Congratulations to BTRlover1122, Doomforzombies, Mia-Teresa-Davenport, Lady Cougar-Trombone, AllAmericanSlurp, and RandomGirl for giving me the correct answers! Principal Perry did introduce Donald as her husband and Bree as her daughter. :)

This chapter easily became one of my favorites. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do (even if the site keeps taking off the at-signs from it)!

Episode Tag to: You Posted What!?

Chronicle #037

"Virulent"

06/16/14

9:18 AM

I have a joke for you. How much does it cost to become bionic?

An arm.

Yeah, I didn't get much of a good response from my family either. Mom glared at me, while Big D just rolled his eyes. Bree and Chase looked like they felt sorry for me when I snorted out a laugh. Adam was just plain confused. The only person who reacted correctly, or at least in the way I expected for someone to react, was Douglas. He chuckled, shook his head, and then went back to what he was doing.

I think they all responded that way because they thought I was making fun of a serious accident that could have ended up disastrously. They didn't want to laugh because it genuinely scared the living daylights out of them. But, I'm just trying to lighten up the situation. Lately, I've been trying to do it for me.

I've been feeling weird. Awesome mostly, but weird. Mom said that it's probably because of my new arm, because my brain's still trying to make sense of how I'm me but not completely me anymore. Things like that could give people the blues, she said.

Honestly, I'm still not quite sure how to take that.

Really, I think I'm just bummed out because my summer's off to a sucky start. For one, Adam, Bree and Chase are gone most of the time—even during our last week of school. Special Agent Graham had been taking them from one place to another, most of the time to the offices in DC. He said it's just official business so my siblings can meet their new "team," but we suspect that he's just doing that so he can show the people who made fun of him before that he's got the last laugh.

None of us like the slight divide it's creating in the house, but Krane has done the damage and we can't fix it anymore. So we have no choice but to just deal with it.

It doesn't make me a jolly fella either that I won't see Janelle for most of the summer. Her parents has a line-up of family reunions, family visits and long travels planned for their kids to make up for the boring summer they had last year (Janelle's words, not mine), and that would make her unavailable for hanging out.

Spending time with my parents shouldn't have been so bad, but they're busy most of the time, too. The news station had been requiring Mom's presence a lot lately because of the many reports they wanted her to cover, including interviews that involves her older children. She was actually happy to do it at first, and then one of her bosses started calling Adam, Bree and Chase her 'step-freaks'. She ranted that night while we were eating dinner, and it got pretty scary because she was so mad at that guy.

At the end, when he thought it safe, Big D asked if she was going to do the interview. She said no. He asked why not. She said, "Because I don't want them anywhere near my kids, Donald. If they can't respect our children enough to see them as human beings, then two can play at that game."

Big D, on the other hand, had been busy with organizing everything for Adam, Bree and Chase, for the most part. I think he still doesn't appreciate the fact that he'd been bumped out of his mission leader status in the team, but surprisingly he's been dealing with it. He's probably doing so because, even if things aren't working the way they used to anymore, he still sees the good that comes out of our new situation: the recognition for his kids' hard work.

It really makes him happy that they're happy, and that's pretty cool. That's probably why he works day and night to take care of things they can't take care of at the moment.

For him, that means scheduling time-efficient trainings, recalibrating mission gears and compiling mission strategies into booklets that they could take with them and study wherever they go.

For me, that means more chores, which I guess wouldn't have been so bad either because it gives me something to do. But then there was that incident last Thursday, when I was helping Mom and Big D with the garden. I was stretching out my arms after Big D and I replanted a few of Mom's gladiolas when I accidentally shot a laser sphere at a nearby tree. Big D, Mom and Douglas weren't too happy about that, especially since the FBI agents were walking around the house that day. But, I think the squirrel that barely escaped that experience was arguably less happy.

So now, no chores either until I figure out how to work these bionics.

See why this stinks? Beautiful Monday morning, no school, and I'm holed up in my room, not doing anything but stare out the window, thinking about my mission specialist desk that is now occupied by a snappy guy in a suit because apparently I'm not the mission specialist anymore, with this notebook and what has got to be my fifth pen.

Make it sixth.

This has got to be the worst summer ever.

What makes it worse than worst is all of these people from school blowing up my phone. Under normal circumstances, I would have been over the moon. Kids that didn't even want to look my way before now want to be my friends. Even the popular ones! And I'm getting a lot of friend requests and follows on Facebook and Twitter! But circumstances aren't normal, and I doubt any of these jerks even really want to be my friends. Adam, Bree, Chase and their bionics had been creating a lot of buzz worldwide, and people want to be in on that action. They seem to either want more of them or pretend like they had been a part of their lives all along so they could get their fifteen minutes of fame.

And who's the best means to accomplish that?

Yep. Their stepbrother, little What's-his-face (as one of their fan sites so endearingly called me).

On the other hand, reading different tweets and comments about my siblings is, admittedly, pretty interesting. It always takes me on a roller coaster, I'll tell you. There are, of course, people who don't believe that they're bionic and have all these abilities, which is fine I guess. There are also some who are upset and who posts mean comments that make me upset.

There was a mom who posted a rant on her blog a few days ago. What she said was so bad that I hope for her sake that Mom doesn't read it. Apparently, her kid goes to the same school as we do, and in her rant she said that she's going to have to pull her kid out of school now because she can't allow him to be in the same environment as these 'three abnormalities' who could kill him if they want to.

"I've met these kids in person, and they are the wildest kids in school. Totally no control over anything they do," she wrote. "Their parents just let them run around, doing what they want to do. Sadly, that's not a big surprise. Their family is dysfunctional. They had no mother to raise them (I'm assuming, because they're pretty clingy to their dad), and they're in a stepfamily. Who knows what that does to their brains? Come on, America. WAKE UP. These 'children' will be the end of us. They need to be LOCKED AWAY or PUT DOWN. Think about the SAFETY of the next generation."

I doubt she ever really met us. I think she was just trying to say as many mean things as she can because she doesn't like my siblings. But I never replied. I'm not going to let her or the other people who think like her to get to me, especially when what they say is not true in the first place.

On the other hand, there are many people who seem to love my siblings. There's tons of support for them everywhere online. The comments range from sweet to creepy to absolutely hilarious.

Here are a few of my favorites from Twitter:

JJ Chu ( jjc_sd_mann)

Much props to my dude adamdawesome! You could have told me you're #bionic #AVClubros #realniceguyinreallife

Cai_T_Lin ( princessCTa)

Don't listen to jerks, bree_dav You're an awesome friend #sisters4ever

HaileyG ( futuremrschasedavenport)

New pic of my boo, chaseD31416! He was in DC, and we ACTUALLY talked! #bestdayever #omgmybaeishottttt

Emerald Cartwright ( jazzqueenFL)

adamdawesome bree_dav chaseD31416 Don't forget to enjoy your life! Help people, but make sure you're happy when you do it

Eric Davenport ( davendude)

Goals in life: move to California, reunite with my REAL siblings, get bionics #samelastname #thatisevidence

Michelle Davenport-Young ( MDYoung1988)

davendude I AM your real sibling, you jerk. You need to stop tripping #littlebrotherproblems

...

There are many other groups and communities online that has Adam, Bree and Chase as the main topic.

It's amazing how fast people can get information when they want it. I found this website, The Bionic Dailies, that has loads of information about us. It has every magazine clippings that features Big D, a video archive for reports that Mom has done, wedding photos from when they got married, and a list of Adam's favorite foods, Bree's favorite TV shows and Chase's favorite books. It even has some articles about me and Janelle.

I mean, I guess it's nice that people know about us, but it makes me a little uncomfortable. It seems like nothing is private now. There are also too many things about us out there that I can't help but be nervous. What if one of the enemies we've made (besides Krane, of course) got a hold of these things and uses it against us? If they're not out to get us, what if something comes up and they feature it and it results to us fighting? I don't want any of that to happen.

As it turns out, I'm not the only one thinking about things like those. I was lying down by the pool Friday night, just staring up at the sky while ignoring the notice after notice that popped up on my phone, when they finally came home. I looked up when I heard the sliding doors open and found Adam, Bree and Chase standing there, out of their mission suits for once and in clothes that they usually wear around the house. "Hey, famous people," I greeted them after looking back at the sky.

"Hey," Chase greeted back as the three of them settled down on either side of me.

"I thought you guys won't be back from DC until Sunday night?" I asked.

"Agent Graham rescheduled," Bree said.

"Oh."

"So, what's been happening?" Adam asked. "It feels like we haven't talked to you in days."

I frowned at him. "You guys haven't talked to me in days," I told him.

Adam winced. "Oh. Right," he said. He looked at me. "Sorry."

I shrugged. "No need. I get it. You guys are busy," I smirked at him.

Meanwhile, my phone still steadily kept on dinging.

We were quiet for a while until the constant flow of notices finally got on Bree's nerves. "Okay, what's up with your phone?" she asked, irritated. "It's been going off for a while. Is it broken or something?"

"It's about to break," I said, picking it up. I turned off the notifications in fear of my relatively new phone getting pitched into the pool. "Friend requests. And messages," I told her.

I imagine her irritation softened then.

"You're getting those too, huh?" Chase asked, and from the tone of his voice I could tell he was smiling sadly.

"Yep," I said.

Again, we hit another silent moment, but it was obvious that even if no one was saying anything, we were all thinking of how to approach the subject.

"Why do people treat us like we're freakshows?" Bree asked, staring at the skies above. "I mean, it's like, once they found out about our abilities, we suddenly became an attraction to everybody in the world. People watch us, like we're these monsters in a cage."

"What do you mean?" I asked. "Most people love you guys."

"Yeah, they do but – only because we're different," Chase said in the same tone as Bree's. "When we weren't, no one pays attention to us. We're the outcasts. Then now…" he trailed off. "Now they all want to be friends."

Bree scoffed. "Even Stephanie and the cheerleaders want to be BFFs with me," she added.

"I know what you guys mean," Adam chimed in. "I have friend requests from people who, just two months ago, couldn't even be nice enough to smile at me when I greeted them."

Bree agreed. "I thought it would be nice. To have so many people want to be my friends," she said. "But lately I can't even tell who's being real to me and who's not."

"What if things were different?" Chase asked thoughtfully. "What if we're just normal kids who are humanly strong, humanly fast, humanly smart? How many of them would still want to be our friends?"

Bree chuckled. "You mean online or offline?" she asked.

Chase grinned. "I don't know," he said. "Either way, I guess."

I thought about it. I sat up, and then looked at them. "I'd want to be your friend," I said. I shrugged. "I am your friend."

They looked at me.

Adam smirked.

Bree grinned.

Chase sat up. He smiled. "Do you think you'd still have befriended us on that first day we met if we were just normal kids?" he asked.

I was inclined to answer yes immediately, but I could see that what he asked deserved serious thought. It did need serious thinking, if I want to give him an honest answer, because not giving them that would make me as bad as, say, Stephanie and all these other kids at school who are suddenly coming out of the woodwork.

Plus, it was a good question to ask. Would I have, if the situation was different? Would I have done everything that I had done if, instead of meeting Adam, Bree and Chase as the bionic creations living downstairs, the kids who had been training their whole lives and have all of these cool abilities, I met them as Adam, Bree and Chase Davenport, Big D's real and definitely normal children, who had been homeschooled all their lives and have, respectively, only the potential to be a great quarterback, a track star, and a teen genius set for Harvard?

As I thought about it, one question keeps coming to me again and again: would they have befriended me? Why did they become friends with me? I clearly had nothing to offer them. I mean, come on. First day of school, and they saw one of the cornerbacks give me an atomic wedgie. And people at school avoided me like I was the plague! As much as I'd like to think I've always been awesome, I have to be realistic, too. I was a Grade A loser.

I guess the bottom line is I became friends with them, not because they're bionic, but because they're willing to be friends with me. That's how it usually works anyways, right? You stick with people who are willing to stick with you, through the good and the bad?

"Why wouldn't I?" I answered Chase. "You guys were willing to be friends with me even if I wasn't bionic."

Chase nodded at the ground, smiling contently. Adam and Bree, meanwhile, sat up, both of them also seemingly satisfied with that answer.

The door behind us slid open soon after. Looking back, we saw Douglas peeking out, a deep set frown on his face. "Alright, you four," he said. "Pizza's coming in a few minutes. Donnie and Tasha want you all inside to get ready for dinner." He didn't wait for a response. Just frowned some more, and then went back inside, closing the door.

The four of us exchanged glances. Then, we got up.

As I watched Adam, Bree and Chase make their way inside the house while I stand beside the pool, something occurred to me. "Guys?"

They paused and looked back at me.

I opened up my arms wide.

Bree grinned and rolled her eyes.

Chase just stared at me. "What?"

I raised my eyebrows. "I haven't seen you guys in a while," I said. "Can't you at least give me hug?"

The three of them looked at each other. They walked back, even if they didn't seem like they wanted to.

They scooted into the hug awkwardly, but they didn't seem to question it that much. They just came closer as I embraced them, with Bree on my left, Chase on my right, and Adam completing our circle as he brought us all together.

When I was sure they weren't looking at me anymore, I finally allowed myself to grin like a maniac, because they forgot.

Hashtag little brother problems.

Using my right arm, I swept the three of them with enough force to the left, pushing them all towards the pool. Normally, that wouldn't have worked and would have ended up as a sad attempt, but with the super strength I now have, coupled with the element of surprise, Chase, Bree and Adam didn't stand a chance. The three of them helplessly fell in, screaming, when I released them.

Sadly, there was consequence for me, too. I miscalculated my distance and their hold on me that I inevitably and ungracefully dived in with them.

I didn't care. I just kept laughing.

First thing I noticed when I came back up was how furious Bree was. It's not like I couldn't notice it. Her eyes were darting daggers, and she was yelling at me at the top of her lungs.

All of them were, really. All at once.

"I have my new phone in my pocket, you psycho!"

"This is my favorite shirt! Do you know what chlorine will do to this?"

"I knew it! I knew you were going to do that!"

I grinned while I watch them. Then, I splashed some water forward, and it hit Bree and Chase on their faces.

Bree gasped.

Chase slowly wiped the water off his face, his jaws locked.

There was a standstill.

Then, "Oh, it's so on!" Bree declared, and then she began recklessly splashing water towards me. Chase began helping her soon after, as equally angry as she was.

I just kept retaliating, but soon I noticed that Adam was helping me out.

So there we were, splashing and yelling and coughing and yelping and laughing, like normal teenagers on a pretty fun summer night.

Sadly, that was the only exciting thing to happen this past weekend. We did get in trouble for coming inside the house and getting water on the newly polished floors, and by 'we' I mean me. The moment Mom placed her hands on her hips, Adam, Bree and Chase pointed their fingers at me.

Older siblings.

Besides that, there's nothing else going on. Like I said, Monday morning, with nothing to do. The lab's still crawling with agents, and I'm still forbidden to do anything that could expose my bionics to them (it's still cool and weird to say that in a not parallel universe situation). Big D and Mom did say that we were going to visit my grandparents tonight, which is already feeling like a Throwback Thursday to my only child days. But at least it's something. I'm also anticipating an interesting conversation at the dinner table later on.

That, I'm not worried about getting out in the public. If any of those obsessed reporters care about their lives, it would be best for them to stand at least twenty yards away from Grandma Rose's house. If they come too close, well, let's just say they'll get a glimpse of super strength coming at them at a super speed from a ticked off older lady and her yippy Chihuahua.

Signed,

le_DooleyO

06/16/14

11:48 AM

The Chase Chronicles

One hour special, two part question! What's the name of the team's new bionic enemy, and how does Krane control her? And, just for fun, bonus points to whoever answers this question: two of the younger cast members couldn't stop laughing while they were filming a scene in this episode. Who were they? (Clue: one of them is a series regular, and one isn't.) Reviews and answers are loved!