AN: Hiya friends. I'm back with the last update of this one-shot collection - ever. *cue sniffling here* I decided to make it a special update - it's extra long, and it fulfills half a request and is followed up with a complement of my own dreaming. I dedicate the first part to the wonderful vampiregal007, and the second to Shades of X and all those devastated fans who were dissatisfied with the ending of Elite Force. Actually, I think I ought to apologize for the second part - it might just make you more devastated than you were before reading it.
So as not to diffuse the intensity at the end, I'm moving shout-outs up here this time. Thank you to everyone who has followed, favorited, and/or reviewed this one-shot collection! Every one of you means a ton! Special recognition to all reviewers out there - aliqueen16, Brentinator, DaisySullivan, daphrose, Dirtkid123, Glittercat33, Hestia (named guest), Lab rats lover (named guest), LabRatsFan07 (named guest), LabRatFlutieKat, Lab Rats Squad, LivingforJesus, LovelyInspiration, PurpleNicole531, Sarcasmisinmyblood, Smiley Rylee (named guest), Stardust16, sthebionicgenius, TheUnknownBlock, vampiregal007, Witchkitty (named guest), and 00Kennedy! Y'all totally rock!
Well, anywho, enjoy!
Bionic Action Hero: Part Two Rewritten
"Noooo!" Chase screamed at the fiery cloud billowing onscreen. His vision went red – literally. "I will kill you all!"
Giselle and Troy whipped around at the change in the bionic's voice. "What was that?" Troy asked nervously.
The bionic heaved frenzied breaths of rage and equal anguish, and with a guttural roar, he ripped himself free from his restraints. Giselle and Troy leapt back as he leapt off the table.
"I thought he didn't have super strength!" Troy exclaimed, taking up a defensive stance.
"He doesn't," Giselle wondered, backing away from the brewing fight.
"You underestimate me," Spike sneered, stalking forward. "I will water my plants with your blood when we're done here."
"Funny – I was planning to do the same with yours," Giselle replied in kind. "Now, Troy!"
The android lunged forward with a battle cry, leaping into the air for a spinning roundhouse kick. Spike ducked underneath, rising up in time to block a flurry of punches. With a growl, he caught one of Troy's fists and shoved him back, but the android didn't fall as the app had expected. Instead, the android caught his footing and rushed forward again, sending another flurry of attacks, this time made up of high kicks.
Spike was shocked at the fighting dexterity he faced, but he was quick to learn and pick up his game. He'd always been the one to toy with his adversaries, but this was a worthy opponent – this was a real fight. He knocked away Troy's foot, and the android turned it into momentum to do another spinning roundhouse kick. But Spike had learned his lesson by now. Instead of ducking, he dove towards his enemy and caught him to flip him over. The app smashed the android into the ground.
Giselle watched this take place, her eyes darting between them. Her mind raced with the mental notes she made, analyzing the app. She still struggled to wrap her head around what was going on. She reached behind her.
Meanwhile, Spike was waiting for Troy to stagger back to his feet. The android cocked his head angrily, and he charged his next attack. Spike dodged it easily, landing a punch in the android's face – cracking the nose.
Troy collapsed, and Spike stood over him, his chest rising and falling with each harried breath.
"Well done," Giselle said as she came out from behind her desk, a remote in her hands. "But let's see how you handle ten of my new and improved generation of androids." She tapped the screen, and the doors of the lab opened to let the androids flood into the room.
Spike's head whipped around, and he snarled at all of the adversaries he suddenly faced. He glared at Giselle.
"Have fun," she smirked.
Spike glowered down at the evil roboticist from where he hung against the wall in ultra-strength handcuffs. She staunchly ignored him as she removed the broken restraints from her operating table.
"You think these will stop me?" he growled, shaking his arms to rattle the chains on the wall. He didn't give any mind to how the action made the cuffs dig into his wrists.
"No, but they will hold you long enough for me to put you back on this table – and this time you won't escape." She snapped her fingers, and Troy sullenly handed her the new set of restraints. They were strong enough to hold even Adam.
Spike sneered at the android, who glowered at him. His nose had been repaired only enough for him to function again, but it was still a mess of metal and wires.
"There," Giselle finally said, stepping back from her work. Tapping on her remote, numerous androids marched into the room again. "Take him down and secure him to the table."
Spike tried fighting the androids, but there were too many, and they were just too strong. One grabbed each limb while others stood guard as another unlocked the chains. The app bucked and twisted, trying to break free, but it was no use. He was promptly pinned to the table and locked in place.
"I will end you!" Spike roared in fury, jiggling his restraints. They held.
Giselle smirked, about to say something diabolical when her computer blipped. She frowned, turning to face it and see that it was from Douglas.
"What? How is he alive?!" she exclaimed, and Troy stalked over curiously. She accepted the video call, and Douglas' face appeared on the screen.
"Hey Giselle, about earlier today – I'll put it behind us if you'll go out to coffee with me," he offered hopefully.
"How are you alive?" Giselle growled.
"We grabbed onto one of your androids before it geo-leaped away," he shrugged.
"It sounds like you need some company, then," Giselle said through clenched teeth. At the hit of a few buttons, she said, "There, it's done – I've sent one of my androids to you – have fun while I tear Chase apart." She leaned to the side so that they could see the youngest bionic struggling. When he saw them on the screen, he let out a roar.
"That's Spike – yes!" someone exclaimed off screen on the other end of the call.
"Spike – who's Spike?" Giselle asked.
"Got it!" a different person shouted from the other end, and Giselle's eyes widened with frustration as she realized what they'd been doing. She angrily cut the connection, turning around to face the app. "Who's Spike?" she demanded.
He flashed her a nasty smirk. "You're looking at him, sweetheart."
"Ugh!" she yelled, pounding the desk behind her. Regaining her composure, she said calmly, "No matter – even if they come here, they can't make it past my android army."
"No, let me fight them," Troy pleaded. "I can do it – I'll prove it to you!"
She stared at him for a long, simmering moment. "Fine. Don't let them beat you like Spike did."
Troy shrunk a little, and he sulked out of the room with fists clenched.
Giselle turned back to the app, saying, "Why don't we get started with this, shall we?" As if on cue, an android entered the room, letting its hand change into a razor sharp scalpel.
Spike eyed it, and he knew that there was nothing else he could do to escape his fate. He turned his gaze back on Giselle. "I hope you die a horrible death."
"I know you will," she chuckled, turning to set up the rest of the equipment. The app refused to watch her, staring up at the ceiling instead. Another alarm went off on Giselle's computer, and she huffed as she stalked to see what it was. Troy was being beaten by Adam and Bree.
"I'll be right back," she growled as she stormed out of the room. "Carry on."
The android turned to face the app, bringing the blades down.
Spike closed his eyes and disengaged.
AN: And the rest of the episode plays out how it did when it aired. This is where we switch gears - hold onto your hats, because this crossover with Lab Rats: Elite Force get's pretty intense. I recommend listening to Monster by Starset, but it's not necessary. Apologies, and I hope you enjoy!
- Asori out.
The Attack: Part Two
"Douglas – stay with me, Douglas," Chase gasped. His left hand gripped the arm that was draped over his shoulders, and the rest of his body bore the weight of his creator. The bionic staggered out of the hyperlift and into the living room, letting Douglas down onto the couch.
Chase shifted Douglas' limbs onto the couch more, all the while staring down at the unresponsive man. It was all his fault.
He should have never thought, for even a second, that any girl would show any interest in him unless she wanted something from him.
Betrayal wasn't new to the bionic – Marcus and Sebastian still caused pangs of guilt and sadness when Chase was lonely. He'd been lonely a lot lately. Maybe that's why he had gotten so excited, so ahead of himself. He'd thought that he wouldn't have to be lonely anymore.
But no, no girl would see anything in me. Even androids reject me. Reese was clearly a fake.
No one in their right mind would ever see anything in me.
Chase swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat, blinking back the tears that were starting to burn. His eyes found their way back to Douglas.
His father-uncle-creator struggled to breathe, especially with a rebellious heart that wanted to refuse to beat. And it was Chase's fault.
The superheroes were exposed and in very real danger if his teammates didn't find Reese in time. And it was Chase's fault.
The city was dark, and it wouldn't be long before the rest of the world would follow. Innocent people everywhere would cry, would scream…
And it was all Chase's fault.
He felt a sob rise within his chest, as if strong hands were clawing at him, squeezing the air from his lungs. His heart ached so much that he thought it might burst in a bloody pool within his chest. Maybe the life in him would just leak away…
Tears seeping out of his eyes and ragged gasps choking him, he sunk to his knees. As he cradled his head in his hands, he missed the bright blue light streaming into the darkness that had just enveloped them.
"This was where Rodissius was," Bree said breathlessly.
"You took him out with your flashlight hands?" Kaz snickered.
She gave him a dirty look. "Yes – they're more than bright lights, too. Would you like me to demonstrate?"
"If you're going to blind me, go ahead."
"Oh, you'll be seeing lights when I'm through with you," Bree growled, but Skylar cut her off with a "Guys!"
"We need to find Reese, like, A.S.A.P.," Oliver put in.
"We can't let her download that superhero list," Skylar added.
"Is there any way that we can track them?" Bree asked.
"Why not follow one of the swarms?" Kaz suggested.
Oliver opened his mouth to argue, but then he closed it again. "You know, that's not such a bad idea."
"But how do we do that?" Bree asked. "They're gone already."
"But their energy signature isn't," Oliver explained.
"And how are we going to track it? Super-Senses is back in the condo," Kaz said.
"I have super senses too," Skylar reminded him.
"But Chase has scanners," Bree said.
"Too bad – we're just going to have to use what we have," Oliver said. He gave Skylar a warm look. "And what we have is a beautiful alien girl – my beautiful alien girl."
Skylar rolled her eyes. "I'll see if I can hone in on it."
"Can you smell it out like a bloodhound?" Kaz asked.
Skylar cocked her head. "Kind of – and taste. The air is heavy with the energy disturbances – but it's already diffusing."
Bree looked over the group. "Then we need to hurry."
"You're sure this is the place?" Bree whispered.
Skylar nodded. "This is where it's strongest."
"Another abandoned subway station. These guys need better taste in real estate," Kaz noted.
"Or maybe this is the best they could find; if I lived in a subway station, I might be a super-villain too," Oliver shrugged.
Skylar rolled her eyes. "Quiet down – they'll know we're here if you keep talking that loud."
"Too late for that," a low voice purred, and Reese materialized out of the shadows. The Elite Force jumped into their ready positions, their heads whipping around as more of the shape-shifting siblings materialized. "Oh please, you don't stand a chance," she said with a smirk.
"Bree, go," Skylar commanded, and with a look, Bree knew what to do. A nod later, she whizzed away in a blur.
"What!" Reese exclaimed as Bree's blur circled around her and her siblings. "Attack them!"
But the command was null – both sides of the battle had already leapt into action, energy blasts and fireballs popping in the low lighting. Skylar threw her arms back as they crackled with green light before throwing them forward towards the two swarms in front of her. Kaz had risen above the battle to spin flames into the swarms that floated around him. Oliver trained his icy blasts every which way, temporarily immobilizing his adversaries.
"I got it!" Bree suddenly shouted as she materialized again, holding up the hard drive.
"No!" Reese screamed, dissolving into a fiery swarm.
Bree saw this coming, and she shouted, "Oliver!" in time for the boy to turn and blast the shape-shifter with ice in the middle of her transition. Skylar, Bree, and Kaz closed around their friend, defending his back while he kept Reese frozen.
"We need to get out of here!" Kaz shouted.
"And we need Reese – we need to make her unblock the cyberdesk!" Bree added.
"What! How are we going to get out of here – and take her hostage too?" Oliver demanded.
"Keep her frozen and fly her out of here – the rest of us will have your back!" Bree replied.
"Bree's right," Skylar said. "Oliver, go now!"
"And leave the rest of you behind?"
"You have to, Oliver!" Bree shouted.
"It's okay, buddy, we've got this! We'll be right behind you!" Kaz assured.
"Oliver, go!" Skylar commanded.
Oliver nodded solemnly before dashing forward to grab the Reese swarm, shooting into the air and out of the subway tunnel.
"Guys, how are we going to keep these guys off of our trail?" Kaz asked.
"We need to power-blast them all at once! Adam, Chase, and I have combined our bionics before – is there any way for us to combine our powers?" Bree demanded.
"I think there might be a way," Skylar muttered, her mind racing. "Guys, hold onto my hands and trust me!"
"But we can't keep them back, then!" Kaz cried out.
"Kaz, just do it – we'll be exposed, so this had better work, Skylar!" Bree shouted. She blasted the swarms one last time before grabbing Skylar's hand, extending her other towards Kaz. He took it, grabbing Skylar's other hand.
The swarms raced in, whistling around them, but energy crackled through the three, binding them and making them immovable. "Start letting all of your power build up – I'll try to channel it!" Skylar commanded. Bree and Kaz did as they were told, feeling the power pulse and grow, filling their bodies to the point of breaking.
Skylar squeezed her eyes shut, focusing all of her concentration on building her power, feeling the building power of the others. With a desperate cry, she unleashed their power in a crackling wave that shook the air itself. The swarms shriveled into their human form and fell to the ground, still. The structure around them creaked and crackled with stress, and the heroes fell apart in exhaustion.
Silence held the subway station captive for a long moment.
"We need to get out of here," Bree finally gasped. This shocked the other two out of their daze, and they slowly climbed to their feet. "We need to help Oliver and Chase."
"Come on, grab on," Kaz breathed, holding out his arms. The girls did, and the three zoomed out of the wreckage towards the penthouse.
Oliver tumbled onto the balcony of the penthouse, ripping the glass door open and dragging himself and the frozen swarm inside without thought. He stopped in shock when he saw bolts of bright blue energy zapping in the darkness of the large room.
His eyes landed on a figure trying to pick himself up. Chase. On the couch, Douglas writhed silently, and Oliver was sickened to realize that he was the source of the blue energy.
Without warning, one of the bolts of energy hit Oliver and the swarm, sending them crashing into the ground. Pain raced like fire through the superhero's limbs. The swarm materialized, and Reese rose to her feet.
"How's that permanent reminder serving you?" Reese leered as she stalked up to Douglas. She paid no mind to the bionic, who tumbled back to his side after another attempt at standing. "Here we are again, and my power is desecrating you and the team – how does that make you feel? You will be the one to destroy them."
Douglas gurgled, giving her the best glare that he could manage. But another wave of energy burst out from him, and his writhing renewed. She smiled down at him nastily.
"Get away from him," a dark voice rumbled.
Reese looked up to see that the bionic had found the strength to stand, his form a dark silhouette in the ricocheting blue light. "Chase, pooky-bear," she sneered.
"That's your first mistake," he snarled, lunging forward.
Reese swarmed into a fireball, racing at the bionic, but she was met by a ball of forcefield-energy. She flew backwards before turning her momentum into a sweeping ring around the room. She closed in on him, dodging his defenses to slam him in the chest and send him smoking to the floor.
She swarmed to her human form so that she stood over him, a terrible leer shadowing her face. But before she could say anything, he had swept her feet out from under her and leapt to kneel over her, their faces mere inches apart. Her eyes widened.
His eyes glowed red, but they crackled with blue whenever Douglas surged. He bore his teeth at her, his strong hand squeezing her neck.
"Chase?" she choked.
"I'm not Chase anymore," he chuckled, the sound rolling from deep within his chest. His eyes glinted manically, and he squeezed harder.
"Chase!" a girl shouted, and his head whipped around to see that Bree and Kaz stood ready to fight, Skylar bending over Oliver. Bree sped over, ripping her brother away from the shape-shifter. "Don't become like them!"
He shook her off of him, growling in frustration as Reese stood, coughing. He glared back at his sister, and she gulped, taking a step back. "Look what you've done – I had her!" he burst out.
"Spike?" Bree faltered.
"Wrong again – I'm still Chase, but I'm somewhere in between. I feel… powerful. Like I could rip her limb from limb," the bionic said, his chest rising and falling with all the adrenaline racing through him. His force-field energy crackled in his hands, glowing a brighter blue than ever before as he looked back at Reese. "She's ruined me!"
Tears rose to Bree's eyes as she beheld what her little brother had become. "Chase, don't do this – you're better than this."
"I can, and I will destroy her!" he shrieked, lunging for Reese. Bree knocked him down with a proton ring, and Reese stepped back with a nasty smirk. She was about to swarm when Douglas let out another massive surge.
Reese froze, and the superheroes all screamed, collapsing in pain. The blue energy that was engulfing them was zapping their powers, replacing it with liquid pain. Chase thrashed on the ground, his bionics going haywire. Metal objects around the room rose and began swirling.
"What have you done!" Chase screamed through his teeth, ripping at his hair. When Douglas' energy died down again, the bionic was staggering back to his feet, glowering at Reese, who was shaking herself out of the daze of the energy.
He reached forward, his fingers contracting as if he were clawing at an invisible sponge that dribbled with increasing pressure. Reese's eyes widened, and she gasped, clutching at her chest.
"Do you feel that? Do you feel that!" he demanded, his deep voice cracking with the passion it contained. "That's what it feels like to have your heart broken – over and over and over again!" He brought his fingers closer together, and Reese let out a cry of pain.
"Chase," Bree whispered.
"What-t is wra-wrong with hi-him?" Kaz stuttered.
Bree could only swallow, bucking as the pain intensified for a moment. Tears streamed from her eyes.
Reese sagged, but Chase's molecular kinesis held her up in the air. "You played with my heart, just to hurt the team and all superheroes everywhere. You thought it was just a game, didn't you?" he asked in a soft, menacing voice.
She screamed as he squeezed just a little bit harder.
"You thought it was just a silly little game, didn't you…? Well look where you are now!" he suddenly bellowed. "Now the roles are reversed, and your heart is in my hands – and this time around, it will kill you!"
"No Chase!" Douglas gasped, and the bright blue energy surged from him with such force that he screamed. His screams were echoed by the superheroes'.
Chase let out his own scream of anguish, toppling to his knees. All the flying metal objects picked up speed, racing around the room as if they were a metallic tornado, the combatants in the vortex. The bionic's screams continued to tear through the room even as the others' died down, and he curled into a shaking ball.
Reese crumpled on the ground, motionless.
And then, all was still. Douglas' surge ended as suddenly as it came, and all the flying objects clattered to the floor. No one moved.
The sirens trickling through the open balcony door were the only sounds left, echoes of a superhero's screams.
"I'm so sorry," Skylar stammered, rubbing her friend's shoulder comfortingly. Bree gave her a sad smile before looking back into the small room they stood outside of.
The events in the penthouse still haunted her nightmares, but that was nothing compared to the physical effects they had all experienced.
For weeks after, the superheroes felt not only emotionally drained, but as if their powers had been drained as well. Bree's bionics were still a little bonkers.
Mr. Davenport had arrived to the city with his best students – and Adam and Leo – to round up the other shape-shifters and help repair the damage. And to take care of Douglas.
Douglas had been moved to a special ward, hooked up to a machine that could harness and contain his power enough for him to live in relative comfort. He would never be able to be around bionics or superheroes ever again if they were to remain safe.
He would never be able to see his kids ever again.
Bree sniffled, quickly wiping away a tear. She glanced down at Reese beside her, who looked exhausted where she lay in her wheelchair. She always looked exhausted since Chase had practically crushed her heart. She was in line for a heart transplant.
Since the penthouse incident, she seemed to have grown remorseful. She was kind, if a little irritable. Her frustration showed through whenever she remembered her weakness. At first, she hadn't taken kindly to being visited by the superheroes, but when she realized that her family had been apprehended and that she had nothing left, she had broken down. She was a shell of what she had been.
They all were. Skylar, Kaz, Oliver – even they were disheartened. Everything was different since the Elite Force had dwindled from five to four.
Bree returned her attention on the sight through the window of the door. Chase sat hunched against a wall, his head buried in his arms. Every now and then, he twitched.
His abilities, his heart, his mind – all had been broken. As Davenport explained, his emotions had triggered Spike just as Douglas' energy flared for the first time, causing a monstrous merging of the boy with his commando app. The merge had fried his bionic infrastructure, making his powers crazy and almost uncontrollable. The merge had mixed Spike's dangerous anger with Chase's raw emotions, driving his ability to reason into pieces.
And still, those emotions raged fresh, even months later, and his mind didn't put itself back together. It never would.
They'd had to lock him up in this dark little room, buried deep under Davenport's building where no harm could be done. He preferred the darkness, the solitude. Bree put her hand on the glass, staring through her reflection to her little brother.
He looked up, seeming to have heard her gentle touch. His eyes still glowed red like those of the demon he'd become.