Alright, here we go: last chapter of I'm a Monster. Are you guys ready for this?
First, congrats to j. liz. 8 for getting the reference to Commando App in the last chapter! "Eddie, your singing voice is like cats being dragged down a blackboard!" In this chapter there is a very obvious reference to Chip Switch.
Some parts of me think this chapter moves a bit fast, but, honestly, if you think about everything that's been going on in the story, I think it's fine. It turned out better than I thought it would, anyway!
Okay, so, after being relentlessly tortured by fangirls, chased with tasers, and having to spend a lot more time with Douglas then I ever wanted, I bring you the last chapter of I'm a Monster. I don't own Lab Rats, and enjoy!
* * * Chapter 18: Freedom * * *
Chase lay on the metal table, having woken up just moments before â sort of. He wasn't awake entirely, but he wasn't quite sleeping either. His eyes were closed and he kept them that way, resting as peacefully as he could.
What was rather odd was that Chase was cold. Not that being cold in itself was strange, but that Chase took notice of it. Of everything going wrong in his life, every pang of agony and every reminder that he was trapped by his father, and the thing he had the audacity to be angry about was the cold.
The freezing fingers of the air stroked his skin and the metal beneath him served no help at all. It penetrated his clothing and sunk into every fiber of his being. Forget the pain shooting through his entire body. Chase was cold!
Chase opened his eyes slowly. He was determined to demand that Douglas turn down the stupid air conditioner (surely that's what it was). Whatever thoughts swarming through his brain were muddled by the existence of the abundant cold.
However, as soon as he caught sight of his father, all that was forgotten. Douglas was sitting in an office chair. His arms were folded across his chest, his head was bowed, and light snores were escaping his lips. Chase felt an overwhelming sense of amusement. There was something about Douglas's current position that looked so . . . funny!
"He's been like that for an hour."
Chase jumped at the sound of a voice, but calmed down when he realized it was just Marcus. The android was still slumped in a chair in the corner. He seemed a tiny bit stronger, but not much.
"I even tried poking him once," Marcus continued, an amused smile slipping across his lips. "He probably would've killed me if he woke up, but he didn't. Our father is one deep sleeper."
"How can anyone fall asleep in a position like that?" Chase mumbled. He noted how his voice still sounded rather weak.
Marcus shrugged. "He's a crazed, evil maniac. Do you really need an explanation?"
Chase stifled a laugh. "So, how long have I been asleep?"
"I dunno, two hours? Douglas was doing all this weird stuff to you . . . I think I fell asleep for twenty minutes or so. Then eventually Douglas stopped being so crazy and settled down. He sat down to work at the computers, but then he fell asleep."
Chase nodded to let Marcus know he had heard him. The bionic still didn't have the energy to sit up. His arm still hurt immensely, as did many other parts of his body. The cold had seemed to finally leave him alone, so either the room had miraculously warmed up or Chase had grown used to it. He suspected the latter was true.
"So," Chase asked suddenly, catching his brother's attention, "what happens now?"
"I have no idea," Marcus sighed. "I suppose for me, I just sit around and wait to die. I'm surprised I'm not dead already. I thought for sure that lightning blast would kill me."
"You're stronger than you think."
"Thanks," Marcus grunted. "I think. But what's going to happen you and the others, I genuinely have no idea."
"Did Douglas capture them again?" Chase asked.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean . . ." Chase trailed off. Marcus didn't know about their escape, so maybe Douglas didn't know either. Perhaps there was still a chance that they could get out. "I helped everyone else escape. But we all got separated. Has . . . did Douglas find out about that?"
"Not that I know of," Marcus said with a shrug. "Then again, about four hours ago I was trying to tell which was my right hand and which was my left." The android held up his hands as if to make a point.
Chase snickered. "Label them, like Adam does. Left and not left."
"What?"
"Eh, never mind."
"No, seriously, what are you talking about?" Marcus persisted. "Left and not left?"
"It's Adam," Chase said. "Do you really need an explanation? That's how he labels his shoes."
"That is . . ." Marcus trailed off, as if searching for the right word.
"Adam," Chase said, as if that provided an explanation. And in truth, it did.
The boys were quietly laughing together when suddenly loud banging sounds were heard on the other side of the door. Before Marcus or Chase could react, the door flew open and chaos erupted. About five people burst into the room. Douglas snapped up and hopped to his feet.
"Yeah, sure, now you wake up," Marcus said sarcastically.
"Freeze!" Donald shouted at the top of his lungs. "We finally found you." Every pair of eyes in the room turned to Douglas. The evil genius's eyes widened as he realized what was going on.
"You're out-numbed two to eight!" Adam hollered.
"Six to one, Adam," Bree corrected.
"I'm kinda out of commission at the moment," Chase said with a wince.
"Hey, what about me?" Marcus protested. "I'm on your side in this!"
"But you can't do anything either," Chase pointed out. "You'll die."
"I'm not really sure Tasha and Leo would do much good," Donald said.
"Hey!" Tasha shouted.
"Really?" Leo yelled.
"Alright, so," Bree said, her face twisted with confusion, "it's six to one, five to one, seven to one, or three to one . . . whatever! The point is, you're clearly out-numbered, Douglas."
"Okay, fine, you've got me cornered," Douglas said smoothly, his hands up in the air. "What are you going to do now?"
Without any warning whatsoever, Adam swung out and punched Douglas in the face. With a surprised cry, the bionics' father crumpled to the ground, eyes closed tight.
"That was rather unceremonious," Chase observed.
"If by 'unceremonious' you mean 'awesome,' than yes, yes it was," Adam said with a smug smile.
"He had that coming," Marcus said dryly.
"Come on, let's get out of here before he comes to," Donald said.
Chase bit his lip and slowly pushed up with his left arm. He sat up and fought off the nausea sweeping over him. Carefully he pushed himself off the metal table and onto the floor. As soon as weight was placed on his legs, Chase began to collapse. Suddenly, however, he felt a hand on his shoulder helping to balance him.
"And you wonder why I tease you about being weak," Adam joked, using his strength to support his younger brother.
"Thanks Adam," Chase sighed. "That thing," Chase gestured to Marcus and the android waved, "shot me full of lightning."
"You're the one who stepped in front of Douglas," Marcus protested.
"What?" Bree yelped.
"I'll explain later. We need to get out right now. Um, Adam, I think I can support myself."
"Pssh, yeah, I'm not that dumb," Adam said. He didn't move from Chase's side. In all honesty Chase was a bit relieved, but he was still embarrassed that he had to be babied. Again.
"Wait, how do we get out?" Bree asked suddenly.
"Here!" Leo exclaimed. He was standing at some of Douglas's computers and typing a few things in. "I've already turned off all the automatic doors. The exit is . . . right around the corner! Come on, let's go!"
"Um," Marcus said, a bit awkwardly, "c-can I come with you?"
The members of the Davenport family looked at each other. Leo had a sour expression on his face and Bree and Adam looked a bit hesitant. Chase, however, knew just what he had to say.
"Of course, Marcus," the youngest bionic said.
Marcus grinned and stood up feebly. He seemed to have regained some of his strength and he took a few steps towards the door. Everyone began to charge out of the room. As they left, however, Chase paused and turned to look at Douglas's unconscious form on the ground.
"You okay, little bro?" Adam asked.
"He saved my life," Chase muttered.
Marcus had turned around and noticed the way Chase was looking into the room. "You're not seriously going to regret any of this, are you?" the android asked.
"No way," Chase said furiously. "That wasn't enough. He deserves this. He deserves the worst. I'm grateful that he saved me, but that doesn't erase everything he's done in the past."
"Nice monologue," Marcus said with a roll of his eyes. "Now come on!"
The Davenport family â and Marcus â followed Leo to the exit. Chase felt his heart get lighter as they went down the familiar hall and began to head single-file up the spiral staircase. They all burst out of the fake tree, gulping in the fresh air.
Chase regretted his anger at the cold earlier. There was no way it could compare to this. The bionic had completely forgotten about their frozen Alaska setting. Everyone was already rubbing their arms and attempting to warm up.
"Okay, let's head home," Bree said. "Chase, Marcus, we can super-speed everyone else back."
Marcus and Chase exchanged glances. Bree noticed and raised a suspicious eyebrow.
"I . . . I don't really have super-speed anymore," Chase mumbled. Bree's eyes widened.
"Yeah, and if I speed, I'll die," Marcus added quickly.
"Wait," Bree said, waving her arms, "back up. Why can't you use super-speed, Chase?"
"Long story," he sighed. "Look, can you just speed us all home?"
"Um, sure," Bree said. She gave her brother a look that meant, 'I don't know what's going on, but you will be explaining this to me later, Mister.' Yup, there's a look for that.
Bree took Tasha and Leo first. It was only fair. The four remaining males stood shivering in the snow as they waited for her to come back. When she got there, she asked who was going next.
"I c-can wait," Chase said, already stuttering from the cold.
"I can't," Marcus said. "My turn next!"
Bree groaned and grabbed the android's wrist. With her other hand she grabbed Mr. Davenport. She took off, leaving a long super-speed trail in the snow.
"Home," Adam said quietly. "Sounds great, doesn't it?"
Chase nodded in response. Home. There would be a warm fire blazing in the fireplace, and Tasha would be making dinner. Everyone would curl up on the couch and watch a movie. Or they would all sit in the lab while Chase helped his siblings with homework. The sweet memories came flooding back, and Chase couldn't wait to finally get back home.
He wouldn't have to wait long. Bree came racing back in the snow for her two brothers. Chase smiled. They had spent seven long years apart and now look at them. They were as close as ever.
"Alright, bozos, grab on." Well, of course there was still a bit of teasing. But don't all siblings do that? There was still a lot of love.
Chase recoiled his right hand as Bree reached for it. "Other hand," he said gruffly.
"Geez, sorry," Bree said, grabbing his left hand.
"Come on, Bree!" Adam cheered. "Take us home!"
"Nine thousand four hundred and nine . . . nine thousand six hundred and four . . . nine thousand eight hundred and one . . . ten thousand! Ready or not, here I come!"
Chase removed his hands from his eyes and looked around. Of course, he didn't see anything right away. That didn't matter, though. Chase could easily find his siblings. It would be easier if the bionic could use his thermal scans, but for the sake of fairness he had agreed not to.
After a thorough inspection, it didn't look like anyone was hiding in the playroom. Chase had doubted it, but it was still good to check. No one was in the cabinets, behind the couch, or under the rug (Adam had discovered just how bad of a hiding spot that was several weeks ago).
The six-year-old quietly left the room, looking down the hall. The bionics had set specific boundaries for their game. The playroom, the bedrooms, and the lab were the only places they were allowed to hide. Their father's lair was huge, so it was a good idea to narrow it down.
The bedrooms had never been good places to hide, since the furnishings were so meager. Thus Chase began to head down the hall towards the lab. There were lots of fancy hiding places in there.
"Adam, Bree," Chase called softly, knowing that they wouldn't respond. The bionic carefully walked into the lab, but he jumped when he saw a tall figure standing at one of the computers.
"Douglas!" Chase yelped. His father turned to stare at him. "I-I thought you left."
"I did, but I forgot a few files," Douglas said gruffly. "What are you doing?"
"J-Just . . . u-um . . ." Chase stuttered. He gulped and started to back out of the room.
Douglas gathered up a few papers and walked towards the doorway where his son was standing. "I'll be gone for four days," he said. "Don't get into too much trouble. I'll be watching you with the cameras."
Just like that, Douglas left the room. Chase released the breath he had been holding, grateful that the warning hadn't come with any physical harm or harsher words. He walked further into the room, now sure that both Bree and Adam were hiding in there.
It took Chase mere seconds to find Adam hiding behind some barrels. It took him longer to find Bree underneath the stairs leading up to the catwalk. Once they had been found, they started to chat about who would seek next.
"C-Can I play?" a timid voice asked. The three bionics turned and, upon seeing Marcus, groaned.
"You're just a jerk, Marcus," Adam said rudely. "We don't want you."
Marcus scowled. Chase felt a pang of sympathy for his android brother. Marcus was never invited to Adam, Bree, and Chase's games. Maybe it was time to change that.
"You know what, let him play," Chase said. He noticed the way Marcus's face suddenly lit up.
"Are you sure?" Bree asked, eying the android warily.
"Yeah, come on," Chase said. "It'll be more fun with more people." Finally Adam and Bree gave in.
For the next couple of hours, the four young children played several rounds of hide-and-go-seek. They found some very creative places to hide: the perks of living in an underground lair. One of the few perks.
After round upon round of hide-and-go-seek, Marcus finally began to complain that was he bored. Adam, Bree, and Chase showed no sympathy to him this time around, and Marcus finally left to go charge for a while.
Eventually the three bionics also grew bored of their game. They collapsed in the center of the lab, Chase checking the time to make sure they didn't have training yet. They still had about a half an hour.
Chase lay down on his back and stared up at the ceiling high above him. Adam and Bree sat cross-legged next to each other. Adam was moving his finger across the metal floor as if drawing a picture. Bree was playing with a strand of her chocolate-brown hair.
"That was fun!" Adam said.
"Yeah, we never get to do anything like that," Bree agreed.
"Do you think one day we'll get to go outside and do whatever we want?" Chase asked wistfully.
"Shh!" Bree said harshly. "He might be watching."
"I don't really care," Chase mumbled. "I want out."
"I bet they have lots of yummy food up there!"
"I'm sure, Adam. I want to go to school. A place where you go and learn all day? That sounds like heaven!"
"Of course it would to you. I would want to make friends. Maybe even a boyfriend!"
"Boyfriend?" Adam and Chase exclaimed simultaneously. The youngest rolled over onto his stomach and both boys stared at their sister like she was crazy.
"Yeah," Bree insisted. "I see girls with boyfriends all the time on TV. It looks really cool. We could go to the movies and have dinner at a fancy restaurant and talk long walks in the park while a full moon shines overhead . . ." Bree trailed off and sighed longingly.
"Eww," Chase said, wrinkling up his nose.
"Why would you want that, Bree? You have us!"
"Gross! You're my brothers. A boyfriend is an entirely different relationship. You have to love your family. You get to choose your boyfriend or girlfriend."
"So you're saying you only put up with us because you have to?" Chase said, placing his chin in his hands and smiling smugly.
"W-What?" Bree spluttered. "No! W-Well, I mean, I meant . . ."
"Save it," Chase said, holding up his hand. He gave a slow smile. "It's okay; we know what you meant."
Bree grinned. "Good. Then what other kinds of things would you guys want?" The siblings exchanged looks. Without any preamble they launched into a game of 'I want.' A selfish game, to be sure, but fun nonetheless.
"I want to read out of a high-school math textbook."
"I want to try bubblegum."
"I want to wear a pretty dress."
"I want to meet a giraffe."
"I want to see the Eiffel Tower in Paris."
"I want to visit the National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C."
"I want to be in one of those cool action movies!"
"I want to make a best friend and have a sleepover with her."
"I want a mom."
"I want a cat!"
"I want to go shoe shopping."
"I want to go to law school."
"You are the weirdest six-year-old ever."
Chase folded his arms across his chest and scowled playfully. "And what kind of seven-year-old girl wants a boyfriend?" he asked.
"All of them," Bree scoffed.
"You know what," Adam piped up suddenly, "I just want to go to a zoo. Then I can see all the animals. Maybe even unicorns!"
"Adam, unicorns aren'tâ"
"Yeah, we could even toss rings onto their horns!" Bree interrupted her brother. Adam clapped his hands excitedly. Chase started to glare at Bree, but she leaned over and whispered, "Don't ruin his dream."
"Do you think we ever will get out?" Adam asked.
"I hope so," Chase said.
"You know what?" Bree announced suddenly. "We will. One day we will all get out of here and live our dreams. We'll get away from Douglas and we'll do everything we always wanted to. Go to the zoo or the mall or . . . whatever nerdy place Chase wants to go to."
"Hey!"
"But the best part," Bree continued, ignoring her brother's protest, "is that we'll do it together. Because no matter what happens, we'll always be together. Right?"
Chase pushed himself into a sitting position. The three siblings squished together and threw their arms over each other's shoulders. They snuggled close.
"Right," Adam said.
Chase nodded in agreement. "Together. Always together."
* * * THE END * * *
So? What did you guys think? Hey, who is smart enough to figure out Chase's counting scheme at the beginning of the flashback? I figured it was appropriate for a six-year-old super-genius. XD I know Douglas might have gone down a bit easy, but don't judge quite yet. There's still another story, don't forget.
For the final time, please enjoy "Dramatic Discussions with Douglas."
Douglas: I can't believe it's almost over. Finally! Let's hurry this up, shall we?
To RazaraTheFirst: Thank you. It's nice to know that someone cares. *glares at every other person who has reviewed this story*
To RossLynch4ever: I can deal with death threats and crazed fangirls, but don't you ever compare me to Justin Beiber. That's just wrong, and you know it! I did get a kick out of watching daphrose curl up in the corner and cry over your improper use of semicolons.
Daphrose: I did not!
Douglas: Really? Then what is this picture on my phone?
Daphrose: O_O *uses magical writing abilities to destroy phone* Ha! Now you have no proof.
Douglas: Hey! Whatever. It was enjoyable while it lasted.
To the-amateur-with-an-idea: Marcus trained to keep his abilities sharp. I had to make sure he was a good opponent for Chase. And on the off chance that I would use him later on, he would have all the proper training he required.
Daphrose: Thank you, Douglas! Now, say goodbye to all the lovely readers.
Douglas: What lovely readers? All I see are a bunch of maniacs.
Daphrose: Aw, you noticed! But seriously, do some goodbye thing. You've seen what we're capable of.
Douglas: Goodbye, everyone! It was (not) a pleasure responding to your reviews. Good riddance.
Daphrose: I guess we won't get any more out of him, huh? So anyway, how did you guys like the last chapter? The prologue of I'm a Human should be posted in a couple of days. I know exactly how I want to write it.
I'll leave the really sappy "thank you's" and stuff until the end of IAH. But seriously, thanks for the support! I hope you will read part three of the I AM Trilogy once I post it. I appreciate every single review/follow/favorite I got. Thank you again, so much! Hopefully see you in a couple of days on IAH, yeah?