September 16th Davenport Lab (Maddie's POV)-

Something started shaking my shoulder "Maddie? Madds? Wake up. Maddie Wake up."

"I'm up!" I jumped up knocking some of my tools to the ground. "What's going on?"

"You crashed on top of your project again." Chase explained, while rubbing my shoulders.

"Oh. Well time to get back to work. Do you mind getting me some coffee?" I smiled trying to butter him up.

"Madds, when are you gonna take a break? You've been working nonstop for weeks now." His brow furrowed in the cute way it does when he is worried.

"I can rest when I finish. If you want to help me I'd welcome it but this is something I need to finish." After everything that had happened with Marcus and Douglas I wanted to be able to protect myself again.

I had immediately started drawing up plans and got to work. My first project was a sonic blaster which was similar to a gun but used sound waves as ammunition. The weapon I was currently working on was a gauntlet that was made of nanoparticles and it would be able to generate and form electricity for attacks.

As I continued to work Chase moved across the desk and pulled my tools out of my hands. "Look Madds, I'm sorry we weren't there to protect you, but this isn't ok. You are safe, we're not gonna let you get hurt again."

"I know that but it's not the same. I was stuck and I don't have my powers anymore. I felt defenseless. Chase I used to be a superhero, someone who protected people, now I can't even protect myself." I started getting choked up.

Chase came back to my side and wrapped me in a hug. I leaned into him. "You're right and it's something I haven't had to deal with. I'm sorry that you have to go through this. What can I do for you?"

"Coffee?" I pulled away, moving back to my work.

"Absolutely." He kissed my forehead before leaving to grab a coffee for me.

I just started working when my phone started ringing.

"What do you want?" I asked as I accepted the call on speaker.

"Wow, hello to you too dear sister." Alex answered with a voice full of sarcasm.

"I'm serious Alex. I'm really busy, what do you need?" I asked, frustrated.

"Well I feel like I haven't seen you in forever, I miss my little sister." He explained.

"Is that all?" I continued working on the containment module.

"I was gonna ask if you wanted to go get lunch but I guess I'll just bring some back for you." Alex said.

"Thanks. Bye. Love you." I rushed before hanging up so I could focus.

. . .

If I could just get this last piece in place I could move to the testing phase of the gauntlet but it wouldn't fit.

"Ugh! Just work already!" I threw one on my screwdrivers at the wall.

"Hey! Watch it!" Leo exclaimed as ducked the tool.

"Sorry I just can't get this piece to fit." I sunk into my chair.

"What have you been working on anyway? I've never seen you working this hard on anything." He started messing with some of the other tools I have left out.

"Maybe if I just shave it down..." I thought out loud.

"You know, maybe we could go see a movie or something? We haven't gone out in a while." Leo tried.

"Did Chase put you up to this?" I asked as I shaved the metal piece down.

"What?" His voice rose to the pitch of a little girl. "Who's Chase? I have no idea what you're talking about?"

I tried placing the piece into place and it fit and stayed locked in. "Yes finally!"

"You're finished?" The containment module I made looked like a bracelet.

"No but now I can move into the testing phase." I put it down on the cyber desk to scan it and find any vulnerabilities or errors.

"Ok well it needs to scan now. So let's just go out for lunch." Leo rolled my chair away from the desk when I continued to work.

"Leo! No I need to finish." I fought and tried to move back to the desk.

"Dude you need to take a break." He pushed all my tools into the tool box before I could grab anything.

"Hey!" I exclaimed.

"Yep we're... gonna go get food with Alex. You know, your brother, who you haven't seen in days?" He groaned.

"He called you, didn't he?" I pushed.

"What?... Yes, he did. We are meeting at Fred's Tacos Corner in an hour."

"Fine. Only cause I know you'll annoy me until I go anyways." I grabbed my phone and the bracelet. I could always work on it and test it with my phone.

. . .

"What are you doing?" Leo looked over my shoulder as we sat in the booth waiting for Alex.

"Finishing my gauntlet." I smiled at the complete project. It still needed to be tested but though validation I know that there were no errors.

"You really brought it with you?" He asked, giving me a look.

"Someone wouldn't let me finish it so, yes I brought it." I gave him a smug look as Alex came up to us.

"Hey Munchkin. Hey Leo." Alex slid into the booth next to me.

"Munchkin?" Leo laughed.

"You say anything and you're dead." I warned and Leo raised both hands in surrender as Alex laughed.

"You guys order yet?" Alex grabbed the menu in front of me.

"No we were waiting on you slow poke." I threw my straw wrapper at his head.

"Well I already know what I'm gonna get." Leo added.

Before I could reply people began to panic. Two men ran into the restaurant with large bags and each carrying a gun.. Alex pushed me behind him and Leo looked like he was about to crawl under the table.

"Alright! I need everyone on the ground now! Come on everyone in the center!" The first man yelled. The restaurant's guests all began to move to a ground on the center of the floor.

Alex guided me and Leo to the group. "You got any ideas?"

"Maybe." I whispered to Leo.

"Dude what are we doing this isn't the plan?!" The other masked man exclaimed.

"Well neither was tripping the alarm but you didn't think of that did you?" The first man turned on his partner.

"What are you gonna do to us?" One of the hostages asked.

"We're gonna wait for the police to take our demands until then you guys are gonna stay here. If anyone tries anything I don't think you'll all make it out of here." The first man threatened.

"Before we can do anything we need to get these people to safety." I explained.

"How are we gonna do that?" Leo whispered.

"We're not. You are." I smiled.

"What do you mean?!" Leo exclaimed.

"You're gonna sneak two people out at a time. Go through the kitchen and get out through the back. I'll distract them while you get everyone out." Leo nodded taking in my plan.

"Fine. Stay safe." Leo moved towards the back of the group as I went to the captors.

"Maddie! What are you doing?!" Alex whisper yelled as I moved past him.

"So what was your actual plan? Rob the back and run away?" I asked.

"Well yeah obviously." The second man answered.

"Why would you answer that?!" The first man chastised him.

"What kind of partners are you? Did you guys not plan all this out before?" I could see Leo come back for another group of people. Luckily it wasn't too busy but he still had ten more people to clear.

"We did plan it out but someone was focused on his stupid girlfriend." The first man scoffed.

"Hey! Chelsea needed me! She had just lost her grand dad!" The other partner cut in.

"I mean that is being a pretty good boyfriend then." I said remembering how Chase helped me through all my family issues. "Having a family member pass away is very difficult."

"Nope. That's not what happened, is it?" The first partner asked the second.

"Her grandfather got lost at the airport. He was alive but they couldn't find him for a couple hours." The second man said sheepishly.

"Really?" I asked while Leo came back for another group leaving four people behind. By now the rest of the hostages had caught on and were making it easier on us. Alex was extremely worried for me.

"Yep. He could've been studying our plans like I told him to but nooo." The first man exclaimed.

"Why did you even do this with a partner? It seems like you work better on your own." I said to the first man.

"Why would I tell you that? In fact why have we told you anything?" The man realized. Leo came in for the last couple people with perfect timing.

Once they were clear I was free to engage the men. It would just be me and Alex left behind. Leo closed the kitchen door behind him and the last people brought them to safety.

"Cause your idiots." I said as I stood up.

"Wait! What happened to all the people?!" The first man asked.

"That's nothing you need to worry about." I cracked my knuckles.

"What do you think you're doing?" The man asked.

"Getting ready to kick your butts." I activated my gauntlet and the metal wrapper around my wrist and hand.

"Are you crazy?!" Alex asked, panicking.

"Probably." I smiled. "Please work, please work, please work." I whispered as I activated my gauntlet.

Before either of the men could attack I blasted the second man with a ball of electricity and sent him flying across the room, internally cheering that the glove actually worked. As the second man flew across the room the first man turned his gun on me, I quickly disarmed him and kicked him in the gut sending him back into a table. He got back up and swung at me. I dodged the first two hits but he hit me the third time. I stumbled to the ground but then grabbed a chair and smashed it into him knocking him out. I looked over to see the second guy knocked out against the wall.

"Maddie are you okay?!" Alex was still here! Crap!

"Is everything wrapped up in here?" Leo ran back in changing the subject. "I got everyone outside to the police but I wanted to get you before we talked to them."

"Thanks Leo." Alex pulled me over to check my injuries. I winced when he touched the bruise forming on my face.

"How did you do all that?" Alex asked.

"Self defense classes." I tried off the cuff.

I could tell he didn't believe me. "Even if you did learn all that in self defense classes, why do you have that?" Alex pointed at the sleek metal glove over my hand.

I didn't realize the gunmen had woken up when I heard a familiar voice. "Madd- No!"

Chase ran in front of me putting up his forcefield to protect me from the bullets they shot. Bree sped through and disarmed them then tied them up.

"What the..?" Alex started.

"Alex?!" Bree realized that he was there.

"Are you ok?" Chase turned around checking me over more thoroughly than Alex did.

"I'm fine. And thanks, for coming and keeping me safe. But I think I handled the situation pretty well." He laughed and I frowned at his reaction.

"Maddie almost getting shot is not handling something well." He explained.

"Ok but everything else went well." I fought.

"Yes. Good job Madds." He pulled me into a hug but I kept my arms crossed at my chest.

I could hear Alex asking Bree tons of questions. There was really no getting out of telling him now. "Come on we'll explain but we should get out of here first."

Davenport Lab (Maddie's POV)-

We finally got Alex down to the lab and his face was still covered with shock.

"Welcome to the lab." Bree said flatly.

"Ok I need someone to tell me what's going on?" He was getting more and more frustrated. "How where you two able to do all that? And how could you fight those guys?"

"Look, Alex there's a lot I haven't told you because we wanted to keep you safe." I said slowly but it just made him angrier.

"So what's this big secret then? Huh?"

"We're bionic." Bree said gesturing to herself and Chase.

"And I was volt." I said shyly.

There was a flood of emotions washing over him until one took over. Anger.

"You lied to me? I know we haven't been in each other's lives for that long but I'm still your brother. You think I would spill a secret like that?" I realized he was more hurt than angry.

"I-" He took my silence as an answer.

"It makes sense why you're always here then. You don't trust me." He turned to Chase. "And you! How can I be sure you're even human? You know what I don't want you around my sister. Come on Maddie."

"What?! No! I don't want to leave Chase!" I tugged but his strength was too much for me and I couldn't have done anything without hurting him.

"If you're not gonna trust me how can I trust you?" He explained.

He dragged me out of the lab and all the way home. Would he really keep me apart from Chase?

I didn't even notice as tears began racing down my face. A culmination of all the physical and emotional pain and exhaustion from today. I could feel my phone buzzing from texts in my pocket, most likely from Bree and Chase.

"You know none of this ever would have happened if you told me before." Alex groaned. He passed me a tissue and I was confused before I noticed the wetness of my cheeks. The two of us crashed on the couch.

"You didn't even let us explain." I fought.

"Fine. Explain." I was shocked by this shift in his position but took my chance.

"Look, I wanted to tell you. But doing that puts you in danger if anyone ever found out you knew. Besides like I said I was Volt. I lost my powers a little while ago and gave it all up. It was all before I even met you." There was a shift in his expression but I still couldn't tell what he was feeling. "And as for Adam, Bree, and Chase that's not my secret to tell, but I can assure you that they are one hundred percent human but they were genetically engineered and given bionics before they could even talk."

He stood up, dragged his face over his face then just went to his room.

After everything today I didn't even bother to call after him. I needed my bed. I got to the doorway of my bedroom but hesitated. Part of the reason I had been staying at the lab almost every night was so that I could avoid sleeping. I'd been having nightmares ever since Marcus and Douglas. No one knew about this of course but they had been getting worse. With the lack of sleep and the increased paranoia I was stressed all the time.

When I closed my eyes to sleep now I'd see Marcus beating me or Chase and Leo. Either that or Douglas running tests on me, cutting me open and ripping me apart.

I entered the room but instead of heading for my bed I opted to grab a hoodie, some headphones, and my old skateboard from the closet. It was something I had given up a while ago but now I had nothing to lose and sleep to avoid so why not.

With my playlist started I rode off and spent the whole night skating. We had school the next morning so I stopped at my house grabbing my backpack and heading off for the school.

September 17th Mission Creek High School (Leo's POV)-

"Look man I'm sure she'll be here any minute alright? We can talk to her then." Adam said, dropping his usual act. Maddie and I had picked up on it over the years but Adam was actually kind of smart and an extremely caring older brother. He would act dumb to shine a brighter light on Chase but always be there for support.

"But what if she's not ok? She never answered her phone last night. What if Alex makes us break up?" Chase panicked. He was pacing in front of the bench the rest of us were sitting on.

"He'd never do that. He sees how happy you make Maddie. Plus she'd never let him." Bree smiled thinking of Maddie.

"Is that her?" I saw a figure with a large hoodie on with ripped blue jeans and vans. They were riding a skateboard but their vans and backpack looked just like Maddie's.

"Since when does she skateboard?" Adam asked.

"I have no Idea." Chase answered but he seemed focused on someone else.

"Maddie!" Bree called. We all turned to her.

"What are you doing?!" I shrieked.

"What you guys wanted to know if it was her, look." She pointed at the skateboarder heading straight towards us.

"Hey guys." She said flicking the skateboard up and catching it mid air.

"You skateboard?" I asked.

"Sometimes." She answered.

Even with her hood on it was easy to see the dark circles under her eyes. "Hey is everything okay?" Chase asked.

"Yeah, I just won't be able to come to work for a bit." She smiled to reassure Chase but it didn't reach her eyes. "Come on we gotta head to class."

Chase took her hand and for a second it looked like she flinched. I shrugged it off knowing that she was probably just tired. She stopped to leave her skateboard in her locker and left for her first period as we went in the other direction.

. . .

We had gotten to lunch and Maddie had yet to show up. "Maddie needs to get some sleep. She looked like a zombie this morning." I huffed as we started grabbing our food.

"Maybe we could sit outside during study hall and convince her to take a nap." Chase offered.

"That's a good idea but how do we convince that girl to take a nap? It's like she's allergic to sleep." I said grabbing a bag of apple slices.

"I have a way we just need to get her outside." He said.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? She doesn't always like when you trick her into sleeping." Bree asked.

"Something is clearly wrong and if she's not sleeping it will only make things worse." I explained.

"Hey guys. What's for lunch today?" Maddie asked as she came up. She wasn't wearing the hood anymore and her hair was tied in a messy bun now but she still looked exhausted.

"There's cardboard pizza or soggy lasagna." I said dryly trying not to show my concern for her, she would hate that.

"You know the cardboard pizza isn't too bad." She hummed getting some pizza before joining us in line to pay for our food.

"Hey we were all thinking maybe we could sit outside for study hall today. You know since it's so nice out." Chase explained.

"Sure sounds good." We all sat down at our usual table and I started a conversation with Adam about the new movie we wanted to see when Bree and Chase jumped in wanting to see it too. I couldn't help but notice Maddie didn't say a word. Whenever she was just brought in she would just answer with a short answer not really talking too much.

I was about to ask her if she would want to see the movie to try and get something more out of her but the bell rang and she rushed off to class. Luckily Bree had the next class with her and then it was study hall. "Hey can you keep an eye out for Maddie?"

"Definitely. See you later." Bree ran off to catch up with Maddie.

Mission Creek High School (Bree's POV)-

We were in government class, the only class I had with Maddie, and something was off with Maddie. Instead of being attentive and answering every other question like usually she was falling asleep then waking herself up the whole class. I wouldn't blame her for falling asleep and I don't think our teacher would either but she wouldn't let herself.

We had the rest of the time in class to work on homework and the teacher went over to her. "Maddie is everything okay?" Mrs. Brown asked.

"Yeah, just a bit tired is all." Maddie explained.

"Okay, do you want to go to the nurses office?" She offered.

"No thanks Mrs. Brown I'll be fine." Maddie said. Man that girl could not take help.

For the next fifteen minutes I'd check on Maddie and see her struggling to keep her head up while reading a book for english. Over the time we had for homework I only saw her flip the page once.

Luckily the bell rang and that meant it was time for Chase and Leo's plan. "Come on Maddie lets go meet the guys outside."

"Oh... right." She yawned and grabbed her bag, keeping her thumb in the book as a placeholder.

By the time we made it to the tree we agreed to meet at Adam and Chase were already there.

"Where's Leo?" I asked but it was answered as Leo came running out of the building seconds later.

"Sorry. Trent." He explained catching his breath.

Maddie took her spot next to Chase but was weirdly stiff and touching Chase in any way. He wrapped his arm around her and she definitely flinched this time. "What's wrong Madds?"

"Nothing, I'm just a bit sore from everything that happened yesterday." She leaned into Chase but still looked uncomfortable.

"Do you want to lay down?" He asked her softly and she hummed. They moved and she laid down with her head in his lap.

"Can you pass me my book Leo?" She asked and he passed her his book. We all began working on homework. Chase had finished all his work so he just sat his Maddie and ran his hand through her hair as she read.

It hadn't even been two minutes when I looked up to see Maddie softly snoring with her book down on her chest. "Wow that was fast." I said quietly and Chase nodded, still not tearing his eyes from Maddie. The amount of love he looked at her with is something I've never seen before. I was so happy for the two of them.

"How'd you do it?" Leo asked.

"If I told you she'd kill me." He said with complete seriousness.

"Okay." I put my hands up in surrender.

Maddie began to stir in her sleep. "N- no! Please!" She began thrashing, begging, and pleading in her sleep.

"Maddie? Maddie! It's okay you're just having a nightmare. Maddie. Madds! Wake up." Chase kept trying to wake her up but she wouldn't wake up. Tears began flooding down her cheeks.

"Bree give me your water." Chase commanded and she passed him the bottle. He poured a bit of the cold water on his hands and wiped some on her forehead and eyes. Maddie shot up still out of breath and panicked.

"Look at me, Madds. Look at me. I need you to breathe with me, can you do that?" Chase instructed her in a breathing exercise. "Can you count to ten with me?" The couple slowly and shakily counted to ten. Maddie was finally able to control her breathing and jumped into Chase's arms.

"Do you want to tell us what happened?" Chase asked.

She shook her head answering no into Chase's chest. Chase looked extremely worried and gave me a look.

"Uh would you guys give us a minute?" He asked and we all nodded, leaving them behind.

"What was that look about?" Leo asked.

"Not sure but something is definitely wrong." I said. I hope everything will be ok.

A/N: I'm excited for this book. It will be focused on the end of season 2 and season three. I enjoy active readers and please continue reading!