The morning air was bright and cheerful as Tasha entered the Lab, balancing a tray full of snacks and cups. Harper followed closely behind, carefully holding a jug of freshly made lemonade.

They stepped into the Lab, expecting a relaxing break, but were met with a sight that instantly put a smile on Tasha's face - albeit a slightly exasperated one.

Adam, Bree and Chase were all wearing neck braces, standing awkwardly in the middle of the lab. Mr. Davenport and Leo were standing by a pop-up desk, overseeing their movements as if it were a normal day.

"We're doing some routine bionic chip maintenance. Besides, this is fun, right, guys? "Mr. Davenport asked, his voice filled with enthusiasm.

"Good times."

"A blast."

"Okay, are we done here? I wanna go be normal for a while!" Bree suddenly exclaimed, yanking the neck brace off and tossing it onto the nearby pop-up desk.

As soon as the brace hit the desk, a spark flew from the electronics, causing Tasha to drop the snacks and cups she had been holding. The chips scattered across the floor and the lemonade splashed everywhere.

"Can't we go just five minutes without something sparking, exploding, or oozing around here?!" Tasha exclaimed in frustration. "Ever since summer vacation started, it has been like one long science experiment."

"I'm sorry, honey." Mr. Davenport apologized, walking over and taking her hands in his. "I... you know... maybe... maybe Leo's right. Maybe we need to take a break and go to the beach."

"Oh!" Adam shouted in excitement.

"Yeah!" Bree cheered, her earlier frustration forgotten at the thought of a beach day.

Mr. Davenport grinned. "We'll take a whole weekend, as a normal family. You know? No gadgets, no phones. We'll do it totally tech-free."

Harper, Chase, Bree and Leo kneeled down together to pick up the scattered chips and Tasha looked around, clearly touched by the gesture.

"That is exactly what I need. You would really do that for me?" Tasha asked, her voice softening with gratitude.

"Of course. You are way more important to me than the amazing innovation born of my genius." Mr. Davenport reassured her.

Tasha smiled warmly at him and then walked out of the lab to prepare for their beach trip.

Leo picked up the tray and stood up. "Wow, Big D, it's really nice of you to blow off work for my mum."

"Well, you know, Leo, now and then, everybody needs a little peace and...." Suddenly, a loud klaxon alarm blared, interrupting Mr. Davenport's thought. The group froze, looking around in confusion. "Quiet!"

The group gathered quickly around the cyber desk as Chase turned to them with a serious expression.

"It's the early warning satellite system." Chase informed.

"It's detecting a giant solar flare. When that thing hits the atmosphere, it'll cause massive power failures and a total blackout of satellite communications." Mr. Davenport explained.

"Okay, I should tell my Mum we're not going to the beach, then." Leo said, already moving to leave.

"No, no, no, no. Don't tell your Mum a thing about this." Mr. Davenport interrupted quickly.

"Oh, right. Let's just ignore the biggest solar flare in history, to keep the little lady happy." Chase said with a sarcastic smile.

"Don't worry about the solar flare. I'll handle it. Just pack your stuff in the R.V. Harper, we'll come pick you up." Mr. Davenport reassured them.

Harper nodded eagerly. "Okay."

"Okay and I'll call your sister. Everyone get ready to get your beach on!" Mr. Davenport exclaimed. He turned to the group, seeing their confused expressions. "I know nobody says that. I know that."

As the teens started to jog toward the exit, Adam suddenly stopped them, reaching into a bag and pulling out a pair of safety goggles, handing one to each of them.

"Adam, safety goggles aren't going to protect our eyes from the solar flare." Chase pointed out, holding up the goggles with an incredulous look.

Adam grinned. "No. But it will protect us from the glare when pasty-legs Davenport puts on his shorts!"

••••

The sun hung high in the sky as the R.V. rolled into the beach parking lot. Harper was already feeling the pull of relaxation as she grabbed her beach bag, slipped on her sandals and stood up from the beanbag chair inside the R.V.

"Alright, Tasha. Your totally tech-free weekend starts now." Mr. Davenport said as he and Tasha entered the R.V.

"Great. I'm gonna go claim our spot. If we wait too long, we're gonna end up sitting next to talkers. I hate friendly people." Tasha grimaced.

"You go ahead. I'll be right there." Mr. Davenport said with a chuckle. Tasha strode off toward the beach, followed by Adam, Bree and Chase. But just as they were about to follow her out, Mr. Davenport held up a hand, stopping them. "Woah, woah, woah. Where do you think you guys are going? Did you forget about the solar flare?"

Chase frowned and gave a half-shrug. "What do you expect us to do? Bionics can't stop a solar flare."

"No, but I have something that can." Mr. Davenport replied, a mischievous smirk tugging at his lips.

With a flourish, he pressed a hidden button on the wall, revealing a small compartment behind a painted canvas. Mr. Davenport's hand pressed against the glass to authorize his identity and with a beep, two cyber desks appeared from their concealed spots. A set of doors slid open, revealing a sleek rocket ready for launch.

"Woah." Harper gasped in awe, her eyes wide as she took in the sight of the high-tech contraption.

"Welcome to the Davenport Industries Mobile Action Lab." Mr. Davenport announced.

"Very impressive, Big D. You're the master of the ta-da moment!" Leo grinned, clearly impressed.

"Ta-da! I call her the Ugly Lady because it's what's on the inside that counts. You guys will launch the rocket just like in your training simulations. It will block the solar flare by releasing a cloud of heavy gas into the atmosphere." Mr. Davenport explained.

"Oh."

"Cool."

"Sweet."

"You're going down, sun!"

"This supercomputer is calculating the precise time that you need to launch the rocket. It could be minutes. It could be hours. You'll just have to wait and see." Mr. Davenport continued, his expression serious as he glanced at the screen.

Harper raised an eyebrow, glancing back at her friends. "But t was supposed to be their beach day."

Bree frowned, clearly frustrated. "Yeah, we were supposed to go to the beach."

"Yeah, and I was supposed to be six-foot-one. Life is full of disappointments." Mr. Davenport remarked, glancing up at Adam, who gave a sheepish smile.

"Great. So, we all have to pay the price for another short guy with an axe to grind." Chase grumbled.

"Look, guys, focus." Mr. Davenport cut in, trying to keep them on track. "It takes all three of you to initiate the sequence. Once the alert sound, you'll have a two hour window to launch the rocket before the flare becomes unstoppable. Got it?"

"Yeah, we got it." Bree groaned. "Saving the world's gonna ruin my vacation. Stupid world."

"Guys, come on! You're missing all the fun!" Tasha called from outside the R.V. "There is a bulldog in sunglasses riding a surfboard! Oh! Never mind!"

"Be right there, honey!" Mr. Davenport shouted, still smiling, before he turned back to the teens. "Look, as soon as you guys launch the rocket and save the world you can get outta here and get your beach on!"

Harper raised an eyebrow, clearly bemused. "Wow."

"What, still nothing? You know what? I don't need your approval. I'm rich!" Mr. Davenport exclaimed, his voice full of playful arrogance.

"Am I the only person who thinks launching a rocket is cool?" Leo asked eagerly. "Big D. Go slather on some SPF fifty...." He looked down at Mr. Davenport's legs. "thousand. I got this. And Harper could help me too."

Harper nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Mr. Davenport. Adam, Bree and Chase deserve a break."

"No." Mr. Davenport said firmly. "The only thing you've got is the uncanny ability to break the most expensive thing in the room, and when Harper is with you, it's the 6th most expensive."

Leo and Harper exchanged a glance, their minds clearly traveling back to the time they accidentally broke some of Mr. Davenport's prized musical equipment during a mini-concert in his music room.

Leo rubbed his hands together nervously. "Is this about your guitar and piano?"

Mr. Davenport paused, his expression momentarily flickering. "What about my guitar and piano?"

Before he could elaborate, Leo grabbed Harper's arm and pulled her toward the door. "Let's go! We're missing the surfing bulldog!" He shouted, with Harper close behind. "We're goin'!"

"What about my guitar and piano? Leo! Harper! What did you guys do!?" Mr. Davenport yelled after them, but they were already out the door.

"Don't worry about it!" Harper called back, barely holding back her laughter.

••••

Harper laid on the beach towel, stretched out comfortably on her stomach, her head resting on her arms as she gazed at the vast ocean in front of her. The warmth of the sun bathed her skin, making her feel content and relaxed. She closed her eyes, letting the rhythmic sound of the waves crashing against the shore lull her into a peaceful state.

Occasionally, she would drift in and out of sleep, only to be stirred by the sound of a bulldog barking nearby. It was the same bulldog she'd spotted earlier riding a surfboard, and its joyful yaps seemed to be a constant reminder of the strange, fun things happening on this beach day.

Tasha, sitting nearby, glanced up from her magazine and smiled as she looked around. "Ah, listen to that. No phones ringing, no gadgets buzzing. Just the sound of nature and...." She paused, lowering her sunglasses and glancing over at the bulldog. "A bulldog barking up seaweed."

Harper chuckled softly, feeling the tension of the past few days melt away. It felt good to finally be unplugged from everything, even if it was just for a little while.

"Yep. There's nothing more fun than sitting completely still in direct sunlight for hours on end. My back sweat is heading towards unnatural places." Leo deadpanned as he sat beside Harper.

Tasha let out a small laugh but didn't comment further, content to enjoy the peaceful moment. Just as Harper was about to settle back into her nap, Mr. Davenport suddenly jumped out of his chair, his eyes wide with excitement.

"Leo, Harper, come here." He whispered urgently, waving them over. Both teenagers furrowed their brows in confusion but followed him anyway. "I still have to secretly supervise the mission from here. So how would you two like to be my covert communications liaison?"

Leo raised an eyebrow. "Is this like the time you tricked me into doing the dishes by calling me your culinary implement decontaminator?"

"Yeah, pretty much." Mr. Davenport replied, shrugging nonchalantly. "Observe." He walked over to the cooler, his movements exaggerated for effect. "Well, Leo, you look, uh, parched. Let me get you a frosty beverage." He pulled out a soda can and turned back to Leo and Harper with a grin. "Drink up."

Leo opened the can, and to his surprise, the soda instantly transformed into a small cell phone.

"It's a secret can-phone!" Leo exclaimed with a giggle, his excitement growing.

Harper raised an eyebrow, impressed by the ingenuity. "That's clever, Mr. Davenport."

"There is no such thing as a tech-free weekend." Mr. Davenport whispered conspiratorially, before he and Leo broke into an impromptu dance, celebrating their secretive tech moment.

The phone rang just as they finished their little dance and Leo quickly placed it between himself and Harper.

"Super-boring mission headquarters. Bree speaking." Came the voice on the other end.

"Hi, Bree." Harper whispered, trying to keep the conversation quiet.

"Hey, Bree. How's the mission going?" Leo asked, his voice low as he leaned in to talk.

Tasha removed her glasses and turned to her son. "Leo, what are you drinking?"

"Call-you-back-Cola." Leo replied, grinning mischievously as he hung up the phone.

"You know you're not supposed to drink soda. It makes you all jumpy. Give me that. Now!" Tasha demanded, holding out her hand.

Leo pouted but handed over the soda to his mother, who immediately threw it into the cooler. The can sparked dangerously, causing everyone to jump.

"I knew I should have sprung for the whole six-pack." Mr. Davenport muttered under his breath, his frustration obvious.

"We should go check on them." Harper suggested, feeling the growing tension in the air.

"I'm sorry, Big D. We're gonna have to check on 'em the old-fashioned way. With our feet, our faces, and a whole lot of this." Leo said. He demonstrated by giving his step-dad a mock point, a grin still on his face.

"Yeah. Just hurry back, will ya? The only reason I'm letting you go in the first place is you stop doing...." Mr. Davenport said, copying Leo's movement. "That anywhere near me."

Leo grabbed his flip-flops from the ground and sprinted barefoot towards the mobile lab. Harper followed him, slipping on her sunglasses, the sun beating down on them as they headed off toward the hidden lab, ready to get back to the mission.

••••

Leo and Harper entered the R.V., closing the door behind them with matching smiles. They had just come from the beach and despite the interruption by Mr. Davenport's tech mission, they were still riding high from the fun they had.

"Hey, super sibs." Leo greeted, pointing his fingers at the bionic trio with his usual mischievous flair.

"We're back." Harper added, her wide smile still in place. "How's the mission going?"

"This stinks!" Adam exclaimed frustratingly as he stood up from his spot. "We're gonna waste the whole stupid day in this stupid lab waiting for this stupid computer. It's all just so... dumb!"

"Why don't you take turns coming to the beach with us?" Leo suggested, looking at his step-siblings with a hopeful grin.

"We can't." Chase replied flatly, shaking his head. "The launch procedure requires all three of us."

"Mmm." Adam hummed and started counting on his fingers. "But if there are three of us plus two, then two can stay and they can go until we need three, and then one can stay and one can run and get the one who's having fun with the other ones." He paused for a moment, squinting at his own logic. "Wait. Somebody check my math."

Chase glanced over at Adam, giving a small nod. "He's right. Someone pat him on the head and give him a biscuit."

Bree, who had been silently watching the exchange, grinned widely. "Cool, so one of us can leave."

Chase nodded. "I think that we should put it up to a-"

"Me first! Come on, Leo and Harper!" Bree interrupted, seizing the opportunity. Before either of the teens could respond, she linked arms with Leo and Harper, her super speed kicking in instantly. In the blink of an eye, the three of them were zooming out of the R.V. and back toward the beach.

••••

Harper and Bree sat together on a bench near the arcade's redemption counter, their stuffed animals resting beside them as they waited for Leo to finish collecting his last tickets for the red crab stuffed animal.

Bree, with her usual competitive spirit, proudly displayed the large stuffed bear she'd won. Harper, on the other hand, held a smaller polar bear, cradling it like a baby with one arm.

"You really do know how to win these games." Harper remarked, admiring Bree's impressive prize.

Bree grinned, patting the bear's fluffy head. "Hey, it's all about technique. You just have to time it right."

As they chatted, Leo finally emerged from the arcade, grinning and carrying a stuffed shark and crab. "Success!"

Together, the trio made their way to the food court. Bree, with her bear strapped to her back like a backpack, moved quickly ahead. Leo carried the shark and crab, his arms full. Harper, holding her polar bear in her arms, felt unusually content as they strolled.

The vibrant sounds of the arcade music still played in the background, adding to the lively atmosphere. As they stepped outside, they were met with an unexpected sight: a silver-painted man was dancing energetically to the music, his painted skin glistening in the sunlight. The trio's faces lit up in amusement as they watched him move to the beat, his performance drawing in a crowd.

But their smiles quickly faded when they noticed someone joining in - Chase, of all people, was enthusiastically dancing alongside the silver-painted man.

"Chase, what are you doing here?" Bree asked.

"Watching this guy." Chase replied, bouncing on his feet, clearly excited. "People keep giving him money, but he just won't leave."

"You're supposed to be watching the mobile lab." Leo grumbled.

"No worries. Adam's watching it." Chase reassured, not skipping a beat in his dancing.

Just as Leo opened his mouth to protest, Adam appeared from the crowd, wearing a sun hat and holding a tray full of ice cream. "What's up, beach bums?"

Harper's eyes widened in surprise. "Adam, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be in the lab."

"Well, I wanted an ice cream cone, but they had twenty-one flavors. And you know me, I'm never one to make an uninformed decision." Adam explained, licking his ice cream.

"Adam, get rid of those. We need to get back to the mobile lab." Leo insisted, his patience running thin

"Oh, right." Adam said, suddenly realizing the urgency. He looked at the ice cream cone in his hand, then scanned the crowd. "Free ice cream!" He shouted, handing the partially licked ice cream to a stranger. "Don't worry, it's barely licked."

••••

The group of five skidded to a halt as they reached the parking lot, breathless from their sprint. They immediately started scanning the area, but there was one glaring issue: the mobile lab was nowhere in sight.

"Where's the mobile lab? It was parked right here." Bree asked, her voice filled with confusion as she looked around.

"It's gone!" Leo exclaimed, his eyes widening in disbelief.

"Okay, all right. Nobody panic...."Chase trailed off, his voice uncertain as he crouched down to inspect the skid marks left by the mobile lab's tires.

Adam let out an exaggerated shriek. "Sorry. Brain freeze. Where's the R.V?"

Harper, frowning, tried to follow the tracks, but after a few moments, she returned to the group, her frustration evident. "The marks vanish just off the sand. The trail's been disturbed by people's footprints."

"How could the mobile lab just disappear?" Bree muttered, pacing back and forth.

"Maybe it got tired of waiting and it split like we did." Adam suggested.

Bree rolled her eyes. "We have to tell Mr. Davenport."

"Oh, yeah? And what are we gonna tell him? 'Hey, remember that really easy mission where all we had to do was sit and wait? Well, guess what, we totally blew it and the world is toast. Oopsie!'" Chase sarcastically replied.

Harper crossed her arms, clearly irritated. "Do you have any other ideas? We lost an entire R.V."

Before Chase could respond, a loud siren interrupted them.

"Freeze!" A voice commanded.

The group snapped into attention as a sheriff on a scooter skidded to a stop in front of them.

"Officer, we'd like to report a crime." Chase said, stepping forward with a confident air. "Someone stole our R.V. from this spot, and it's supercritical that we get-"

"Cool your jets, Spanky." The sheriff cut him off, an amused smirk on his face. "I had it towed."

"What? Why?" Adam asked, his voice full of disbelief.

"Your car alarm's been going off for like, an hour, dude." The sheriff explained, clearly enjoying the situation. "Plus, I thought it'd be funny to watch a little tow truck pull the huge thing away. It was."

Chase's eyes widened as he connected the dots. "Car alarm?"

"If you want your R.V. back, you're gonna have to cough up 200 clams." The sheriff said.

Adam scoffed, his tone mocking. "Okay. But does it have to be clams? Cause personally, I'm more of a shrimp guy."

Ignoring Adam, the sheriff revved his scooter and drove off, the siren blaring as he left them standing there.

"You guys, that 'car alarm' was the alert tone telling us to launch the rocket." Chase informed the group worriedly.

"We have less than an hour to stop the solar flare." Harper added.

"We have to collect $200, get the mobile lab back, stop the flare, and wrestle a shark in under an hour?" Leo clarified. The group looked at him in confusion. "Oh, what? You're bionic, and we're at the beach. I'd like to do one fun thing today."

Bree narrowed her eyes. "We need to tell Mr. Davenport. He'll give us the money to get the R.V. back."

"No. No way. We can still fix this. Come on, I know how we can get the money fast." Chase said and began walking away.

Bree sighed. "Chase get back here. No ones gonna pay you to wrestle a shark."

••••

"Ladies and gentlemen." Leo's voice boomed from the top of the arcade stairs. "Step right up and see the wonders of Leo's and Harper's Legendary boardwalk freak show!"

"Side-show." Chase corrected him flatly with a deadpan expression.

"Whatever." Leo replied. "Direct your attention and dollars to Adam, the incredibly but not suspiciously, strong man!"

"Hey little girl. You like bunnies?" Adam asked as he crouched down in front of a little girl, who nodded eagerly. "Me too. Check this out."

Adam's grin grew as he turned to the nearby 'Lifeguard on Duty' sign. Without hesitation, he ripped the metal sign from the ground as though it were made of paper, bending the pipe into a crude, yet impressive bunny shape.

The crowd gasped in awe as he handed the girl the newly formed sculpture, which she marveled at before dropping it with a loud thud onto the pavement. Adam stood up and collected the money being thrown into his sun hat, beaming with pride.

"Wow wasn't that amazing, folks!" Harper cheered, clapping her hands. "Now, keep your eyes and your wallets open for Bree, the Magnificent Mistress of Magic."

Bree stepped forward, twirling with flair. "Okay, do I have a volunteer? Nope? Okay, looks like it's you, big guy." She pointed at a man in the crowd, who hesitated but stepped forward. She held up a small seashell. "Okay, people keep your eye on the shell." With a blink of an eye, she zipped around the man in a blur of super speed, leaving him stunned as she returned to her spot. "Where is it?" The man selected the right hand. She opened it to reveal it empty. "Nope. And look what's over here." With a dramatic flourish, she pulled out the man's driver's license from her other hand, to gasps from the crowd. "Bam! Your driver's license."

The man checked his wallet and was stunned to see the seashell in the slot where his driver's license had been. Adam began collecting more money from the awestruck spectators.

Bree handed the man's driver's license back, grinning. "You know, I never would have guessed you were bald under there."

"Her flying fingers are quicker than the human eye, but it's actually a simple trick that's not that impressive once you know how it's done." Harper concluded.

"And last but not least, let's keep it going for the amazing Chase, who will...." Leo trailed off, suddenly unsure of what to announce. He turned to Chase. "What can you do that won't bore people?"

Chase grinned confidently, his eyes glinting with mischief. "I got this." He strutted into the center of the circle and raised his arms dramatically. "Now, if someone could kindly give me a prime number with at least four digits, I will mathematically extrapolate-"

"Great job!" Leo interrupted, cutting Chase's performance short.

The crowd began to lose interest and started to disperse, groaning in disappointment.

"Adam, go make another bunny!" Harper urged, watching the diminishing audience.

Just then, a siren wailed, and the sheriff on his scooter appeared, rolling up to the group. The teenagers froze, realizing they couldn't run from him.

"Great show, little dudes." The sheriff said with a smirk, eyeing Leo and Harper.

Chase smiled. "Thank you."

"I was talkin' to them, dude." The sheriff clarified with a casual hand gesture toward Leo and Harper.

"Oh." Chase muttered, deflating a little.

"You totally bombed, bro. Now, unless you dudes want to shoot the curl on a longboard of hurt, you'd best show me your performance permits, like, right now." The sheriff demanded.

Harper nervously chuckled. "Permits?"

Adam turned to the group, his face falling. "We don't have permits. We're busted."

Chase scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Oh, relax. He's wearing flip-flops, and his squad car has handlebars. He's not even a real cop."

••••

The sheriff grinned as he shoved Adam, Bree, Chase, Leo and Harper into a small cell, the heavy metal door clanging shut behind them. He tossed the keys onto his desk with a flourish, the sound of them rattling against the wood echoing through the quiet room.

"Yet he has a real jail." Chase remarked, his expression blank.

Harper shot him an angry look. "Why did you have to mention it, Chase?"

Chase sighed. "Okay, there's only one thing left for us to do.... We have to find a way to get in touch with Mr. Davenport fast."

"Uh, I'll just call him. Davenport!" Adam yelled, his voice bouncing off the stone walls of the cell. Just then, the door to the sheriff's building swung open, and another sheriff entered, leading Mr. Davenport to the front desk. Adam's grin widened, and he turned to the group, unable to contain his excitement. "I can't believe that worked!"

"I did not steal anything." Mr. Davenport protested as he was pushed forward. "That woman committed assault with a deadly floatie!"

The sheriff, unfazed, shoved Mr. Davenport into the cell with the teens, causing him to yelp in surprise. He looked around, noticing the group with awkwardly waved with grins on their faces

"Long story shot, Big D. Botched mission, world is doomed, solar flare's a-coming. Oopsie." Leo explained nonchalantly, giving Mr. Davenport an innocent smile, as if the end of the world was no big deal.

Mr. Davenport blinked, processing the information. "You know, an hour ago, I was a little freaked out because I didn't know what was happening, but now I think I prefer the mystery! What are we gonna do?"

"I can use my strength to break us out." Adam suggested.

"Good one. Okay, we have to figure out a way to distract captain cocoa butter over there." Mr. Davenport said, gesturing toward the sheriff, who was now absentmindedly drumming his fingers on the desk.

"If only we had a burrito or, like, a monster wave dude." Bree imitated the sheriff.

Mr. Davenport ignored her. "Lucky, there is a genius inventor in the house. Everybody empty your pockets."

The teens exchanged confused glances but started pulling out random items from their pockets.

"Um, stick of gum."

"Two dimes."

"A rubber band."

"Nine-volt battery."

"Bobby pin."

"Bobby pin?" Mr. Davenport asked in confusion. Everyone turned to look at Chase.

Chase shrugged. "What? Bree had a nine-volt battery, but no one said anything about that."

"All I have to do is take these items and fashion a makeshift phone out of them." Mr. Davenport said, holding the objects up to his face like they might transform into a communication device. Then, he dropped them back into his hands with a scoff. "What am I talking about? This is a bunch of pocket junk. I can't do anything with this." Just then, a ringtone echoed through the room. Mr. Davenport's eyes widened in disbelief. "It works."

"I'm afraid it doesn't." Harper said, pointing towards the sheriff.

"Hello?" The sheriff greeted, answering the phone. "What? What do you mean someone's towing my scooter, dude?"

The group couldn't help but chuckle as the sheriff stumbled back from the headphones around his neck. He quickly ripped the headphones off and dashed out of the building, muttering curses under his breath.

"Now's our chance." Mr. Davenport urged, his eyes gleaming with determination. "Adam, be discreet. Just turn the lock pin ever so slightly...."

With a single powerful motion, Adam broke the cell door wide open.

"Oops."

"Or that'll work too. Let's go!" Mr. Davenport said, waving them forward. Adam left the door leaning against the wall as they made their escape, the sound of footsteps quickly fading as they ran.
••••

The mobile lab was in disarray when they arrived. Chairs were scattered along the sides, equipment was strewn all over the floor, and even the paint canvases were knocked askew. The rocket, their last hope to stop the impending solar flare, leaned precariously against the wall, looking less like a sophisticated piece of technology and more like an abandoned project.

"Oh, no! Everything got all messed up when the mobile lab got towed!" Adam groaned.

"This is bad. This is really bad." Chase said, his tone a mix of panic and disbelief as he surveyed the destruction.

"Yeah, it is." Mr. Davenport agreed, flipping through a bill he'd pulled from his jacket pocket. "Two hundred dollars to get my R.V. back, two hundred dollars for disorderly conduct, and a hundred dollars for stealing a cell phone. What were you thinking?"

Harper raised an eyebrow. "That was you."

Mr. Davenport paused for a moment, looking slightly abashed before deciding to move on. "There is a solar flare heading towards us right now!"

"I'm freakin' out!" Adam yelled, his voice cracking as panic began to creep into his words.

"Look, don't panic." Mr. Davenport said quickly, his voice firm as he gathered everyone's attention. "In simulations, you guys have launched this rocket in two minutes, and you've still got...."

"Launch Window closes in 60 seconds." The machine's robotic voice interrupted, causing everyone to freeze.

"Half that. Okay, we're gonna have to work together. Adam, pick up that rocket. Leo, Harper, find the launch keys. Bree, console. And, Chase, you're gonna have to help me figure out the launch vectors." Mr. Davenport instructed. "The vectors are corrupt in every system. The computer isn't fast enough to recalculate them."

Harper and Leo rushed to their designated spots near the door, eyes scanning for the missing launch keys, while Chase stood near Mr. Davenport, working alongside him to fix the corrupted launch vectors and instructed Bree to type.

"The launch window closes in ten, nine..." The machine's robotic voice counted down, each number adding more pressure to the already tense situation.

"We found them." Leo called out from the corner of the room, holding them triumphantly in the air. "Where's the other keyhole?"

Mr. Davenport pointed across the room. "Over there. They have to be turned at the same time."

Leo sprinted to the second keyhole and jumped to reach it. As the countdown hit zero, Harper turned her key at the exact moment Leo twisted his. The mobile lab gave a violent shake, throwing everyone off balance. The rocket's engines roared to life, smoke billowing out from beneath it and obscuring their view.

Everyone held their breath as the rocket blasted into the sky.

Mr. Davenport stood up and checked the controls. "Everything looks good. It's on target."

"Did it work?" Harper asked.

"Solar flare neutralized." The machine announced, its calm, robotic voice a welcome relief.

Harper let out a cheer and high-fived Leo before enveloping him and Adam in a big hug.

Bree smiled. "Okay, now that that's finally taken care of, can we please go have fun at the beach?"

"Absolutely." Mr. Davenport answered.

"Yes!" The bionic siblings cheered in unison, ready to finally kick back and enjoy the day they'd been looking forward to.

But before they could move, another blaring klaxon sounded, cutting through the celebration.

"Oh, no!" Mr. Davenport exclaimed, his face falling.

"What is it?" Harper asked, her excitement replaced by concern as she glanced toward Mr. Davenport, expecting bad news.

"Nothing. I'm just messing with you. It's my car alarm." Mr. Davenport said with a grin, holding his hand up for a high five.

"Really?" Chase scoffed. Mr. Davenport, his hand still in the air, blinked in confusion before sheepishly lowering it.

••••

The group rushed to the spot Tasha had chosen for them, their feet kicking up sand as they crossed the beach. Chase stumbled over a small rock, but he quickly regained his balance. Harper chuckled softly, noticing his near mishap, and Chase couldn't help but grin at her laughter.

"Easy there, Chase." Harper teased, still smiling at his clumsy recovery.

"Hey, don't laugh at me!" Chase called back, his voice light as he chuckled along with her.

As they reached their destination, Tasha was lounging under an umbrella, looking relaxed. She looked up when they approached, slightly startled as if she'd been napping.

"Oh, hey, guys." Tasha greeted with a sleepy smile. "Oh, I must have dozed off. Did you all have fun today?"

"Sure did." Chase replied, easing himself down onto the beach towel and stretching out comfortably.

"Yeah, tones of fun." Bree added, giving a contented sigh as she dropped down beside him.

Adam grinned. "We weren't in jail, that's for sure."

"Great. Well, I have had my fill of fun for the day, so let's go home." Tasha said, packing up her things and starting to gather her bag.

The group blinked in surprise at Tasha's sudden announcement.

"What- go home? But we didn't get to do anything fun yet." Bree protested.

Tasha furrowed her brows, clearly not understanding the issue. "Wait. If you guys haven't had fun all day, then what have you been doing?"

Mr. Davenport, who had been lounging in his own chair, suddenly rose to his feet with a resigned sigh. "Home it is, then."

With a shared look of acceptance, everyone began to pack up their things

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PUBLISHED: 3.06.22
DEDICATIONS: Peters_suit_lady omgthatssocrazy