At school, Harper stood by the lockers with Adam and Chase, waiting for Leo and Bree to finish their bag check. The air was thick with the murmur of students and the occasional clink of lockers being shut. Harper, dressed in a blue blouse, ripped shorts, a black blazer jacket and brown ankle boots, couldn't help but feel the tension of the moment.

Principal Perry had recently decided to implement this new bag check for the entire school, which had taken everyone by surprise. Harper never expected the day to be so full of strange twists.

She sighed softly, her eyes drifting to Chase, who was already looking at her with a smile that seemed to linger a little too long.

"What's on your mind?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

Before Chase could answer, Leo appeared, his expression clearly displeased with the bag check system. He hesitated, glancing between Adam and Leo before looking at Harper.

"I have a question for you." He said anxiously.

Harper smiled warmly, sensing his discomfort. "Yes?"

Chase shifted uncomfortably, his words caught somewhere between his throat and the air. "Uh, do you want-"

Suddenly, with the speed of a blur, Bree appeared in front of them, catching everyone off guard. Leo let out a yelp and Harper jumped in shock.

"Morning, boys and bestie." Bree greeted, grinning from ear to ear, as though her super speed was just another casual part of the day.

"Seriously, can we put a bell on her?" Leo asked.

Chase sighed. "Yeah, you gotta chill on the super agility. Somebody's gonna see you using your bionics."

"No one ever sees me. I mean, you didn't see me swipe your lunch money." Bree responded with a mischievous grin, pulling out the folded cash.

Chase quickly patted his pockets, his eyes widening as he checked for the missing money. "Oh, you're good!"

Harper couldn't help but laugh, watching as Chase scrambled to retrieve his money, only for Bree to snatch it back effortlessly.

"Hey, you!" Came a stern voice. Principal Perry was approaching, eyes narrowing at Bree. "How'd you get past my checkpoint? I sent you to the back of the line."

"Uh.... that wasn't me." Bree explained nervously.

"Must've been somebody else." Chase chimed in, doing his best to cover for his sister.

"Yeah, somebody who can't climb ceilings." Adam quickly said, then changed his voice to a sing-song tone. "Saved it!"

Perry eyed the three bionic siblings with suspicion. "You three have an answer for everything, don't you?"

"I don't like to brag, but the answer to that is yes." Chase answered, clicking his tongue.

Principal Perry raised an eyebrow, clearly not impressed. "There's one thing I pride myself on..."

"Your incredibly sturdy calves?" Bree guessed.

"No!" Principal Perry exclaimed. "My instincts! And my instincts tell me that you three are trouble!"

"Well, I don't like your instincts at all, and you can tell 'em I said that." Adam retorted.

"Are you referring to the same instincts that prompted you to rummage through students' bags?" Harper quipped, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I can't put my finger on it, but ever since you arrived, strange things have been happening around here. And the only strange thing I'll tolerate is the janitor." Principal Perry remarked, gesturing toward the janitor across the hall. "I have to, he's my cousin."

Harper raised an eyebrow when she saw a pair of repairmen passing by.

"Who are they?" She asked.

"Air-conditioning repairmen. They're here to check on the strange winds that have been blowing around here for months." Perry explained before approaching the repair men.

"She's talking about you!" Chase whispered to his sister. "You're the mysterious wind!"

"The only mysterious wind around here comes from Adam." Bree retorted.

"Just so you know, tonight is Parent/Teacher night. Which means tomorrow is 'you're grounded' day!" Perry announced, cackling excitedly. "So, good luck!"

Principal Perry continued laughing as she walked away.

Chase furrowed his brow in confusion. "What the heck is Parent/Teacher night?"

"It's when teachers tell your parents every bad thing you've done- forgetting homework, skipping class, staging a protest for better bathroom soap." Leo explained. Adam, Bree, Chase and Harper looked puzzled. "Don't look at me like that. You're all benefiting from my rebellion."

Adam's face grew serious. "If Perry tells Davenport about the strange things she's seen, he'll know we're using bionics in school and he'll pull us out for sure."

"Well, then we can't give Principal Perry any hard evidence. No one uses their bionics. That means no heat vision, no super strength, and no super speed." Chase declared.

Bree sighed dramatically. "Well, that's just crazy. I mean, what do you expect me to do, walk?"

"I myself plan to ace Parent/Teacher night by kissing up to all of my teachers. That way, my mum will let me go to the big concert I've been looking forward to- The Riffraff Jammy Jam!" Leo exclaimed as he began dancing through the hallway, clearly enjoying himself.

"Ohh! I wanna go to the Riffraff Jammy Jam!" Chase cheered, joining in with his awkward, uncoordinated dance moves.

"Not with moves like that." Leo teased. He the complimented one of his teachers passing by. "Watch this. Miss Watkins! Wow, that new haircut is workin'. I thought you were Angelina Jolie!" The teacher smiled and walked away. Leo turned back to the group, pleased with his effort. "That should be good for a C+"

Harper pursed her lips, shaking her head. "Or... you could try studying."

••••

In the bustling cafeteria, the chaos of lunchtime was at its peak. Leo, ever the smooth talker, was once again cozying up to his teachers, flashing them a charming grin and probably making another attempt at sweet-talking his way into better grades. Meanwhile, Adam was having far less success with his meal, standing with Chase, Bree and Harper, frowning as he spat out a bite of his lukewarm hotdog.

"Ugh! This hotdog's not even hot!" Adam complained loudly, drawing a few curious glances from nearby students. "And don't get me started on the fact that it's not even dog!"

Harper glanced at him, shaking her head. Before anyone could say anything, Adam's eyes turned dangerously red and he used his heat vision to sizzle the hotdog. The lasers from his eyes made the hotdog steam, instantly warming it up.

Chase noticed what was happening and his hand came down on the back of Adam's head in a quick, light slap.

"Hey! No heat vision! Principal Perry is watching us like a hawk!" Chase whispered.

The four teens exchanged uneasy glances, and in unison, they awkwardly waved to Principal Perry, who was standing near the lunch counter, eyeing them suspiciously as Leo, who had just returned from a successful chat with one of his teachers, approached them.

"That woman needs help." Harper muttered under her breath. She could feel her eye twitching just from the sheer annoyance of having the principal's watchful gaze on them at all times.

"I feel like I've been standing in lines all day! I just want pizza! Not being able to use my super speed whenever I want is killing me!" Bree lamented.

"You think it's hard on you?" Leo whined, raising an eyebrow. "My bag of cookie bits got stuck in the vending machine. I couldn't call for Adam to shake 'em free."

Adam frowned. "Oh, I love shaking your cookie bits!"

Bree huffed in annoyance. "That's it. I'm speeding to the front."

"Control yourself, woman!" Leo demanded, suddenly panicked. He turned to Adam and Chase. "Do something! Shut her off!"

Adam and Chase sprang into action. They quickly grabbed hold of Bree's arms, trying to restrain her, while Leo rushed over to Principal Perry, no doubt ready to spin another tale to distract her from what was happening.

Harper, watching the chaos unfold, couldn't help but chuckle, though she quickly stifled it. With a sigh, she glanced back toward the door and followed after the bionic siblings.

••••

Harper swiftly swung open the hallway doors, her heart racing as Adam and Chase hurriedly carried Bree into the corridor. Bree, however, wasn't going down without a fight. She thrashed in their arms, shouting in frustration.

"Stop it! Put me down! I want pizza!" Bree demanded, wriggling free for a moment before Adam and Chase secured their grip again.

"Well, you're not getting any!" Adam retorted, setting her down with a thud on the hallway floor. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a half-eaten, ice-cold hotdog. "Ooh! But I can offer you a half-eaten ice-cold hotdog."

"Wait a second. What's that noise?" Chase suddenly asked, his head tilting as he listened intently, his bionic hearing picking up something the others couldn't.

"I don't hear anything." Harper replied, confused.

Chase focused, activating his enhanced hearing. He pointed to the ceiling. "It's coming from the vent."

Harper's eyes widened in realization as she looked up. The vent was directly above Leo, who was still standing casually on the other side of the hallway, oblivious to the danger.

"Leo!" Harper shouted, about to rush forward, but Chase quickly held her back, his grip firm but urgent.

"Leo, watch out!" Bree yelled, her voice filled with panic.

Before anyone could react further, Bree zipped into action. With her super speed, she darted over to Leo, pushing him out of harm's way just as the vent crashed down from the ceiling.

Adam was quick to react, using his strength to catch the vent mid-air. With a smooth motion, he gently lowered it to the ground, ensuring no further damage was done.

The group rushed to Leo's side, checking on him as he lay on the floor, giggling.

"I'm walking towards the light!" Leo exclaimed dramatically, a goofy grin plastered on his face. "It's so peaceful!"

"He's fine." Harper reassured the bionic siblings, rolling her eyes at Leo's antics.

But before anyone could relax, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway. Principal Perry stormed into view, her expression one of fury as she saw the vent on the floor.

"What did you do to my school!" She demanded, her voice sharp and accusing.

"We're okay. Thanks for asking." Chase sarcastically replied.

"It's not our fault. The air conditioner fell from the hole in the ceiling." Adam explained.

Perry raised an eyebrow, her eyes narrowing as she pointed at the vent. "Well, if it crashed from the hole up there, what's it doing sitting unbroken right here?"

"Well, it's not because I caught it and put it there." Adam quickly said, changing his tone to a sing-song voice. "Saved it."

Principal Perry pointed at Adam, Bree and Chase. "You did this! You sabotaged my vents!"

"It wasn't us."

"Sure wasn't."

"Do I look like a 'sabotusiter' to you?"

"You know what? It doesn't matter. I'll just see what happens when I watch the video footage." Principal Perry said.

"Oh, good, she said it doesn't.... wait, the video whatage?" Adam asked in shock.

Principal Perry smirked. "That's right. I had surveillance camera installed, and I'm gonna find out exactly what happened. And when I do, you're all going down!"

"Perhaps a honey crisp will change your mind." Leo offered as he stood up and pulled an apple out of his bag, holding it out to Principal Perry. Perry eyed the apple skeptically but took a bite and placed it back in his hand before marching to her office. Leo stood there, wide-eyed, staring at the apple. "How many rows of teeth does this woman have?"

••••

The group of five sat in tense silence on the stairs of the hallway, each weighed down by the same urgent thought. Harper nervously rubbed her hands together. Their predicament felt impossible—Principal Perry was one step away from discovering the secret they'd worked so hard to keep hidden. They needed to stop her from watching the video footage, or everything would be exposed.

"We have to stop Principal Perry from watching that video, or she's gonna see all three of us using our bionics." Adam stated, his voice serious and urgent.

"Whatever we do, we cannot panic. Everyone just stay calm." Chase advised, his tone firm as if trying to anchor the group.

"We are calm." Bree said simply.

"Well, you shouldn't be!" Chase suddenly exploded, jumping up from his place on the stairs. "We're in a crisis!"

Harper quickly stood and placed a calming hand on his arm. "Chase, take a deep breath. We'll find a solution."

"Guys, is it that big of a deal if she sees us using our bionics and tells Davenport? I mean, he already knows." Adam wondered.

Chase's eyes widened as a thought hit him. "Wait! Guys, I know! Why don't we just use Davenport's invisibility cloak to sneak into Perry's office and grab the camera's hard drive!"

"Good idea! I'll race home and get it!" Bree said, already pushing herself to her feet and dashed out of the hallway with her super speed.

"Okay, while she's gone..." Leo started, but before he could finish, Bree was already back, the speedster flashing back into the scene with her usual flair. "And she's back."

"We better hurry. There's not much time until Parent/Teacher night starts. Davenport and Tasha will be here any minute. One of us has to get that hard drive." Chase urged.

The group turned to Leo, waiting for him to make his move.

Leo hesitated, eyeing the group as if debating whether or not to get involved. "Okay, well, you guys seem to have a handle on this. I'm gonna bounce. Good luck!"

With that he started to turn, ready to walk off.

"No, Leo, we need you!" Adam called out, stopping Leo in his tracks. "If we get caught, Davenport will pull us out of school."

"Yeah, and he's not gonna pull you out. You're useless to him." Bree chimed in, her sarcasm cutting through the tension.

Harper, seeing that they were getting nowhere, stepped forward. "Then I'll go."

Chase immediately shook his head. "No! Davenport might ban you from the house. He won't let you come back if we get caught."

"Fine. Let me have it." Leo muttered, his frustration clear. He grabbed the invisibility cloak from Bree's bag, throwing it over his shoulders with exaggerated care. He activated it, and as he looked down, everything except his head disappeared. "Whoa! Hey, guys, check it out! Follow the bouncing Leo!"

Adam chuckled, shaking his head. "What an airhead."

••••

Fifteen minutes had passed, and the group of four teenagers paced anxiously in the hallway, waiting for Leo to return from Principal Perry's office. Harper sighed in frustration, feeling boredom creeping in and absentmindedly drummed her hands on Adam's shoulders.

Bree groaned from across the hallway, clearly irritated. "What is taking Leo so long?"

"Taking Leo so long to do what?" Mr. Davenport asked as he and Tasha appeared around the corner, both looking at the group with mild curiosity.

"Uh... to go out and get a job." Chase blurted out, his mind scrambling for a cover. "Yeah, kid's gotta leave the nest some time, right?"

"So, where is my stellar student?" Tasha wondered, eyeing the teenagers. They all looked at her in confusion. "Leo. Where's Leo?"

The group exchanged nervous glances as Principal Perry dragged Leo out of the office, her grip firm on his arm.

"I don't know what you're up to, but I do know one thing, Dooley!" Principal Perry shouted, her voice echoing down the hallway. She paused as a couple of parents walked past, then quickly switched to a bright smile, greeting them. "Hello, welcome." She turned back to Leo. "If I ever find you in my office again, I will break every single-" Her voice trailed off as another set of parents passed, and she caught herself. "Help yourself to the cheese and crackers."

Leo, looking mortified and trying to regain his composure, nervously chuckled. "Mum!"

"Hello." Tasha greeted.

"Mum, this is Principal Perry. Principal Perry, my extremely sympathetic and understanding mother." Leo introduced, wrapping an arm around his mom as if trying to deflect the tension.

"I caught this troublemaker sneaking around in my office." Principal Perry informed.

Mr. Davenport winced. "Ooh, troublemaker. Troublemaker?" He asked, almost with amusement, looking to Perry for confirmation. She hummed in confirmation. "Troublemaker?"

Perry nodded. "Yeah."

"Leo, what were you doing sneaking into this nice woman's office?" Tasha questioned.

"Well, I wasn't sneaking into a nice woman's office, I was sneaking into her office." Leo corrected, gesturing to Principal Perry.

"Leo!" Tasha hissed, her eyes narrowing.

"I'm sorry. I can't tell you why." Leo whispered, his face tense.

Mr. Davenport patted Tasha on the shoulder with exaggerated sympathy. "This must be so difficult for you." He said, before looking at the other four teens. "You guys know anything about this?"

"Nothing."

"Not a clue."

"He's working alone."

Harper feigned shock, placing a hand on her chest as if deeply offended. "How dare you accuse me of such a thing!"

"I am very disappointed in you, Leo, and you are not going to that concert." Tasha told her son sternly.

Leo's eyes widened in disbelief. "What? But, I-"

"No." Tasha snapped, her face set.

"But they..."

"No."

Leo let out a long sigh, slumping in defeat. "But fine."

"What do you say we go into the gym and I show you that rope he can't climb?" Principal Perry suggested, clearly relishing the moment.

As they began to walk towards the gym, Leo glanced back toward the other teenagers then at Perry's office before walking into the gym.

••••

Bree had gone to retrieve the tape from Perry's office, but several minutes passed, and she still hadn't returned. Adam, Chase and Harper exchanged concerned glances, their worry growing with each passing moment. Without waiting any longer, they decided to check on her.

Approaching Principal Perry's office, they burst in without knocking, only to freeze in surprise. To their shock, Mr. Davenport, Tasha and Leo were all seated in front of Perry's desk, engaged in a tense conversation.

"Bree, what is taking so l-" Adam began, but stopped himself just in time. "Uh, I mean... Oops, this isn't the men's room!"

Principal Perry raised an eyebrow, clearly confused. "Why would I be sitting in the men's room?"

"Because anything else would be unladylike." Chase replied before quickly grabbing Harper's hand and turning to leave. "Bye!"

"Stop!" Principal Perry commanded, her sharp tone freezing them in their tracks. "Turn!" The three of them pivoted back towards her office. "Sit!" Adam promptly sat on the floor. She then reached under her desk. "Just one more connection."

While Perry was occupied, Mr. Davenport rushed over to Adam, grasping his shoulders and pulling him toward the desk. "Quick! Crush that hard drive!"

"But you told us never to use bionics in school." Adam pointed out.

"And yet here we are. So, forget what I said and crush it!" Mr. Davenport snapped, his voice urgent.

Adam then noticed Mr. Davenport's bright pink hair clip.

"Aw, that's so pretty! Is that something new you're trying?"

"Just crush it!" Mr. Davenport insisted.

Bree descended from the ceiling with her super speed, creating a whirlwind of papers and files as she darted across the room, a blur of motion. Perry, distracted by the storm of chaos, barely noticed Adam as he reached over and crushed the hard drive with a swift move.

The whirlwind of paper subsided as Bree bolted out of the office. Mr. Davenport, Adam, Chase and Harper quickly huddled together, trying to act casual.

"Talk about getting caught up in your work." Chase said with a nervous chuckle. The others laughed awkwardly, trying to cover up their panic.

Principal Perry groaned in frustration when she saw the hard drive was destroyed. Her eyes narrowed at the family. "One of you did this! You, you, you, you, or you!"

"I was standing here the whole time! I didn't see anything." Mr. Davenport lied.

Principal Perry was not convinced. "This is not over!"

"Oh, I think it is. Air-conditioning units falling from out of nowhere, illegal backpack searches, recording students without consent. Does the school board know about any of this?" Mr. Davenport questioned, adjusting his hair clip.

Principal Perry hesitated, clearly taken aback. For a moment, she seemed to weigh her options, before sighing in defeat. "Like I was saying, let's put this whole thing behind us!"

"Way to lawyer up, Big D." Leo chimed in with a grin.

The group exchanged glances, their tension slowly dissipating. Despite the chaos, they had managed to cover up their tracks—at least for now.

••••

After Parent/Teacher night, the group returned to the Lab, each feeling a mix of relief and exhaustion. Adam, Bree and Harper were perched casually on top of the cyber desk, while Chase occupied one of the spinning chairs.

"Well, that was fun. I happen to think that my first Parent/Teacher night was a huge success!" Mr. Davenport said proudly, his voice full of self-assurance. "Mainly because I will never be asked to go again. Point Davenport."

Harper grinned. "I'm glad my sister was sick. If she found out about this, she would freak."

"So, are we in trouble?" Bree asked, eyeing Mr. Davenport warily.

"I'm gonna let this one slide." Mr. Davenport replied. "Because you guys did save Leo from being crushed by an air conditioner. And besides, it's not like you guys have ever used your bionics at school before, right?"

"Never."

"Ever."

"Sometimes." Adam admitted sheepishly before leaning towards his siblings. "Saved it!"

Before anyone could comment on Adam's slip-up, the elevator doors opened with a soft chime, and Leo and Tasha stepped into the Lab. Everyone turned to face them.

"Where have you been?" Mr. Davenport asked.

"Well, since I could tell Principal Perry the trough, I had to clean every bathroom in the school." Leo explained, looking a little worn out but trying to keep his spirits high. "I've scrubbed, I've scraped, I got a little nauseous, but luckily I was in the bathroom, so that worked out. Oh, by the way, here's your invisibility cloak." He then pulled the wet invisibility cloak from his bag, dripping and soggy, handing it to Mr. Davenport. "Sorry it's wet. I used it as a mop."

"Leo, thanks for having our backs." Adam said appreciatively, giving him a grateful smile.

Chase nodded, a small grin on his face. "Yeah. It was cool of you to cover for us like that."

"It all worked out. I didn't get flattened by an air conditioner, your bionics didn't get exposed, and I still get to go to the Riffraff Jammy Jam!" Leo exclaimed happily as he danced.

"Cool, maybe we can all go." Bree suggested with a grin.

"Sounds fun!" Harper agreed, nodding enthusiastically.

"Whoo-Hoo! We are going to the Riffraff Jammy Jam! Riffraff Jammy Jam! Riffraff!" Tasha exclaimed, dancing awkwardly.

Leo immediately shook his head. "Not with moves like that."

______________
PUBLISHED: 9.06.22
DEDICATIONS: Peters_suit_lady