Here's a shout out to the awesome people who left me lovely, lovely reviews (and feels!)! BTRlover1122, a nameless but still wonderful guest, Rodrigo, Lady Cougar-Trombone, StripedFuzzySocks, raenbc, AngelGoneDevil69, incinera, and Doomforzombies16-all of you are fantastic!

Sadly, I can't declare anyone right for the question last chapter. I thought it was a movie company, too (Rodrigo, StripedFuzzySocks, Angel, and incinera-you guys would have been right!), but someone pointed out that he said something else. I should have checked, y'all; I apologize. :(

I hope you guys enjoy the chapter!

Episode Tag to: Bionic Showdown

Chronicle 014

Chapter: Tempest

Password: *********

Date: 07.07.13

Time: 11:51 PM

A lot of things have happened these past few days. Wednesday night, especially. To put it in Caitlin's words when she was telling me and Bree why those junior girls fought and got expelled, things got real. We were all pulled into a huge tornado that didn't let go until serious damage had been done.

I guess this is a long time coming, but it still came when we were least expecting it. To be honest, everything happened so fast that I can't remember every detail.

But, for the Chronicle's sake, I'll try my best to summarize the complicated events that came our way: Big D was kidnapped, which was bad timing because he and the sibs are in the middle of a disagreement; Eyebrows hacked into Eddy, lured Adam, Bree and Chase to their lair by using Big D as a bait (meanwhile revealing that he'd known they're bionic all along); I finally told the sibs that Eyebrows was also bionic; Adam, Bree and Chase decides to go anyway; three new mission suits for them before they left; I helped them navigate to Eyebrows' house; they fought, went in, and eventually got trapped; Eddy 'woke up', we teamed up; Adam, Bree and Chase discovered that Big D is not their dad, his brother, Douglas, is; got stuck in a desperate situation, and through the emergency video that Big D had filed I discovered that he has a weapons vault; packed some of the said weapons into my red wagon (why Mom kept it all these years, I don't know why) and suited up with a protective vest—just like they do in CSI; came face to face with Eyebrows again in front of their lair; got shocked and passed out in the bushes when that deranged lunatic zapped me; woke up, got the idea of using the exoskeleton; I jumped in in time to help; had a short but epic battle with Eyebrows (hey, for a guy that doesn't have any abilities, being able to get some swing in before I get pushed to the ground is epic); he tried to cross me off the living persons list one more time, but Adam unlocked his ability and destroyed him…and everything else in that stink hole; Douglas escaped; Eyebrows tried to stop us, but he failed; and then we came home, and Adam, Bree, Chase and Big D had a serious heart to heart talk about the things that had not ever been said but should have been said.

Like I said, complicated. If I was to write down every details of that night alone, I'd have enough to submit as an essay to Ms. Keating for my English assignment, which should be due the Monday we come back to school.

The next days were a bit interesting, too. Thursday morning, Big D told us to stay at home. Not only did he do that because we got back late the night before, but all four of us also had bruises so obvious, you could see it miles away. He didn't want other people to get suspicious or, worse yet, get the wrong idea.

Adam had a shiner on his cheek. He also had a split on his brow. Bree had a broken nose and a black eye. Chase's right side had discoloration, and so did his torso. I had a huge bruise on my chest from the impact of the blast.

We're not exactly what you'd call picture day ready.

Now imagine all four of us—with Big D sporting cuts, burns, bruises, a black eye and a dislocated shoulder—sitting at the dining room having lunch, and then Mom walking in to a scene that she had only ever seen in one of her news assignments.

Yeah. She panicked. Of course she did. If it was possible, Mom could have flown to us the first time she saw us. She examined our faces, trying to make sure that all of our limbs were still intact. We had to tell her that we were okay about a hundred times so she would calm down.

Then she asked us what happened. When none of us wanted to answer, she turned to Big D. Big D told her that he would explain some other day.

Seeing our condition, and probably sensing that the subject's still sore for us—literally, she didn't ask anymore.

What she did, though, was got us one whole week of vacation. I don't know how she did it, but she got Principal Perry to grant us an off with as little homework as possible. I personally enjoyed it, but only for two days.

After that, I started getting bored.

There's not a lot to do here. Not only that, but it had been quiet. I'm guessing it's because everybody still had some leftover steam, and they wanted to deal with it on their own. Not to mention, there were a few things that probably weighed in their minds.

Still, I think the time off that we have from school, and Big D from his work, is generally doing us good. It's given Adam, Bree and Chase a time to readjust, and they don't have to deal with the other jungle that is high school.

I have some time to myself, too. Like yesterday. I came downstairs and didn't find anybody. When I went to the basement, I saw that the lab's doors were closed. When I asked him to let me in, Eddy told me that 'they' were having a discussion in there, and I was not allowed to go inside. I assumed he meant all of them, which kind of made me curious and worried.

But I can't do anything about it, so I just went upstairs and got a bowl of chips.

Eddy still hadn't forgiven me for leaving him, so he decided to close off all the rooms in the house except for the piano room, where I can do absolutely nothing but stare at the sunset.

While I sat there, I tried not to think about what could possibly happen next. It just made me sad, and I wasn't in the mood to be a downer. Instead, I focused on other things, like taking Pascal on a bike ride, the piles and piles of catch-up work I'd have to do for school, and the science project I still have to finish. Then it reminded me that I would have to find a new lab partner when we come back.

On the up side, I don't have to worry about having a flesh-melting or a poisonous chemical 'accidentally' spilling on me because my lab partner 'tripped.' On the down side…well, I'm not really sure there is one. He was a bit better at balancing chemical equations than I was, which ultimately earned us both good grades. Maybe that will count as one.

Bree came in at that moment. She sat right beside me, smiled, and then took some of my chips from the bowl and started eating while she watched the sunset.

I don't have much problems with sharing food, but Bree crossed a boundary by dipping her hands, which had probably been at very unsanitary places, in the bowl. If that's not bad enough, Adam and Chase came in and did the exact same thing, only that Adam decided it would be a good idea to pass it around.

"Did you guys even wash your hands?" I asked them, upset.

"Yeah," Bree said.

"I used a sanitizer," Chase offered.

"Nope," Adam grinned.

I groaned in disgust. They laughed. I let them have the food.

None of us said anything for a while, and there wasn't any need to. Then I got curious and asked them what Mom talked to them about. They told me that they hadn't been in the lab since this morning and sort of had just been driving around.

From that I figured that it was only Big D who was with Mom, and they had come to that 'some other day' he told her about.

I then remembered something that had been bothering me. I didn't want to bring up the subject again, since they were still recovering from it, but I knew I owed it to them. "You know, I'm really sorry about what happened," I just braved it and said it. Adam, Bree and Chase looked at me. "You had to fight your brother partly because of me. I'm sorry."

"I'm not," Adam said.

"None of us are," Bree semi-laughed.

I frowned, confused.

Adam looked at me. "Our brother wasn't fighting us, Leo" he told me. He smiled. "He was fighting along with us."

It took me a second to get it. When I did, I couldn't help myself from grinning, probably like an idiot. "Aw," I said, and it cued a group hug.

Chase then asked a question. "Leo?"

"Hm?"

"Was it him? That night? With the car?"

They were waiting for the answer. I knew that. But I don't want them to feel bad or feel sorry. I don't want to add salt to their injury of being betrayed. So I just smiled and said, "Don't ruin the moment, Chase."

I probably inadvertently replied to their question by saying that, now that I think about it. But that was the best I can give them, and they seemed to understand.

"That psychopathic android," Bree said under her breath.

Yep. Here's another twist for me days after the incident: Eyebrows had been an android all along.

They told me all of what they found out about him. Weirdly enough, the more I knew about what he was, the sorrier I felt for him. I know I'm supposed to be upset; he almost ended our lives. Yet, I can't bring myself to be angry. I mean, aren't you supposed to feel bad for people that don't have the same good things that you have? What makes it worse is that he didn't even know he needed it—because someone else decided for him that he shouldn't have it.

He didn't have any real family.

It saddens me to think that he didn't get to know what that meant. If he had been on our side, he could have experienced it. Instead of trapping me in Big D's shiny speedster and failing to finish me off, he could have gotten a chance to ride around in it and see how it feels like to drive. Instead of trying to sabotage me when I sneaked into their lair with their Decepticon of a vacuum, he could have helped me protect Adam, Bree and Chase. Instead of trying to eliminate us, he could have stuck with us to the end.

Then he would have died surrounded by people who cared for him.

Instead, he died abandoned and alone.

When I was little, Dad used to tell me that everybody deserves to be forgiven. I learned from him that people make mistakes, and even if they may not regret making them, it's up to us to be the bigger persons. We have to let them off the hook and let go. It's not going to be easy, but it's worth the try.

Earlier today, I decided to ride my bike to where all these craziness started. The house is yellow taped all around now, and I can't say it surprised me. Half of it is collapsed, and it's not in the best of shapes.

I know he will never hear me, and he won't ever know I was there. But I had to say what I had in mind, because even if he didn't favor it, it was the only way I could show myself that I've let him off the hook and am about to come to terms of forgiving him.

Honestly, it was more for me than for him.

"Goodbye, Marcus."

Then, I left.

There are many things I learned over the past few days. Adam, Bree and Chase taught me that family consists of people who love and care for you. Douglas—or should I call him Uncle Douglas?—taught me never to put a price on a person's freedom, because it's not for sale. It should never be. Eddy taught me to start writing my entries from now on, because he could use overheard Chronicle recordings as blackmail material.

Big D taught me, not only to grant forgiveness, but also to ask for it when it's necessary.

That's a whole lot of learning for someone who's supposed to be on vacation, but it's alright. We're together, we're looking less and less like the cast of General Hospital, and Mom's finally taking all of us to lunch tomorrow at my favorite restaurant.

I'd worry about what can happen since Big D's brother is still out there, but I have a feeling that we'll turn out fine.

Signed,

Leo Francis Dooley

End of Chapter Tempest

Password: *********

Date: 07.08.13

Time: 3:02 AM

One hour special, so our question will have a little extra! In Bionic Showdown, what did we find out were Adam's and Chase's new bionic abilities, respectively? And do you think Marcus is gone for good or not?

Answers are optional, reviews are loved! I probably won't see you guys again until before Avalanche premieres, but you guys will probably see me pop in occasionally with a couple of Bionic Showdown tags. ;)