Title: "Smoke and Mirrors"

Rating: T

Genre: drama, suspense

Character(s): Leo, mainly, but his siblings and his teammates, plus a surprise character, will also be here

Pairing(s): none

Summary: "Don't you see? That's all that this is. It's a lie. It's just a trick." Post-Space Colony. AR.

Notes: Written for the Take Three Challenge at SP, where we're assigned three words, and then we write either a fanfic or an RP piece using those as prompts. I got 'hate, eagle, piano' as my set. The inspiration and idea came from the Space Colony trailer, which I've watched (voluntarily) a ridiculous amount of times. And maybe it's also a bit inspired by the plots and storylines of two Marvel shows, too. Just a bit. *grins*

Special shout-out to Lex, who has nicely edited and critiqued this for me at SP! Thanks!

This is more like a freewriting piece, so it'll just be a one-shot. Even if it's the case, though, I still hope you guys enjoy.

"Leo, do you copy? We're approaching the north exits. Zero visual on the Eagle as of yet."

"Yeah, yeah, I got it," Leo mumbles discreetly to his earpiece as he quickly scans the crowd of visitors milling around and socializing in the hallway below. "No movement from my location either."

"Logan and I are in the concert hall. What do you want us to do?" Taylor asks him.

"Just stay there," he tells her. "Make sure you stay close to where the President and his wife will be sitting. You still remember the information that was sent over to us, right?"

"Right."

"Okay. I'm heading off to secure the maintenance area. Chase will be closer to you so until I get back, you're under his charge. Are we good?"

"Yep," Taylor says.

"Crystal clear, chief," Logan chirps.

"Chase?"

"I got them, Leo." His smirk audible, his older brother adds, "I've been a mission leader far longer than you have. Trust me. I can handle this."

Leo scoffs, shaking his head. He picks up the black backpack filled with the tools he needs to ensure that the controls all around the building will continue to function well and will be invulnerable to tampering. Then, he walks off to the other side of that dark and empty hall. Before he vanishes through the exit door, he scans the crowd below one more time.

It makes him uncomfortable to be at such a prestigious event. It's not only because the sight of so many politicians, entrepreneurs, and power figures in their suits and evening gowns emphasizes the fact that this is not a place for a teenager, but also because his task of monitoring from the shadows feels wrong. He knows that their job has always been to protect those who need it, and this responsibility in this mission is his assigned lot because his teammates and his older siblings find him the most capable in carrying it out successfully, but it still feels off.

Then again, nothing about this mission had felt right since they received it last night.

He can't put his finger on it. It isn't the magnitude of the assignment. After all, this is not the first time that the President has asked for their help. It hasn't even been a year since they intercepted the sizeable team of superhumans who tried to take control of the world. Compared to that, what they are to do tonight is much easier. Their only goal is to prevent any interruption and keep the attendees safe.

For two teams of superpowered teens, it shouldn't be that hard of a task.

He guesses that's the problem. It's all so simple and perfect.

Somewhat satisfied by the peaceful chatter among the attendees below, Leo heads into the door for the stairs leading to the maintenance room.

"Adam, what's your status?" he hears Chase ask through the earpiece.

Adam sighs. "Bored."

"Adam."

"I am! There's nothing to do here! I'm just standing here, and people are just staring at me. It's weird."

"Of course they're going to stare at you," Taylor comments, clearly annoyed. "Your face has been on the news so many times this year."

A pause, and then, "It's not my fault I'm popular," Adam mutters petulantly.

Bree laughs. "Okay, Gretchen Wieners," she says.

Chase chuckles. "It's more like Gretchen Whiner."

Leo grins, finding his older siblings' banters amusing.

"But seriously, Chase – I have to agree with Adam. I don't get why we were called here," Bree says. "The guys from Secret Service have been giving me these strange glances, like they have no idea what I came here for."

"Why are you both so concerned about how other people react to us being here?" Chase asks. "The President approached us privately for this mission. He needs our help. Does it really matter what these people, who probably have no idea about it, do?"

Leo guesses that's another reason. That's the other anomaly in this equation. "I think what Bree is saying is that Mr. President's own team of bodyguards have always handled events like this with no problem," he says. "This doesn't seem to be a high risk situation. No threats. Why would he call us?"

"I don't know. Maybe there's something more to this than he's disclosed," his older brother answers, but Leo can hear a hint of doubt. "We just have to stay put. Until we can confirm with him, let's just keep the plan going, alright?"

"Fine," Adam says unhappily.

"Okay," Bree grumbles.

"Logan, how's it looking in there?"

"The seats are filling up. Mr. President and Mrs. President are still nowhere in sight."

"Stick with the codenames, Logan," Taylor chides under her breath.

"Oh, uh, right. Well, Mr. and Mrs. Eagle are not…in the nest…yet…?"

Leo reaches the next floor just as Bree begins to mumble something against their choice of codenames. He pulls the door open, peeks in cautiously, and then looks left to right to see if anyone is there. "Fourth floor's clear. Heading off to the maintenance room," he reports quietly.

"West wing is clear, too," Bree says. "I'm off to the control room."

"Yeah," Chase says. "Adam?"

"Yep. Switching with Logan."

The maintenance room is empty when Leo walks in. A charged buzzing noise is reverberating from one of the fluorescent bulbs above, but apart from that everything is quiet. It's eerie how dormant everything seems. For some reason, the bad gut feeling he's had only worsens. There's a warning going off in the back of his head, telling him that someone is watching.

However, he only shrugs it off as paranoia from watching too many crime shows.

The soft melody of a piano being played from a distance, perhaps from one of his siblings passing a performer practicing backstage, soothes his nerves. Classical music is not his favorite genre, but there are times when listening to it helps him think a little better. Tuning into it, he sets down the backpack on the table, unzips it, and then pulls out the gears and the device he needs.

As he begins his meticulous work of activating the gadget, his right shoulder and the slope of his neck begin to tighten. He elects to ignore it, but then he notices that his right hand is starting to shake. He presses on, but he's soon forced to admit that the instability of his hold can ruin the delicate piece of technology in front of him. So, he places the screwdriver down then backs away from the table.

As a flare of frustration consumes him, Leo kicks a tin trashcan sitting nearby, and the collision echoes loudly in the room.

"What was that?" Chase asks alertly.

Leo locks then unlocks his jaws. "Nothing," he says. "Nothing. That's just – that's just me. I'm sorry."

"Oh. Are you…are you okay?"

Leo nods. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," he lies.

"Alright."

He hates this. He hates what that incident in Lithios has done to him. He hates that he has to lie to convince others and himself that he's doing okay. But, what he hates the most is the way his family and friends act when he's frustrated. It's like they're walking on eggshells.

He doesn't like it. He doesn't like it one bit.

Whatever that deranged scientist did to him affected him a lot. He knows it all started there. He didn't tell his stepfather or his step-uncle—not even his mother—about this, but he's not the same. Something has changed. He knows it's not just the knowledge that he's been forced to do something that he, in his own volition, would never ever want to do. That disgust is another nightmare in itself. This? This is different. He's losing control, and it's manifesting in the subtlest of ways. At first, he thought that the small lapses in his short term memory were something ordinary. He's just been thinking a lot of what happened and therefore can't focus on and retain details that he's never had a problem focusing on and remembering before.

But then, when he noticed the gradual decline of his coordination and, at times, even his motor skills, it dawned on him that something had gone terribly wrong. He also feels, every day, that there's something new and frightening expanding within him.

He's never told his family about all of this because he's afraid they will find that he's broken. He doesn't want them to cast him aside or, worse, replace him. Before they went on that vacation, his life was good. It wasn't perfect, but he loves it.

Leo takes in a breath then releases it. Gathering the calmness he needs, he picks up the screwdriver then resumes his task of activating the device.

If he has to suffer through the night just to get this job done, so be it.

"The performance is starting soon," he hears Bree say. "Is he here yet?"

"I don't know. There are too many people coming in," Chase says.

A light din outside the room causes Leo to look up from his work. He listens carefully for sounds of any footsteps or conversation, but he hears none. Unsatisfied, he places the device and the tool down on the table then carefully approaches the door. Upon opening it, he leans cautiously outside to search the corridor.

Empty.

He steps out of the room to get a better view. Besides the chatter coming into his earpiece, he hears nothing. The whole floor seems placid. Choosing the right wing of the floor first, he walks onward vigilantly.

"Chasey, we got a visual," Adam reports as Leo rounds the corner.

"Yeah, I see him. I'm going up to him now to let him know we're here."

Leo takes a few more steps then stops. Again, empty. Maybe it's just my imagination, he thinks.

"Hi, Mr. President. Good evening."

"Chase! Good to see you here. It's been a while," they hear the President respond.

"Yes, it has, sir."

Leo is on his way back to the maintenance room when he hears, "Is your family here with you?"

"Uh, yes, sir, they are," Chase says, obviously a bit confused.

"Okay. Well, say hi to them for me. Tell your father there's something my committee would like to speak to him with when he's got the time."

"Um, okay." A moment later, Chase calls out, "Sir? What… I mean – we're all in place, sir. You told me to report to you once I see you. I just want to let you know we're here."

"Report to me?" he repeats. "What do you mean?"

"Didn't you… Didn't you send us an alert last night regarding surveillance and protection detail?"

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't send you anything."

Before Chase can respond, the lights in the building flicker off. Frightened screams and surprised yelps resonate in their earpieces, but these are short-lived since the electricity comes back on a few seconds after.

"Leo, what was that?" Bree asks.

"Uh, I don't know," he says, hurrying back into the room.

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"I don't know!" he says. He checks the fuse box for any signs of damage, but he finds it untouched. He frowns. "Whatever that was, that came from—" He stops.

Someone's behind him.

"Came from where? Leo?"

"Outside?" Dr. Gao offers. He smiles when Leo turns around. "I told you I'd come back."

"Leo. Leo, come in. Who is that?" Chase demands.

"You're supposed to be in prison," Leo says, doing his best to fend off the dread threatening to overtake him as one of his worst memories rises from the depths. He hides his right hand behind him as a mass of laser begins forming within his palm. "How did you get out?"

Dr. Gao catches a glance of what he's concealing, and it causes his smile to stretch a little wider. "An illusionist never reveals his secrets," he says. "Don't you see? That's all that this is. It's a lie. It's just a trick. Did you enjoy it?"

"You're not gonna make me do it again," Leo tells him resolutely. "You're not gonna make me hurt all of these people."

"Chase. It's Dr. Gao. He's here," Adam says.

"I've invested so much in you. You're capable of much greater things now than you know," the scientist says. "Who says that's my plan for you?"

Before Leo can deploy his defense, the scientist shoots a wave of electricity with a wrathful orange glow that slams against him. His muscles and his organs seize, the overwhelming voltage running through every fiber of him causing his entire body to contract. Then, after what seems like forever, his whole body weakens until he loses his consciousness.

Fearfully, he falls into the black abyss of his endless nightmares.

Reviews and constructive critiques are appreciated!