Chase took his time walking the rest of the way home, trying to figure out how he was going to come to terms with being 'normal'. He wondered if he would have to drop out of his current classes due to their sudden difficulty for him; that was likely. He wondered if he would still be able to go on missions; that was unlikely. Without his chip, he was useless. He had felt useless before the removal of it, but now he really was. Chase found a new respect for Leo that afternoon.

He snuck into the house as quietly as he could, but to his dismay, he found Mr. Davenport and Tasha sitting on the couch together, talking quietly. When they heard Chase, they fell silent, looking up at him without surprise.

"So how has it been without your chip?" Mr. Davenport asked, looking ticked.

"What are you talking about?" Chase asked, playing dumb. He didn't need to act to appear confused; how was it that not only Bree, but now Mr. Davenport and Tasha as well, knew what he had done?

"You know well what I'm talking about, don't play that game with me," Mr. Davenport snapped.

Chase sighed, rolling his eyes in annoyance and defeat. "Alright, how did you know then?" he asked.

"You left your chip extractor in your capsule. And you aren't at school," Mr. Davenport deadpanned.

Chase inclined his head, realizing his mistakes.

"So, how has it been, then?" Tasha asked.

"Um, fine. Different," Chase said briefly, not wishing to go into any more detail. He began to walk into the house more and away from his guardians when they stopped him, Mr. Davenport saying "Come back here, young man!"

Chase heaved another sigh, turning and ambling back to them.

"Why don't you have a seat? We have a lot to talk about," Mr. Davenport said.

"Big D! We can't find Chase anywhere!" Adam shouted as he, Leo, and Bree entered the house. "I'm worried about him – he might have gotten lost in the new ant farm at school!"

"Adam!" Chase snapped, giving his big brother a customary glare as he walked into the room. "I'm right here."

"Chase wasn't at school?" Leo gasped.

"I left during the first class," Chase explained.

"Why?"

"I didn't feel like staying."

Adam walked up to Chase, staring down at him hard. "Who are you and what did you do with Chase?"

"I am Chase!" Chase insisted.

Adam turned to the others, telling them quietly "That's what they all say!"

"Adam!" Chase said in exasperation.

Mr. Davenport came into the room at that point, saying "Guys, leave Chase alone."

Adam walked quickly over to Mr. Davenport, saying "I don't mean to alarm you, but that isn't really Chase!"

Mr. Davenport rolled his eyes. "I can assure you, Adam, that that really is Chase."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Alright," Adam said uneasily. Turning back to Chase, he said "I'm keeping my eye on you, though."

Chase just shook his head, looking up in vexation.

"So what does everyone have for homework today?" Mr. Davenport asked, changing the subject.

"Leo and I are partners for a Spanish project," Bree said.

"I have math," Adam said in disgust. "Not-Chase, you're going to help me."

"I am Chase," Chase said again, substantially annoyed by this time. "And sorry Adam, but I'm busy, so I can't help you today." Or any day after today, for that matter.

"Busy doing what? It's not like you have a life," Adam argued.

Chase scowled at his older brother, curtly saying "I have homework that I have to do as well."

"Come on, it only takes you ten minutes to do yours."

"It's a big project," Chase lied. Mr. Davenport shot Chase a look, and the youngest bionic withered under it. "Okay, okay, I don't really have any homework," Chase confessed.

"Great, then you can help me!" Adam said.

"Uh, no, I can't," Chase said awkwardly.

"I knew it!" Bree exclaimed.

"How did you know?" Chase asked her.

"I saw your capsule light up last night, and then you've been acting funny all day. It was obvious," she said nonchalantly.

"I thought you'd be asleep by then."

Bree looked away uncomfortably, saying "I couldn't sleep. Not after what happened yesterday."

Guilt and pain flashed across Chase's features, but before he could reply, Leo cut into the conversation. "Hold the phone! Am I the only one who doesn't know what's going on?"

"I don't either," Adam said, raising his hand a little.

"Well of course you don't," Leo said, rolling his eyes.

"I took out my chip," Chase said plainly.

"Put it back in, then, and help me with my homework," Adam said, wondering why all of a sudden he seemed to be the smartest person in the room.

"No, I took it out for good. I'm not going to be bionic anymore," Chase said dramatically to drive the point home.

After a moment of stunned silence, Adam asked "Why?"

"Why do you think?" Chase shouted, causing everyone else to jump.

"Ohhh…," Leo said in revelation, but Adam still looked confused.

"I don't know," Adam said. "You've always aspired to be Leo?"

"No!" Chase said angrily. "No offense, Leo," he added.

"None taken," Leo sighed.

"I took out my chip because my commando app is on it, so if there's no commando app, there's no Spike," Chase explained animatedly. "No chip, no Spike."

"Ohhh…." It was Adam's turn to have a revelation. "Why didn't you just say that?"

AN: How's that for a comical anticlimax? Don't worry, the best of the story is yet to come; I'm just trying to draw it out. And hopefully I'm giving you a laugh as I do.

Thank you all again for the reviews, favorites, and follows - hang in there for Chapter 6!