Capitulo XIII- Exoesqueleto
Leo and Chase presented themselves near dinnertime. However, they kept their space from each other with Chase giving Leo some small glares. Patience glanced at them wondering what argument could have let the two brothers fight. They seemed to be okay before they ran off to the lab. Perhaps it was a small dispute between them. Either way, Patience wanted to know what was upsetting them.
Grandma Rose greeted Mr. Davenport as he entered the great room. His eyebrows narrowed, glancing around. Bree lay on her back on the ground, crunching up. In his apron, Adam opened the oven with a mitten to check on the rose apples he and Patience prepared for dessert. Leo made his way over to him recognizing the appetizing scent.
Grandma Rose approached him in his still position. She remarked, placing her hands on her hips, "About time. I was beginning to think you were avoiding me."
"I was." His eyebrows shot up as he continued, "Uh, sick. I mean I was sick. I was feeling very ill, and I had a very important phone call." He added, "Uh, it's not nearly as important as you."
Rose chuckled, "Nice save."
"Thank you, I thought so." Mr. Davenport pointed at the bionic siblings, "Honey, what're Adam and Bree doing?"
Tasha rose from the couch, saying, "You mean our chef and trainer?"
He nodded, "That explains what they are doing."
"Dinner is ready. Dessert will be out in ten minutes," Adam announced. Patience sent him a thumbs up and he smiled to himself. He closed the oven and grabbed the cookbook upside down. He pretended to read the book until Leo flipped it to the right side.
Chase noticed the table had yet to be set. Considering the kitchen didn't smell like burnt food and the fire alarms hadn't rung, Patience must've been close to Adam's side to help. "Can I help?" questioned Chase.
Patience looked beside her, lowering the plate onto the stack. "Yeah. I have a stack of four you can take." She held the small stack out to him and asked, "Are you okay?" His eyebrows furrowed at her question. "You and Leo won't get three feet within each other."
He rolled his eyes recalling the events before. He took the stack from her, "No, he upstaged me on Mr. Davenport's call."
Patience took down another stack of four plates. She walked to the table and said, "Was it the conference call with buyers you were excited to present?"
"Yes, it's that one. He took my presentation and Mr. Davenport gave him the task of presenting the exoskeleton." Chase placed a plate on the charger. He continued with his story in a quiet voice as they set up the table.
"That exoskeleton looked a little dangerous. Why did he give it to Leo?"
"Mr. Davenport claimed I've done plenty of calls and let Leo have this one." He hesitated to say the next part. He knew she wouldn't like what he did after calling the exoskeleton dangerous. Patience waited for him to resume as they grabbed bowls from the cabinet. "I messed with the exoskeleton and it lost control."
Patience tilted her head, "Chase-"
"I know it was a bad idea, but with an enhanced intelligence how could I not mess with it." He could feel her disappointed stare behind him. "It's dangerous I know. I ruined the conference and I'm not allowed on the next one anyway. My terrible luck already got back at me."
Patience frowned, setting the utensils on the napkin. Tasha announced, "You know what? Let's just all sit down and have a nice dinner together."
"We can sit down, but having a nice dinner just isn't gonna happen," Leo answered, still by Adam's side. Tasha sent him a glare and pinched her fingers together.
Patience set the last fork down and looked at the table. She rested her hands on her hips eyeing the completed table. She smiled at Chase, "Thanks for the help, Chase."
As he was going to reply. Grandma Rose pointed at him, "Hey, you're Leo's manny and you're letting him near the hot stove?"
Patience informed her, "Grandma Rose. I asked him to help set up the table. It was my fault."
She shook her head, "Mmm, no. It's his job to look over Leo. You have Grandma Rose here to help you."
Patience gave Chase an apologetic glance. He jogged past Adam bringing the pot of spaghetti. Chase barely caught her look. He yanked Leo away, holding his arms, "Watch it, Leo. You wanna get sent to bed without any supper?"
Leo halted in his place and glanced between his family taking their seats on the table and Chase. His eyes bulged out of his head, quickly replying, "Yes."
Chase sighed, rolling his eyes. He pushed Leo toward the table to find their seats. Patience scooted herself to the table. Bree was on her left and Grandma Rose was on her right, at the end of the table. Adam held the pot with one hand and scooped spaghetti into her bowl. "Pa-sphetti?" he offered.
She watched the spaghetti pour into her bowl. There was a small part of her that expected the spaghetti to be burnt, but it was a nice color and held enough sauce just to her liking. She narrowed her eyes on Adam as he served Patience. She didn't look phased by the well-made food. However, she noticed the surprised look on Bree's face. She whispered something to Patience and she nodded.
As Adam served Leo, the wall behind the kitchen busted in. Everyone's head snapped to the exoskeleton that burst through the lab's elevator doors. Dust of the wood erupted in a cloud, dulling the blue lights on the exoskeleton. It pushed over the kitchen counter, crashing the kitchen appliances on the ground.
Patience shot up from her seat. "Well, would you look at that?" she awkwardly chuckled.
They jumped from their seats and Grandma Rose jabbed her fingers at the exoskeleton. She fretted, "What is that!"
The exoskeleton crushed the counter with every step, growing closer to the family. "That is another member of our staff," Leo fibbed. The exoskeleton lifted a bench and threw it behind itself. He turned his head to the machine, shooing it away, "Go away, James. We don't need you right now."
Grandma Rose whipped her head to him, "Boy, I'm old, not senile and that ain't no butler! I'm out." She didn't even throw her napkin on the table. She ran away, clutching it in her hands. She hid behind the far end of the couch.
Patience rushed to Grandma Rose's side. Adam, Bree, Tasha, and Mr. Davenport dove behind it to hide. Tasha squeezed in between Patience and her mother. Their heads peaked out to watch the exoskeleton's steps. Chase and Leo couldn't fit in with the crowded family. They ducked behind the plants a couple of feet away.
The exoskeleton swiped the fruit bowl off another kitchen counter. Bree demanded, motioning to the exoskeleton, "Adam, Don't just sit there. Go and take that thing down!"
Tasha grasped his arm, bringing him down, "No! You do that and someone will know that someone has certain abilities!"
Grandma Rose looked confused at Tasha's explosion. The exoskeleton tore the stove off the ground. He chucked it in their direction and Patience dipped her head lower. She flinched when it clanked on the ground behind her. Her apples spilled on the floor but even if it took long to peel and cut them, she didn't care for that. She just wanted to rush out the door.
Adam sat up, scolding, "Oh, great! Now dessert is ruined!"
Rose raised her brows, "Donald, you're the man of the house, do something!"
"Right. I'll take care of this." Mr. Davenport strutted to the exoskeleton. A laser breezed by his torso. He yelled and jolted, covering his face. He ran to his hiding spot next to Bree.
"My hero," Rose sarcastically replied. Leo sprinted off dodging a laser the exoskeleton threw at him. "Now you see! Your little gizmo's putting us all in danger. That robot's about to kill is. See, back when I was a kid back in the day-"
"Yeah, that's a fascinating story, Rose. Do you mind if we hear about it later?" Mr. Davenport retorted.
Patience ducked as another Laser shot at them. Mr. Davenport held onto the couch for support and threw a pillow at the exoskeleton. Patience lowered herself and crawled away. Grandma Rose reached her hand out to grab her, but she was too far. She crawled to Chase's side, questioning, "Where is Leo?"
He responded, glancing now and then at the exoskeleton, "I don't know. He said he had an idea and took off."
Tasha yelled, "It's destroying our house and you're tossing pillows at it."
"Well, they're called throw pillows." Mr. Davenport threw another pillow. Adam stretched his arm out to grab the furthest one away from him and gave it to Mr. Davenport.
Leo popped back into the room. He held a device in his hand and twirled it around. "Time for this Exo to meet his match."
Chase turned his body to him. He smiled, praising, "The electrofield de-stabilizer. Great idea, Leo."
"Thanks." Leo stopped and slid next to Chase, "Here. You should do it. Sorry for stealing your sizzle."
"No, I'm the one who should be sorry," he gestured to himself. "I just have to get used to the idea of having another brother around."
Mr. Davenport interrupted the duo, "Guys, I'm really enjoying the heartfelt moment, but I'm running out of pillows here." He threw his last pillow at the machine and it stumbled back.
"Should we take this bad boy down together?" Leo smirked.
Chase agreed, suggesting, "I'll flip, you Zap?" Leo nodded. Chase jumped up and stood by the staircase. He waved his hands in the air, taunting, "Hey, Exo!" He hopped over the plants and rolled over the couch. Once he landed, he flipped to his side.
"Here comes the pain!" Leo bolted the exoskeleton and stabbed the device to it. It swung his arm away, bumping the electrofield de-stabilizer out of his hands. He twisted Leo over and pinned his wrists together above his head. It forced him to look at Chase. "Hey, Chase, did we have a plan B?"
Chase glanced around the destroyed great room to find a solution. Patience scanned the floor for the device. It was a couple of feet in front of the exoskeleton. She wouldn't be able to get near it without it stopping her. But maybe she could crawl around it. If she laid low enough, sticking close to it she might have a chance.
"Hey!" Grandma Rose pushed herself from the couch, shouting. She pointed her finger at him, giving the exoskeleton a stink eye, "Nobody lays a hand on my grandson. It's time to pick up the hat!"
She ran to the machine and Patience took the opportunity to crouch, rushing to her spot. Grandma Rose twisted and kicked her leg back, sending the exoskeleton back. It dropped Leo on the ground. She ran back to hide, stepping away from Patience's crawling figure.
"Way to go grandma and you didn't even break a hip," Bree complimented.
Rose gave her a thumbs up. She then furrowed her eyebrows at Patience, hissing, "Patience, get right back here!"
"Sorry," she sheepishly replied. Patience grasped the electrofield de-stabilizer.
The exoskeleton regained its posture and aimed its fist at Patience out in the open. Her eyes widened, dropping to the ground. The laser barely past her head. It robotically stepped closer to Leo, aiming his other fist in his way.
"Patience! Over here!" Chase called. He was behind the exoskeleton with his hands out.
Patience threw the electrofield de-stabilizer his way. He caught it as the exoskeleton slowly turned around. Chase lunged forward and stabbed the electrofield de-stabilizer on its abdomen. Red electricity sparked across its center, flying toward the TV. It twitched on the floor, barely missing the TV.
Patience met up with Leo and Chase. They raised their hands to the middle for a triple high-five. Chase picked him up for a celebrating hug and swung him around. He let Leo's feet back on the floor and opened another space for Patience to join them.
"Somebody better tell me what's going on right now and right now just passed, so you're not talking fast enough," Rose demanded. She gradually stepped in their direction as Mr. Davenport, Adam, and Bree scrambled to the group of three.
"Uh, Rose," Mr. Davenport stiffened. He approached her, saying, "There is a completely rational explanation for all of this. You are delusional." He faced the kids and beamed, "Who wants dessert?"
"Dessert was thrown across the room," Patience reminded, nodding and lacing her fingers.
Grandma Rose snapped her head at Tasha and jabbed at Mr. Davenport. Tasha closed her eyes and exhaled. "You know what, mom? This is our life. Our house may be high-tech and chaotic, but it is full of love," she strutted to the kids, "and it may not be perfect for you." She slid her arm around Adam. The group of kids smiled at Grandma Rose, huddling together. "But it is perfect for our family."
"What family?" She questioned, "Wait a minute, who are these people?"
Mr. Davenport stuttered, "Who are- Uh," he stiffly pointed at the bionic siblings, "they are my brother's kids. That I adopted when he died." He solemnly said, "Fell in a volcano."
Patience tilted her head in confusion at Mr. Davenport's questionable lie.
Grandma Rose grinned, "Well, why didn't you just say so? Now it all makes sense. You're just a modern family with a bunch of adorable kids, who is gonna need their grandma around all the time. I can stay for a few days in the spare room you got down the hall." She motioned her hand, "Come on, baby. I got my overnight case in my car and Gladys is watching Poochie so it's no problem."
Tasha's mouth dropped. Grandma Rose opened the door continuing her rambles. She trailed behind her mother staring at Mr. Davenport unable to stop her. Patience gave an awkward shrug and forced a smile, already planning to limit her visit in case her big mouth slipped.
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edited march 18, 2024