Well, well, well . . . would you look at that! I AM updating in the same week! Haha! :D So, I'm on vacation, which means A LOT more time to write. We got to our room yesterday and the first thing I did was get on my laptop and write. I got over two thousand words down in less than three hours. Thus this chapter. I might just finish this story before I even get home next Friday! XD

This chapter is a bit sad, so prepare yourselves. It's been a long time in coming. I know you didn't want it to happen but frankly, it had to. I'm sorry. Grab the tissues, folks (though you probably won't REALLY need them until the next chapter). Also: WARNING! This chapter contains more abuse in the flashback.

So enjoy . . . or cry. I don't own Pop Tarts . . . or Lab Rats! (I do own Nicole.)

* * * Chapter 4: Endgame * * *

Chase reached out his right hand and picked up the ball. Immediately pain spread through his fingertips and he winced. It was amazing how such a small, menial task could become so incredibly difficult.

Again Chase picked up the green ball no bigger than a wadded up sock. Again the pain made him hiss. Again he dropped it, his hand unable to hold the weight of a nearly weightless object.

Chase growled to himself, angry that he couldn't do such a simple thing. The nerves in his hand refused to cooperate. Chase had hoped that he could gradually build the strength back up, but it had been nearly a month with next to no progress.

The bionic flexed his fingers and sighed. He was done for the day. He wasn't giving up – not yet. But his patience was wearing thin. With his left hand he threw the ball across the room, watching with satisfaction as it bounced off the wall and across the floor a few times before stopping in front of the bookcase.

"If I still had my super-strength, I could've sent it right through the wall," Chase murmured to himself. He sighed again. There was no point in moping about it now. Those bionics were gone, as was the use of his right hand. The only thing left to do was to accept.

Chase left the room and headed down the stairs. It was a school day today. He could already hear the clamor of plates as the rest of the family got breakfast. Chase smiled at something as simple as that; getting breakfast made them normal. Chase couldn't remember a single time when he had 'breakfast' as a child. It was always just food; at the most random times, too.

As Chase reached the bottom of the stairs, his family came into full view. Bree and Leo were fighting over something – it looked like the last cinnamon pop tart. Adam was wolfing down a bowl of sugary cereal. Donald was sipping his coffee and Tasha was trying to referee the fight between her son and her niece. Marcus sat at the table, slowly taking bites from a piece of toast.

Chase slid in beside Marcus. "So looks like I've missed a good fight, huh?"

"You have no idea," Marcus replied with a smirk. "Bree tried to use her speed to grab it, but Leo has been doing everything he can to get it back. Tasha's yelling at both of them."

"Hey, you guys!" Chase shouted. "Why don't you make this problem go away completely and give me the pop tart?"

"Shut up, Chase!" Bree and Leo yelled in unison before going back to their arguing.

Marcus chuckled. "Yeah, nice try."

"Eh, it was worth a shot. Toast actually sounds pretty good to me, too."

Chase got up and walked into the 'danger zone' between the quibbling cousins. The youngest bionic side-stepped them and got a slice of bread before putting it into the toaster. Suddenly there was a small cracking sound, and a few people moaned. The arguing suddenly stopped.

The final pop tart had not met its end in any teenage mouth. Instead it was shattered into pieces on the ground. Chase smiled in amusement.

"Five second rule!" Leo shouted. He grabbed a paper plate and started scooping the broken pop tart bits onto it.

"Gross! You can have it," Bree said, wrinkling her nose. "I'll just have a frozen waffle." She walked over to the freezer to get said breakfast food.

"Can I have some, buddy?" Adam asked, leaning over the counter.

Leo sent him a death glare. "My pop tart," he said in a gravelly voice.

Chase left the scene of the pop tart's untimely demise and sat next to his android brother. They sat in silence for a few moments. Adam, Bree, and Leo had started talking about their teachers at school. Donald and Tasha were discussing the errands they needed to get done. But Marcus and Chase were quiet.

Marcus looked tired. Dead tired. That wasn't shocking. Donald had predicted it. As Marcus got closer and closer to his inevitable end, he would slowly lose energy. There were some days when Marcus had thought he wouldn't be strong enough to go to school. But he always pushed through.

As the month went on, Marcus had become, well, a bit less whiny. He seemed to gain a new appreciation for life, though he hadn't exactly said that out loud. He was meeting people and doing things, and he talked less and less about how much time he had left.

That time was running short. It had been almost four weeks since they had gotten away from Douglas. Everyone knew Marcus didn't have a lot of time left. No one said anything to him.

"So," Donald said in a loud voice that meant he was making an announcement. Everyone turned to look at him. "I got a call from Officer Parkinson last night. You know, one of the officers guarding Douglas? He's a good friend of mine. Anyway, he said we were welcome to visit Douglas if we wanted to."

The answer was purely negative. Every single person in the room answered with some kind of response that meant 'no'. Some actually shouted the exclamation. Leo gave his response with a thumbs-down. Everyone had sour expressions.

"If I see Douglas again, I won't miss him this time," Marcus said in a chilly voice. "And in case I wasn't clear enough, I'm going to kill him!"

"Yeah, Uncle D, no one wants to see him again," Adam agreed.

"Donald, sweetie, I don't think it's a good idea," Tasha said, rubbing her husband's shoulder.

"Nope, no, no way!" Bree said.

"He's bad news, Big D," Leo chimed in.

"Chase?" Donald asked. "You haven't said anything yet. What do you think?"

Chase sighed. "Absolutely not," he said curtly. "If I never see him again, it'll be too soon." Chase still hadn't gotten around to forgiving his father. He didn't think he ever would.

"Okay," Donald said. "That's what I figured. And that's what I was hoping you would say. But I thought I would let you guys know just in case."

Everyone was in agreement. They would not go see Douglas. He could rot in that jail cell for eternity for all they cared. Not a single member of the Davenport family wanted to see his face again.

Suddenly Marcus's phone buzzed – Donald had decided it would be alright to let the android have a cell phone – and he pulled it out of his pocket. He smiled to himself.

"Who is it?" Chase asked curiously.

"Nicole," Marcus said. "You know, today would be a terribly inconvenient day to die. Nicole and I are going on a date tonight." Marcus grinned proudly.

"That should be a reality TV show," Adam piped up, turning to face his brothers. "'My Boyfriend's an Android!' Catch it Mondays at nine!" Adam winked at them.

Marcus rolled his eyes. "You guys are just jealous!"

"Maybe a little," Chase grumbled to himself. But honestly, he was happy for Marcus. The android and Nicole had been getting close over the past month. Marcus really liked being around her.

"You guys should start heading to school soon," Donald pointed out.

"We've got a few minutes, Big D," Leo assured him.

"I'll go get my stuff together," Marcus said. "I might lie down for a few minutes, too. I'm still feeling a bit tired."

"You can just crash on the couch," Chase pointed out.

"Yeah, but my bed is comfortable." Marcus shrugged. "Plus I gotta go upstairs and get my stuff together. See you in a few!"

"Bye," the rest of the family called after him.

Everyone finished their breakfast and started gathering things for school. Backpacks were rounded up and lunches were packed. Adam, Bree, Chase, and Leo stood in the living room, ready to go.

"Where's Marcus?" Bree complained.

"Marcus!" Leo shouted up their stairs.

"He's going to make us late!" Adam whined. "Wait, that might be a good thing. Take your time, Marcus!"

"No, Ethan and I are sitting together for algebra in first period," Bree said. "We cannot be late. Marcus!"

"I'll go get him," Chase said.

He hurried up the stairs and headed straight for Marcus's bedroom. The door was ajar. Chase knocked as he pushed the door open.

"Hey, Marcus, we need to get . . ." Chase trailed off as the door opened all the way and revealed the sight in Marcus's room.

Honestly, Chase didn't know what to feel in that moment. He leaned on the doorway and sucked in his breath. A plethora of emotions swam through his mind.

"Terribly inconvenient," Chase murmured.

Marcus lay on his bed, his normally brown eyes a light grey. He was completely still on his back as he stared blankly at the ceiling. A month had passed. Marcus Davenport was gone.

Chase lay on his stomach, breathing as quietly as he possibly could. The cold floor pressed into his face. He could feel the ridges rub against his cheeks as he looked down from his position the walkway to the room below him. His super-hearing was activated, ready for anything. Well, almost anything.

"What are you doing?"

Chase yelped, automatically slapping his hands onto his ears and deactivating his super-senses. He groaned as he turned to face Marcus. The inquisitive android stared at him with one eyebrow raised.

"What do you want?" the six year old bionic asked.

"To know what you're doing," Marcus said simply.

"Fine, Adam and Bree and I are having a prank war. Happy?"

"Not really."

"Well, I don't care, actually. How did you get up here without me hearing you?"

"Super speed, I guess."

"Right."

For a few seconds everything was quiet. The two boys sat there in awkward silence. "If you don't mind, this is kind of a sibling thing," Chase said finally. "Could you get out?"

"If I'm not your sibling, what am I?" the android asked as he folded his arms across his chest.

"The annoying robot my father built and I have to put up with every single day of my life," Chase said with a smirk. Marcus just frowned. "But seriously, I need to pay attention," Chase continued. He motioned to a nearby bucket full of water balloons. "I'm going to throw these at whoever walks through the lab doors. Adam or Bree; whoever comes first."

"Hmm, I actually might want to see this," Marcus said, sitting down beside his brother.

"Fine, but keep hidden." Chase pressed firmly on Marcus's head as if expecting him to turn into a pancake.

"Hey!" Marcus snapped, brushing away Chase's hand. "Watch the hair!"

The two boys lay flat on their stomachs. Whoever walked into the lab next would be pelted with water balloons. After a few minutes, Chase heard someone begin to enter.

As soon as the figure walked into the room, Marcus and Chase started screaming and throwing water balloons at their target. The victim began to shout protests, but Chase quickly noticed the protests turning into angry threats. Both Chase and Marcus stopped, frozen with horror, when they realized exactly who it was they were pranking.

It was Douglas.

He had a very terrified Adam and Bree by the scruff of their necks. A few feathers were on his shoulders and his hair looked a bit messier than normal. His clothes were now all wet. Douglas's face held only rage.

I'm dead, Chase thought, mentally gulping. I am literally dead.

"You two, down here, now!" Douglas snapped ferociously. Marcus and Chase obeyed with hesitation. Chase dreaded every step that brought him closer to his father.

"I-I thought you weren't getting back until tomorrow," Chase stuttered.

"The meeting ended early," Douglas said curtly. "What are you guys doing?"

"Just having a bit of fun," Bree murmured. She gasped as Douglas's grip tightened around her throat. Tears started to leak out of Adam's eyes as he received the same punishment.

"This kind of behavior is unacceptable," Douglas said in a dangerously low voice.

"It was just a bit of pranking . . ." Chase tried to protest. He trailed off as he saw a tiny bit of blood drip down his sister's neck.

"Marcus, you stay here," Douglas growled. "Chase, come with me."

Chase obeyed. Douglas led him and the two oldest out the room. They all headed down the hall silently. When they got to Adam's room, Douglas shoved him into it and locked the door. He did the same with Bree when they got to her bedroom.

When Douglas and Chase reached the latter's room, the bionic started walking in wordlessly. Suddenly a sharp force hit him in the back of the head and knocked him to the ground. Black dots swarmed in front of his eyes.

"You're going to regret that!" Douglas shouted at him.

"What did we do wrong?" Chase yelled. He lay on his stomach and refused to face his father. Tears stung the back of his eyes.

Douglas was silent. Chase heard the footsteps getting closer. He heard the rustle of fabric as his father knelt beside him. Chase's heart raced at a dangerously fast pace.

"You rebelled," he hissed in Chase's ear.

A sharp pain spread through Chase's side as Douglas's hard boot made contact with his body. This procedure was repeated a few times. Chase mentally retreated, trying to block out the constant and repetitive pain.

By the time it was over, Chase could barely breathe. He was vaguely aware of the footsteps that exited the room; of the click of the lock. Blood was in his mouth and covering his body. His breathing was harsh and irregular.

He still didn't get it. They were playing pranks! What was so wrong about that? Did Douglas think Chase meant to hit him? Perhaps that was it.

Sweat, blood, and tears mingled together in an unpleasant concoction. Chase hoped and prayed that Douglas would not return to his siblings' rooms and 'punish' them as well. But knowing his father, it was highly possible. Chase would never wish this kind of pain on anyone else.

Chase could not continue hold himself together. Pain was eating him alive. He allowed a few more tears to slip down his cheeks before falling into unconsciousness.

So I repeat, are you happy Douglas is gone? And yes, I know a few of you wanted them to visit him, but that's not part of my plan. As for the whole 'is-Douglas-really-gone' situation . . . ha, I love messing around with you guys! I have something very special planned very soon. You'll just have to wait and see.

Yes, Marcus has passed on. I am so sorry. There wasn't really a way around it. He really should've died a long time ago. But man, this death was quite different than his first one in IAW, no?

Anyone recognize the air day/time for 'My Boyfriend's an Android'? I had a very specific show in mind when writing that. ('Least, that's what time it airs where I live. Friends from the U.S.?) I hope you guys know. And if you have trouble figuring it out because that's not what time/day it airs where you are . . . check the archive you're in. :3

And? Thoughts? Are you sad that Marcus is gone? Do you want to beat Douglas to a pulp with a baseball bat? Do you want to toss a water balloon at your little brother (or other annoying family member)?

I've got a lot of time to write. My internet is not the greatest here, but it's adequate. I'm back. :3 Catch you in a few days, hopefully!