March 5th, 2012 Davenport Lab (Maddie's POV)-
I walked down into the lab dawning my Davenport industries hoodie, ripped jeans, a pair of high top vans, and a large hazelnut latte in hand. It was a rare occasion for me to be down in the Lab before seven am. But that's where I was at six thirty on a Tuesday morning. We needed to finish the glitch tests for Adam, Bree, and Chase before they could go to school, meaning that for whatever reason Davenport needed my help at this most ungodly hour. So far all I had done was compile the results from the previous tests and Davenport was examining them now.
Sipping on my coffee, AKA the only thing keeping me awake, I watched as Leo made his way down to the lab. He began heading my way before I gave him a look that said talk to me and see what happens. He rerouted to go and bother Davenport. I didn't need enhanced hearing to hear their conversation from across the lab.
"Hey Big D! What's up!" Leo started.
"I'm just finishing up with the glitch reports Leo. Are you ready for school?" Davenport asked not looking up from his work.
"Yep, I'm all set. Hey what's with Grumpy over there?" Leo said gesturing my way.
"Maddie isn't really what anyone would call a morning person. Just let her be and we should all be safe." At this both Men, or the man and boy, looked over their shoulders towards me. I raised my cup in acknowledgement and began to get up. The bionic siblings came into the lab and met Davenport and Leo at the Cyber desk, as I made my way over.
"Okay, guys, you have been trained for all kinds of missions. But you are about to enter a soul-bruising, confidence-crushing, apocalyptical environment: high school. Adam, Bree, your glitch test results are fairly stable." None of what Davenport said was that far off.
"Yes! I'm going to school!" "I'm fairly stable!" The two older siblings celebrated.
"But, Chase, I am still concerned about your Commando App." I winced at name alone.
"Commando App? Put on some underpants. We're going to school." Clearly Leo didn't understand. Not a surprise.
"No, see, in the face of an imminent threat, Chase's Commando App kicks in and he becomes a fearless brute I like to call Spike. It's kinda like a fight-or-flight thing, except I took out the flight part, 'cause, useless. And I replaced it with a testosterone level of like a tasmanian devil-wolverine-shark-lion hybrid that's mad."
"Don't forget the weird infatuation Spike seems to have with our very own Maddison." Bree added. If looks could kill she'd be on the floor.
"Don't worry, Mr. Davenport. I promise that Spike won't rear his ugly head." Chase said to Davenport but he was giving me a look saying that he had meant it for me.
"Oh, yeah? You mean like at Maddie's birthday party when I made the mistake of letting Adam have cake?" Davenport asked dryly. I shuddered. The five of us who were present thought back to the horrific birthday party.
May 22nd, 2011 Davenport Lab Flashback (No one's POV)-
It all started after they had eaten the cake and Adam was getting a bit too hyper. One thing led to another and when Adam had accidentally set off a confetti cannon hitting Chase and knocking Maddie over, that happened to be enough for Spike to take over.
"Well hello Peanut." Spike said with a seductive growl as he turned over to Maddie.
"What's wrong with Chase?" Maddie asked no one in particular as she backed away from Chase.
"That's not Chase, that's Spike!" Davenport exclaimed.
"Spike?" She asked.
"That's right Peanut, now was this nugget head bothering you?" He snarled.
Without any warning Spike started fighting Adam. Everything went to chaos.
When the dust settled, the lab was a mess with destroyed birthday decorations all over. Bree was hiding in her capsule, Mr. Davenport was tucked under a big 'Happy Birthday!' sign on the floor, and Spike head Maddie behind him while pinning Adam down with his foot on Adams gut.
"Anybody else confused about the-don't-punch me or my Peanut rule?" Spike growled.
Flashback over.
"Ugh, I'm still coughing up confetti." Adam said looking distressed. I honestly couldn't blame him.
"You know, letting Chase go to school, isn't such a good idea. I can't risk Spike coming out." Davenport decided.
"Oh, come on, Big D. Chase has to come. With these guys, I'll finally get a prime spot in the cafeteria. That's right, y'all. Put on your coats 'cause I'm about to ride your tail!" He bean to Monck riding a horse. Please never do that again Leo.
"Don't worry. We'll make sure he stays out of trouble. Right, guys?" This is one of those moments where Adam shows how good of a brother he is.
"Yeah. It's one for all and all for one. Unless, of course, you guys make me look bad, in which case, I am dropping you lame-os." Okay that hurts Bree. "Well accept Maddie she's cool." Alright nevermind.
"Mr. Davenport, I can't miss school. This is the beginning of my academic achievements and career trajectory. I mean, the road to astronaut lawyer has to start somewhere."Chase pleaded.
"Okay. But I better not get a call from the art teacher saying that Spike ripped out her larynx." Davenport warned.
"Actually, sir-" I interrupted to correct him.
"Yes Maddie I know that she wouldn't be able to say anything, because Spike ripped out her lar– The point is just keep him out of trouble." Davenport explained, I guess I have my work laid out for me.
"Hey, look what I found." Adam said, pulling out a confetti cannon. Not good. He pulled the cord, and hit Chase again directly in the chest.
"Look, I'm sorry, but if he's that close to the cannon, it's gonna happen." He justified after we all gave him a look.
Mission Creek High School (Leo's POV)-
"Okay, you guys. That's Principal Perry. She has the temperament of a junkyard dog stuffed into a really bad pantsuit." If they were gonna be my new bionic bodyguards I couldn't let Principle Perry destroy them on their first day.
"Not at all inaccurate." Maddie pointed Principal Perry out to them from across the lobby.
"Hey, you! No tongue rings in school! Don't try to hide it. I will take a metal detector to your face!" Principal Perry started chasing a student. How has she not been fired?
"This is it. My chance for romance. On TV, the new girl always drops her books and the cute guy with the soulful eyes picks them up." Bree threw her books on the ground, not seeing Mr. Martin walking by. The pile of books tripped him over as he passed. "Oops! Sorry, I'm new." Bree said, using the new student excuse.
"Okay, your social life is determined by where you sit. We can't sit at the cool table. But we can be cool table adjacent. Well accept for Maddie. She sits wherever she wants since her cousin is the quarterback." Maddie just gave me a smirk as I explained.
"FYI, Adam just sat down at the cool table." Bree pointed out.
"What?! He can't sit there! That's where the football players sit with the cheerleaders. And they pride themselves on finding very clever places to stuff your pudding cup." This isn't good.
"Those girls are actually talking to him. And they can't talk about shapes and colors forever. See ya." I saw a look of hurt flash in Maddie's eyes as I was filled with panic.
"No! The football players are gonna turn them into the 5th food group. It's a rescue mission. Move in. Move in." I began to sneak into the crowded cafeteria. Bree walked behind me and Maddie just rolled her eyes and begrudgingly followed us to the table.
"Oh, hey, guys. These girls just told me when the football players get here, I'm getting a free pudding cup." Adam explained, Maddie just sat down.
"Hi! Walk away. How's it going? You're in great danger." I warned Chase, speaking over my shoulder. That's when it all hit the fan. The football players came running in chanting and yelling. Before I knew it Trent was behind me and smelled me to warn that I was in danger. I moved away quickly. "Sorry."
"Hey. That's my seat. Get lost before I use you like a napkin." Trent looked to Chase and threatened him.
"Go away Trenton. We aren't bothering anyone." Maddie warned her cousin. He ignored her.
"Chase, we should probably go. He's not very absorbent." Bree tried pushing Chase from his chair.
Then Trent took the rest of Maddie's coffee, spilling it all over the table. If looks could kill Trent would be dead.
"Oh, look, a spill! I think I'm gonna wipe it up with your face." Trent said grabbing Chase's collar.
Not good. Chase's eyes changed from hazel to green and his posture changed.
"Think again, bubbleneck. I'm gonna rip out your kneecaps and use them as hockey pucks." Spikes back. We all shuddered and Adam came over stumbling over the chairs.
"Okay, I don't mean to alarm anyone, but I think Spike's back." Adam tried. We all gave him the same look.
"You have no idea who you're messing with. Okay? Pudding cups!" Two freshmen came up placing a chocolate pudding cup in each of his hands with with arms spread wide open.
"Ohh, I'll take those." Cha- Spike grabbed the pudding and pudding popped the whole offensive line. Through my panic I could hear Maddie snickering behind me.
"Hey! Ooooh! You're dead!" Trent tried as one last attempt to scare Spike. Spike just roared back in his face. "You, okay, okay. You're lucky that we have to go to the reading center right now." Trent stuttered as the football team fled the cafeteria. Cheers and applause filled the cafeteria at their leave.
"Take a seat, compadres. This is our table now." Spike strutted over to Trent's seat and put his feet up on the table. Maddie went to sit next to Bree but Spike stopped her. "Nope. I gotta seat for you right here, Peanut." He said, pulling a chair right next to his, leaving no space in between.
"No Spike and I have told you before don't call me Peanut." Maddie said, not holding back. Did she have a death wish?
"Feisty. Spikey Likey." He grinned. "And you're right it's not Peanut. It's Kitten, cause you dollface, have some claws." He added. At this Maddie stood up and made her way to him.
"Okay Spike." She hummed rubbing her hand on his upper chest, "I'm only gonna say this once. It's not Peanut and it's not Kitten. My name is Maddie." At the words Peanut and Kitten I could see that she had sent out some sparks to shock him into submission. "So, Spike what do you say?" She asked innocently.
"Your names not Peanut, or Kitten," he grinned, "It's Sparks." He finished and before Maddie could maul him the rung through the cafeteria letting us know it was time for the first period. Maddie just huffed and turned to grab her bag, then left for class.
Mission Creek High School (Maddie's POV(between 2nd and 3rd period))-
"All right. Make room for the Alpha Dogs. Woof! Wooof! Woof! Woof!" Leo chanted.
"Don't do that." Adam shut him down. Thank God.
"Okay." Leo said as he took the advice.
"Wait, if we're the Alpha Dogs, then..." Bree dumped all her books on the ground for her cliche moment and three sophomore guys came to pick up all her books. "Oh, I love this!" Yeah no, not for me.
"What's this?" Spike asked when an office assistant came and gave him a lanyard.
"That's an all access hall pass. You can go anywhere you want with that." He gushed.
"I already have one." I started pulling out my own pass from my side backpack pocket.
"I can go anywhere I want already. These, ugh, are my hall passes." Spike began to flex in the middle of the hallway sending me a wink before he proceeded to kiss his biceps.
"Okay, if he starts oiling up, I'm out." We all silently agreed with Leo.
"Commando App disengaged? Guys! Why was I in Commando Mode?" Chase said as he finally came out of Commando Mode. Looking past me to Bree.
"Were you in Commando Mode?" Bree started.
"I didn't see a Commando Mode." Leo added to the lie.
"Oh, that's good, everyone keep lying." Adam said thinking out loud.
"You guys were supposed to watch out for me." Chase was hurt.
"I'm sorry Chase. I didn't really try to talk to Spike after this morning." I felt so bad I should have tried harder to stop Spike. Chase paled at what I said.
"Oh, we watched the whole thing. You manhandled the quarterback and pudding popped the whole offensive line! Then you started making moves on Maddie." Leo snorted. Chase flushed red at this.
"What? Aw, great. This is so gonna come back to haunt my Supreme Court nomination." He worried, skipping over the brief embarrassment.
"You know what Spike would say to that? Nothing. He would rip out your rib cage and play it like a xylophone." Bree pushed, did they not care about their brother?
"Yeah, I like him. He's like a big, fun monster, and you're a sad little body." Adam mocked.
"I'll get Spike back. Get lost before I use you like a napkin." Leo tried coping Trent's moves tugging at Chase's collar. "Yeah, this isn't gonna work."
Mission Creek High School (Maddie's POV(Lunch))-
We all got to lunch and were sitting at the 'cool' table. I was sitting in between Chase and Adam with Leo and Bree across from me.
"Hey, baby. Wanna nibble?" Would Leo ever stop trying to get girls out of his league?
"Hey, there's Trent. I better go apologize." Chase said standing up. I'm proud of him, even though Trent's a jerk, he chose to take the higher road.
"Woah! Slow it up, buttercup!" Bree said, pulling him back to the table.
"Mail him a greeting card. It's so much more personal." Leo added trying to keep they're popularity.
"Guys, look. The cheerleaders cut up my food into tiny pieces. I'm eating a turkey burger through a straw. Mmm. Gibblet-y!" Adam said with the excitement of a child. Never change Adam.
"Hey! New kid! Come here! Do you know what happens when my football players get humiliated? No! You don't. Because my football players don't get humiliated!" Perry said storming over, barreling straight towards Chase.
"They look humiliated to me." Adam added, unhelpfully.
"I know what team spirit is about. Because I was the jammer on the North Pacific roller derby championship team." Perry started, trying to talk down to Chase who was at least three inches taller than her.
"Quite an accomplishment." He said, trying to be polite. Too bad Perry doesn't care about etiquette or manners.
"Don't mock me, squash face. My career ended when a trash talker like you got inside my head and I wiped. One zebra called it the worst single-bodied collision she'd ever seen." She defended and exaggerated her claim. Chase really needs to get out of there.
"I'd crash too if I saw a talking zebra." And there goes his last chance of survival.
"It's a referee, you desk donkey! They told me what you did this morning at breakfast. You will not undermine the morale of my team. Evacuate this table. Now!" Perry exclaimed and we all stood ready to leave. Then I heard him growl.
"Watch who you're talking to, sports bra! I bet you panicked, threw yourself off the track and blamed the other team for your weakness." Spike taunted.
"Do you think this Spike thing's gotten a bit out of hand?" Leo asked Bree and I.
"He might've crossed the line at sports bra." Bree said not taking her eyes of the argument. I nodded in agreement.
"I had to quit because of that accident." Perry said with her head held low.
"Quit? Or move out of the state in shame?" He asked, digging deeper. The drawn crowd in the cafeteria oohed at this.
"He doesn't know! He wasn't there." She said to the crowd defending herself.
"Why don't you hop in your economy car and tootle on home to your six cats and your online bingo tournament." Spike huffed.
"Jokes on you. I have 5 cats. Ha!" That wasn't as good as a rebuttal as Perry thought it was.
"You didn't get our table back. Bumming us out. Even more bummed out when we lose. Do something." Trent whined to Perry. Big baby.
"All right, kid. I'll make you a deal. Let's be civilized and settle this the old-fashioned way. With a bone-crushing grudge match on the football field!" Perry proposed to Spike.
"We're in. Me... Him, her... and him." He said picking Leo over me. Leo. Over me?
"You and your band of nobodies versus my fighting dingoes." Perry really isn't a great administrator.
"Who is she calling a nobody? I got half a BFF necklace today." She told Leo and I showing off the jewelry. It didn't bother me cause BFF necklaces are kinda childish.
"Winner takes the table and all the glory." Perry decided.
"Oh, ma'am, as much as I'd like to flex my football fanciness, girls soccer has the field tonight." Leo explained. Of course he'd try to weasel his way out of his own mess.
"Eh, just as well. I can't condone such a violent game on school grounds. So let's take it to the dog park across the street!" Yep. Not dangerous at all.
"Yeah!" The dingo football team cheered.
"Am I the only one that's gonna need a fresh change of pants before we start?" Leo asked. Adam meekly raised his hand.
I turned to Spike. "Why in the world would you choose that" I gestured towards a terrified Leo, "Instead of me? Leo doesn't even know how to throw or catch a football." I questioned.
"Two reasons. One, I could never let you get hurt, Sparks. And two, if you're on the field I won't have my favorite cheerleader cheering me on." He said with a smug look.
Dog park football game (Maddie's POV)-
I got to the dog park a bit after the game started, the Davenports were all in a huddle and the other team was already lining up. There wasn't really anyone there, besides the teams it was me, Perry, and the scorekeepers. I stood on the sidelines and could hear their conversation.
"Losing makes me wanna rip out my own intestines and wear 'em as a sweatband." Spike growled.
"Okay. The only way we're gonna win is if we use your super speed, your super strength, and your super-nutty split personality." They shouldn't be using their abilities, someone could get hurt.
"I'll do whatever it takes. I already smell like a sweaty ape. I don't want this to be for nothing." Bree grimaced. Yeah she's not wrong I could smell it from over here.
"Here's what we're gonna do." Leo started as he explained the game plan to the others.
"Break!" They shouted.
"Woo! Yeah! Go team! Whoo! I'm a football player and a cheerleader. I'm that good." Bree explained and honestly I'm glad it's her and not me. I know Spike has access to all of Chase's abilities and that he could probably hear me the second I stepped on the field. I did not want to be his cheerleader.
The whistle blows.
"Hey! Is that a Biggie Burger truck pulling up?" Leo yelled and Bree sped around the field tying the shoelaces of the opposing players to their adjacent team mates. Really this is their plan?
"Guess not. Hike!" Leo yelled, starting the play.
"Hey! How'd our shoes get tied together?" Trent exclaimed for his team. Leo gave the ball to Spike and he ran past all of them.
"Touchdown!" Leo yelled as Spike spiked the ball. Hah.
"Whoo! Yeah! Whoo! Well, if Bree can be a cheerleader, I can too! Whoo hoo!" Adam said with a high kick.
"Hooo!" Bree said as she joined him.
They played for an hour or two before the game started slowing down. There was only a couple seconds left but since the scores were so close together, the next team that scores wins.
"Seven seconds left. Now remember, kids, there's no shame in losing. Oh, wait. Yes, there is!" Perry cackled. "Game on!" She yelled before blowing the whistle.
"All right, we have time for one more play. Spike, you scored every touchdown today. You score one more and we win." Leo told Spike in their huddle.
"Give me the ball. If I don't come back with their spleens, you'll know I failed." Spike claimed, before this posture shifted and his eyes glowed green. Chase is back.
"Wait! Where am I? And am I wearing a jockstrap?" He asked confused and uncomfortable.
"Oh, no. It's Chase. We need Spike back! Where is he? Where is Spike?" Bree began to hit hit helmet trying to reach Spike.
"Hey, let's go! We don't have all day!" Trent complained.
"Time out!" Leo called. I went down on the field to join them.
"I told you. I don't wanna be Spike. Look, I've been waiting for my first day of school for fifteen years. And now I don't even remember it." It hurt to see Chase so upset with something we caused.
"When you put it that way, I just feel selfish." Finally Leo realized.
"Yeah." Bree added looking as guilty as she felt.
"Oh, come on! Snap out of it! I wanna win!" Adam said, shaking Chase's shoulders. I started to pull Adam back.
"No, he's right." Leo said separating the brothers.
"Come on, guys, we can still win this thing. And even if we don't, what do we have to lose?" He asked hopefully.
"Our table." "Popularity." " Everything." Adam, Bree, and Leo answered. "Nothing." I added, they all looked at me.
"I have no steaks in this." I explained. "I don't care about the table, you guys are the only friends I want, and life will go on win or lose. Plus I'm not even playing." I explained counting off my fingers. They all nodded.
"Come on! We playing football or we playing putt-putt?" Trent asked mockingly.
"Shut up Trenton!" I yelled towards my cousin. I turned back to the Davenports who were now snickering, "Good luck." I told them sincerely and ran back to my spot on the sidelines.
"Here's what we're gonna do. I'll do a flea-flicker toss to you." Leo started, looking at Chase.
"And I'll use my mathematical analysis to throw the perfect pass." Chase continued.
"Adam, assume the position." Leo told Adam seriously.
"All right, this is the last time I'm doing this." Adam insisted.
Perry blew the whistle and the play starts.
"Ready? Hike! Chase! Over here!" Leo called.
"Chase! I'm open! Throw it to me!" Bree told from right field.
"Don't throw it to her! Throw it to me!" Adam whined from left field.
"Chase! Over here!" "Chase! I'm open!" "Throw it!" They all continued to shout to a confuse Chase.
"It's all big scribbles!" He yelled not noticing the two linebackers running right towards him. Ooo that must have hurt. I winced.
"Game over! Dingoes win!" Perry said with no concern for anyone else.
"Yeah! See ya at the cafeteria, Alpha Duds! Oh! And the pudding's on you." Trent laughed with his team.
"Well, we may not be the Alpha Dogs anymore, but at least we still have each other. We're not total nobodies." Chase tried as Adam and I helped him up.
"No, we are total nobodies, but at least I have you three to carry my broken butt home." Leo said bluntly before falling to the ground in pain.
Davenports Lab (Maddie's POV)-
I came over to the lab with Adam, Bree, Chase and Leo so that I could finish up some last minute work. The rest of them went to shower first and now we're all hanging out in the lab.
Tasha came down out of the elevator at let us know that dinner was ready. We began to follow her before Chase reached for my hand and stopped me.
"Can we talk for a minute?" He asked me with a heaviness in his voice. Adam and Leo turned back to see us.
"We will be up in a minute guys." I let them know before turning back to Chase. "What's up?"
"Well uh- I really can tell what Spike does when he's out, and um- I wel- I remember!" He yelled getting it off his chest.
"What do you mean you remember? How do you remember?" I was confused. That should be impossible with the way the app works. It basically repurposes the amygdalae to only produce anger. But since it's also an important part in creating memories it won't make any that Chase could see. Only Spike should have access.
"I wasn't able to remember what happened until later on. When we were on the way back from the dog park I started hearing Spike. He told me that something got screwed up this morning when you shocked him and that for whatever reason we have access to each other and each other's memories now. He showed me everything he did to you at school today and I just wanted to say sorry. I can't believe that he called you those names and objectified you like that. Please Know it's something I never want to do and-" He kept rambling through his words. He was sorry and he didn't even do anything wrong.
"Chase. Chase, Chase!" I called but he was stuck in his ramble. I even tried pushing him a little and he still couldn't hear me. The only other idea I had that might work, but it was a bit more out there. I kissed his cheek quickly. He froze completely quiet.
"That was nice." He said, still in a bit of a daze. I can't judge though cause I am still smiling like an idiot.
"Yeah." I answered as we separated. I heard the elevator doors open to reveal Bree.
"You guys coming for dinner?" She asked.
"Yeah we're coming now." Chase answered for us and we followed Bree out.
A/N: That's chapter 3. Ahh he have movement in the feelings area. Would they be Mase or Chaddie?