Chapter Text
“Red to Green, entrance is secure.”
“Green to Red, stop using those stupid names.”
“Pink to both of you, kindly shut the fuck up.”
“But it’s cool,” Kaz complained over Chase’s earpiece. “We’re like real spies.”
“Correction, we’re on an espionage mission to stop underground atomic weapons dealings,” Chase muttered back, stirring his drink.
“Yeah,” came Oliver’s voice. “At least come up with cooler code names. Like… Rose for Bree or- Crimson for you-”
“Yo, Gold for Sky- that’s actually-”
“Repeating message, shut the fuck up,” Bree interjected.
“ Focus, you two,” Skylar ordered.
Oliver’s “Yes ma’am!” overlapped with Kaz’s “Buzzkill.”
“You’re supposed to be bouncers,” Chase squinted in the bright lights. “Are you behaving as such?”
“Oh yeah, babe. We’re super bouncy.”
“The bounciest,” Oliver added.
Chase pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. He really wished their top-secret mission wasn’t in a neon-lit music-pulsing bar. What happened to quiet missions in the wilderness? Even the hum of a nuclear reactor primed to blow was more peaceful.
“Do these sunglasses make me look cool? Be honest, bro. I can take it.”
“You look cheesy. Tacky, if you will.”
“Motherfu-”
“Guys!” the other three voices echoed.
“Sorry, yeesh-” Kaz apologized. “It’s the first time I used a fake ID and it worked, sue me.”
“Also you guys watch way too many movies.” Bree supplied. Chase could see her set a plate of food on a table through the crowd.
Two affronted gasps.
“Take that back!”
“You monster!”
Both of them giggled uncontrollably after.
Skylar sighed. “It’s time for me to say “I told you so” about feeding them so much caffeine.”
“It’s an all-night job,” Chase scrubbed a hand down his face, sipping the sour beverage. “From open to close. And neither of them can pull all-nighters for shit.”
He glanced up from his seat at the counter when a mixologist approached him.
“Can I get you anything else, sir?”
“How about your number…” Chase squinted at the bartender’s nametag for an intentionally obnoxious amount of time. “Connecticut Valentine?”
Skylar rolled her eyes, cleaning a glass in a definitely incorrect way. “I’m gonna spit in your drink.”
“Why that’s awfully unprofessional-”
An ice cube dropped into Chase’s shirt. He jolted, hissing from his bionic senses lighting up. Skylar gave him a proud smirk, picking up two alcohol bottles and pouring far too much into a cup.
She slid the cup across the counter with no ice, mixing, or anything else.
Chase stared at her.
“...You do understand that you’re supposed to be good at keeping your cover, right?”
“I’m fantastic at humaning, thanks very much,” Skylar adjusted her tie. “Don’t get too jealous.”
“Oh, I won’t, don’t you worry.”
She pinched his cheek before scooting down to serve more patrons.
Chase stayed stirring, subtly glancing at the bottles that lined the bar’s back. He didn’t quite know who they were looking for, but he studied the reflections of bargoers regardless. To be fair, it could also be an employee, hence why Bree was in the back.
Mr. Davenport had caught wind of no-good purchases happening tonight, at that particular club. Fake IDs and licenses were child’s play for Chase, that and his father’s memory wiper made it pretty easy to have the rest of his team in position for “work”, while they sniffed out these lowlives. Plus they probably wouldn’t be recognized, deep in Colorado for this specific assignment. Chase calibrated his hearing for the sounds of suspicious happenings, metal clinking, or sizzling of chemicals.
He jumped when the sound of a chair being dragged cut through. A large man slid in on the stool to his right. The man had a few teeth missing, greasy hair, and far too much gold jewelry.
He flashed Chase a grotesque smile.
“How’s about we ditch this place and I show ya how to have a real good time?”
Chase rolled his eyes. “I don’t think so.”
The man reached for his shoulder. “Aw c’mon, you’re too pretty to think, baby-”
“Ugh,” Chase grabbed his wrist in an iron grip before twisting it. He stood as the man yelped and held the appendage. “Don’t touch me, you disgusting pig. Four words for you, if you can even comprehend that many. Hard pass. Breath mint.”
He heard scuffling over the communicator as he waded through bodies on the dance floor.
“Uh… everything good over there?”
“Kaz, stop it!”
“I’m just gonna barbecue his fuck-ugly mug, Oli. That’s all.”
Oh. Fun.
“Not if I get to him first,” Bree growled.
“Everyone hold position,” Chase commanded, rubbing his temple.
“Yeah, don’t worry about it.”
“Thank you, Skylar-”
“I’ll just poison his drink. Easy-peasy.”
“Oh yeah, that works!”
“Guys,” Chase interrupted, dodging a girl who was dancing. “ Hold position. We have a job to do. That guy is a civilian. A repulsive, nasty, putrid excuse for a person, but still. We can’t use any powers on them. And I’d think that a black market nuclear payoff is more important than some harassing jackass. We’re not blowing our cover over this, that’s final.”
Silence.
“Fine,” Kaz grumbled. Chase could picture the pout on his face. “Kinda funny that he thinks he’d have a chance with you , though . I mean come on, who does? ”
Chase was glad the horrid pinks and blues could hide his reddening cheeks, even though his boyfriend was nowhere near.
“Eugh,” Bree gagged. “I thought we agreed that this was a no-flirt zone.”
Oliver and Skylar made noises of agreement.
“Tell me I’m wrong, I dare you.” Kaz continued.
“Given he’s my brother and you’re the only other male-attracted person here I’m gonna say we abstain.”
“Okay,” Chase cut in, shaking his head and sidestepping spilling liquor. “Stay on task. Nuclear apocalypse. Kinda important.”
“Right,” Skylar said. “The bar is clear. Guys?”
“Just a bunch of tipsy knuckleheads,” Oliver responded. “Some cute girls though. There’s one that totally looks like your type, Sky.”
“Very much taken. Speaking of, Bree?”
“Kitchen’s painfully normal. Nothin’ here.”
“Chase?”
“Loud music, loud lights, louder people. I don’t see or hear anything yet. All I’m smelling is booze and vomit.” he was very much in a bad mood from the overload. He assumed they could tell because he spoke every word rather crankily.
“Sorry, honey. I know it sucks. Uh… quick question- what if Davenport got it wrong?” Kaz asked. “I mean, we’ve been here like what, three hours?”
“Three hours, seventeen minutes, and thirty-three seconds,” Chase corrected. “Thirty-four.”
“So, what if his smart nerd encryption was bull?”
“I double-checked,” Chase nearly got bowled over by a small crowd rushing to the dance floor. The throbbing base was going to make him punch something. Or someone. He kind of wished the gross guy was still around. “It seemed to be legitimate.”
“Okay, but Kaz has a point,” Bree paused. “Never thought I’d ever say that-”
Kaz laughed triumphantly.
“We’re in the middle of Colorado in some small-town club. Why would something so big be going down here?”
“Especially on a Tuesday,” Oliver added.
“Like you have anything better to do,” Bree deadpanned. Kaz snickered.
“I do! Sleeping!”
“Maybe because the disguise adds to it?” Chase suggested. “I don’t know, guys. Just keep your eyes peeled.”
“What are we looking for again?” Kaz drawled. “ I know, obviously. I just wanna make sure everyone else does too.”
Four sighs.
“A flash drive,” Chase repeated for the third time that hour. “It holds all the information we need.”
“That’s like a needle in a haystack,” Oliver groaned.
“Quit complaining, boys,” Skylar lectured. “You guys wanna be heroes. It’s not all guts and glory.”
“Betcha Tecton never had to do boring undercover shit.”
“Of course Sam has, Kaz. Part of the job.”
“Yeah,” Bree piped up. Chase saw her speed-picking up dishes from another table across the room.
“Bionics, B,” he reminded her.
“Okay, mom ,” she scoffed, collecting them like normal. She glared at Chase from across the club, raising her manicured brow at him. “Love that you gave me this shit job. Anyway, that’s what comes with this line of work, kids. Get used to it.”
Both boys groaned.
“Rookies. Wait ‘til I tell you about the time when-” Skylar cut herself off. “Chase. Ten o’clock.”
Chase glanced in that direction, only shifting his eyes.
A man about Davenport’s age was sitting in the corner. He had a messy suit, more jewelry, slicked-back hair, tattoos in an ancient-looking language, and a briefcase. He was tapping his foot, sure enough having a flash drive in his hand.
“Well, if that ain’t the biggest cliche I’ve ever seen,” Bree whistled.
“Do you guys need help?” Oliver asked.
“No,” Chase said. “I’ll handle this. Everyone stay put.”
“Uh, are you sure?” Kaz sounded on edge.
“Yes. Just a global terrorist. I had Theresa Perry as my principal for two years. I can make do.”
Bree snorted in solidarity.
“...Okay,” Skylar agreed. “Bree, we’ll keep an eye out. Kaz, Oli, stand by.”
“Got it, chief.”
Chase slowly made his way over to the man. He paused every time he glanced in his direction, mingling with other people. He was pretending that he actually enjoyed socializing with drunk patrons in the migraine-inducing environment. Man, he was a good actor.
Chase realized as he talked to a couple of women that his gaze wasn’t suspicious, but something else entirely. Hmm. Chase could use that.
He reached his table, hopping up on it.
“Well hello there, handsome,” Chase said, batting his eyelashes and sitting in a beguiling way. “I saw you watching me. May I buy you a drink?”
The man looked him up and down. He took notice of the cut in Chase’s shirt revealing Chase’s collarbone and the others that showed his shoulders. A smile spread across his face. Revolting.
“Oh, I’m quite good,” he waved Chase off. Chase’s eyes subtly followed him slipping the drive into his pocket. “May I ask what someone as lovely as yourself is doing in a place like this?” he leaned forward, hand close to Chase’s leg.
Chase traced his jawline with his finger. “Why don’t you go get my jacket from the coat check? Then you can take me somewhere nicer to talk about it.”
The man stood, moving into his space to speak in Chase’s ear. Chase hovered his hand by his pocket, the other one settling on the man’s chest for good measure. “Of course. I have some business to attend to first. Wait here.”
Chase gave him the most alluring and coquettish eyes he could manage to sell it. He waggled his fingers as he disappeared into the crowd. Once the man was out of sight, Chase released a sigh, letting his shoulders fall.
“He’s headed toward you, Sky,” Chase tapped his earpiece. “Take him and whoever he’s dealing with down.”
“On it.”
“The flash drive?” Oliver inquired.
“I have it,” Chase moved his left hand from behind his back, spinning the rectangle of metal in his fingers.
“And I have them,” Skylar said. “Could use your forcefields, Chase.”
“On my way,” Chase hopped down from the table, headed toward the back exit. “Guys, come this way. Bree, radio Mr. Davenport. His jet is hovering nearby.”
~*~
“Take them out of here,” Chase instructed. “I’m sure the CIA would love to meet them.”
The agents of Davenport Industries nodded, loading the banged-up man and his accomplice onto the jet.
The man glared at Chase. Chase blew him a kiss, just to be as petty as possible.
As he, Bree, and Skylar watched the jet hover away from the tall grass, Chase rubbed his arms in the night’s chill. He jumped when a jacket settled around his shoulders. Chase smiled, leaning back against the familiar coziness. Kaz pressed a kiss to his cheek, running his hands up and down his arms to bring warmth back.
“You okay?” Kaz muttered. Chase could practically feel the worry radiating off of him in waves.
“Yeah,” Chase whispered back, tilting his head to see his boyfriend. “Way better now that we’re out of there. I do feel the need to take a hand sanitizer bath, though.” Who knew this mission would involve having to enamor one man and be harassed by another?
Kaz snickered, allowing Chase to push his sunglasses up so they could kiss for real.
“I cannot believe you’re wearing sunglasses in the middle of the night,” Chase giggled when they pulled apart. “Actually I can. I rescind my previous statement, you two pairs of pants dork.”
“Don’t you bring the pants into this!” Chase laughed again. He could feel Kaz smile. “The shades complete my look Smarties,” Kaz puckered his lips. “Tell me you don’t think I look hot.”
Chase glanced at him before flushing. Yes, he was a sucker for the leather jacket ripped jeans combo. He was only human. He turned away. “I reserve the right to remain silent.”
Kaz cackled knowingly, kissing his hair. He moved his hands from his arms to rest on his stomach, tracing little shapes in inordinate patterns. Chase just knew Kaz was smirking in victory.
Chase pointedly avoided eye contact, turning to the front. He couldn’t help but smile as he watched his sister gay panic over her girlfriend in the waistcoat and tie.
Skylar appeared to notice as well, taking full advantage.
“Okay okay,” Oliver shuddered, raising his hands. “Enough lovey-dovey, thanks.”
“Homophobe.” the four of them claimed in unison.
“True,” Oliver nodded. They’d said that to him so many times in the lifespan of the team that he just wore it as a badge of honor now. “Let’s go home. Caffeine is wearing off.”
“Speaking of caffeine,” Bree turned to Chase, punching his shoulder. “Way to go, Mister Mission MVP.”
“I guess what we’ve learned from tonight is that I have a talent for seducing creeps,” Chase shrugged.
The other three turned to look at Kaz.
Silence.
“Don’t you dare-” he started.
“The insults write themselves, Sparky,” Bree ruffled his hair while his best friends laughed.
Chase moved his hands over Kaz’s, kissing his temple to make the pout disappear.
Kaz melted into a small dopey smile, tucking his face into Chase’s neck.
“So, like…” Oliver started as Chase began combing his fingers through dark spikes. “Home?”
“Please?” Bree agreed, settling her arms around Skylar’s middle and tiredly leaning against her side.
“Yeah,” Chase pulled his keys out of his pocket, pressing the retrieval function. “I’ll write up the report and call Mr. Davenport. See how much of this conspiracy we uncover.” he tilted the flash drive in his other hand.
“ Or you could get some rest,” Kaz muttered, just loud enough for Chase to catch it with his bionic hearing.
He elected to ignore that comment. “Anyway, another successful mission. Great work.”
He received variations of tired thumbs-ups and peace signs.
“You too, boss man,” Skylar saluted, which made him snort.
Chase’s DavenCycle zipped from the treeline, coming to a halt a few feet from their group.
He pulled Kaz’s jacket on properly, making his way over. He donned his helmet, watching Bree stretch her legs for the run as he punched in the coordinates.
Chase startled when he felt a presence behind him. Big warm arms encircled his middle and a forehead sat against his shoulder blades.
“Why do you get a free ride?” Oliver complained.
“Gotta keep the boyfriend warm,” Kaz settled his chin on Chase’s shoulder to look at their miffed friend. He squeezed Chase lightly. “It’s awfully cold, and he’s too pretty to freeze.”
Chase was once again grateful that his face was covered.
“Bullshit,” Skylar accused, hands on her hips. “You’re just too lazy to make the flight!”
Kaz gasped rather dramatically. “How dare you insinuate that! I used that word properly, right?” Chase nodded. “Cool. Anywho, you have nothing to back up your disgusting claims, wench!”
“I don’t even know what that means, but I’m assuming it’s an insult. I’m gonna beat your ass when we get home-” Oliver interjected with an “Oooh!” “Besides, you don’t even have a helmet!”
“Honestly, I don’t know if anything’d be lost if he hit his head at this point,” Bree jumped in, quite literally, bionically landing on Oliver’s shoulders to see over the taller members. He tried to push her legs off.
“I’m in prime snap neck position, small man,” Bree warned.
Oliver huffed in resignation.
Chase pressed a button on his console. A compartment slid open with a hiss, revealing a black helmet adorned with flame insignia.
“I’m well prepared for his laziness,” Chase informed Skylar. She rolled her eyes, turning to take to the sky. Bree hopped down, both she and Oliver going to where Skylar was.
“Did you customize this?” Kaz asked breathlessly. He picked up the helmet, examining it like a puppy. He could almost see the wagging tail. Chase smiled.
“Yep,” he tapped the Tecton symbol on the inside.
Kaz inhaled sharply. “Marry me.”
“One day,” Chase replied earnestly and easily. He lifted his own helmet to kiss Kaz’s nose.
Kaz stared at Chase with a faint pink on his cheeks.
Then Kaz gave him a silly smitten smile, leaning forward to kiss him.
“Oi! Jackasses!” Bree’s voice stopped him. “Honeymoon can come later, let’s blow this popsicle stand already!”
“Not literally,” Chase added, giving Kaz a peck.
“Boo,” he protested. He pulled on his helmet, looping his arms around Chase again.
~*~
Chase frowned to himself as he drove on a barren country highway. He could see Skylar and Oliver flying ahead of them. Bree had decided to not wait and just zipped to the tower, meaning she was probably there by now. Kaz seemed to be asleep behind him.
The trip was much shorter than it would be, due to Chase’s technical genius, but it was still long enough for him to chew on the guilt he felt.
~*~
“Sorry.”
“Huh?”
“I don’t know,” Chase sighed, putting his bike in park in the cavern full of DavenVehicles and removing his helmet. “I just feel bad about what happened. Sorry.”
“You mean…?” Kaz asked, shaking his hair out from its helmet flattening.
Chase nodded. He felt shitty both flirting with a guy and being hit on by another, all while his boyfriend could hear. Obviously, he’d feel bad regardless, but that added another layer. He brushed a fleck of dirt off of his machine.
“If you’re apologizing for being sexually harassed and then seducing some bastard to save the whole damn world, I’m gonna have to lovingly demand that you shut up.”
Chase exhaled, holding his arms. He still felt awful. Not for the piece of trash he tricked nor the one whose ligaments he tore, but for Kaz. His head still throbbed. He needed to take some medicine, probably.
“It’s one thing for me to get hit on,” Chase made a mental note to alter the tension in his bike for more speed. “It’s something else for me to do it to someone else-”
“You weren’t hit on,” he interrupted. “You were harassed. And once again, nuclear apocalypse averted. Be proud of yourself.”
Chase didn’t reply. Obviously Kaz was better than his last, since he was often hit for training other male students, despite it being his job. But still, Chase was fully in the wrong for letting tonight happen.
“Fucking hell, Chase,” Kaz sighed, coming up behind him and taking his elbows. “If you stopped armageddon and saved billions but scratched someone’s car in the process you’d still apologize. Stop that. You did well today. I wasn’t bothered, sweetheart. Promise.”
Chase turned to face him, leaning their foreheads together and slipping his eyes shut. He felt pretty tired, he’d admit. But there was a lot of work to do.
“I’d be lying if I said Oliver didn’t have to physically hold me back from going in and lighting shit up with that first fungus-clad dickass bozo, though,” Kaz chuckled, stroking his thumb over Chase’s knuckles.
Chase snorted, peeking at him. “Creative.”
“Thanks.” He hooked a finger into Chase’s belt loop to pull him closer, trailing his other hand up his back to massage the base of his skull. “I’d also be telling a much more evil lie if I said you don’t look fucking stunning tonight. I didn’t know you could get even prettier. Thought it wasn’t possible. Color me happily surprised.”
“Thank Bree.” his sister had been rather adamant earlier that to sell his cover she needed to pick him an outfit and do his makeup. Chase was unbelievably opposed, as per usual. She had to wrestle him to the carpet to apply eye shadow.
“Dude, I’ll do her chores for a month.”
Chase smiled at him. He yanked Kaz’s collar to press their lips together. Kaz smirked into the kiss, walking Chase back into the wall. The coolness of the stone helped him feel better, easing his pained head. Kaz tugged him closer by his hips, tracing the skin under his shirt. Chase wrapped his arms around Kaz’s shoulders, one hand toying with the hair at Kaz’s neck. Kaz licked the seam of his lips, causing Chase to make a little noise and pull him impossibly closer. Kaz leaned back, much to Chase’s annoyance. Kaz cracked up at the pure offense on his face. He more than made up for it when he kissed both of his cheeks, then his forehead, then the corner of his mouth, and lastly moved to Chase’s neck, which made him giggle. Kaz grinned against his skin, blowing a raspberry there.
“Kaz!” Chase laughed. Kaz did it again.
Chase helplessly tried to wiggle away from the tickling on his highly-sensitive neck. Kaz merely held him tighter, unrelenting as Chase squealed.
Kaz snickered. He leaned back ever so slightly, brushing Chase’s cheekbone with his thumb.
“What?” Chase smiled back. Kaz’s were contagious.
“You’re cute.”
“Fuck you, whatever,” Chase spluttered dully, warmth crawling on his face. It was because there was a pyrokinetic holding him. That’s why. Yeah.
Kaz laughed again, pulling one of Chase’s arms off his shoulders to interlace their fingers.
He averted his eyes. Chase frowned.
“Are you-”
“Fine. Uh… did you mean what you said earlier?”
Chase tilted his head.
Kaz was awfully red now. “About the… y’know…”
He muttered something undetectable by Chase’s ears. Impressive.
“What?”
“‘One day’, is what you said.”
Oh.
Oh.
“Oh,” Chase said rather stupidly, blushing even harder than Kaz. He hadn’t thought much about that comment when he’d said it. It had come frighteningly naturally. He considered it. Ever since he and Kaz had started dating, maybe even before that, Chase had only pictured a future with him always present. After the war. A home somewhere. Rings on fingers. Maybe kids. That realization brought more heat to his cheeks.
“Yeah.”
“Yeah,” Chase parroted. He shook himself out of it. “Uh- yes. I did. Yes.”
Kaz lit up.
“Really?”
Chase nodded with a swallow. He straightened Kaz’s collar and tucked the tag in, settling his palms on his chest.
Kaz grinned bigger than Chase had ever seen. His arms locked around Chase’s middle and he spun him around with a cheer, almost immediately undoing Chase's fixing of his shirt.
Chase laughed. “What? Did you think any different? We’re practically raising a kid already. AJ’s here all the time.”
“I don’t think I thought no ,” Kaz contemplated, still holding Chase in the air. “I just don’t think I ever like… thought about it, y’know. Like… wow .”
“Wow?”
“Yeah, this is a wow moment.”
“I concur,” Chase giggled.
Kaz shifted so he was holding Chase bridal style, quite precariously as Chase damn near fell and broke his skull open.
Kaz began humming “Here Comes The Bride” which made Chase get even redder.
“Hey now, Fireboy,” he tugged on his ear. “I’m not saying yes until we win the war. And preferably aren’t teenagers.”
“I know,” Kaz whined. “And I can’t believe you’d do that to me! The audacity!”
He started walking around the room, dramatically sniffling and swirling with Chase around the vehicles. “I’m so hurt!”
“Sorry,” Chase shrugged unapologetically.
“You suck.”
“Sometimes.”
“Was that a flirt?” Kaz gasped. “Holy shit, I’ve witnessed Chase Davenport’s first flirt! It was Kaz-level dumb but still! Speaking of, would I take your name? Family company and all-”
Chase shook his head with a smile. “You’re not going to sleep tonight, are you?”
“Nope,” Kaz popped the p . He dipped him slightly before swinging Chase back up, his excitement combined with ADHD making him rock him like a baby, unable to keep still. “What would the accent colors be?”
Chase sighed fondly. He’d created a monster.
Kaz cut his ramblings off when a beep sounded in the cavern. Chase slid his phone from his pocket.
New message from: Speedy
Davenport’s already been here for some reason. Without calling. 🙄
Where are you guys?
Istg if you’re fucking in the woods somewhere
Chase flushed.
Bree! We just parked!
Get over it lol and get your asses up here before I kick them 🥰
“What’s up?” Kaz asked.
“My dad is here?” Chase pushed her comment out of his brain and hopped down from Kaz. “I don’t know why. We need to go, I guess.”
Kaz’s face darkened. Chase didn’t really know when his dislike of his father had intensified, but Kaz was only able to be in a room with Davenport for under three minutes before he had to excuse himself. Chase figured maybe some of the things he or Bree had shared about their past, or just the fact that Donald’s ego was unbearable, even to those who knew him. Maybe because they had to hide that they were together in front of him, as Chase and Bree had sat the three heroes down and admitted that Davenport may not accept Kaz or Skylar as partners because they were the same gender, worst case scenario disband the team. They weren’t sure, but he’d made some offhanded comments before and none of them wanted to risk anything.
Whatever the reason, Kaz wordlessly grabbed Chase’s hand and led him through the tunnels. Right before they entered the hyperlift, Chase shrugged Kaz’s jacket off and handed it back to him. The frown on his face hurt Chase’s heart. Before he could say anything, Kaz pulled him in for the last kiss they could share until Davenport left.
The doors slid open to reveal Davenport on a chair and Bree on the couch across from him with Skylar behind her, in an almost protective fashion. As he stepped out, Chase could see Oliver seated on a stool at the island. He was sipping water and clearly not wanting to be involved.
Donald looked Chase up and down with a wrinkled nose when he entered the living room. He sat down next to Bree, who by habit immediately claimed his lap as her footrest. She already looked monumentally annoyed. Awesome.
“Flash drive?” he asked.
Chase pulled it from his pocket and tossed it at Donald. He caught it, studying the rectangle and turning it in his fingers.
“I examined it on the drive home,” Chase sat back. “There are layers of encryptions. From what it seems-”
“Just let me figure it out,” Donald interrupted. Chase could hear his teammates all quietly scoff. Kaz still stood in the hyperlift with his arms folded, glaring at Donald.
“O-Okay,” Chase remedied. He really didn’t need his friends going apeshit on his dad.
“The mission was a success,” Bree groaned. “I told you that like ten times. Why don’t you just skedaddle or something?”
Donald laughed as though she was simply joking. He continued turning the flash drive. “What happened on the mission?”
“I already told you-”
“Chase?”
“Uh-”
“If Bree explained it, that’s good enough,” Kaz grouched, starting toward the kitchen.
“I did,” she scowled, shifting upright. Kaz made a “there you go” motion, pulling two bottled waters out of the fridge. “And I figured you’d be more upset that your son got harassed. Nothing? Really?”
“Well,” Donald shrugged. “It’s to be expected when he’s dressed like that. ” it felt like ants were crawling on Chase’s skin after he said that. All of a sudden, he was very uncomfortable in what he was wearing.
There was a loud pop noise. Chase glanced behind the couch. Oliver’s bottle had exploded in his fist from his grip. Kaz’s melted into molten plastic, the water evaporating instantly. Both of them glowered.
“What the actual fuck does that have to do with anything?” Skylar demanded, clenching her jaw.
“Just saying, it’s bound to happen,” Donald waved her off. “Don’t get plastic on my floor, Kaz.”
“How about I get it on your face-”
Chase pinched his arm with molecular kinesis. Kaz scoffed, moving to the sink to cool the steaming material off.
“Anyway,” Chase cleared his throat in a “reign it in” way, directed toward the team.
He told his father about the mission.
“Interesting,” Donald nodded when he finished.
“That’s exactly what I said-”
“It appears my intel was correct. I might’ve just stopped some serious conspiracies in the underground.”
“ Chase did most of the work,” Kaz grumbled, having sat next to Oliver during Chase’s explanation and plonked his jacket on his best friend’s head like he was a coat hanger, though Oliver didn’t seem to care given he’d made no attempt to move it and had been closely watching Donald instead. Chase sighed. It was in Kaz’s nature to toe the line of “protective best friend” and “too protective to just be a friend” even as they tried to hide their relationship. “Credit due where credit’s due.”
“Yes, yes,” Donald waved and mock-bowed. “Thank you, thank you, please hold the applause for the genius who taught him everything he knows.”
“The fucking gall,” Kaz muttered to Oliver, who’d pulled on the leather jacket without moving his glare. Chase was probably the only other one who could hear that.
Chase glanced over his shoulder. He met Kaz’s eyes with furrowed brows.
Keep it together. Please.
Kaz seemed to understand. He turned away, laser-focused on the marble countertop. He stood to get new bottles out, tossing one to Chase.
Thank you, Chase mouthed.
Kaz flashed him a discreet and horribly misshapen finger heart.
“Why are you still here?” Skylar asked quite subtly. She folded her arms and moved equally in between the siblings in a more safeguarding manner. “We told you what happened.”
Donald laughed again. “Well, to be here in case I needed to clean up your messes. Chase has lost his touch with leading lately, obviously. If he’s got to turn to an alien for help.”
Donald dodged a jet of flame hurled his way. It burned into the white chair. He scoffed. “And both of you are incompetent in your teaching, as well. I thought you said you’d trained him to control his fire.”
Kaz stomped over from the kitchen. He passed the other three in the room, reaching Donald. He yanked his jacket collar so they were eye to eye. Chase was surprised at how angry he looked.
“My control is just fine,” Kaz murmured. “And if you ever insult one of them again, let alone use alien in such a derogatory way, I’ll show you how my aim has improved.”
“Please,” Donald rolled his eyes. “Do you even understand what derogatory means? You know what I intended.”
“Yeah, he does,” Oliver stood. “And no , we don’t.”
“And here I thought you were one of the smarter ones here.”
“Do it again,” Kaz’s skin began glowing from the flames bubbling beneath. “Insult one of them again. I dare you.”
“Juvenile,” Donald sniffed.
The cloth Kaz was holding turned to ash.
“Get. Out.”
“Hm?”
“Get your DavenAss out of my DavenHome and DavenFuckOff,” Kaz rephrased, a vein bulging in his neck.
Donald raised an eyebrow.
“It’s four in the fucking morning and you have the balls to be an asshole in our living room after we worked our asses off.
Go fuck yourself,” Kaz suggested. The smell of burning fabric permeated the room. “And let us sleep after the mission that we completed. That’s right. Us. Not you. ”
Donald stood, sweeping Kaz out of his way with an arm. “Well, I’ll chalk up your lunacy to be due to fatigue. But do not speak to me like that again. Know your place, all of you.”
“Says the old man to a room full of bionics and superheroes,” Bree interjected, folding her arms.
“S-Stop, all of you,” Chase stood raising his hands in a placating gesture. “Mr. Davenport, just leave.”
His father seemed quite affronted that he didn’t take his side.
Chase leaned into his ear. “For your own safety. I know they won’t be stopped. I can’t stop them.”
“How disappointing,” Donald sighed back. “I gave you this role because I thought you would be able to handle it, Chase. You’ve proven me wrong, yet again.”
Chase’s heart sank. He squeezed his eyes shut. “I-I’m sorry, I- just… just leave, dad. Please.”
Donald wordlessly stepped away and onto the terrace.
He got into the idling jet outside. Chase scrubbed a hand down his face. The water still sat in his other shaking palm. He felt ill.
“What did he say?” Kaz inquired lowly, still glaring at the fading plane. The other three turned to him.
“Nothing,” Chase said. “Nothing. I’m just tired.”
Bree stared at him. Damn sister intuition.
Kaz looked at him too. Great, now there was boyfriend intuition to worry about?
“I thought he’d never leave,” Oliver sagged onto the couch next to Bree. He addressed her from where his head landed on her shoulder. “How the hell do you guys stand him?”
“Experience,” Bree said through gritted teeth. “For the first fifteen years of my goddamn life, he was the only other person around.”
“Condolences.”
“Yeah, I speak for all of us when I say fuck that racist asshole,” Skylar hopped over on his free side, putting her head on his shoulder as well.
“Definitely,” Kaz rolled his eyes, joining the sleepy pile by laying his head on Skylar’s lap and tossing his legs over the end of the sofa. “All for staying here instead of making the trip upstairs?”
“Aye.”
“Seriously though,” Oliver scowled, adjusting so the buttons on Kaz’s commandered jacket wouldn’t poke into Skylar’s head. “The boldness of this guy-”
“Stop it,” Chase interrupted. They all twisted at various angles to see him “You don’t speak for me. I know my father is rough around the edges, but I’m not going to listen to you trash him. I’m sure he didn’t mean what he said to Sky. And he’s given us this tower and formed the team, and I know he cares, okay?”
They stared at him.
“He does. And it was his intel that made the mission happen. He wasn’t wrong in receiving credit.”
The four exchanged looks.
“Chase-” Kaz started. Chase hated the pitying in his tone. He hated the fact that his chest felt tight. He hated how miserable this whole thing was, how his skin started crawling once Davenport had made the valid point about his wear, the familiar handprints that felt permanently burned into his skin like brands. He rubbed his arms again.
What a fool he was. Davenport was right. He was a disappointment.
“Just… everyone go to bed or something,” Chase turned away from them, reaching the stairs.
~*~
Chase let the water beat on the back of his neck. the continuous hum under his flesh from it hitting his chip felt almost soothing. He’d lost track of how long he’d been in the shower, but he really hated the parallel feeling to what he’d had to do several times back on the island to make the dirtiness go. And Kaz had worked so hard to make the handprints fade. To be fair, he didn’t know about them. But still, leave it to Chase to fuck it all up. He hadn’t been too upset over what that guy did earlier. Not until he got back. Then all kinds of memories flooded in.
His father’s words played on repeat in his mind.
Chase sighed, turning the shower off. He pulled on a pair of Kaz’s sweatpants that he’d stolen, toweling off his hair. He paused, looking in the mirror. He should check Kaz’s eyes. Nothing about him said “stunning”. He slid down with his back to the cabinets, knocking over his untouched water bottle. The towel stayed flopped on his head. Chase listened for any sound outside. He figured he’d hear Oliver breathing and Kaz muttering in his sleep, definitely Skylar’s snores from across the hall. Nothing. That was odd. Maybe they really had all passed out on the couch.
Chase focused his ears on the main area of the penthouse.
“-at do we do?” Kaz was saying.
“Nothing,” Skylar sighed. “We can’t make any choices for them. He’s their dad, unfortunately.”
“I don’t particularly care what that man is to them,” Oliver cut in, spinning what sounded like a spoon on the counter. “You guys saw that, right? He’s a stellar gaslighter. And he’s got that hold on both of them. Especially Chase. I’m pretty sure he does it without trying. What the hell happens when he uses that skill with intentional malice? I don’t know about you two, but I don’t want that.”
Silence.
“We kick his ass,” he heard Kaz fold his arms, “I mean, Bree’s right. He sure has some nerve, acting like he poses some threat to literal superheroes.”
“Rich people infinitely pose threats on this planet, I’d say. And he has the power to disband our team and make it so we never see them again.” Skylar bitterly pointed out. “That’s the last outcome we want.”
The other two didn’t say anything for a while.
Chase heard flames spark to life. “He has the same effect on Chase that that bitch does. He drains all of his confidence and makes him second guess himself. An-And like- makes him all defeated and self-conscious. And Bree gets jumpy and starts looking over her shoulder. And even more irritable. I hate that. And I hate thinking about what shit he’s done to them to lead to those reactions. They aren’t normal parent-child interactions.”
“Me too, Kaz,” Skylar exhaled. Chase could hear her fold her arms and lean against the kitchen island. “We won’t do anything yet, okay? Just wait.”
Chase’s brain was reeling. No, they didn’t know his father. Or what they were talking about when it came to him. Pure lunacy. He chewed his nail, exacerbating the wound that had just barely healed from the last time.
He recalibrated to Bree’s room, maybe she was at least asleep. Not that she would hear their conversation from her room anyway, but he was just hoping she wasn’t downstairs for it.
“Gotta calm down, dude.” the first voice he picked up on was very faint. Like she was on a call. Chase knew it well regardless.
“Adam, I’m so fucking done with him,” Bree said, speed-pacing about her floor. “Every word out of his stupid mouth is harmful nowadays. He practically slurred Sky, insulted the other boys, and fucked up Chase all over again.”
There was a long silence. She froze her movements and swallowed.
“Don’t leave the dorms, Adam.”
“Oh, I’m gonna,” he promised, voice even further like he’d set his phone down to pack.
“Please don’t hurt him,” Bree begged. “We might be really sick of his shit but-”
“I won’t, B,” Adam sighed. “Promise. But I’m not gonna leave Tasha, Naomi, or Otis the Second alone with him. I’m not comfy doin’ that anymore.”
“Huh? Is Douglas at the island then?”
“Yup. Left today to help Leo and Log out 'cause Tay's on the mainland with her girlfriend.”
Bree paused for a significant time like she was trying to figure out whether or not she should say the next thing.
“Do you know what Leo thinks yet?”
“I dunno,” Adam went quiet for a bit. “I think he’s in the same boat as Chasey. Maybe a little less fur in the ears-”
“Wool over the eyes.”
“Yeah, that.”
“What are we gonna do, Adam?” Chase heard Skylar's bed creak as she flopped on it. “How desperate am I to ask you that?”
“Super,” Adam said genuinely, coming closer to the speaker. “I dunno, Breezy. Nothin’ for now, I guess.”
“That’s not good enough Adam-”
“Well, unless you have any other ideas it’s gotta be. I’d say I’ll beat ‘im up ‘cause he totally deserves it, but he’s old and you guys still like him, so. Why not get Chase “the idea guy” involved?”
“We’ve been over this,” Bree sighed. “I want the two of them to have as much ignorance as possible. I mean, the guy’s Chase’s hero.”
Chase felt like he was being suffocated.
“...Yeah. I know he's got shit taste and all but man he needs better heroes. Maybe he should watch my cooking shows. Those guys are pretty cool.”
“And he’s played older sibling more than long enough for us even though he’s our little brother,” she continued. “It’s years late at this point, but it’s about damn time we step up, Adam. If nothing else, we owe it to him.”
Chase shut them out. Dread made his blood run cold.
What were they talking about? They knew something that he didn’t? And it had to do with Davenport?
Did everyone but him know what was going on?
Chase jolted when the door to his room opened.
He heard Kaz and Oliver come in. His stomach twisted as he pulled his t-shirt on and tossed the towel in the direction of the laundry hamper.
Chase flung the door open to reveal Kaz with his fist raised like he was about to knock.
Kaz blinked in surprise.
“Oh, hey,” he smiled like the talk downstairs hadn’t happened. “Wh-”
Chase shouldered past him, heading toward his capsule.
Oliver stood in the middle, glancing between them. “...Uh, I’ll be-” he pointed to the bathroom.
“Are you okay?” Kaz asked once the door shut. “Did something happen-”
“Yes,” Chase answered tightly, glancing over his shoulder. “I’m sleeping in my capsule tonight.”
“Uh… okay,” Chase didn’t like that he sounded genuinely worried. "Why?"
"Because I'm bionic, Kaz. Bionic people require capsules."
"Chase-"
" What."
“Was it what he said?”
“What someone said,” Chase clipped off every word. “I have bionic hearing, you know.”
Kaz paled.
“Babe-”
“Don’t you babe me!” he whirled around. “I heard you badmouthing my father! You don’t know him! I do! And I know even though his methods can be questionable that he cares! What right do you three have to say all of that shit?”
Kaz looked shocked.
“Just…” Chase’s anger drained away. “Just leave me alone.”
He turned back.
“Hold on-” Kaz followed him. “Let me treat your scars!”
Chase ignored him, stepping into his capsule.
Kaz stopped the door from shutting with his hand. “At least take medicine for your head! You can be as mad at me as you want, but you still need to take care of yourself!”
Chase peeled his hand off, making Kaz jump away as the door swung closed and locked with a hiss. Chase was bathed in darkness when the privacy setting blinked on. He slid down the wall, holding his knees. The soft violet light gently pulsed around the floor of his capsule. It was Chase’s favorite color, statistically one of the most calming to the human eye. Which he unfortunately needed quite a lot.
They didn’t know what they were talking about. Chase knew his dad. He did.
Even so, when he heard I love you be tapped into his capsule’s wall and identified the objects outside the glass as his abandoned water bottle, anti-inflammatory pills, and carob cookies, he couldn’t help but drown in the guilt of shouting at Kaz and feel very much alone, cold, and trapped in the home which his boyfriend unaffectionately called “display cases” that his father had built for him.