xliii. under siege

——

Adam, Bree, Chase, Freya, and Juliet were talking in the common area when the hydraloop opened and Perry walked out with her niece Kerry.

"Oh my gosh," Freya whispered in horror at the sight as Bree and Chase rolled their eyes in annoyance. "That's back."

"Don't worry, I have peas to feed her." Juliet assured them and they nodded.

"Welcome to Perry's Paradise Resort. Don't worry about your bags. One of the robot bellhops will get them." Perry announced, sliding Kerry's suitcase and Adam grabbed it.

"Ah, yeah, suitcase sled! Whoo-hoo!" Adam slides off on suitcase into the training room and Juliet chases after him to make sure he doesn't crash.

Perry walked up to Chase, Freya, and Bree. "You remember my sweet niece Kerry."

Bree crosse her arms. "No, but would your evil niece Kerry like to introduce her to us?"

"She's staying for the weekend. Give her a room with a view. Here you go." Perry hands Chase board game money as Bree, Freya, and Kerry gave each other nasty looks.

Chase frowned. "This is money from a board game."

Perry smiled at him. "And there's plenty more where that came from."

Kerry smiled graciously. "Don't worry, I won't be a bother. You won't even know I'm here. I just wanna spend some quality time with my favorite Auntie Terry." She placed her head on her aunts shoulder.

"I have been accused of being fun. And of identity theft." Perry grinned cheekily.

Chase walked up to Kerry. "You're not fooling us, Kerry. You act all nice until your aunt's gone, and then you go off to trip roller skaters and sell ice packs to the injured."

"For 50 bucks a piece!" Freya added.

My sweet niece would never do that." Perry objected and turned to her niece with a glare. "Everyone knows the roller rink is my turf."

Douglas walks into the room with Leo.

Perry gasped. Dougie!" Douglas leaned back. "Kerry, I'd like you to meet your future uncle, Douglas."

"I've heard all about you. You're the one obsessed with my aunt." Kerry smiled widely, extending her hand to him.

Douglas reluctantly shook her hand. "Yeah. She is a, um, handsome woman."

"Settle down, Romeo. There's kids here." Perry smirked, chuckling. "Come on. Help me get her room ready."

"Yeah. Be right there." Douglas chucked nervously as Perry walked into the training area. Once she was out of view, Douglas runs in the opposite direction.

Leo looked at Kerry with a chuckle. "So, this is the monster who owned you three last year? What did she do, not invite you to her tea party?"

Kerry laughed too, before snapping at Leo. "Keep talking and I'll snap those little twigs you call arms!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. These are bionic twigs!" Leo defended and Freya gave him a look. "Well, this one is." He points to bionic arm. "From here down." He gestured to his forearm.

"You can probably still snap that one." Freya added in and Leo flicked her forehead. "Ow..."

"I'll break your other foot." Leo threatened.

Freya laughed. "Yeah sure. Everyone here knows I can beat you up with just one of my crutches."

Bree and Chase nodded and Leo gave them an offended look.

Bree went up to Kerry. "So... what's your game, Kerry? Why are you really here?"

"Gotta lay low till the heat blows over. Got sloppy on my last job back at Creek." Kerry explained and Freya rolled eyes.

"What did you do this time?" Chase asked.

"Till the witness wakes up, nothing." The other four exchange looks. "Just stay outta my way, and I'll stay outta yours." Kerry turns to leave the room, but is stopped by Juliet.

"Hello, Kerry." Juliet greeted coldly.

"Juliet," Kerry nervously cleared her throat. "Looking lovely as ever."

"I know." Juliet said. "Mess with them. You mess with me. Understand?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Kerry nodded, saluting. Juliet stepped aside and Kerry scurried by her.

Freya grinned at her sister. "I love that you scare her still."

"I can do more then scare her. But I don't wanna end up in jail." Juliet shrugged and Freya nodded.

Chase felt his pockets and gasped. "Hey, she took my wallet!"

Chase starts to run after her, but stops once he realizes he and Bree are handcuffed together. Bree yelled. "Ow!"

"How did she..." Freya questioned and then she realized her shoe was missing. "She took my shoe!"

"That little-" Juliet hissed as Leo laughed.

"Oh, man, she owned you guys again." Leo tries to walk and trips after realizing his feet were handcuffed together.

Freya laughed at Leo and Juliet snickered softly.

"She owned you now too." Freya grinned and Leo pouted.

"She didn't get Jules." Bree frowned.

Juliet chuckled, crossing her arms. "That little brat knows better."

——

~Next Morning; Monroe Living Quarters~

Freya let out a yawn as she sat up from her bed. She has been sleeping on her mother's bed since she broke her foot. She tried sleeping in her capsule, but kept hoping around and wasn't comfortable.

Freya doesn't mind sleeping in a bed. She will wait as long as she can. Juliet, however, has gotten used to sleeping in a capsule. Cassie was on the couch for the time being because she wants her daughter to have the most comfort she can while she heals and she doesn't mind the couch at all. She is small enough to fit her whole body on it while she sleeps.

The alarm went off and Juliet's capsule opened, which made the red head yawn and wake up. Cassie was still dead asleep on the couch due to being a heavy sleeper.

Freya swung her feet over the side of the bed and rubbed her eyes, yawning again. She stood up and grabbed her crutches, walking forward a few steps. She stopped when she saw their room was a bit of a mess. There were some shattered glass on the floor and a few chairs were knocked over.

"What happened?" Freya asked, walking up to her sister, who had just left her capsule.

"Hmm?" Juliet hummed, before she stepped on a broken tablet. "Oh!"

Juliet picked up the tablet and looked around at the messed up room. "What happened?"

"I don't know. But I think someone robbed us." Freya said and Juliet went up to her mother, shaking her.

"Mom!" Juliet called and Casie shot awake, gasping.

"Huh?!" The blonde mother sat up and looked. "What?"

"Look!" Juliet gestured and Cassie looked around at the room.

"Woah." Cassie mumbled with shock as Cinnamon walked out of her kitty bed and over to her. "Did you do this?"

Cinnamon purred in response.

"Let's go see the others and find out." Juliet suggested and left the room with Freya.

——

~Mentor's Quarters~

Juliet rushed into the mentors quarters with  Freya trailing behind, breathing heavily.

"Don't run so fast! I'm broken!" Freya exhaled. Both girls saw that their room was a mess too and Chase was first to notice the sisters.

"Freya." Chase said with relief when he saw his girlfriend unharmed. Freya met Chase in the middle and he gave her a gentle hug. "You two alright? Someone ransacked the place."

"Someone messed our room up too!" Juliet mentioned, leaning into Adam's side wearily.

"You're okay, right?" Adam asked Juliet, looking down at her with concern.

"Yes." She looked up at him with his nod.

"Who would do this?" Freya asked with Chase keeping his arm around her, stabilizing her.

"This had to be Perry's niece." Bree assumed.

"She is gonna pay." Juliet hissed, clenching her fists.

Leo chuckled. "Wow, you got schooled by a toddler again?"

Chase showed Leo his broken tablet. "She broke your tablet."

Leo glared angrily. "Bring her to me."

"Gladly." Juliet super speeds away and brings back Kerry.

Kerry didn't have time to realize it was Juliet as she spokes "Whoa. You're fast. Homely-" She paused when she saw it was Juliet. "I mean! You are fast and wonderful!"

"Stop with that nonsense!" Juliet sneered at her and Kerry leaned back in fear.

Bree stepped forward. "We know what you did."

Adam pointed at Kerry, going up to her. "Yeah, that thing with the handcuffs. You've been going to magic school."

Freya sat down in the couch as Chase went up to Kerry. "You're gonna replace everything you stole or broke."

"I didn't do it." Kerry protested.

Adam shrugged. "Well, that clears that up. Back to bed." He goes back to his capsule.

Chase stopped Kerry from leaving. "Hey, you're not going anywhere."

Kerry started yelling. "Aunt Terry!!"

Chase yelled, covering his ears. "Ahh!! Did it occur to you that I have bionic hearing?"

Kerry frowned. "No, but good to know." She yelled again. "Aunt Terry!!"

Chase screams again and Juliet shoved Kerry back, glaring at her.

"I have peas!" Juliet warned.

"Not that peas!" Kerry whined and Freya laughed.

"Get them!" Freya cheered.

Perry walked in wearing the same pajamas as her niece and messy hair. "What is all the yelling about? I didn't even have time to put my face on."

"Wait, that thing's removable?" Leo asked.

"I don't think I the face you put on works." Freya added and Perry gave here glare.

"Your precious little niece ransacked the place." Bree told Perry.

"I don't know what they mean, Aunt Terry. I was sound asleep, dreaming of cute little kittens, when I was ripped out of bed by this bionic-"

Juliet glared heavily at Kerry and she retreated her sentence nervously. "Loving bionic woman!"

Juliet grinned satisfied.

"How dare you accuse my sweet little angel? Me, I get. Cousin Cletus, Grandma Flat Nose, the Pug twins, absolutely." Perry explained and then pointed to Kerry. "But her? Impossible."

Chase frowned. "You call your grandmother "Grandma Flat Nose"?"

Perry shrugged. "Not to her face. She's kinda hard to look at. I can prove Kerry's innocent. We'll just check the security footage."

~Common Area~

Adam, Bree, Chase, Leo, Juliet, Kerry, and Perry went to the common area to check the security footage. Freya was tired and went back to bed, because she doesn't have to be up for training like the others do. Juliet was resting on the steps nearby with Adam, leaning head on his shoulder. He had his arm around her, holding her gently.

The monitor on the screen was broken and was just static.

"The monitor's broken. I can't pull up the security footage." Chase told everyone.

"It's okay. I'll fix it. I can fix anything. I used to be the leading technician for NASA." Perry informed them.

Bree raised her eyebrow suspiciously. "You worked for NASA?"

"Yeah. The North American Sumo Association. I put the pins on the diapers." She gestured around Bree's waist, before going up to the monitor. She suddenly bangs on monitor. "Fixie, fixie, fixie, fixie!"

"Wait, don't!" Chase protested, pulling her away from the monitor.

"Wow. Can't believe that didn't do it." Juliet raised her eyebrows sarcastically.

Chase grabbed the fried wires in the cyber desk. "It's not working because someone fried the server. That means all the cameras are down."

"You knew you'd get busted, so you destroyed the evidence." Bree accused Kerry.

"Guys, get in here quick." Leo yelled from the training area.

Everyone runs in to see the cafeteria section is wrecked.

"What do you have to say for yourself now, Kerry?" Leo asked Kerry.

Kerry frowned. "That you people are slobs?"

Juliet and Bree shared a brief glance.

"Look, your niece is playing you. The whole "sweet and innocent" thing, it's an act." Chase confessed to Perry.

"Aunt Terry, I didn't do this." Kerry protested.

"Of course you didn't. I'm gonna catch the real culprit, even if I have to stay up all night, which will be easy, 'cause I spent the winter in hibernation." Perry declared and ran off.

"By the looks of it, I believe it." Juliet folded her arms, leaning against Adam.

——

~Next Morning; Common Area~

Adam, Bree, Chase, Juliet, and Leo run in the next morning. Freya follows behind as quickly as she could on crutches. She gets her cast off in five days and gets to wear a boot, which she can take on and off. She can start doing physical therapy, but she doesn't have the most interest in doing it. Freya's body is weaker and her mental health is getting worse. She is healing well physically, but the mental healing process is decreasing.

"What happened?" Leo asked as the group made it in the room. The other students were surrounding an unconscious Perry with Douglas.

"Someone must've attacked her. I was about to check on her, but I need one of you guys to make sure she's really unconscious before I get my face too close." Douglas explained and the group nodded in understanding.

"Her breath can cause pink eye." Juliet mentioned and Douglas leaned back with horror.

Chase kneels down next to Perry and cheeks her pulse. "I think she's gonna be okay."

Adam frowns. "What, so you're a doctor now?"

Chase looked up at him. "I checked her pulse"

"Oh, no, sorry, I wasn't making fun of you. I just wanted to see if you'd take a look at this rash." Adam turned and went to pull his shirt up, but Juliet smacked him, making him stop.

Freya sighed uncomfortably as she sat down on the stool at the desk.

Perry begins to stir, waking up. "Oh, my head."

"Douglas, get her to the infirmary." Chase ordered.

Douglas nodded. "Good idea. Let's put her down humanely."

The others agreed as two bionic students drag Perry out of room with Douglas right behind them, beckoning them.

"I can't believe Kerry would hurt her own aunt just to get away with more crimes." Bree said with disbelief.

"Yeah. It doesn't make sense. What if it's not her?" Juliet asked. "As much as I want to punish her, I only want to do it if she is the culprit."

"Who would wanna hurt Perry?" Leo asked and corrected his statement. "Correction. Who would actually hurt Perry?"

"Let's think this through. First, Leo's tablet was damaged. Maybe someone was trying to find classified information but couldn't figure out the password, so they tossed it aside. Then, the criminal disabled the security cameras, because they didn't want anyone tracking their moves. When Perry started pursuing them, they probably took her out." Chase explained, pacing and thinking. As he was speaking, Leo and Juliet noticed burn marks on the control panel in the hydraloop.

"Guys, look." Juliet called and the mentors went over to them as Freya stayed sitting, spacing out. She wasn't really focused, she was dissociating.

"They took out the hydraloop too. Whoever did this just trapped us on the island." Leo told them.

Chase went up to the panel and noticed the marks were odd. "Wait. Those burn marks are from bionics. The last time something like this happened, it was Sebastian leading a rebellion." This caught Freya's attention and she looked up with uneasiness. "Guys, there's still a rebel living among us."

Freya's eyes grew with fear. Now fearing someone may be after her again.

——

"How can there still be a rebel here?" Bree asked.

Chase shrugged. "I don't know, but for now, everyone's a suspect."

Adam pointed to Chase accusingly. "You! I knew it was you all along."

Chase gave him look. "I was with you the whole time."

"Freya!" Adam accused, turning to the blonde at the desk. "It was you!"

"Look at me!" Freya pointed to her foot. "I can't even walk!"

Chase noticed Freya's odd demeanor immediately. He can sense something was off. He can feel it. He's never been able to feel that before, but suddenly he can feel her depressed emotion with every bone in his body.

Adam pointed at himself with a gasp. "Me! I knew it was me all along."

"No, it wasn't." Juliet patted Adam's back.

Chase walked forward. "Sebastian's rebellion almost destroyed this academy and almost killed Freya. I'm not gonna let that happen again." Freya looked up at her boyfriend, who made an announcement to the students. "Everyone back to the dorm. You're on lockdown until further notice."

Bree nodded. "Good idea. We'll keep 'em there until we can question everyone."

Chase went up Freya. "You alright?"

"I'm just tired." Freya dismissed.

Chase knew she was lying. However, he didn't want to push her.

"For your safety, you should go back to your room and rest." Chase advised her, taking her hands.

Freya didn't really respond and stood up with a slow nod. Chase left a soft kiss on the forehead, giving her a hug before Freya made her way out of the room.

Juliet watched her leave with concern.

"You know what's wrong with her?" Chase asked the red head.

"Her foot." Juliet whispered to him and he nodded. "I won't speak for her. You have to talk to her."

Douglas and Kerry walk in leading a dazed and confused Perry.

Perry was singing. "Here comes the bride."

"Good news is, she checked out okay. Bad news is, she checked out okay." Douglas told the group.

"Aw man," Juliet sighed quietly and Adam let out the smallest chuckle.

"Okay, what happened? Who attacked you?" Bree asked as Perry sat on the stool.

"Oh, I'm still a little foggy, but I remember being on the front lines. Then, out of the darkness, 11 giant guys in helmets started to charge me." Perry explained and then frowned when she realized that was wrong. "No, wait. That was when I ran onto the field during the Bears game."

"That was you? I thought that was a mascot." Leo remarked.

"So, you seriously don't remember being shot at?" Juliet asked her.

Perry scoffs. "Look, all I know is that some bionic freak attacked me, and I could really use a hug."

Perry puts her arms out for a hug and everyone except Douglas backs away.

Douglas hesitantly starts to lean in, but backs away. "Nope. Can't. Sorry."

"Look, we have to stop that rebel. We'll split up and patrol the academy. Any questions?" Chase asked .

"Yeah. Now that you know it wasn't me, is there something you'd like to say?" Kerry smirked smugly.

"Yes. Can I please have my wallet back?" Chase asked her.

——

~Monroe Living Quarters~

It was night time and Juliet had her mission suit on ready to patrol the academy. Freya sat on the couch, watching Criminal Minds and not talking.

Juliet stared at her sister for a few moments, knowing something was bothering her.

She eventually walked over to her and sat next to her. "How you feeling?"

"Tired." Freya replied, leaning back fully and blowing a raspberry.

"I know you get your cast off and get a boot on in five days. So, that's exciting." Juliet smiled. "You can walk better and do physical therapy to help it heal."

"Mhmm," Freya grinned forcefully and Juliet's smile dropped, immediately knowing something was off.

"Okay. Out with it." Juliet said.

"Huh?"

"What's bothering you?" Juliet asked her, gently shoving her shoulder.

"Nothing. I'm just tired." Freya shrugged.

"You say that all the time. That's not