Heya folks! I'm back! :D By the way, to clear up some confusion from my A/N last chapter, I don't mind at all if you ask me to update soon (I say it all the time), but I'd like it in conjunction with something else. Give me a reason to update, I guess. Thanks. I appreciate it. ^_^ (Also, I can't delete signed reviews, so all users can really do whatever they want and I can't do anything about it, so . . . :P)

Gosh, this chapter . . . so I picked my favorite instrumental for the soundtrack on this one (Love and Loss, by Mattia Cupelli), and, well, I think it's perfect because it can reflect a wide array of emotions. Joy, peace, romance, fear, hurt, anger, sadness . . . all of which are found in this chapter. This is where things definitely pick up, and if any of you are curious about Marcus's allegiances . . . you'll find out about them soon enough.

A lot of this chapter is fluff, and I don't regret it a bit. Sibling bonding and some very strong Maree vibes (as far as I can go without it actually be true romance). This is the last chapter to contain stuff like this, so I hope you like it. (Also, again, one of my betas hasn't gotten back to me yet, so I might revise some parts of this later.)

Also, just so you guys know, I'll be gone on vacation next week, which hopefully means a bit more writing (maybe), but I don't know about the wi-fi situation or if I'll be able to post or stuff. Probably doesn't matter, but I might as well give you a heads up. :)

I don't own Lab Rats, of course. Enjoy!

Chapter 5 soundtrack: "Love and Loss" by Mattia Cupelli

* * * Chapter 5: May I Have This Dance? * * *

My reflection stared back at me as I slid the lipstick across my lips. I pressed them together then out again, spreading the color all over. I grinned at myself and tucked a stray piece of hair behind my ear.

As I stood, I checked myself over in the mirror one more time. I played with my wavy hair, getting it to lay just right, and straightened my dress—a lovely purple one I had talked the boys into letting me get. I picked up the matching purse from the bed and walked out into the hallway.

"Guys, are you ready?" I called as I knocked on the door to the hotel room next to mine.

"Give us just a minute!" Adam hollered back.

So I turned and leaned on the wall, staring up at the ceiling. I felt so beautiful, and I could hardly believe that the only reason I getting so fancy was to stop Krane. It felt a little selfish to get so pretty while on a mission. I had to get a short, modest dress so I would be able to run and move on the off chance we wound up in a fight during the night.

Krane was still alive.

All day I had thought about what it meant for my life. Because at that point, we all knew it was not a prank. We could delude ourselves into thinking it—we could hope beyond hope that it was only a trick—but we all knew the truth deep down.

Our greatest enemy was still alive. Last time he wrecked havoc on our galaxy, starting the first war in three thousand years. He had taken trillions of lives before the Galactic Alliance of Planets was able to stop him. GAP had taken their sweet time adjusting to the crisis; would it happen again? How many lives would be taken this time? Would Krane hurt all these people? Was he seriously about to kill that many to conquer the galaxy?

The boys walked out of their room, interrupting my thoughts. All three of them looked sharp, dressed in their new tuxedos. Adam grinned and offered me his arm. The four of us walked together down the hall to the elevator.

Adam hit the button and his grin widened. "See, I can totally be a gentleman," he said.

"I've got to admit, you're doing a pretty good job so far," I said as we stepped in.

On the ride down, I checked my makeup in the shiny metal doors. I caught Chase looking at himself as he smoothed down his hair. "What?" he said. "If you can check your makeup, I can check my hair. We've all got to look perfect tonight."

"I think you look amazing, Bree," Marcus said.

I blushed. "Thanks. So do you."

The ball was at the hotel down the street. We walked down the well-lit sidewalk, staring in wonder at the blinking lights all around us. The sun had set two hours before, but the street was bright as day. Every color imaginable decorated the illuminated signs above our heads. Speeders and bikes flew down the road to our right, and some friendly fliers waved at us. We walked past shops selling all manner of items, including the store where we'd bought our clothes. It all looked so serene, yet so vibrant and full of life at the same time.

If we failed, who knew what Krane would do to all these people? The gravity of it hit me for the first time. Krane wanted all these people dead; he wanted the city razed to the ground. If we failed, that was exactly what he would do. We could not let that happen.

Adam must've felt my hand tense up in his arm, because he said, "Is something wrong, Bree?"

"No," I said, still observing the amazing world around me. "I've just suddenly realized how important this mission is."

Chase nodded, then sent me a comforting grin. "Don't worry, Bree. We'll pull it off. We always do."

He was right. We'd never failed a mission before. What made me think we'd start now? Krane would fall again. The galaxy was more prepared this time around. I took a deep breath. Nothing to worry about, I told myself. Nothing at all.

Soon we reached the hotel and took the elevator up to the twentieth floor where the ball would be held. We handed our tickets over to some people sitting behind a table and walked into the ballroom. Out in the middle of the floor people danced, and on the opposite side of the room a band played in front of the tall windows overlooking the city. Around the edges were tables where couples took a break from dancing.

Adam winced. "Wow, so this is a ball. Fancy."

"Listen," Chase hissed to us, "we're not here just to dance. Keep an eye out for anything that looks out of place, and use every excuse to slip away and search for bombs or weapons. But try to blend in, too! Marcus, why don't you come with me and we can do a quick search for the bomb in the picture? Adam, Bree, go dance."

I wanted to protest about having to dance with my brother, but at that point I knew better than to disobey my mission leader's orders. I gave him the stink eye to let him know that I wasn't happy about it, but I let Adam whisk me away to the dance floor.

Adam wrapped an arm around my waist and I put a hand on his shoulder. We danced in silence, moving with the music. My brother actually impressed me with his dancing skills. They were basic, but it was enough to pass us off as people who belonged. We went through the whole song, and towards the end Adam got a sort of goofy grin on his face.

"What?" I asked.

Adam spun me around gently and said, "Remember when we used to do this when we were little?"

I furrowed my brow and then laughed as the memories came back. "Oh, yeah!"

"I pretended to be your prince and we danced all over the lab. Even spun you so hard once you threw up."

"I remember that. You think I'd be used to that, considering I have super speed."

"Eh, we'd only just started training." Adam pulled me a little closer and rubbed my back. "You're getting so big."

"Well, that's what happens when you get older."

"No matter how old you get, you'll always be my little sister."

"Aw. What's got you so sappy all of a sudden?"

"I don't know. I blame this slow music! Seriously, what about getting all fancied up and coming to dance around to music that puts you to sleep is fun? I'd rather be chucking Chase across the room, but I'm going to assume that it's not refined to do that, is it?"

"For once you'd be right. But we're not here to have fun, remember? We've got a job to do."

The song ended and everyone clapped. As Adam and I got ready for the next song, a girl about my age walked up.

"I just have to say," she said in a voice so chipper it sounded fake, "you two make an adorable couple."

I coughed in surprise and Adam chuckled, pulling me closer. "Yup, meet my wife, Joan."

I shoved him away. "Actually," I said to the girl, "we're brother and sister."

"Oh, you are?" Something about her voice told me that she had suspected that all along. Couldn't blame her; it didn't take a rocket scientist to realize that Adam and I looked similar because we shared the same DNA. The girl turned to my brother. "So that means you're single?"

"Yes I am," Adam said with a grin. He moved closer and took the her hand. "How about you and I hit the dance floor now?"

She giggled and the two started to move away. Before they could, I grabbed Adam's arm and hissed, "What are you doing?"

"Blending in," he whispered back. "Chi!"

"It's ciao!" I called as he ran off to dance with the stranger.

For a moment I wondered if she was a spy sent by Krane to sabotage us, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized how ludicrous the idea was. Not even a spy could fake that kind of perkiness and, well, fakery. She was a typical, bubbly, sheltered rich girl who had probably never traveled off her home world or even heard about Krane. At least, that was my impression of her.

On the off chance she was a spy from Krane, hopefully Adam would be smart enough to keep his big mouth shut. Yeah, if she's a spy, we're all doomed.

Since my brother ditched me, I decided the best thing to do would be to scout around the room and look for anything out of the ordinary. After several minutes, however, I had yet to find anything suspicious. Everyone in the room looked to be a wealthy socialite, and only a handful were under the age of forty-five. From what I saw, there were no deadly devices hidden in plain sight.

Finally I gave up and moved over to the window. The view from above Galatrix was just as lovely. The city spread out as far as the eye could see, with skyscrapers standing out against the horizon every so often. The whole city looked alive, giving off a warm yellow glow. I leaned my forehead on the glass and watched, completely enthralled by the beautiful scene. It was possible that I had found a place even more lovely than the cliff back on Mission.

After a few minutes I realized I had seen that view before: the window was the same one the bomb had been planted in. I looked down at my feet, but there was no bomb. So either Krane moved it or my brothers found it. I looked around for Chase, but I didn't see him and I didn't want to move. So instead I turned around and looked out over the city again.

Despite the beauty of the planet and the soft music playing in the background, I couldn't help but feel like something was off. Not just about the ball; about the whole mission. Ever since we'd landed on Plenus, I'd had an odd feeling in the pit of my stomach. Obviously I was already nervous and rushed, seeing as how Krane had returned from the dead that afternoon. But it was something more than that. I couldn't quite place my finger on it, but something about our mission made me uneasy; something about the planet made me feel edgy; something here was wrong.

Beyond the blinking lights of Galatrix, way off in the distance, was a dry, desert-like area. I squinted and looked at it. I felt some inexplicable pull to that area. Like there was something out there, calling to me, beckoning me to come. . . .

"Hey."

I jumped at the voice and spun around. Then I exhaled and said, "Oh, Marcus, it's just you. You scared me."

"Sorry about that. What are you looking at?"

"Just the city." I drew a finger over the glass. "Adam ditched me and I can't find any evidence of Krane." I looked out over the scene below, trying to ignore the desert beyond. "It's really beautiful out there."

"Not as beautiful as you," he whispered.

I laughed. "Aren't androids not supposed to have emotions?"

He looked at the floor and smiled. "My creator designed me a little differently." He looked back up and held out his hand. "May I have this dance?"

I took his hand and we walked to the center of the ballroom. Together we began to dance in time with the music, Marcus holding me closer than I thought he would. He felt surprisingly warm for an android. For a second I forgot about what he was and instead focused on who he was. Why couldn't more human boys be gentlemen like him?

"Can I tell you a secret?" he said as we danced. "This afternoon, I wasn't really lost. I just wanted an excuse to talk to you. I know I'm just an android, but—"

"You're a cute android is what you are." I felt myself blush but recovered quickly. "So shut up and spin me!"

Marcus laughed. The music slowed and he spun me around lightly. Then it picked up again and we swayed across the dance floor. All thoughts of my brothers, of my mission, and of Krane fled my mind. There wasn't anything I would trade for that moment. Android or no, Marcus was cute and sweet. Even if it was just programming and not true emotion, it still felt good to receive the affection.

Before I knew it, we got closer and closer. Our faces were only a few inches away. I felt like leaning in even closer, but at that moment the song ended. We pulled apart as everyone clapped.

Another song started up. Marcus grinned and twirled me around, then brought me nearer. And so it went for the rest of the night. We danced together, and even Chase had a hard time pulling us apart when it was time to keep looking for anything suspicious.

"Just had the best dance of my life. Who cares if he's not a human? *android *CUTE," I read aloud before hitting the post button.

Of course, I couldn't say anything about our mission or the bomb search, both of which had revealed nothing. Krane must've moved the bomb by the window before we got there and been smart enough not to plant any more. We would continue looking around in the morning. Hopefully all the scientists and hackers working on the problem back in the Falken system would have more information for us by then.

Until then, I was content to relax in my room and take a breather after such a crazy day. I had already taken off my dress and put on my clothes from earlier, which would have to serve as pajamas tonight.

A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts, and I shouted that it was unlocked. Someone came in and stood behind me. I could see his reflection in my computer screen and I grinned.

"Hey, Marcus," I said as I tapped my friend's post to open and read it.

"Hey, Bree." His voice sounded a bit strained, but I guessed he was only tired from such a long night. Wait, could androids even get tired? "What are you up to?"

"Just updating my friends on StarChat. It's a little easier on the computer, and the hotel lets me use this one for free."

"That's nice."

"Nice?" This time it was my turn to raise an eyebrow. I looked at Marcus's reflection. He had his hands shoved into his pockets and his head bowed. "What's wrong? Are Adam and Chase giving you a hard time."

"No. Quite the opposite, actually."

"Oh. What are they doing?"

"They're, uh . . . asleep. Yeah. Asleep."

"Hmm. Chase too? He likes to stay up late during missions and work things out. He's weird like that."

"Chase too."

"Wow. That's a little odd." I furrowed my brow. "Is he feeling okay?"

Marcus stayed silent.

"Marcus?" I asked, still not turning around. "What's going on?"

He sighed and in my screen I saw him take something out of his pocket. "Orders, Bree," he whispered.

Now I stood up. "Wait, Marcus, that's a stunner!"

He lunged at me, but I managed to duck away and get over by the bed. "What are you doing?" I screamed.

"Orders!" he shouted back. "I'm not about to disobey!"

Marcus jumped on me and pinned me to the floor. I tried to fight him off, but it soon became clear that he was much stronger than me. He turned on the stunner. "I'm sorry, Bree," he whispered, genuine regret in his eyes.

Then he pressed the stunner against my neck, right above my chip. I felt the jolt go through my body as I screamed bloody murder. I'm not certain, but I'm fairly sure that a tear rolled down my cheek as I slipped into unconsciousness.

So . . . shouldn't be a total shock if you're familiar with the show. Sorry Marcus-lovers, but he's evil even here. (Or is he simply misguided and afraid?) Of course, that begs the question . . . is he with Krane? Also, how on earth does he know Bree's Scientist's Fingerprint? (Shouldn't be that hard to figure out if you remember that all family relations are the same as the canon.)

Reviews are much loved. What did you think? Yeah, this is where the plot is really going to pick up. Marcus is shown to be evil and working for someone evil. What'll he do with Bree? Will Krane destroy Plenus? What's going to happen next? Send me your theories, 'cause I'm really curious. :P

Also, random thing, but TheMeepyFreak is doing this neat forum-interview thingy, and she's already interviewed me and posted it on there. Users with accounts can reply to the forum and ask me more questions, and I'll post all the answers in public for everyone to see. ;) The link is at the top of my profile, so I would really appreciate it if you checked it out. (And TheMeepyFreak, as well, because she is undoubtedly one of the best authors in these archives.)

I think that's about it. Review and stuff, and I'll see you guys next time for Chapter 6: You and That Army. Bye!

* * * Glossary/Pronunciation Key * * *

Bikes - A one-person version of a speeder, usually a slimmer and sometimes even faster. (Loosely based off of the Star Wars speeder bikes. Real life equivalent: motorcycles.)

Computer - An electronic device used for communication and information processing. (Just like our computers, but, y'know, in space.)

Speeders - A method of transportation used on the surface of a planet. Hovers a few feet above the ground, but can't go much higher than that. (Based off of the Star Wars landspeeders. Real life equivalent: cars.)

Stunner - A device/weapon used to temporarily incapacitate an enemy without seriously harming them by giving them a small electric shock. (Real life equivalent: tasers.)