CHAPTER TWENTY THREE, my little brother

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As it turned out, Adam had maxed out his super strength without Chase and Emilia knowing, leaving them surprised when the boy was ripping the back of chairs off, and knocking tables down just by touching it. They were back at the lab, as Adam was examining the capsule door, with the other two watching him.

"I can't believe you maxed out your strength after I specifically told you not to." Chase sighed, moving to stand behind the control panel. "In my defense, you telling me what to do is like a monkey telling a hedgehog what to do- it's ridiculous." Adam replied, making the two sigh at him. "But it would make an awesome buddy cop movie."

"Can we just please get this over with?" Emilia asked with a slight groan, before Chase nodded along. "Yeah. I gotta get back to school. It's Karaoke Day in Latin Class and I'm singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." He explained his reason. Adam and Emilia furrowed their brows at the boy as he began singing. "Scintillat scintillat paulo stella..."

With Emilia hunched over bursting into laughter, Adam rhetorically asked. "You do know Emilia's too good for you, right?"

Chase looked down at Emilia before turning back to his brother. "Yeah? Well, when you get a girlfriend, yours is gonna have to cut your food, so we're even. Get in your capsule." He sassed.

As her laughter died down, Emilia stood back up straight, taking deep breaths to stop herself from laughing anymore.

"All right, reducing super strength in three, two, one..." Chase said, clicking on the control desk before pressing a button. "All right, we should probably test it out to make sure that you're back to normal. Come here." He told his brother.

Adam followed the couple before they stopped so Chase could explain. "This is made out of ultra-strength titanium. Think you can break it?" The taller boy nodded. "Sure, stand still while I smash it over your head."

"Adam!" Emilia scolded. "He meant with your hand." She reminded the boy who replied. "Not as fun, but okay." Adam moved forward with an exhale before throwing his fist onto it, making him furrow his brows, when it did nothing. He groaned, turning to the others. "Ah, I'm back to normal. Now, I'm only a hundred times stronger than you. Guess I'm gonna have to hit you more often to make up for it." He sighed.

Shaking his head, Chase told him. "You really don't have to."

Adam slapped him on the shoulder softly. "Oh, that's sweet. But I really do." As Adam started following Chase, Emilia sighed and rolled her eyes before she ran to jump on Adam's back with a yell. "Stop hitting your brother!"

Getting back to school, Adam looked down at his jumper with furrowed brows. "Hey, Chase, when you zapped me I think you took a little bit of weight off." He thought out loud.

Chase shook his head in disbelief. "Adam, that's impossible. It doesn't work like that." He said before stepping towards the drinking station as he continued to explain. "The re-calibration adjusts the ratio of your muscle mass to your body frame and, and, who am I kidding? You stopped listening five seconds ago, right?"

Emilia screamed, seeing what just happened, making Chase turn around. "Lia, what's wrong? And where's Adam?" He questioned as the girl pointed to Adam's clothes that were crumbled up on the floor.

"I'm down here!" They both heard a high pitched voice, making the two crouch down as Adam said. "Told you I was losing weight. Guys, what's going on?"

"I, I, I guess I was in such a rush to re-calibrate your chip, I accidentally forgot to enter the size parameters, which caused a glitch and-" Chase explained, before Adam interrupted him. "I'm two inches tall and naked! Do something!"

"Fine." Chase sighed before glancing over at his girlfriend. "Hey, you look away while I get him some clothes." He said protectively, making the girl raise her arms in the air.

After finding him an outfit, Adam was now stood in Chase's locker, on top of his books when he threw his arms out to the sides. "Really, Chase? A purple ninja outfit? You know purple's not my color!" Chase shrugged in defense. "It was from the lost and found. There were only two action figures, this and power girl. And you do not have the legs to work that skirt." He explained, scoffing out a breath. "Ha. Just hurry up and fix this. I can't stand being smaller than you." Adam rushed him.

"You know, I've been smaller than you for my entire life. Now you know what it's like." Chase told him. "Do you remember all the names you called me?" He asked, making Emilia frown. "Not all of them, but I remember there was Tinypants McGoo, Microman, Tiny boy, Ant boy, Eency Meency, Little woman..." He laughed, making Chase grab something before putting it over Adam.

"Why is it dark? What's going on? Let me out!"

Chase smiled, lifting it off to see Adam holding his arms out. "Hey, what'd you do that for?" He questioned.

"I wanted you to see what it's like to be picked on by someone larger than you. But, since I'm a nice guy, now I'll take you home to fix you." Chase explained.

"Thank you, Chase, it's really big of you." Adam said, making Emilia smile before it fell as the boy added. "And I don't get to say that very often."

"Adam!" Emilia scolded. "Stop it now." She said, giving him the mom look. She looked towards Chase with a smirk. "You know what, Chase? Why don't we have fun with Tiny Adam to show him what it's like?"

The boy smiled with a nod. "Good idea, Lia." He replied, kissing her on the cheek before grabbing Adam and picking him up as Emilia shut the locker. "You know that new tarantula in the science lab?" Chase asked.

Adam smiled. "Oh, yeah, Harvey! He's great."

"Well, let's see how great he is when he gets a surprise visit from a tiny, purple ninja." Chase informed, letting out a laugh as he put Adam in his pocket before walking away.

Hoping Chase wouldn't go too far, Emilia then muttered. "Oh, boy."

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Emilia walked back into the hallway after visiting the restroom to see Chase what looked like dancing by the drinking station. Upon seeing his actions, two girls stopped to stare at the boy who laughed nervously. "New internet dance craze. Look it up!"

Emilia raised a brow before moving towards her boyfriend. "What's wrong now? You got ants in your pants?" She quipped.

"No." He said, making Emilia chuckle before flinching as Chase yelled. "Leo!" The girl huffed out a breath, looking behind her to see the boy himself, making her whack Chase in the shoulder. "Don't do that!"

"What?" Leo asked, furrowing his brows at the look on Chase's face. "I need you guys' help. Leo, I accidentally shrunk Adam and he is gone!" The youngest sibling explained as Emilia already began looking around.

The two boys looked at Emilia who kept making weird noises. Leo stepped towards his best friend before asking. "What's wrong? Did Timmy fall down the well?"

Emilia sent her best friend a look, before pulling the two aside. "No. I think I just saw Adam dive into that book bag." She informed.

The three ran after the girl who walked into the hall, excusing themselves to check her bag which they found Adam in, however the small boy somehow ended up in Perry's lunch.

"Adam, get out of there!" Chase tried to tell him, before he was going to be eaten by Perry. Chase ran and grabbed a hold of the burger before it entered Perry's mouth.

"Braver men than you have tried to take my food before. They ain't men now." Perry said, before Chase snatched the burger away from her. He pointed his finger at the woman. "I won't let you eat my brother!"

Perry scoffed. "You vegetarians make me sick. It's a turkey, not your brother. Now give me back that bird, hippie!" She demanded, before her and Chase bickered with each other, either trying to get the burger or making sure the other doesn't.

"Drop the burger, Terry!" Bree exclaimed, as the woman snatched it. "How about I drop you, girlie?" She challenged, making Bree hum. "I had a feeling you might say that. Which is why I brought in the big guns." Bree explained, before a woman came barging into the hall.

"Theresa!"

"Mother? What are you doing here?" Perry uttered out, making Emilia raise her brows in confusion. "Say what now?" She questioned, looking between the two women. The older woman gestured to Bree. "This lovely young lady called me and said you were causing trouble. What did I tell you about wrestling for food?"

"Oh! That if you're gonna do it, you better win?"

"Don't you sass your momma!" The woman walked towards her, grabbing the burger off her and put it on the table. Chase went to grab it when Perry's mother slapped him. "Hands off, troll!" She sighed before continuing. "I apologise for her causing so much trouble."

"She's not really the Principal!" Perry tried to but in, when her mother sassed back, "And you're not really a child, so stop acting like one! Theresa, what do you say to Principal Bree?"

"Sorry." Perry muttered quietly before getting a shout from her mother in return. "Big girl voice!"

This made her repeat her apologise, more louder and clearer for Bree to hear. "I'm going to take her home and give her a good talking to." The woman said to Bree who hummed with a smile at her lips. "I think that's a great idea." Perry was dragged out by the ear by her mother making Emilia gasp. "She's now my new favourite person!"

She was pulled along with Chase as him and Leo rushed towards the garbage can as the burger was just thrown in there. The boys carried the garbage can out of the hall and brought it home to check through. Once they had found him, Adam was finally back to his normal size.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

MEGAN SPEAKS !

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