Sebastian was handcuffed to a table several feet in front of her. Plastered on his face was a lazy, disinterested smirk. He sensed how uncomfortable Bree was, and he liked that.
Bree gulped, so far unable to do anything but stare at her former student.
Sebastian sighed, shifting position in his metal chair. "Alright, Bree, what are you doing here? Was destroying my father and throwing me in jail somehow not enough for you? Did you come to rub it in my face?"
Bree tentatively went to sit across from him at the table. "N-no. I, uh, just wanted to see how you were doing."
The villainous teen threw her a bored look. "You actually expect me to believe that? I may not have my chip anymore, but I'm no idiot."
"It's true, though. I just felt like checking up on you."
"How exactly do you think I am, Bree? I'm in prison! What am I supposed to say? 'Oh, yea, solitary is great! I have tons of alone time for self-evaluation.'"
Bree sighed, casting her eyes down. "Fine. I didn't really come to check up on you…"
Sebastian faked a gasp. "I'm shocked!"
"Listen; I came to ask you something."
"Which would be?"
"Why did you do it?"
The boy furrowed his eyebrows. "What are you talking about?"
Bree looked back up at the person who caused her so much hurt and confusion and shock. "The rebellion. Why did you do that? Why did you betray us? Why did you betray me?"
"You said 'me' like you're someone special."
Bree raised her eyebrows in surprise. Did he really just say that? "Well, yea… I thought you liked me. Before you went all psycho, we seemed to have a connection."
"That was before I found out the truth about you."
"Which was?"
"Hello?! You destroyed my father! How was I supposed to forgive that?"
"Sebastian, we've tried to tell you multiple times! Krane wasn't a father; he was a deranged madman! We did what we had to do for the sake of mankind."
"Clearly we don't see eye-to-eye, then. I believe in what my father was trying to accomplish. If you reject him, you reject me."
"How come you didn't think about all the good things we did for you? You and your siblings would've been locked up by the government had Mr. Davenport not taken you under his wing. He saw the good in you."
"Don't lie to me! You never did us any good. We were being misled to believe that humans needed protection, but what they really need is to be put in their place. Bionics are far superior."
"So everything that we said and did means nothing? I really thought you liked me! I stood up for you on multiple occasions when you and Chase had arguments! I helped you train and get acquainted with the real world! We… we… we clicked. How could you possibly throw that all aside without any consideration?"
Sebastian clenched his jaw, looking away for a minute. His eyes returned to Bree in a hateful glare. "You weren't worth it."
The air was taken out of Bree's lungs. She suspected that that was the issue, but she didn't expect him to say it out loud. Or, perhaps she just didn't want him to say it out loud. The truth hurt.
"What didn't I have, then?" she began in a quiet voice. "What was I missing? What was it, Sebastian? Tell me!" By the end, she was all but yelling.
Before Sebastian could respond, the guard reentered the room and stood in the doorway. "Your time is up, Miss Davenport."
"Wait, please, just give me a couple more minutes. I didn't get to ask Sebastian everything I wanted."
"No more time. Five minutes is all you get. You can leave of your own accord or by force. The choice is yours."
Bree sighed again. After a second more, she reluctantly stood from her chair. As the guard escorted her out, she threw one last glance over her shoulder at Sebastian. His characteristic unnerving smirk was the last thing she saw.
She walked back down the hall in contemplative silence – aside from the sound of the guard's heavy boots against the concrete floor. Sebastian's statement was the only thing on her mind.
"You weren't worth it."
Not much longer after Sebastian, the sixth boy came along. He was the most recent addition to Bree's list of crushes. So recent, in fact, that he had only ended things mere hours ago – if "ended" meant "turned out to be an evil android." They had just arrived back from the academy after rescuing Chase from the clutches of Douglas' evil ex-girlfriend. The shock of the situation had far from worn off. She was currently locked in the bathroom, trying to sort through her knotted emotions.
Bree promised herself after what happened with Sebastian that she wouldn't be so quick to fall for the first cute boy that walked into the room. So much for that game-plan. The minute Bree saw Troy, she melted. It was disgusting. Why'd she have to be so gullible, so desperate? This was serious. This crush could've come at the cost of her baby brother's life. Some sister she was…
Bree never should've let Troy get to her like he did. He was able to weasel his way to Chase's chip schematics all because of her. She had been used. And she had been used to try to destroy her family, of all things! It was a terrible feeling. She managed to fall for a guy who sought to eliminate everything and everyone she cared about. He was a traitor, but she was too blinded by his looks to see that. As it turned out, she was crazy, because the connection she felt was fake. No matter how cute, no guy was worth losing her family. She loathed how easily she developed crushes.
Bree couldn't help it, though. Betrayal was her worst nightmare. She did whatever she could to keep that from happening, including changing everything about herself. It still wasn't enough. Nothing ever seemed to be enough. Guys were always eager to leave her, but no one ever told her why they left. Surely the lame excuses she got weren't the truth. It had to be her; what other logical reason was there?
She had been trying so hard for so many years. Every attempt Bree made to improve herself did nothing to help her ex-boyfriend count. It wasn't fair. She hated being deserted. It was embarrassing. She didn't intend to drive people away. It just happened. No one would tell her what she was doing wrong. All her guesses had been incorrect, and Bree was running out of options. Personality, clothes, hair, weight. She became so frantic for answers that she even went to Sebastian. He had incited a rebellion and almost killed Davenport! (Oh, and Perry, too…) How could she have gone to him?
She tried to conform to others' preferences, but it never worked. It wasn't all on her. If people refused to enlighten her about her own flaws, what could she do to fix them? Nothing. This had to end. Chase was put in serious danger today. Bree couldn't afford for that to happen again. Their family couldn't afford for that to happen again. Chase accepted her apology without hesitation, but Bree still blamed herself.
I am a horrible person.
Was she? Was Bree Davenport a horrible person? It didn't seem like it. She was a bionic hero, after all – selfless and brave.
You weren't always, came a different voice in her head. Remember when you destroyed your chip and, consequently, the team? You weren't able to help people, then. You weren't even able to help your brothers. Remember how much danger they were in on that chemical plant mission? In the fire? That was because of you.
Bree let out a stifled cry, looking intently at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. That was true; she had endangered her brothers' lives before. She took away the best thing that happened to her – the ability to help people. And, for what? Because she was only concerned about gaining a normal life for herself. That wasn't selfless or brave.
Ironically, she wanted to be normal to keep people from abandoning her – crushes included. Jake Chambers said it himself: "You seem like a nice girl, Bree. I just can't handle your crazy life. I thought I could, but I'm not ready to leave normality." Bree had never had such a strong desire to be normal after Jake told her that. That's why she had destroyed her chip months earlier. If her crazy bionic life was driving guys away, Bree wanted to gain "normality". Her efforts were so extreme, however, that she inadvertently damaged the team.
So, her efforts to appear normal and make guys like her backfired and caused her to do something that could actually turn guys away more. Now that was irony.
There was also Neurotoxin incident. Bree had disregarded basic safety rules, brushed off an important mission, and endangered her brothers (again). Plus, she put her own health at risk. She exposed herself to a dangerous chemical and then refused to remain in her capsule. All three of her brothers were running wild trying to clean up her mess. The worst part was that she did it all so that she'd have an opportunity to spend time with Owen. Apparently, it was all for not, because he dumped her months later. The sting of rejection was bad enough, but on top of that, Bree had to own up to the fact that she chose a boy over her brothers – and it didn't even work out! That was a regret she carried to this very day.
So, Bree made mistakes. That's what happens when you're human. Bree was human – bionic, but human. Mistakes were bound to be made. She had done lots of admirable things, though. What of the successful missions that she assisted? What about the thousands of lives she saved? What about the time and effort she dedicated to helping people? After coming to her senses, all Bree thought about was becoming bionic again and rejoining the team. Did a couple mistakes from which she repented constitute her as a horrible person?
She was so confused. It just didn't make sense. Bree had spent her whole life going from crush to crush. Why was that? Why did every guy she liked turn out to be either a deserter or a traitor? She just wanted a straight answer. The treachery and neglect kept piling on, and she couldn't take it anymore. Her body was filled to the brim with self-doubt. It was so, so hard to like herself when she knew something about her drove people away. She tried to be confident, but that hadn't been the reality in a very long time.
"Why?" Bree whispered quietly into the mirror. Then suddenly, a tormented shout erupted from within her. "Why?!"
Her fist flew forward, shattering the reflective glass. Shards flew everywhere, filling the sink and covering the tiled floor. Bree could've cared less. If she wasn't whole, the mirror didn't deserve to be whole, either. They could be broken together.
She succumbed to a heap on the floor and finally let the tears flow. "Why? What's wrong with me? Why won't somebody tell me?!"
Bree raised her knees to her chest and buried her head. After four years of pent up anguish, she finally let it out. The droplets of water warmed her skin as they slid down her pale face. Bree started to shake, but she was too upset to notice.
Only a few minutes later, authoritative knocking started on the bathroom door, effectively startling the troubled girl inside.
"Bree, is everything okay in there?!"
"Yea. We heard what sounded like something breaking and your scream. What's going on? Let us in!"
Scream? She screamed? Oh, perhaps she had. Bree had paid no mind to the volume of her breakdown. Technically, she could've done anything without her own knowledge. In any case, Bree chose to ignore her brothers.
"Bree, come on! It's just us: Adam and Chase. We only want to help."
Bree continued to drown out Chase's voice. She was in no mood for company.
"I'm serious, Bree! If you don't unlock this door in five seconds, I'm breaking it down!"
She made no movement. Adam bluffed all the time.
5… Bree remained still.
4… Everything just felt numb.
3… She sniffled.
2… The silent tears continued to fall. Their sodium content burned her eyes.
1… She was starting to develop a headache. Ibuprofen sounded great right now.
"Okay. Suit yourself." Suddenly, the bathroom door busted open, and Bree's siblings came tumbling in.
Bree's head jerked up with a start, her eyes growing wide. She quickly wiped the tears from her cheeks and backed up against the sink. "Wh-what are you guys doing in here?"
"Bree, what's going on? Why are you crying? Why is the mirror broken?" Chase rambled, gesturing to each item respectively.
She sniffled again. "I-I asked you first."
Adam and Chase shared a look. They carefully maneuvered around the glass to kneel next to their sister. Adam spoke this time, saying, "Why do you think we're here? We heard you scream and then what turned out to be the mirror breaking. We came to check on you."
"Now answer our questions," Chase continued.
Bree stared at her brothers concerned faces as her lower lip began to quiver. She couldn't take it anymore. In that moment, she snapped. A whole new round of tears began, and Bree collapsed against her brother's chests. She sobbed again, slowly growing hysterical. Adam and Chase were surprised, but they wasted no time in wrapping their arms around their sister. Her upper body rose and fell with difficult breaths as she burrowed into her brothers' strong embraces. Chase started rubbing her back, and Adam stroked her hair. They both waited patiently until she calmed down a bit.
"Bree, what's going on?" Adam choked out after a few minutes. "I hate seeing you like this." His attention was drawn to her hand, so he gently took it in his own and brushed away the remaining glass from Bree's knuckle. Adam wanted to say something about the little red scratches producing specks of blood, but he knew it wasn't the time.
"I-if I ask–asked you guys a question, you'd-you'd tell me the tr-uth, right?" Bree managed to get out between sobs.
"Of course." Chase nodded.
"Wh-what's wrong with me?"
Adam and Chase froze, glancing at each other before going back to Bree. They hardly knew what to say.
"What do you mean, Bree? Nothing's 'wrong with you.' You're amazing," Chase replied.
"Then, wh-why do people always l-leave me?"
"Who's left you?" Adam asked.
Bree pulled back from her brothers so she was looking them in their faces. "Nearly every boy that's entered my life! Kavin, Ethan, Owen, Jake, Sebastian, and now Troy! They either broke up with me or turned out to be evil traitors!"
"Bree, that has nothing to do with you."
"What other excuse is there?" she bellowed. "I have-have been trying for the past four years to find a stable relationship! It never works out, though! Six crushes – none of them lasting. I have tried everything! I-I adapted my personality; I chose a new style; I changed my hair! I-I even cut back on eating just to lose weight, because I-I thought that mi-might've been the pr-problem. B-but nothing has ch-changed!" She leaned forward again, resuming her position in Adam and Chase's arms.
"Wait… what did you say, Bree?" Chase questioned. "You stopped eating?!"
Bree's eyes widened, and she sat up to face her brothers once again. The look of dread on her face was the only answer Chase needed.
"So all that weird behavior – the dizziness, the bruising, the fatigue – was actually an issue. We weren't imagining things, like you said. You had lost all that weight…" Adam said, more to himself than to his sister.
Her brothers' broken looks tore at Bree's heart. Here she was again, causing them more pain. "Guys, I- Well, yes, but-"
"No! There are no 'buts', Bree. You withheld food from yourself. That's dangerous! How could you do that?" Adam stared at his sister with firm yet concerned eyes.
"I-I just couldn't take any more rejection. I didn't understand why so many people abandoned me, and I never wanted it to happen again. I was… I was desperate. Besides, it's not like I've been starving myself…"
"You can still develop an eating disorder or suffer from malnutrition! Bree, I don't care how many relationships failed. You should never do something so careless and-and self-destructive!" Chase scolded.
"Y-you're mad at me…" Bree mumbled. "I don't like that."
"We're 'mad' because we care, Bree," Adam joined in.
"I understand that you're hurt, Bree. We've all experienced betrayal before. It's not your fault, though."
"How can you say that, Chase? There is ample evidence that all of that was my fault! Heck, I almost got you killed today! D-do you know how, how hard it was to see you like that? I mean, it wasn't actually you, but I thought it was!" Several cries escaped Bree's throat, and she began to tremble once again. She tried to fight the memories of today off, but they flocked her in a sudden frenzy.
Chase quickly took Bree back in his arms and let her cry. This time, Adam and Chase switched jobs so that the elder brother rubbed Bree's back and the younger brother stroked her hair.
Chase's own eyes became glossy and his voice shook, but he tried to stay strong for his sister. "That… was not your fault, Bree. I told you several times that all was forgiven. You made a mistake. We all make mistakes. I know you didn't mean any harm. Plus, look on the bright side." Chase gently lifted Bree's head until their eyes met. "I'm fine, Bree. Look – completely safe and sound. I had a bit of a scare, but no real damage was done."
"That still doesn't excuse what I did. Besides, this wasn't the, the first offense."
"Oh, come on, Bree," Adam interjected. "What else could you have done?"
"What else?! Does the time I destroyed my chip ring a bell? I put you guys in serious danger when you had to put out that fire without me. And what about the Neurotoxin incident? I chose Owen over you guys!"
"Bree, like Chase said, we all make mistakes. That doesn't mean you're a bad person! You were there right alongside us on every mission – minus two – and were just as brave as us. We love you!"
"Yea? Well, if I'm so wonderful, tell me why people are always so quick to leave! Don't you get it? I hate that feeling! If there's something wrong with me, I need to know! Because the next person to walk out of my life might not be a crush. It might be someone way more valuable to me – like you guys!"
As those words left Bree's mouth, they cast a grim mood inside the bathroom. Adam and Chase sat there in stunned silence. For several minutes, nothing but a dense quiet and the still bodies of three siblings filled that room. The brothers looked away in deep thought.
"That's what this is about?" Chase finally mumbled.
Bree nodded slowly, solemnly. "I-I could really care less about a bunch of dumb boys. But… you and Adam aren't 'a bunch of dumb boys.' You're two dumb boys who happen to be my brothers. I care about my brothers, and I don't want you two – or anyone else important to me – to reject me. That would be too much."
"What did I say earlier, Bree? We love you, too. Do you think that Chase and I would be here right now if we didn't care about you so much?"
Before Bree had a chance to answer, Chase spoke again. "Those guys were jerks and/or idiots, Bree. If they couldn't see how amazing you are, that's on them. You're not a bad person; you're funny, brave, spunky, trustworthy. We love you, Mr. Davenport loves you, Tasha loves you, Leo loves you, and the whole student body loves you."
"Don't go changing everything about yourself just to please others – especially when there was nothing wrong with you to begin with. You need to be yourself, Bree. Do you know why?" Adam asked.
Bree shook her head.
"Because that's when you're the happiest. Those that really love you are going to accept you for you. I mean, you guys put up with me even though I tend to be immature, because that's just who I am. Anyone who asks you to change in order to please them isn't worth it."
Bree stayed quiet for awhile, simply staring at her brothers. She had gone searching for answers everywhere – everywhere but where she was supposed to be looking. Bree completely neglected that she had two amazing guys here the whole time. They were the ones she should've been talking to, because they were the people who truly cared about her. Despite her flaws, they stuck by her. She wasn't going to be abandoned. They were always right here – and they always would be.
"I appreciate you guys saying all that. I really do. But… what if I didn't like who I was?"
"Do you not like who you are?" Chase asked gently.
She thought for a second. "I-I don't know. I just… can't help but feel, like, sick when I think about myself. I can't seem to, to look at myself in a positive light, anymore…"
"Well, Bree, we all have things about ourselves that we wish were different."
"I wish I were smarter."
"And I wish I were stronger. That doesn't make you love us any less, though – right?"
Bree scoffed. "Who said I loved you guys?" Adam and Chase gave her knowing looks. She sighed. "Fine. I admit it. No – it doesn't make me love you any less."
"It's the same with us, Bree. You may have insecurities, but we still love you. Everyone has a weakness, and I guess you finally found yours."
"Does it ever go away?"
"Maybe. Maybe not. If it does, I'm pretty sure it'll take time," Adam replied.
"One thing is for sure: we need this self-destructive behavior to stop. Okay, Bree?" Chase said.
She took a deep breath. "Wh-what if I can't stop – even if I wanted to?"
"You can, and you will. We'll make sure of it," Adam replied confidently.
Bree smiled – her first genuine smile in years. "When did you two become so wise?"
"Hello? Super intelligence!" Chase cockily pointed to his head.
Adam shrugged. "Call it the older brother in me. I guess I kind of mature when the subject is serious enough. I mean, it had to happen sooner or later."
"Well, thanks. You two are the best guys a girl could ask for." Bree leaned in for a final hug, and her brothers were quick to reciprocate.
So began the healing process of Bree Davenport. She was many things to many people. The public knew her for her acts of bravery and swiftness as a bionic hero. Friends and schoolmates knew her as a confident, spunky, wise-cracking teenage girl. Her family recognized her for these things as well, but they also knew of her flaws. As it turned out, her flaws went deeper than a couple reckless mistakes.
No one would've guessed that she could develop such a thing as low self-esteem. That was something that couldn't be fixed with a pep-talk and a few hugs. It took time to mend. Fortunately, she had loving family to help. They were going to get her through this. Bree's life, duties, and loved ones were much too important for her to give up. She wouldn't let this get in her way. In time, things would get better.
It would be okay. She would be okay. After all, superheroes never resigned to their weaknesses.
This story wasn't meant to be a "raising awareness" sort of thing. To be honest, I don't even remember where this idea came from. However, this is still a good opportunity to say something supportive about a serious topic: Don't change for others; Share your fears with people who truly care about you; Never turn to drastic actions that could harm yourself; Find beauty in yourself and in the unique person that you are.
So, that said, I hope you liked the story. Reviews are welcomed, although not necessary. I spent a lot of time editing this, so I hope the finished product was worth it. I'm quite of it proud, myself.
Thanks for reading, and I hope to speak with you all again soon! Also, happy first day of 2017!
