CHAPTER EIGHT, parallel universe

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"Inventing the wheel?" Donald questioned as he walked into the lab with the teens following behind him. "Boring. Discovering electricity? Snooze. Sliced bread? Lame. But now, Davenport Industries introduces the world's first... Proton Fuser!"

Everyone pursed their lips at the sight before Leo spoke up. "You know, for a scientist you'd think your payoffs would be a bit more proportionate to your buildups."

"Uh, the payoff is that it allows us to see the origins of the universe." Donald said. "This thing fuses sub-atomic particles, so we can understand how planets form." Emilia sighed, glancing at Bree who piped up. "Well, we already understand how boredom forms."

"Haven't you ever wondered where stuff comes from? Galaxies? Stars? Planets?" Donald asked, getting a chuckle from Adam. "This stuff, no. Onion rings, yes." He said.

"Guys, I have always wanted to build this thing, and now it's a reality. It's an important life lesson: If you have a dream, believe in it, 'cause it can happen." Donald told them as Chase looked at Emilia with a smile.

He wanted to believe that someday, he could call her his girlfriend. And he hoped that he would.

"Um, Mr Davenport, isn't it dangerous to tinker with the fabric of the universe?" Chase asked.

Adam laughed. "He said Tinker." Emilia looked at Adam with a slight amused look before looking back at Donald who then said. "Yes, technically, it could destabilise the Earth, or open up a wormhole into a parallel universe. But, I made it and I want to play with it, so..." He moved over to turn the machine on, create a blue flashing light as a line between the two lasers appeared.

"Prepare to be amazed!" Donald grinned, holding his hands up in the air before Chase turned to the ones next to him to chime in. "Or gravely injured." A blue spark appeared in the middle, in what looked like a small wormhole, however it disappeared in a second.

"Once again, big buildup, teeny, tiny payoff." Leo reminded his stepfather. Tasha then walked in with a huge smile on her face. "Okay, the popcorn is popping and the movie is uploaded. Or downloaded. Whatever, the red thingy is blinking green. Just head upstairs, it's movie time!"

Emilia smiled, jumping onto Chase's back, who laughed before adjusting his grip on her. He laughed after hearing the girl call out. "Charge!"

All laughing at the movie, Leo frowned being left out as he had to spend his time cleaning the dishes. The boy stepped closer to the couch while cleaning the dish only to be caught by Tasha, making him drop it onto the floor.

He backed away from his mother who declared no tv for the rest of the week for him, so to bite back, he revealed. "By the way, I've seen this movie. I wouldn't get too attached to that dog."

Emilia gasped before growling at the boy. "How dare you." Leo made his way down to the lab with a huff. "Stupid chores." He said with the kick of his feet, before stopping in his tracks to see the Proton Fuser on, and the wormhole seemed like it was getting bigger by the second. "I'm just gonna go ahead and say it. This isn't gonna end well." He said to himself. He turned around calling out for help, until he eventually got sucked into the wormhole.

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Walking into the living room, Leo stopped to take a look around, noticing a change in the room, as most of the furniture were white.

"Oh, you don't like my software design?" Leo heard the familiar voice that was his mother walk into the room. "Well, that doesn't really matter, because you are fired!" He gasped, accidentally dropping a vase onto the floor. "Mom, I'm so sorry, I didn't even know that was there."

The woman walked towards the couches to get her tablet as she shook him off. "Break whatever you want, Leo. I can afford a thousand of those."

"You can?" Leo furrowed his brows in confusion, in which Tasha reminded him. "Of course. One of the many perks of being a billionaire. Well, that and being able to tease millionaires."

Leo furrowed his brows, stepping over the vase before wondering. "Wait, where is everybody? I thought we were watching a movie? And when did we move into an Italian furniture showroom?"

Tasha sighed, shutting the case to her tablet. "I don't have time for this, Leo. Tasha Technologies isn't going to run itself."

"Tasha Technologies?" Leo muttered to himself, with furrowed brows. He looked up at his mother who asked him. "Honey, toss me my keys." He went to throw them to her, only for the keys to go right through the door, creating a hole in the process. "Mom, did you see what I just did?"

"Yeah. That was a good one." Tasha smiled. "You took out the Goldberg's mailbox. Now, remember, honey, no using your bionics at school." Tasha left the house, leaving Leo to turn around in confusion, looking down at his hands as he questioned. "What bionics?"

Suddenly, electricity shot from his hands, hitting the chandelier making it fall to the ground and break into multiple pieces. "Leo, I heard a crash. Are you okay?" The familiar face of Donald Davenport came running in. Stepping towards him, Leo turned to him in confusion. "I just shot lightning out of my fingers. I don't know what's going on but I'm terrified to pick my nose."

"That's one of your new bionic upgrades." The man informed him. "You harness static electricity to form lightning bolts. I voted for sneezing thunder, but your mom shot me down."

"So, I really am bionic? What else do I have?" The teen wondered, before listing off some known abilities to him. "Super speed? Super strength? Super smarts?" Donald looked at him confused before telling him. "Leo, you know you have these abilities." Leo smiled before gasping. "Can I fly?"

He went to attempt it, but fell face first to the ground, making Donald purse his lips. "Nope. But your brilliant scientist inventor Mom is working on it." He told him. Leo stood up with furrowed brows. "What are you talking about? You're the brilliant scientist." This made the man laugh at the boy, as if he was kidding. "No. No, I'm still just your mom's lab assistant. Which reminds me, I should go. I'm not allowed upstairs when she's not home. So..."

"Wait. Wait." Leo stopped him. "You're not an inventor?" He questioned. "Well, not officially. I mean, most of the stuff I invent either doesn't work or bursts into flames. See these eyebrows. Borrowed them from my back. But, I did just finish a prototype on a Proton Fuser, so..."

"Proton Fuser. That's it!" Leo gasped at the familiarity of the name, from when Donald went to show them that morning. "I must have travelled through a wormhole into this parallel universe!" He theorised.

Donald looked at him in disbelief. "Leo, you read too many comic books. Now, uh, off to school, and, uh, let's just keep this between you and I, okay?"

Leo nodded. "I promise, I will not let anyone know I have bionics." He told him.

Donald shook his head. "No, no, no. I mean, don't tell your mom I was upstairs, or she'll take away my bathroom breaks."

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Walking into school, after having an incredibly confusing, and weird encounter with Principal Perry, the boy widened his eyes seeing a familiar figure standing by her locker.

"Emilia?" Leo called out in shock. "What did you do to your hair?" He wondered, seeing the unfamiliar pink streaks and the blonde colour change.

Emilia furrowed her brows. "What do you mean, it's always been like this?"

"Really? Wait, how come you weren't at home? I didn't see you this morning." The Dooley boy questioned the girl who looked at him as if he was crazy. "Because I don't live with you, Leo. I live at home with my mom. Are you feeling okay?"

Leo widened his eyes at the mention of her mom especially since as far as he knew, her mother was sadly deceased.

He glanced to the side, widening his eyes to see a trio known people to him. "There's Adam, Bree and Chase. Come on." He said, making Emilia shake him off.

"No, thanks. If that douchebag Chase says one word to me, he gets a punch in the nose." Emilia said, shutting her locker before walking away.

Leo furrowed his brows at the comment before walking into the hall anyway. "Guys, there you are! This is unbelievable!" Leo said, before Chase interrupted him. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hey, everyone check it out. We got an exchange student from Nerdistan. Ha!"

"Yeah, like, step off. We don't know you." Bree told the teen, chewing her gum. "And FYI, I wouldn't put my poodle in that outfit."

Leo's brows twitched in confusion. "Come on, guys. It's me, Leo. And you're Adam, Bree and Chase Davenport." He told them.

"Uh, we're Adam, Bree and Chase Henderson. Are you lost, little guy?" Adam informed. The bell rang as Leo furrowed his brows. "I don't understand."

"There's so much to not understand in life, isn't there?" Adam sighed. "Like, what would happen if we all just stopped for a second and just existed. Plus ca change, et les plus c'est la meme chose."

"Plus-ah-what?" Leo uttered in a mixture of shock and confusion.

Emilia started walking past them which caught Chase's attention as he smirked her way. "Nice view, Emilia." He wolf whistled to the girl who huffed out a breath before turning around to face him.

"Why, thank you. Asshole." She flipped him off before turning to Leo. "Come on, Leo. Otherwise, you're gonna be late for class." She sent one last glare to the jock before strutting away.

Leo furrowed his brows at their interaction. So much was changing, and he didn't even know why.

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Accidentally revealing his bionic secret to the Hendersons, he was about to get taken by people who they called, only luckily, he was able to escape using his super speed. Him and Donald managed to get back to the mansion, however, the men were able to get back there, and tie them up to a pole.

Using his new bionic ability, Leo geoleaped him and Donald to the school, only to find out that the place was still covered with agents. Managing to get back to the lab, but not without fighting the agents off with his bionic abilities.

"We don't have much time, fire up the Proton Fuser." Leo said to the man, who pulled off the sheet to reveal the machine. Donald moved it to the right position. "Now, I would feel a lot better about this if you would sign some release forms."

"Push! Buttons!" Leo rushed, gesturing with his hands. Donald did as he said, making the machine turn on, and a small spark appeared in the middle of the blue line before disappearing, making Donald sigh as he threw up his arms.

"See! Told you. It doesn't work." Donald said, before Leo looked back to see the elevator doors opening. "Well, make it work." He told the man, before super speeding to shut the lab doors.

"Can't some dreams just die?" Donald asked, in which Leo told him. "It took a whole for the wormhole to reach full size." Donald pointed his finger at him before saying. "That sounds like a volume threshold problem. I can tweak that!"

"Well, what are you waiting for? Tweak!" Leo rushed him, before Donald did as he said. "That's it. You're doing it." Leo smiled.

"Wow. Something I made actually works." The man smiled proudly, before the two looked back at the lab doors as the agents tried to push them open. "Wait, if I leave, what'll happen to you?"

"Both universes will reset to the instant you left. None of this will have ever happened! Except, I'm gonna start believing in myself." Donald smiled softly, making Leo nod. "Good. Bring it in." He said, pulling him into a hug. "Thanks, Leo. I tell you I'll never forget you, technically, that- yeah. You just- all right." Donald said, before trying to hit the agents. "All right, go, Leo. It's now or never." And luckily, Leo had jumped into the wormhole, just in time before the agents could grab him.

Running back upstairs after landing back into the lab, Leo ran into the living room, sighing in relief when he saw they were still watching the movie.

"I'm gonna miss that dog." Emilia cried, before looking to the side as Leo screamed, seeing a familiar person from his alternate reality.

"Relax Leo. That's Gordon. He's my new head of Corporate Security." Donald explained.

"Well, hey there, little buddy." The man greeted, after pulling his glasses off. "Nice to meet you. Aah!" He looked towards his mother before engulfing her in a hug as he said. "I'm so happy to see you guys!"

"Oh! Nice to see you in a better mood. Now, put that energy into your chores." Tasha told him, in which Leo replied. "Absolutely! I will never complain about my chores ever again. It's so good to be home!"

"Good to be home? Where did you go?" Bree wondered, making Emilia nod as she chimed in with the same reaction. "Yeah. Leo, are you okay?"

"A Parallel Universe!" Leo answered Bree first as he walked towards them. "Mom was a tech mogul, Chase was an annoying jock who Emilia absolutely despised by the way. She was the same except, she had blonde hair with pink highlights."

Emilia scoffed out a breath. "First off. What's with the different versions of me having different hair colours. And second, that's impossible, I could never hate Chase." Leo had went on to explain more about what he saw in the parallel universe, with Chase looking at Emilia with a loving smile.

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MEGAN SPEAKS !

hope you enjoyed reading this
chapter. chase and emilia having a
different dynamic in another universe,
haha! thanks for reading, i love you all! <33