I'm surprised. People seem to like this. And get very passionate about it ;). So...chapter one, huh? My OC Hannah, huh? First person pov, huh? Distractions! So, this is several years later and the first time Hannah meets Leo and Tasha. Hannah, obviously, has changed a lot since the prologue, and this is kind of the characters' reactions to her. I imagine her at about fifteen at this point. Oh, and see if you can catch my reference.
It was really interesting to write Hannah's perspective and dialogue. I had to pay special attention, if you noticed. I probably messed up somewhere, but that's what editing and reader criticism is for. Distractions again!
By the way, do you guys prefer the line after/before the A/N and the text or not? I haven't put one in there, but I've seen it in other stories. Does it look better with or without it? And do you prefer chapter titles (like "Reunion") or just the chapter number (like "Chapter 1")? Maybe I should put a poll up for it... ;)
Ding dong.
I had always loved the sounds doorbells made. Maybe because I had only ever heard them one time a year: my annual visits, or "checkups" as Mr. Davenport called them. But this was different, this time I wasn't just here for a few hours to see Mr. Davenport and his family.
The door opened wide, showing Mr. Davenport's welcoming figure. "Oh, hello, Hannah. You're exactly on time. Come on in." Everyone was so polite and formal around me, but I didn't know there was another way to act.
"Thank you." I stepped inside, and immediately the smell of homemade spaghetti wafted over to me. That was new.
I surveyed the room, my brain instantly scanning for threats or changes. It was all instinct for me to protect and preserve myself, the Davenport family, and anyone else who needed my assistance.
"Where are Adam, Bree, and Chase?" I asked. The facility had taught me to call them Subjects A, B, and C, but that was one of the only rules I resisted. To me, they would always be Adam, Bree, and Chase. Maybe because they seemed more…human than the people at the facility. They were my friends, not my trainers.
"They're downstairs in the lab. They just finished a mission and are putting away their gear. They should be up any minute. They were really excited to see you, especially now that they can introduce you to Leo and Tasha." Mr. Davenport seemed a lot more relaxed and casual than I had ever seen him before. It was most likely due to the recent increase in his family.
"Hi, Donnie," a piercing voice greeted. "Oh, and hey, Hannah. What have you been doing this year? I know what I've been doing: being tortured by an evil psychotic beast. Here, I'll show you a picture." A photograph of an African-American woman appeared on a screen on the wall.
"Hello, Eddy. I would ask how you are doing, but it sounds like you already know," I said.
"Hannah!" a childish male voice called from behind me. I turned to see Adam coming up from the elevator. His face lit up like a light, and he ran over, jumping over the couch in the middle of the room. He held his arms wide to give me a hug, but then a confused look flitted across his face. He lowered his arms and extended one for a handshake, still with a confused look. He seemed unsure of what to do, so I accepted his handshake, and he seemed satisfied.
Even though I had been told that the three bionic teenagers had been allowed upstairs recently, I couldn't help but feel shocked at the first sight of Adam in the living room. Previously, we had only seen each other in the lab. Soon, Bree and Chase were up as well, and they were as awkward and unsure around me as their older brother. We all shook hands, but I could feel the tension in the air. And everyone else could as well, even without the body language lessons I had taken.
Just as the strain was starting to melt as we talked and caught up, just like old times, an African-American boy and woman, the same from the photo, clambered down the stairs. They were grinning as they came over to us. They introduced themselves as Tasha and Leo, as I expected.
"So, Hannah, tell me about yourself," Tasha said.
"What are you referring to?" I wondered, slightly confused.
"What are your likes, dislikes, hobbies, crushes?"
"Crushes?" I raised an eyebrow, wondering what this meant.
"The person you have a crush on." I still gave her a blank look. "The person you like. The guy you think is cute. Haven't you ever fallen in love with anyone?"
If I wasn't tense enough, I would have stiffened. Love was forbidden. Love was not allowed. Love was not a feeling I had ever experienced, nor was I supposed to. Even the Davenports weren't close enough for anything more than a sense of camaraderie.
"Tasha," Mr. Davenport said warningly, "that's enough. You kids catch up. Tasha and I are going to have a talk." He led his confused wife over into another room, leaving us by the door.
"Want to sit?" Leo asked us.
"Sure," Adam replied. The others nodded, and I shrugged. I saw no problem with sitting down, even though I had been trained to stand for several hours if I needed to.
We sat on the big couch. The others were much more relaxed than me, but I didn't mind. I had accepted long ago that I wasn't normal.
"So, Hannah, what are you like?" Leo inquired.
"There is not much to speak about. I have trained all my life at one of Mr. Davenport's top facilities. They study and teach me there."
"Cool, what did they teach you?"
"Many things. Mostly how to survive and protect. I have been taught many languages, almost every form of martial arts and self-defense, surveillance, counter-surveillance, lock-picking, code-breaking, hacking, first-aid, how to operate almost every weapon, and most importantly how to use all the bionic abilities that have been uploaded to the facility's database."
"Wait, so you have bionics?"
"No, we already told you this," Bree hissed. She turned back to me. "Sorry, Leo doesn't have a very big attention span."
"Hey!"
"That is alright," I told them. I had also been taught how to defuse a situation quickly. "No, I am not bionic. I have been taught through simulations how to use bionics if necessary. I have a blank chip attached to my nervous system that is capable of holding all of Adam, Bree, and Chase's bionics and is ready to be activated in a moment's notice."
"Oh, that's cool. Adam, Bree, and Chase once showed me one of those simulations to make up for not inviting me to my own birthday party. It was awesome."
The three looked down, embarrassed at the reminder of their failure. "By the way, when's your birthday, Hannah?" Leo asked.
"March 29th, 2000," I answered instinctively. That date had been drilled into my brain because of all the paperwork and reports I had seen with it on it. "I have never celebrated it though."
"Whoa, you've never had a birthday party? We should throw you one next time."
"That is alright. I am not sure I would be able to get used to it."
"We're throwing you one anyway," he said stubbornly. He already seemed thrilled at the idea, envisioning it in his mind. I knew it would be useless to argue.
"So, how does life living out of the basement feel like?" I asked Adam, Bree, and Chase.
"Great," Bree replied. "I finally get to be normal for once. I have a cell phone and friends and a boyfriend. I love freedom." She sighed dreamily.
"The toast tastes better up here," Adam told me. "And now I have a million other places to punch Chase." Before anyone could process that, he hit his brother's arm and jumped up, running off and laughing.
Chase just rolled his eyes, not even attempting to go after Adam. It seemed like this happened a lot. "I like it here. It's more interesting than the lab. We get to go on missions to save people and see the world and go to school and stuff."
Just then, Mr. Davenport walked in. Tasha trailed behind him, looking slightly pale. He came over to us while she went to the kitchen and stirred the spaghetti. "Hey, guys. So, Hannah, what with your training complete, I have your capsule ready in the room upstairs."
For a split second, I couldn't really process his words. Capsule? But that meant that I would be staying with them… "Thank you, Mr. Davenport," I managed, "but I will not be staying."
"What?" They were all looking at me in shock.
"I appreciate the offer, but I must keep moving. You may have the luxury of being able to stay in one place, but I cannot do that. I must continue with what my trainers taught me. I must fight and protect you from potential harm. While you are in school, I will be somewhere in the world, saving you from things you do not even know about. I am protecting the people who protect people." I smiled humorlessly at my own joke.
"But you can't just go!" The kids were protesting, trying to convince me to stay here.
"Is this a part of your training? I was never informed of this." Mr. Davenport ran a hand through his hair.
"Yes, this was what was expected of me the whole time. Were you not aware of this?" I raised an eyebrow. Apparently, those reports and debriefings hadn't mentioned this to him.
"No, I never knew…" He looked distracted. He snapped back to attention. "You're not leaving. I'm going to call the facility and tell them the plan's been changed." He began to walk toward his desk, but I stopped him.
"With all due respect, Mr. Davenport, it was my idea for this. I want to go. I need to keep my skills sharp and need to remain unattached to people. All those years of training, my very existence in fact, would be wasted if I could not protect you from the danger that is out there. I may be your replacement, your Plan B, but until then, I am your servant, your guard, your protector."
"Yes, but you can do that from right here. Surely you can continue training here and still protect us."
"Yes, I could, but I prefer to distance myself from people I care about. It is the logical choice, and it is the one I am the most comfortable with. Please, just consider it."
The inventor sighed, closing his eyes in defeat. "I don't have much of a choice. Is there any way I could change your mind?" At my shake of the head, he continued, "Well, I really wish you would stay, but if you really must go, I can't really stop you. Your capsule will always be here, and you're always welcome here. Just promise me one thing."
"Of course. Anything."
"Stop by to visit often."
"I will."
We said our goodbyes, all of them trying one last time to convince me not to go. But I refused to be persuaded and made my way to the door. I turned one last time and waved farewell. They waved back, and I slipped outside. Into the unknown.