Kihonne: Alright guys, it's technically still the 27th here, so I'm taking it as a win. I actually updated on time for once! I intend for this to continue. Anyway, we're onto part 2 of this 3 part arc, but first, it's shoutout time!
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LabGirl2001: I'm so glad you liked it so much, lol! And yes, Marcus is back. I'm glad you liked what I did with him and Charlotte so far – trust me, Leo's not going to like that one bit. And yes, Adam and Leo are protective big brothers. Oh Darius…he really does need to figure out what side he's on. Baby Challa is going to fun and cute, that's for sure. Interesting theory about Ava, by the way. You certainly aren't the only one who's considered that she might be a part of this. That would be quite the twist, wouldn't it? Thank you again for your understanding about the chapters and that life gets in the way. Some people just don't understand that. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much (I think you will)!
SzymonS: The shoutout thing is completely on me for not double-checking what I actually did in the chapter. I really need to go back and reread my own stuff, because some of the smaller details like that have just completely slipped my mind. 65 isn't that much, I agree, but part of it is math. I don't know how much, since Canadians don't do the SATs, but I think it's about 50% of the booklet. So, 30-ish pages of math. Not fun if it's not your strong suit. Leo's reaction to all of this is going…very strong, to say the least. As for the Davenwatches, not all of them have geoleap functions. Since Calla's running a tech company, there's certain government policies she has to follow and I suspect that in this kind of the world, the government would limit the number of geoleap Davenwatches she was allowed to make as well as what the team is allowed to use them for (hence why they've only generally been used for mission or training-related situations). This is also why Ben and Naomi flew back instead of Geoleaping. Yes, Kameron and Charlotte are getting closer. You'll see more of that after everything with Marcus is out of the way, I promise. I have to admit, that line from Calla was one of my favorites I've written for her, and so in-character too. As for Wi-Fi vs 7G, I chose to stick with Wi-Fi for a few reasons – its partially because wifi is simply a term everyone is familiar with and as much as I'd like to go fully futuristic with the story, keeping some aspects the same as our current world makes it still feel familiar to myself and readers. It's also because I think that the entire internet system would have to completely change to incorporate holo-technology, bionic technology, Daven/Smart watch technology (once they start replacing phones altogether at the level they are in 2037, I'd argue that the technology is completely alien to the smart watches we have today), and any/all alien technology, and thus would use a brand new type of internet (beyond 7G, 8G, or any future G networks that modern computer people can come up with) that would require a lot more technological understanding than I have in order to properly create in this story. I do a lot of research when it comes to the science aspects of the story and I'm usually good at making enough sense of my research in order to properly incorporate it, but I feel that would be beyond me. And who knows – maybe Wi-Fi will still be a thing. Ah, Matt/Marcus…yeah. Having him in the story has been a treat, I'll tell you that. Yes, I do have some ominous chapter titles, don't I? Damn it Calla, don't jinx them! I have to agree – Kira is a lot more like her parents than Kameron, that's for sure. As for Darius, I wouldn't say he's chosen a side yet. In fact, I'd say that he has no idea what side he's on. But yes, Lexi is not going to be happy. I'm glad you liked her lines in the fight, by the way. As for the time travel, that is coming up soon. That won't be one of those behind the scenes things – you're going to see the kids' sides of that. It should either be chapter 12, 13, or 14. It's definitely before chapter 15 though, that's for certain. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter.
Guest: Yes, Marcus. His return will be explained in this chapter, I promise. I hope you enjoy it.
June: Well, she's not that much older – only a couple of years, really. But it is kinda cute, and that he's secretly smart too. She was a little too…distracted by "Matt" to see it before, but maybe in the future…I hope you enjoy the chapter.
KayKay: The Marcus twist certainly caught some people off guard, especially since the last time we saw him, Calla melted him. It's certainly going to have an effect on Charlotte, that's for sure. Emily too, but in different ways. I hope you enjoy the chapter.
Dorthy: I'm so glad you're enjoying the slow destruction of your mind, lol. Predictable isn't quite my thing – I like to keep you guys on your toes with things like this. I really appreciate the compliment (and speaking of Spider-Man, are you excited about him coming back to the MCU? Because I am freaking out right now). Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter.
LALALAGIRL – Maybe they are inevitable, or maybe I have other plans for them. I guess you'll just have to read and see.
Guest: Honestly, I was floored that only one person (maybe 2) actually figured out who "Matt" really was. I was worried the name would be too obvious. But you weren't the only one – literally everyone else was just as stunned as you were. I'm really glad you liked the twist, and I hope you enjoy the chapter.
Bashful: Meh, teenagers do dumb things like that. And you're right – Calla and Chase certainly had no issues with sex before marriage.
Applie: I am so glad you liked the twist and that it made your weekend a little brighter. I hope you enjoy the chapter.
Schoolstinks: Ooh, that sucks. Best of luck with the tests in April. I know that it's supposed to be super stressful – honestly, I'm glad Canadian schools don't have the SATs.
Bennyboo: I am so glad you liked it, and the Ben/Naomi hints. I hope you enjoy this chapter too.
LabRatsLover4eva: Yep, classic Leo. I actually rewatched that scene from Concert in a Can to try and recreate some of Leo's…intense energy. I wish we would have had Leo in Elite Force too. Adam…I just think he and Kaz would have been too much alike to have both on the show as regulars, but we definitely should have had him be a recurring character on the show. I'm glad you liked the cameo I had for him, and Leo's role as a recurring character. You'll definitely be seeing more of both in the future.
Guest: That happens with age, that's for sure. And with 5 grandchildren and a 6th on the way, it'll definitely calm him down some more. I do agree it's good for him.
Minniemai: Oh, she is definitely much like her mother in that regard. Hospitals never really did sit well with either of them.
Dizzwhizz: I'm so glad you liked the chapter! Yes, Darius does need to figure out what side he's on. He's definitely very torn right now. Let's just hope he picks the right one, shall we? Yes, Marcus is back, and has Charlotte hostage. If Leo hated him before, this takes things to a whole new level. I think you do smell a ship in the air, or at the very least, the most popular ship amongst the readers right now. Ben and Naomi would be cute, wouldn't they? Well, anyway, I hope you enjoy this chater, and I can't wait to hear more from you!
BestoftheBest: What can I say, Noah's an "old-fashioned" guy.
MightyMedNerd: There will be more of a focus on who Jupiter (the one with the Calderan) symbol is in an upcoming chapter, so that question will be answered. It is a good theory, but you also have a good point about the age.
MatchMaker24: Lol, I'm so glad you liked it! I know Ben and Naomi are a pretty popular ship these days – I guess we'll have to see where things take them. I'm glad you liked the chapter, by the way. I hope you like this one too.
BingeReader9: I'm so glad you liked the chapter and its twists. Both of the boys are certainly on the wrong side of things, aren't they? Marcus especially, who charmed Charlotte even better than Troy charmed Bree. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter.
Guest: Oh yes, a cliffhanger. I guess you'll have to find out how he's back by reading the chapter!
DREAMYEYES: I'm glad that Darius is slowly worming his way back into your heart. Now the question is, will he stay there? I hope you enjoy the chapter.
Challa4ever: I'm so glad you liked it so much! Calla's baby is going to be a fun addition, that's for sure. I think people are going to appreciate how they find out his/her gender too – I've got a plan for it. And don't worry – the kids have a nice surprise planned of her. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter.
Guest: Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy the chapter.
SummerSunShine: I'm glad you liked it so much. It's definitely one of my favorite chapters of the series. As for Marcus, you're going to have to read to find that out. There is an explanation for it. Don't apologize for the questions – even if I can't answer them in a shoutout, they're still interesting to hear. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter.
Toremainunamed: I didn't say you didn't like the chapter, but rather Nyssa's character (which you did openly say in your review, to be fair). I apologize though if I seemed blunt in my last response. It was just that you weren't the only one who had an issue with the magic, which had caught me off guard since I'd never heard of anyone not being a fan of it (which is a totally understandable perspective) in previous chapters. I didn't mean to sound short or anything. Anyway, I'm glad you liked last week's chapter, and I hope you like this one too.
Guest: Mateus Ward is one of my favorite actors too. He did a really good job playing Marcus, who is one of my favorite villains, and definitely my favorite from Lab Rats. I'm enjoying having back too. He's fun to write.
Davenportia11: Well, he is old. They never specified his age, but if we assume he was at least in his mid to late 20s by time he adopted Adam, Bree, and Chase, that would make him almost 70 years old in the year 2037, when this is set. We will see Douglas in the future – I just didn't have anything for his character to really add to the chapter at this point. I'm glad you liked seeing the others though, along with the kids. And yes, Frank is certainly a handful, that's for sure.
Guest: Honestly, I agree with you – Noah does have a decent system here. White boards are very helpful with that kind of thing. I think it's cool that you still have yours to encourage you. I'm sure Noah will get there too, he just has to figure out what he wants.
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Kihonne: Anyway guys, I hope you enjoy the chapter!
Marcus: 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.
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Charlotte's POV
I crossed my arms, forcing myself to look Matt…Marcus, in the eye. I didn't want him to know I was afraid. I was a hero; I wasn't supposed to be afraid. "Am I supposed to know who you are?" I thanked God that my voice didn't shake when I spoke.
Marcus stared at me for a long moment. "You don't know who I am?"
"No." I narrowed my eyes, thinking. I knew the name 'Marcus' was important – Papa had been vague about who he was, but I knew it was something big from my parents' past – but that was it.
"I'm Marcus." He repeated. I nodded.
"We covered that." I agreed, channelling a level of sarcasm that Emily would be proud of.
"Marcus Davenport." He added. I frowned.
"Davenport?" I repeated, confused. Marcus stared at me.
"You have no idea who I am." I didn't think I'd ever heard someone sound more offended.
"Sorry." I shrugged with false nonchalance, feeling a little tension come out of my shoulders. Marcus just shook his head.
"Well then. That's just…disappointing." He shook his head.
"What do you want, Marcus, Matt, whatever your name is?" I demanded. He smirked.
"Isn't it obvious? Revenge." He replied, his tone cheerful in a sadistic way. I bit my lip as he began to pace in front of my cell. "Since you don't know who I am, I guess I'll just have to tell you. I was your father's greatest enemy, built by Douglas Davenport before he went soft."
"Built." I repeated. I frowned, looking him over. "You're a robot?"
"Android." He replied testily. "Designed to be more powerful than Adam, Bree, or Chase ever could be."
"But you lost." I commented. He gave me a look. "It wouldn't be revenge if you'd won."
"Yes, I lost. I made the mistake of working for an engineer named Giselle Vickers. But, as stupid and cowardly as she was, she was smart enough to back up my drive to a secret network. Lexi Krane found it, and me, when she was looking for her own way to get revenge."
"Lexi Krane." I hummed.
"You know who she is, and not who I am?" He questioned. I shrugged. "That's just perfect."
"So, Lexi rebuilt you? How come Emily couldn't tell that you were a machine?"
"Yes, Emily and her obnoxious little gift. Of course, Calla's kid has powers. As if the Parker Clan wasn't a pain in my ass already." He rolled his eyes. "Reese rebuilt me with Lexi's help, using organic materials they got from one of their allies. They even made me look like myself, which I have to say, was a nice touch."
"They Frankenstein'd you?" I stared at him, remembering Papa's ancient horror movies that we'd watch growing up together.
"Oh, I'm still an android. Just immune to that brat's technopathy, or your EMPs, so don't bother wasting your time with those." He waved his hand dismissively at me. I shifted uncomfortably, not liking how he seemed to know everything about me and what I could do.
"Fine, whatever. It doesn't matter." Still I kept on the brave face. "My father is going to come for me, and he will kill you again."
"Oh, he'll try." Marcus smiled again. Now that I knew who he was, his smile seemed a lot less charming and a lot more creepy. "But he didn't kill me the first time, and he won't kill me this time."
I was saved from having to come up with a response by the door to the dark room opening. Darius Moore walked in, hands shoved in his pockets. No, he was a part of this too?
He stared at me as he walked up, and I felt my stomach clench in dredge. "Where is she?" I questioned, before he could even open his mouth. "What did you do to Emily?"
Darius looked away as Marcus scoffed. "Oh, she's fine and safe with your family. Darius here forgot to take her."
"Forgot?" Another voice questioned. I tore my furious gaze away from Darius and Marcus to see two women and a young man enter the room. I recognized the first woman from the files we'd looked over with my parents and Calla: dark hair, dark eyes, and a fierce fury in her face. Lexi Krane, the one and only. The other woman looked more aboriginal in features and had shoulder length brown hair and a coldness to her eyes. She could only be Reese Steinberg, daughter of Roddiseus. The third was obviously Saturn, the villain still in his uniform. He was carrying a weapon I didn't quite recognize – it looked a bit like a sawed-off shotgun, but was silver and gold in appearance, with a compartment sitting on the top of it just below a small spyglass. "What do you mean, forgot?"
"I didn't forget." Darius shot Marcus an annoyed look. Marcus had turned away from me completely, no longer interested in taunting me, but Darius was keeping me in his line of sight. "I didn't have a good enough chance."
"She was unconscious." Marcus snapped incredulously.
"And I was surrounded by students!" Darius rolled his eyes. He looked at Reese, Lexi, and Saturn. "It would have blown my cover."
"And you think you're going to keep it now?" Reese questioned, gesturing to me. He sighed.
"I didn't think about that, alright?" He admitted. "I made a mistake."
"Yes, you did." Lexi growled. "Can't you do anything right?"
"You know, it might have been easier for us all to do our jobs if Marcus hadn't antagonized Kameron." Darius shot back. "It was just supposed to be Emily and Charlotte. That would have been easier."
"This job isn't supposed to be easy." Lexi growled. "You're just supposed to do it. For once."
"I'm doing more than you are." Darius grumbled. He stumbled back suddenly, one hand reaching for his cheek. In a blur of super speed, Lexi had smack him across the face, her hand still raised when he stepped back.
"Excuse me?" She demanded. Darius dropped his gaze.
"Sorry, Mom. I'll do better next time." He mumbled half-heartedly. Lexi nodded.
"That's what I thought you said." She commented, still looking furious.
Reese sighed. "We need to be on our A-game, guys. Things need to go smoothly tonight if we're going to take out our biggest problem."
Lexi smile and turned to look at me, a cold malice in her eyes. "And we have the perfect bait."
Ben's POV
"And then the swarm went after me, while Lexi attacked Noah-"
"One minute she was there, and then they were both gone-"
"-and I woke up in an ambulance!"
The kids were all talking at once, tripping over each other in order to try and tell us what had happened and where things had gone wrong. Calla was trying to calm everyone down, to get them to go one at a time while she checked on Emily's head, but they were all too frantic to listen.
"HEY!" I called after another moment of it. The room instantly went silent, all the kids turning to look at me. "Breathe, everybody. Panicking won't help Charlotte. Okay?" I got an assortment of agreements. "Okay, seriously, everyone take a breath."
Calla shot me a grateful smile as I calmed the kids down. "Let me see." She murmured quietly to Emily, gently moving her daughter to sit on a stool so she could get a better look at the cut on her head. It had been cleaned and bandaged by a paramedic, but Calla was in overprotective-Mom mode.
"Okay, so Katherine and Leo will be down here in a couple of minutes, once they're done talking to the police." Naomi began, looking at everyone carefully. "And they're going to want to know what happened, so let's take things slow and get everything straight and easy to understand before they get down here, alright?"
"Victoria and Saturn started the attack alone by attacking the tents." Emily started. She frowned. "I went to get the paragun from Darius' tent-"
"You brought a paragun to a school trip? And what do you mean Darius' tent?" Calla looked at her sharply. Emily opened her mouth to respond, but Calla cut her off. "Actually, we can deal with that later. What happened then?"
"Emily was knocked out by a blast. Darius got her out of there and towards the front of the camp ground, where someone called 911." Kameron continued. "The rest of us split up to get the other students out safe and to fight Victoria and Saturn."
"Noah and I fought Victoria and Venus. I don't know when she got there, but she was." Kira added. Noah nodded in agreement.
"Kameron and I fought Saturn." Sera added.
"Charlotte meant to go find Matt, but that was the last we saw her." Noah finished. Calla nodded.
"Okay, that's good. We know where everyone was." She agreed. She stood up, satisfied with how much treatment Emily had gotten and rubbed her hands together. "Okay, first step, we track down Charlotte and Matt."
"How?" Emily twisted in her seat as Calla walked over to the main cyber computer.
"Facial recognition. If Lexi or the others took them anywhere outside or near cameras, we'll find them." She pulled a holo-keyboard up and began typing. A picture of Charlotte and Emily appeared on the screen, the photo taken from the Davenport Industries Christmas Gala from the previous year. "Okay, I've got images of Charlotte on here already. Does anyone have a photo of Matt? It'll be quicker than searching online for it."
"Uh, yeah." Emily unlatched her Davenwatch and handed it to her mother. "Mr. Perez made us take photos to go with our science fair booths. I have Darius and Matt's on there."
"Thanks. Which one is-" Calla broke off as she flipped to a picture of two boys. I recognized one as Emily's boyfriend, and, having never met Matt, had to assume the bored-looking teenager next to him was Matt. But Calla was staring at the photo with a mixture of horror, shock, sickness, and wonder. It was like she was looking at an actual ghost. "Oh, God."
"Calla?" Sera asked, tone laced with concern. "What's wrong?"
"This is Matt?" Calla's voice was weak with shock.
"Yeah, why?" Emily frowned. Suddenly, the hyperlift doors opened, and to our surprise, Calla quickly hid the Davenwatch behind her back, hiding the image.
"Please tell me you 'ave a lead." Katherine begged as she and Leo walked into the room. Both of them looked like they'd aged ten years since they'd gone to speak with the police, worry and fear evident all over their faces. Katherine looked at Calla, taking in the genuinely scared look on the genius' face. "Ya found somethin'."
"I did." Calla confirmed, her gaze darting between Leo and Katherine. She took a deep breath to steady herself, then addressed the couple, cautious eyes examining Leo. "But I need you to stay calm."
"What did you find?" Leo demanded, staring at her. Calla bit her lip, and I knew whatever it was, it was bad. Really bad.
"I need you to stay calm." She repeated, her slow, soothing nature of her tone clearly forced. "Okay? You need to stay calm." She glanced at Katherine, a pleading look in her eyes. Katherine frowned, but seemed to understand what Calla was trying to convey.
"Leo, she's right." She said. Leo glanced at her, then at Calla.
"What's wrong?" He demanded, tone raising a bit. Calla gulped.
"I know who has your daughter." She admitted, and Leo and Katherine both stared at her. "And you're not going to like it, at all, but I need you to try and stay calm because freaking out won't help us get her back, okay?" She gave him a steely look. "And we will get her back, I promise."
Leo took a moment, taking in what she said, then nodded. "Okay. Who has Charlotte?"
"I do." Suddenly, the holoscreen on the cyber computer burst to life, a holographic image of Matt shining up from the center of it. He looked around, and smirked. "Boy, does this take me back. Nice place you've got here, Calla. So much nicer than the lab Douglas and Krane blew up."
"Marcus?!" Leo had to restrain himself from screaming the name. Naomi and I exchanged looks; of course we knew who Marcus was, but I'd always been told that he'd been killed by Calla right before the Elite Force was founded. Judging by Naomi's confused frown, she'd been told the same thing. The kids, of course, were all baffled, having no idea why Leo seemed to know their schoolmate.
"How are you…" Katherine looked equally shocked. Marcus/Matt laughed at the looks on our faces.
"Leo, good to see you again. Katherine, nice to finally see the woman crazy enough to marry Dooley over there." Marcus smiled, sounding almost fond of the couple. "I've just been spending some time with your little girl. Sweet kid, but about as naïve as every other bionic superhuman I've ever met. Good kisser though."
That shook Leo out of his shock. He stepped towards the hologram, a menacing look on his face. "I don't know how you're back, Marcus, but if you've laid one finger on her…"
Marcus rolled his eyes. "Oh, relax, Leo. She's fine. And besides, this isn't about her."
"Then what's it about?" Calla crossed her arms. Marcus smiled.
"Ah, Calla. Always straight to the point. That always annoyed me about you." He commented. "This is about you," he pointed at her, "and you." He pointed to Leo. "And how I never got to kill you."
"What, because I beat you to the punch?" Calla asked, raising her chin, a smug smirk on her face. "I have to admit, Marcus, melting you was one of the best parts of my life. Shame it didn't stick."
"Ah, that's okay. It just gives me the chance to do it myself." Leo quipped, crossing his arms. "Let Charlotte go, and I promise I won't draw it out too long, Marcus."
"Oh, that's cute." Marcus smirked. He opened his mouth to taunt Leo some more, but Katherine wasn't having it.
"Cut the crap, Marcus. Where's ma daughter?" She demanded, slamming one hand down on the cyber computer's table.
"She's safe." He promised again, giving Katherine an appraising look. "And you can have her back."
"What's the catch?" I questioned, clearing my throat. Marcus' eyes raised to me. He looked me over, curiosity in his eyes.
"Simple. Calla and Leo have to meet me, in person. You can come too, Kathy. I don't mind killing all of you." He mentioned.
"Katherine." Katherine corrected. "And what makes ya think you're gonna be one doin' the killin'?"
"Oh." Marcus smiled coyly. "Feisty. I see why you like her, Leo."
"How do we know you won't double cross us?" Leo questioned, ignoring his comment. Marcus smiled.
"You don't, but you don't have another choice, now do you?" He asked, crossing his arms. Suddenly, Calla and Leo's Davenwatches beeped. "I just sent you coordinates. Meet me there in an hour, and I'll have my associates release little Charlotte. All you've got to do is show up."
Before anyone else could get a word in, Marcus disappeared. Leo stared at where his hologram had been for a long moment, before looking back at Calla. "How long have you known?"
"About thirty seconds before you came downstairs." She told him before looking at all of us. "So Matt is Marcus, huh?"
"We had no idea who Marcus was." Kira explained. She frowned. "Actually, I still don't know who Marcus is."
"He's an old enemy of the Davenports, an android built by…" Calla hesitated, glancing at Leo, before continuing, "…by Douglas Davenport back when he was our enemy. We defeated Marcus a few times, and we killed him the last time…I don't understand how he's back."
"Giselle? She's the last one who was in control of him." Katherine suggested. Calla frowned.
"Maybe." She hummed thoughtfully.
"It doesn't matter how he's back." Leo told them roughly. "What matters is that we stop him."
Naomi stared at him. "You do realize it's a trap, don't you?" She asked, her tone soft. "If you go to meet him, there's no way you walk out of there alive. He's probably got Lexi, Reese, Saturn, and who knows who else waiting for you."
"Well, of course it's a trap." Calla rolled her eyes.
"And you're just going to walk into it?" Kameron asked, looking at her in confusion. Calla shook her head.
"MISS, I assume you were tracking wherever Marcus was broadcasting from?" She asked, raising her eyes to the ceiling and crossing her arms.
"Of course, Calla. I currently have a lock on the IP address, but I'm still trying to narrow down the physical coordinates due to a number of firewalls and a large sum of bots designed to interfere with my tracking protocols." The AI explained. "It might take some time."
"How much time are we talking about?" Leo questioned, looking impatient.
"104 minutes and 23 seconds, Leo." MISS replied. Emily perked up at that.
"I can cut that in half, easy." She stood up and walked over to the cyber computer. She placed one hand on the cyber computer, and, with the other hand, raised the holo-keyboard again and began typing. "I can boost MISS' processing speed and help out by bypassing whatever bots get in our way."
"You're hurt." Calla didn't sound like she was arguing with her daughter, but did seem reluctant to let her help right now. I could see that she was torn between what to do.
Emily gave her mom a reassuring smile. "I've got this." She told her before looking over her shoulder at Leo and Katherine. "I'll find her, I promise."
"Good girl." Katherine smiled at her affectionately. She turned to Calla and Leo. "What's the plan? We ain't gonna fight 'im, are we?"
"Actually, we are." Calla crossed her arms, smirking. She turned to the rest of us. "We're going to go after Marcus, and you're going to go after Charlotte. If he's got a trap waiting for us, then whatever security they've got watching Charlotte will be minimal. Your job is to get her out safely."
"Wait, you're actually going to fight him?" Noah demanded, eyes wide. Emily paused briefly in her work to look at her mom, concerned.
"Katherine and I are, that is." Leo corrected. He gave us all a calm look. "Don't worry – Marcus always did underestimate us, even before I had bionics. He won't be strong enough to take on the two of us, let alone the squad of agents Miles is going to lend us once I call him."
"Two of you?" Calla repeated, frowning. She turned to Leo, hands on her hips. "And why won't I be helping to kick his ass?"
"Because of that." Leo gestured at her stomach, where a small bump had started to appear in the last couple of weeks. Calla dropped one hand to it protectively. "Chase would never forgive me if you or Mini-Challa II got hurt saving my daughter."
"And I'd never forgive myself if I don't help save my niece." Calla retorted. She smirked playfully for a second. "Besides, you're just worried that I'm going to steal your thunder and kill Marcus before you again."
"I'm serious." Leo crossed his arms. Calla nodded.
"So am I. I'm not sitting on the sidelines. And Marcus specifically asked for me too. He won't be satisfied with just you." She told him. She nodded to herself. "I'll stick at a distance though; he doesn't know about my proton disks, hopefully, and we can use that to our advantage."
"It's decided." Katherine nodded. She put her hand on Calla's arm. "Thank you."
"Always." Calla gave her a smile before turning back to us. "Okay, we have approximately 54 minutes until we have to meet Marcus. That gives you nearly an hour to find Charlotte's location and prepare to storm the place, okay?"
"I'm gonna call Miles, let 'im know we need his help." Katherine decided, pulling out her Davenwatch and heading upstairs for a better signal.
"Does everyone understand the plan?" Calla questioned, looking around. We all nodded and she smiled. "Good. Em, scoot over. I'm going to shave some time off by getting rid of a few bots myself."
"Ben, Naomi, a word?" Leo looked at us, then nodded towards one of the underground tunnels. We obediently followed him into the hall, where no one else could hear us. "I'm not totally comfortable for this."
"We'll save her, Leo." Naomi promised him. He nodded, but the worry on his face didn't lessen.
"It's not just that, Naomi. Ben is the only one here with a lot of experience as a hero. The rest of you have only been doing this for a couple of months now, and there haven't been that many missions. Anything can go wrong." He sighed. He looked at me. "As worried as I am about saving Charlotte, you're taking a group of unexperienced teenagers to raid a base we no next to nothing about."
"And it's going to be fine." I promised him. "We'll make sure everyone gets out in one piece, including Charlotte. I'll make sure of it."
Leo nodded. "Good." He nodded to himself. "Matt is Marcus. That's…" He shook himself, as if that could erase the fact that his daughter had definitely kissed Marcus. "She is never dating again."
Charlotte's POV
After about thirty minutes of trying and failing to break out of the cell they'd locked me in (including burning my hand at least twice), I dropped to my knees in despair and frustration. There had to be a way out of here? Why couldn't I find it?
"Hey, I-er, I thought you might be hungry." I didn't look up as Darius approached. Marcus had left ages ago, after cruelly letting me know that he'd tell my parents I said 'hi', and since then I'd basically been left alone. Frankly, I preferred alone over Darius' presence right now, even after he slipped a sandwich under the bars. "C'mon Char, I know grilled cheese is your favorite."
"What are they going to do to me?" I whispered suddenly. I looked up and found that Darius could not meet my gaze. I swallowed and repeated my question, louder this time. "When they don't need me for bait anymore, what are they going to do to me?"
"I don't know." He lied, his voice rough. A wave of fear crashed into me.
"They're going to kill me." I realized, sick to my stomach. Darius didn't answer. "Right after Marcus kills my parents, right? I mean, that's where he's gone, right?"
Darius looked at me then, guilt-ridden brown eyes staring into mine. "I'm sorry, Charlotte."
I scoffed, feeling both hurt and angry at the same time. "Not sorry enough to save me though, right?"
He sighed. "I can't do that, and you know it."
"Oh, right. Because your Mommy told you not to." I rolled my eyes. He glared at me.
"Do you think I wanted this?" He hissed, stepping as close as he dared to the bars. "Do you think I want to see you or any of your friends get hurt over this?"
"If you don't want to be a part of this, why help them?" I demanded. He shook his head.
"Family's complicated." He said simply.
"Not this complicated." I shook my head. I looked him over for a moment, noting the bags under his eyes and the bruise forming on his cheek. "And family doesn't treat each other the way your mom treats you, Darius. You must know that."
He gave me a look. "Look, I'll see if I can talk her into just locking you up until this whole thing is over instead of killing you, okay?" He offered, ignoring my comment.
"That's your heroic solution? Wow, I totally forgive you now." I stared at him. He sighed. "That's not okay, Darius."
"Yeah, but it's better than being dead." He commented, shaking his head as he headed for the door.
"Why'd you save Emily?" I called after him. He paused by the door. "You didn't have to, but you did, even knowing how pissed your mom would be. Why?"
He turned around slowly, opening his mouth to reply, but stopped suddenly. Just in time too, as it turns out, as his mother, Reese, and Saturn walked in just then.
"Discordia and Mars say we have company." Saturn was saying to Lexi. He shot Reese a look. "They aren't happy about being put on recon again, especially Discordia."
"She'll get over it. We all have our parts to play." Reese waved her hand dismissively. She glanced at Darius, then smirked at Lexi. "And at least my kid knows how to follow orders."
"Where have you been?" Lexi questioned, looking between Darius and I. "Is there a problem here?"
"No, I was just checking to make sure she was secure. We don't want her escaping and getting back to her friends." Darius lied with ease, shrugging nonchalantly. Lexi looked at him for a moment, then nodded thoughtfully.
"No, we don't." She agreed slowly, tone cautious. She sighed. "Go get ready. We should have company soon."
"Got it." Darius nodded, shooting me one last glance as he walked away. I stood up, brow furrowed. "Company?" I repeated, looking at her sharply. "I thought Marcus left to go meet my parents?"
"He did. He should be meeting with them and the S.H.I.R.T. team they've likely 'secretly' enlisted any minute now." Lexi commented, crossing her arms. I frowned and she smiled, pleased at my confusion.
"Then what's with the 'company' that you're preparing for? I thought this was supposed to be a trap?" I demanded. Reese laughed a little, drawing my attention over to her. She handed Saturn a small, gold tube before turning to smirk cockily at me.
"Who said the trap was for your parents?" She asked teasingly.
Kameron's POV
I looked up at the building uncertainly, trying to see something through the windows that would reassure me that we were in the right place. Emily had tracked the signal back to a small, four floor apartment building. From what we could tell, it was supposed to be abandoned and condemned after a particularly bad rodent infestation. "This is where the signal came from. MISS and I triple checked." Emily insisted, though she seemed a little hesitant about it. "I don't think I made a mistake…"
"You didn't. Like you said, you both checked three times. If you made a mistake, you would have caught it." Naomi assured her. She looked at the rest of us. "This is the place; it has to be."
"I agree." Ben nodded, turning back to us. "Alright, Calla, Leo, and Katherine are buying us some time by going after Marcus, but it's not a lot. We can't waste it, understood?"
We all nodded in understanding. Calla, Leo, and Katherine were taking one hell of a risk in order to save Charlotte, and we had to make sure it was worth it. We had to save her. "What's the plan?" Noah questioned, looking more serious than I'd ever seen him.
"Alright, so I looked over the building plans on the way here." Naomi announced, tapping her Davenwatch to have a holographic version of the map pop up. "Noah, Kira, you two are going to go in through the back entrance, by the dumpsters. Ideally, they shouldn't be watching that entrance because it's supposed to be blocked off. Kira, I'm sure you can handle that?"
"Easy. Why's it blocked off?" She questioned, cocking her head to the side. Naomi hesitated.
"It's, uh, where the rodent infestation started…sorry." Naomi sent Kira and Noah an apologetic look. He grimaced inwardly, but Kira outright grinned.
"Cool." She decided. We all looked at her. "Hey, I'm looking at the silver lining. Someone on this team has to the optimist."
"And rats are your definition of a silver lining?" Emily questioned. Kira blinked.
"Yes." She insisted. Emily narrowed her eyes at the pyrokinetic for a moment, then turned her attention back to Naomi.
"Moving on," Naomi continued, "Emily, you and Sera are going to be going in through the far-left room at the back. Unlike Noah and Kire, who're gonna end up in the basement, this should bring you onto the main floor. Start looking there and work your way up."
"We've got it." Sera promised, nodding seriously.
"I'll take the front entrance." Ben offered, pointing it out on the map. Emily frowned.
"Won't they be expecting someone to try the front door? That's where a tactical team would storm in from." She commented. He nodded.
"That's the point. If anyone's left inside, I could try and draw their fire." He explained. Naomi nodded.
"That leaves you and me to take the roof entrance. Think you can fly us up there?" She looked at me pointedly.
"Uh, yeah. I can do that." He nodded, feeling nervous. Normally, I would have made a joke out of asking how much she weighed or something else stupid and only half-funny, but tonight I was just…there was only one thing that mattered, and that was saving Charlotte.
"Alright, guys." Ben looked around at us. "So, hopefully most of Marcus' team went with him to go after Calla, Leo, and Katherine, so ideally the place is next to empty, but don't assume that it will be. We have no idea who or what is in there waiting for us." He reminded us. "Be on your guard, and if you run into any trouble, you radio it on over the comms. Clear?"
"Clear." One by one, we all agreed. Ben nodded and looked at Naomi.
"Alright boss. On your mark." He told her, smiling confidently. I nodded to myself; if Ben and Kira could see so confident about how things were going to turn out, then things would work out for us. This was going to work.
It had to.
Ben's POV
Despite the fact that I was expecting to be attacked the moment I burst through the front door (knocking it down wasn't exactly the quietest method of entry I could have tried), the front entrance to the apartment building was completely empty, save for a few coats hanging on coat hooks.
"So far I've got nothing, but look alive people - someone's definitely been living here, and I'm pretty sure they're not squatters." I commented into my comms.
"Be careful everyone." Naomi said in reply, her tone determined. "We get Charlotte and we get out of here - we're not looking to stick around for a fight."
"Too late." I stopped at the sound of Sera's voice. "We just found Jupiter."
In the background, I could hear the sound of blaster shots, coming from the weapon Emily had taken from Mission Command before we left.
"Do you need backup?" Noah demanded.
"Two against one." Came Emily's breathless reply. I continued moving across the floor, heading past what used to be a doorman's desk and up the stairs to start searching the second floor. "We've got this."
"Don't be cocky, ask for help if you need it." Naomi commented worriedly.
"We've got this." Emily repeated before the sounds of blaster fire continued. I could hear it echoing below me, coming from the basement. A part of me wanted to rush down to help, but I knew that if things started to go sideways, both girls were smart enough to ask for help from one of us. And Noah would be able to be down there in a second.
Coming across the first room, I found that it had probably been used as a makeshift kitchen, judging by the garbage can full of paper plates and red solo cups. But the room had been cleared out of everything important.
They must have known we'd be coming for Charlotte, I realized. And if they knew we were here...
"Hey!" I heard Noah's sudden, surprised shout. "Catastrophe!"
"Bring it, big ugly!" I heard Kira shout in the background.
"We might need some backup." Noah commented, sounding uncertain.
"We have problems of our own!" Kameron snarled back, voice strained.
"Naomi?" I demanded, the sound of blaster fire now coming from above me. "Naomi, come in!"
"Sorry!" She sounded breathless, but unhurt. "Kinda got a problem. Two actually - Lexi and Reese."
"I thought this place was supposed to be empty!" Kira snapped. I let out a breath.
"Kira, Noah, I'm on my way." I told them, turning back to head down to their floor. Naomi and Kameron were fighting two enemies, but Catastrophe was significantly more dangerous than both Reese and Lexi, and I knew Naomi and Kameron could hold their own in a fight. I started to run down the stairs, then noticed that there was light coming from one of the rooms. I hesitated - it was the only light on in the entire building, as far as I could tell. "Actually, hold that thought."
I carefully made my way to the door, being very careful not to make a noise. Looking through the crack, it just looked like the living room of any other apartment, minus the furnishings, but aside from that, there was nothing special about it. Still...
I pushed open the door, revealing a small, bionic-capsule sized cell in the middle of the room. Standing between the blue, glowing bars was Charlotte, looking scared but thankfully unharmed. Her eyes widened as I stepped inside. "Ben!" She cried, smiling fading almost immediately. "Behind you!"
I spun around just in time to catch Saturn by the arm, his fist inches away from my face. I didn't hesitate before trying to elbow him in the face, but he was quick and twisted out of my grip in time to avoid the blow. He danced away from me, smiling cockily.
"Almost had you, blondie." He mocked. I raised my hands, clenching my fists.
"Not a chance, sparky." I snapped back.
"It's a trap!" Charlotte told me from behind. "They're not going after my Mama and Papa, they're going after you guys!"
"And we'll win." Saturn agreed. He raised his hand and a blast of electricity shot out at me. I lunged to the side, just narrowly avoiding it, and quickly hit my comms.
"Guys, get out of here, now! Don't try and win, just bail!" I ordered. As expected, all I heard back was a variety of protests and the sounds of various battles taking place. "I've got Charlotte with me! The rest of you, out, NOW!"
I didn't wait for their responses this time. I slammed my hands into the ground from where I was kneeling and felt the waves of an earthquake spread out from them. A rumbling sound filled the entire room as it began to shake. Saturn took a moment to try and regain as much of his balance as I could, then raised his hand and shot another blast of electricity at me. But, thanks to quake, his aim was off and he ended up hitting the wall instead.
Before he could prepare another blast, I tackled him, slamming him to the ground. He tried to struggle, but I took care of it with one quick punch to the face. Immediately, he went limp, head rolling across the floor.
I stepped away from him, breathing heavy, before looking back up at Charlotte. She was staring at us, wide-eyed. "Charlotte," I said, rushing over to her. I looked around, looking for a way to deactivate the cage. "Emily," I demanded, reaching for my comms. "I'm looking at a power-blocking cells. The bars are the same as the ones at UPSEI. You in a position to help us out with that?"
"Give me a sec!" The genius responded. I heard the sounds of blaster fire cease. "Okay, Sera and I are out. Second floor, right? First door on the right?"
"That's the one." I replied. A moment later, the bars flickered and disappeared. "Good girl, Emily. I'll see you s-" I was cut off by Charlotte's arms suddenly around my neck, the younger girl shaking. "Hey, it's okay."
"Thank you." She whimpered into my shoulder. "I thought they were going to..."
"Hey, it's okay. You're okay." I pulled away and gripped her shoulders, forcing her to look me in the eye. "Now, let's get out of here, shall we?"
She nodded, smiling a little. Then, I saw her eyes widen and she opened her mouth to say something. Whatever she said, I never did hear it, as a searing, blinding pain slashed across my left side.
"Ah!" I cried out, the sudden shock to my system dropping me to my knees. I turned around to see Saturn leaning on one arm, with a strange looking gun in his hand.
"Gotcha." He smiled, smoke pouring out of the barrel of the gun.
Charlotte's POV
"Gotcha." Saturn smirked at us, holding the gun with a look of pride on his face, while Ben was bent over in pain. He was gripping my arm tight enough to leave bruises, his face pale and eyes screwed shut.
I looked away from Ben's face to see Saturn struggling to get up, the gun still in his hands, and it was like he had lit a match inside of me. I lifted the arm that Ben wasn't holding, an energy sphere about the size of a basketball forming in my palm before I'd even aimed, bigger than any I'd ever created.
I flung it at Saturn with as much strength as I could manage, before he could react. He dropped the gun as he dived to avoid it, a smart move given how big a crack the energy sphere left in the wall where it hit. He pushed himself up on his elbows, scrambling for another weapon. I raised my hand, preparing another energy sphere, but they took time to create, and he had managed to pull another gun out from his side holster.
Ben got there first though, pushing himself back to his feet and lunging at Saturn in an unusually clumsy movement. He kicked the villain in the head hard enough to knock him out, this time hopefully for a much longer time.
Ben stumbled, catching himself on the wall with one hand while the other stayed firmly pressed to his side. He glanced over at me, breathing heavy. "Are you alright?" He questioned breathlessly.
"Am I...are you alright?" I questioned, quickly reaching for him. He nodded, wincing. "No, Ben, you're..." I gently pried his fingers away from where he'd been hit, then froze. "I thought you were bulletproof."
"I am." He managed through gritted teeth. I bit my lip, staring at him.
"Then how are you bleeding?" I asked, returning his hand to his side before pressing on it myself. He bit back a groan and shook his head.
"Don't know." He grimaced again, jerking his head to the side. "Ugh, Naomi."
I frowned, then noticed the comm set in his ear. I reached up, pulled it out, and put it in my own ear, immediately hearing Naomi's concerned shouting come over the system. "Ben, we're out, but what the hell was that? Do you have Charlotte? I repeat, what the hell was th-"
"Naomi!" I called, cutting her off mid-question. "Meet us at Mighty Med!"
"Charlotte?" Kameron demanded. I could hear the other's in the background, asking questions, but his voice was louder than the rest. "Are you okay?"
"Mighty Med." I repeated firmly before shutting off the comm. Ben's face had grown paler, if not a little green. "Can you walk?"
"I'm freaking Aftershock; of course I can walk." He grumbled, pushing away from the wall. He suddenly swayed and I ducked under his arm, wrapping one of mine around his waist. I wasn't the ideal crutch - he was nearly a foot taller than me - but it worked. "Thanks."
Suddenly, I heard the sound of footsteps. "We need to get out of here." I whispered, knowing that Lexi and the others would be up here soon enough.
"No shit." Ben snapped. I didn't respond, instead helping him walk without a word, stopping briefly to pick up Saturn's weapon before reaching the window. There was a fire escape just within reach that thankfully led to the back of the building. I carefully opened the window and started helping Ben through, until I heard the click of a gun.
Turning, I saw Darius standing at the door, the gun in his hands trained on us. "Blast him." I heard Ben mumble. I hesitated, as did Darius.
"They'll kill us." I whispered shakily. I could see the conflict in Darius' eyes as he tried to figure out what to do. I wouldn't exactly call him an ally right now, but at the same time I could tell he wasn't evil - or at the very least, he wasn't a killer. "Please."
He worked his jaw in frustration, then sighed. "Next time, I shoot." He warned, lowering his weapon. I nodded shakily, pushing Ben the rest of the way out the window and onto the fire escape.
"C'mon." I pushed him forward, feeling my heart racing a million miles an hour.
Kameron's POV
"Here." I knelt down next to Charlotte and offered her the Styrofoam cup I'd hunted down for her. She glanced at it, uninterested. "It's hot cocoa."
"No thanks." She replied quietly. I frowned, placing the cup on the table beside her. "Any word on Ben?"
"Not yet, but he'll be fine. Saturn just got lucky, is all." I assured her. She nodded quietly. "Hey." I placed my hand on her knee. She looked at me, eyes wide. "You're safe now."
"I know." She smiled gratefully and gave my hand a squeeze. "Thank you."
"No problem." I replied, just as the doors to the hospital opened up. I saw Leo and Katherine practically run in and stop, searching. Noah raised his hand to get their attention, and I backed away just in time for Charlotte to be enveloped in a massive hug from both her parents.
"I'm okay, I'm okay." She murmured, even as she held on tight to them. Leo was the first to pull away, still holding her arms but looking her over for injuries.
"Did he hurt you? Did he lay a hand on you?" He demanded, eyes blazing. Charlotte shook her head. "Are you sure?"
"He just locked me up, Papa." She promised him. Calla and AJ arrived just then, relieved looks on both of their faces. Calla looked around at us, quickly doing a headcount, and I could see the worry return to her face. We must have looked like a sorry bunch - we were all a bit of a mess, in different ways. Upon hearing about Darius' role in all of this, Emily had retreated to a chair in the corner of the room and hadn't move or said anything since. Naomi was pacing anxiously around the room, occasionally looking at the door as if she could magically force him to be alright. Kira and Noah both looked like they'd been in some sort of explosion, with their hair a mess and their faces scratched up. Sera was sitting next to Charlotte almost protectively, glaring at anyone who came near the girl without permission.
"What happened with Marcus?" Sera asked, looking over at Leo, Katherine, and Calla. That drew most of our attentions, aside from Naomi, who had spared Calla, Leo, and Katherine just long enough a glance to tell that they were alright before continuing her pacing. "Did you fight him? Did you beat him?"
"Not exactly." Calla sighed, shaking her head. "Bastard decided to try and take us out sniper style."
"That was nice thinkin' with the portable shield thing." Katherine complimented, glancing at Calla. Noah looked at her, frowning.
"You have a portable shield?" He questioned. She nodded, tapping at her Davenwatch half-heartedly.
"Your uncle gave me the idea years ago." She said by way of explanation. "It was a stupid plan; Marcus never should have thought it would work."
"That's because it wasn't a trap for you. He was just the distraction." Charlotte supplied. Calla looked at her, gaze softening. "The trap was for them." Charlotte gestured at the rest of us. "Or Ben, at least."
"How is Ben?" AJ asked, looking around at us. None of had an answer to give him yet. With Charlotte's help, Ben had managed to get to the hospital before collapsing. Horace had rushed him into the back, but that was nearly fifty minutes ago, and we still had yet to hear a word on our friend's condition. "I don't understand; he's invulnerable. How could Saturn shoot him?"
"I gave the weapon Saturn used to Horace." Charlotte offered, trying to be helpful. She shook her head. "I should have stopped him."
"There was nothin' you could 'ave done." Katherine told her gently, giving her another side hug.
"What happened?" Leo questioned, looking around at all of us.
"They were waiting for us." Kira explained, eyes wide, her knee bouncing restlessly. "Lexi, Reese, Catastrophe, Saturn, Darius, Jupiter..."
"Darius?" Calla repeated, heading whipping towards Emily. Her daughter nodded silently, eyes just a little too wide. "He's working with them?"
"He's Lexi's son." Seraphina added, giving Emily a sympathetic look. Calla stared at her, processing the information in shock.
"We fought them, basically got our asses handed to us...Ben told us to get out of there, that is was a trap." Noah continued, arms crossed. "He went to get Charlotte, and Saturn..." he mimed a shooting action. "Then we all met up here."
"Lexi's son." Calla whispered, shaking her head. She looked at Leo, eyes turning cold. She looked like she wanted to kill Darius from here. "He's one of them."
"What are we going to do about him and Marcus?" Leo questioned, looking almost as pissed off as Calla. Before she could respond, the doors to our left opened and Horace swept into the room. I stood up, taking in the grim look on his face. Something was wrong, very wrong.
"We have more pressing issues to discuss." He told us, tone hard.
Xxx
Kihonne: So, what did you all think? Did you like? Do you all hate me for hurting Ben and potentially emotionally scarring Charlotte (it's okay if you do). Anyway, I'm going to be back this time next week with the final part of this 3 part arc. Until then, here is the schedule for the next few updates:
October 4th – Poisoned
October 11th – Aftermath
October 18th – Jingle Bells
October 31st – New Year
Oh, and guys, if you have anymore votes for the baby gender / name, the vote is officially closing on October 15th, so you have until then to add your submissions!
Until next time, folks!