Lab Rats: The New Addition

Fighting Back

  I don't take my eyes off of Chase for one second. I play with his hair, make sure he's breathing, watch him sleep, kiss his forehead every so often, sometimes sing to him. Everyone is relaxing now, except for Adam, Bree, Leo, Daddy Douglas, Uncle Donny, and Auntie Tasha. They're trying to figure out a way to defeat my birth father, Ash, while I keep an eye on Chase. Chase starts to squeak and squirm in his sleep, so I start to sing him another song:

Spend all your time waiting
For that second chance
For a break that would
Make it okay

  I am stunned into silence when the entire house starts shaking and rumbling, causing Adam, Bree, Leo, Daddy, Uncle, and Auntie to come running into the room. Chase jumps up and starts panicking. I cup his face in my hands. "Look at me," I say. "Chase, look at me. Everything's gonna be fine. I promise." He starts crying and buries his face in the side of my neck. I hug him tightly and pat his back. "It's okay," I whisper. "It's okay. You're okay." All of a sudden, the door comes flying out of place and into the back of the room. "You didn't think you would get away that easy, did you," the menacing, distinct voice asks. "Father," I growl.

  "Miss me," Ash asks. I glare at him, "I want to kill you, Father. Why would I miss you?" He chuckles. "Things could have been much simpler, my daughter," he says. "You could have joined me. If you did, neither you or your loved ones would have gotten hurt, but you chose to fight against me. Not a very wise decision, if you ask me." "I will destroy you," I say to Ash. He cackles, "You're very funny. I think it is I who will destroy you." "Not if we have anything to say about it," says Bree. Uncle Donny puts his arm protectively around Auntie Tasha as Leo gets up from her side to join Bree, followed by Adam and Daddy. They all position themselves into a fighting stance. "You're goin' down, munch," says Leo. "We'll see about that," says Ash. Adam, Bree, Leo, and Daddy start running toward my birth father, but with a swipe of my father's hand, they all freeze in place, as do Uncle Donny and Auntie Tasha and all of the students.

  I look at all of them. They are all frozen. Completely frozen. It is just me and a deranged, tortured Chase. Ash turns to face me. "Looks like it's just me and you, Lyrica," he says. "Well, you and that deranged boyfriend of yours." "He's deranged because you tortured him, you monster," I scream, fighting back tears. "Joining me would have been much easier," says Ash. "Too many bionic humans are a danger to the human race! If you keep fighting against me, I'm sorry to say that I'll have to take you out, too." I scoff, "In your dreams!" He snickers and shoots a red laser at me. I use my bionic voice to bounce it back toward him and he destroys it with his bionic voice. "You're gonna have to do better than that, dearie," he says, menacingly.

  I do a triple back flip, kicking him multiple times, sending him flying into the wall. He falls down and groans. Just when I think that I defeated him, he jumps up and shoots a fire blast at me. Rather than ducking, I catch it in my hand and throw it back at him. It hits his shoulder, causing him to scream out in pain. He grips his shoulder and I run behind him to find a way to unfreeze everyone. "Well, this is interesting," Ash says from behind me. I hear Chase screaming, "The itsy bitsy spider! The itsy bitsy spider had got his way again!" I get a terrified, sickening feeling and turn around to see Ash grabbing Chase by the collar of his shirt, holding a fireball to his chest.

  "Let him go, Father," I scream. "Only if you join me," says Ash. "If you help me, I'll spare you and your family and focus on eliminating the other bionics in the world, but if you choose to keep fighting against me, I'll take out you and all of your loved ones, starting with Mr. Nursery Rhyme here." He gestures toward Chase, who is now screaming The Itsy Bitsy Spider Nursery Rhyme. "Don't," I cry. He moves the fireball closer to Chase's chest, but then he stops. "Or," he begins. "Or what," I ask, my voice quivering with fear and anger. He smiles smugly, "Or you could just give me your bionics in order to spare Chase and your family, but I doubt that you'll do that."

  I think really hard. Ash could easily kill Chase and the rest of my family right now, but if I give him my bionics, all of this could stop right here, right now. But I've worked so hard to earn the privilege to be bionic, and it would be practically impossible for Daddy to create another bionic chip for me. Plus, it would be too much to ask. But if I don't do this, I could end up losing everyone I love again. I know what I have to do. "I will give you my bionics, but you have to let Chase and my family go," I say, sternly. He smirks, "Ha ha. Wise decision, dear daughter." He lets go of Chase and drops him onto the ground, causing him to grunt in pain. "He got his way," Chase gasps, fearfully. "The Itsy Bitsy Spider got his way!" "Yes," I think. "He did get his way, but at least you'll be safe." "Don't worry," Ash says, menacingly. "This will only hurt a lot."