xxi. taken

——

"Leave mommy alone!" 3 year old Freya cried out as her father smacked Cassandra across the cheek. Freya let out a screaming cry and her father turned to her. Freya's eyes met his violent blues ones and she cried in fear as he stormed up to her.

——

~Present Time~

Freya gasped as she shot awake, breathing heavily. She ran her hands through her hair, remembering the recurring dream she keeps having.

She covered her face, groaning with confusion. She doesn't understand why she keeps having the same horrible dream over and over again. The weird thing is, she doesn't remember her father's name or his appearance. However, she remembers his heinous blue eyes and his dark and sinister voice.

Only person she has mentioned it to is Chase. At first, it was every week or so, but now it's happening 4 days a week. It's getting more frequent and it's scaring her.

Freya got a knock on her door and Freya brushed her hair out of her face, sitting up.

"Come in."

Cassandra walked in and gave her a smile. "Hi, sweetie. You going to get up, you'll be late for school."

"Aren't I always?" Freya joked and Cassandra grinned with amusement.

"That's not funny. Now, get up, please." Cassandra motioned her to get up and went to leave, but Freya moved to the side of her bed.

"Mom." Freya stopped Cassandra, who turned back to her. "Can I ask you something?"

"Always." She replied.

Freya fiddled with the hem of her pajama shirt and nervously asked. "Has my father always been awful?"

Cassandra was taken back by her question and awkwardly cleared her throat, now uncomfortable with the situation. "Uh... why the sudden interest?"

Freya shrugged, not wanting to admit the truth. "Just curiosity."

Cassandra nervously shifted her weight. "Well... no. When we first got married, he was a good man. I had Juliet before him and I got married and he was alright."

"Than what happened?" Freya frowned in confusion.

Cassandra did not want to continue this conversation due to how much it pained her to confess the truth.

"You should get ready for school, my love. This is for a later time." Cassandra quickly changed the subject and left the room without Freya able to object.

"What?" Freya asked and sighed when the door closed. Freya sat there bewildered and speechless, thinking rapid thoughts in her head.

What happened when I was born?

——

~After School~

Freya was in the lab with the bionic teens and Leo. There was a motorcycle and she was confused on why isn't there

Freya had spent all day thinking about the conversation with her mom. She had been overthinking and she had barely spoken a word. 

She thinks her father turned abusive because she was born. When it was just Juliet, he was fine. She doesn't know anything else, because Cassandra refused to let you know anything else. She doesn't even know how long they were together before getting married or how long Juliet had been born for.

Her mind was racing and it was obvious now, especially to Chase.

"Freya." Chase went up to Freya, grabbing her shoulder and shaking her. "Freya!"

Freya jumped back startled to see the worried eyes of Chase.

"Oh, hi." She awkwardly smiled. "What's up?"

"You were staring off into space. You started picking at your skin, which is something you do when you have anxiety," Chase mentioned and Freya looked down at her arms to see marks from her picking at her skin. "What's wrong?"

"Weird day at school," Freya lied with chuckle. "I'm fine. Don't worry."

Chase frowned, not believing her. "Freya, come in."

"Chase, I'm serious, I'm fine." Freya assured him, lying through her teeth.

She isn't fine. She's panicking.

Chase looked into her eyes for a few moments and let out a sigh. "Fine. But if anything is wrong, please tell me."

Freya nodded her head and went to pick at her skin, but Chase grabbed her hand making her stop. Freya blushed when Chase interlocked their fingers and smiled softly to herself. Freya felt herself slowly relax and calm down.

"Thank you." She said.

"Anytime." Chase replied, looking away with a heavy blush.

Davenport walks in wearing a motorcycle outfit and the teens looked at him with weird look. Freya was holding back a laugh by covering her hand.

"So, what do you think?" Davenport asked them

"I think you're begging for a gang of bikers to do rotten things to you." Chase joked and Freya snickered.

"Are those my pants?" Bree asked.

Davenport adjusted the pants. "Not anymore. I call her the "Daven-cycle". She's got auto-pilot, laser-guided weapon systems, and a tiny little flower vase to brighten your day." He out a flower and puts it on the motorcycle.

"Whoa, cool. Throw in a tiny basket for Chase to ride in and we're good to go." Adam teased and Freya laughed, which made Chase squeeze her hand very tightly and she stopped.

(Douglas appears on one of the screens and waves to the six. "Hello? Anybody home?"

Freya groaned rolling her eyes. "He hacked you again? Would it kill you to spend forty bucks on some security software?"

"Love the new lab, Donny. Ooh, tunnels!" Douglas chuckles. "Industrial, yet classy."

"Take a hint, ex-brother. There's a reason why none of us accepted your buddy requests." Davenport remarked.

Adam put his hand up. "Oh, I accepted it." Everyone looked at him in shock. "What? His updates are hilarious. "Looking forward to a weekend of evil, winky-face." Adam winks.

"Listen, I don't have a lot of time. Krane'll be back soon. He... went out to get his head waxed." Douglas told them.

"Fascinating. You know what? It might sound like I'm hanging up." Davenport went to hang up, but Douglas protested.

"Wait! Wait, wait, wait!" Douglas called. "This isn't another trick! You're in danger. Krane has completely lost it!"

"Oh, wow! So, the guy who keeps implanting himself with bionics is unstable? Who could have seen that coming?" Chase sarcastically smiled and Freya grinned.

Freya has never seen Krane or heard him talk. And she never wants to.

"I'm serious! Krane is using my technology to give himself new abilities I didn't even know were possible! He's a ticking time-bomb, and he sees you three as a threat!" Douglas warned and Freya and Leo frowned offended.

"Hey! What about me?! I'm dangerous." Leo asked, forming a fighting stance.

"I'd trust blondie here more than you." Douglas mentioned and Freya smirked as Leo gave him a shocked look. "Hey, always a chance you might faint on somebody."

Freya let out a chuckle as Leo glared at her.

"Look, Adam, Bree, Chase, Freya... and Leo, can handle anything." Davenport remarked. "And after all you've done to this family, why should we trust you?"

"Well, I..." Douglas stammered, thinking. "Give me a minute."

"Take all the time you want." Davenport offered.

"Oh, thanks. I-" Davenport shut off the screen, cutting him off.

Davenport walked over to the computer. "Douglas is up to something. He's obviously trying to distract us with this Krane guy."

Chase let go of Freya's hand and approached him. "Well, maybe so, but what if he's telling the truth?"

Bree agreed as the others followed. "Yeah. We've seen Krane face-to-face. He is a total creep."

"Yeah. Nice eyes, though." Adam added.

"What color?" Freya asked.

"Very nice blue." Adam told her.

Freya nodded, not thinking much of it. "Those are nice."

"Trust me, this is exactly what Douglas wants. Don't fall for his trap. My brother is the real threat." Davenport explained and the kids were uneasy.

——

~The Next Day~

Freya was walking to school, looking at her phone. Juliet was already at school, so she went alone. She turned a corner and was met with Douglas Davenport.

"Ah!!" She yelped, dropping her phone. "Sorry, I mean." She put her fists up to attack. "I'll fight you."

"Relax, blondie." He sighed. "I'm not here to kidnap you."

"Sure. Sure." Freya sarcastically said. "Where's your other android child to take me out?"

"Freya, listen, I'm here to warn you about Krane." Douglas calmly told her. "He has a serious score to settle with the world. He has gone completely nuts."

"I know. I've been told about the wires in his face." Freya folded her arms with a frown. "Can I leave?"

Freya went to walk, but Douglas stopped her. "He wants you for some reason."

Freya froze with wide eyes and her face turned pale. "What?"

"I don't know why. But he keeps bringing you up." Douglas told her and Freya turned back to him, feeling fear fill her body. "He apparently knows you."

"But... but how?" Freya asked, beginning to panic. "I've never met him before."

"I wish I could answer you, but you're in danger. I needed to tell you, before anything happens." Douglas told her and Freya's face was filled with panic and fear.

"Is he gonna kill me?" She asked with a shaky voice.

"I don't think so." Douglas shook his head. "But he wants to get rid for Adam, Bree, and Chase. Donald will believe you, please warn him for me."

Douglas walked away after that, leaving a speechless and horrified Freya.

She immediately got out her phone and tried to call Leo.

"Pick up. Pick up." She murmured, but it went to voicemail. Freya didn't know what to do, but going to school wouldn't be safe. She immediately started running to the Davenport House for help.

She made it about halfway to their house when a large body appeared in front of her, making her crash and fall to the floor.

She looked up and gasped at the sight of the man. Her breath got shaky and she immediately knew who it was.

He chuckled darkly. "Hello Freya."

Freya immediately recognized his voice and his violent blue eyes.

Freya immediately got up and moved back. "You must be Krane."

So many emotions were happening she couldn't put the pieces together on where she's seen Krane before.

"That's correct." Krane said. "It's saddening to me that you don't recognize me."

Freya frowned in confusion. "What do you mean? And what do you want with me?!"

"You'll find out."

Krane shot her with an energy blast and got blasted back, landing unconscious on the ground.

Krane walked over and picked her up, geo leaping away.

——

~Krane's Lab

Freya woke up with a massive headache and pain everywhere in her body. Her vision was blurry making her blink a few times, before she saw where she was. She saw Leo and Tasha tied together and she looked down to see that see was strapped down to a tilted table with some wires attached to her head.

"Guys." She spoke with weary voice. "What's happening?"

"Freya!" Leo smiled at the sight of her awake. "You're awake!"

"Krane kidnapped us." Tasha told her.

"He tied us up. But I don't know why you are strapped down with wires on you." Leo frowned with confusion.

Freya tried to break up, but couldn't. "I can't get free."

"I wouldn't try." Krane walked into view. "The more you move the more painful it will be for you."

"Leave her alone!" Leo angrily yelled and Krane chuckled.

"What are you gonna do about it?" Krane asked. "You're tied up.

"Adam, Bree, and Chase will save us." Freya said.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Krane grinned darkly.

——

~The Lab~

Adam, Bree, and Chase were stuck in the lab due to the Davenwall that Mr. Davenport had put up to protect them from Krane. Adam was bored and was throwing objects at the wall. He takes off his shoes and throws it at the DavenWall, which deflects it and the shoe bounces off.

Adam laughs. "Oh-hoho! Awesome! Uh, let's see, what else I can throw?" He turns around to Chase and smiles.

Chase, who was reading a book, replies. "Don't even think about it. "

Davenport walks into the lab with his thumbprint to get through the DavenWall.

"Something's wrong. Leo just left a message that Douglas showed up at school, and now I can't find him or Tasha. And Freya isn't answering her phone."

"Oh, well I'm sure we'll find them if you keep us locked down here in the basement." Bree remarked.

A screen in front of them flashes on and shows Leo and Tasha tied up and Freya strapped down to the tilted table inside Krane's warehouse.

"Help!" The three yelled out

"Can anybody hear us?!" Tasha cried.

"Help us!" Leo called.

"Anybody??" Freya asked, struggling against the tight restraints. Chase's blood boiled at the sight of Freya strapped down with wires attached to her.

Davenport glared. "I knew it! Douglas has them!"

Krane walks onscreen. "Guess again."

The four frowned in confusion at the sight of Krane.

——

"Guys! Don't worry. We'll get you out of there." Chase assured Leo, Freya, and Tasha.

"Chase, don't make promises you can't keep!" Adam protested.

"So you're Victor Krane. Love the face. Do you get all the premium channels on that thing, or...?" Davenport asked.

"Enough. Hand over the bionic kids." Krane demanded.

Davenport scoffed. "Not gonna happen."

"This isn't a game. I've sent you my coordinates. They have ten minutes to get here, or I downsize your family." Krane threatened and Freya gulped nervously as Krane pointed at her. "Starting with her."

Chase glared angrily at her. "Don't touch her!"

"No!" Freya cried as the screen glitched out and Chase immediately went over to the tablet to get the coordinates, feeling his body fill with anger.  The thought it Krane killing Freya infuriated him. He wouldn't let Krane do it. Never in a million years would he let something happen to Freya.

——

Krane has untied Leo and Tasha and was holding both of them, leading them to a metal box. Freya was still strapped down, completely bewildered on why Krane had her strapped down.

"You know, I am a fairly well-known TV personality, and this could bring a lotta heat in your way." Tasha warned Krane.

"I've seen your reporting. I'm doing the world a favor!" Krane rudely remarked and Tasha gasped as he pushed her into a giant metal box.

"Hey! If you hurt my family and my best friend, I will hunt you down, so you better take me out, too!" Leo threatened, putting his fists up.

"All right!" Krane cracks his knuckles menacingly

Leo looked at him with a frightened expression. "Box it is!"

Leo walks into the box and Tasha sighed. "Sweetie, you gotta stop talking!"

Krane closes the door and locks it. Leo put his hands on the window, trying to see Freya. "What are you going to do with Freya?!"

"Just going to have a little fun testing out my new experiment," Krane chuckled darkly and Freya's face turned pale, her body filling with fear.

"What do you mean?" Freya nervously asked and Krane approached her.

"Testing out how the normal human body will react to neurological implanted bionics." Krane smirked and Freya gasped with panic, shaking her head with a whine.

"No!" Leo yelled, hitting the window. "Leave her alone!"

"You can't do anything to stop me." Krane told him.

"What if it kills her?" Tasha asked him.

Krane shrugged. "Oh, well."

Freya started to cry out of fear and she began to panic, struggling against the restraints.

"Please don't!" She cried out. "I didn't do anything."

Freya couldn't bare the thought of dying. She didn't want to experience that pain of death. It scared the absolute crap out of her and she was panicking.

Tasha angrily glared. "Adam, Bree and Chase will be here any minute, and they will take care of you!"

Krane shook his head ."No, they won't. Your egocentric husband will try to be a hero and play right into my hands."

Suddenly the door slams open to reveal Davenport. "Haha!" The door slams shut and hits him in the face. Davenport opens the door again and enters. "Sorry I'm late!"

Freya was relieved to see Davenport, but was sad when she didn't see the bionic teens. Davenport will not be able to take out Krane.

"No." Krane chuckled evilly. "You're right on time. You're about to watch me destroy blondie."

Freya shook her head as Krane moved closer to her and Davenport glared at him.

"Leave her alone!" Davenport yelled as he shoots his thermal blaster at Krane, making him scream in pain. Krane holds out his hand to block the blaster and starts to absorb its energy.

Freya's bloodshot eyes grew in shock at the sight of Krane draining all the energy. "What's happening?!"

Davenport grunted. "I don't know how he's doing it, but he's draining all the power from my blaster!"

Krane laughs maniacally and finishes draining the blaster of its energy.

Davenport recovered and smacked his blaster, which was dead. "Okay, well that was the main thrust of my plan." He makes a guarding stance. "I guess it's gonna be hand-to-hand combat."

Freya groaned, leaning her head back. "Oh no."

"And we're doomed." Leo sighed.

Krane walks toward Davenport and attacks him. Davenport blocks it, but Krane uses his bionics to weaken him, lowering him to the ground.

"You blocked me outta the lab with your little security fence. Turn it off." Krane ordered.

"Never!" Davenport yelled.

Krane yelled as he knocks Davenport onto the ground

"I figured you'd say that, so I'm gonna give you a choice. Adam, Bree and Chase..." He looks at Freya and then looks at Leo and Tasha. "Or them. It's up to you."

"I'll never make that choice." Davenport declared.

"How 'bout now?" Krane asked and presses a button on a remote which makes the metal box powers up and a red light appears inside it.

Tasha looks up. "What is that?"

"An exothermic energy field. It's like a microwave. Good for chicken." He pauses and deepens his  voice. "Bad for humans. They should be well-done in about... six minutes." He walks over to Freya. "She is my text subject for neurological implanted bionics. If it works, she will be my new bionic soldier. If not, she'll die."

Freya leaned back, shaking her head in fear.

Davenport's eyes grew at that sentence and looked at Freya with worry. "Look, just let them go. Take me instead."

Krane chuckled evilly. "Well, that wouldn't be as much fun. But you can stop this. All you gotta do is turn off the security perimeter. Tick-tock."

The machine is shown to be heating up, and Donald struggles to make a decision, looking back and forth between his wife and son and Freya.

——

Leo and Tasha are profusely sweating in the metal box, struggling against the heat. Krane was working on the machine to implant bionics into Freya, who was silently sobbing.

"Please don't do this." Frey begged through her tears.

"Donald!" Tasha panted and then yelled. "Do something!"

Davenport went to Krane angrily. "Stop! They have nothing to do with it!"

Krane shrugged. "And yet, they seem to have everything to do with it."

Leo shook his head. "Don't give in, Big D! We can take it!"

"Leo, shut up!" Freya yelled.

Krane tilted his head. "Really?!"

Krane turns up the heat in the box with his remote and Tasha and Leo yelled as the heat got worse.

"Oh yeah! Okay, that burns! Yeah!" Leo breathed heavily, taking off his jacket.

Tasha was gasping for breath. "Stop talking to him!"

"In about ten minutes, Freya will be my new bionic solider. Or you will need to hold a funeral for her." Keane chuckled darky and Davenport glared at him. "You're running out of time."

"No!" Freya cried.

"Just stop!" Davenport yelled and hits Krane's remote, but Krane pulls him down by the neck with his force making him groan in pain.

"I thought you were smarter than this. You will never beat me. Give me Adam, Bree and Chase or you will lose everything." Krane threatened.

Davenport wrist remote beeps, which distracts Krane and Davenport he gets up and starts tapping it.

"What's that?" Krane asked.

Davenport shook his head. "Nothing, my fantasy football team is winning." He continues the tapping on his watch.

"Lab security perimeter disengaged." The watch said and Freya's eyes grew in shock.

"Why'd you turn it off?" Freya asked.

"I didn't!" Davenport protested and Krane laughs evilly. "It's okay, I can re-arm it from here."

"Too late!" Krane said and geo-leaps away. Freya gasped at this.

"He can geo-leap?!" Davenport asked in shocked. "I haven't even cracked that yet!"

"You know what? I'd love to help you with that if my brain cells weren't BOILING!!!" Leo screamed at him.

Davenport checked the time on the machine that was attached to Freya. He grabbed one of the wires and tried to pull it off, but Freya yelped.

"Hair! Hair!" She said and Davenport cringed.

"Sorry!" He said and turned to the machine, trying to shut it off. "He's programmed it in a way that I can't shut it off. I have to rip the wires out."

"Do whatever it takes." Freya said. "I don't wanna die."

"Could you hurry up and save her?! WE ARE MELTING!" Leo yelled.

Davenport started yanking on the wires and Freya shut her eyes, trying to ignore the pain. She groaned as she felt each wire get ripped off her skull.

"Got them!" He said and Freya smiled as Davenport freed her from the restraints. Freya immediately hugged Davenport tightly.

"Thank you!" She touched her head and sighed with relief. "And I still have hair."

——

Davenport and Freya were struggling to figure out how the machines in the lab worked. They are older and different than the ones in the lab are.

"Get us out of here!!" Leo screamed in desperation.

"I can't use my thermal blaster cause Krane drained all the power out of it." Davenport remarked and looked around the desk in front of him. "What kind of evil villain's lair doesn't have a large device for cutting metal?"

Tasha weakly exhaled. "Just do something! I can't take much more."

Freya looked at them before looking around the room and got an idea. "Wait! This lab must be tied to a huge power source. Can't you patch that in to the thermal blaster?"

Davenport patted Freya's shoulder. "Yes!" He points at the power source. "And if I reverse the polarity, it'll pull the heat from the cube and burn a hole in the door!"

"Is-is that safe?!" Tasha asked.

"I don't know, maybe we should consult the manual before we rush in anything." Davenport sarcastically remarked.

"Just do it!!!" Leo let out a high pitched scream.

Freya pulls a wire from the source and hands it to Davenport.

"Okay! Here goes!" Davenport said and Freya stood behind him for safety.

Donald connects the wire to the thermal blaster and sucks the heat out of the box, which creates a hole in the door. Freya cheered at this and walked up to them.

Tasha and Leo run out excitedly and the four hug, but Freya and Davenport pull away due to them Leo and Tasha being burning hot.

"Ow! Hot hot!" Freya hissed.

"Oh! Hot, hot, hot! You're burning us, you're burning us, you're burning us!"

Freya sighed with relief that no one died, but she is still extremely confused on why Krane wants her.

"Freya." Davenport turned to Freya. "Have you ever met Krane before? It seems like he knows you."

"I don't think so." Freya shook her head. "But Douglas told me he wants me. I don't know why."

"It's okay, don't panic. We will make sure he doesn't get you. I promise." Davenport assured Freya, who warmly smiled in return.

"Thanks."

Freya has always seen Davenport as her father figure.

——

Davenport, Tasha, Leo, and Freya arrived back at the house and rushed to the lab. The ran in to see Douglas about to blast Krane with the bionic teens watching.

"I should have done this a long time ago!" Douglas threatened.

"GUYS!" Davenport yelled, which distracted Douglas and this allowed Krane to geo-leap away.

Douglas yelled when he saw Krane was gone. "NO! You let him get away!"

Davenport pointed his thermal blaster at Douglas. "Get out of my house!"

Douglas backed up, dropping the giant weapon.

"No. Mr. Davenport, it's okay." Chase protested. "Douglas saved us from Krane!"

"Saved you?" Davenport scoffed. "He's the reason we're having to fight Krane in the first place."

"Don, I can explain-" Douglas reasoned.

"You're lucky I'm letting you go. Now get of here before I change my mind!" Davenport snapped.

Douglas hesitates as Davenport gives him a warning look.

Adam stepped forward. "Hey, if you're gonna blast him, can you get it over with? 'Cause this getting really uncomfortable!"

Douglas eventually finally leaves. Freya watched  him leave and she looked down with sorrow.

There was something about Douglas that Freya was able to trust. She can tell he was being sincere.

Davenport walked away after that and one by one everyone slowly left the lab. Freya was the last one of leave, because she was in shock from the events that happened today.

She was basically on the verge of dying, found out the most powerful man wants her for some reason, and Douglas is possibly on their side.

Chase had noticed Freya hasn't left yet and walked back into the lab.

"Freya, you alright?" He asked and she turned to him. Freya didn't say anything and immediately hugged him, which through him off.

"I just need a hug." She mumbled into his chest. Chase hugged her back, resting his chin on her head.

"What happened with Krane?" He asked her, holding her as close as he could.

"He tried to turn me into a bionic solider." She confessed, feeling fear fill her body at the memory. "If it didn't work, I would have been killed."

Chase pulled away and looked at her with worry. "What?"

"I ran into Douglas earlier and he warned me that for whatever reason Krane wants me. I don't know why and I'm scared." Freya explained and Chase grabbed her hands.

"We will figure out why he wants you." Chase told her and squeezed her hands, staring into her eyes. "I will make sure he doesn't get you. I promise."

Freya smiled softly, getting lost into in his hazel eyes. Freya couldn't help herself, she leaned up and kissed Chase.

Chase was stunned by her actions. However, he has been waiting for this for a long time and slowly kissed back.

Freya quickly pulled away with her cheeks burning red and Chase's were too.

She immediately left the lab, leaving Chase standing there in shock.

"What the heck?" He asked himself.

——

Up Next: Sky Full Of Stars

Big chapter. We find out Krane wants Freya for some reason and we got a real Chase and Freya kiss. Which will lead us to an original chapter that is their planetarium date.