Huge thanks to Susz, EmeraldTulip, and Ice 88 for your reviews! They were very much appreciated.
Chapter Eleven.
It felt as if his brain would explode. The nerves inside his skull were throbbing mercilessly. He could feel them, every inch of them. They were like hyperactive, overheated wires that could blow at any second. Though he had already closed his eyes, even in the darkness, he could see sparks of silver lights exploding.
It hurt so much that Leo wanted to die. At least then, everything would stop.
In the distance he heard voices. One of those belonged to Mr. Davenport. He was asking him what was happening, calling him to get his attention, but Leo couldn't answer. He was spending all of his strength combatting whatever it was that suddenly struck him. There were also faint, nearly inaudible words spoken by unfamiliar voices. They came in through waves of static noise that ebbed in and out constantly. He didn't know what was happening. It was scaring him.
He just wanted it to stop.
Take care of them, he heard Krane's command come in clearly from somewhere in the darkness.
The pressure behind his eyes tripled immediately.
Please, Leo begged. Just stop.
. . .
The four word directive caused Daniel to turn against his father and his older siblings. Slowly, the four took steps away from him. "Daniel, snap out of it," Chase ordered, staring at his little brother with much concern. "The Triton app doesn't control all of you. I know you can hear me. You can't let him tell you what to do."
Daniel stopped for a moment. The team paused, thinking that somehow Chase's words got through to the younger boy. Stepping forward, Chase went to see if the Triton App deactivated, unaware of his younger brother's eyes turning from green to red. It took the genius by surprise when Daniel shot out a laser, knocking him to the ground.
"Uh, Chase, I'm pretty sure he can," Adam said, getting an annoyed look from Chase.
"Nice try, boy," Krane chuckled, jumping off the satellite's platform. "That trick won't work again. With my updated Triton App, I not only control their bionics, but also their muscles, their nerves, their minds. I control everything and can make them do anything."
Everyone stared at Krane, jaws locked and glares cold. The only thing that snapped them out of it was another scream from Leo, writhing on the ground. "Leo!" Donald yelled, kneeling back down. Checking him over, he looked back the team with fear on his face. "Guys, he's getting worse. We have to get him out of here, now."
"You're not going anywhere," Krane chuckled before his face once again grew serious. "Soldiers, attack!"
The soldiers surrounded the team. Daniel stepped back, completing the circle encircling the group. Looking around, the team huddled together, knowing they were about to be attacked. Once again, this was a situation they knew they wouldn't get out of.
. . .
For a brief moment in time, the world was in peace, and all Leo could think about was the fact that he had never been able to master any instrument. He had a sincere appreciation for music, and when he was little he tried playing something just like his classmates did, but it had never succeeded. It was odd, actually. Reading codes and interpreting them was relatively easy, but reading notes, musical symbols, keeping up with the tempo and translating them through a music medium was difficult. Typing on a keyboard that relayed information was much less intimidating than playing on a keyboard that relayed sounds.
His mother and even his grandfather tried to teach him, but after a while they gave up. They told him that it was okay if he wasn't gifted in that area. His brain was just wired differently.
He had agreed, but even so he still tried from time to time. His last attempt was two years ago, when Natalie's parents invited him and his mother over for dinner. The adults were downstairs chattering away, while he, Xavier, and Natalie were upstairs in her room, sitting in a small circle as Xavier played around with the new acoustic guitar his parents bought for him. I wish I know how to do that, he had thought out loud.
What, play the guitar?
He nodded.
You don't know how to?
He shook his head.
The cousins grinned. What, Xavier said. He handed his guitar over to his new friend before saying, Okay, here. Try to play something.
What? I just told you I couldn't.
Just try.
I'm serious, man. I can't. I'm just gonna end up breaking this, and I don't want to do that.
You're gonna be fine. Just – try to strum first. No chords, just – strum.
Though hesitant, Leo did what he was told.
Okay, good. Now try running your thumb through the strings, from top to bottom. Do it one by one, like this. Then, Xavier demonstrated it.
Like that?
Yeah. Just like that.
Leo was still reluctant, but he did it anyways. He placed his thumb on the top string, positioning his hand like Xavier had done, and then dragged it down.
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Have mercy on the strings, my man, Xavier said as he placed a hand on the neck of the guitar to stop Leo.
I told you I'm bad at it.
He didn't say you were horrible, Leo, Natalie said. Xavier just means that you can't be that rough.
Yeah. You need to get a feel of how to play whatever it is you want to play, Xavier said. There are some tunes that require you to strum harder, but you should never be that harsh. You might snap the strings.
Okay. Sorry.
Nah, it's all good. Try again, but more softly this time.
After Xavier released his hold on the guitar, Leo did what he was told. As they had said, it sounded much better.
Ah, see? That sounded good, Natalie said with a smile.
Right. It did, Xavier said with a nod. Now, playing with chords will be harder, but one thing you should remember is that with strings, pressure makes a lot of difference. How hard or soft you tug determine what effect it will give. Then, a small knowing smirk came to his face, and it awakened Leo to the fact that the memory had changed into something different, something more conscious. That rule goes with all kinds of strings, Xavier said.
Leo frowned. What? What are you talking about, Xavier?
Natalie smiled a warm but sad smile. It's time for you to go now, Leo, she said.
Go? Go where? Leo asked. I thought we were all hanging out?
A knock on the door caused him to look behind him. There, he found his mother standing, a ghost of a smile on her face. Don't do this, Leo, she said, but despite the calmness on her face, the words that came out from her mouth were hurried, urgent, and out of fear. Her voice was different, too. Come on. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up!
Leo opened his eyes, and the pain and horror of the world came back to him all at once. His head was still throbbing, but as he gazed at the star-filled skies above, the pressure ebbed gradually into nothing. He turned to the figure in his periphery, and there he saw Donald, the look of fright in his face diminishing a little after seeing he had come to. He asked him something, but unlike in the dream his words were inaudible.
He blinked back the minute beats and flickers inside his head then gazed around him. He could see countless of shadows that soon cleared into people. He recognized some of them. There was Adam, Bree, Douglas, Chase. Most of those shadows he wasn't familiar with. These were the ones that surrounded them, and they were looming closer.
He was starting to look back at Donald when something caught his attention. Waves of varying colors were everywhere. They intertwined like webs, and as he slowly sat up he saw that most of these neon strings were like strings attaching hundreds of puppets into the hand of a single puppeteer.
The night glowed with these incandescent threads, and all he wanted was to touch one.
"Leo. Can you hear me? Are you okay?" Donald asked.
Leo nodded. "I'm okay," he said after the inventor helped him get back up to his feet. It was then that he spotted an orange wave hovering just a few inches away from his right arm.
Krane chuckled. "You got back one of your people. Good. It doesn't matter anyway," he said. "This is the end of all of you."
"Not a chance, Krane," Donald said, taking his stand beside his children and his brother. "We're not going down without a fight."
"I sure do hope so. My soldiers are all itching for a good one," Krane said. He nodded to the teenagers. "Give them what they want."
Despite the impending danger, Leo remained oblivious. Standing behind his team, no one was able to stop him from what he wanted to do. He lifted his right hand up, turned it around, and opened it. As he drew it closer to the orange wave, the linear particle curved, wrapping around his thumb. He blinked, watching it with wonder. Though he knew waves were invisible and intangible, for some reason, he could see and feel this one. It felt like a thread, but much softer and more malleable.
Pressure makes a lot of difference. That rule goes with all kinds of strings. Out of curiosity, he wrapped his fingers around the orange wave then tugged forcefully on it.
The orange wave vanished.
Leo looked around, wondering where it had gone to.
Unknown to him, to his team, to Krane, and all of the soldiers, that one act had shut down the bionic madman's laptop, destroying it and the files in it permanently.
. . .
Chase watched as his little brother and all of Krane's other marionettes drew closer. He had no doubt he could defends themselves well enough, but he didn't want to hurt Daniel or any of the other kids that were innocent. He knew his family didn't want to hurt anyone whose hands were actually clean of the billionaire's acts of greediness. "You're a coward," he told Krane loud and clear, and it effectively stopped the man from walking away. "You're such a sorry excuse for a man. You can't fight your own battles, so you force others to do it for you."
Krane turned around, livid. "What did you say?"
"That's right. You heard me. You're a coward," Chase repeated. "You know, don't you, that you don't stand a chance against us. That's why you have children do the work for you." He shook his head. "In the back of your mind, you know that you've lost. I pity you for that."
"I have almost ended you many times!"
"Almost. But you never succeed," Chase said. "Don't make excuses, Krane. It only makes you sadder."
Krane's jaw locked then unlocked as he fumed. "Stop," he commanded the mass. "Stand back. This is my fight." The teenagers parted as he had wished, making a clear path between him and the six.
"So, I assume you have a plan?" Adam asked very quietly from behind his brother.
"Triton app. You terminate the source, you terminate the effects," Chase said under his breath as Krane stood clear in front of the three of them.
"Okay, but how are we going to take him down? Even without his soldiers, he's still more powerful than all of us," Bree asked.
Chase looked like he wanted to answer, but couldn't. He forgot about that fact. But, someone didn't. "I know how." The three teens looked over and saw it was Douglas who spoke.
"What do you mean?"
"When I designed your chips, I added a feature that allows you to sync your abilities to form one powerful attack."
"Wait, if we've had this all along, why are just finding out about it?" Adam asked, his siblings thinking along the same lines.
"I never was able to test it. So, there is a chance that the power could overload your chips."
The teens stood silently for a second. Then, they heard a sizzling noise. Looking at Krane, they saw that he was starting to gather energy into a blast wave. Seeing that, they knew their answer. "How do we do it?" Chase asked.
"Chase, activate your Override App on Adam and Bree. Then, stand back to back so your chips form a perfect triangle. The energy will travel from each of you 'til you're powered up. Quick. It's now or never."
Nodding at their uncle, Chase quickly turned to his siblings. "Hey, just in case this doesn't work, I want you guys to know I love you both."
Bree smiled sadly. "Same." Adam then brought them into a quick group hug.
"Aw, how cute. A final goodbye," Krane said. By the looks of it, he was halfway charged.
Breaking out of their hug, Chase started off. Connecting to his siblings, they all stood back to back and allowed their chips to sync. In one word, it was painful. They could feel the energy leaving their bodies, only for it to slam back into them, and then felt the process repeat. They had to shut their eyes, since the energy started to make a funnel around them. The only thing they could hear was their screams of torture.
Finally, after what seemed like hours, but was actually less than a minute, the attack was fully charged. Prying open their eyes, they took aim at the bionic madman, who all seemed to be done with his attack. Without a second thought, both sides fired.
Though they couldn't see it, it was a beautiful and terrifying spectacle. The team's blue energy attack had collided with Krane's red blast wave, and both were fighting for dominance. Both sides kept pushing as much energy as they could, trying to win the battle, but neither side was giving an inch.
For a brief second, Adam's, Bree's, and Chase's will to save overpowered the madman's desire to destroy, and that short moment was enough to earn the win. The strong force the three was creating rushed like a tidal wave towards Krane. It slammed against him, taking him by surprise, and then catapulted him to the fence. The impact jolted him very much that he lost consciousness before even hitting the ground.
When he landed, the bionic soldiers, now disconnected from him, fell unconscious.
Seeing their triumph, Adam, Bree and Chase unlinked their arms, and their weakened states caused them to collapse.
Douglas was quick to get to Daniel's side to make sure he was okay. Meanwhile, Donald came to his sons' and daughter's sides to check on them. "Are you guys okay?" he asked.
Chase, on his hands and knees as he tried to catch his breath, lifted his head up then nodded. He chuckled. "Yeah," he said. He swallowed thickly before saying again, "Yeah. We're good."
Adam, laid out on the ground like a starfish, groaned, "Oh, I think it's time for bed now. I just…I need to sleep this off for at least a week."
Donald, Chase, and even Bree chuckled at that. "How's Daniel?" Donald asked his brother.
"He's okay. Just passed out like the other kids," Douglas said.
"Well, I can't carry him home. Just want to make that clear," Adam said as he struggled into a sitting position. He exhausted a breath after he finally succeeded.
"Don't look at me. I'm as wiped as you," Bree said, holding her hands up when her older brother glanced at her.
Chase frowned when his siblings looked at him. "When have I ever done physical heavy lifting on missions?" he asked.
Adam's brows quirked and his lips jutted up as he thought about it. He shrugged. "Maybe Leo can do it. He has super strength," he said, looking at the teenage boy standing in the distance.
Four other pairs of eyes turned towards the new bionic. "Leo?" Bree said as they watch him look around, searching for something they couldn't see. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm – I'm fine," Leo said, brows drawn as he continued looking.
"You survived the Triton app," Chase aptly observed. The frown on his face deepened. "How?"
"Maybe Krane just didn't include him when he tried to activate it," Douglas explained.
Makes sense, Chase thought. "He didn't know about Leo."
"Yeah."
"Let's just try figuring things out when we get home," Donald suggested. "We still have to alert Graham about Krane. He's knocked out. It may be the best time for them to come in now and take him into custody."
"Knocked out? Donny, I think the guy's more than knocked out," his younger brother said.
Donald took a glance at Krane and saw what his brother meant. "Still. Just in case," he said.
Douglas, though absolute that it wasn't necessary, just nodded.
Slowly but steadily, all of them got back to their feet, groaning and hissing as sore muscles pulled on and made them ache. Stretching his back, Adam said, "This means we get a pass for training for a while, right? 'Cause that was some pretty intense work out."
Donald chuckled as he helped Douglas with Daniel. "Yeah, sure. You guys can take a three-day break."
"Three-day break?" Bree repeated as they all began to make their way to the gate. "Can we have a week? This was really exhausting, Mr. Davenport. I'm super drained."
"Yeah. Just the thought of going back on any mission exhausts me," Chase agreed.
"Okay, okay. I'll think about it," Donald said with a small grin, truly glad that at the end of the night, they were all able to complete their mission and still get to go home alive.
He, Douglas and Leo led the way out, with Adam, Bree, and Chase bringing up the rear. It was quiet for once, and this contrast from the noise earlier was very much welcomed. With the silence, they could think, or, for two of them, not think. Exhaustion was settling in, but they were all mustering what they could just to make it back to the house where they could call it a night and figure what the next step would be tomorrow.
Leo's thoughts, however, were far from what the rest was thinking about. Those lights that he saw – he wondered where they were. The night was just alive with them earlier. Now…
He stopped, and it inadvertently caused the others to stop, too. There was one lone wave still floating within their space. It was a bluish neon green one, something that had dominated the airwave earlier. The one he was seeing was weaker in comparison, and it wasn't as connected, but it angrily fought to maintain its visibility.
"Leo? What's wrong?" Donald asked, concerned.
Not as connected. Leo's eyes widened when he realized the origin of the wave. He spun around, and a distance behind them stood Krane, struggling to maintain his balance as a sphere of energy charged between his hands. Leo began to warn the team, but he was cut off as the madman released his attack too suddenly. It knocked them all off their feet, and, though it was not as powerful, knocked Adam, Bree, and Chase unconscious.
Donald and Douglas dropped Daniel in the fall, sending him to the pile that was Adam, Bree, and Chase. Donald, trying to check on his kids, winced, feeling a stabbing pain where his ribs were. Leo, due to his smaller stature, flew a bit further than his teammates, yet he was still close enough to see the deadly look in Krane's eyes.
The man was obviously beaten, battered, and bruised, but he was still able to rise to his feet and walk towards the team. As he generated an orb of energy in his hands, he only said one thing.
"This ends now."
to be continued.
