was the tell-tale sign of a developing crush. In her defense, those feelings didn't develop immediately. They unsuspectingly grew within her over time.
Of course, it didn't help that her assignment was to hang around his family every possible moment to gather information. That gave her ample time to get to know (and eventually fall for) him. However, that wasn't the only conflicting feeling that arose. She also began to see things from a new perspective – their perspective; that is to say, the perspective of a good guy. It persuaded her to take a hard look at what she did and who she had become. She trained her whole life just to hurt and overpower people. Her boss raised her to believe that regular humans were somehow worth less than bionics and should be put in their place. She never questioned it until meeting the Davenports.
After she had met them, it caused her to think that maybe she was the one who had it all wrong. Normal humans were just as valuable as bionic superhumans. They shouldn't have been be ruled. Bionic people such as her brothers and sisters should've been living in harmony with regular humans. After all, there were many things that the two groups had in common. The more she thought about this, the bigger appreciation she got for Chase and his family. They didn't deserve the horrible things that Mr. Krane was planning for them. They hadn't done anything wrong.
What happened moments ago was a prime example. Although the mission was fake, they still showed up to fix a broken pipe line that could've endangered people. She had watched in fascination at the way they worked together, at how selfless and kind they were.
She had been especially fascinated with the way Chase led. She was accustomed to a leader – her leader – being angry and fierce and demanding. Chase, however, was calm and gentle – yet still orderly and professional. She assumed that a leader needed to be aggressive for their subordinates to listen, but that wasn't the case with the Davenports. Adam and Bree respected Chase and followed his orders without him yelling or forcing. She thought a leader was to be feared – a pure, consuming, horrifying fear- but Adam and Bree didn't fear Chase. What was their incentive to listen to him, then? If they didn't obey out of fear, then why did they obey? That part was a mystery to her, but she liked the idea of a kind leader.
The way their bionic abilities complimented each others' was also amazing. They were quite the harmonious team. There was no fighting or trying to outshine each other for menial praise. They used their abilities to help each other and the world.
And she had it all on video.
The phone in her hand was to bring an end to their team, to their family, to their freedom. It burned her palm to hold the small device, knowing how that three minute clip would devastate them.
Why did she have to be the one with this assignment? Why did she have to develop feelings? Why did she have to fall so, so hopelessly for him?
She had certainly tried to talk her boss out of it. She most definitely didn't suffer in silence as her creator plotted to do away with the boy that she came to adore (and his family.) However, that only seemed to spark more tension. Her powers of persuasion left something to be desired.
"What did you just say, S-1?"
She gulped. His face was hard, and his demeanor suggested that he wasn't pleased. That was understandable. She had just asked him to reconsider and have mercy on his biggest enemies. Did she dare repeat herself, especially when he was this heated?
Apparently so.
"With all due respect, Mr. Krane, I think it would be worth it to reconsider this mission. I have observed them over the past four months, and I don't believe they pose any real threat. You're much more powerful and a lot smarter than them. I'm sure it would be no trouble for you to take over the world with them still around." She opted for the flattering approach; perhaps that would distract him from her underlying request.
He slowly stood from his chair and walked around the mahogany desk. Standing in front of his soldier menacingly, he replied, "Are you actually questioning my orders? Do you really have the audacity to ask me to change my plans?"
"It's only a suggestion, sir! I just don't see it necessary to get them arrested – not with how strong you already are. Why put all that effort into something that doesn't need to be done?"
Krane bent over to her level, getting close to S-1's face. Her hands shook nervously at her sides as she was forced to stare into his maniacal eyes. She anxiously awaited his response. "Why, you ask? Because I gave you an order, S-1! And when I give my soldiers orders, I expect them to be followed! No matter how insignificant you view the Davenport's, I happen to know that they are a force standing in my way. There will be consequences if you continue to doubt my orders. Is that clear?"
The girl gulped. "Cr-crystal, sir."
Krane back away, a satisfied look on his face. "Good. Now, it's become apparent to me that Chase is the weakest link, the most naive. Therefore, I want you to put special emphasis on gaining his trust from here on out. That shouldn't be too hard. I've also noticed that he's… well, that he's taken a certain liking to 'Sarah.' Exploit that."
S-1 immediately became leery. "And how would I do that, Mr. Krane?"
"Simple. Make him believe that he has a chance. Act like you requite his feelings. Stir up his emotions until he's so infatuated that he won't hide anything from you."
Her heart began to beat faster. For some reason, that seemed like a very risky approach to take.
In the beginning, she was merely playing along, pretending that she liked him, as well. In time, though, she no longer had to act. It soon became real – frighteningly real. She spent another two and a half months hanging around the Davenports, but that time she was extra close to Chase. They spent more one-on-one time, which only made her crush that much bigger.
A part of it still disgusted her. Although her feelings did ultimately become real, she had still used him. She had toyed with his emotions. She had manipulated him just to get more information about his family. That ate away at her. He was being completely genuine with his feelings, but hers involved ulterior motives. Every time they hung out, she felt this festering shame. She wanted to be completely honest with her feelings as well, but she couldn't.
Often times, she didn't understand how it was possible. How did she manage to develop such strong feelings for him? Sure, they had many similarities. But, at the end of the day, they were still enemies. They fought on different sides and for different things. She fought for a dystopia run by a crazed dictator. He fought for a utopia free of cruel people that do nothing but cause chaos – people like her.
When had anyone ever seen dark mix with light, evil mix with good? Never. The universe decreed that never the two shall meet. There was no fairytale where the villain fell for the hero and everything went hunky dory. In a messed up story like this, "happily ever after" wasn't an option. Even if she really wanted to turn over a new leaf, Kranewouldn't let her.
Unfortunately, she was someone's marionette.
Regardless, that didn't stop her from deeply desiring a relationship with him that she couldn't have. She hungered to know what real, honest, true love was – whether it be romantic or platonic. She didn't want to be a super soldier anymore. She wanted to feel emotions like a goodhearted individual would. Then again, maybe she didn't. Developing feelings for Chase only got her caught between what she was created to do and what she grew to want.
Right now, she wanted nothing more than to disappear, escape this horrific reality called her life. The video had finished uploading, and once she pressed the "post" button, she would officially be the worst person ever. This was to be their ruin – all thanks to her. After he welcomed her into his home, shared so much about himself with her, took her to the dance… this was how she repaid him.
Ah, the dance… What a complicated day that turned out to be. She had had to say "yes" when he asked her, because she had direct orders from her commander to get as close as possible to Chase. The whole idea had made her uncomfortable from the beginning. Up until then, they had hung out as friends – just friends. Despite the fact that Chase didn't mention anything about a date, she felt that it was. After all, just because she was out of touch with the world didn't mean she was clueless as to how everything worked.
She had only recently become aware of her feelings, and that was the reason she had been so scared to go to the dance with him. She couldn't like him. Although she was trying to take advantage of his feelings, she still had to keep her distance lest she develop feelings of her own. She felt that going to the dance with him would have surged those emotions – those emotions that she had to control, those emotions that she couldn't let show. Those wonderful, livening, incredibly toxic emotions.
And, oh, her fears were very well founded. That dance, that infamous day two weeks ago, was when the biggest manifestation of her feelings came. She cringed just thinking about it, thinking about how much she let her defenses slip. At the same time, the thought of that day made her stomach flutter. Oh, if only she had had a few more seconds…
She looked over the bright screen once more. Let the back-stabbing and subsequent self-loathing begin. Taking a shuddering breath, she posted the video.
The mood was calm. The lights were soft. The music the DJ was playing proved perfect for slow dancing, which they were doing – much to her apprehension. She had played it off like she simply didn't know how to dance. He had bought it but, nonetheless, dragged her out onto the dance floor.
This environment was much different than what she was used to. Where she lived, such a peaceful atmosphere was unattainable. The hallways were dark and eerie. The rooms, although better lit, still elicited an unnerving feeling in people. Not to mention the psychopath that was always lurking around.She hadn't minded it until now, until she was introduced to something better. Admittedly, she thought this was pretty nice.
However, the atmosphere around her didn't keep things between her and her date any less uncomfortable. Then again, perhaps she was the only one uncomfortable. He had the liberty to be completely open and honest with her. He wanted to have a sincere relationship with her, so why would he be uncomfortable? She was the one with something to hide. She was the one that came here merely to complete a gut-wrenching assignment. He invited her here because he wanted to spend time with her.
Oh, if only he knew…
That wasn't her only reason for being uncomfortable, though. Human interaction, especially of a somewhat intimate nature, was foreign to her. Standing face-to-face, wrapping her arms around his neck, him wrapping his arms around her back – it was so strange (and a bit awkward.) Again, maybe the awkwardness was one-sided. He did seem pretty relaxed. She, on the other hand, was freaking out.
Perhaps that was because she liked it. Perhaps that was because, deep down, she enjoyed their closeness. Perhaps that was because she wished she could have experienced this kind of fondness sooner in life. Perhaps that was because she felt like she had been missing out on something big. Perhaps that was because she totally fell for him, and a moment like this just made her pulse race. Perhaps that was because she wanted to spend every minute with him, because being around him drove her crazy in the best way.
Oh brother… She was in deep.
He flashed her one of his amazing smiles, and her stomach quickly knotted. Nonetheless, she smiled back. And it wasn't forced; it wasn't fake; it wasn't a façade. It was a genuine smile, because she was genuinely happy to be here with him.
There was just something about the gentle way they danced together, the eloquent way their bodies moved in sync. Her long silver dress flowed with the movement, and every so often she heard her two-inch heels click against the floor. Her curled, brown locks bounced against her shoulders as she swayed with her date. She never dreamed of wearing an outfit like this, but now that she had, she loved it. It was a nice change.
"Thanks again for agreeing to go with me, Sarah. I'm having a great time."
She smiled again. "Me too." And she meant it; she honestly meant it.
Chase looked down sheepishly. "You know, I was surprised when you said 'yes.'"
This threw her off guard. She scrunched her eyebrows, letting her confusion show. "Why?"
"I'm not really the type of guy that girls are into."
"And what type is that?"
"Well, you know, kinda nerdy and shy, I guess…"
"Did you ever consider that that's why I like you so much?"
"Well, no, I- Wait. Did you just say you like me?"
Her heart stopped. Did she just say that?
She did. She actually admitted that out loud.
She hadn't been thinking. It just came out. Should she not have said that? Maybe it was alright. After all, she was supposed to get him to believe that she liked him, too. There was no better way to do that than by saying it outright. Mr. Krane wouldn't mind… right?
"Uh, well, um… Yea. Yea, I did. And I do. A lot." Okay, now she may have been laying it on a little thick. Pull yourself together, soldier! Don't get too attached!
That was easier said than done, especially when he gave her another charismatic smile. She gulped, not seeming to be able to look away. She was walking on the fence of very treacherous waters; she felt it in the pit of her stomach. Perhaps she should back up a bit before this got out of hand.
"I'm kind of relieved to hear you say that, because I like you, too. A lot."
He looked up at her – directly into her chocolate brown eyes – with an indescribable expression. Why was he doing that? Why was he just staring at her? And why was she staring back? And why did she feel butterflies when he looked at her that way – with those entrancing hazel eyes? Was this normal? Should she even have been doing this? What was the protocol? What happened next?
She got her answer soon enough. Chase slowly – almost apprehensively – started to lean his head forward. What was he doing? Why was he doing that? Wait… he wasn't about to kiss her, was he?
Needless to say, she had never kissed anyone before. She didn't even know that much about them. It was unclear to her their purpose, but that made it interesting. Ever since she started going to high school, she'd been fascinated with the way normal teenagers lived. A kiss – that was unknown, uncharted territory. Its mystery was also its allure. Did she really want this? It seemed so – desperately, eagerly so.
Before she knew what she was doing, 'Sarah' leaned forward, as well. She felt their faces getting closer and closer… Their lips were mere inches apart, and her eyes fluttered shut as she waited for that moment to come. Her heart beat faster than it ever had, but she didn't hate it. A tingling sensation of anticipation passed through her from head to toe. She didn't know quite what to expect, but she didn't quite care. Somehow, she knew it would be great.
However, a sickeningly familiar feeling overtook her at that moment, and she stopped moving toward Chase. She slowly felt herself lose touch with her muscles and brain.
No… No, no! Not now! Why now?
She opened her eyes to find her vision colored a distinct green color. Chase had backed away, a confused look on his face. She wanted to say something reassuring to him, but that privilege was no longer hers. She felt her features harden, and she was sure that her face was devoid of any emotion by now. Thousands of feelings were surging within her, but she couldn't showcase any of them.
"Is something wrong, Sarah?" he asked, training his perplexed and slightly hurt eyes on her. She only developed a heart a few months ago, but at this moment, it broke.
Powerless against the force that controlled her, she monotonously replied, "I have to go."
With that, her legs quickly carried her away from him and out of the school. She heard him calling out what he believed to be her name, but she couldn't look back. She was required to keep going. Once she had gotten far enough away from the school, her super speed activated and took her back to her controller.
She hadn't seen Chase since then. Krane had given her orders to stay away from him. Abandoning Chase was just another thing she felt bad about.
To this day, she still didn't know what she had been thinking. She wasn't thinking. She had gotten caught up in the moment, and her judgment was clouded — clouded by his mesmerizing smile, his gorgeous eyes, his refreshing scent, his perfect hair… She had been so, so close to kissing him. If she was honest with herself, she wanted to kiss him — badly. At that point, she didn't care about her mission. She didn't care that he was technically her enemy. She just wanted to forsake her current life and start fresh.
Those were just her silly daydreams, though. Mr. Krane made it very clear to her after the incident that her life was not her own. It went without saying that he was furious about what she had almost done. He definitely emphasized how much she shouldn't have let it go that far. She could tell he had tried to make her feel guilty - or even regretful - by displaying his anger.
Her only regret was that she hadn't leaned in faster.
Well, that wasn't entirely true. She had one other regret — posting that video. She was now seeing the fallout of doing that. Every news station in the world was reporting on the discovery of bionic super humans due to an anonymously uploaded video. Seeing Chase's face pop up on the TV screen every few minutes crushed her. Because of her actions, she would probably never see him again. She wanted to turn away so badly, but he was right next to her and surely wouldn't allow it.
The madman let out a dark chuckle. "Serves them right. Take note, S-1. This is what happens when people try to stand in my way. There may have been a few, ahem… bumps in the road, but you completed your assignment flawlessly. Doesn't it feel good to triumph over people?"
No, she thought to herself. It doesn't.
She wouldn't dare say that out loud.
"S-1," he began calmly, "What were you thinking?!" His voiced suddenly exploded in the small room, causing the girl to wince. "Did you not think I would be monitoring you? I have given you a certain amount of freedom by not controlling your every move, but you seem to be taking it for granted."
"I-I was just doing what you told me to do…"
"I told you to kiss Chase?" he asked irately.
"Well, n-no, not directly. But you did tell me to act like I felt the same way he did! That's all I was doing – playing along, you know?"
"Don't insult me, S-1. I'm more than smart enough to understand that that little display was far more than an 'act.'"
She frowned. "So what if it was? Chase is a good guy."
"Exactly!" he bellowed. "Chase is a good guy. You are one of my super soldiers. Do those two seem to mix? I have news for you, S-1: you're evil, and he's good. As long as you work for me, there shall be no mingling of those two groups!"
"What if I don't want to be evil anymore?!" she shouted. As soon as those passionate words came out of her mouth, she regretted it. Where did that come from? She never used to have the nerve to stand up to Krane like this.
The room got dreadfully quiet. S-1's heart beat on overdrive as she waited to find out what her superior would do to her. But, instead of some sort of punishment, Krane unleashed a… laugh. It started out gentle but soon grew to be rather jaunty. It wasn't a happy kind of laugh, though. It was a sick, twisted laugh – the kind that made people cringe. She looked on in confusion and unease.
Krane finally halted his amused snicker, looking down on his soldier. There was compassion in his eyes – but not the loving kind; the all-knowing, 'I feel sorry for you' type of compassion, also known as pity.
"Oh, you poor, poor girl. I see that Chase left more of an impression on you than I realized. You don't want to be my minion anymore, you say?" She chose not to respond. Krane bent down to be eye level with her. "Well, guess what? I. Don't. Care!"
She flinched again, this time more noticeably. S-1 inwardly scolded herself for how weak she must have looked cowering in front of him.
"Do you know why I don't care, S-1?" He gave her time to answer, but she never did, instead bowing her head. "I don't care how you feel, because I can't control how you feel. You know what I can control, though? Your actions. I can make you do whatever I want, and no matter what your feelings may be, they can't help you. I own you."
"I-I can still fight against you," she replied, trying her best to sound confident. It wasn't working.
"Fight against me to do what? You think that you can somehow overpower the Triton App and go running into Chase's arms?" He chuckled. "Never gonna happen. Society has rules, S-1. Life isn't some fairytale where people are able to defy the odds. There are unspoken laws in place that make it nearly impossible for a villain and good guy to 'fall in love.'" He said the last part in a mockingly sweet tone.
"Now, let's pretend, S-1. Let's pretend that you could somehow overpower my control and break free of the Triton App. How will you explain everything to Chase? Are you going to tell him all about how you manipulated his affections? Or about how you've been plotting to get him and his family arrested? Do you really think that no longer being under my control will magically make him forgive you for what you've already done? Triton App or no Triton App, if Chase ever finds out who you truly are, he'll see you that way forever."
"And what am I truly?" she asked quietly.
He smirked. "Evil. Like creator, like creation. I'm terribly sorry that you fell so hard for him, S-1; I really am. But, at the end of the day, you two can't be together. So, I suggest that you forget all about tonight and go back to following my orders. Just know that this is the last time I will ever allow you to be around that boy again."
Forgetting about Chase was a lot easier said than done. She knew Krane was right, though. She hated to admit that, but he had made some legitimate points. It was at that moment when she truly felt powerless and broken. Somehow, she had convinced herself that her and Chase might have had a shot. However, she had forgotten one crucial thing: they were indeed enemies. Perhaps she was foolish for allowing herself to believe – hope? – that such a relationship could happen.
Deep down, she understood that it was unlikely. She knew that opposing forces such as theirs could never meet. She knew that an evil-doer could never end up with the hero. She just didn't want to believe it. At the end of the day, she faced a heart-breaking reality: even if she was free of the Triton App, Chase would never trust her again knowing who she was and what she did. He wouldn't forgive her; he wouldn't give her another chance. There was no escape from the dreadful ending that would befall their short-lived story.
People always wanted what they couldn't have. She wanted many things: a regular life, a chance to be on the good side, him… But the sad fact was: she wasn't in control of her own life. She didn't have the freedom to choose who or what to be. She was created for one purpose, and it looked like that purpose would be fulfilled. She was to be a good little obedient soldier – nothing more. She couldn't be a human with natural feelings or desires.
But, she developed them anyway. To make matters worse, she developed feelings for a guy that the universe dictated she could never be with. There were rules that kept people like them apart. When those rules were followed, structure and discipline remained. When those rules were broken…
She wouldn't ever find out.
Maybe things were like that for a reason. Maybe there would be a completely detrimental outcome if good and evil mixed. Maybe a relationship like theirs would turn out to be a disaster, doomed from the beginning. She didn't know. She never would.
One thing she did except was for the battle to be over. She thought that posting that video would end them. She was wrong. Of course she was wrong! She'd spent enough time around the Davenports to know that they didn't go down without a fight. She was secretly rooting for them, but she sure wouldn't show it. In fact, as word got around that the bionics had knocked out government agents and disappeared, she was happy for them.
That joy didn't last long.
Because she just had to end up involved with his family again, which only meant bringing them more harm.
Douglas and Leo sat in front of her and her commander, one with broken ribs and the other with a brand new bionic arm.
For real? Leo is bionic?
Either way, he only needed bionics because she had left his arm crushed under a ceiling beam. Needless to say, he and Douglas had been shocked and disgusted to find out who she really was. It hurt, but she knew there was someone who could make her feel worse.
What kind of a monster am I? I even injured members of his family. Mr. Krane was right. If he knew what I was, he surely wouldn't accept me.
S-1 was snapped out of her thoughts when the door to their lair suddenly burst open, and in came Chase and the rest of the Davenports. Of course. She should've expected for him to show up. Obviously, she hoped to never have to face him again. Her conscience had already been beating her up. She didn't need the added bonus of him discovering what a pretty little liar she was.
His family halted several feet away, and Chase's face immediately grew shocked. He looked at her with those captivating eyes of his, and she was almost mad that they had such a strong effect on her. S-1's chest became heavy as she broke away from his gaze.
"Sarah?" Chase shrieked. "What are you doing here? What's going on?"
Although her face was downcast, she knew Krane was smirking as he replied for her. "Oh, forgive me. You haven't been formally introduced to each other. This is S-1, my lead soldier. You may have previously known her as 'Sarah.'"
She looked up long enough to catch Chase's devastated expression. Something in that moment told her that it was over. The two of them were not meant to be. It was sad – terribly, terribly sad. Unfortunately, they were just on different sides of this battle. They wouldn't ever be able to meet in the middle or compromise, and she couldn't change that.
They were born worlds apart, and worlds apart they would stay.
The ending is a bit abrupt (and sad, I suppose), but I had intended to write it that way from the very beginning. How did you like it?
So, now comes the explanation with a bit of background commentary. First of all, I got the idea for this story from Krane's comment in "You Posted What?!" when he said: "I've had someone [S-1] keeping tabs on you." That got me thinking: "Hey, what if, instead of S-1 spying on the Davenports from a distance, she enrolled at MCH and tried to befriend the Lab Rats?" Or, in essence, the Marcus situation. From that respect, I suppose you could consider this one-shot to be slightly AU. However, you'll notice that, despite all the changes and additions to the plot, I made sure to keep the events of the episode perfectly intact (minus the ending). My redesigned version of the S-1 situation was built around the episode.
As for S-1 falling for Chase, that was based upon her comment in the same episode, "You Posted What?!" when she said that Chase was cute. I honestly thought that the writers were going to take that relationship somewhere, and I really began to ship them. Unfortunately, it never happened - for reasons I'll never know or understand. That left me a bit disappointed, so I wanted to do an S-1/Chase story. This one-shot didn't quite give them a happy ending either, but... oh well xD I'm really surprised that not many people on the archives seem to ship them. Chase is normally shipped with every girl in the LR universe, but overall, S-1 seems to have been overlooked.
I know I've already talked your ear off, but let me just add this one more thing. You probably weren't wondering, but here's why I made S-1's fake name "Sarah." A while ago, before "You Posted What?!" aired, I was looking over the episode description on the LR wiki. On there, it had S-1's character listed as "S-1/Sarah." Of course, that either changed or turned out to be inaccurate. I've never been able to let that go, though - for whatever reason. Therefore, I decided to pay homage to her original/old/whatever-you-want-to-call-it name by adding it in this story.
In conclusion, thanks for listening to me yap, and I hope you liked the story!