Kihonne: Guys, I am so sorry for the ridiculously long HIATUS I took. Between school, my new job's crazy hours, and my overly long commute to said job, I just haven't had much of a chance to work on this. But I'm back now, and I really hope you guys enjoy the chapter. I won't waste too much of your time, but I do have some shoutouts to do.
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LabGirl2001: Oh yeah, he's one of those all-or-nothing types of guys. He is definitely part of the Davenport Clan, that's for sure. As for Calla, well, we'll see what she's going through in a bit. Let's just say the kids aren't the only ones with character arcs this season. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter.
SzymonS: Yup, Kam has that subtle little jealousy thing going on there. And you're right, it's probably not going to help, but he's going to do it anyway. Calla is definitely overworked, what with everything going on around her. As for Calla's stance against self-driving cars, it's not so much about her fear of them, it's more about the fact that she has seen the dangers up close – Marcus isn't the only one wanting to kill someone in the world, and anyone could do it as easily as he did and she did see the flaws in Davenport's later design in "On the Edge". Calla may build a number of weapons, but very few of them, if any, are lethal. She considers the self-driving cars too flawed to properly work and that they can easily be used as a lethal weapon, and therefore won't be the one who builds it. It's more of a moral stance, and even as a CEO she's not willing to go against her morals. Keep theorizing about Matt – he's fun. Same with Darius – you have an interesting theory about his mother. As for Noah…yeah Calla's not going to be too happy about it. My exams went well, thanks for asking. Sorry about the long delay. I hope you enjoy the chapter.
Humanusscriptor: Um…sorry it's too long? Most people seem to prefer this length. I'm glad you liked it regardless, especially the part with Kameron and Robo Perry – I thought it would be a funny moment. You're absolutely right – it is a wonder she hasn't cracked yet. Probably because she's had Leo having her back. Noah should be afraid – chances are, if Calla finds out while she's still so stressed, he's not going to survive that conversation.
TheRealHarrisonW: I'm so glad you liked it! And it's cool that we have some similar ideas. Geminus is mine, but Spotlight and Spark were both canon characters and therefore not mine. Their Normo identities – Liam Bennett and Jaime LePera are though, but you'll be absolutely fine if you use didn't Normo names. If you ever post it, please let me know – I'd love to read it sometime. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter.
Guest: Currently, I'm guaranteeing 2 seasons minimum, with a very high chance of a third season.
Guest: I appreciate that you're a fan of the story, and I'm glad you like it. I know that it's been a long wait, but just because I don't update when I say I'm going to doesn't mean I'm going to quit. It means that it's tough to write a 6,000 word chapter while juggling work, school, life, and I didn't get a chance to finish. I know you just meant encouragement and I appreciate that, but begging will not get the chapter out any sooner.
Guest: I'm aware that it's been a while since the last update, but I don't always have the time to finish a 6,000 word chapter. I understand that you love the story, but please be patient. If a chapter is late, I am just as frustrated about it as you are.
Xxx
Kihonne: Alright guys, time for the chapter!
Noah: Kihonne doesn't own Lab Rats, Mighty Med, or the Elite Force. She only owns this story, any and all OCs, and anything else you don't recognize.
Xxx
Noah's POV
"Sorry, sorry." I muttered, jogging into mission command, dressed in sweatpants and tank tops, ready to train. Calla sighed irritably and glanced at her Daven-watch.
"I said quarter after, Noah." She reminded me sternly, clearly displeased.
"Blake, I couldn't think of an excuse." I explained in a hurry, pulling off my hoodie before she could accuse me of not being dressed properly either. "Sorry."
"Be on time next time." She told me. I nodded, tossing my stuff into the corner before joining the others. "That goes for everyone. If there's a mission, I need you ready to go."
"What if we're in school?" Charlotte inquired.
"Then Calla and I will call and get you all excused. We'll figure out something to tell your teachers." Leo assured her. Calla glanced at Naomi and I.
"You two are on your own for that though." She warned us. "Talk to Ben, see what he tells his teachers to get out class."
"I'm sure it won't be a problem." I replied, feeling my stomach twist a little. Ever since Blake had started pushing me to tell Calla, I felt bad for lying to her. I just needed to figure everything out before I talked to her though. Calla gave me a look and I decided to do the smart thing and shut up. As she turned around to talk to Leo about what exactly we were going to be doing this morning, I turned to the others, nervous. "So, has she been like this all day, or is it just because of me?"
"She's just in a bad mood. You just chose the wrong day to sleep in with your girlfriend." Naomi assured me, shaking her head.
"We weren't..." I sighed. It wasn't worth the argument. "What's up with her? Wake up on the wrong side of the bed or something?"
"Well, it might have something to do about what was in her bed when she woke up..." Emily chuckled. Kameron groaned.
"I didn't mean to leave Josh's cage open, okay? It's not my fault he thinks Calla's bed is comfy." He grumbled.
"It absolutely is." Calla piped up. We all looked over at her, noticing the unimpressed look on her face. "Now, if you're all done talking about how cranky I am, can we start training?"
We all turned to face her and Leo, muttering apologies under our breath. "Great." Calla clapped her hands sarcastically. "Teams of two, now."
We spent the next two hours practicing combat moves, mostly defensive, and a few tricks that could get us out of tight spots. By the looks of things, Calla wanted to have us working on things that would work for all of us, regardless of our powers, before focusing later on our abilities. It wasn't all that surprising - she hadn't always had her powers and teaching us to do things without them probably came more naturally. Besides, it wouldn't make much sense to train us on super speed when I was the only one with speed abilities or teach us about flying when the twins were the only ones who could.
"Alright, that's enough." Calla eventually called from where she was sitting at the cyber computer, watching all of us. She nodded. "Nice work guys. You're seeming to get the hang of it."
"Are we done for the day?" Emily inquired, glancing at her. Calla shook her head, and the younger genius frowned.
"Not yet, I want to get a couple more hours done. Don't worry, I know you have a homework thing with Darius later." Calla assured her, rubbing her neck tiredly.
"But," Leo added, "you've all earned a lunch break. Go on."
"Sweet." Kira grinned, already heading for the hyperlift. The rest of us chuckled as she shot straight up to the main floor, not bothering to see if any of us were following.
"Hey, is there any more Italian food from last night?" Kameron asked as the rest of us headed for the elevator.
"Whoa." I turned to see Calla standing by the cyber computer, one hand pressed against the cyber computer, the other pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Mom?" Emily asked softly, looking past me at Calla. Calla waved her off, keeping one hand on the cyber table.
"I'm fine." She assured her before rubbing at her eyes again. She chuckled lightly. "Just stood up too fast."
"Are you sure?" Charlotte asked, looking equally concerned. Calla nodded. Leo glanced between her and the rest of us.
"Why don't you guys go ahead?" He suggested, keeping his tone light. "We'll be up in a minute."
"Are you-" Kameron started. Calla raised her head and gave us all a smile.
"Guys, I'm fine. Go." She told us, smiling reassuringly.
"Okay…" Sera agreed hesitantly, heading back towards the hyperlift. I gave Emily a gentle push to get her moving, and the rest of us, sans Leo, Calla, Naomi, and Ben, went up to the main floor.
"Is Calla okay?" Sera asked as soon as we were up there. Kira glanced back at us in confusion.
"What's going on?" She asked as she put the finishing touches on her sandwich.
"She's fine…I think." Emily replied, biting her lip. Charlotte patted her shoulder gently.
"She probably forgot to eat breakfast or something." She told her. She glanced at the rest of us. "It wouldn't be the first time, would it?"
Naomi's POV
"I didn't forget breakfast, Leo!" Calla snapped in exasperation.
"Coffee doesn't count, Calla." Ben commented offhandedly. Calla turned to look at him, head tilted in annoyance. "Just saying."
"I had toast. Happy?" She snapped, turning to glare back at Leo. I exchanged looks with Leo and Ben. "Guys, it was a dizzy spell, I'm fine. You're acting like I'm dying or something."
"You have been off for a few weeks now." I began. She turned to look at me.
"Oh my God, I'm not dying." Her tone was up a pitch as he shook her head at us.
"No, but I'm pretty sure you're burning yourself out, Calla." Leo said gently. She rolled her eyes. "I'm serious."
"I'm fine." Calla repeated. He shook her head. "Leo, I-"
"You've been burning the candle at both ends since Chase left. You need a break." He interrupted her. She scowled at him irritably. "Don't say you're fine. You need a break."
"Say that's true, which it isn't," Calla stressed, "when am I supposed to take it? You know how bad things are at the company, Dooley, and on top of the kids and whatever is going on with the city? Even if I wanted a break, I don't have time for one.
"Well, you're taking a break." Leo decided. Calla stared at him for a moment.
"Did you listen to anything I just said?" She questioned incredulously.
"Not at all." Leo replied with a smirk. She rolled her eyes before rubbing at them with her thumb and index finger.
"Dooley," She began, but he shook his head.
"Parker." He said threateningly. I smirked a little - whenever Leo called Calla by her maiden name, he was being serious, and we all knew it would work to get her to listen to him, "You're taking a break. A sick day. It's not the end of the world."
"Please don't say that. With our track record, it just might be." She pointed out. He shook his head. "Alright, one day. One day off. That's it."
"Go to bed. Take a nap." He suggested. She raised an eyebrow at that.
"I'm not five." She pointed out. He nodded.
"I know, which means you should actually appreciate the nap rather than just whining about it." He replied. She opened her mouth and stared at him for a moment, offended.
"Wow, you're mean today." She realized.
"Worried, not mean." He corrected. She sighed.
"Fine. I will take a sick day." She reluctantly agreed. As much as she had fought against us on it, I could already see some of the tension bleeding out of her shoulders. Ben cleared his throat.
"Should I tell the others that we're done training for the day?" He suggested. "I can take a few of them out for a run or something."
"Nah, I've got an idea." Leo assured him. Calla raised her eyebrows at that. "Don't worry about it, Calla."
"Fine." She got up, moving slowly this time to avoid another accidental dizzy spell. "Emily's gotta go meet her friend Darius at five. It's important to her." She told him.
"Oh, don't worry. We'll be done long before then." He promised her, smiling as he thought over his plan. Ben and I exchanged looks as Calla headed for the hyperlift. This should be interesting.
Noah's POV
"She's fine, Emmy." Leo assured Emily for the second time as we all gathered around mission command. Leo had given us an extra hour off as he set up a new training exercise, while my aunt had gone upstairs to rest a little bit. She too had reassured all of us that she was okay, and that Leo was 'pulling a Dooley' and overreacting (to which Charlotte had overreacted to), but had agreed to take the rest of the day off. "Your mom just has a lot on her plate and needs a few hours to breathe and stuff before diving back in."
"You're sure?" Emily asked, biting her lip. He nodded.
"I'm positive. You guys are all just super stressful." He joked. She rolled her eyes, smiling a little. He gave her another reassuring smile, then turned to us.
"So, I thought we'd play a little game. Big D and Chase always thought that training had to be serious, but I never really understood why we couldn't have a little fun with it." He declared. We all exchanged looks, curious as to what he was up to. "Alright, I assume most of you know what capture the flag is?"
"I don't." Sera was the only one to speak up, her voice a little hesitant once she realized that the rest of us did.
"It's an Earth game, where two teams try to capture the other team's flag." I explained. She nodded, smiling at me gratefully. Leo leaned against the cyber computer.
"Don't worry too much about it, Seraphina. I'm messing with the rules anyway." He told her before looking at all of us. "Alright, so there are three flags hidden in the tunnels underneath Centium City. You guys are going to split into four teams of two, then track down one of the flags, which will be guarded by someone. You get the flag and you win. But don't expect it to be easy - there's going to be obstacles and...surprises waiting for you in there. And none of us are going to go easy on you guys in there either."
"But you said there are only three flags? Why four teams?" Kira asked as she subtly moved to stand next to her brother. Glancing around, I saw that the others had already moved next to their chosen team members - Naomi and Ben, always at each other's side, the twins standing close together, with Emily and Charlotte at the back. That left Sera and I, not that I was complaining - after our little training exercise with Naomi a couple of weeks ago, we'd been working closely together.
"Well, it wouldn't be much of a game if there weren't winners and losers, would it?" Leo joked. "The team that fails to bring back a flag is going to be doing dishes for the next week. At the penthouse and my house."
"That's not fair!" Kameron protested.
"Well, then, don't lose." Leo suggested. Kameron stopped, not having an argument against that. "Oh, and I'm picking teams, so you can stop thinking you're all going to be with your best friend on the team."
"What?" "Papa!" "Why?" Protests came from most of the group. Leo sighed.
"Look, clearly you guys have these mini teams that work for you. That's not a bad thing; you can be part of a larger team while still being a badass duo with just one other team member - just ask Kaz and Oliver, or Bree and Skylar. But it's a good idea to practice working with the team members you're less familiar with, alright?" He looked over us for a moment, a look of pondering on his face. "Alright, Char, sweetie, you're with Ben. Kam, you're with Naomi. Kira with Noah, and Sera and Emily."
We all looked around at each other, some of us clearly happier with the teams than others.
"When do we start?" Naomi inquired. Leo smirked and held up his Davenwatch. I noticed immediately that it was a different model than ours - this one was a black and blue model, as opposed to the silver and gold ones.
"Right now." He declared, hitting a button. He disappeared as he hit it.
"How?" Kira questioned, confused.
"Some of the advanced Davenwatches have geoleap functions." Charlotte explained. She looked around at us. "May the best hero win. C'mon Ben!"
Without waiting for his response, she raced into the tunnels. Muttering a curse under his breath, the older boy jogged after her, calling her name. Emily rolled her eyes.
"C'mon, let's get this over with." She said to Seraphina, walking into the tunnels with much less enthusiasm than Charlotte, the alien girl following her silently. I turned and looked at Kira as Naomi and Kameron started into the tunnels.
"After you." I offered, gesturing to the tunnels. She smiled in response, leading me into the tunnels.
Emily's POV
"Another dead end." I declared, my tone falsely excited. I shot Seraphina a look. "That's the third one in an hour. Are you sure you know where we're going?"
"I never said I did." Sera replied, glancing at me. "Don't you know these tunnels yet? You've lived here longer."
"Doesn't mean I'm a spelunking expert." I muttered. She sighed.
"I think we're lost." She told me. "We should call Leo and get him to help us back to mission command."
"Absolutely not." I retorted. She raised her hands questioningly.
"Why not? Do you know how to get back? Because I don't." She argued.
"No, but I'm still not going to call Leo. First, that would probably make us forfeit the competition, and second, I'm not going to give up that easily."
"You're only going to get us more lost." Sera sighed. I stopped and turned to look at her fully.
"I don't see you helping." I pointed out. She stared at me.
"I tried to help, you said I was wrong." She reminded me. I bit my lip, remembering that.
"Yeah, well, you were. The first tunnel you tried to bring us down only goes to the sewage system, and the second would just bring us down to this old subway station that my parents made off limits ages ago. I may not know these tunnels that well, but at least I know that."
"You act like I should." Sera commented. I shrugged.
"Well, you have been here for nearly a month." I pointed out. She rolled her eyes.
"Yeah, a month." She agreed, starting to get ticked off. "I've been a little busy, you know, getting used to a new school, new city, and, uh, a new planet. Kinda had my plate full."
"Hey, it's not like I didn't have to adjust to the new situation too." I argued.
"Yeah, but at least I've been trying to make it work." She grumbled. I frowned.
"What do you mean by that?" I questioned, looking at her. She gave me a look and I sighed irritably. I opened my mouth to argue with her when a odd, loud hissing sound came from the tunnel to our right. We both paused and looked down the tunnel.
"Is that...?" Sera asked hesitantly as she made out the form of what had hissed at us.
"It is." I gulped nervously, backing up. I glanced at her. "I think we should run."
"Something we finally agree on." She replied before turning on her heel and bolting down the tunnel opposite. I hesitated for a very brief second – we had no idea if that tunnel would bring us deeper into the labyrinth under the city or not. But there were two very large crocodiles – yes, I said crocodiles – right behind me was more than enough to make me risk it. I tore off after Sera, the dangerous creatures close behind.
Noah's POV
I sped at the nearby attack orb, smashing into it so fast that it broke apart upon contact. Leo hadn't set these orbs to their maximum strength, so they were fairly easy to take down. They were more of an annoyance than anything.
"I got three!" Kira declared, dropping her hand as the last blast of fire she'd released melted an attack orb. "How many did you get?"
"Two." I replied, shaking my head when I saw the triumphant smirk form on her face.
"You're falling behind." She teased, crossing her arms. I rolled my eyes, smiling.
"Let's go. I think we're going the right way." I told her, heading further down the tunnel. The ground below us was downtrodden, clearly used a fair bit, and I figured that Leo and whoever was helping him - Katherine was probably one of them, if I had to guess, but I wasn't sure who else would be watching a flag given that Calla was taking the day off. I glanced at my phone to check the time, and noticed that there were a couple of missed messages.
"Blake? That's your girlfriend right? The one we met at Emily's birthday dinner?" Kira inquired. I nodded.
"Yeah. I'll call her later, once we're done here." Blake preferred calling over texting, but I wasn't going to get any kind of decent signal down here.
"She seems nice." Kira observed. I nodded.
"But...?" I could hear it in her tone. She shrugged. "Spit it out, Kira. Charlotte and Emily don't hold back; neither should you."
"I don't know, she just doesn't seem like your type is all. Sorry." She said apologetically. I shrugged. "You're not mad."
"You're entitled to your opinion, even if I don't agree with it." Being diplomatic was the only way to manage both of my cousins.
"Oh, okay. I wasn't lying when I said she was nice. I just figured that you'd be dating someone in the life."
"In the life?" I repeated.
"You know, the hero life. Like someone from the Bionic Academy, or the League or something." She shrugged. "I don't know, maybe that's me."
"Do League members have to date members of the League?" I knew that most of them were all married or dating someone in the superhero community. "Have you dated any one in the League?"
"No to both of those, though I came close once. It's complicated." She waved her hand as if it didn't matter. I frowned.
"Complicated? You're fifteen." I pointed out incredulously.
"And fifteen-year-olds sometimes have complicated love lives." She insisted, her tone making it clear that topic was done with. "But no, they don't have to date in the League. I just figured, considering how important your abilities are, you'd end up with someone with powers too. Sorry if that's weird or anything. I'm sure Blake will think your powers are totally cool when she finds out...if she doesn't know already?"
"She doesn't yet, but I'm sure she will." I reasoned. She nodded.
"Cool." She hummed. She paused in the tunnel suddenly, a frown on her face. "Do you see that too?"
"See...oh." I followed her gaze until I was saw what she was talking about. It was hardly noticeable, but it was there - a bit of light emanating from a nearby tunnel.
Naomi's POV
"We are definitely lost." I sighed, stopping in front of a rock wall where I'd truly believed would be another tunnel.
"Yeah." Kameron agreed, looking around. He glanced down the tunnel we'd just come from. "Think we should double all the way back to that first intersection, or do you think we'll be fine if we just go back to the second before last?"
"I don't know. These tunnels confuse me." I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. He cocked his head to the side, smiling a little to show that he agreed with me. I sighed, thinking. "Alright, let's go back to the beginning. If we were even close to being on the right path, we'd be seeing some of Leo's 'surprises' by now."
"What do you think they are?" Kameron wondered.
"Knowing Leo, it could be anything. He likes to catch people off guard." I commented. "That sound good to you, though?"
"Yeah. You make a good point about not seeing any of the obstacles yet." He agreed, turning to start back down the path. "So, how come you don't know these tunnels, anyway? Haven't you lived here, like, for a year now?"
"Two, actually. Doesn't make these tunnels any more confusing. It's not like I use them regularly, anyway." I replied with a shrug.
"You should." He commented. "I know they're technically supposed to be an Elite Force / S.H.I.R.T. secret, but they're helpful. You should make a map of this place or something."
I looked at him, surprised. "That's a good idea. Why didn't I think of that?" I wondered. He grinned widely in response. "I should map this place out. I could grab Em, make a weekend out of it."
"Oh thank God," he breathed in relief, "for a second I thought you were going to get me to help you." We both laughed at the relief in his voice. "I'm directionally challenged."
"So I hear." Kira had been rather excited to tell us about the time he'd walked home from school on his own for the first time and ended up on the other side of the city. "It's okay. Ben is hopeless without a GPS."
"Really?" He hummed thoughtfully.
"It's pathetic, actually." I chuckled, smirking. I glanced at him. "You'll get the hang of it."
"Maybe. I'm only here for seven more months." He replied. Then, in a much lower tone, he added, "hopefully."
I stopped at the beginning of another intersection and turned to look at him. "Hey." I said, then waited for him to look at me. "They'll be okay, alright? Your parents will be back home in seven months, no doubt about it."
"If everything goes according to plans." Kameron added. I nodded. "My parents aren't exactly the best at following plans."
"That may be true, but Chase is so anal about everything going to according to his plan that it'll all even out." I offered. He smiled a little. "They'll really be okay, I promise. Okay?"
"Okay." Kameron nodded. I smiled back.
"Now I say we track down Leo or whoever he has watching those flags and grab one quick so we can get out of here. Sound good?" I asked. He grinned.
"Bet I'll beat you to it." He replied, jogging past me. I chuckled, shaking my head before following after him.
Emily's POV
"Crocodiles in the sewers? Is this your uncle's idea of a joke?" Sera demanded, keeping pace with me as we ran from the crocs. The two monstrous animals were right on our heels. "And where the hell did he even get two crocodiles?"
"I don't know, but they're not real!" I cried, leaping forward a bit as they nipped at the back of my feet. Sera spared me a glance before glancing back over her shoulder.
"They look pretty real to me!" She called. She raised one hand, sending a wave of ice backwards at the crocs. It didn't do much other than slow them down, but at least it was something.
"They're too fast. Real crocodiles could never keep up with us." I called back. I glared at the crocodiles, but nothing happened.
"If they're fake, make them stop. Use your powers!" Sera ordered. I shook my head, breathing heavily.
"I can't!" I muttered, just loud enough for her to hear. She shot me a confused glance, but I didn't have the time, or energy, to explain.
"That's it!" Suddenly, Sera barrelled into me, pushing the both of us into a side tunnel. Without explaining herself, she raised her hands and created a barrier of ice between us and the crocodiles. It wasn't large - just four feet high and about 6 inches in width - so it wouldn't keep us safe forever, but it did buy us sometime to catch our breath and figure out a plan.
"Why can't you stop them?" Her tone wasn't accusatory like I would have expected it to be. I shook my head helplessly. "If they're not real crocodiles like you said they are, they're either not of this world, or they're tech. And I highly doubt your uncle purchased a set of magno lacenta from Gebelia just for this."
"Magno lacenta from Gebelia?" I repeated. She nodded. "Okay, I don't know what that means, but they're certainly not ordinary tech either." I sighed. "S.H.I.R.T. and Coalition will sometimes give my parents some alien tech to work with in exchange for free upgrades to their tech, so long as my mom doesn't sell any of it. I think it's some of that."
"Your powers only work on human tech?" Sera frowned.
"My powers only work on tech-tech. As in mechanical, electrical...you know, real tech. But some species have organic tech stuff, and I can't control those very well."
"Okay, so it's organic tech. Good to know." Sera muttered. She glanced back at her ice barrier, where the crocodiles were unsuccessfully trying to climb over. "Do you think they'll go away on their own?"
"Maybe? I have no idea how Leo programmed them." I shook my head again. I hated this feeling of helplessness. I couldn't do anything. "How long will your barrier hold?"
"Maybe an hour, if we're lucky." She replied. She glanced at me. "Want to wait it out, see if they go away, then figure something out if they don't?"
"It's not like we can do anything else." I replied, shrugging before leaning against the rock wall.
Noah's POV
"I see it." I confirmed to Kira, nodding towards the light coming from the other tunnel.
"I think we found a flag." She told me in a sing-song voice. I smirked.
"Wanna see if I can grab the flag before Leo even realizes we're here?" I suggested. She smiled, then looked at the tunnel without moving her head. I smirked and sped down the tunnel. Kira was right about the flag - I could see it sitting on the ground at the corner of the dead-end tunnel. All I had to do was swipe it off the ground and get back to Kira - at this speed, it would only take half a second.
Suddenly, before I could even touch the flag, something slammed into me. It sent me flying across the floor, until I hit the rock wall. I looked up confused, to see a tall, lanky brown haired man in his early thirties standing over me, a triumphant smirk on his face.
"Oh, c'mon Noah, you didn't think it would be that easy, did you?" He teased, crossing his arms and looking down at me. I groaned, dropping my head back onto the ground.
"Seriously? Leo got you to help?" I complained. He chuckled.
"The chance to show you guys how a real bionic battle goes? Like I was going to pass that up." He chuckled. He glanced over his shoulder. "Hi Kira."
"Hi Spin." Kira sighed, stepping into the tunnel. Spin smiled and looked between the two of us.
"So, are we going to do this, or what?" He questioned. I didn't answer, instead immediately speeding at him. Kira moved at the same, rushing towards Spin with a fire ball forming in her hand.
Spin twisted into a miniature tornado, the force of which pushed both Kira and I back into opposite rock walls, extinguishing Kira's fire before it could do any damage.
"C'mon guys, you're going to face a lot tougher than me out there." Spin taunted. I grit my teeth together, annoyed. I knew he was doing it on purpose, but that didn't mean I liked it.
I glanced at Kira, gestured with one hand for her to stay put, then sped at Spin again. This time, I tried to stop at the last minute and dart to the right, but he seemed to be expecting it.
I managed to keep my footing this time, even though his twister managed to knock me back a few steps. "Don't be predictable." Spin cautioned. "Dodging to the side is smart, but obvious. Try something new."
"You keep doing the same thing!" I pointed out. He nodded.
"Because it's working." He said simply. I glowered at him and he smirked before turning into the twister again and charging right at me.
But this time, something strange happened. Instead of knocking me to the ground, he went right through me. As in, I didn't move and he tornadoed through my front and out my back. "The hell?" He demanded, stopping and staring at me. "You're intangible?"
"I...maybe?" I questioned. He looked at me, utterly confused for a moment, before hitting his knees with a groan. Kira was standing behind him, holding up a fireball and smirking down at the smoking, smoldering mess of the back of his shirt.
"You did say not to be predictable." She pointed out. She looked at me for a moment, then raised an eyebrow. "What are you waiting for? Get the flag."
"Uh...right!" I sped towards the flag, and thankfully, I was able to grab it without a problem. I sped back to Kira's side, holding the dark gray flag in my hands, the bright red Borromean rings on the side facing us.
"So, how come you didn't mention you could phase?" She asked, curious.
"I didn't know I could." It must be some sort of hidden ability. Spin shot me a look as he climbed to his feet.
"I thought you told Calla that you made your chip?" He questioned. I paused, then raised my chin.
"I'm just that good." I told her
Naomi's POV
"Are you sure we're going the right way?" I questioned as Kameron ducked into one tunnel before coming back out and going down another.
"No clue!" The electrokinetic called back. I sighed - normally, I'd be amused by the way Kameron kept getting turned round in here, but we'd already run into two of my brother's surprise obstacles, and I wasn't keen on running into any more. "Oh, hey."
"Kameron?" I called, hearing the surprise in his voice. I caught up with the younger boy a few feet down the tunnel to my left. "I see."
"Wow." Leo climbed off the rock he'd been perched on, looking at us with a vaguely impressed look on his face. "That was faster than I thought. You guys might be the first to find one of us."
"We still have to go through you." Kameron pointed out logically, eyeing the flag behind him, stuck between two rocks. The red borromean rings symbol stood out against the gray background.
"Yes, you do." Leo agreed, stepping closer to the center of the tunnel, planting himself firmly between us and the flag. He smirked, glancing at me. "And don't think I'm going to go easy on you just because you're my little sister, Nai."
"Course not." I replied. I looked back at Kameron. "Follow the plan, got it?"
"You're the boss." Kameron replied, smiling confidently. I nodded, then, in one fluid motion, hit a button on my prototype Davenwatch, turned to Leo, and shot a plasma ball out of the shooter located at the inside of my wrist.
Leo dodged it with ease, but his eyes were wide with surprise. "I thought Calla wasn't finished yet." He commented in surprise. I smiled.
"Well, someone had to test it." I replied before shooting another two quick shots at him. Kameron flew into the air, flying towards Leo, but not shooting quite yet. Leo raised his hand and sent a laser sphere towards Kameron, who dodged to the side to avoid, but misjudged how little room he had in the tunnel and ended up hitting the tunnel wall hard. I didn't stop to check if he were okay - he didn't hit the wall that hard, just enough to stun him for a brief moment - but instead shot another plasma blast at Leo. He stepped to the side, avoiding it altogether. He turned to the side, making himself less of a target before sending a couple of quick shots my way. I slid behind a rock, hoping that Kameron had recovered by now.
I spun around the rock, shooting a blast at Leo. However, he shot a laser sphere at me at the same time, and the two attacks collided with each other. The result was a bright white flash that temporarily blinded us both.
"Whoa." I stepped back, half-expecting another attack from Leo, but he looked just as surprised as I did.
"Okay." He grinned before looking at me. "Later we're going to see how we can turn that to our advantage."
"Definitely." I agreed smiling. Then, just like that, I jumped back into the battle and sent a powerful blast of plasma towards him. This time, instead of shooting back, Leo spun around and grabbed a hold of one of the stalagmites. Using the strength of his bionic arm, he ripped the top half of the stalagmite off of the bottom as if it weighed nothing at all, and swung it towards the plasma blast. Not only did it successfully block the attack, but it sent the plasma blast back towards me. I hit the ground as fast as I could, and yet the blast still singed the top of my hair.
"What did I say about not being predictable?" He questioned, still holding the stalagmite loosely in his hands. I raised myself up on my elbows and looked up at him.
"Hey, Leo?" I asked before blowing a strand of hair out of my face. "Where's Kameron?"
My brother paused, having been so caught up in his fight with me that he'd forgotten about the younger kid. Kameron cleared his throat, and Leo turned around to see the kid holding the flag between his two hands.
"You didn't actually say that we had to beat you." Kameron told him, just like he'd mentioned to me when we'd first started talking strategy an hour ago. "Just that we had to get the flag."
Leo stared at him for a long moment, his mouth open as he tried to think of a way to protest, before his shoulders slumped in defeat.
Emily's POV
The first ten minutes were spent in silence as we listened to the crocodiles scratch at the ice barrier. A part of me was annoyed with my uncle - what the hell was he thinking - but the other part of me understood why he'd use them. Organic tech wasn't under the control of my powers, and he likely wanted to see what I would do when I couldn't control them.
I sighed, rolling my head across the rock wall to look at Seraphina. Aside from a frown, her face was expressionless as she watched the crocodiles.
"I don't mean to be a jerk, okay?" I eventually said, breaking the silence.
"What?" Sera questioned, turning around with her arms crossed. I sighed, looking down at my shoes.
"I know I can be a jerk sometimes. I don't mean to be, okay?" I told her. "I just...I'm frustrated."
"You're not the only one who had to adjust to a new situation." She pointed. I nodded.
"I know, and I know it's been hard for you. But the difference is, if you're sad about it, or if Kira or Kameron complain, everyone understands. Everyone's on your side." I shrugged. "And I get why, and I know I should be being nicer, I just..."
"You just what?" Sera raised her eyebrows at me. I looked up at her.
"This time next year, I'll be living and going to school 1,055 miles away. This is my last year at home, and my dad's on another planet, my mom is too busy trying to juggle all of this for anything else, and I just went from being an only child to sharing a bathroom with a particularly messy pyrokinetic, an alien, and a boy, all of whom I barely know, and I didn't have a say in any of it." I listed. "I know it's not as bad as your guys situations, but my life got turned upside down too. But the moment I say anything negative about it, I'm the bad guy."
"Emily-" Sera began, but I shook my head.
"It's not fair, is all I'm saying. And maybe that's selfish, or whatever, but just because I'm Chase Davenport's daughter does not mean I have to be selfless all the time." I muttered. I sighed. "Look, I am sorry for taking it out on you. None of this is your fault anyway. I'll try to be nicer, I really will. I just wanted you to see my perspective, alright?"
Sera was quiet for a moment. "I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault." I said quickly. She nodded.
"I know. Doesn't mean I can't be sorry." She replied. I nodded, and we lulled back into a more comfortable silence. After a while, Sera spoke up again. "Waiting isn't working."
"I agree." I nodded, pushing myself up from the wall. Stepping nearer to the barrier, I could see the crocodiles slowly but surely scratching away at the barrier. They were already halfway through, and soon enough it would break. I glanced at her. "I don't suppose you could just freeze them solid."
"That's harder said than done." Sera told me slowly. I shrugged.
"Fair enough." I agreed. I glanced at her. "Do you think they'll stick together, or split up if we run in different directions?"
"They'll still chase one of us." She pointed out. I nodded.
"I know. But do you have any other ideas?" I questioned.
"We could just run. Leo wouldn't have programmed these things to kill us, right?"
"I don't think so." I replied. I nodded. "It's the best idea we've got."
"Jump over the barrier on three?" Sera suggested. I took a deep breath, then backed up a couple of steps.
"One...two...three!" I shouted before taking a running leap at the barrier.
Naomi's POV
"Took you guys long enough!" Noah called as Leo, Kameron, and I walked back into Mission Command. Katherine, Spin, Kira, and Noah were all waiting for us, sitting around the cyber computer in the center of the room. Kira laughed lightly at that, amused.
"Nice job guys." Leo smiled proudly. He glanced between Katherine and Spin before pulling his wife into his arms. "So, who else is back? Em and Sera, or Char and Ben?"
"Ben and Charlotte found me in about ten minutes. They're either super lucky or ridiculously good at navigating the tunnels." Katherine explained with a laugh. "They went out to get food."
"So that means that Sera and Emily are the losers, right?" Kameron asked, smirking. Leo nodded.
"Hey, was that them who were screaming earlier?" Noah asked, concerned. "I thought I heard screaming."
"Us too." I frowned, remembering the noise. I'd thought I'd imagined it, but if Noah heard it too...
"I'm pretty sure I know which obstacle they ran into." Spin chuckled. Katherine shook her head at them.
"I can't believe you actually did that to them. It's not as funny as you think it is." She scolded them.
"What isn't?" I asked suspiciously.
"Crocodiles?!" We all turned around at the sound of Emily's exasperated voice. Seraphina and Emily were both standing in the tunnel entrance, clothes and hair askew and looks of absolute annoyance and exhaustion on their face. "Crocodiles in the tunnels? Are you kidding me?"
"Well, it looks like you lost them." Leo pointed out, holding back laughter.
"Yeah, after a hour of trying to get them lost in the tunnels." Sera snapped, equally annoyed. Leo and Spin chuckled, grinning at each other. "You bionic humans are insane."
"Not all of us." Katherine pointed out. Sera sent her a look.
"Well, most." She declared before dropping into one of the seats behind one of the computer desks. Emily, on the other hand, started heading for the hyperlift.
"It was a joke, Emmy." Katherine reminded her. Emily paused and looked back at us.
"I know. But I need to deal with all of this," she gestured vaguely at her messy hair, "before I have to leave to meet Darius."
"She has a date." Noah explained to his aunt.
"It's not a date." Emily corrected. "Just a homework thing."
And with that final word, she used the hyperlift to speed back upstairs. Kira glanced at Katherine.
"It is a date. She's just in denial." She announced cheerfully.
Emily's POV
"And then she tried to convince me to go midnight rock climbing with her." I explained. Darius laughed again, shaking his head.
"And how'd that work out for her?" He questioned before taking a bite of his sandwich. I shivered a little as a breeze ran over us, zipping up my sweater.
"I'm not one hundred percent sure; I refused to go. But when she came by the next morning, she was covered in scratches and bruises, and refused to talk about it, so I would say not so well." I replied, earning another laugh.
"God, how are you two such good friends?" He questioned, shaking his head again. I shrugged.
"I'm not one hundred percent sure, but I don't know what I'd do without her. Charlotte's practically my sister." I shrugged. "What about you and Matt?"
He shrugged. "It's a long story."
I laughed. "You do that every time I ask you a question that's vaguely personal, you say that it's a long story."
"I'm just not one of those people who always talk about themselves." He insisted.
"You have to tell me something." I said, laughing a little. He sighed dramatically.
"Alright, I'll tell you two things." he said, his tone falsely-annoyed. "On one condition."
"What is it?" I asked suspiciously. He smirked.
"Oh, no, you have to agree first." He replied. "You might want to make your questions worth it."
I bit my lip, considering. "What's your plan after school?"
He hesitated, but true to his word, he answered. "Archaeology, not sure what school though."
I nodded. Kinda made sense. "What do your parents do?" I inquired.
"My mom's a soldier." He replied. I nodded.
"And your dad?" I asked. He shook his head. To my surprise, he started scowling.
"Only met him once, wasn't impressed." He said shortly. I nodded.
"Okay." I wasn't going to push him on that. "So what's this condition?"
That put the smile back on Darius' face. He didn't answer, but instead leaned in close, face nearing mine.
"Hey guys," As if on some sort of cue, my mom's car pulled up on the curb just then, the passenger side window rolled down. I pulled back, running a hand through my hair in embarrassment. "You guys all done at the library?"
"I thought you weren't picking me up for another ten minutes?" I mentioned, quickly getting my stuff together. She shrugged.
"Traffic was good." She explained. She glanced past me. "Hi there."
"Hi Mrs. Davenport. I'm Darius Moore."
"Hi Darius. Just call me Calla. Mrs. Davenport makes me feel old." She told him.
"You are old." I joked, climbing into the car.
"Hey!" Mom protested, unoffended. I laughed and looked at Darius.
"To be continued?" He suggested, smirking. I smiled.
"I'll see you Monday." I replied instead.
"It's nice to meet you, Darius." Mom told him before driving off. She glanced at me a few times as she drove us home, smiling cheekily.
"Anything I need to know?" She asked me, clearly feeling better enough to tease me. I brushed my hair behind my ear, cheeks flushed.
"No. Nothing." I insisted, looking back out the window. Monday was sure to be interesting.
Xxx
Kihonne: Alright guys! What did you think? Good, bad? Somewhere in between? Let me know!
Also, here's the deal: I'm working full time over the summer, and with my crazy long commute (about 2 hours one way thanks to the stupid bus system) I don't have much time to write. Like, barely any. The vast majority of the chapters will be written on my days off. So, we're going to see how quickly I can get chapters out. My goal is to still get out a chapter a week, but don't be surprised if I have to change it to a chapter every two weeks. So, the tentative schedule is this, subject to change if need be:
May 19th – Hostage Situation
May 24th – Field Trip
May 31st – All Hallow's Eve
Alright guys, hopefully I'll see you all this time next week! Until then, I hope you enjoy the chapter and don't forget to review!