Wooo, I'm on a roll! It's been, what, two days since I updated? Is that better than waiting over a week? XD
Yes, the nine o'clock air time on Mondays is Lab Rats. That's what time/day it airs where I live (and I think in most of the U.S.). Congrats to RissA15, Guest, j. liz. 8, and PurpleNicole531 for getting it. Yay!
So apparently I made some of you cry last chapter. Excellent. Get out the tissues, because this is the slightly more emotional farewell to Marcus. And if you don't think it's emotional enough . . . you try writing a funeral for a robot and tell me how it goes! It is hard!
Second-to-last chapter. Wow. The next chapter is also mostly done. The I AM Trilogy may be over before the week is out. I do not own Lab Rats or The Lion King. Enjoy this chapter!
* * * Chapter 5: Comfort * * *
"This is weird," Bree mumbled.
"Shh," Chase hissed at her. They had a silent argument with their eyes; the kind only siblings could have. Finally Chase won and Bree glared at him.
All six members of the Davenport family stood on the hillside in one of the far corners of the Davenport estate. Small raindrops fell from the sky as nature matched the solemn mood. Birds chirped and leaves rustled in the wind.
In front of them all sat a little stone sticking up out of the ground. It read simply, 'Marcus Davenport: 1998 – 2014.' A stark, permanent reminder of the loss.
"Should we say something?" Tasha whispered. "That's usually how it goes."
"This whole thing is very untraditional," Donald reminded her.
"On the bright side," Adam said, "I can cross 'bury a robot' off my bucket list!" No one was in the mood to question why Adam even had that on his bucket list in the first place.
"Well I don't even miss him," Leo proclaimed. His voice seemed like booming thunder after the way the rest of the family had been whispering. But afterwards Leo mumbled in a barely audible voice, "Much."
"I didn't know him for a long time," Tasha added, "and he wasn't always the sweetest boy. He refused to wash the dishes more than a few times . . ." Tasha trailed off and shook her head. "But he could be helpful sometimes. I still don't understand all the technical mumbo-jumbo about him; all I know is that he was another boy for me to take care of. And I didn't mind one bit."
"Most of what I knew about Marcus came from Chase complaining to me about him," Donald said, eyeing his youngest nephew. Chase pursed his lips. "As far as I knew, Marcus was Douglas's right-hand man. That was enough to make me hate him.
"But I think he did change. Douglas hurt him just like he hurt the rest of us. Marcus truly was a broken android. I'm sorry that I wasn't able to fix him. But he's moved on to a better place now."
Adam nodded slowly. Then he sucked in his breath and said, "He'll always be that dumb, overdramatic robot to me." Chase elbowed his brother. "Ow! Okay, but, he was kinda a brother too."
Everyone turned to look at Bree. "My turn?" she sighed. "Fine. I never liked Marcus. Nobody here did. He always called me 'princess' or 'cupcake' and . . . ooh, that got on my nerves." Bree's lip twisted up and her fists clenched for a second before her features relaxed.
"He and I had some interesting talks this past month," she continued. "And I never really told anyone about them. Talks about the things Douglas did to us . . . I never realized how similar he and I were. We were both waiting for the right moment; waiting for something to happen. I think he was decisive. I can respect that.
"I might not miss him exactly, but I guess will still be my brother, huh? He had his moments. That's honestly all I can say about him."
"I guess I'm next," Chase said quietly. "Well . . . I probably got closer to Marcus than anybody. I spent more time with him and trained with him a lot more. I was the one who killed him the first time around and I brought him back to life.
"Of course I hated him growing up. Like Bree said, we all did. But there were times – even if they weren't often – where I felt sorry for him. After all, he was kind of the outcast. Adam, Bree, and I excluded him from a lot of our games and activities."
"So you're blaming this on us, now?" Bree said harshly.
"No, no," Chase said, waving his hands in the air. "I'm just saying that maybe we didn't realize the way he felt. Which is a whole other aspect of Marcus. He could feel, somehow. Even if he was just a robot. In a way, he had emotions."
"They were programs, Chase," Donald tried to say.
"Would you all quit interrupting me?" Chase growled. He sighed and continued, "Marcus truly became a brother to me this month. And don't forget, he helped me find you. I went to him as a last resort, but he wound up being a friend to me. That's something I never would have guessed."
For several minutes the members of the Davenport family stood in silence. Not awkward silence; more like a moment of silence. It was just them and their thoughts as the remembered Marcus.
An android.
A brother.
A friend.
Suddenly Adam began to shuffle his feet. The wet grass rubbed against the rubber on his shoes and caused a slight squeaking noise. He chuckled to himself. Then he broke the silence and said, "I could really go for some hot chocolate right now."
"Let's head back to the house and I'll make some for you, sweetie," Tasha suggested.
Tasha and Adam turned to head back. Bree and Leo went after them. Donald turned to follow. Chase hung back for just a few seconds.
"Are you coming, Chase?" Donald asked.
"Um, yeah," Chase said. He got one more good look at the grave before turning to join his uncle. By this time the rest of the family was far ahead of them. Chase didn't mind. He thought it would be nice to have more time to talk with Donald.
"I know they were programs," Chase said suddenly.
"Hmm?"
"The 'emotions.' I know it was programmed into him. Still, Douglas surely would've programmed him with crueler feelings. How he ever wound up with empathy or kindness is beyond me."
"Maybe you did something when you brought him back."
"Maybe."
"I think he appreciated that, you know."
"Appreciated what?"
"The fact that you brought him back."
"I had to."
"Yes, but you didn't ever betray him or attempt to get rid of him. I had a few talks with him too. He was very happy that you were willing to give him a second chance at life."
"Too bad we couldn't make his life longer."
"He made the best of it in the time he had."
"Why do things only get torn away from you when you begin to get attached to them? I would've been just fine with Marcus dying when we were kids, but no, the universe just had to wait until I had actually accepted him as brother."
"Isn't that always the way it works?"
"For me it sure does."
By this time Chase and Donald had reached the house. They entered the front door and saw Tasha and Bree preparing hot chocolate in the kitchen. Leo and Adam were flipping through a DVD case.
"Mom thought it might be nice to do a family movie night," Leo told the newcomers. "She thought it might take our minds off of . . . everything else."
Donald and Chase shrugged and sat down on the couch. Adam and Leo finally agreed on The Lion King. Tasha and Bree brought the mugs of hot chocolate over. Everyone squished together on the couch as the movie began playing.
The rain started falling harder outside. Chase could hear it pounding on the windows, desperate to get to the heat inside the mansion. But it couldn't get in. The room was dark and the only light came from the TV, but nobody wanted to get up and turn on a light.
Chase had somehow managed to get lodged between Adam and Bree – not that he minded. He found it rather funny. As he looked to the left and the right, he realized how much his older siblings cared for him. With their body language they expressed their desire to protect him. Chase would always be their baby brother.
The warm cup of hot chocolate sat safely in Chase's hands. The warmth spread through his fingertips and to the rest of his body. His mug was mostly supported with his left hand, of course. Every now and then it would start to slip from his grasp, but Bree always reached out to help straighten it.
Donald winced when Scar betrayed his brother. Adam cried when Mufasa died. Everyone joined in to sing Hakuna Matata. Bree used her vocal manipulation to mimic the hyenas' laughing. They all cheered when Simba won against Scar and the hyenas and he took his rightful place as king.
Tasha had been right. The movie took their minds off of everything else. Well, mostly. Every now and then one person would look at the only empty spot on the couch. The spot where the final member – the newest member – was supposed to be sitting.
Screams emitted from the television. Chase ducked his head and whimpered slightly. The figures next to him didn't notice. Their eyes were glued to the screen in front of them.
Monster Mayhem 2 wasn't Chase's first choice for a movie. Bree and Adam, however, seemed to be enjoying it. They were screaming and cheering and laughing and booing at the appropriate moments.
"C-Can we watch something else?" Chase said quietly, half-hoping his siblings wouldn't hear him.
"Aw, you're such a wimp, Chase," Adam said in a teasing voice. "It's just a movie."
"Yeah, you're a boy," Bree added. "Shouldn't you like all the zombies and vampires and giant mutant spiders?"
"Well, you're a girl and you watch it!" Chase shot back.
"Yeah, but that's because Naomi has the cutest hairstyles," Bree said. "Besides, girls can like monster stuff. What's wrong with that?"
"Nothing," Chase mumbled. "But if girls can watch anything they want, I don't see why I'm obligated to–"
There was a loud explosion on the screen that silenced the seven year old. He closed his eyes at the following gore and decided to go for a more technical approach.
"Don't you think this movie is just a bit too old for us?" the youngest protested.
"Aw, is little Chasey-wasey scared?" Adam said.
"I am not!"
"Are to!"
"Am not!
"Are to!"
"Am–"
Suddenly a large spider jumped out from behind a building onscreen and attacked the main human characters. Chase screamed and comically jumped behind the couch. He could hear his siblings laughing at him and he scowled.
Later that night Chase was alone in his room. He stood in his capsule and clutched his faded brown blanket to his chest. Every creak, every crack, and every whistle made him jump. The shadows seemed too long. Chase could see the vicious fangs of the mutant spiders as they came closer, closer, closer . . .
The youngest bionic unwittingly let out a high-pitched shriek. He could hear his heart hammering away in his ears. His breathing was rapid.
"Stop it, Chase," he muttered to himself. "There's nothing to be scared of. It was just a movie. It wasn't real. The world's largest spider – a goliath bird-eating spider – was only eleven inches long . . . or twenty-eight centimeters. That's the size of a dinner plate, not a semi-truck. You're just fine."
But even Chase's own scientific jargon couldn't make him feel better. He was completely on edge and there was no way he was calming down enough to sleep. There was only one thing he could do.
No, he'll call me a wimp again, Chase thought to himself. But he's your brother! He'll understand! No he won't! Didn't you hear the mean things he said earlier? But he was only teasing! Go! Stay! You won't be able to sleep! He won't let you sleep!
In the end, Chase's terrified side won out. Deep down the child had a desperate desire to be loved and cared for. Perhaps it was because he didn't receive much love from his father.
Chase wanted to be held by someone, to hear another human's heartbeat. He wanted to make a connection with someone else. That someone else at the moment was his brother. He wanted warm arms to run into. Those arms would be Adam's.
Before he knew it, Chase found himself down the hall and standing in front of his brother's door. He shuffled his feet. Maybe he shouldn't have come.
No, this is what you need to do.
Slowly Chase pushed the door open. His eight year old brother was sleeping in the capsule in the corner. Chase remembered doing something similar to this a few years ago when he had a nightmare about the Triton App.
"A-Adam?" Chase stuttered. He walked closer. "Adam?"
The older boy opened his eyes partially. "Wah?" he mumbled in a half-awake manner. He yawned and blinked a few times. "Chase?"
"Hi," was all Chase could think to say.
"What are you doing here?"
"I . . . um . . . well . . . it . . . er . . ."
"Spit it out, Chasey!" Then Adam's eyes softened. He stepped out of his capsule and walked towards his younger brother. "You're scared, aren't you?" Chase nodded. "Of what?"
"O-Of the spiders!" Chase said suddenly. Tears stung the back of his eyes as he went on. "That movie was too scary, Adam, and I don't know if it was okay for you and Bree, but I didn't like it! All the shadows make me think the spiders are after me . . . or maybe the zombies. They like brains, and I've got a lot of them!" Chase's lip was quivering as he desperately tried to keep himself from crying.
"Oh, Chasey," Adam said softly. He pulled Chase into a hug. Chase melted into his brothers arms, adoring the gentle way his older brother caressed him. It felt so good to be loved. "Why didn't you tell me? I would have turned it off."
"But you called me a wimp!"
"I was just joking around. I didn't realize it scared you that badly. I'm so sorry, Chasey!"
The sound of a door opening interrupted the brothers. They turned to see Bree standing there. She had her arms wrapped around herself.
"Oh, so I'm not the only one who was scared?" she mumbled.
"You too?" Chase asked.
Bree nodded. "It was a mistake to watch that. I keep thinking there's something behind me. It's not fun. Um . . . c-can I join you?"
"Of course," Adam said, motioning her over. "We'll never watch that movie again, agreed?"
"Agreed," Chase and Bree said simultaneously.
They all embraced each other on the floor of Adam's room. How long they stayed like that, nobody knew. Chase estimated it must have been at least over forty-five minutes. Just the three kids in silence, enjoying each other's presence.
Finally Chase sat up, ready to get in a more comfortable position for sleep, preferably in a capsule. He noticed the way his sister's head was drooping and he smiled softly.
"Maybe we should get back to our capsules, huh, Adam?" Chase suggested.
"Sure," Adam agreed, "if you're feeling better."
"I am. But Bree's asleep. What do we do with her?"
"Well, we could hire a bunch of monkeys to drag her back to her room."
"Adam!"
"Fine, I'll do it myself."
Adam stood up and gently picked up Bree in his arms. She wiggled slightly, but she didn't wake up. Instead the female bionic just gripped Adam tighter and buried her head in his shoulder.
They got Bree back to her room and placed her into her capsule. Adam walked with Chase back to the youngest bionic's room. "You're fine now, right?" the oldest said. "You're not lying to me?"
"No, I feel better now," Chase assured him. "Thank you, Adam."
Chase walked back into his room while Adam went to his own. The bionic stepped into his capsule and shut the door. He rubbed his blanket against his face and glanced around.
"Sorry, shadows," he mumbled right before he fell asleep. "But my brother is stronger than you. He's the strongest person in the world! And he loves me. His love is strong too. You can't get me now. My siblings will protect me. They always will."
Aw, some sweet brotherly moments for you. Isn't sibling fluff great? If you liked that, just wait until the next chapter. But Marcus is finally gone. Sorry about that. He was kinda doomed from the start.
And by the way, Donald's line, "Marcus truly was a broken android," was a reference to AllAmericanSlurp's story "Marcus: Broken Android." You've all read it, right? If you haven't, you are really missing out.
I feel the need to say this somewhere, so I'll say it here. The place where I'm staying on vacation doesn't have Disney XD in their channel list. What does that mean? I can't watch "Armed and Dangerous" when it airs tomorrow. I have to wait until Saturday when I get back home. I know, I know, poor me. My dad MIGHT be able to set something up so I can watch it, but I'm not sure. Why do I say this? *growling voice* Do NOT spoil the episode for me. I will make you sorry. I HATE spoilers (for TV shows! Don't take that the wrong way, Slurp!). So don't review one of my stories saying, "Oh, what did you think of blah blah blah?" Because I might not have seen blah blah blah yet. *regular voice* Thanks for your time! And again, I MIGHT be able to watch it. We'll see.
So . . . what did you think of this chapter? No mentions of Douglas, huh? Will he return in the next chapter? Maybe? Will there be some heart-to-heart talks in the next chapter? Maybe? Just maybe?
Well, you'll see. Only two more updates to this story. Chapter 6 and an epilogue. Chapter 6 is already most of the way done. We're almost finished! *sad face* But hopefully you can enjoy the final chapters! Thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews. Keep 'em coming! Y'all make me grin. :) See you very soon!