Over time, Harper and Leo had each personalized their mission specialist desks. Leo's desk was adorned with action figures and gadgets, each item reflecting his unique interests. He had figurines from various genres, including superheroes, aliens, and obscure villains.

On the other hand, Harper's desk had a more personal touch. She had a picture of her and her sister in a small frame, alongside a simple pencil cup field with pens, highlighters and markers. It wasn't extravagant, but it provided her with a sense of grounding when she needed to focus.

Harper was engrossed in typing a report on her laptop when Adam, Bree and Chase entered the Lab. The three of them were animated, their energy palpable as they discussed their latest mission.

"Guys, that was awesome!" Leo exclaimed, jumping up from his seat with his usual excitement. "You just prevented the biggest oil spill in history!"

Chase grinned, clearly proud. "Pretty slick, huh?"

Harper chuckled softly, unable to resist the pun.

Leo gave him a deadpan look. "If only we could've prevented that disaster of a pun."

Bree turned toward Mr. Davenport with a playful smirk. "Hey, Mr. Davenport. Anything you'd like to say to us, rhymes with, 'good job'?"

"The answer's in the clue." Adam whispered.

Mr. Davenport approached the bionic siblings, holding his tablet in one hand, his expression unreadable. "What were you guys thinking?"

Adam immediately shook his head. "Nope. Not even close. Two more guesses."

"You completely ignored my mission plan, improvised everything, and jeopardized the entire mission." Mr. Davenport scolded firmly and frustrated before walking past them and heading toward the cyber desk.

"Mr. Davenport, we bust our butts all the time, and all you ever do is sit around the Lab making lists of what we did wrong." Chase complained.

"I do not just sit around making lists of..."  Mr. Davenport trailed off as he glanced at his tablet, seemingly caught in his own words. He quickly hid the device under his arm. "Things you did wrong."

"That's true." Leo chimed in, his voice light but mischievous. "He also practices Tai Quan Do in his tighty-whities."

Harper nodded. "Yeah, if I hadn't said anything he'd probably still be in them now."

"They are not tighty-whities. They are breathable exercise briefs." Mr. Davenport corrected.

Eddy then appeared on the screen. "Whatever they are, keep your swinging high kicks away from my screen."

Mr. Davenport's gaze sharpened as he turned back toward the bionic siblings."Look, you guys got lucky this time, but without my precise planning you are opening yourselves up for disaster. So just follow my orders."

With that, he sighed, his shoulders slumping with exasperation. He turned and started to leave the Lab, clearly done with the conversation.

"Well, maybe your orders aren't always right." Chase shot back.

Leo and Harper exchanged wide-eyed glances, both surprised by the boldness of Chase's retort. They'd never seen him stand up to Mr. Davenport like this, and for a moment, the atmosphere in the Lab shifted.

It was rare for anyone to challenge Mr. Davenport, especially when he was this worked up.

"Um, excuse me?" Mr. Davenport demanded as he turned back around, eyes narrowing in disbelief.

"He said, 'Well, maybe your orders aren't-" Adam started.

"I heard him!" Mr. Davenport snapped, his frustration reaching a boiling point. He spun on his heel, his jaw clenched tightly and stormed out of the Lab.

A tense silence followed his departure. Adam, Bree and Chase dropped their bags to the floor, shrugging off the tension in their usual carefree manner. But Leo and Harper didn't seem as eager to shake it off. They both returned their focus to their laptops, though their minds were still on the exchange they had just witnessed.

••••

Lyla Wilson slowly regained consciousness, the cold stone floor beneath her sending a shock of discomfort through her limbs. Her mind felt sluggish, her thoughts clouded, and her vision was hazy, tinted by an unnatural blue hue. She tried to move but the room seemed to spin around her as she pushed herself into a sitting position, rubbing her eyes in an attempt to clear her vision.

The first thing she saw was a dark figure looming over her, its outline jagged against the dim light. She blinked, focusing on the figure until the face of Donald Davenport came into focus. His expression was a mix of concern and something else—something that Lyla couldn't quite place.

As she processed the situation, she noticed a second figure standing outside the cell, watching them with a cool, calculating expression. This man was taller, his hair spiked and wild, his posture relaxed but menacing. Lyla's mind raced, trying to make sense of her surroundings and the strange new face before her.

"Lyla, are you okay?" Mr. Davenport asked concerningly.

"Yeah." Lyla managed to mutter, still trying to process the situation. Her head was spinning. "But where are we? What's going on? Who is he?"

Mr. Davenport didn't answer immediately. Instead, he offered her a steadying hand to help her to her feet, his grip firm and warm. As she stood, the full weight of the situation began to settle in.

The man outside the cell smiled, a cold, almost predatory grin that didn't sit well with Lyla. He stepped forward, his boots echoing on the cold concrete floor, and with a small bow, introduced himself.

"Allow me to introduce myself: I'm Douglas Davenport."

Lyla's heart skipped a beat at the mention of the name. She looked from the man to Donald, sensing something deeply off about the situation.

"He's my evil brother." Mr. Davenport explained.

"What you call evil, I call... taking the company in a more creative direction." Douglas said, his tone oozing with a mix of amusement and arrogance.

Mr. Davenport's face hardened. "You were gonna use bionic humans as weapons."

"And that's why I'm here. To finish what I started. To take back what's rightfully mine!"

"You are not going anywhere near Adam, Bree and Chase."

Lyla's mind was still spinning. The last thing she remembered was preparing to leave for lunch when a sudden blast knocked her out cold. Now, she found herself locked in a cold, cell with no idea how she got there or what was really happening. Every part of her body screamed to make sense of this nightmare.

As she blinked against the disorienting fog in her head, she scanned her surroundings, trying to make out any details. The room was eerily empty—just herself and Mr. Davenport. Where's Harper? She suddenly realized, her heart racing with a fresh wave of concern.

"Where's Harper?" Lyla questioned, her voice cracking slightly with worry.

Mr. Davenport's face softened for a moment, and he offered a reassuring nod. "She's fine. She's with Adam, Bree, Chase and Leo."

"Not for long. You're my leverage." Douglas said, his grin widening as he looked at Lyla. His eyes gleamed with malicious satisfaction. "Once they find out you're here, they'll come to me."

Lyla's heart skipped a beat as her mind raced. The idea of being used as leverage against Adam, Bree and Chase felt like a nightmare come to life.

Before she could respond, the monitor across from them beeped to life. A live feed appeared, showing Adam, Bree and Chase walking into the Lab, looking as casual as ever.

"Well, look who's home. 4 o'clock sharp, right on time." Douglas said with a dark chuckle, clearly enjoying the situation.

"You've been spying on us?" Mr. Davenport questioned in disbelief and frustration. He glanced at the screen, his jaw tightening.

"Not just, them too." Douglas replied nonchalantly, pointing at Lyla. His eyes flicked back to Mr. Davenport, and a grimace crossed his face. "And trust me, Eddy's not the only one who's revolted by your sweeping high kicks."

Lyla couldn't help but feel a chill run down her spine at the mention that they were being watched. She watched as Douglas turned on his heel, his boots clicking sharply on the concrete floor as he exited the lair, leaving her and Mr. Davenport alone in the tense silence.

Lyla, still processing the chaos unfolding, turned to Mr. Davenport, her mind still spinning with questions. "What does he mean by bionic soldiers and us being leverage? I don't understand."

"Years ago, Douglas and I started Davenport Industries together. It was great, we had a lab and developed bionics so that robots could do jobs too dangerous for people. But Douglas went behind my back and implanted them into genetically engineered humans." Mr. Davenport explained.

"Adam, Bree and Chase are bionic?" She wondered, the shock in her voice impossible to hide.

Mr. Davenport nodded solemnly. "My brother created them and wanted to make them bionic soldiers for evil purposes. But I took them away from him and raised them in a safe environment to train them to become bionic heroes."

Lyla processed the information in silence, her thoughts turning over what Mr. Davenport had said. She understood his decision to protect the kids—Adam, Bree and Chase weren't just bionic; they were human, too. And they deserved to be kept safe from Douglas's twisted vision.

"Does Harper know?" Lyla asked, her voice quieter now, more introspective. Harper had been close to Adam, Bree and Chase for almost a year, and Lyla was sure she must've known about the bionic siblings.

"Yeah." Mr. Davenport replied, a small, almost nostalgic smile creeping onto his face. "Her, Leo and Tasha promised not to say a word about their bionics. Harper helps out a lot with Leo; they're my mission specialists. You should see them work together; it's like they read each other's minds."

Lyla smiled softly at the thought. Harper had always been someone who could make connections effortlessly, and the idea of her working side-by-side with Leo in such a synchronized way felt natural.

"Well, helping people is her specialty." Lyla said in admiration as she took a seat on the ground.

"Yeah." Mr. Davenport muttered, his tone heavy. It was clear he cared deeply about his kids—and about Harper, too. But Lyla could sense that the burden of keeping them all safe weighed on him.

The conversation hung in the air for a moment before something unexpected broke the tension.

"Marcus?" Lyla mumbled in confusion, her gaze darting toward the door.

Marcus strolled into the lair with a swagger that made Lyla's stomach turn. His usual cocky smirk was firmly in place as he locked eyes with her. "Hey, Lyla."

••••

Harper's day had been off from the moment the sunlight streamed through her window, signaling her to wake up.

It wasn't the usual rush of excitement for a new day—it was as if something was subtly off-kilter. She didn't feel rested or ready, even though she had gotten plenty of sleep. It wasn't just that her sister had overslept and had to drop her off at school on her way to work. That could be chalked up to an ordinary inconvenience.

No, it was something deeper—an undercurrent of unease that she couldn't quite identify.

The feeling lingered all day, tightening its grip on her as the hours passed. At school, she couldn't concentrate the way she usually did. Her mind drifted, caught in a fog she couldn't shake. She felt disconnected from everything, as though she was watching herself move through the motions rather than actively participating in them.

When the final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, Harper was relieved. She needed to get out of that disorienting space.

She met up with Leo, and the two of them headed to the Davenport mansion and down to the Lab, a place that usually felt like a safe haven, a spot where the chaos of the world faded into something familiar and manageable.

Harper absentmindedly snacked on pretzels as they entered the Lab to see Adam and Chase by the cyber desk.

"Hey, guys." Leo greeted. But as soon as they walked in, Bree shot past them at super speed, throwing Leo and Harper off balance for a moment. They quickly regained their footing. "Would it kill you to keep it under fifty-five?"

"I couldn't find Mr. Davenport anywhere." Bree informed.

Harper furrowed her eyebrows in concern. "What do you mean?"

"Have you looked closely?" Leo questioned. He placed his hand out to the height of his waist, exaggerating Mr. Davenport's small stature for comedic effect. "He's a small man. He maybe obscured by a houseplant, or perhaps a family-sized can of tomatoes."

"Let's ask Eddy." Chase suggested, his voice serious, though his casual manner never quite left him.

The four of them made their way over to Eddy's screen, their curiosity piqued. Adam took a seat on the swivel chair at the mission specialist desk, his eyes scanning the display as they all waited for the smart home system to appear on screen.

But instead of Eddy's usual face greeting them, the screen flickered and crashed, turning black for a moment before something—someone—else appeared.

Harper's heart stopped.

The face that stared back at them wasn't Eddy's. It was Marcus.

Her breath caught in her throat. The world seemed to freeze as her eyes locked onto the screen. Every wisp of air seemed to vanish from her lungs, leaving her feeling hollow. She couldn't move, couldn't speak—her body went cold, frozen in stunned surprise. Her mouth was open in shock, her eyes wide, reflecting the disbelief that churned in her chest.

"Don't bother. I deactivated him hours ago." Marcus's voice came through, calm and taunting.

"Marcus." Leo blurted.

"He's got his own tv show?" Adam wondered aloud, his eyes still locked on the screen. He turned to face Leo, as if looking for confirmation. "What channel is this?"

Bree furrowed her eyebrows. "How did he get-"

"What do you want, Marcus?" Leo demanded.

"I'm just checking on my favorite bionic friends." Marcus simply replied.

Chase turned to the group, his face a mix of shock and disbelief. "He knows we're bionic?"

"I don't.... I mean... That is... wow." Leo stammered.

The realization hit Harper like a ton of bricks. Marcus had been watching them. He knew. He had known all along, and they hadn't even suspected it. She could feel the icy grip of fear tightening in her chest as she looked at her friends. The safety they had always relied on was suddenly shattered.

"I heard you were looking for your daddy. He's right here with a surprise guest." Marcus said, moving to the side, revealing Mr. Davenport and Lyla, both locked in a glowing blue cage. The two of them looked disheveled and helpless. "And if you ever want to see them again, I suggest you come get them."

"Guys, don't fall for it. It's a-" Mr. Davenport warned but his words were abruptly cut off as Marcus shut off the monitor with a cold, final click.

Harper stood frozen in place, her entire body tense as the words echoed in her ears, but she couldn't process them. Nothing made sense anymore. She couldn't focus on anything around her. The chaos in the Lab, the frantic voices of Adam, Bree, Chase and Leo—everything was muffled. Her mind only fixated on one horrifying fact:

Marcus was evil.

Her older sister was kidnapped.

A wave of dizziness hit Harper hard, and she gasped for breath, her chest tight. She felt her limbs weaken, as if her body were betraying her in that very moment. She couldn't breathe. The air seemed to disappear. She tried to steady herself, but nothing seemed to help. Her hands flailed, searching for something to grasp, anything to stop her from falling.

Suddenly, she felt a warm hand grip her wrist. The steady pressure of that hand helped anchor her back to reality, pulling her away from the swirling panic that threatened to overtake her. She clung to it like a lifeline, every bit of her shaking as she regained her balance, slowly pulling herself back to an upright position with Chase's silent support.

"Are you okay?" Chase asked, his voice soft but laced with concern. His hands hovered just in case, ready to catch her if she stumbled again. His touch was grounding, reassuring.

"Just a lot to take in." Harper whispered.

Chase nodded, but his eyes never left her face, clearly still concerned.

"I don't get it. What would Marcus possibly want with them?" Bree asked.

"I know, it doesn't make sense." Adam said, rising from the chair. He looked around, trying to make sense of the chaos. "Why would someone hold an incredibly wealthy man against his will?"

Chase sighed deeply. "It doesn't matter. We have to go rescue them."

"No worries, this is gonna be easy. Marcus is just a scrawny, little twerp. Even Chase could take him." Adam responded before looking Chase up and down. "Actually, on second thought, we all should go."

Just as they were about to make a move, Leo's voice broke through the chatter, stopping everyone in their tracks. "Uh, guys? Before you go, there may be one teensy, tiny thing I forgot to mention. Marcus is also... bionic."

The room went dead silent for a moment. Adam, Bree and Chase stared at Leo, their expressions a mix of confusion and shock.

"What!?" Adam, Bree and Chase exclaimed simultaneously.

"And he has all of your abilities combined." Leo added.

Bree's eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you serious?"

"Whoa." Chase muttered under his breath.

"I know!" Adam exclaimed. Chase let out a frustrated groan.

Bree stepped forward, her hands on her hips. "Leo, how could you not tell us that Marcus is bionic?"

"To be fair, he doesn't tell anyone we're bionic." Adam pointed out.

Leo hesitated for a moment before responding. "I wanted to tell you, but he threatened to report your secret to the authorities."

Chase nodded slowly, a soft realization dawning on him. "That makes sense. He was just looking out for us."

"Okay, we have to figure out a way to take Marcus down." Adam said firmly.

Leo's face brightened suddenly. "Wait. Harper and I know something that might help. Davenport was gonna surprise you with new, even better mission suits."

Harper quickly walked over to her laptop, her fingers flying over the keys as she pulled up the screen, the blueprints for the new mission suits flashing into view.

"Again? Where does this guy find the time to sew?" Adam asked.

Harper turned back to Adam, Bree and Chase, holding the laptop in her hands. "Here. The new suits are way more protective. They were designed to withstand just about anything."

"Like enemy fire, scorching heat, mustard stains." Leo added with a grin. "That one's for you, Adam."

Adam clicked his tongue, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Nice. What's it do for Italian Vinaigrette? That's my real enemy."

The group of four exchanged strange glances, a mix of confusion and disbelief.

"Come on, guys. Let's go suit up." Chase insisted.

Without missing a beat, Adam, Bree and Chase quickly entered their designated capsules, the familiar sound of their doors closing with a soft whoosh. Leo and Harper, not needing to be told twice, headed to the control panel, ready to initiate the suit-up process.

With a few swift movements, Leo tapped a few buttons on the panel, and the capsules hummed to life. The scanning process began. Adam, Bree and Chase stood still as the capsules scanned their bodies, their school clothes replaced in an instant with their sleek, protective new mission suits. The process was quick but efficient, the suits fitting perfectly like second skins.

Harper and Leo both smiled as they saw the bionic siblings stepping out of their capsules in their new uniforms. The black and red armor shimmered in the Lab's lights, designed to maximize both protection and agility.

"Finally. Something that doesn't make me look like a part of a French circus." Bree remarked, a smirk crossing her face. The padded black and red suit hugged her figure.

"These are awesome. And look, they come in men's, women's, and junior misses." Adam teased, his grin widening as he shot a playful look at Chase.

Chase's smile vanished, leaving a blank expression as he looked at Adam.

Bree let out an exasperated sigh. "Guys, how are we supposed to pull this off? We've never had to fight against bionics before. We're not trained for it."

Chase shrugged nonchalantly. "I guess we do need Mr. Davenport."

Leo, who had been silently observing, grabbed a set of comms from nearby and handed them out to the group. "We got this. We can't train you, but I can guide you."

"How?" Harper asked, placing the comm in her ear.

"I've been in that lair, so I can help you navigate on the comm set." Leo replied, his tone confident as he adjusted his own comm. He looked ready for action.

"Good call." Chase said, giving Leo an approving nod, taking the comms from Adam and slipping them on. "Okay, guys. You ready to do this?"

Bree gave a firm nod, her eyes narrowed with focus. "Absolutely."

"Bring it!" Adam exclaimed with his usual fiery energy, his grin wide and eager. The adrenaline was already pumping through his veins, and there was no turning back now.

"Then let's go get our dad and Harper's sister back!" Chase shouted in determination.

Harper watched as the bionic siblings, now suited up and ready, charged toward the back door of the Lab. She felt the weight of the moment settle on her shoulders, but it didn't overwhelm her. They had a plan, and Leo had the knowledge to guide them through Marcus's lair.

But just as the group began to rush out, Adam, Bree and Chase paused, noticing Leo was following them. They all turned, slightly confused, before redirecting Leo back toward Harper.

"I'm sorry." Leo apologized as the others guided him back to her. "I just got caught up in the moment."

••••

Harper and Leo sat side by side at their desks, the soft glow of their screens illuminating the room. Despite the tension in the air, they found a moment of normalcy as they shared the bag of pretzels Harper had brought to the Lab earlier. Each crunch of the snack was oddly comforting in the midst of the chaos they were navigating.

Harper fiddled with the bag, her gaze flickering over to Leo, uncertainty clouding her expression. "Did Marcus say anything about me?"

Leo sighed, his eyes darting briefly toward the screen before focusing on Harper. "Um... the day we were trapped in Big D's self-driving car, he admitted that he was using you to get closer to Adam, Bree and Chase."

Harper's stomach sank. She'd suspected something wasn't right from the start, but hearing Leo confirm it only stung more.

"I had a feeling it was too good to be true." She muttered, her voice low and heavy with regret. Tears started to well up in her eyes, but she quickly blinked them back, unwilling to let her emotions take over. "Leo, I'm sorry for not trusting you. I should've listened to my best friend instead of some guy. I'm really sorry."

Before they could continue, the comms crackled to life as Adam, Bree and Chase's voices came through as they stopped behind an aqua blue house. The sound of their footsteps echoed, signaling they were close.

"Trust me, this is the house." Chase assured his siblings.

"Are you sure?" Adam asked, sounding doubtful. "I don't hear Mr. Davenport crying like a baby."

Harper couldn't help but smile at Adam's comment, though the situation was far from lighthearted.

"How are we supposed to get inside if there's not even a door?" Bree chimed in.

Adam gasped. "I know. Let's order a pizza and see what happens."

Harper couldn't help but chuckle at Adam's oddball solution, but it didn't take long for Chase to shoot him down.

"Adam, that's ridiculous." Chase said flatly.

"Okay, it doesn't have to be pizza. Can be Chinese, Mexican, whatever you want." Adam responded.

Leo tapped his comm, cutting through the banter. "Guys, focus. You need to look for a way to get inside. Once you're in, I can tell you where to go."

"I got this." Adam said seriously. A deep exhale followed, and with a dramatic flair, he shouted. "Open Sesame!"

"Adam." Chase scolded.

Harper furrowed in confusion when she heard a soft beeping sound in the distance.

"Congratulations. Your hidden ability is talking to vinyl sidings." Bree told Adam.

Before anyone could respond, Marcus's voice cut through the tension. "Well, well, well... Look who's here."

"I should warn you. I can control vinyl siding." Adam threatened.

Harper furrowed her eyebrows, exchanging a confused glance with Leo. He simply shrugged, equally baffled by Adam's odd declaration.

"Where's Mr. Davenport?" Bree demanded.

"Oh, the little bionic babies miss their daddy?" Marcus teased, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Why would you do this, Marcus?" Chase asked, his frustration and betrayal clear in his tone. "We thought you were our friend."

"Oh, yeah, you fell for that one." Marcus responded. Harper could practically hear the sneer on his face. "Hook, line, and sinker. Who would've thought pathetic little Leo was right all along?"

"Thank you." Leo said, putting his hands out. He turned back to the screen when he realised the insult directed at him. "Hey!"

"And, you know, the best part of all, is that none of you had a clue that I'm just like you." Marcus continued.

"Half Irish?" Adam asked.

Harper let out a heavy sigh before unmuting her comms. "He means, being bionic, Adam."

"Bionic. I'm bionic." Marcus said in frustration at the same time.

"What about Harper?" Chase questioned. "Why would you do this to her? Do you even care about her?"

"Why do you care, Chase?" Marcus shot back.

The silence that followed was thick, heavy and uncomfortable.

"Well, you're gonna take us to Mr. Davenport." Bree said flatly, her tone carrying the sharpness of someone who was trying to maintain control of the situation.

Another long pause stretched across the comms, the silence almost suffocating.

"You're gonna have to move faster than that." Marcus said, sounding like he was thoroughly enjoying the moment.

"Let's see how you handle this." Adam challenged.

There was a sudden thump that echoed through the comms, a sound that sent a chill down Harper's spine. She moved closer to the desk, her eyes glued to the screen, wishing she could have a visual of Adam, Bree and Chase to gauge the situation better.

"No!" Bree's voice rang out, panicked and filled with alarm.

"You wanna give it a shot?" Marcus asked, his voice dripping with mockery as he challenged Chase.

"I thought you'd never ask." Chase responded firmly.

"Guys, what happened? Is everything okay?" Harper questioned, her concern growing as the tension in the comms only seemed to increase.

"Yeah, just a little - Oh. I didn't know you could do that." Adam interjected, clearly caught off guard by something happening on the other end, his words trailing off as he changed the topic mid-sentence.

Harper turned to Leo, her expression mirroring his confusion. His eyebrows were furrowed in concentration, his fingers running over his laptop as if trying to find any clue about what was going on.

"Another hidden ability I discovered. I was just in the shower one day and there it was." Chase explained nonchalantly.

"Oh, man." Adam groaned from the other side of the comms. "All I get in the shower is pruny fingers."

Bree let out an exasperated huff. "Guys, come on."

Just as they tried to focus on what was happening in the lair, Leo and Harper were met with a sudden burst of static, filling their earpieces with a sharp, unintelligible noise. Leo's fingers flew over the keyboard in an attempt to fix the signal, but nothing seemed to work. Harper tried her own efforts, adjusting the comms, but the signal remained stubbornly broken.

A sinking feeling settled in Harper's stomach. Their connection was gone. Adam, Bree and Chase were now completely cut off from them.

"Hello? Adam? Bree? Chase?" Harper called out into the comms, checking if the earpieces were functioning properly. The silence on the other end of the line was deafening, only broken by the static noise.

"Guys, guys. Can you hear us? Chase? Come in. Ugh." Leo groaned in frustration as he placed his comm device on the desk, staring at the screen in disbelief. The silence on the other end was unbearable. Suddenly, with a flicker of light, Eddy's monitor came to life. "Eddy, you're back!"

"Whoa. What happened? And who enabled my cookies?" Eddy wondered.

Harper let out a deep sigh. "Long story, my sister and Mr. Davenport got captured, Adam, Bree and Chase went to rescue them."

"What? If anything happens to my Donny..." Eddy's voice shifted from worry to something far more chipper. "What do you say you two and I hit the road and blow the bankroll on Italian suits and fast cars?"

"They're at Marcus's house." Leo added, ignoring Eddy. "We lost contact with them when they went inside." He paused for a moment and looked up from his computer. "Wait. How was Marcus able to show up on your screen?"

"I don't know." Eddy replied, his tone now a little more serious. "He must've hacked into my network. I feel so violated."

Leo's mind clicked into gear as he pieced the situation together. "That's it. Marcus and whoever he's working for have been spying. That's why they're always one step ahead of us."

"It really doesn't take that much." Eddy clarified.

Leo pointed at Eddy to his laptop. "Can you reverse the relay signal and put it up on the monitor?"

"Can you not talk to me like I'm a three-year-old?" Eddy quipped. Harper shot him a look, and he relented. "Okay, okay."

Moments later, a live feed of Mr. Davenport and Lyla inside the blue cage appeared on Leo's laptop. Mr. Davenport was poking at the bars, and a sharp electric shock made him jump back, clutching his finger as if the shock had stung.

Harper's heart skipped a beat. Relief washed over her as she saw her sister and Mr. Davenport unscathed, no visible injuries or signs of distress. They were alive, but it wasn't over yet.

Harper let out a quiet breath, her eyes softening with a mix of concern and gratitude as she gazed at the screen. "Thank you, Eddy."

"Now we can see them and they can't see us." Leo said, adjusting the laptop between himself and Harper, a satisfied smile crossing his face as the feed stabilized. "Bam!"

"You know what, we make a great team." Eddy said with a grin.

"Thanks, Eddy."

"Oh, and by the way, I want off the team."

Leo and Harper both sighed quietly, their eyes glued to the screen. They were moments away from getting a clear picture of what was going on, but things were getting more complicated by the second. The soft sound of jazz flowing through the laptop's speakers caught their attention, a stark contrast to the tense atmosphere that had settled in the Lab.

Harper furrowed her eyebrows, watching the man with spiky hair.

As the two men on-screen continued to bicker, it became clear that Mr. Davenport and the stranger weren't just enemies or random captors. There was history between them—history they were both reluctantly revisiting. Their conversation alternated between insults and awkward reminiscences about their past. Then, the name 'Douglas' slipped from Mr. Davenport's lips, and the realization hit Harper like a ton of bricks.

Harper and Leo realized they could either be childhood best friends who had drifted apart or siblings.

The two of them watched as Mr. Davenport and the man—Douglas—continued their back-and-forth. It was a strange mix of tension and something that felt almost nostalgic, though the insults seemed far from friendly.

"You know for an unstable sociopath, your taste in music can be a lot better." Mr. Davenport remarked, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow.

Douglas shot him a glare as he clicked a button to turn off the music. "You were in a boy band."

"It was not a boy band. It was an Acapella group that just happened to be made up of boys." Mr. Davenport clarified, furrowing his eyebrows and falling silent.

"Mr. Davenport!" Bree's voice called out from off-screen.

Harper watched intently as Douglas' eyes flicked to the direction where Adam, Bree and Chase were entering the scene. A smug smile spread across his face.

"Oh, goody. Everyone's here. Party time!" He declared, as if this whole situation was a show to him.

Adam, Bree and Chase made their way towards Lyla and Mr. Davenport on-screen, the group clearly unaware of what was unfolding.

"Mr. Davenport, what is going on? Who is this guy?" Chase inquired, looking at the stranger with obvious suspicion.

"Who is this guy?" Douglas repeated, mockingly as he looked at Chase with disdain. "Donny, you never told them about me? I'm deeply offended. Adam, Bree, Chase... I'm your father."

Harper's jaw dropped. She stared at the screen, her heart racing as the words sank in. Her mind struggled to process what she had just heard. Leo's eyes widened, and he shot up from his seat, his hands raised to his head in sheer disbelief.

"I'm so confused!" Eddy exclaimed from the monitor.

"How are you not following this? You're a computer!" Leo said, his voice strained as he tried to wrap his mind around everything happening at once..

"So, Marcus is bionic?" Eddy asked.

Leo and Harper nodded in sync, both of them still stunned by the layers of deception that had been revealed. "Yes."

"And Douglas is Marcus's father?" Eddy questioned.

"Yes." Leo responded.

"And now he's saying he's Adam, Bree and Chase's father?"

"Yes."

"But he's also Donald's brother?"

"Yes!"

"Wow. So, there's another Davenport and he's evil? Ask him if he's hiring." Eddy begged.

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PUBLISHED: 18.03.23
DEDICATIONS: Peters_suit_lady