CHAPTER THREE, commando app

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Emilia and Leo stood in the lab as they listened to Donald, preparing the bionic trio for their proper first day of school.

"Okay guys, you have been trained for all kinds of missions. But, you are about to enter a soul-bruising, confidence-crushing, apolcalyptic environment: high school." Donald explained, dramatically causing Emilia to roll her eyes as he continued. "Adam, Bree, your glitch test results are fairly stable."

"Yes! I'm going to school!" Bree cheered, along with Adam who wore a grin on his face. "I'm fairly stable!"

Donald looked over at Chase with a frown. "But, Chase, I am still concerned about your commando app."

A look of disgust crossed Leo's face as he said in disbelief. "Commando app? Put on some underpants. We're going to school." Emilia rolled her eyes before smacking him upside the head.

"He didn't mean that, dummy." Emilia remarked.

"No see, in the face of an imminent threat, Chase's commando app kicks in and he becomes a fearless brute I like to call spike. It's kinda like a fight-or-flight thing, except I took out the flight part, 'cause, useless and I replaced it with a testosterone level of like a tasmanian devil-wolverine-shark-lion hybrid that's mad." Donald explained.

"Don't worry, Mr. Davenport. I promise that Spike won't rear his ugly head." Chase assured Donald who rose a brow before reminding the boy. "Oh, yeah? You mean like last christmas when I made the mistake of giving Adam boxing gloves?"

"I'm not sure if I want to know." Emilia muttered as they were having a flashback.

Adam gagged. "Ugh, I'm still coughing up tinsel."

"You know, letting Chase go to school isn't such a good idea. I can't risk Spike coming out." Donald protested before Leo came to his defence. "Oh, come on, Big D. Chase has to come. With these guys, I'll finally get a prime spot in the cafeteria. That's right, y'all. Put on your coats 'cause I'm about to ride your tail!"

"Don't worry. We'll make sure he stays out of trouble. Right guys?" Adam said and they all nodded.

"Yeah. It's one for all and all for one. Unless, of course, you guys make me look bad, in which case, I am dropping you lame-os and I am sticking with Emilia." Bree said making the auburn-haired girl smile.

"Mr. Davenport, I can't miss school. This is the beginning of my academic achievements and career trajectory. I mean, the road to astronaut lawyer has to start somewhere." Chase told him.

Donald sighed. "Okay. But I better not get a call from the art teacher saying that Spike ripped out her larynx. Actually, she wouldn't be able to say anything, because Spike ripped out her lar— the point is just keep him out of trouble." He told the rest of the group.

"Hey, look what I found." Adam said, holding up his hands to show red boxing gloves. He started punching the air until he ended up punching Chase in the stomach causing the boy to fall to the floor as everyone gave him shocked looks.

Emilia rolled her eyes as Adam went to hide behind her. "Look, I'm sorry, but if he's that close to the gloves, it's gonna happen." He defended.

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Now walking into the cafeteria, Leo scanned the room until his eyes stopped on the Principal before grabbing the bionic siblings' attention as he explained. "Okay, you guys. That's Principal Perry. She has the temperament of a junkyard dog stuffed into a really bad pantsuit."

Perry looked at a random student who walked by before she yelled. "Hey, you! No tongue rings in school! Don't try to hide it. I will take a metal detector to your face!"

"Wow, violent much." Emilia chuckled with sarcasm evident in her voice.

Bree noticed a cute boy with his friend. "This is it. My chance for romance. On TV, the new girl always drops her books and the cute guy with the soulful eyes picks them up."

Emilia leaned closer to Chase before whispering to him. "Watch this all go wrong." He let out a chuckle as Bree dropped her books causing a teacher that was passing by to slip on them instead. "Told you."

Bree awkwardly chuckled as she said. "Oops! sorry, I'm new."

Leo looked around the room, gesturing to the different tables as he said. "Okay, your social life is determined by where you sit. We can't sit at the cool table. But we can be cool table adjacent."

"FYI, Adam just sat down at the cool table." Bree informed the two non-bionics who widened their eyes as they followed her gaze to see Adam sitting with the cheerleaders, holding two oranges over his eyes.

"What?! He can't sit there!" Emilia exclaimed.

"That's where the football players sit with the cheerleaders. And they pride themselves on finding very clever places to stuff your pudding cup." Leo explained in a panic.

Chase chuckled. "These girls are actually talking to him. And they can't talk about shapes and colours forever. See ya." He said in disbelief before walking over to the table.

"No! The football players are gonna turn them into the 5th food group. It's a rescue mission. Move in. Move in." Leo said, panic raising in his voice as Emilia rolled her eyes. "Leo stop being dramatic."

Adam smiled as they approached. "Oh, hey guys. Look, these girls just told me when the football players get here, I'm getting a free pudding cup."

"Hi!" Leo greeted the cheerleaders before mumbling to Chase. "Walk away." He looked back up at the cheerleaders as he asked. "How's it going?" He leaned closer to Chase and mumbled. "You're in great danger."

At that moment, the football players then walked in, chanting. One of the guys walked up to Leo and sniffed him threateningly. "Sorry." Leo muttered before moving away from him, bringing Emilia with him.

Trent leant closer to Chase before he threatened the boy. "Hey. That's my seat. Get lost before I use you like a napkin."

Bree tapped her brother on the shoulder as she said. "Chase, we should probably go. He's not very absorbent." She nervously smiled at the boy but Trent just ignored her and purposely poured a drink on the table.

"Oh, look, a spill!" Trent said before grabbing Chase's shirt and pulled him up, causing Emilia to step forward in anger, however Leo pulled her back when Trent threatened Chase. "I think I'm gonna wipe it up with your face."

All of a sudden, Chase's face seized up and his commando app activated. He shocked everyone as his alter ego managed to pin Trent to the table before he threatened. "Think again, bubbleneck. I'm gonna rip out your kneecaps and use them as hockey pucks."

Adam got up dramatically from his chair and clamoured over to Bree, Emilia and Leo and told them. "Okay, I don't mean to alarm anyone, but I think Spike's back."

"Really, we didn't notice." Emilia muttered with sarcasm before turning her eyes back on the scene as Trent pointed his finger at Chase, and in attempt to hide how scared he was, he then shouted. "You have no idea who you're messing with. Okay? Pudding cups!"

Trent held his arms out to the side so the football players can hand him the pudding cups but Spike ended up grabbing them out of his hands. "Ohh, I'll take those." He said before squeezing the cups making the pudding spray all over the football team.

Trent wiped some of the pudding off his face before shouting. "Hey! Oooh! You're dead!" Spike responded by roaring in their faces, causing them to back away in fear. "You, okay, okay. You're lucky that we have to go to the reading centre right now." Trent stammered before him and the rest of the team ran out of the cafeteria, making the whole room erupt in applause.

Spike held his arm out, gesturing to the cool table as he said. "Take a seat, compadres. This is our table now." Emilia sat down on the seat next to Bree and grew uncomfortable when Spike winked at her causing her to move closer to Bree.

Leo stood beside one of the cheerleaders as he said with a smile. "Hello, ladies. You may remember me from health class when I passed out during the miracle of birth video. It's good to see you again."

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Walking through the hallway, Emilia rolled her eyes at her best friend who continued to chant loudly. "All right. Make room for the alpha dogs. Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof! Woof!"

Emilia put her hand on Leo's shoulder as she told him. "Don't do that."

Leo pursed his lips before muttering. "Okay."

Bree's eyes widened. "Wait, if we're the alpha dogs, then..." She dropped her books and several boys rushed to pick them up for her, making her squeal in happiness. "Ooh, I love this!"

A boy then walked by and passed Spike a slip of paper causing him to ask. "What's this?"

"That's an all access hall pass. You can go anywhere you want with that." Leo explained in disbelief.

Spike walked away and stopped in front of the group as he said. "I can go anywhere I want already. These," Spike flexes his muscles. "ugh, are my hall passes."

"Okay, if he started oiling up, I'm out," Leo said and the others nodded.

As if he sensed Emilia was uncomfortable, his commando app deactivated causing him to grow confused as Chase questioned. "Commando app disengaged? Guys! Why was I in commando mode?"

"Were you in commando mode?" Bree began to lie through a high-pitched voice.

"I didn't see a commando mode." Leo chimed in with a nervous stammer.

"Oh, that's good, everyone keep lying." Adam told them.

Chase looked at them in disappointment as he said. "You guys were supposed to watch out for me."

"Oh, we watched the whole thing." Leo started to say with an impressed look. "You manhandled the quarterback and pudding popped the whole offensive line!"

Chase opened his mouth in shock. "What?! Aw, great. This is so gonna come back to haunt my supreme court nomination."

"You know what Spike would say to that?" Bree rhetorically asked. "Nothing. He'd rip out your rib cage and play it like a xylophone."

"Yeah, I like him. He's like a big, fun monster, and, you're a sad little buddy." Adam mocked his brother.

Leo dropped his bag on the ground as he walked over to Chase and declared that he would get Spike back before pointing his finger at Chase in attempt to threaten him. "Get lost before I use you like a napkin." Leo tried to lift Chase up several times, but failed as he sighed. "Yeah, this isn't gonna work."

Emilia rolled her eyes. "Yeah, no shit." She told him, earning a glare from the boy as the others chuckled at her comment.

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Back in the cafeteria, Leo was flirting with a cheerleader when Chase looked up, his eyes widening when he spotted Trent. "Hey, there's Trent. I better go apologise." Chase stood up, only to be pulled back down by Bree as she said. "Whoa! Slow it up, buttercup!"

"Mail him a greeting card. It's so much more personal." Leo added.

"Guys, look. The cheerleaders cut up my food into tiny pieces. I'm eating a turkey burger through a straw." Adam said, showing them his plate before taking a sip through his straw and let out. "Mmm. Gibblet-y!"

Principal Perry walked in and spotted Chase and she shouted. "Hey! New kid! Come here!" Chase stood up quickly and went over to her before she continued. "Do you know what happens when my football players get humiliated? No! You don't, because my football players don't get humiliated!"

Emilia looked over at the football players and said loud enough for them to hear. "They look humiliated to me." A janitor walked by with a garbage bag and accidentally hit some of the football players in the head. Perry glared at her as Chase shot her a look, causing her to shrug before looking away from them.

Perry looked back at Chase. "I know what team spirit is about. Because I was the jammer on the north pacific roller derby championship team."

Chase nervously chuckled. "Quite an accomplishment."

Perry glared at him. "Don't mock me, squash face. My career ended when a trash talker like you got inside my head and I wiped. One zebra called it the worst single-bodied collision she'd ever seen."

Chase chuckled. "I'd crash too if I saw a talking zebra."

"It's a referee, you desk donkey! Trent told me what you did this morning at breakfast. You will not undermine the morale of my team." Perry told him before turning to the people at the cool table and ordered. "Evacuate this table. Now!"

Adam, Bree, Emilia and Leo hurriedly got up from the table just as Chase's anger increased and his commando app activated.

Spike glared at Perry before telling her. "Watch who you're talking to, sports bra! I bet you panicked, threw yourself off the track, and blamed the other team for your weakness." The auburn-haired girl mentally groaned when she heard Spike again.

"Do you think this Spike thing's gotten a bit out of hand?" Leo asked the people next to him with Emilia first to answer. "He might've crossed the line at sports bra."

Perry gasped in shock. "I had to quit because of that accident."

"Quit? Or move out of the state in shame?" Spike questioned, causing everyone to 'ooh' the woman who was quick to defend herself. "He doesn't know! He wasn't there."

"Why don't you hop in your economy car and tootle on home to your six cats and your online bingo tournament." Spike told the woman who nervously corrected. "Jokes on you. I have five cats. Ha!"

She turned around and went to walk away, only for Trent to stop her as he whined like a five year old child. "You didn't get our table back. Bumming us out and when we're bummed out, we lose. Do something."

Perry sighed before walking back to the group to challenge. "All right, kid. I'll make you a deal. Let's be civilised and settle this the old fashioned way. With a bone crushing grudge match on the football field!" She put her hands into fists and cheered as the football team stood behind her.

Spike smirked. "We're in. Me... him, her, her... and him."

Perry smiled. "You and your band of nobodies versus my fighting dingos."

Bree turned to her friends with an offended look on her face. "Who is she calling a nobody? Em got me half a bff's necklace today." Adam and Leo gasped as Emilia simply smiled.

"Winner takes table and all the glory." Leo cleared his throat and caught Perry's attention as he explained. "Oh, ma'am, as much as I'd like to flex my football fanciness, um, girls soccer has the field tonight."

Perry shrugged as she exclaimed. "Eh, just as well. I can't condone such a violent game on school grounds. So let's take it to the dog park across the street!"

"Yeah!" All the football team cheered and started to run out the cafeteria.

"Am I the only one that's gonna need a fresh change of pants before we start?" Leo questioned causing Emilia to grimace in disgust.

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It was now time for the match, and the group was on the field in the dog park dressed in the right clothes for the match.

"This doesn't seem fair." Leo pointed out after seeing the team that they were playing. Although, Perry just ignored him and blew on her whistle before shouting. "Seems fair to me. Let's get it on!"

"Let's huddle!" Leo called out causing the bionic trio to look at him confused.

"Huh?"

"Pardon me?"

"I huddled before I got here."

Emilia groaned. "Oh, man, you guys don't know how to play football."

"Okay, we need to stop that team from getting into our end zone and scoring a—" Leo explained but was cut off by Trent. "Hike!" Trent yelled and threw the ball and all of a sudden, Leo screamed before he was tackled to the ground. After the football team scored a touchdown, Leo muttered from the ground. "...touchdown."

7-0 to the Dingos, meaning the Alpha Dogs we're losing.

Leo brought Adam over, explaining. "All right, Adam. You squat down right here, and when I say, 'hike,' you're gonna pass the ball between your legs to my hands which will be right here."

"Whoa! Hey, it's football. It's not handsball." He reminded Leo.

"Ready?" Trent called out before all the football players yelled out. "Break!"

Spike walked forward, looking at Adam as he said. "Hey, nuggethead. Quit sucking air and hike him the ball like this." He held the ball before passing it to Leo between his legs. Leo is then carried away by two football players, and they run into the end zone, scoring two points in the end, the score was now 9-0 to the dingos.

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The Alpha dogs were currently standing with each other when Spike grumbled. "Losing makes me wanna rip out my own intestines and wear 'em as a sweatband."

Emilia looked at him weirdly. "Okay."

"The only way we're gonna win is if we use your super speed," Leo said pointing at Bree before pointing at Emilia and said. "your fiesty attitude," He pointed at Adam. "your super strength," He pointed at Spike. "and your super-nutty split personality."

"I'll do whatever it takes. I already smell like a sweaty ape. I don't want this to be for nothing."

"Here's what we're gonna do." Leo said before they formed into a huddle. After explaining the plan, they all called out. "Break!" They pulled away from the huddle and the girls moved to the side of the pitch.

"Whoo! Yeah! Go team! Whoo!" Emilia cheered, doing different poses with Bree who then bragged to everyone. "We're football players and cheerleaders. We're that good."

Perry then blew the whistle and Leo stood up and pointed over in a direction as he asked. "Hey! Is that a biggie burger truck pulling up?" The football players looked in the direction that Leo was pointing at while Bree super speeded around the players and tied their shoe laces together. Leo fake sighed before saying. "Guess not. Hike!"

The football players tried to move but they couldn't because of their shoes as Trent yelled out. "Hey! How'd our shoes get tied together?"

Spike then knocked through all the players and ended up scoring a touchdown.

"Touchdown!" Leo cheered along with the rest of the Alpha Dogs.

As Adam began to dance with the other two, Emilia ran up to Spike and jumped into his arms without thinking, causing Chase to come back as his commando app deactivated. He pulled away from the hug confused but saw Emilia smiling at him. He looked around and looked down at his outfit before asking. "Wait! Where am I? And am I wearing a jockstrap?"

The group ran over to the other side as Bree went up to Chase as she said. "Oh, no. It's Chase." She started throttling him as she begged wanting to win the game. "We need Spike back! Where is he? Where is Spike?"

Emilia pulled her off Chase. "Hey, let's just ease back on the throttling here, yeah."

Chase looked at Bree to remind her. "I told you. I don't wanna be Spike. Look, I've been waiting for my first day of school for 15 years. And now I don't even remember it."

"When you put it that way, I just feel selfish." The Dooley boy first spoke as the group started to feel bad for him, however, Adam didn't get the memo and groaned at Chase. "Oh, come on! Snap out of it! I wanna win!"

Finally the game had finished and unfortunately the Alpha Dogs lost so it meant for them losing the cool table and their popularity. Leo was too injured to walk so he had his four friends to carry him home.

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