"Dr. Livingston, I presume?" - Henry Stanley. That was the reference last chapter. Scarlet said, "Captain Howard F. Stewart, I presume?" Subtle, but still a reference for me.

From a month of waiting to less than a week. Isn't this better? I love being over writer's block. I've gotten so much encouragement this week, from FanFiction friends and non-FanFiction friends alike, and it's just been amazing. Yeah. Good week. :)

Chapter 26 soundtrack: "Glory Seeker" by Immediate Music. Listened to this song on repeat while writing. Serious inspiration. I wouldn't start it until "As I looked out over the water, I noticed something on the horizon." That's when the action really picks up.

A lot of you figured something bad happens in this chapter. You're right. This chapter was almost called "Two if by Sea" (another history reference), but I went with "Battle at Sea" because . . . well, you'll see. I don't own Lab Rats, just my OCs. Enjoy.

* * * Chapter 26: Battle at Sea * * *

"Sometimes the wicked will tell us things just to confuse us—to haunt our thoughts long after we've faced them"

- Sarah J. Maas, Throne of Glass

"'Come,' he said, 'come, we must see and act. Devils or no devils, or all the devils at once, it matters not; we fight him all the same.'"

- Bram Stoker, Dracula

The cool breeze brushed against my face and the smell of seawater was surprisingly refreshing. For miles upon miles, there was nothing but clear blue ocean. It sparkled in the sunlight and pushed against the boat, rocking it gently.

"Enjoying the view?"

I turned to see Scarlet coming up next to me. "Hmm? Oh, yeah. It's beautiful out here."

"I guess we should be glad neither of us get seasick."

"Hey, my mom used to give me two hundred mile per hour piggy back rides. I've got a stomach of steel!"

"I did not need to know that."

The two of us laughed quietly. I let my head rest on the back of my hands. My elbows were sitting on the rail of the ship. I had gotten over its deplorable condition on Sunday afternoon. After two and a half days, I was starting to appreciate this rust bucket. It was taking me home, after all.

"You seem tense," Scarlet said suddenly.

My eyes narrowed. "Oh, yeah, it's not like I have a reason to be. It's only that my family might all be dead. They've just been captured by a tyrannical leader that may or may not be related to them. No biggie." I looked straight down at the water lapping up the side of the boat.

"I get it."

"Do you . . . do you think he really would kill them?"

"To be honest, I doubt it. They're valuable to him. At least your mom and Uncle Adam, and probably Leo too . . . they're bionic. He might have other plans for them. Your grandparents . . . it's hard to say."

"Would he try to activate the Triton App on my mom and uncles?"

"Maybe. I wouldn't put it past him."

"What's it like? The Triton App, I mean? My mom told me stories about it, but that was from a long time ago. It was Grandpa Douglas's version. What's The Sovereign's version like?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"Yes." It was my plain and simple answer. I wanted to know what Scarlet had gone through. I wanted to know what my family might go through. I wanted to know what I might go through in the future.

Scarlet took a deep breath. "Well, there are two different versions. For me and Snake, it completely took over our minds." She got a distant look in her eye as she stared over the ocean. "It's like you get shoved into the back of your own mind. You have a fuzzy picture of what's going on around you, but you can't do anything about it. It's . . . it's almost like drowning, but you can still breathe. You can't really see anything that's going on above you, though you might have some kind of vague image. So you flail about, but it doesn't really do anything. All you can do is sink, hoping someone will reach down and help you up."

"Help? Do you think you could fight your way out of the Triton App if you had help?"

"I wouldn't know; no one ever dared to help me. It sure feels like it. If only someone would believe that I can be saved, I can find the strength to swim back up. But honestly, I don't know." She paused for a second before saying, "Your humanity."

"What?"

"It strips you of your humanity. Your free choice is gone. Your spirit is gone. You become something less than human. You want to fight that. That's why the other version of the Triton App, the one the soldiers have, is so effective. They don't know their humanity is gone. They don't fight. They don't want to." Scarlet bowed her head and covered her mouth.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, kiddo. That's life. But I would never wish something like that on someone else. Especially you."

"Thanks."

"Sure." She must have realized that she was being nice to me, because she stood up straight and turned towards the crew quarters. "I'll go see if they have any leftovers. It's almost lunchtime anyway."

"All right. And hey, we're getting to Restwater tonight, right?"

"We should. I'll double check. After almost three days on this boat, I'm ready for dry land. I'll be right back." My mentor walked through the door to the quarters while I continued standing by the railing.

As I looked out over the water, I noticed something on the horizon. At first I thought nothing of it. Maybe it was an island or a large rock jutting out of the water. But it was moving. The sunlight caught on the front of it and reflected into my eyes, causing me to squint. It was some kind of boat. As I stretched out my sixth sense, I realized that there were four people on the boat. One stood at the front, stock still. Straining my eyes, I could see the light brown hair waving in the wind. I could've sworn that I saw the determined glare in his eyes.

No . . . there's no way he could have found us . . . it's not possible! In fear I backed up, prepared to yell for Scarlet.

At that moment Scarlet and Captain Stewart came running out the door. The latter said, "We picked up something on the radar. That can't be right. No one comes out here. We make sure of that."

"Scarlet, look," I said, pointing a finger at the approaching boat.

Scarlet moved forward and gripped the railing, staring out over the water. Her eyes widened. "No! Snake!" She grabbed my hand and pulled me behind one of the large containers, motioning for me to stay silent.

It was only a minute or two more when Snake and his friends boarded the ship. Captain Stewart and his crew met the bionics—I had no doubt that Snake had brought bionic soldiers with him. We could hear them from our hiding place behind the crates.

"We're looking for two stowaways on your boat. Two girls, Defiance members."

"I assure you, boy, there are no stowaways on my ship!"

At least he's not lying.

"Hiding them from The Sovereign would be treason. They are enemies of the state. I assure you, you will receive a substantial reward if you turn them over to us now."

The captain was silent for a moment.

"I'll pay you double what he does! Don't turn us in!" Scarlet whispered to herself.

"What was that?" a female voice said.

Scarlet's eyes widened as footsteps approached our location. She whispered something that I dare not repeat before backing up slowly.

"Fake your death once, shame on you," Snake said as he rounded the corner. "Fake your death twice, and I'll make sure that it's permanent next time. You can't fool us a second time. This little game of hide-and-seek is over."

"Aspen, go!" Scarlet yelled at me, getting into a fighting position. I nodded and slipped out the back of the crates, climbing up them to the top.

"Get the girl! I'll handle my sister," Snake shouted. As I scaled the crates, I heard him add, "And rest assured, Captain, we know about your little smuggling business. You won't get away with it any longer."

I made it to the top of the crates and turned to see Snake's three friends coming up after me. They all looked to be about Scarlet and Snake's age. One was a large, burly young man who came at me with clenched fists. Another was a tall, lean boy who seemed ready to pounce at any moment. The last one was a girl who really didn't look like she knew what she was doing. All of them wore the signature bionic army hat and vest.

The burly man came at me first, his right fist headed straight for my face. I ducked and tried to move away, but something slammed into my back, which I quickly realized was the foot of the other man. I was headed straight for the girl. She reached out and slapped my face, sending me reeling backwards.

That's a strange move, I thought as I rubbed my smarting cheek. Who slaps their enemy in a fight? Especially a bionic soldier!

I dared to look down at the foot of the crates to make sure Scarlet was doing okay. She seemed to be holding her own against Snake. Many years of practice, I supposed. So far there was no clear winner. I would help Scarlet soon, but first I had to deal with my own problems.

That girl who slapped me was not a skilled fighter in the least. She was probably a cyber soldier or something. They were usually pretty smart about handling online crime, but they couldn't deal with it very well in real life. At least, so I had heard. I would have to hope that was true. She was my new target.

The boys were still coming at me strong, but I could see the hesitation in the girl's eyes. She pulled some sea water up from the side of the boat—obviously she had hydrokinesis—and tried to drench me with it. I put my force field above my head like an umbrella and kept moving. When I got closer, I put my force field in front of me and ran into her, sending her off the edge of the crate. I must have overshot it, because she went flying backwards into the water. Oh well. That was one less enemy. Now for the other two.

Muscles and Tree—I thought it best to designate them—got into fighting positions. Then Tree vanished into thin air. Invisibility! I realized. No problem. My sixth sense found Tree crouching on one of the crates. He wasn't moving. Muscles was the much more imminent threat right now, it seemed.

I was right. Muscles charged at me, shooting a round of heat vision for good measure. I put up a small force field to block it, stopping the lasers right before they hit my face. This man put much weight into his attacks. He was sure of everything he did. Too sure.

Tree finally moved, cautiously at first. I didn't show that I knew he was there. I had a feeling I could use this to my advantage. Muscles and I were duking it out right near the edge of the crates. I could see Snake and Scarlet fighting below us. If I could time this right . . . but Tree would be the one to time it, ultimately.

Muscles got a successful punch in, hitting me square in the shoulder. I clutched it and bared my teeth, hissing in pain. Tree thought that was the right moment to strike. Thinking fast—which fortunately I am very good at—I dropped down on all fours. Tree flew over me, turning visible as he did so. Muscles yelped in surprise before both of them collided and toppled over the edge of the crates, landing on the hard floor of the ship. From my position, I could see Snake look down in surprise. Scarlet used his distraction as an opportunity to throw him against the crate. His attention went back to his sister immediately.

Tree groaned and sat up. Muscles was still on the ground, and unconscious, from the looks of it. I stood up and looked down at Tree with a challenging stare. He saw me and scowled. With catlike agility, he hopped up and crawled up the side of the crate—probably with super agility. He turned invisible again and ran towards me. I smirked and threw up a force field to block his blows. He stumbled back in shock—still invisible—and tried again. I blocked all of his punches and kicks, much to his consternation. He turned visible again.

"It's like you can see me!" he exclaimed.

"Call it intuition," I replied, never losing my signature Davenport smirk.

He growled and began speeding around me to create a vortex. I had seen my mom do a similar thing many times, and I knew that there was no way out of it. I would have to be patient. The air kicked up and dust flew everywhere, blinding me. Tree brought the vortex closer, and suddenly his body slammed into mine and I was on the ground. He stood above me, and this time he had the smirk. He held up his hand and electricity began to crackle between his fingers.

Looking down, I suddenly noticed Scarlet collapsing onto the ground. Snake's outstretched fist was still in midair, and he looked proud of his accomplishment. He knelt down next to her and put his hand to her neck. My mentor lay on the ground, unmoving. No.

I put up my force field and absorbed the electricity Tree was shooting at me. Then I swung my legs around, knocking him off his feet. I kicked him a few times before he got up, lunging at me. I put up my force field again, trying to push him off. I wished I had more offensive powers.

Pyrokinesis . . .

No, I can't, my brain countered immediately. It's too dangerous!

Scarlet's words echoed through my head: "Maybe if you learned to control it, you wouldn't be so afraid. It's really not so bad once you know how to handle it. I know you could get the hang of it."

It's not worth the risk. I can take this guy out without it. Watch me.

I pushed back with my force field, causing Tree to step backwards. He was almost to the edge of the crate. He tried to jump and flip over my head, but I swung my leg out and kicked him back. He fell out of the air and landed right on the edge. His fingers grasped the ropes as his feet hung over the ocean water.

"You'll never understand my fight for freedom," I said as I walked closer. "Goodbye, metal-neck." I stepped on his fingers and he yelped, releasing his grip on the crate. He fell into the water with a satisfying splash.

Scarlet.

I hurried back to the other side of the ship and jumped off the crates. Snake was looking down at my mentor with his arms folded across his chest. "Come to save her?" he asked as I approached. "You're too late."

I couldn't tell whether Scarlet was alive or not just by looking at her. I knew Snake wouldn't let me check. I put up my fists and prepared for a fight.

He laughed, deep and loud, like he always did. I shuddered to think this guy was my cousin. "Do you really want to do this, pipsqueak?"

"You're going down . . . lady locks," I said confidently.

Snake scowled. "If that's the way you like it . . . enjoy your final few seconds on this earth!"

Two bright laser beams came close to hitting my face. I dodged them and ran at Snake, throwing a punch at him. He blocked it with his left hand and twisted my wrist backwards. I yelped and managed to wrench it away from him. He came at me with a high kick that I managed to duck away from.

"Running and cowering," he mocked me, "the Defiance way!"

"You're all bark and no bite!"

"How's this for bite?" He threw a quick punch at my stomach—too quick for me to block. When I doubled over in pain, he slammed his fist into my back, and I dropped to the ground. Rolling over, I was able to dodge another blow he sent my way. Quickly I hopped to my feet.

"Is that all you've got?" I gasped.

"Hardly," he said with a frown. "This fight is over."

Without warning, something struck my face, knocking me over. It wasn't anything visible, just a force that suddenly slammed into me. Snake must've had the localized blast wave ability. For a few seconds everything was black.

When the waves of pain finally cleared, I saw Snake tossing Muscles over the edge of the cargo ship into the smaller boat the four of them had come on. Tree and Cyber Soldier stood at the controls, watching their leader closely. Snake turned to me.

"Mercy is something I rarely show, if ever," he said crisply. "Do not think I'm showing it to you now. I have let you live so you will be able to experience the full glory of The Sovereign's Empire, and the pain that comes when you betray him. Don't allow yourself to believe you've won this battle." He gestured to Scarlet. "You've lost something far worse than this fight." With that, he hopped overboard, and their small boat sped away.

Gingerly I pushed myself up, and as soon as the energy returned, I crawled over to Scarlet. I picked up her wrist and felt for a pulse, praying that Snake had only been bluffing.

Scarlet woke up with a gasp. I put a hand on her shoulder and eased her down gently. "Careful," I warned her. "You need to take it easy."

"What . . . what . . . where . . . Snake!"

"He's gone. Don't worry."

"Did we defeat him?"

"Not . . . exactly."

Scarlet took a deep breath. Her chest rose and fell slowly. At least it's moving, I thought. My worst fears had not come true, thank goodness. As much as Scarlet got on my nerves, I couldn't bear to lose her.

"I'm fine," she tried to insist.

"You've been unconscious for six hours. You're not fine."

"Snake knocked me out for that long?"

"Yup. He did his job well. But he didn't take us back. I'm curious about that. He didn't kill me or anything. He had the perfect opportunity, too."

"If he didn't kill you now, that means he's waiting for a better time. He's got a plan. That's why he didn't kill me either."

"I'm just glad you're okay."

Scarlet began to smile. "You were worried about me, weren't you?"

"Yes, I was."

Scarlet's eyebrows rose a bit.

"I'm not like you. I'm not afraid to show affection. I wouldn't have gotten this far without you. I'd have been dead before I even left the base. I know we don't always get along, but you've taught me so much. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Yeah, you're pretty incompetent."

"And I also love you even when you call me names."

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I guess there's still a bit of The Sovereign's conditioning deep down in there. I'm just not a people person. I don't relate to others very well. I guess it's in my nature to be defensive. The only 'friends' I had growing up were . . . Jenny and Nathan." Scarlet laughed. "It's been years. They haven't changed at all."

"What do you mean?"

"That's who we fought: some of my old friends. The tall, lean one was Nathan and the girl was Jenny. So they got bionics. Great." She rolled her eyes. "They're kids of aristocrats. Snake and I hung out with them a lot. We were 'friends,' you know, as much as the daughter of The Sovereign can be friends with anyone."

"Well, now she's my friend." I smiled.

"Thanks, kid." Scarlet looked up at the stars filling the night sky. "Are we pulling into Restwater soon?"

"Captain Stewart said another forty-five minutes. We should be able to see land soon."

"Great. Aspen . . . you know what we're likely to find."

"I know," I said softly.

"The Sovereign knew we were alive. And somehow he managed to find us. We're walking into a trap. You know that, right?"

"I do. But we have to keep going. We're Defiance members. We live together or we die together. They can't split us up."

"Good. I just wanted to make sure you knew." Scarlet sat up and leaned against one of the crates. She rubbed her neck and groaned.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Sure, I'm fine. My neck's killing me . . . it's probably nothing. Just a crick." She tried to grin at me.

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

Scarlet turned her face away. When she thought I wasn't looking, her smile faltered and a sliver of fear entered her eyes.

1. Did I scare ya? Did you really think Scarlet was dead? Also, what's wrong with her? Or is she really all right?

2. What did you think of those new bionics? Tree (Nathan) and Cyber Soldier (Jenny) and Muscles (unnamed dude)? And if you want to see more of them, they'll be appearing in Like Father, Like Genetically Engineered Son.

3. Were those fight scenes okay? They can be hard sometimes, but I was actually pretty proud of them. What did you think?

Fun Fact: Mr. Davenport, Leo, Adam, and Tasha barely made it into this story. At one point or another, I considered killing them (prior to chapter one). I never even considered killing Bree, because she was so vital. In the end, only Douglas, Krane, and Chase (?) faced the death sentence. The others were allowed to survive . . . for now. ;)

LabGirl2001: Yup, not so great this time. Well, we'll have to see. Thanks!

tennisgirl77: I know, right? XD Well, keep reading! Yes we are. It also means closer to the end of the story, however. :'( Nope, sorry. Things are getting really intense really soon. Thanks!

saaami: Aw, thanks! I try. I think there's a good balance somewhere. You were right about the battle! Hoped you liked this one. Thanks!

PurpleNicole531: Haha, true. XD Not quite pirates, but that would've been a good idea! Mmm, I'm guessing it's not a trick. Thanks for the review!

daphrose fan: Not anymore. ;) Thanks. Well, it sure seems that way, doesn't it?

PrincessSparkleKitty: Yay! Glad you liked it. Nope, they got plenty of trouble, unfortunately. A-hem! Minions! *minions assemble* I have a new target for you: Marcus Davenport. He's an android. Maybe you can strip him for parts or something. Go find him and keep him from bothering PrincessSparkleKitty. *minions rush out* There you go. :) And thanks for the review!

TheMichiganWriter: Haha, well, thanks for reviewing anyway. :) Sure looks that way. Glad you liked it! (Also, I did get your PM. Sorry I haven't replied yet. I'll try to soon!)

AllAmericanSlurp: That's fine. Urm, not for a while. But he'll be back. And I don't think you'll be too happy with me when he is . . .

Clarity665: I know, right? XD Yeah, it sucks. I'm sure you can do a good job! And if you ever need ideas, my PM box is always open. I'd be happy to help. :) Guess we're gonna have to see, huh? Thanks for the review!

BeautifulSupernova: Sure looks that way! You may be right on both counts.

ShyMusic: It's fine. Um, because they are. ;) Yup, that's what I based it off of (sorta)! Haha, I know, I upset quite a few people. It'll become clear in a few chapters, and even clearer in the prequel later on. ;) It does feel so nice. Thanks for reviewing and for understanding! :D

Mynameisprettyy: You're welcome. :) If you ever need more help with something, I'd be happy to oblige! And thanks.

xxWasabiWarriorAlertxx: It's fine. I wasn't sure anyone would. Aw, thanks! Glad you liked it!

love3labrats: Well, I guess we'll have to see. The Sovereign's a pretty bad dude, though. O.o

Tor Raptor: I missed it too. XD Wow, you're good at guessing plots. Not perfect, but you certainly got a few things correct. I've got quite the twist coming up next chapter (although it's something I've been foreshadowing for a while, even in this chapter). Thanks for the review!

Well, how'd you guys like that? Just so you know, the next chapter is what some the "Darkest Moment" of a story. It happens just before the climax, when things are bad as they can possibly be. Yeah, the next chapter is far from happy.

Also, WDF will have either 32 or 33 chapters, depending on how long the climax winds up being. I just wrote chapter 29 this afternoon. Hard to believe this story is so close to being done. O.o And also, we're only six reviews away from this becoming my most reviewed story ever. I really hope we can make it! I'll see you all again soon for Chapter 26: Home Is Where the Hurt Is. Bye!