Well, well, well, lookie who's back. It's me, everybody! :D Wow, not even thirty-six hours and I'm already posting this. Hooray!

So for those of you who clicked on this and have not read the other I AM Trilogy stories, this is an AU. Go back and read I'm a Weapon and I'm a Monster or you will have no idea what's going on. This story will be rated T for: mentions of abuse, injuries, death, and depression.

Okay, now that the warnings are out of the way: I am aware that this prologue is not very long. I apologize for that. It was really all I could do, and I think for its length it packs in some powerful ideas. Hopefully that can make up for it.

I do not own Lab Rats! Enjoy the prologue to I'm a Human, everyone!

* * * Prologue * * *

Some wounds cut too deep to ever heal. They stay, painfully reminding you of that one incident where something went horribly wrong. Nothing anybody says or does can make it any better. You are doomed with this horrible reminder for the rest of your life. A scar.

Scars take many forms. There are physical ones, but there are emotional ones too. Emotional scars might just hurt even more. They dig deep into your core, undermining your confidence and your hope.

For the Davenport family, scars were abundant. They cut deep into each member. They were expressed with subtle actions, through dialogue, and sometimes through something as simple as a forlorn gaze. A reassuring smile could not mask what that person was hiding inside. On the inside there was only pain.

Scars presented themselves in the form of a former captive, kidnapped by his own brother and held hostage for many years. Nothing can top the pain of a relative – someone you love and deeply care about – betraying you. No matter what he did, he couldn't heal the rift that steadily grew between him and his brother. Before he knew it, that rift grew out of control, destroying his life and the lives of everyone around him.

Scars presented themselves in the form of a former stable boy, treated with little dignity and respect in his life. Did he ever ask for all this? No. But that was the kind of thing you do for family. Even if it meant being kidnapped by your step-dad's psychotic younger brother.

Scars presented themselves in the form of a former circus worker, concerned for her son and niece and nephews, as always. She knew what she was signing up for when she married the love of her life, and she didn't care. Let her get hit with a gun and captured. Struggles bind a family.

Scars presented themselves in the form of a former circus strong man, whipped and beat into submission. The never-fading lines on his back would serve as a reminder for years to come. He had watched in his early years as his own siblings were hurt, over and over again, while he was powerless to stop it.

Scars presented themselves in the form of a former dancer, striped of all dignity and decency. Her feisty spirit only served to get her in trouble over the years. Hallucinations and dreams warped her, leaving her nearly hopeless until she was finally rescued. Teasing her brothers was a cover for how much she deeply cared about them.

Scars presented themselves in the form of a former training device, unwanted by anyone around him. A stupid android, a dumb robot, a terrible brother . . . these kinds of labels restricted him and disgraced him. Not to mention the fact that he was dying, much earlier than anyone ever should. But no one cared, right? He was worthless.

Scars presented themselves in the form of a former weapon, terrorized every day of his life by his father. Names and beatings were common, even anticipated by the young boy. He had come to believe the lies told about himself. It destroyed him, constantly tearing him up inside.

The thing about scars, though: they fade. It is a slow process, and never a complete one. But with time things can be glossed over. The outside image of being happy is perfected, and no one can tell what lies beneath the surface. Joy shines a bit of light, no matter how small, into your life.

Fading presented itself in the form of a tech mogul, freed from his brother's prison and rebuilding his technological empire. He began a family, with a lovely wife, a step-son, and his niece and nephews that he had taken in as his own.

Fading presented itself in the form of a klutzy, supportive step-cousin, finding a home and some friends who cared about him. It didn't matter that he constantly "Leo-d things up" or was quite nosy about the bionics; he was accepted and treated fairly for once in his life.

Fading presented itself in the form of a motherly worrier, concerned not only for her own child, but the new kids in her life as well. She had found a wonderful husband and a new job as a news reporter (regardless of what anyone had said about her reporting skills).

Fading presented itself in the form of a lovable goofball, teased in the most loving way. He could protect his siblings and talk to them no matter what. People were wont to laugh when he was around; not at him, but with him. Carefree and happy-go-lucky were two words that very accurately described his personality.

Fading presented itself in the form of a boy-crazy teenage girl, texted by her friends a hundred times a day. Social life was important to her, and she had one. Even with all her friends, she still made time to be with her brothers. Sure, they drove her crazy sometimes, but at the end of the day she still loved them.

Fading presented itself in the form of a dying android, tempted to close himself off from the world until his time came. But he knew he couldn't do that. Even if they were still a bit wary, he finally had a family. They sincerely cared and tried to help him.

Fading presented itself in the form of a human, called many things but that. 'Monster' and 'weapon' had lost all meaning. They were pointless words in his ears. He was a human, loved by his family and cared for by those around him. The cruel words were lies; they had always been lies. He knew that now.

It would be a very long time before everyone healed. In truth, they would probably never heal completely. They had been hurt too much to ever fully recover. Sad as it was, it was true.

This was all the fault of one man. One man who was selfish and arrogant enough to kidnap people and overwork them for his own personal gain. Abuse and torment was something like a game to him; a game that he was determined to win. That kind of attitude broke his family and eventually led to his undoing.

Sometimes Chase wondered if Douglas, too, had scars. Was there some kind of wound that cut deep into his heart? Was there any kind of fading, or did he live with something that tore him up day after day? Chase hadn't noticed anything that would've suggested that was the case, but perhaps Douglas had learned to hide it well. Was it possible that Douglas was just as broken as the rest of them?

Chase had tried to keep his thoughts off of Douglas. He wanted to concentrate on the family he had with him now, and the fact that he could be with them. That same elation he had felt a year earlier was increased tenfold as Chase returned home yet again.

Readjusting had been required, to be sure. The Davenports had been gone for nearly two weeks. Questions abounded and interrogations from friends ensued. It took a while to get the story just right so they could tell it to others. Of course they couldn't say, "Well, my evil father captured us all and tormented us in an underground lair in Alaska." They instead opted to tell people that they had gone on an impromptu vacation.

Not only that, but there was readjusting back to normal life. Chase had never realized it, but he had grown up in a very certain state of mind. When Douglas captured them all, Chase had slipped back into his previous way of thinking. A way that allowed for injuries and insults to fly over his head; a way that made him cold and emotionless so the pain would be more bearable; a way that caused him to think along a dangerous track of hopelessness.

To change those despondent thoughts to happy ones was not an easy thing. Last time Chase was eased into it, but suddenly he was back home and pushed into the face of the world. Changing his thinking and attitude had to happen quickly before anyone would notice.

Those thoughts, however, were not easily banished. Chase's mind was ever on the plight he had gone through. He and his family had endured a lot; that wasn't easily forgettable. Every topic somehow reminded him of Douglas. His brain could not focus on anything else.

The names, the pain, the blood, the agony, the anger, the hatred . . . all of it refused to leave his mind. Nothing could change the way Chase thought. This would be one of those slowly fading scars.

Nonetheless, life moved on, with or without Chase. So he might as well ride along. It was bumpy, it was crazy, but it was worth it. Chase had his family again. They were there for each other and that was all that mattered. These scars could be dealt with, because they had each other for support. Recovering from Douglas was made easier when the family came together and helped one another.

Scars fade slowly. But they do fade.

Again, sorry for the length. But I feel like I packed a lot in. Deep, huh? That was fun to write. But, boy, were Tasha and Leo HARD! Did I do okay with them? They've been pretty minor characters in this story, so I hope I pulled it off well.

The chapters for this story will most likely all be short (or shorter than normal). Sorry about that! On the bright side, that means updates will be faster. There will be six chapters to this story, as well as a prologue (this chapter) and . . . drum roll please . . . an epilogue! I am super excited for that. I have an awesome idea that will be very different from anything I have ever written before. (By the way, that means there will be a total of eight "chapters" to this story.)

Alright, well, I hope you enjoyed that. Don't forget to leave a review and tell me what you thought. I appreciate all the feedback! I'll see you at chapter one in a few days. Bye! :D