Hi, everyone! Sorry for the wait, I had a lot of stuff going on. But hey, here's another chapter! Replies, and then we'll go on!
Susz: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it! (And I already answered this question, but just a reminder, no. I'm not dropping out.) Well, sorry for not updating soon, but… I updated! Yay!
LRW: Yes, yes it was XD
Dirtkid123: I'm glad you thought it was awesome! Well, yeah. Chase doesn't like Spike. But that's to be expected, right?
PurpleNicole531: Thanks! And yup! But those weren't the only androids, of course… anyway, yeah, I'm can't hurt Leo, right? Well, actually, I can't promise that… Uh, moving on!
ereader12: Thank you! And yeah, totally—I pretty much based their commentary on my sister while watching a sports game :P
Bye Felicia: Totally! Babysitting is hard, you know XD
LIZBROWN6979: Thank you, I'm glad you like it! I am certainly trying to keep it up!
KillWilson: I'm very glad you liked it! And oh my gosh, that's one of the best compliments I've ever been given! Honestly, I always have a hard time coming up with original story lines that don't relate to something I've seen or read already. So yeah, it's hard. But thank you, that comment made my day!
So, this chapter will be filler… sort of. There's going to be a lot told about our characters' pasts, and I'm going to throw a few hints about their future—and you're not going to see it coming until it comes to pass! Ha, I feel so evil…
"Never again," Leo growled, pointedly tearing the camera from the sleeve of his mission suit as the team marched back into Mission Command. "Taylor, I swear…"
She held up her hands. "Hey, I was just doing what I thought would be helpful."
"Yeah, but you did the opposite, which is not help. The not makes it the opposite. Anyway, we almost died!" Adam pointed out.
Chase looked pale, as if he was fighting off something internally. "I think the stress and all their interference brought Spike up to the surface," he murmured, wincing and running a hand through his hair, gingerly rubbing his temple.
"Spike?" Spin repeated. "What's that?"
"Not what, but who," Chase corrected him. "It's like a glitch in my bionics. An alter ego; a voice. He sometimes talks in my head, reminds me of what I've lost, who I've failed…"
Bree sighed. "Chase, you beat yourself too much over this. You haven't failed anyone—"
"What about Daniel and Marcus, huh, Bree?" Chase retorted. "What about them? I did fail them. I know I did." He let out a long breath and sank into a chair, burying his face in his hands.
"Daniel and Marcus?" Bob repeated. "Who are they?"
"Our brothers," Leo sighed. "It's a long story, but basically, Douglas Davenport is Adam, Bree, and Chase's dad. After a lab accident—he's a scientist—he was presumed dead and Donald Davenport, his brother, legally adopted them three. He married my mom a few years after that. The Douglas came back with Daniel and Marcus, who were the youngest of his kids and were put up for adoption since Donald Davenport didn't find them."
"What happened to them, then?" Kate inquired. "Chase can't be blaming himself for something that happened to them when they were just kids. Especially when everything seemed fine."
Leo bit his lip, obviously trying to phrase it correctly. "Well, no. Chase is upset because… because they were supposed to be sent into the sim with us. But something went wrong during the prep, and suddenly, they were… gone."
"We had been captured," Bree elaborated. "All six of us. We were being forced into the knockout chamber—the one we all have to go through before being sent here. We were all inside, and then we all got gassed. We woke up in the sim, just like you guys did, but Daniel and Marcus weren't with us. They never showed up… so we knew. They're dead, they must be, and Chase blames himself for not saving them."
"And the OA-5 you mentioned earlier—"
"Was Daniel," Adam confirmed. "Marcus was branded something else—like R-1 or something like that." His expression saddened. "I miss them."
"We've all had tough lives, for the most part," Taylor said softly.
"What happened to you, Taylor?" Kate asked, voice quiet. "I can sense the anger, the sense of abandonment…"
"I never knew my dad," she murmured. "I only had my mom. Even so, I was taken when I was about ten, so I didn't have much time with her." She sighed. "I've been resentful towards my father for years. If he hadn't left, would I have been taken?" She shook her head. "I ask myself that every day. But, they've had it worst," she said, gesturing at the Dooley-Davenport siblings.
"I lived in an orphanage," Spin offered. "I never knew my parents. I know how it feels, to be angry like that."
Kate shrugged helplessly. "I… don't have a story like that." Bob nodded in agreement.
"Consider yourselves lucky," Chase muttered as he glanced up, still pale and sick-looking. "Hope that a story like ours never enters your lives."
"You know, you seem so familiar, but I can't quite place it," Sebastian mused as he led Lexi towards the observation deck overlooking the training room.
"I could say the same thing about you," she replied.
"I'm serious!" Sebastian exclaimed. "I feel like I know you from somewhere… my childhood, maybe."
"I'm serious, too," Lexi grinned. "It's like… you're my brother or cousin or something. I'm getting that vibe." Turning, she glanced through the glass, looking down at the hundreds of soldiers sparring and firing at targets. "Now, since you claim you can do a better job being a tour guide than your little girlfriend, why don't you prove it?"
"Bree's not my girlfriend," he protested immediately, though his thoughts were elsewhere. This familiarity… it can't be a coincidence.
"Whatever you say, Commander," Lexi said innocently, her grin only widening. "So, are we going?" As she swept out of the room, Sebastian made a split-second decision and pulled a single dark hair from her ponytail. She didn't seem to notice. Grabbing a thin vial off of a nearby console, he placed the hair inside and slipped it in his pocket before following the very familiar girl out of the room.
"You okay?"
Chase opened his eyes with a groan, staring up at Leo. "Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?"
Leo arched an eyebrow. "Because you fell asleep on the couch instead of in your capsule. And you hate the couch!"
Chase glanced down, registering his situation. "Oh."
"Wow, you're really messed up right now, aren't you?" Leo continued, sitting down on the arm of the couch. "How much damage did Spike do?" His face changed into a look of slight horror. "You didn't completely Spike out, did you?"
Chase shook his head. "No, no. He just… broke free for a little bit, messed with my head while I was on top of the train."
"I'm sorry, Chase," Leo murmured. "I can't imagine how hard it is to deal with him all the time."
"No, it's fine," Chase assured him. "It's getting better already."
-Really? Lying to your brother? For shame, Chase!
The boy genius managed to contain his wince, though the words cut pretty deep. "You should go to sleep, Leo."
"You should, too," Leo replied, standing. "Bree and Adam are already sleeping, and I think a little shut-eye would probably help suppress Spike."
-You wish, Fireboy.
Stop insulting Leo, Chase retorted mentally. One, he can't hear you, two, it's not cool, and three, it's making me want to say that! Out loud, he nodded and said, "Of course, Leo." Taking Leo's extended hand and pulling himself up, he swayed slightly, trying to shake Spike from his mind. Suddenly, the mission alarm began to blare—Adam and Bree didn't even stir in their soundproof capsules.
"Another mission?" Leo asked incredulously. "And for us again, this time?"
"I better wake up Bree and Adam," Chase said, already making a beeline towards his siblings.
"No," Leo suddenly stopped him. "I just read through the mission, it doesn't look like we need them. It's a simple scouting mission at an abandoned government facility, and we only need our bionic eye scanners. Although we might want to take a geoleaper or two…" Pulling a com link from his pocket, he spoke into it. "Taylor, Logan? I assume you saw the alert. Adam and Bree aren't needed for this, but we could use your help on this one. We'll meet you in Command Central in five minutes." Clicking it off, he turned to Chase. "We're going to have to hold off on that sleep. We gotta go, let's suit up!"
Sorry for the short chapter, it's more setup for the next one. But I did reveal a ton about their pasts, you just have to really look closely to see it. I'd love some reviews, if at all possible! I hope you enjoyed, everyone!