"Oh, I love history class. Someone is always leaving me a little piece of gum under my desk!" Adam exclaimed as the group descended the school stairs.

Harper gasped and covered her mouth, looking horrified, while Leo and Bree exchanged puzzled glances.

Chase grimaced, his face full of disbelief. "Adam, please tell me you didn't."

Adam, ever the picture of casual nonchalance, popped a bubble and chewed on the piece of gum with a grin.

Bree nodded. "He did. He totally did."

"Oh. Guys, don't look now, but here comes that guy none of us like. Marcus." Leo muttered, turning away with a hint of annoyance.

Harper's gaze shifted forward, and her face lit up with a wide smile as Marcus strolled towards them, looking relaxed and approachable.

"M-Dog!" Adam, Bree and Chase greeted in unison.

The bionic siblings and Marcus went in for a hug, laughing as they exchanged friendly words. Leo stood back, eyes wide with confusion.

"Wait. Hold the phone." Leo interjected, raising his arm. "Hold the phone, hold the freaky-deaky phone." He pushed Adam, Bree, and Chase back a step. "M-Dog?"

Chase grinned. "Yeah. Bro's call each other by nicknames."

"Well, I'm your actual bro and you don't call me a nickname." Leo pointed out.

"Actually, we do, we just choose not to do it in your presence." Adam explained, chuckling. "Mr. Tiny McLittlestien."

"Hey, Marcus." Harper greeted shyly, a small smile tugging at her lips.

Marcus smiled warmly at her. "Hi, Harper."

Harper felt a little flutter in her stomach. Last night, they'd agreed to meet at the local movie theater for their first hangout. She'd been nervous, but excited. Standing in line for tickets, they'd exchanged small talk, laughing at the awkwardness of it all. The moment they sat down, the excitement grew and as the movie played, they shared popcorn, whispered comments and laughed at the funny parts.

As suspenseful moments unfolded, their hands brushed a few times, a spark of connection forming between them.

By the end of the film, they both realized that the time spent together had brought them closer, and they left the theater with smiles, already planning their next get-together.

Chase cleared his throat, stepping forward with a casual smile. "Hey, Marcus, what are you up to this weekend?"

"My dad's out of town so I'll be stuck home alone with my grandma." Marcus informed.

"Aha!" Leo exclaimed, pointing at him. "You said your grandma was dead."

"The other grandma. But thanks for reminding me." Marcus explained, crossing his arms and frowning slightly.

"Leo." Harper hissed, her face full of concern. She quickly placed a comforting hand on Marcus' shoulder. "I'm really sorry about that."

"It's okay, Harper. Not everyone is as kind as you." He replied with a small smile. He then turned to Adam, Bree and Chase. "I wish I could stay with you guys for the weekend."

"And I wish you weren't a spastic sociopath with abandonment issues." Leo retorted.

Harper shot Leo a warning glance. "Leo, please. Stop."

"Harper, none of us, not even you, are safe until the FBI responds to my request for a background check on this 'M-Dog'." Leo replied.

"Look, Marcus, I'm sure you can stay with us." Chase reassured. "I'll just check with Mr. Davenport."

Marcus furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "You call your dad 'Mr. Davenport'?"

Chase hesitated for a moment. "Uh, no. Psh, no. But you do. And I wanted to make sure you knew who I was talking about."

"Okay, cool, thanks, guys." Marcus said before walking away with a slight wave.

As the group started heading toward the exit, the end-of-day school bell rang, signaling the end of another busy day. Suddenly, a football came flying through the hallway, heading straight for Bree.

"Bree! Watch out!" Chase called out, pointing to the football which veered off course before it could hit Bree.

Leo and Harper both looked on in shock, their eyes widening.

"What just happened?" Bree questioned, her voice confused as she turned to face her brother.

"Did you just...?"Adam wondered aloud, pointing at the football.

"I think I just moved that ball with my mind." Chase announced hesitantly, his voice full of disbelief.

Harper stared at him in wide-eyed amazement. "You can do that?"

Leo frowned, clearly trying to process what he had just witnessed. "I didn't know you could do that."

"Neither did I."Chase admitted, looking just as surprised by his newfound ability.

Adam, still chewing his gum, seemed lost in thought. "Man, if you can do that with your mind, I wonder what I could do with mine...."

Bree placed a hand on Adam's shoulder, a small smirk playing on her lips. "We've been wondering that for years."

••••

After school, Leo walked into the Lab with Adam, Bree, Chase and Harper, his mouth full of a sandwich.

"Chase, this is amazing. You can move things with your mind! You're like a really cool magician. You know, if there was such a thing as a really cool magician." Leo beamed.

Chase shrugged. "It doesn't make any sense. It was probably just a fluke."

"A fluke? Chase, you can move things with your mind. That's pretty amazing." Harper chimed in from her seat on the swivel chair next to Bree, giving him an encouraging smile.

"Yeah, but I mean, it's not like everything around me is gonna start flying through the air." Chase responded, motioning his hand to the left. But as if on cue, Leo's sandwich and various objects on Mr. Davenport's desk suddenly flew across the room, crashing into the walls. "Uh-oh."

Bree rose from her chair with a frown. "I'm gonna go tell Mr. Davenport about this."

"What? No, wait!" Chase called out, rushing after her. "If this is a glitch and Mr. Davenport finds out about it, he won't let me go to school anymore. Let me tap into his Cybernet, see if I can find out anything."

Harper pursed her lips, her expression a mixture of amusement and concern. "This should be interesting."

Chase headed over to the cyber desk and began typing away. The digital files on Mr. Davenport's desk lit up on the large screen hovering above it. He scrolled through the files quickly, scanning for anything that might explain what was happening. His eyes stopped on a particular folder and his fingers hovered over it before clicking into it.

Chase's eyes widened as he stared at the screen. "Woah. Guys, this isn't a glitch. I can move objects by manipulating the energy around them. I've unlocked a hidden bionic ability called Molecular Kinesis."

Adam squinted his eyes. "Chase, I'm also gonna need you to unlock your ability to use smaller words."

"According to this, we all have hidden abilities." Chase added, his voice full of awe..

"What?!" Bree exclaimed happily, her eyes lighting up.

"What are they?" Adam wondered.

"I don't know. Let me see." Chase said. He tried to open the folder, but a warning flashed across the screen: 'SECURITY BREACH: ACCESS DENIED.' He groaned in defeat. "Oh, no. It's shutting us out. Mr. Davenport must have put a security lock on it. I'm sorry, guys, I guess we'll just have to discover them on our own."

Bree sighed. "Fine."

Adam's face suddenly lit up, a spark of inspiration in his eyes. "Oh, maybe my new ability is that I can speak Russian. Testing, testing.... is this Russian?"

"Keep lookin'." Bree urged.

••••

In the evening, Harper made her way up the winding path to the Davenport mansion, the cool air carrying the scent of fresh grass. As she neared the entrance, she spotted Marcus standing nervously by the large gates, clutching a backpack with one hand and a sleeping bag in the other. He looked out of place, his eyes darting around the quiet driveway as though unsure of what to do next.

"Hey, Marcus." Harper called out brightly as she approached him with a warm smile. "Is Mr. Davenport letting you stay?"

Marcus let out a sigh, clearly a little defeated. "Not really. But Chase said I could try to persuade him."

Harper chuckled softly. "Good luck with that—and with Leo, too. Speaking of which, what's going on between you two?"

Marcus hesitated for a moment, then shrugged again. "Um... nothing. You know how it is. Some people just don't click."

Harper gave him a knowing look and nodded. The two of them began walking toward the door, their footsteps echoing in the stillness of the evening.

When they reached the front door, Marcus rang the bell, and almost immediately, it swung open to reveal Chase, grinning from ear to ear.

"Hey, Harper!" Chase greeted warmly. "Come on in."

"Good afternoon, everyone." Harper responded with a smile as she stepped inside. The familiar warmth of the mansion surrounded her, and she couldn't help but feel at ease.

Chase's gaze shifted to Marcus, a mix of curiosity and apprehension in his eyes. "Marcus. What a surprise. We were just talking about you."

As Marcus stepped into the living room, Leo jumped off the couch with surprising speed, positioning himself in front of Marcus and crossing his arms with a defiant glare. His small frame, brimming with intensity, seemed to double in size as he confronted the older boy.

"Yeah, let me catch you up to speed." Leo said, his voice dripping with disdain. "You're two-faced and no one likes you. Goodbye."

"I love this little guy. He's so full of fire!" Marcus chuckled, patting Leo's head before turning to Mr. Davenport, his expression shifting to something more earnest. "Mr. Davenport, my dad left before my grandma got there and I was all alone and this is the only place that I feel safe and..." His eyes welled up with tears and without another word, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Mr. Davenport in a tight, desperate hug. ".... please don't make me leave!"

Mr. Davenport froze at first, clearly uncomfortable with the unexpected display of emotion. His face scrunched up in an awkward grimace, but it wasn't long before he sighed, clearly conflicted.

After a long beat, Mr. Davenport awkwardly patted Marcus on the back. "Yeah, okay, okay, okay, all right. You can stay."

Harper, who had been watching the whole interaction from the corner of the room, raised an eyebrow in disbelief. She had never seen Marcus like this before—vulnerable, emotional and outright begging for something. She couldn't help but feel a small twinge of sympathy for him, though she was also surprised at how easily Mr. Davenport had caved.

Just as the moment seemed to settle, a sudden beep echoed through the room, coming from Mr. Davenport's wristwatch. The sharp, rhythmic sound broke through the otherwise quiet atmosphere, pulling everyone's attention.

"What is that?" Marcus asked, his curiosity piqued as he studied the watch's blinking display.

"Uh, that means it's uh, it's happy time." Mr. Davenport explained, his voice hurried and clearly trying to brush it off. "Harper's idea, you know how chirpy she is. How about you stay here and be happy, and we'll be happy over here." He shot a forced smile at Marcus before quickly moving to the other side of the room along with Adam, Bree, Chase, Leo and Harper. "Guys, that is the mission alarm. We have to get down to the lab immediately. Leo, Harper, distract Marcus."

Leo's eyes widened. "What? No, no, no."

"We have no other choice, Leo. Let's go." Harper whispered urgently, trying to get Leo to follow her as Mr. Davenport and Chase quickly hurried out of the living room.

"Uh, Marcus. We'll be right back. We gotta go... pick up a pizza." Bree informed, flashing him a casual smile.

"All of you?" Marcus wondered.

Adam shrugged nonchalantly. "Uh, it's an extra-large."

Before Marcus could ask any more questions, Bree and Adam disappeared down the hallway, leaving Leo to deal with him. Leo hesitated for a moment before placing a hand on Marcus's shoulder, steering him back toward the couch.

"Okay. So, they're busy, I hate you, you hate me. I don't like this weird thing between you and Harper. So why don't we kill some time and brush up on the latest issue of Ladies Life Monthly." Leo suggested, holding up the magazine, his grin wide and mischievous.

Harper rolled her eyes at Leo's antics. "Or we could watch a movie."

••••

Harper leaned back against the couch, the soft glow of the TV screen illuminating the room as Monsters, Inc. played. It had been eleven years since its release, but the movie still held a special place in her heart. The familiar characters and jokes never seemed to lose their charm. She smiled to herself as she watched Mike and Sulley's hilarious antics, completely absorbed in the nostalgia of it all.

Meanwhile, Leo, sitting on the other side of the couch, flipped through a magazine. "Okay. So, when you are on a romantic candlelight dinner, do you prefer dessert to be A) A relaxing foot rub, B) A night away from the kids, or C) Chocolate mousse?"

"How about D) Putting the magazine away and continuing to watch the movie?" Harper responded dryly, not even looking up from the screen.

"I'm just trying to help you guys out!" Leo explained, gesturing between her and Marcus, who sat on the other end of the couch. "With something as unusual as this, you'll need all the help you can get."

Both Harper and Marcus rolled their eyes in unison, silently agreeing that Leo's 'help' was often more trouble than it was worth. Harper shifted slightly, glancing at Marcus. A wave of uncertainty washed over her. Should she say something? Should she confess how she felt? What if he didn't feel the same way? What if he mocked her for not living up to whatever expectations he had?

The thought made her stomach tighten and she quickly turned her attention back to the movie, trying to shake off the nerves.

Just then, Mr. Davenport jogged into the room, looking flustered

"Hey, Marcus. Excuse me, I have to borrow Leo and Harper for a second. Something went horribly wrong with the pizza. Excuse me." Mr. Davenport said as he ushered the teenagers into the hall. "How's it going?"

"Well..." Harper started, gesturing vaguely. She was still struggling to explain the situation.

"I'm distracting him with my mom's lady magazines." Leo chimed in, flipping the pages of his magazine with a satisfied grin. "Turns out the Chicas actually prefer a man with insecurities. Who knew?"

"Look, this mission is very complicated. I had to send Adam, Bree and Chase into space." Mr. Davenport revealed.

"They're in space?!" Harper and Leo questioned in disbelief.

"And I'm stuck here watching a movie and making small talk with a narcissistic commitment-phobe who nine out of ten women wouldn't take home to meet their mother?" Leo asked, showing his step-dad the magazine. "I expect combat pay for this."

Mr. Davenport rolled his eyes and led Leo and Harper back into the living room, but when they entered, they froze. The room was eerily quiet, and Marcus was nowhere to be seen.

"Where'd he go?" Mr. Davenport wondered.

"He was just here. Maybe he went to the bathroom?" Harper suggested, though she wasn't completely sure..

Leo's eyes narrowed. "Or he's probably up on the second floor dangling my hamster out of the window."

"Just find him and get him out of here." Mr. Davenport ordered, already starting to pace in frustration. Leo cleared his throat, his hand extended. With a resigned sigh, Mr. Davenport dug into his pocket and handed Leo a wad of cash. "Fine, combat pay."

Leo nodded. "Thank you. But just so we're clear, this does not include my gas, mileage, meals-"

"Come on!" Harper interrupted, exasperated, as she grabbed Leo's arm and started dragging him toward the stairs.

••••

Harper and Leo burst into the Lab, their breaths heavy from the frantic search they'd just completed through every room of the mansion. Harper was the first to speak, still wheezing a little as she caught her breath.

"Mr. Davenport, we couldn't find Marcus any—"

"Oh, boy." Leo interrupted, his voice filled with disbelief.

Their eyes widened as they caught sight of Marcus, standing comfortably inside Bree's capsule, a huge grin on his face as he waved at them, completely unaware of the chaos he had caused. Mr. Davenport froze at his place at the control panel, his face turning a bit pale as he took in the sight of Marcus casually enjoying the futuristic piece of equipment.

As Marcus stepped out of the capsule, still smiling, he looked at the three of them with curiosity.

"What is this place? What are these?" He asked, gesturing around at the various capsules lining the Lab.

Mr. Davenport let out an exasperated sigh. "Uh, those- those are- Leo, Harper, tell him what those are?"

"Oh. Um, they are washing machines." Harper responded without thinking, trying to sound convincing.

Mr. Davenport nodded. "Yes! They are my new high-tech industrial washing machines. Each load costs 150 quarters."

"Okay, back upstairs, you little weirdo." Leo insisted. ushering him towards the elevator.

"Yeah, we haven't finished watching the movie." Harper added, trying to sound casual.

Marcus stopped, turning toward Mr. Davenport with a pleading expression. "But I want to watch you work."

"No!"

"No!"

"No!" Mr. Davenport exclaimed as he quickly began leading Marcus out of the Lab. "Um, actually, you know what, uh, maybe some other time. Um, but, uh, Leo, I will be back before the rinse cycle has enough space to land."

Harper nodded. "We'll make it our mission."

"Yep, until you're back we'll control the rinse cycle. But I think the rinse cycle might need a more of a payload." Leo noted.

Mr. Davenport rolled his eyes but gave a resigned sigh. With that, he led Marcus out of the Lab, leaving Leo and Harper to their own devices.

Harper nudged Leo with her elbow as she hurried over to Mr. Davenport's desk. She grabbed a comm device and plugged it into her ear, handing the other one to Leo. They both settled into the swivel chairs, their focus now entirely on the task at hand.

Leo pulled up the mission notes on the screen, then quickly dialed Adam, Bree and Chase. A few seconds later, their faces appeared on the screen, each wearing their space suits and looking slightly disoriented by the sudden call.

"Earth here. Commander Dooley and Backup Commander Wilson speaking." Leo greeted with a grin, clearly enjoying the formality of it all.

Harper raised an eyebrow, her expression serious as she leaned forward in her chair. "Backup Commander? I think we can both agree I'm-"

"Ah, Harper. I'm speaking." Leo interrupted, raising his finger for emphasis.

"Where is Mr. Davenport?" Bree demanded.

Harper moved her swivel chair closer to the screen. "He had to take Marcus home. He should be back soon."

"Oh, also, before I forget, I'm gonna need you to bring me back a lot of souvenirs." Leo told the bionic siblings. "A space helmet, space rocks, space soap, a space towel, those tiny little space shampoos. Shampoos, not conditioners-"

"Leo, we're supposed to be guiding them through the mission, not telling them what you want from the gift shop." Harper told him sternly, cutting him off. "Where is Mr. Davenport?"

"He should be back by now. Try calling him." Leo suggested, not even trying to hide his focus on the things he wanted from outer space. "Now where was I? Space chocolate, space taffy, a Martian, moon cheese, space pizza-"

Harper's patience snapped, and she immediately grabbed the comm device, dialing Mr. Davenport. She tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for him to pick up, her frustration mounting. When the line went straight to voicemail, she slumped back in her seat, letting out a long, exasperated sigh.

Leo, meanwhile, had already turned his attention to his computer, attempting to reconnect with the bionic siblings on the mission.

"Did they hang up on you?" Harper asked, raising an eyebrow as she watched Leo fiddle with the computer.

Leo clasped his hands together and sighed dramatically. "Yeah."

"I wonder why." Harper muttered sarcastically, her voice dripping with amusement.

••••

An hour later, Mr. Davenport burst into the Lab, panting heavily, his face flushed from exertion. He staggered slightly as he approached the desk, still catching his breath.

"On my way home, I discovered what the little red light on my dashboard of my hydrogen car means. It means, 'you're out of hydrogen and you're walking home'." Mr. Davenport explained before transferring the comm device from Leo's ear to his own. "How's the mission going?" He asked, quickly typing on the keyboard. "Guys? Guys? What's the status of the space station? Are you there?"

A moment later, Bree's voice came through loud and clear. "Yep, right here."

Mr. Davenport, Harper and Leo turned to see Adam, Bree and Chase standing together in the lab, now back in their regular clothes.

"Oh, hello." Mr. Davenport greeted awkwardly, straightening himself up.

The trio dropped their bags and walked over to Mr. Davenport, Leo and Harper.

"Where have you been?" Chase asked, his voice high with irritation.

"You totally abandoned us! And the entire mission!" Bree continued, waving her arms.

"Adam floated out into space and almost became the world's dumbest satellite. And he would have if I hadn't stumbled upon my Molecular Kinesis." Chase added, his eyes wide with realization. "Oh, also, I stumbled upon my Molecular Kinesis."

Harper raised her hands. "Surprise!"

Mr. Davenport narrowed his eyes at Chase. "How did you find out about that?"

"I think the more important question is how could you not have told me sooner?" Chase retorted.

"Uh, Mr. Davenport, what other abilities do I have? Because I vote for the ability to look into the future and see myself far, far away from all of...." Bree trailed off as she motioned toward Adam and Chase with exaggerated arm gestures. "...this."

Mr. Davenport sighed, clearly overwhelmed. "Yes, it's... t's true, you all have abilities you don't know about. But I can't tell you what they are or when they'll appear."

"Why not?" Adam asked.

"Because I don't know what they all are or when they'll appear." Mr. Davenport explained.

Chase furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. "What do you mean you don't know?"

"Look, there are certain things I can't tell you right now, but it's for your own good." Mr. Davenport continued as he walked over to the cyber desk. "Strange things will continue to happen, and I promise eventually I will give you the answers you're looking for. But for now, you just have to trust me."

Chase sighed. "But, Mr. Davenport...."

"Please, I need you to trust me." Mr. Davenport pleaded, his voice becoming more serious. "And you have to be careful who you allow into your lives. We had a close call today. Marcus found the Lab." Mr. Davenport informed.

"What?" Chase exclaimed in disbelief, his eyes widening.

Leo hummed. "Who would have guessed that Marcus coming here would lead to bad things? I'll tell you. It's Mr. Tiny McLittlestein! Right here!"

"We're just lucky I came down when I did, or he could have discovered all of our secrets." Mr. Davenport said.

_______________
PUBLISHED: 27.06.22
DEDICATIONS: Peters_suit_lady omgthatssocrazy