Not even forty-eight hours later, and here's chapter one! I just couldn't help myself. Hey, I finished writing chapter ten three minutes ago, so why not post another chapter now? You guys deserve it! I mean, twenty-five reviews on a prologue? Wow! Thanks so much!

However, there's some guest reviewer who was going around flaming stories in my name. Now, I sent them a warning through my profile. Yesterday they warned me about flaming more, but today they apologized. Now, since it's a guest, I don't technically know if it's the same person (pardon me for being cynical; this has happened before), but if it is, thank you very much for apologizing, and I forgive you. That was big of you. :) If you want to make an account, I'd love to message you! And if the apologizer was not the same person as the original flamer (again, it's happened before), well, they've threatened to flame other stories, so, dear readers, please go check out the top of my profile to learn more (in case they flame you). But I'm hoping for the best here and they really did apologize. :)

Yeesh, fanfiction drama. -_- FFN is my high school, folks!

Anyway, on to the happy stuff, thanks for all the birthday wishes! ^_^ I had a great one, so thank you all very much! I'm glad you like the story so far. I have many plans for it.

One more thing I forgot to say last chapter! All family relations in this story are exactly the same. I basically snatched up the characters and put them in a different setting. They are all still a family and related in the exact same way they are in the canon. Just so there's no confusion.

Now, I know you guys are all excited for the action, but this chapter is quite different from the last. Bree will explain it in the opening paragraphs. ;) It's fair to say that this chapter is slower; however, that doesn't mean it is "filler" or unimportant. To the contrary, this chapter is vital and contains oodles of foreshadowing. See how much you can catch! ;) Also, just so you know, this chapter takes place roughly thirteen years after the prologue.

Quick note: The "you" Bree speaks to in this story is actually a character from the story (you'll learn who later on), not you the reader. It's only this once, but I thought I'd let you know.

So with those warnings in place, get ready to learn what Bree's normally abnormal life is like. ;) I don't own Lab Rats, only OCs, planets, species, and anything else you don't recognize. Oh, and see how many references to the canon you can spot in this chapter! I slipped them in there. Enjoy!

Chapter 1 soundtrack: "Stand Out" by Sabrina Carpenter

* * * Chapter 1: Beautiful Day * * *

All good stories start at the beginning. The thing is, the beginning isn't always an explosion. Some stories don't start off with a bang, something to make the listener scratch their head and wonder what crazy world they got thrown into.

My story doesn't start that way.

Don't get me wrong; my life was never normal. However, I didn't ever think it could get as crazy as it got. The bangs came soon enough, but it started off slow. In only a few days my life would change forever, but of course I didn't know that at the time.

So my story starts off slow. It has its ups and downs, quick times and boring times, bangs and bumps and whispers. Above all, I guess, it's a story about life. Our lives go up and down like roller coasters, and for two years, that's how my life was . . . but I guess you knew some of that already.

This is a story for you, but from here on out I won't be talking to you. I'll be writing a story for you, and you'll be in it, but I don't feel like breaking out of the story to talk you. Listen and hear what I have to say, about my life, about war and peace, about betrayal, about death, about you and me and everyone else in this crazy mess.

It may not be the best story ever written; I've never done anything like this before. But I'll try for you. Who knows? Maybe one day I'll let other people read it too. So, here it goes:

On the first day, the day it all really began, nothing spectacular happened. In fact, it was just like any other day. The alarm went off, playing a peppy tune to get me out of bed. It only half-worked. I groaned and rolled over, burying my face in my pillow. There's school today, I thought. And life. No thanks.

The tune continued, and the pitch rose. It was one of my favorite songs, and one I was guilty of dancing to when I thought no one was watching. Finally I lifted my face and threw my covers off. Time to face the day.

I stood up and stared out my window. Sunlight streamed in, flooding the room with orange light. Mission's sunrises were beautiful, some said. I had to agree. Birds chirped outside the window and the yellow trees swayed in the wind. I rubbed my eyes and decided that maybe the day would not be so bad. Besides, that meant it was one day closer to the weekend, and that thought alone got me ready to get up and get going.

My electronic closet whirred as it pulled out the clothes I requested. I threw them on, checking myself in the mirror to make sure it looked right. I took a seat at my vanity, brushing through my hair and applying minimal makeup. I slipped on a light green headband to compliment my outfit. I smiled at myself. Approved.

I grabbed my backpack off the back of my desk chair and hurried out the door. I flew down the stairs two at a time, ignoring the calls of my stepmom to be careful. I jumped down the last three steps and landed firmly on the floor.

"You look ready for today," my stepbrother Leo noted.

"Not at all," I said, shaking my head as I grabbed an apple from the bowl of fruit on the counter. "But the sooner I get today done, the sooner tomorrow will come. I've been waiting all month for it."

"We'll miss you," my stepmom Tasha said.

"We'll only be gone for two days," I said as I took a bite of the apple and threw a piece of bread into the toaster. "You could even come if you wanted."

"I don't think we'd fit in."

"Probably not," I agreed. "I mean, you guys are great, but bionic people . . . they have a different way of looking at things sometimes."

"We couldn't relate," Leo said. "As much as I'd like to."

"You're not getting bionics," Tasha said, shooting him one of those mom-glares I had heard about but had never actually seen.

"But you're married to a billionaire now!"

"Money's not the problem. It's the danger! I'm worried enough about Adam, Bree, and Chase. I've heard the stories of their missions. You're not going on those."

"But—"

"End of discussion!"

I watched the whole exchange with amusement. "You two have had this argument before?"

"Only a hundred times," Leo sighed.

"Having bionics isn't all fun and games," I said. I took the toast out and started spreading some yyana-butter on it. My favorite!

"Listen to your sister, Leo!"

"Yeah, yeah," Leo grumbled.

"Speaking of siblings, have Adam and Chase come down yet? And where's Mr. Davenport?"

"Donald's down in the lab. I think he's getting ready for tomorrow. Adam and Chase still haven't come down."

There was some loud yelling, followed by something tumbling down the stairs. I turned to see my younger brother, Chase, hop to his feet and look around frantically. Then he grinned and sauntered over to us.

"See, Mom!" Leo protested. "If I got bionics, I could fall down the stairs and not even get a scratch!"

"It's really not as fun as it looks," Chase said, shaking his head. He never lost his grin. "But after fourteen years of Adam throwing me down them as part of his 'morning ritual,' I guess I'm just used to it."

"It makes for great entertainment," I said, taking a bite of my toast. "Even more so now that we have to go to school in the mornings. When they get late and have to rush, it's hilarious to watch." I started laughing.

"And you're not hurt, honey?" Tasha asked worriedly.

"Oh please," Chase said, waving a hand. "It's all in good fun."

Adam appeared suddenly at the top of the stairs. "Good morning!" he bellowed. "What's for breakfast?"

"It's get-it-yourself morning," Tasha told him.

"I call the powdered sugar cookie doughnut o's!" He ran down the rest of the stairs and into the kitchen, pushing Chase aside to get to the counter.

"Here's how I get even with him," Chase whispered to Tasha and Leo.

Adam opened the cupboard and pulled out his favorite cereal. He put it down and reached up for a bowl. Chase held up his hand and the cereal began to fly through the air.

"Chase!" Adam screamed.

Chase just laughed and lifted the cereal higher. Adam started jumping to try to get the box back. We ducked out of the way as he climbed up onto the counter and reached out for it.

"I could do this all day!" Chase laughed.

"Almost got it!" Adam grunted. There was a sudden squish sound and a sheepish, "Whoops," from my older brother.

"Adam!" I cried. "That was my breakfast!"

Adam lifted his foot, revealing my toast. It now had an imprint of his tennis shoe on the top. "I think it's still good."

"Fine, then you have it," I said in disgust.

Adam plopped down onto the counter. He picked up the toast and took a bite. Everyone else in the room gagged, including Chase, who promptly dropped the box of cereal. It opened up and cereal flew everywhere.

"Ugh!" Adam cried. "Is this yyana-butter? Gross!"

"That is disgusting," Leo said, rolling his eyes up into his head.

"I agree!" Adam said with a scowl.

"Honey, throw that away," Tasha said, a hand on her stomach.

"Lost my appetite," Chase mumbled.

"Good morning, dear family of mine!" Mr. Davenport called as he entered the room.

"Well, you seem happy," Tasha said as she kissed him on the cheek. "Productive night?"

"Very!" he said. "Hey, Chase, catch!"

Chase reflexively caught the small object that was tossed at him. He held it up and observed it. To me it just looked like a round metal ball. "Is this what I think it is?" he asked, his grin widening.

"It's exactly what you think it is," my father said with his classic proud smirk. "Try it out."

Chase tilted his arm back and threw the ball at the front door. Then he held his hand out. Right before the ball made contact with the door, it reversed its direction and flew right back into Chase's hand.

"Magic ball! Sweet!" Adam exclaimed. "Can it predict the future too?"

"It's not magic," Chase explained. "I can control it with my magnetism app."

"You had to invent a metal ball?" Leo asked. Then in a dry tone he added, "Really?"

"It's only a prototype," Mr. Davenport said. "I'll do more work on it to add other features. Maybe make it into a bomb or something. If he can learn to control these balls, they could really come in handy on missions."

"Bionics aren't enough?"

"Not always. Especially if you have to fight other bionics."

"I didn't even know there were still evil bionics."

"There aren't, but you never know when they might show up again. And even if they don't—and it's doubtful they will—what's the matter with having a few extra weapons along? They need everything they can get to protect themselves."

"Hey, watch me do it with my eyes closed!" Chase announced. He shut his eyes and tossed the ball—right at me. It smacked the center of my forehead and fell to the ground.

"Ow!" I screamed in protest.

"Oh, uh, whoops," Chase said, rubbing a hand on the back of his head. "Sorry, Bree."

"You okay, Bree?" Mr. Davenport asked.

"Fine," I assured him, rubbing my forehead. "But I think I'm going to head to school now."

"Wait up, I haven't eaten breakfast!" Chase said.

"You said you lost your appetite."

"I was only kidding! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I'm not missing it."

"And I still want cereal," Adam added. He knelt down and tried to eat the pieces that had fallen on the floor. Chase promptly smacked him.

"Whatever," I said, rolling my eyes. "I'm leaving. See you losers later."

"Wait, Bree, I'm ready!" Leo said, grabbing his backpack. "Can I walk with you?"

"Sure." I shrugged. "Bye, Mr. Davenport, Tasha!"

"Bye, honey!" Tasha called. "Have a good day!"

Leo and I walked out the door together into the beautiful morning air of Mission. The sun shone down on us as the two moons set in the east. We walked down the hill outside our mansion, heading for the lovely little town of Creek.

"You and your brothers . . ." Leo said after a few seconds of silence.

"You've never had siblings, huh?" I asked.

"Not until you three. It's only been a few months, but I can already tell how crazy things can get around here."

"Trust me, that's nothing. Welcome to the Davenport family, Leo!"

"Speaking of Davenport, I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Shoot." I quickened my pace a little so I wouldn't fall down the hill. Leo followed, staring up into the bright yellow leaves of the trees on either side of us.

"Why do you call Big D 'Mr. Davenport' and not 'Dad'?"

I let my feet drag a bit and watched the rocks that were loosened from the road roll down the slope. "He's not our dad," I said.

"What? Then who is?"

"We don't know. We don't really talk about it. . . . It's just something we take for granted. Don't get me wrong; Mr. Davenport is the closest thing we've ever had to a father, and we love him very much. But deep down we all know that—biologically—he isn't our real dad."

"Whoa. And you still love him?"

"Of course. You love him, but he's not your real dad either."

"I guess that's true."

"I spent every day for fourteen years with him. Adam and Chase too. I'm glad to be going to school now. I have a lot more friends than I did growing up."

"Why did he keep you out of school for so long?"

"He wanted to make sure our bionics wouldn't glitch . . . which basically means they malfunction. He wanted to train us to be heroes. And he's smart enough to teach us himself. But I did miss having that social part. Mr. Davenport can be pretty overprotective. Having friends that I get to see every day is fun." I glanced around and motioned to Leo. "Follow me."

Together we walked off the road and into the trees. The hill sloped down steeply and I used my super-speed to hurry down it.

"No fair!" Leo called.

I sighed and ran back to the top. Grabbing my stepbrother's hand, I sped him down to the bottom. We stood beneath all the trees, leaves crunching beneath our feet.

"Whoa! That was awesome!"

"This is my secret path to school," I said. "It's beautiful down here. This way."

"Thanks for showing it to me," Leo said as we pushed our way through low-hanging vines.

"You should feel lucky. Not even Adam and Chase know about it."

After only a few minutes of walking through the trees, we emerged at the edge of town. The school was further down the street. I grinned at Leo and started running. He yelled after me to slow down, but I just laughed and kept going.

Once I was at front of the school, I stopped and waited for Leo. "No fair!" he panted as he ran up.

"I wasn't even using my super-speed," I teased.

Leo just glared at me. Together we walked into the hall. It was still a few minutes before school would begin. Some students mingled about, talking to each other or storing their books in their locker. That's right: our school was so old, they still used books.

"Hey, space wasters!" a harsh voice called.

We turned around reluctantly to come face-to-face with the ruling tyrant of Creek High School, Principal Perry. She was a Zarwekian, a race known for their sturdy structures, red hair, and unpleasant attitudes. How she became a principal of a high school, I would never know.

"Why aren't you in class?" she asked.

"It hasn't started yet," I said, folding my arms across my chest.

"Keep up that attitude and you'll be getting detention, missy!"

I widened my eyes and turned to Leo.

"We were just heading to class, Principal Perry," my stepbrother assured her.

"Well, you'd better get to it. It's not like you losers have anything else to do with your lives." She started chuckling and waddled away.

"I don't get her," I said, shaking my head. "I really don't."

"Just don't get on her bad side."

"I'm pretty sure it's too late. Plus, does she even have a good side?"

"Probably not," Leo admitted with a grin.

As I put my books in my locker and Leo put his in his locker, which was three down from mine, Adam and Chase came into the school. We greeted each other and almost immediately went our separate ways. Adam had his Thesal class first—a language he was far from mastering—Chase had robotics, and Leo and I had history. So once again Leo and I were walking down the hall together.

"We start learning about the Bionic War today!" he said excitedly as we neared the classroom.

I groaned. "Oh, man, I completely forgot!"

"What, you don't like the Bionic War? I would think you would. I mean, weren't you involved in it or something?"

"I doubt it, but I wouldn't remember. I was only two when it ended. I know that Mr. Davenport contributed to a lot of the bionic research. Believe me, I've heard about Krane's bionic army and his defeat and his death enough times to know it by heart. It's just boring now. Couldn't we learn about the history of Mission? It seems more productive to learn about the history of your own home planet instead of the history of the galaxy."

"This is coming from a bionic girl who frequently travels to other planets to protect them?"

"Quit stereotyping. I should be allowed a break from caring about the galaxy!"

We entered the classroom and I collapsed into my chair. Leo took his seat near the back. A few people said hello to me and I smiled at them. Then I pulled out a pencil and tapped it on the desk, waiting for our lesson to start.

Mr. Farne walked into the room with his usual slow, steady gait. He was a Felusian, so he had the long brown robes that his species usually wore. The students had long since learned to ignore the large nose that dangled well below his chin—it was long even for a Felusian—but occasionally we would joke about it while eating in the cafeteria.

"Take your seats, class!" he called out in a blubbering tone. He tapped some papers together on the desk and shouted the command one more time. When we had settled into our seats, his lips split apart in a grin. "Today we talk about one of my favorite subjects: The Bionic War."

I groaned internally. It was an interesting subject, really. One that was very personal to me and my family. But I had heard the story so many times I could recite it in my sleep. Hearing about soldiers and wars was not really my interest. At the moment, though, I didn't have a choice.

"In 0 ATE, the Treaty of Evesent was signed. That moment marked the formation of the Galactic Alliance of Planets. By having a place where governments of various planets could work out their problems without resorting to fighting, the galaxy remained in relative peace. That was the way it was for thousands of years.

"In the year 3013, a group of scientists invented something that would revolutionize the galaxy. They determined that it was possible to create bionic implants for humanoids. These could be used to create super-humans, give someone incredible abilities, heal extensive injuries, replace missing limbs, and basically enhance any sentient being. We have one of these bionics in our very classroom! Bree Davenport?"

I pursed my lips as all the eyes in the room turned to look at me. I waved at them half-heartedly. This was another thing I didn't like about studying bionics. My brothers and I were the only bionics at our school—or on the planet, for that matter—and occasionally it seemed that people liked us more for our abilities than who we were. It was cool at first, but it got old eventually.

"Ms. Davenport's father was even involved in the creation of bionics," Mr. Farne continued in his booming voice. "For years the group of scientists worked laboriously at perfecting this new system. They knew that if the wrong person got their hands on the technology, however, that could turn out to be a great disaster. They worked hard to keep their inventions a secret, watching their members closely to make sure none of them were traitors who would sell the bionics on the black market. They didn't watch carefully enough, as it turns out.

"In 3016, a billionaire named Victor Krane managed to get his hands on the research. One member of the scientists had betrayed them. His name was never revealed; those involved claimed they wanted to keep him anonymous. History may never know the traitor. One might wonder if the scientists even knew.

"Krane created a bionic army—the Revolutionaries—with the technology, complete with an app that was able to control the minds of his bionic creations. He proceeded to threaten other planets and even hold a few captive. The Galactic Alliance of Planets knew they had to counter this. When peace talks didn't work, they decided to create a bionic army of their own. Though the group of scientists originally involved in bionics didn't approve of this, it happened anyway. The army was simply called the Alliance, but it was nicknamed the Bionic Battalion by thousands around the galaxy—including those in the army itself.

"For the next several weeks we will be going through the Bionic War, looking at the effects of bionics on our lives and how that war impacted our galaxy. It's safe to say that it was devastating, at least at first. The Galactic Alliance of Planets was not used to dealing with war. I expect you all to study the textbooks and pay attention to the details. Not only is this a fascinating topic, but there will be test when we are finished studying it. We wouldn't want to fail, would we?"

There was a chorus of mutterings from around the room. I pulled out a piece of paper from my notebook and grabbed my favorite green pen. Instead of taking notes, however, I began to doodle in the top corner of the page. What started out as a flower turned into a Hapix-dog, and then I crossed the whole thing out and began filling the side column with miniature hearts.

Mr. Farne rambled on about the start of the war while I barely paid attention. I knew how it ended, anyway: Krane died in 3020, and apparently the mysterious traitor died with him. The bionic army was taken captive and rehabilitated into normal people—well, normal people with bionics. All that happened thirteen years ago. I was just a toddler then. I didn't see why I should care. It didn't affect us anymore; not even bionic people like me.

Regardless, I had to sit—or suffer, as I call it—through all of history class. My eyes were continuously wandering to the clock. My foot tapped in a solid rhythm on the ground. When the bell finally rang, I scooped up my backpack and, even without using my super-speed, was the first one out the door.

Slow, maybe, but important. You know plenty of information now; information that will be vital later on.

Also, I should say that at the beginning of the story, I based their characters off their first seasons selves. So Adam is sixteen, Bree is fifteen, and Chase are Leo are fourteen.

Yes, I turned Perry into an alien without changing her at all. Deal with it.

I love reviews, so let me know what you thought of chapter one! There's a crazy amount of foreshadowing in here, like I said. Trust me, one day you'll go back and read this first chapter again and realize just how much you missed. It's insane the kind of things I'm going to do with all that I told you here. :)

I hope you liked that, but let me know by leaving a review! The deeper the better. ;) Let me know what I did right, wrong, and averagely. I love knowing what you think of my story! Hopefully I'll be able to update again soon, so stay tuned for Chapter 2: In Whom You Can Confide. Bye!

Glossary and Pronunciation Key

Bionic War (aka: First Bionic War, BWI; 3016-3020 ATE) - A war fought between Krane's Revolutionary army and the Galactic Alliance of Planets.

BTE/ATE - Before Treaty of Evesent/After Treaty of Evesent. Used as a measurement of years. E.g.: 12 BTE means twelve years before the Treaty of Evesent was signed; 2996 ATE means 2996 years after the Treaty of Evesent was signed. (Real life comparison: B.C./A.D.)

Creek - A town on the planet of Mission.

Felusian (fell-ooh-shun) - A species with long noses and green or yellow skin tones. Their traditions require them to wear brown robes everywhere they go.

Hapix-dog (hay-pics dog) - A species of dog with short, stubby legs and long, pointed ears.

Mission - A planet in the Mid-Rim of the galaxy known for its yellow trees, lovely hills, and sparkling oceans.

Mr. Farne (farn)

Thesal (theh-sawl) - A language commonly learned in high schools throughout the galaxy.

Treaty of Evesent (eve-sent) - Signed in 0 ATE and signifying the formation of the Galactic Alliance of Planets.

Yyana (yawn-ah) - A large, ferocious creature that is often tamed and bred for its milk. (Fun fact: I got the name "yyana" from a fantasy short story I wrote last year.)

Zarwekian (zar-weck-ian) - A species known for red hair, stumpy figures, and crass attitudes. (Fun fact: The name was inspired by the name "Zarkanian" from the LR episode "Alien Gladiators.")