Hello Just Another Girl readers! I'm back! I wrote most of this chapter in the car on Monday. I hate my phone's keyboard and yet I was able to type over 1500 words on it. Huh, go figure! There are some wonderful fight scenes in this chapter that I loved writing. I hope you like them!
Don't forget that the voting's live for the "Best female OC" in "The Lab Rats Awards Show" by Calladora. If you like April and haven't voted for her yet, don't forget to do that!
April: Hi everyone! For those of you who asked me a question, I'll be answering them at the end of this chapter. Daphrose doesn't want me taking up too much space in the front. Anyway, daphrose still doesn't own Lab Rats. She does own me. Which sounds really wrong. But it's still true. Enjoy the story!
* * * Chapter 11: Sparring Buddies * * *
"Whoa!" April exclaimed at the lab doors opened. "This place is incredible! Look at all those screens! Awesome cyberdesk! This whole place is absolutely amazing!"
"Whoa, don't touch that!" Mr. Davenport screamed, running over as April picked up one of his inventions. April put it down and glowered a little.
"Hey, are those your capsules?" she asked, pointing to the glass tubes on the other end of the room.
"Yeah," Bree said. "Do you have a capsule too?"
"Capsule? Please!" April snorted. "I moved out of my capsule when I was eight!"
"That doesn't make any sense," Mr. Davenport said. He furrowed his brow. "Their capsules are specially designed to keep their bionics in check so they don't start glitching like crazy."
"Mr. Davenport," April said, her hands on her hips. "One thing you need to realize is that my bionics are not identical to these guys'," April motioned to the three bionic siblings, "or for that matter, even similar. Let me put it this way: if I were to step into one of those capsules and allow the circuits to connect, it could potentially fry my bionic infrastructure due to the differences. The guys at Next Generation Tech simply based my bionics off of your brother's research. And while they used a lot of his work, they also came up with their own little tweaks."
"So you don't need a capsule?" Chase asked.
"Well, I did," April replied. "Let me explain. While your glitches are caused mainly by emotion – and emotion can trigger my glitches as well – the thing that causes the most glitches in the Next Generation Tech bionics is fatigue. And the way our bionics are designed, we get tired really fast. Our capsules would keep our bionics in check, but we had to be in them quite a lot. While you guys would be fine if you went in your capsules only once a week, my friends and I had to go ours pretty much every few hours.
"As you can imagine, this wasn't very helpful when it came to our training. So the scientists who worked on us came up with a better solution." April reached inside the top of her shirt and pulled out her necklace. "Chase, you asked me before if my necklace is special at all. I told you it wasn't. Well, I kinda lied. It has all the same properties as a capsule: it keeps me from glitching and can repair my bionics."
"Wow, that's neat!" Adam said. He walked over and examined the necklace. He started to take it off of April's neck. She slapped his hand and jumped backwards. "What was that for?" Adam asked with a frown.
"Since the necklace is so much smaller, it doesn't repair my bionics as quickly," April explained. "I need to keep it on all the time or I'll start going haywire within a few minutes. That's why I never take it off. It's even magnetically attached to my chip. See?" April pulled on the end of the necklace a little to demonstrate. Chase could see the way it was clinging to the side of her neck.
"I asked you about that wavy design on it before and you said it didn't mean anything," Chase pointed out. "Were you lying about that too?"
April bit her lip. "Sorta," she said. "Well, you see, each kid in the bionic army has a specific role. Their powers focus on helping them in that role. Some are fighters, some are leaders, some are healers, etc. My role – and thus the thing my powers help me to achieve – was espionage and intelligence gathering."
"Huh?" Adam asked.
April rolled her eyes. "I was a spy!"
"Wait," Leo interrupted, holding his hands up in the air. "So you're a literal bionic spy and we're trusting you?"
"Well, I'm 'off-duty' right now, or whatever you want to call it," April told him. "I promise I'm not here to spy on you. Trust me, if I was, I would have been in and out without you ever knowing I was here."
"So what are the wavy lines for, then?" Bree asked.
"They represent brain waves," April informed her. "Since one of my main abilities is mind reading."
"So you have telepathy?" Mr. Davenport asked.
"Mmm," April said, her lips pursed together in thought. "I hesitate to call it telepathy as that infers the communication between two minds. My mind-reading is really a one-way thing. I can't 'speak' to you in your mind."
"Huh?" Adam asked.
"Let me put this in simple terms," April said slowly. "I can read your thoughts, but you can't read mine."
"Well of course not, I don't have that power!" Adam said.
April sighed and turned back to the others. "The rest of you get it, right?" she said exasperatedly. Chase, Bree, Mr. Davenport, and Leo all nodded.
"That must come in pretty handy in a fight," Mr. Davenport commented.
"Yeah," April said. "I typically use my invisibility a whole lot more, though. I could show you guys, if you want. Up for a little sparring?"
"Sure!" Adam said excitedly. "Is that alright, Mr. Davenport?"
Mr. Davenport shrugged. "Just be careful," he said.
Adam and April stepped into the middle of the room. They lowered into fighting stances and shot each other emotionless states. For just a second the tension in the lab was so thick you could cut it with a knife. But suddenly Mr. Davenport broke the silence by shouting, "Go!"
Without warning Adam shot across the lab, charging straight at April. Just as he was about to reach her, April vanished into thin air. Adam stopped for a moment, slightly confused. Everyone in the lab was still. Then suddenly Adam gasped a little and staggered forwards. April appeared behind him with her arm outstretched and her hand in a fist. Adam swung around and let loose swinging.
The two bionic teenagers seemed to effectively balance each other out. April was able to deftly dodge any blows Adam threw at her, but at the same time none of April's punches were successful at incapacitating the older, larger boy.
Then Adam threw the lucky punch. His right fist connected with April's shoulder and she went sailing across the room into the lab doors.
"Woo-hoo, I won!" Adam yelled. He started doing a little victory dance. Then he went across the room and offered a hand to April, who was lying on the floor.
"You okay?" the oldest bionic asked with his signature goofy grin.
April smiled and gratefully accepted his hand. "I'm fine!" she assured him. She rubbed her shoulder and turned to the rest of the Davenport family. "You wanna go next, Bree?"
The two bionic girls stepped into the clear space in the middle of the room. They lowered into their fighting stances and waited for the signal. "Go!" Mr. Davenport shouted.
Bree became a blur. Literally. She began to use her super-speed to run in circles around the younger girl. April's hair whipped up in her face and she squeezed her eyes shut against the dust. Then she once again disappeared. But Bree didn't stop the mini-cyclone she had created.
Suddenly there was a loud yelp and a few of the chairs near the console in front of the capsules toppled over. Bree sped over as April reappeared on the ground. Bree put her hands on her hips and flashed a victorious smile.
"Note to self: never attempt to enter one of Bree's cyclones," April said as she pushed herself to her feet. "Good job!"
"Thank you!" Bree said as she took a seat again.
"Now this is the fight I want to see!" Leo said excitedly. "April versus Chase!"
Chase grinned and hopped off his stool. Everyone in the lab cheered as the boyfriend and girlfriend stepped up to face each other.
As they got ready to fight Chase said, "I don't want to hurt you!"
"I don't think you could hurt me even if you did want to!" April replied with a harsh laugh.
"Okay, maybe I will hurt you just a little," Chase told her with a mock frown.
For a few seconds the only sound was Chase and April shifting slightly to improve their stances. Then Mr. Davenport yelled, "Go!"
Chase immediately swung his right fist at April. She turned sideways and leaned back, his hand passing by just a few inches in front of her face. With reflexes only a bionic could have, April grabbed Chase's forearm. She attempted to flip him over, but Chase, being stronger, was instead able to give April a quick yank. She stumbled forwards a little. Just as Chase about to use this to his advantage, April vanished.
Chase squeezed his eyes shut and concentrated on his super-hearing. For a few seconds the only sounds he heard were his family's breathing and the beeping of different instruments in the lab. Then a quiet sound - quieter than a pin dropping - entered his ears. Chase swung his leg up in the direction of the noise and made contact with something solid.
April reappeared as she slid across the floor. She remained standing, but she was hunched over and her hand was clutched to her stomach. Chase pumped his fist in the air and grinned. His grin slowly faded as he saw April's shoulders begin to shake.
"Are you okay?" Chase asked, his voice laced with worry. He began to advance towards his girlfriend.
Suddenly Chase went flying across the lab. He crashed into the console and fell onto his back, slightly dazed. When he looked up a few seconds later April's foot was on his chest. She grinned triumphantly.
"I win!" she said proudly. Chase's family cheered and he shot them a glare. April chuckled. She offered her boyfriend a hand. Chase just stared at her hand with an eyebrow quirked.
"I'm not sure I trust you," he said warily.
"Don't worry, I won't do anything! The fight's over!" April laughed. Chase shrugged and accepted her hand. Chase was a little surprised at how easily his girlfriend was able to lift him. Then again, she was bionic.
"That was unfair!" the youngest bionic boy whined.
"Look, Chase," April began. "You're a great fighter. But sometimes you can be too nice. Don't get me wrong; your sweetness is one of the things I like best about you. But you've got to remember that your opponent might not always be as generous as you."
"So I've got to be just as cold-hearted as whoever I'm fighting?
April frowned and replied, "No, not necessarily. You just need to be careful. Sometimes kindness can be perceived as a weakness."
April leaned in a little and gave Chase a quick peck on the cheek. She placed a hand on his chest and stared right into his eyes. "Don't get me wrong," she murmured. "I love your kindness!" Chase allowed himself to flash a silly grin.
The two heard gagging sounds and turned back to the other Davenports. Leo and Bree were pretending to be sick, Adam was clasping his hand over his mouth and had a mischievous look in his eye, and Mr. Davenport looked downright uncomfortable.
April patted Chase on the shoulder before backing away from him a little. Then to the rest of the Davenport family she said, "Thanks for showing me the lab and for the sparring. But it's probably time for me to head home now."
"Whoa, what's the rush?" Leo asked.
"I've got to get home in time for bed," April told them. "Tomorrow's a school day, so I can't stay up late. If I'm up for too long my bionics will start glitching a bunch tomorrow."
"How much of what you told us about your home life is true?" Chase asked.
April squinted. "Um . . ." she said slowly. "Well, that depends on how you look at it. You guys could come to my apartment sometime. That would make it a whole lot easier to explain."
"Ooh, can we come over tonight?" Adam asked excitedly.
"Adam!" Bree hissed. "You can't just invite yourself over like that!"
"I didn't!" Adam insisted. "She said we could come over!"
April chuckled. "If it's fine with your dad, it's fine with me. You guys probably couldn't stay for too long since I need to get to bed, but I'm fine with you coming over for a little bit."
The three bionics turned to Mr. Davenport with pleading faces. He shrugged. "I don't see why not," he said. The he pointed a finger at April and said, "So long as you aren't leading them into some kind of trap."
April shook her head solemnly and put a hand over her heart. "No way!" she assured him. "If you really don't believe me, you're welcome to come too."
"I'm good. But I don't want you guys gone for too long. It's already late and it's a school night."
"No problem, Mr. Davenport!" Bree said. They started to head to the elevator.
"Are you coming too, Leo?" Chase asked his younger brother.
Leo shook his head. "I told you guys," Leo said, "it takes ten hours of sleep if you want . . ."
". . . That Leo glow!" Adam, Bree, and Chase mocked in unison. Leo scowled at them. The four bionics chuckled and stepped into the elevator.
On the way up April put her head on Chase's shoulder. "Remember," she said quietly, "no matter how horrible my home life seems to you, I do NOT want your pity."
How was that? Which little "duel" was your favorite? What do you think April's home life is like? Review and let me know! And now April will answer your questions.
April: Hey everyone! I've got two questions to answer today. The first one comes from AllAmericanSlurp. Slurp asks: "Are there any other times Archer has come out?" That's a great question. Yes, as a matter of fact, she has. When I was little my younger sister used to pester me a lot. If she pushed it too far Archer would come and pay a visit. Then my sister would be super-nice to me for a week. XD My commando app works a little different from Chase's though. I'll explain that later . . . hold on, WAIT, WHAT? Okay, well, daphrose just told me that Archer will come back sometime in this story. Perhaps at the same time Spike pays a visit. That would be . . . interesting. Oh dear. O.O ((daphrose's note: I'm planning a chapter called "Battle of the Apps." Wanna guess which app that's referring to? ;) ))
My other question is from RossLynch4Ever. They ask: "April, what in the world happened to your siblings?" Aha, I was wondering when someone would ask that! I can't give away too much of the plot. You find out most of the story in the next chapter, which comes out on Wednesday. Here's what I can tell you: I have/had (it's one or the other; I can't tell you which) a younger sister and a younger brother. Before I met Chase they were the only people I ever loved. I haven't seen them in nearly two months. Why, you ask? Are they dead? I can't tell you. Sorry! You'll find out on Wednesday.
Hey guys! It's me again, daphrose. Thanks for your questions! If any of you have any more questions for either me or April, feel free to ask and we'll answer! Don't forget to review y'all. See you on Wednesday for Chapter 12: This Is Life.