Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Penny sat on her bed staring at her code-x. She couldn't believe that she used to be so bad at doing a double back flip that landed her around two to three stories down from where she began. But she must have, 'cause there was the evidence in the videos she was watching.

As Brain walked into the room drinking a smoothie, Penny commented,
"Can you believe that I used to be that bad at doing the Double Back Flip? I mean like, I could barely do the flip, much less the landing!"

"Uh huh," Brain nodded.

"I guess I could still use the practice," she sighed. "I'd just rather do something else, anything else."

"Penny, I need you and Brain in the Holographic Training Room immediately." Chief Quimby said as her Code-x screen showed him in the room he had indicated.

"OK Chief, we'll be right there," she replied as she swiped out her Code-x screen. "It's not what I was expecting or asking for when I said I'd rather do anything else, but I'll do it," she explained to Brain as they walked down the hallway towards the Holographic Training Room. Brain just sipped his smoothie.

"But he could just be another trap!!" Penny yelled at Chief Quimby. "I don't want to take that risk again, ever ever again. Do you hear me!?" she continued. "He could be just like Talon!!"

"Calm down, Penny. Garret is not a MAD double agent, we have run tons of tests and everything has come out negative. We even used the Fiber Link in the Holographic Training Room to scan his memory (which is why we're in here). There is no sign of MAD like activity in anything, anywhere."

"OK fine," Penny decided unwillingly, as she stomped out of the room. "I'll need to figure this one out very soon because I can tell that something wrong is with this guy, I don't know just what quite yet, but I will. Eventually. I don't want Uncle Gadget to get harmed by Garret, or anyone for that matter. Matter!" she mumbled, "Matter, MADer! It's the same thing!" she concluded. "I'll need to be careful with this one, very careful," she decided.

While Penny was caught up in her own thoughts and plots, Chief Quimby was busy giving orders.

"Garret, there's no use going after her. I've seen this before. She just doesn't want to get tricked again. Now, you should get settled in. I'm afraid your room is next to Penny's. Do you think you can handle it?" he questioned.

"Don't worry Chief, " Garret answered. "I've got everything all worked out, you'll see."

"Good. Brain, follow Penny and make sure she doesn't get into trouble," Chief Quimby ordered.

"Uh huh," Brain replied. He then took off to follow Penny down the hallway. While the Chief and Garret walked the opposite way towards the agent's living quarters.

"Talon, Talon! TALON!!" Dr. Claw yelled. "Get over here, there's someone new I want you to meet."

"Why can't Uncle C. just use the face cam to talk to me?" Talon mumbled to himself as he set down his video game and headed down the hall. "It's like he always wants to embarrass me in front of EVERYONE!" he continued. I'm right here Uncle C., you don't need to yell at me."

"Well, I uh, just needed to uh, use my voice in someway," Claw argued.

"Yeah, but you could have used the video cam to call me an- . . . " he left the sentence hanging. Because right there in front of him stood the most gorgeous human being he had ever seen! If she was human at all. She must be an angel from evil heaven, you know the place in heaven where evil people live forever. Enjoying making evil plans for no reason at all. She had black hair with purple highlights that matched her black hair so well you thought she had been born with them (she actually had). She had a graceful slender body and she looked shorter than him, well everyone looked shorter than him (except Gadget).

She was leaning against the desk where he usually stood! How dare she take my place! He thought. But she's such an angel. In fact I was probably only born to make the way for her. It is my destiny! He also noticed that when her hair was down it was curly. But when she put it up (like she was now) it became straight. Then wonders of wonders, she look at him!! He was basically melting under her gaze.

"Talon!!" Dr. Claw's yell ended Talon's dreams of them walking toward each other with arms outstretched and when they joined hands, the kiss . . . but just as they were about to - in his day dream - Dr. Claw had yelled at Talon. Poor Talon had all his dreams smashed right then and there when he realized that he had been about to do the thing he had just day dreamed about! He would have melted in humiliation if he had been able to.

"Talon!" Dr. Claw repeated. "I want you to meet MADrie. She is out new agent and better than you at everything. She could do your missions while sleeping and she wouldn't even stumble once. Once, do you hear me? She could teach you a thing of two about being a MAD henchman. Or should I say henchwoman? It doesn't matter, you get the point."

"Yeah," Talon whispered, still dazed by this new beauty that had entered his life.

"Well don't just stand there. Go get me some chicken fingers. MADcat, you have a hair-ball fancy appointment. Now go, both of you," Claw ordered. MADcat nodded, jumped down, and left for her appointment.

Talon still staring at MADrie, unwillingly left to go get his uncle some chicken fingers. As he left the room he pressed a button his bracer and said,
"Note to self, ask MADrie out."

The only people left in the room were Dr, Claw and MADrie. They sat in silence for a moment then Dr. Claw spoke up.
"You know what, MADrie?" he asked.

"What is it sir?" she responded.

"Um, just call me Claw."

"Okay."

"Here, it's something I want you to have. It's a card that will turn into any card at will."

"You honor me greatly with such a great gift."

"Yes, I suppose I do. But you deserve it."

"Thank you, Claw."

"Any time, dear. Any time." After another moment or two of silence Claw continued."I'd better go pick up MADcat now," he stated reluctantly.

"Yes sir," MADrie agreed. As he walked past her to leave, she pinned a small button on his claw that blended in perfectly. He didn't even notice.
Not ten seconds later, Talon walked into the room. When he saw that Claw was leaving, he jetted over to him to give him his chicken fingers.

"Oh, uh, thanks Talon," Claw responded. Surprised that he was back so fast.

"No prob, Uncle C." Talon replied, trying to act cool. When Claw had left the room Talon flew over to MADrie, hoping that she liked his skills.

"Nice boots," She complemented him.

"Oh, thanks," he replied shyly. At least he hadn't been the one to start the conversation.

"So, Uncle Claw hired you?"

"Yep," she replied.

"How'd you hear about us?" he questioned.

"Oh, uh, I don't really remember. I think my broth- uh, friend told me about you guys," she responded, suddenly very nervous.

"Cool. Uh, here. I want you to have these," he said, handing her a carefully wrapped package. "I made them for you. Do you like them?" He asked as she opened the gift.

"Wow, thanks, these are so cool! I'll just touch them up and upgrade them to a little bit more of my style and then they'll be absolutely perfect!"

"You like them?" he asked again.

"Yes, what do I need to do to make you think I do?"

Well, you could date me. He thought. "You could use them." He responded trying to be funny like he usually was around Penny. Penny! Oh no. Now what am I going to do? I like two people. He thought.

Right then, MADcat marched through the door. "Mea, oh, meow," she said to Talon.

"OK." Talon answered and walked out the door.

"Here," MADcat continued. "This is for you," she said.

It was a necklace with some of MADcat's fur in it. It gave the wearer the power of 'Animal Spirit' and 'Scratch Attacks'.

"Thank you so much, MADcat." she replied, stunned. "Oh, I've got to go now," she said looking down at her old watch that would soon be replaced with the bracer Talon had given her (along with jet boots). She waved good bye and ran out of the room, out of the lair, and towards an old shed.

Chapter Text

Garret walked down the hallway toward the agents living quarters. As he walked, he started to review everything that had happened so far. Things hadn't gone too well with Penny, but everything else was going perfectly. Penny had asked him how he had found out and then decided to join HQ. He stuttered at first, then sad that 'his sist-uh, friend' had told him about them and suggested that he joined. So he had. Thinking back on that moment he realized he had almost spilled the beans.

'I hope that never happens,' he thought.

When he had gone on the HQ tour he had met Professor Von Slickstein, the HQ scientist. The professor had given him a new outfit (apparently he did outfits as well) and contacts that if you wore them you could (when you wanted to) make things move as if something invisible had moved them.

Then there had been Inspector Gadget, he was a little over an inch taller than Garret and seemed to be really cool. Gadget had given him a cool device that was attached to his right wrist. To use it, he had to press a button on the device (which he named an 'Inspecto-bomb') which would make a bomb pop out onto his hand. when he threw the bomb, it would explode depending on when it was thrown and how hard.

Brain had given him a small ring that had some of Brain's hair in it. It gave him the power of 'Animal Spirit' and if he pressed the round part of the ring where the hair was encased, then in whatever situation Garret was in, dogs would come and help him. Garret had thanked Brain then continued on his way through HQ

Soon after, he had stumbled upon Chief Quimby getting a drink from the big drink dispenser. The Chief had given him a card that could turn into any card at will.
And that's where he found himself now, walking towards his and Penny's rooms. BAM!!! Right then, he slammed into Penny. She had been looking at her Code-x screen while walking down the hallway, while he had been so engrossed in his thoughts that he hadn't noticed.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!"

"Sorry."

"Here, you could use this. So you don't walk into walls, much less people," she mumbled.

"Ok. Um, thanks?" he replied not knowing what else to say. She didn't even glance back. As she kept on walking down the hallway paying attention to her Code-x screen.
He then looked down at what she had given him. It was two Code-x screens floating face up in the air. Both had instructions on them. The one on the left said to spread his fingers on his right hand and move it to the screen so that the edge of it was in the gap created by your two fingers (the thumb and the pointer finger). Next it said to swipe away the Code-x with that hand. When Garret did it, he felt a jolt of electricity go into and through his hand. He then looked at the Code-x on the right. It said to do the exact same thing except with your left hand. As he swiped the Code-x away with his left hand he felt the jolt of electricity. Except this time it felt normal, as if it was a part of him.
The reason for this was because he now had the power of Code-x along with all the powers and things the others had given to him.

Garret opened his Code-x and smiled, Penny had helped him more than she knew. Suddenly he looked at the time. 'Oh no, I'm late!' He thought. He started running and ran right out of HQ, through the city, and into the old abandoned warehouse/shed.

Penny watched him go. 'Where is he going in such a rush?' She wondered. 'Well, I guess I'll just have to find out,' she decided, then followed him.

Talon followed MADrie from a distance, earlier he had gotten her permission to call her Marie. Now, he wondered where she has going. And why in such a hurry?

A few minuets later as she was coming to a more desolate place, a whitish-blue light flashed and she was skidding on some sort of icy path.

"What in the world??" Talon gasped.

When he came to the ice road, he tried to walk on it and fell flat on his face.

"Great," he muttered, getting up and deciding to run beside it instead of humiliating himself again.

By now, she had entered a small building that looked like an old, abandoned barn. A few minutes later, when he got to the building, he quickly darted over to the left side. Making sure no one was there, he turned around and scanned the area he had just come from, still seeing no one, he relaxed and crept backwards to get under the window that was about 2 1/2 feet off the ground. When he was almost there, he turned around again, only to almost have a heart attack, he was just about to scream when something, or rather the someone who made him want to scream, covered his mouth, shushing him.

"What are you doing here?" He gasped out as soon as his mouth was free again.

"What are YOU doing here," she countered.

"Hey, I asked first."

"Fine," she sighed, "I was following HQ's newest recruit to find out what's suspicious about him, I don't like him," Penny answered.

"Really? Same! Except our new recruit is a girl, and I like her."

Penny looked at Talon and rolled her eyes, "Of course you would."

"Not in that way!" Talon exclaimed.

"Sure."

"Okay, fine."

"Well, you're lucky you guys got a girl, I need some new friends," Penny commented. "So, what do you think they're doing here?" She questioned, motioning toward the building they were leaning against.

"No idea," he replied. "Let's find out! Well, I mean, I'm going to find out."

"Ha ha, very funny," she teased sarcastically. They then moved to look into the window above their heads. "There's nobody there," Penny whispered, stunned.

"No, really?" Talon asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Just then, they heard a voice. They quickly ducked down again, wondering how they couldn't see the person although there was a voice.

"Hey, how are you holding up? Are they treating you well?"

"That's our new agent," Penny and Talon whispered at the same time. They stated at each other as if the other had the head of a donkey. 'He/She's crazy,' they both thought.

"Yeah, it's all good. Everything is going perfectly. How about you?" Another voice responded, sounding almost exactly the same as the previous voice, however, this one was a little higher and sounded more feminine.

"Oh, that's mine," Talon confirmed.

"Idiot," Penny shook her head. Talon glared at her.

"Same," the deeper voice replied. "Mission going as planned?"

"Yes. You?"

"Yep."

"Good. Look what I got!" The feminine voice exclaimed.

"Nice, I got some stuff too," the other voice commented.

"That's cool. And, everything seems to be going according to plan. Is there anything we haven't covered yet?" She asked.

"Not that I can think of," he replied. "See you around. Oh wait!" He suddenly exclaimed. "I almost spilled the beans."

"I did too," she replied quickly. "Hopefully they didn't notice though."

"Yeah," he nervously agreed. "I just don't feel safe about this."

"Everything will be fine, I promise," the high voice comforted. "Bye."

"Bye."

"What in the world was that?!" Penny exclaimed.

"What do you think it was about?" Talon questioned, fazed by all the confusing information.

"I don't know, but I feel like something is up."

"Yeah, same here," Talon responded, still seemingly dazed.

They sat in thought for a moment before deciding that they would form a temporary truce to try and figure out was going on. They exchanged information and contacts before splitting up to make their ways to their own homes.