July 28th Mission Creek High School (Maddie's POV)-
Before I could even get through the door I found Jessica, a new student, waiting for me. She was pretty sweet and we had met a few days back due to similar classes but I was happy to get to know her.
"Hey Jess, what's up?" She fell into step with me so I could head to my locker.
"I desperately need your algebra notes. We have a test today and I need to study." She was shaking with nerves.
We got to my locker and I opened it quickly. "Yeah. It's fine, don't stress."
"Oh Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I promise I'll get these back to you before the end of the day." she ran off, towards her class. I grabbed my textbook as I visibly upset Chase storming towards my looker. "Morning Babe."
"Did you see the yearbook? Everybody but me got a 'Most likely to…' even Leo!" I lead him over to the bench joining Alex, Bree, Adam, and Leo.
"What? Let me see that. 'Most likely never to get a 'most likely.' I'm on the board!" This just made Chase more upset.
"What did I get?" I wondered.
"Seriously?" He groaned.
"What I'm curious." I grabbed the book from Leo finding my picture. "Most likely to run a fortune five hundred company."
"Dude that's way better than mine, I got 'most likely to forget an important event.'" Honestly I feel like that might be spot on for Alex.
"Well, that proves it. I'm completely invisible at this school." Chase huffed.
"Chase, that's not true. If you were invisible, I couldn't do this." Adam punched Chase's arm, it hurt that he thought he was invisible.
"Chase, just because you weren't nominated doesn't mean you're invisible." Bree reasoned.
"Oh, really? Yeah? What's this? 'Chip Davenport'. I'm a misnamed question mark!" He exclaimed. I read over his shoulder to see that he wasn't exaggerating.
"Well you're a cute misnamed question mark." I tried, I wasn't lying either, but he just gave me a look. Perry came out of the gym heading towards us.
"Listen up, snot-buckets! Don't forget to sign up for the annual Mission Creek High talent show." She showed us the sign up sheet. "Auditions are after school, and we'll be judged, by moi. Chances are that if I don't like you, you won't get through, and I don't like any of you, so good luck."
Alex stood voicing his opinion. "Talent shows are dumb. They are a big waste of time and hold now benefit besides humiliating the students who lose."
"That's the whole point!" Perry scoffed before leaving us.
"I'm not gonna be around for this. I'm gonna head to the gym and run some drills. See you guys later." He grabbed his back pack heading towards the gym.
"He is so cute. I'm gonna go help him out." Bree ran out after Alex. Neither of them had told me anything but I'm pretty sure when Alex had said he was going out to meet some friends the other night he was actually meeting Bree.
"This talent show is the perfect opportunity for me to build my fan base." Leo said with wide eyes. He smirked thinking of his plan.
"Leo, you don't have a fan base." Chase clarified.
"I know. That's why I have to build one. With magic!" I couldn't help but respond.
"Well, that is what it would take." Chase and I laughed as Leo gave us a look.
"No. I got a magic kit and I've been practicing, specifically for the competition." That's one of the worst and most cliche talent show acts.
"A magic kit? Isn't that kind of lame?" Chase asked.
"There is nothing lame about buying something off the Internet to make friends." Leo pulled out a pack of cards.
"That's the actual definition of lame." I added as he ignored me.
"Hello, ladies. Would you like to see a card trick? Okay, this is your card. Mm-hmm... Hey, what's that in your hair? Bam! See? Magic." Leo turned to show us the card.
"Still lame." I said pushing his hand away from our face.
"You know what my problem is? All of my talents are bionic, and I can't reveal them at school."
"Aw. Bionic people problems." Leo mocked.
"Ignore him. You have lots of skills Chase. If you really want to be in the talent show just do a bo staff routine. It's a special skill that you got on your own." I explained. I saw his expression shift.
"That's actually... a really good idea." He smiled.
"What do you mean 'actually… a really good idea'?" I asked and he realized his mistake.
"I um- Well- I- you know. I'm sorry?" He fumbled with his words.
"Mmm-hmm. Sure." I walked away and he followed me apologizing.
MCHS Gym (Chase's POV)-
Leo and I were in the gym afterschool waiting to try out for the talent show. Currently some kid was trying to gargle twinkle twinkle little stars. It was bad. He stopped as Perry hit her buzzer.
"Next! Don't you spit that out! You swallow that disgusting performance!" I watched the kid swallow the liquid and the shame on his face spoke for how he felt.
Leo jumped on stage excited to show what he could do. "Aha!"
"Ugh! Dooley. Next!" Perry hit the buzzer before he could say a word.
"Come on, give me a chance." Leo said not leaving the stage.
"Ah, fine. Just get it over with." Why was she even judging this? She hates all of us.
"Three solid steel rings pass right through each other to become interlocked. Locked solid, right? Hmm?" He blew on the rings and they disintegrated to nothing.
"Ho ho ho!" Perry actually cheered and everyone joined her.
"Wow! That wasn't awful! All right, you're in." Perry confirmed by hitting the bell that few reached.
"Yes! For my next trick, I'll leave while I'm ahead." Leo ran off the stage and I stepped up.
"What's your talent? Other than having my middle school haircut." She laughed.
"I am gonna do a bo staff routine."
"Ugh karate again no thanks, next!" She hit her buzzer.
"Bo staff is different, please give me a chance." I pleaded but everyone began to boo me and throw paper.
"Off the stage!" She growled.
"No! No! I have another talent! I can do magic!" I felt bad but I really just did the first thing that came to mind.
I thought of how I could make this work, then decided to use my molecular kinesis to make all the paper balls float into the air rotating. I shot all the balls from the air back into the audience where they came from. The room filled with Perry's laughter and applause from everyone.
"Ha ha ha ha! Yeah! Wow! That was amazing! Dooley, you're out. Little Dutch boy, you're in!" I gave a little bow and cheered when I got in.
"Great job, Chase. Hey, maybe for your next trick you can remove this knife from my back!" Leo said before storming out of the Gym.
Davenport House (Bree's POV)-
"I want to do something to protest Perry's talent show. Something that will take her and the entire establishment down!"
"Are you thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" I asked.
"Let's... storm the school!" "Build a sculpture!"
"Of course. A sculpture. We are so in sync." Since when would he want to build a sculpture.
"Yeah it'll be something people can rally behind against Perry. We could put it right in front of the entrance to the school where everyone will see it. The question is: What do we make it out of?" He asked.
"Uh, Ice?" That would be cool. Get it?
"No." Was he really thinking about it this much?
"Clay?" I tried.
"Neither of us know how to sculpt with clay." He answered, he wasn't wrong.
"Plaster?"
"Same issue." I nodded.
"Butter?" Adam asked from the kitchen as he ate toast.
"What did you say?" Alex stood up moving towards Adam.
"Butter. Everything's better with butter." Adam laughed. "Probably even your art."
"I like it. It would be easy enough to use plus it would be showing how much of a fat pig perry is." Alex Mused. "Adam, you wanna help me make a sculpture out of butter?"
"I have been waiting for someone to ask me that my whole life." The two boys ran out together probably to start their sculpture.
"Wait! But I- I thought we were gonna... do something together!" I called after Alex who was long gone.
"I guess someone likes his projects more than you!" Eddy laughed, being helpful as ever.
"Thanks, Eddy." I said dryly.
"And by "someone," I mean Alex. And by "you," I mean-" I cut him off before he could finish his clarification.
"I get it!"
Davenport Lab (Chase's POV)-
"Oh, yeah! Ooh! Yeah. Who's the man? I'm the man." I was practicing my molecular kinesis buy building a pyramid out of tablets when Leo came up and yelled in my ear, shocking me.
"Hey!" He yelled. "You abra'd my cadabra. You hocus'd by pocus. You ali'd my kazam."
"I was being booed, and I panicked. What else was I supposed to do?" Leo could sympathise, he had been there before.
"Suffer! You're supposed to suffer." Nevermind.
"Leo, I finally found a way to look cool using my bionics, and people think it's magic." It was finally something I did that people could appreciate. "How could I not share my amazing gift with the world? You're welcome, world! Magic."
I opened the elevator with my ability and entered before the doors closed. Maddie asked to help me with a project down at her lab.
Volt Lair (Maddie's POV)-
I stood outside my lair. Without my powers I wasn't able to reach the branch to get in so I had to go the old way. I walked through the woods to the old stream, I hopped across the rocks and continued along until I found an old tree covered in moss. I reached into the knot of the tree entering the twelve digit code without being able to see the keypad. It took a second but the tree accepted the code opening a hidden door in a nearby rock formation.
I followed my memory making my way into the tunnel before it closed behind me. The tunnel was runned down and dusty from lack of use over the years but it was functional. I made it all the way through reaching the last checkpoint that I had renovated to raise the security.
"Hey TESSA you there?" I asked the AI looking at the door ahead of me.
"Welcome home Boss. Things haven't been the same without you." She said with a bit of relief in her voice.
"If I didn't know any better I'd say you missed me." I said to the AI. I had missed TESSA. She was my team mate but I hadn't been back to see her in the longest time.
"Well it's a good thing you know better. Shall I proceed with the scan?" She asked.
"Go ahead." I raised my arms letting her take my information.
. . .
"So what is this secret project you've been keeping from me?" Chase asked. I had asked him here to help but it was really cause I didn't want to do this alone.
I grabbed a few cardboard boxes and placed them on the desk between us. "Moving day."
"What?! You're moving? Why wouldn't you-" I cut him off before his panic could grow more.
"I'm not moving." Then he got confused. "Since I'm not volt anymore I haven't really been able to use the lab, especially with Alex around. So I want to pack things up, get rid of some old stuff and set the system to keep anyone from finding this place."
"You're giving up your lab? But you love this place." I felt a pang in my heart at his words.
"I know and I still do, but like I said it's hard for me to come here and see that." I looked over to see my old Volt suit on a manikin. Tears began to fill my eyes at the memories of this place. "And I love Alex but I don't want to freak him out with all this, you know?"
Chase held on to me trying to give any comfort he could and wiped my tears away. "I know. But you can still help people without being Volt. Maybe not as a superhero but with that big brain of yours."
I laughed at his words, he was really sweet and I could help but laugh more with his goofy smile.
"I'm gonna remove TESSA from the system. Do you mind packing up my old gear and the other gadgets from the vault?" I asked separating from him.
"Yeah, I'll be right here if you need me." I nodded and moved to my network room.
. . .
"TESS you there?" There was no sound other than the hum of the servers.
Tessa now only lived in my smart watch and my home computer. I had moved her there for the time being because I could never actually get rid of her. Once that was done I was done I began to upload the new AI, stronghold. It wasn't made for emotion or helpfulness, only to protect the base. It's processing power is so low that it's hard to read if it's even on or not.
"Testing Stronghold." I commanded.
"Stronghold operational, two occupants currently in the base. Maddison Tompkins, authorized. Chase Davenport, authorized." It announced in a cold robot voice.
"Cool." I got up from my desk grabbing the small box to pack some of the things I held there. I had a ticket to the homecoming dance, where Chase asked me out for the first time. A few pictures, some of just me and Chase, with Leo and the bionic siblings. My old tablet and my favorite coffee cup that read a quote from William Shakespear, 'I would challenge you to a battle of wits, but I see you are unarmed'. Grabbing the full box of things I left the room one last time.
July 30th Davenport House (Bree's POV)-
"Bree, your brother and I are so in sync. I can't wait to show you what we made." Alex gushed pulling me into the living room.
"Da-ta!" Adam presented.
"I love it. You really, uh…" I didn't know what to say to that. "it's almost like a- Okay, what is that?"
"It's Principal Perry. She represents everything that's wrong with society. Totalitarianism and triglycerides; Perry and butter." Alex explained passionately.
"I rubbed a pancake on her." Adam mused.
Alex turned to Adam excited. "Hey, you know what she needs?"
"Big honkin' glasses!" He cheered.
"Yes! You get me. Come on, let's go make something." Alex said, grabbing his bag.
"Wait. He gets you? He's baffled by a tissue box." This wasn't fair Adam was taking the guy I liked.
"How does one know when the other one's gone? It just pops right up." The two ran out from the house to make some Giant glasses.
It wasn't fair I wanted to be the one doing that with Alex. "That's it. Eddy, crank up the heat- full blast."
"But if I do, it'll melt the butter sculpture, and that would be... awesome!" The AI cheered.
MCHS Gym (Maddie's POV)-
"Okay, next up we have the amazing Chase, the only magician whose magic wand is bigger than he is!" Perry announced.
That couldn't be right. I turned to Leo who hadn't made it into the show. "I thought you were doing magic not Chase."
"So did I." He turned to grab something from his backpack.
"Thank you, thank you, ladies and gentlemen! For my first trick, I will move that chair... with my mind." You have got to be kidding me.
"Is he really gonna use his bionics?" I whisper yelled to Leo.
"Not if I can do anything about it." Leo said. I just focused on Chase.
"Let's see how amazing Chase is now." I turned to see Leo holding the bionic signal interrupter.
"What are you doing?!" I ripped the device from his hands. "This device isn't complete. I could make Chase glitch!"
Chase kept trying to move the chair but nothing happened. "And... hmm!"
"Bor-ing! Bring out the girl who looks eerily similar to a giraffe!" Perry called discouraging Chase.
"I don't know what happened!" He provided and I just glared at Leo.
"I do: You stink. Get off the stage before you incur the wrath of my rotten tomatoes." Everyone began to boo him, making him grow more nervous.
"No, no, no, no! Please! I can do it! I really can." Chase tried using his ability to move the chair with all of his might.
"This is awful!" Perry laughed.
Chase turned to face the audience once again. He was shrinking in on himself before there was a shift. No. Please not now. I saw his posture shift and his eyes flash bright green.
Spike roared as he released "Hey! You want to see me move that chair with my head?"
"I hope he's doing an impression, 'cause that voice sounds an awful lot like Spike." Leo said sheepishly.
"That is Spike you idiot." I backhanded Leo's shoulder.
"Wow! Ha ha ha ha ha!" Perry laughed as Spike crushed the chair over his head.
"Yep, that's Spike." Leo winced.
"Well, there's a fine line between entertaining and disturbing, and... I think we've crossed it. So let's take a brief intermission." Perry decided and the crowd moved to the hall leaving Spike on stage.
"Hi. Um, Spike, I was wondering if you could chill out and let weak little Chase pop back out before... Principal Perry-" Leo said trying to calm down a growling Spike.
"I don't want to chill out! I want to rip out someone's spine and use it as a pogo stick!" Spike roared.
"Or... we could picture a nice, tranquil forest filled with leaping gazelles, while you…" Leo stole an old lady's teacup. "have a nice cup of soothing tea."
Spike took a bit out of the cup before pushing it back into Leo's hands. "Tasty!"
"You go away. You're not helping." I pushed Leo away and stepped up to Spike.
"Well, hello Sparks." He said moving in closer.
"It's not Sparks anymore Spike. I lost my powers." I said dryly.
"Well you're still feisty like a Kitten." He pulled my waist to his body and nuzzled his nose along my neck.
"Nope." I pushed off his chest forcing him to step back. "I'm happy to spend time with you but you have to agree to let Chase out after."
"Anything for the Lady. Whatever makes you happy." Spike purred. Chase made sure with whatever hold he had on Chase that I was their number one concern.
"Come on." I grabbed his hand and pulled him to the elevator. I pushed him inside and pressed the second floor button hitting the emergency stop button half way up.
He wasted no time. As turned around I was already in his arms and his lips were on my own. Spike was a bit more forceful than Chase but I didn't hate it. I loved both sides of him and was happy to see Spike as long as he stayed in Check.
He pushed me against the wall pinning me against it with his own body. My hands found his toned biceps and his lips moved down to my neck. If it weren't for him pinning me I wouldn't have been able to stand as he bit down hard on my weak spot before licking over it. His hands wandered around my body as he brought his lips back up to mine. Chase and I had never gone too far but I knew Spike would if I let him.
I pushed off of him but leaned my forehead on his. "What happened kitten?"
"What are you talking about?"
"Your powers? How did you lose them?" He asked.
"I had a serum that gave me my powers some one took it out of me." I explained.
"If I ever find them them they won't live to see the next day." He growled.
"As much I would love to see that happen, my powers are gone and they're not coming back." He grunted wanting to hurt the people that hurt me. "I know you love to protect me but there's nothing you can do."
"I can rip out their intestines and use them like a jump rope." He grinned, maliciously.
I gave him a hug and he wrapped this arms around me. I felt him tense before his posture changed. Chase is back.
"Madds, what just happened?" He asked in shock, still blushing.
"I think Spike wants to kill some people." I laughed as he paled. "Leo can explain the rest come on lets get back.
. . .
"Leo tell Chase what you did." I shrunk at my intense glare.
"I... might have disabled your molecular kinesis, but I only did it because you cheated first, so there, we're even." He explained quickly.
"Leo, you made me nervous and triggered my Commando App. You turned me into Spike!" Chase said putting the pieces together,
"Yeah, well, now you're back to good ol' nerdy Chase. So let this be a lesson: No one steals from the magic man." Leo threatened.
"What'd you say to me, fruit fly?!" And back to Spike.
"What's wrong with you?" I asked Leo, exasperated.
"Hey... look, everybody. Spike's back." Leo said sheepishly.
Davenport House (Bree's POV)-
"Butter Perry escaped!" Adam gasped as the two came into the room. "You check the bus station, I'll check the pancake house!"
"Oh, no. What happened?" I asked feigning innocence.
"I don't get it. Butter doesn't melt at room temperature. And we can't rebuild it in time for the talent show." Alex sat down upset.
"Hmm. Tragic. Oh, well, let's go see a movie. Come on." I tried pulling him out the door but Eddy stopped me.
"Slow your roll, shirley! Check out this movie!" Eddy brought up the security tape.
"Eddy, crank up the heat- full blast." I winced at is turned to Alex.
"Bree, how could you?" He asked.
"I'm sorry, but you were spending so much time with Adam, I just got jealous."
"So you purposely sabotaged me?" He pulled his keys out. "I'm gonna go. I have to pick up Maddie from school."
"You could've asked to join us. We never knew you wanted to." Adam said seriously.
Mission Creek High School (Maddie's POV)-
Spike ran past me before I could stop him and I caught up to him in the hallway.
"Goody. I love it when all the easy targets are gathered in one place." He growled.
"Spike maybe we should go hang out, you know since we don't see each other too often." I wrapped my arms around him and one of my hands in his hair.
"Not right now Kitten. Daddy's got to take care of some fools." He picked me up and placed me behind him.
"There you are. I hope this signal interrupter works on Spike, too." Leo kept using the device on Spike.
I grabbed his arm holding him back. "I won't let you."
He pulled my hand off his arm and roughly pinned me. "You want to try that again Kitten?" He growled.
"Nope." The device must be making Spike worse because he never ever laid a harmful hand on me.
Spike released me and took some girls twirling baton and bend it into a triangle. Twirl that, princess!"
"Come on, you piece of junk!" Leo fought the device. Chase became more angry.
"Aaah! It's like this thing is amplifying Spike's bionic aggression instead of interrupting-" Leo put things together when I made a face at him. "Oh."
Spike ripped off the fountain spout and started lapping up water. "Save a cup, save the planet!"
Davenport House (Bree's POV)-
"Alex's not returning my calls. How am I gonna make this up to him?" I asked Adam.
"Look, the damage is done. Bree. Unless you have 28 pounds of delicious popcorn to soak up his butter art." Yes that was it! We could remake the bust with popcorn.
"Yes!" I cheered.
"You do?" Adam asked excitedly.
"No. I mean, what if we build Alex a new protest statue?" I explained.
"How?" He asked and I sped out to the store.
"With 28 pounds of popcorn." I ran back in with two fourteen pound popcorn bags.
"Sweet!" Adam cheered.
"But how are we ever gonna pop it all before the talent show ends?" I asked, realising our issue.
"Oh, I got this." Adam used his heat vision to pop all the popcorn at once.
"That'll work." I mused.
Mission Creek High School (Bree's POV)-
"Hey, Bree. This better be important. Maddie needs my help." Alex was still really upset.
"Alex, I know you're mad at me, but hopefully this gigantic waste of popcorn makes it up to you." I pulled the sheet away revealing the sculpture only to see Adam licking the popcorn structure. "Adam! Stop licking Principal Perry!"
"I can't help it! She's salty." He explained.
"I'm really sorry that I melted your butter sculpture." I apologized.
"This looks awesome!" He gushed. "And popcorn was a great idea. What are the eyes?"
"They're cookies." Adam fist bumped Alex.
"I was so upset. But... this gesture is making my heart melt like…" Alex was looking for the right word.
"Butter?" Adam offered.
"No!" We both fought.
Mission Creek High School (Maddie's POV)-
Spike slammed a basketball hoop into the basketball player and laughed. "That's what I call a slam punk!"
"Nice Spike. Good Spike. Sit! Spike, sit!" Leo tried.
"Oh, hey. Did we mention Spike's back?" I said to Adam, Bree, and Alex.
"Who's Spike? And what's wrong with Chase?" Alex asked.
"Long story." Principle Perry came from her office straight towards us.
"Oh! I smell butter!" She saw the bust they had made. "Who is responsible for this?"
"I am!" Alex said, taking ownership.
"I love it! The talent show is over! We have a winner!" Perry cheered.
"No!" Alex groaned.
Spike decided to charge at the bust completely destroying it. "No! How dare you destroy the Mona Lisa that was my popcorn bust?!"
"What are you gonna do about it, shoulder pads?" Spike growled. This was bad Spike versus Perry never ended well.
"Easy, butch. Your mouth is writin' a check that you can't cash." Perry warned.
"Oh, yeah? Well, Santa called- he wants to know if you'll be making toys this year!" Spike fought.
"Why bother makin' a dolly when I have my own right here?" Perry mocked in a baby voice.
"Ooh! That's a funny joke. Where'd you get it from, your cat's litter box?" Spike was just pouring it on.
"Nobody talks about my cats! You're goin' down!" She pulled a luchadores mask from her pocket. "Back when I was in the Tijuana Ladies Wrestling League, they called me La Rosa Bonita!"
"And watch out, because I have... thorns!" She put the mask on.
"All right, cat lady! Ready to tango?" They began circling each other.
"Must... protect... my... students! Prepare to be subdued!" The two charged at each other and engaged in combat. They were flipping each other over. They slammed each other into the walls. Perry threw Spike on the ground and as he was getting up Perry climbed onto the bench. Once he stood up I could see that he was no longer Spike but Chase stood up confused.
"Viva la Perry! Waaaaa!" Perry wailed as she jumped on top of him.
"Ohhh!" We winced as Chase got buried by Principal Perry.
"Ha!" She laughed. Pinning him once again.
"Uhhh!" Chase groned.
"La Rosa Bonita! Aaah!" She cheered in victory.
"Why am I being smothered by a female Mexican wrestler in a pantsuit?!" Chase asked, trying to look past Perry.
"I'll fill ya in later." I sad coming up next to him and Perry held him down.
July 31st MCHS Cafeteria (Maddie's POV)-
Chase, Leo, and I sat at lunch as other students walked past us teasing Chase.
"Ha. ha." He laughed sarcastically.
"Well, Chase, you finally got what you wanted. You are no longer invisible at this school. You'll forever be known as the kid who got pinned by Principal Perry." Leo laughed.
"Thank you, Leo." Chase answered shortly.
"Pinned like the butterfly on the science teacher's wall." Leo mused. I giggled and Chase gave me a look.
"Gotcha, Leo." Chase confirmed.
"Ya know, if being pinned was a talent, you would have won." Chase let out a roar identical to Spike's and slammed his fists on the table.
"Spike! Spike!" Leo ran away screaming in fear.
"Ahh. That little trick is gonna come in handy." We laughed.
I turned to him so we could talk. "See what happens when you use your bionics and take the easy way out?"
"Yeah you were right. I shouldn't have used my bionics. I'm sorry." He apologized
"I forgive you. But don't do it again." I warned.
A/N: Next up is Leo vs. Evil. I never thought this would reach two hundred reads for thanks for reading. Please keep, reading, voting, and reviewing.