How the Lab Rats Fell: Part Two

"Happy" New Year

I collapsed down on the floor, exhausted, waiting for my breathing to steady. Thankfully, smoke rises and fires distort heat signatures when they get too big. Smoke kept billowing, reducing my vision to practically nothing, but it didn't really matter. I had to get us out of this mess...

-Time Before-
The holidays are commonly referred to as the most wonderful time of the year. I don't necessarily disagree with that statement, seeing as though my bionics became a reality last year around the holidays. However, that referral does not apply to Davenport's thought process. He was trying "something new" this year. He said, and I quote, "While evil and disaster ate eating cookies, we're training to take them down!"
He obviously didn't realize that an essential part of any training was rest. I'll spare you guys the pain of my request for a break being denied... and Taylor's... and Travis's... and everyone in the academy's. So, on New Year's Eve, I came to Taylor and Travis with a proposition.
"Okay," I said, "The last time we went into the real world, things turned out less than optimal..."
"That's a bit more than an understatement," Taylor muttered.
"We did get Fern and Heather in jail," Travis defended, "And in the actual jail."
"And I fell from the ceiling, yhadi yhadi yah," I finished, "Anyway, it's new year's. Maybe we do deserve a break."
"Are you planning on sneaking out again?" Taylor asked.
"And dragging you two along with me, yup," I replied matter of factly, " As redemption from last time. Any questions?"
"Yeah," Travis said, "How is it that we're the mentors, yet you're the one bossing us around?"
"Just get In the hydro-loop!" I snapped, exasperated.
" That didn't answer the question," Travis muttered. I glared at him, and he ran into the hydro-loop, with Taylor and I following suit.

3rd Person POV
Giselle took off the invisibility cloak she was wearing, slightly startling Fern.
"Well?" Fern asked impatiently, "Are they dead?"
"Not quite yet," Giselle responded, earning a glare from Fern, "Your little plan had a few technicalities that I wasn't expecting."
"If it was up to me, Garrett and the rest of the bionics would be dead three times over already," Fern snapped, "I'm getting weaker, Heather is having splitting headaches and forgetting things she's done under the Triton App, and you're just sitting around here making empty promises!"
"Oh-kay!" Giselle exclaimed, "Do you know where hastiness got you? PRISON. I'm gonna get this done right, and was being considerate enough to give you the play by play as Garrett goes out, yet again, like an idiot."
"Oh?" Fern questioned, more intrigued than angry.
"But his biggest mistake will be coming back," Giselle finished, "Now do you want to watch or not?"

Garrett's POV
"Okay, this hands down beats Davenport's New Year," Taylor exclaimed over the noise of the party we were out. It had the best djay in Mission Creek, an endless supply of food, and even a disco ball that would drop at midnight.
"I told you," I replied, "And I've gotten better at my holographic manipulation. I'm pretty sure that Davenport thinks the three of us are training together."
"Hey Garrett, how'd you get us in here?" Travis asked as he jogged over, "I heard someone talk about how expensive this party is to get into."
"I pulled some strings," I mused.
"We got in for free because we're bionic?" Taylor asked incredulously.
"No! I wouldn't stoop that low," I confirmed, "You gotta remember, I've only been bionic for about a year. And unlike Leo, I actually had a life."
"And how did that happen?" Travis asked, in exaggerated disbelief.
I just shrugged, "I did gymnastics and built stuff. Fern did martial arts and organic chemistry. Heather played water-polo and viola. We were good at them, but made a conscious effort not to put others down about it. Also, we liked to have fun, and I designed the ball..."
"Do your friends know you're bionic?" Taylor interrupted.
"What?" I initially responded, caught off guard, "No. With the whole Fern and Heather deal, I just decided to say we moved away. I keep in pretty close contact, but no. They don't know."
"Are any of them here?" Travis asked.
"Probably," I said.
"Then go hang out with them!" Taylor exclaimed, "You see us every day! Go! We'll be fine!"
"Fine," I said, and walked away from the food table where I had been at. Almost instantaneously, I saw a group of my old friends, and for the first time in almost a year, I actually felt normal.