"Where are you going?"

He stopped mid-step. "Thought you said I wasn't a prisoner."

Bree blinked. "That's right."

"Well then, I'm going to take a leak." He turned to look behind him; glare was more like it. "If that's alright with you."

Even he was surprised by the gravel tone his voice had taken in that moment. Not that he would let them know that. Bree appeared hurt, yet Adam raised an eyebrow before letting out a laugh. He actually looked, well, somewhat impressed by the retort. Bree turned her glare towards the dark haired boy and huffed. "Whatever."

He turned and limped away from the camp. He took his time. It wasn't as if he were in a giant hurry to get back. The truth was he just needed a minute - well more than that, actually - alone to think.

He waited, yet heard nothing. No footprints. No voices, save those in the distance. No one was following him, no one watching or coming to see what was taking him so long.

They trust you.

His stomach churned from the thought. How easy it would be to run now, to escape. They'd never know at least not a little while. He could do it. Except for once, he wasn't sure that was the best course of action. He hated feeling so helpless, so out of control. Yet these two, they had done nothing but treated him well. They'd pulled him from the river. They'd treated his injuries. They'd provided him with water, with food...

With safety.

'Our own brother...' He closed his eyes and sighed, trying to focus his mind again. Trying to retrieve the images he had seen the last few days. How conflicted they were. What was real and what had his mind made up? Could he even trust what he'd seen? Sure these two were real but were the other people? What about the rest of it?

There was one way to find out, one which awaited him a few yards away. Even as he began to stumble back his mind protested. Still he made his way back to the camp. Bree had now joined Adam; both were hunched over the com device.

'Our own brother...' At first glance they didn't look much alike yet as he watched he began to notice some similarities. He swallowed, and suddenly spoke before he could stop himself. "So we're siblings huh."

There was no mistaking the hope on their faces as they looked at him. It almost made him wish he hadn't said it. Quickly he added, "I... overheard you talking earlier..."

Their faces fell again. A sense of guilt washed over him. He looked to the ground and his eyes fell on the com. He felt the familiar click in his head as something came to place.

"Some of the wires are crossed," he informed them.

He motioned, silently asking for the com. Adam handed it over. He opened the back and looked over the various wires inside. He felt his insides burn and looked up to see them both still watching. "What?"

"Nothing," they both said almost in unison. He frowned. It wasn't nothing. He could see that across their faces. He turned his attention back to the wires. His hands worked confidently even as conscencely he had no real idea what he was doing, all the while trying to keep the boiling in his gut within check. Being angry would do no good. He needed to stay calm, just in case...

Something in the corner of his eye caught his attention. He turned to glance at it. The bright orange box, smashed and dirty, stood out among the darkness. He stared at it. His mind sparked.

"Hey!"

Red. He was standing in a clearing in the woods, his hands balled tightly into fists as he looked away from the bright orange box still lodged within the wreckage. He found a man standing only a few feet away, gun in hand. "What do you want?"

"Could ask you the same thing kid."

He heard the gun click as the man raised it. Even then he didn't think to run but rather to charge, to ram into him and knock the gun away...

"...ase?"

He blinked. The memory faded as he did. He tried to follow it, to see more yet it was gone, having retreated back to it's hiding place. It hadn't been much yet at the same time... Even so his focus returned back to the object in his hands. They were still looking at him.

"So what's with the getup?" he asked. A quite nasty little quirp danced in his head yet he kept it to himself.

"Mission suits," Adam chirped.

So there was training. A strange sort of assurance came over him knowing his mind at least wasn't fully playing tricks on him. It was followed by something else as he again look at them. "How old are you?"

"Seventeen," Bree replied.

"And him?"

"Eighteen. You're sixteen."

He cursed under his breath. They really were kids. Why on earth were they being sent on missions? What insane person did something like that?

"It's not like that," Bree added quickly as if sensing his thoughts. "We're, well, not like most kids. We can handle ourselves usually."

What did that mean? A voice returned from his memories. "All that techo-crap…"

"What?"

"Nothing, just… forget it." His thoughts continued to swirl. It still didn't make sense yet he didn't want to press. Questions filled in his head. So many questions...

Done. He held the device out to them. It was Bree who took it from him, seemingly hesitant even as she muttered a thanks. He shrugged. The com roared and sputtered, a sound much more pronounced than before. He smiled in spite of himself. Maybe his tinkering had worked, after all.

"What was the mission?"

"One of Davenport's drones went off course," Bree replied. "It was set to crash on a pipe line here in the area. We were sent to stop it, or at least repair the damage. But something went wrong."

"They knew we were coming," Adam added. "Disabled our-"

"It was a trap," Brew continued, casting him a glance. "We aborted the mission and lost communication with Davenport at base. Made for the rondevu point. Adam didn't make it at first-"

"Got lost-"

"-and you went to find him. He came back, you didn't. After awhile we headed out to find you. Made it back to the crash site and… well you know the rest."

Except he didn't. Or maybe he did, if only somewhat. He frowned and stared back at the fire. What they were telling him fit what he had seen time and time again.

"What happened to you, Chase?"

He couldn't resist the scowl which came. "I don't know. I-" Dare he continue? "I just woke up in a river. Everything else is- gone."

Not the truth yet it would have to satisfy them for now. He looked towards the fire again. They'd been so forthcoming and yet his gut still churned. The com sputtered and died again, even as Adam took over and began speaking in it. Maybe he hadn't been such a big help after all.

"It'll be okay." He looked to find Bree staring at the fire as well. Was she saying it to him or to himself? He didn't know. She bit her lip. "We'll figure this out. We'll get back to the lab and everything will be okay."

The lab? Something tugged at the corner of his mind. "Under the house."

"That's right." Her face brightened.

"We live there-" He frowned again. "What am I, some sort of science experiment?"

He would be blind not to notice her hesitation. "No, course not."

He should have pressed, yet something told him not to in that moment. So many questions, yet one pressed above the rest. "Who am I?"

Neither of them spoke at first. He didn't know how to take that reaction.

"You're our little brother," Adam offered. He resisted the urge to snap something back. He knew that already. Instead he waited.

This time it was Bree who spoke. Her words came out quickly, almost slurred. "You're Chase Davenport. Your birthday is March 10. You go to school at Mission Creek High. You live at home with me and Adam and our dad and our step mom Tasha and our brother - her son - Leo." She took a breath. "You're on the chess team and Latin club and just about every other nerdy club you can imagine. You're annoyingly smart and know it. You're a perfectionist. You're also a huge nerd. You'd rather save your money than spend a penny of it, and you don't ever want to miss a day of school and genuinely just want to please everybody and be perfect all the time." She sighed. "But you can also be really nice and sweet and are a good leader."

He frowned listening to her continue to ramble. Occasionally Adam would chime in with something. It was strange hearing someone else talk about this person - Chase Davenport- and knowing she was talking about him. Yet it didn't feel right. It felt like a stranger, like someone else. It might as well have been for that matter. It was hard to put into words, because even he himself didn't know what he was feeling. He just was.

He bit his lip as they finished, a new realization crossing his mind. "So Mr. Davenport, he's your-"

"Dad. Yeah."

"But if he's your dad, then why do you call him Mr. Davenport?"

They exchanged a look. Finally Adam shrugged. "We just always have."

He frowned. "Is he the one who sends you on missions?"

"Us," Brew corrected. "And yes."

"And what does your mom think about this?"

"Tasha's pretty cool about it."

"That's not what I meant."

Silence befell the camp. Finally, very faintly, Adam responded. "She's dead."

He felt something sting his insides. He's struck a nerve. Something told him it wasn't a topic to be discussed, something which never was discussed. Not taboo, but just painful. And unknown. For once he felt his cheeks burn and he looked away. "Sorry."

Adam looked towards the fire. "You didn't know."

"But-"

"Better get some sleep." Adam stood. "Long day tomorrow."

He nodded yet didn't move. He looked up to find Bree once again watching him. "What?"

"Nothing, just-" she offered nothing more. He didn't have to ask. It was written all over her face and Adam's. This wasn't how he normally acted around them. He got the feeling it worried them seeing him like this, but he had nothing to offer. He didn't know what they wanted from him, how to behave, what to say. He didn't feel like putting forth the effort, either.

He wrapped his arms around his knees. The fire was beginning to fade. The light bounced and swayed. He watched it silently. His thoughts too for once were silent. Perhaps his mind was tired too.

He didn't realize he had fallen asleep until he heard the noise. At first he thought it was the fire until he heard emerge a voice. A male voice, faint yet distinctive as it came over the com. He didn't move yet the other two did as it came again.

"... Bree? Adam, Chase, can you hear me...?"